God's Plan For Overcoming Selfishness
Glenn B. Ramsey

When people are so concerned with their own lives that they are unable to see great responsibilities and duties that they have toward others, we say that they are selfish people. The word selfish means that a person is concerned chiefly with one’s own personal profit or pleasure at the expense of consideration for others. How tragic it is when such a spirit controls one’s life.

The classic account in the New Testament of a selfish person is found in Luke 12. There we have the account of the rich farmer. When his ground brought forth “plentifully” this means that the harvest was far greater than he expected, and far greater than his needs. What did he do? Did he plan to use his increase for the good of his fellow man and for God? No! Luke records that “he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry” (Luke 12:17-18). Here was a selfish man. He took no thought for others. He only considered himself. God said that he was a fool! God told him that he would die that night! God asked him who would use these fruits that he had so selfishly thought to use himself. A faithful follower of God knows that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” When God blesses us, He blesses us that we may, in turn, bless others. Selfishness kills the joy of blessings.

Selfishness has many brothers and sisters and “double first cousins.” Often selfish people (stingy people) feel a flash of resentment any time they see others blessed. This is a brother of selfishness called jealousy. A man may be working two or three jobs while still giving proper time to the Lord’s service. The man is blessed with material things. Others who are unwilling or unable to work in this way are envious of the good fortune of the blessed man! Surely the “double first cousin” of envy is a constant companion of many. Such a person is never content with what he has, but is always thinking of devious ways to devalue or remove blessings that he sees others receive.

Consider an example. A man spends twenty or more years pursuing an education to better enable him to serve as a gospel preacher and Christian worker. Another man is unwilling to put in the work and money to accomplish that proficiency. The other man shows his selfishness by becoming jealous and envious of the brother who has spent endless hours in preparation for the work. Rather than holding up the hands of the man who has chosen the better way, the “other” man is envious and does hateful and spiteful things to him. I am not talking about people in the world. I have seen this in the church of Christ! What a shame! How disgraceful! Yet the “selfish” man will never admit to such a despicable jealous, envious and devilish disposition. According to the Word of God that selfish man will be condemned for his atrocious works.

The solution to this problem is to follow the example of our Lord. He gave Himself for us. He always upheld that which was right, even though He always opposed that which was wrong. Jesus, our Lord, was the most selfless man ever to live. The sin of selfishness is of the devil. When a man becomes a new creature in Christ, he must put off the sins of a devilish disposition. Paul describes that evil disposition in Colossians 3:8-9. One who follows the ways of the world will be selfish, stingy, envious, jealous and hateful in his dealings with his fellow man. One has to CHOOSE to become a selfless man. When we are raised to walk in newness of life we must “put off” the things of the old man of sin. What have you chosen?

Editorial

There are three divine institutions. The home (Gen. 2-3), the civil government (Rom. 13:1-6), and the church (Matt. 16:18). Each one of these institutions has a divine purpose. The home is to propagate the human race and to teach and follow all that God has given with reference to it in the Bible. If the home will follow the Bible, it will be all right in every realm it serves.

The civil government is to protect the innocent and to punish evil doers. Many of the laws of the United States are based upon the word of God. The same is true at all levels of government in our country. A righteous civil government is one that tries to have just laws and enforces them. My, how the government of the United States has drifted in this matter.

The church has its divine functions. It must stay where God placed it. Where can one find out where God placed the church? Where can we find out what God wants the church to do and be? This certainly cannot be found in Roman Catholicism. Very little of their work and structure can be found in the Bible. They have almost completely substituted God’s way with their man made teachings and practices. Nor can we find God’s way from denominationalism nor sectarianism. They know not the way of the Lord therefore they are not reliable when it comes to knowing and declaring divine truth. So where do we go for religious truth? We must go to the Holy Bible (II Tim. 3:16-17). The true church of Christ does this very thing and this is why she is known as the “pillar and ground of the truth” (I Tim. 3:15). So one may rightly conclude that the home must stay in its God given realm, the government must stay in its divine realm, and the home must function where God intended it to function. One institution must not get into the other’s realm.

It is not the business of the civil government to run the home nor is it the business of the home to run the civil government. The church has no business running and being over the civil government, and the civil government has no business trying to be over the church. The Constitution of the United States is soarranged that the home, the civil government, and the church do their individual work: not separate and apart from each other but cooperating with each other.

The local government in Nashville, Tennessee went into a home and took a child a number of months old and his sister of two years old, and placed them in the hands of foster parents because they were left at home alone and forsaken by their parents. Did the government act properly in this? Surely they did. Was it the cooperation of the government and the private home? Yes it was. Our constitution does not say one word about the separation of civil government and the home. No more than it does the separation of church and state.

Our forefathers drew up the Constitution of the United States of America in such a way that the private home, the civil government, and the church may cooperate and still stay separate and distinct.

Over in the State of North Carolina the civil government stepped in and refused to let a certain denomination handle poisonous vipers such as rattlesnakes and copperheads in their worship service. Did they have the right to do this? Is this permitting the freedom of religion? While I do not go for snake handling, I do not believe the civil government has a right to dictate to a church what it can and cannot do in its worship service. I must say there are a few exceptions to this matter.

If God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ cannot be mentioned in civil government affairs because of “separation of church and state,” then pray tell me how the civil government can dictate certain laws to the church without the joining of state and church? I smell a rat in this as I do in some other things done by our civil government.

We hear the cry all the time – “we must have separation of church and state”– where the Bible has been read or prayer has been offered to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Our cry back could be the separation of the civil government and the home or the separation of the civil government and the church when the civil government makes laws relative to church and home matters.
—Malcolm L. Hill

Hindrances to Church Growth - Materialism
Ronald D. Gilbert

Webster says materialism is “A preoccupation with or stress upon material rather than intellectual or spiritual things.” Owning things does not make us materialistic. Owning more things than other people does not make us materialistic. The power to get wealth comes from God. “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day” (Deut. 8:18).

Some people have many misconceptions about money. It is not sinful to have money nor is one somehow more righteous if he has little money. Abraham was very wealthy and yet he served God. Job was also a wealthy man and yet he was not corrupted by it. The amount of money or possessions one has is not necessarily the problem. The attitude one has toward money in any amount can cause problems. However, for many, the more they have, the greater the temptation to trust in riches rather than trust God. It is much like stealing. To some they might not be tempted to steal $10.00 but if they thought they could get away with stealing one million dollars they might be tempted to do so.

Paul charged Timothy to warn men about material possessions and their attitudes toward them. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows... charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life” (I Tim. 6:10, 17-19). The prophet Amos pronounced a woe upon the people of God during his day for their materialism, Amos 6:1-6. When one reads of the affluence of the people of Amos’ day it reminds us of the U.S.A. at present. Someone pointed out that the U.S.A. makes up less than 10% of the world population and yet we own about 50% of the world’s silver and gold; 85% of the world’s automobiles; and our standard of living is envied around the world. We need always to remember to whom much is given much is expected!

Not having the right attitude toward material things can lead men to do many things contrary to the will of God. Jesus warned about covetousness. “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). In contrast to what Jesus said, that is exactly how many today measure men: by how much they own! In I Cor. 6:9-11 and Col. 3:5 the Bible warns of the sin of covetousness and tells us we can lose our souls because of our attitude toward material things. Material things can become our God. “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24).

Luke 12:16-21 is a Bible example of a man who lost his soul because of his attitude toward material things. Please think about this question and answer it for yourself. If this man in Luke 12 had possessed 1/4 of the possessions he owned and yet manifested the same attitude toward those possessions, would he have been lost? The answer is yes! His total worth did not condemn him, it was his attitude that condemned him. Notice he left God out of his plans. God had blessed him with a plentiful harvest and yet he does not seek to repay God with a generous gift nor to help those about him who were in need. He was the center of his own life.

Many congregations today could do ten times the good works they are presently doing if members were not filled with materialism. The practice of many Christians today is to spend on a house, cars and other things and if any is left over on Sunday give a small portion of that to the Lord. Matthew 6:33 teaches that God and His Kingdom should come first, not last! We need to be reminded of Peter’s words in II Pet. 3:10 each day. The earth and all the things of material nature one day will burn. Don’t spend all your time and efforts laboring for that which will perish.

Sometimes it is difficult to maintain a proper balance between material and spiritual things. However, our souls are at stake and with the proper attitude toward God and His church we can overcome the world.

Reminiscing
Malcolm L. Hill

I started preaching in 1953. When I began preaching I made a vow to God that I would always preach and teach the truth without fear, favor, or partiality. I can truthfully say with heart and soul that I have kept that commitment one hundred percent.

I have faithfully preached and stood for the truth at the expense of losing some whom I thought to be my very closest friends. The stand I have taken for the Bible has cost me some of my flesh and blood family. In my fifty-two plus years of proclaiming the glorious gospel of Christ I have been used widely; in fact more widely that I could ever imagine and for this I am very thankful to God. However, many of the places where I have been used in days gone by have ceased to invite me due to the stand for truth that I have taken. These and many more things that could be said have come our way because we refuse to give up and surrender what the Bible demands of men in order to be saved.

Do I regret the price paid? Indeed not. Would I change if I could go back? A thousand times “no!” How could any honest man who loves the truth give it up for praise, popularity, and vain glory? I did not become a gospel preacher in order to be a man-pleaser (Gal. 1:10). I became a Bible preacher in order to please God.

Has my life become empty and without any thing to do? Absolutely not. I have more to do than I can say grace over. If I wanted to, I could spend all my days answering Bible questions and writing, and on top of this, helping brethren with religious problems.

Who has changed over the years? Definitely not I, when it comes to the heart and core of Bible doctrine and teaching. The world has changed and the church of Christ has changed with it to a great degree. I find myself wrestling with those who used to sing my praise for being a Bible preacher. Until this good day, no one has ever accused me of being a false teacher. I have been falsely accused of different things but never of being disloyal to the teaching of God.

Some have tried to prove we have been to the extreme in right field. We invite those who have so charged to prove this. We do not believe the anti orphan home and the anti church cooperation brethren are biblically right. We do not believe the anti Sunday school and located preacher brethren are right. We do not believe that Wayne Jackson’s doily on the head covering of women is proper teaching. Evidently Alan Highers does, since he uses him so much. Why doesn’t Alan let brother Jackson write on the “covering issue” in the Spiritual Sword?

We do not believe it is proper and Bible sanctioned to use false teachers on our programs at Tennessee Bible College. We do not go with religious politics in or out of the church of Christ. We believe that men should follow the Bible where ever it leads.

We have become unpopular because we will not join the sectarians in the church of Christ. Over there is a little group in the church that speck hunts when it comes to how the Holy Spirit dwells in a Christian. Over here is another little group in the church that believes churches should not support orphan homes. Over there is a group for that school hoping to get on their lectureship program and over here is another group hoping to write for that paper. There are all kinds of drifts and pulls in the body of Christ today. We have not gone for such nor shall we. The truth will emerge more powerfullly than ever, one of these days, and the true people of God will emerge likewise. God is still Sovereign and very much in control, and praise be unto His glorious Name.

Sinful Thinking - Sinful Practice
Malcolm L. Hill

There is a segment in the church of Christ today, and I suppose there always has been, that is wrong on both ends of a very serious matter. They are wrong on both points.

We have many brethren throughout our brotherhood who fellowship deliberate sinners. They fellowship people living in adultery. They fellowship the Masons. They fellowship those who wear immodest clothes. They fellowship those who use profanity. They fellowship those who forsake the assembly of the saints. You name it and they will fellowship it. The Bible teaches that God’s faithful people will withdraw fellowship from all rebellious sinners in the church (II Thess. 3:6, 14-15). There are many churches of Christ that have never withdrawn from anyone nor do they intend to, no matter how great the sin. It is going to be a sad day for elders and congregations that have willfully disobeyed God’s commandment to withdraw fellowship from the unruly in the church (Heb. 13:17). So the brethren often fellowship the wrong kind of church members.

On the other hand, some brethren disfellowship the faithful people of God. This is just as sinful and wrong as fellowshipping the unjust. When churches and individuals withdraw their fellowship from the just, they commit a hideous sin against God and their faithful brethren (I Jn 1:7). If churches and individuals withdraw their fellowship from certain brethren, they had better have a reason according to the Bible. It cannot be for personality reasons, dislike reasons, jealous reasons, envy reasons, hate reasons, family reasons, worldly possession reasons, congregational growth reasons, professional reasons, or any other unscriptural reasons.

God, not man, stipulates Christian fellowship matters. Sometimes brethren uphold the wicked and condemn the just. This is an abomination to God (Prov. 17:15). Some churches and brethren fellowship the wicked and refuse fellowship to the righteous. They are wrong on both points. They have the cart before the horse in both situations.

When we cut our fellowship with faithful brethren anywhere and everywhere, we cut our fellowship with God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit (I Jn. 1:7). People who do this will burn in hell forever. Christianity is not according to my likes and your likes but according to God’s Word, the Bible. The liberals and antis legislate for God and so do the fence straddlers and men pleasers. Payday someday!

Unbelief Will Hinder Church Growth
David Hill

In studying the beginning and growth of the church, one cannot help but to be impressed with the thrilling accounts of the book of Acts. The dedication and commitment of those early Christians amazes us even in the 21st century. They were persecuted and still went everywhere preaching the gospel of Christ. It is well recorded that even in the hostile environment in which they were found the church grew and multiplied (Acts 6:1). What could cause such dedication and growth of a way everywhere spoken against (Acts 28:22)? I believe the root of the movement was a group of men and women truly converted and believing God with all their heart.

The Hebrew writer warned: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Heb. 3:12). A warning to weary Christians then certainly is good now, because we are living in a world of varying degrees of unbelief. The atheist has tremendously affected public education in the last century. The evidence is all around you. Why can one not lead a prayer, cite scripture, allude to God in the public school classroom? The atheist has quietly and sometimes not so quietly changed public education. The last 50 years has been the most dramatic in this movement leading to such change in the public schools of today. The college classroom has been the scene of many challenges to believers. Closely connected is the evolutionist, both theistic and atheistic. One may say, “I thought theistic meant a believer in God.” And, by definition, it does, but one is not a believer in an almighty God who says that he was the instigator of creation yet not the creator. He could create some life but not all life, etc? That’s unbelief and found in religious circles today. Is evolution evil? Yes, it is, because in all forms unbelief is a part of it and an evil heart of unbelief crowds out faith in God. Atheistic evolution is rampant in public and private education. Most every textbook contains this Godless instruction. The evolutionist actually makes chance a god. Which means that all the order, intelligence, beauty, precision and expanse of the universe just happened, rather than the great design of a supreme intelligent being. The Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). The Psalmist said, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork” (Psa. 19). The great inspired apostle Paul said that when man looked at God’s creation he was without excuse (Rom. 1:20). He must rightly conclude God is! That’s why the Psalmist declared one to be a fool who would conclude there is no God (Psa. 14). You see it is evil to rule God out of His creation.

But the Hebrew writer was writing to Jewish Christians in the first century and encouraging us by God’s inspiration. So, one should ask about evil hearts of unbelief among Christians. Why is it that many congregations and Christians today deal so recklessly with their fellowship? I suggest it is because of unbelief. God said, “evil companions corrupt good morals” (I Cor. 15:33). Moreover, John warned that bidding God’s speed to a false teacher makes the bidder a partaker of his evil deeds. Why don’t individuals and especially preachers get excited about the corruption of the body of Christ through improper fellowship? It is because they don’t really believe it to be all that bad. Is that an evil heart of unbelief? What else could it be when elders, preachers, Christians sit quietly by and let false teaching run rampant in the body of Christ? Why will they allow adulterers and fornicators to move freely in the body of Christ even to be used as teachers and servers in public worship? I’ll tell you why– because they don’t believe the Word of God. They may profess it to the top of their lungs; that still does not change the facts (Matt. 7:20). Social drinking is no big deal today in most congregations – why? Unbelief (Gal. 5:21, I Pet. 4:3). Modesty? The same. Attendance for worship and Bible study is all the same – unbelief. Why is it that a generation is just about to reach maturity in the church that does not know the difference in denominationalism and the one church of the New Testament? It is because of the unbelief of their parents and Bible teachers who have neglected to teach the fundamental truth on the body of Christ, and now and for years to come, the church is going to be fighting this ignorance and unbelief. This unbelief dismantles the kingdom of God from within, and is presently dismantling faithful congregations all over the world. Is it evil? You had better believe it is.

These are reasons why God warned his people about an evil heart of unbelief. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). Without faith there is no reason for evangelism. That is why the above reasons are offered for why or how unbelief hinders church growth.

How about you? Do you believe God? Do you take Him at His word? Do you believe Him with all your heart? If we do, we will carry the gospel message to the world. May God help us to this end.