August 1, 2001, Vol.1, No.3.
Two new articles every two weeks.
Bible Question? E-mail
us.
THIS ISSUE: "Who
is Teaching the Truth?" (see below)
and "You Must Be Born
Again"
WHO IS TEACHING THE TRUTH?
by Tom Rainwater
 The
apostle Paul, in writing to Timothy, said God "desires
all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
(1Tim.2:4). In Ephesians 5:17, he begs the saints at Ephesus
to "not be unwise, but understand what the will of the
Lord is."
By these passages, it should be obvious that we can
understand what the truth is in regard to religious doctrines
and practices. But if we look around us at the modern religious
world, we see hundreds of different groups teaching hundreds
of different things, and all claiming to have the truth.
It can be quite puzzling to anyone who is honestly searching
for what is right.
Paul was trying to prevent such a situation in his day. Some
of the brethren in the church at Corinth were beginning to divide
into different groups. He said, "Now I plead with you,
brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all speak
the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind
and in the same judgment." (1Cor.1:10).
In light of the above passages, do you believe it is possible
that all the different religious groups in the world today
are all teaching the truth? What would the inspired
apostle Paul think about all the current division?
Well, then, WHO IS RIGHT?
Let's begin by saying that only the Bible is right,
not men. After all, "I know the way of man is not in
himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps."
(Jer.10:25).
The inspired Word of God must be recognized as the only
the standard (rule) for religious authority, not
doctrinal creeds written by uninspired men. Paul says in 2Tim.3:16-17,
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work."
HOW CAN I KNOW IF I HAVE
THE TRUTH?
If only the Bible is right, and we follow only
the Bible, then we know we have the truth. We should
always follow the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:10-11 who
"received the word with all readiness, and searched the
Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."
Whenever someone spoke about religious matters, they looked
it up. Notice that they double-checked the preaching of the apostle
Paul, and the Lord praised them for it!
WHY SHOULD I FIND OUT THE
TRUTH?
We should be diligent in finding it out and obeying it, because
God's Word is going to judge us in the end. Jesus said "He
who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which
judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the
last day." Paul says, "we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ.." (2Cor.5:10).
Let's put aside all those confusing, contradictory denominational
doctrines and begin following only the pure gospel
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "For this is the
love of God, that we keep His commandments." (1Jn.5:3).
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