The Sower Magazine - Grace & Truth (2nd quarter)

THE CONTENDER THE GRACE BROUGHT

BY JESUS CHRIST

THE VINE A FELLOWSHIP FULL OF GRACE & TRUTH

BIBLICAL CUSTOMS THE BALANCE (OR “SCALE”)

TheSower Volume 15 Issue 2 | 2nd Quarter 2013

The quarterly magazine of Spirit & Truth Fellowship International®

Grace & Truth

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Opening Letter

Apr/May/Jun 2013

Grace & Truth

If the Body of Christ had more grace and truth it would be much healthier and less divided. The fact is that we all need more grace and truth, which is why we have dedicated this issue of The Sower to “Grace and Truth.”

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n April I began the sixth decade of my existence on planet earth. One of the things that seems to accompany age, at least for me, is realizing just how seriously poor I am at becoming like Christ. It is not that I have gotten worse at it with time. I think the reality is that I am now more aware of the deficiencies that have always been there. It’s not that I was ever really very good at it, I was just not aware of it before.

One of the shortcomings that I have recently become more aware of in myself has been a lack of grace. To be like Jesus we must be full of both grace and truth. Truth has always been my passion, but grace is something that I primarily related to as what God has done for me through the gift of salvation. I never really understood my need to manifest that same grace towards others; or at least I never

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understood the need to do it to the degree that I do now.

Consider that when we walk with grace we are walking in love. That means when grace is present we do not keep a record of wrongs, and we forgive whatever we have against another. We also will not gossip or slander, or have malice or contempt for others; we won’t even grumble against others.

If the Body of Christ had more grace and truth it would be much healthier and less divided. The fact is that we all need more grace and truth, which is why we have dedicated this issue of The Sower to “Grace and Truth.”

We trust that this issue will help you see the necessity for both grace and truth if we are to truly walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Striving with you for the balance of grace and truth.

Dan Gallagher

7 Monthly Audio Teachings / Mobile

Credits Publisher Spirit & Truth Fellowship International

®

Executive Editors John W. Schoenheit Dan Gallagher Editors Janet Speakes Renee Speakes

Contents

12 Homosexuality & The Bible

Volume 15 - Issue 2 - Apr/May/Jun 2013

26 Dear Sower

Lead Article

The Contender

Partner Profile

Grace and Truth

Melody Baran

by Dan Gallagher

The Grace Brought by Jesus Christ

Page 4

by John W. Schoenheit

Page 10

Melody Baran explains why she is a partner with Spirit & Truth Fellowship.

The ABC’s of God

Manners & Customs

The Vine

Hanging by a Thread

The Balance (or “Scale”)

by Cara Hanson

by John W. Schoenheit

A Fellowship Full of Grace and Truth

Page 18

Page 20

16 REV Commentary 23 STF Mobile Apps 27 When Jesus Became God

Magazine Designers Ryan Maher Austin Williams Staff Writers John W. Schoenheit Dan Gallagher Production Coordinator Dustin Williams

Research Websites TruthOrTradition.com Over one thousand articles pertaining to many biblical issues.

BiblicalUnitarian.com Explore an entire website dedicated to the truth of One God & One Lord.

Home Office 180 Robert Curry Drive Martinsville, IN 46151 888.255.6189 or 765.349.2330 M-F 9 to 5 (ET) Fax: 765.342.8430 STF@STFonline.org STFonline.org

Then along comes God who, realizing how difficult it is for people to follow the roadway of truth, installs guardrails of grace to keep us from the hazards on the side and to help us stay on track.

The Bible testifies that Jesus was full of grace and truth, and brought that grace and truth to us.

by Melody Baran Page 17

You may view the electronic version of this magazine at STFonline.org/sower View back issues at STFonline.org/backissues All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.

NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984

by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. References taken from other translations or versions will be noted, e.g., King James Version=(KJV). In verses or quotations from other authors, the author has emphasized words by placing them in bold print. Words inside [brackets] have been added by the author.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™. © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

The Prodigal Son may be a story of forgiveness, but to some people it is also a story about a loose tooth. Okay, only to me, but with good reason.

In order for commerce to exist, there has to be a fair way to transact business. In both ancient and modern times, the balance or scale has been a vital part of transacting business.

by Dan Gallagher Page 24

It is our obligation to make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit that he purchased. We believe this can only be done when we are full of both grace AND truth.

Apr/May/Jun 2013 The Sower 3

Grace &Trut h

Lead Article

FEATURE

by Dan Gallagher

H

ave you ever thought about the various names churches choose to use?

Granted, maybe it’s just me, but I think about things like church names. In many ways a church’s name can be considered a marketing message. It represents a message that they are trying to convey to the rest of the world about who they are and what they are committed to. When you consider that some studies have indicated that people are bombarded with as many as 3,000 marketing messages a day, the name of your church can be a really big deal.

The other day I saw a church sign on its property corner prominently displayed for all who passed by to see.

As unappealing as it may have been, I must admit that I caught myself in the middle of some pretty judgmental thoughts about the church. The 4 The Sower Apr/May/Jun 2013

conversation in my head was, “They are probably just another boring church with boring services—and boring people.” I know, it wasn’t pretty, but why would I think like that? As I reflected on my unkind ruminations I realized that the thing that triggered me to go down this nasty thought path was their blah, nondescript, and uninviting sign. That’s exactly why I am often amazed at some of the names churches use.

There are a variety of approaches used when deciding upon a church name. Sometimes the congregations elect to declare their denominational affiliation, such as First Baptist or St. Isabella’s Catholic Church. Another simple method is to connect the name to your geographical location. My informal poll indicates that one of the most popular methods is to declare a doctrinal statement in your name, such

as Trinity Lutheran, or “Faith, Hope, and Charity Holiness Church.” Yes, remarkably that is the real name of a church—a seeming attempt to cover all the bases with that name.

I have observed that many churches incorporate the use of the words “grace” or “truth” in their names, but few use both grace and truth together. Maybe the reason is because it’s pretty easy to be one of the two, but really hard to be both at the same time.

This not only holds true for churches, but for people too.

Jesus was full of grace and truth When we think of the life of Christ, there are many qualities about him that come to mind. He demonstrated a phenomenal ability to love people, to extend forgiveness and

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Then along comes God who, realizing how difficult it is for people to follow the roadway of truth, installs guardrails of grace to keep us from the hazards on the side and to help us stay on track. to live with great joy and courage in the face of the greatest adversity. But of all his traits, there is a verse in which God reduces them the foundation all he did and said: John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus wasn’t just made of equal parts of grace and truth; that would be like being 50% grace and 50% truth— sometimes exemplifying grace and sometimes truth. Instead, he was full of both, meaning he was a perfect blend of grace and truth in all that he did. All his thoughts, words, and actions were full of grace and truth—all the time— and those who connected with him felt it.

The story of the woman who was caught in adultery is a great example

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of his grace and truth. In the story the Pharisees throw at Jesus’ feet a woman who was caught in the act of adultery, something for which the Levitical law prescribed the death sentence (Lev 20:10). In an attempt to catch Jesus breaking the Mosaic law, the Pharisees demand to know what he says they should do. He first makes the statement, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” The depth of this truth pierces their hearts because they know that Apr/May/Jun 2013 The Sower 5

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the Law says that anyone who falsely condemns a person is to receive the same punishment. There is a strong sense that they have set this woman up, using her as a way to trap Jesus, because after all, where is the man she committed this act with? Slowly, one by one they leave, and then Jesus says to the woman, “Then neither do I condemn you”—that’s grace! He follows up with, “Go now and leave your life of sin”—and that’s truth! He doesn’t just “excuse” her sin, he openly and honestly addresses it, but with grace. What a remarkable example of grace and truth.

If we are going to follow in the footsteps of Jesus on the path he blazed, then we too must learn to walk in both grace and truth. Placing too much emphasis on one over the other is a lot like having one leg longer than the other. This will always make us walk crooked; eventually causing us to step off the path or possibly even walk in circles. He walked a straight line because he walked evenly in both grace and truth.

The grace-truth paradox

Acting with both grace and truth is a very difficult thing to do. In some ways it seems as if there is a paradox between the two. Truth is a rock, a standard, something that cannot be broken, never changes, and is immutable. On the other hand, grace seems to be flexible, having movement, possibly even seeming to set aside a standard. The two appear to contradict each other, which is probably why most Christians are more comfortable leaning towards one or the other.

For most of my Christian life I have leaned towards truth. I have a very strong drive for learning and I love to understand the “How’s” and “Why’s.” Truth-seekers like me also have a desire to be “right,” and because of this, when it comes to theology, we tend to focus on knowledge, understanding, and having the “right doctrine.” Certainly there is nothing wrong with any of that, in fact knowing and doing the truth sets people free from the enslavement and bondage that always come with error.

But one of the problems with people like me who take up residence at “Camp Truth” is that being “right” means that those who think or see things differently are automatically “wrong.” This is a difficult place to be when dealing with the diverse nature of others and relationships. Truth-oriented Christians who are not balanced by grace can become judgmental and hardhearted towards others. Just like the Pharisees, they can be legalistic, and self-righteous. Truthoriented Christians who are strong in truth but weak in grace can “love” with a cold love, lacking genuine compassion and empathy for others.

In the other direction are the “Grace Campers”—those who put the majority of their focus on grace. They often speak of love, forgiveness, freedom from sin, and acceptance of everyone in Christ. Again, there is certainly nothing wrong with these things, but intense focus on grace often comes 6 The Sower Apr/May/Jun 2013

at the cost of neglecting the truth. When we neglect truth we lose our compass and our anchor, which soon leaves us adrift in a sea of ever shifting cultural morals, attitudes, and behaviors. If we ignore truth long enough we will become indifferent to sin, losing sight of its horror and discounting its consequences. Grace-oriented Christians in their desire to accept people and show grace, are strong on grace but weak on truth. They run the risk of condoning sin and shrugging their shoulders at holiness.

Grace and truth are not contradictory

In times past I failed to see how God has extended great grace to mankind through all time, erroneously thinking that “grace” only came with Jesus. I thought that prior to his coming, mankind had the law (truth) but Christ introduced grace. Much of this was because I failed to understand the following verse.

John 1:16-17 16) From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

17) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Most English translations actually have failed to properly bring the meaning of the Greek forward.. What the Greek text actually says is “charis anti charis,” which should be translated as “grace in place of grace,” meaning that with the coming of Christ God has simply given us more grace in place of the grace we already had.1 Grace is present throughout the Old Testament but we sometimes have to look hard to see it. It was only because of God’s grace that Adam was shown how to perform a substitutionary sacrifice for his sin thereby avoiding immediate death. God’s grace gave mankind the promise of a redeemer, The Savior, who would one day provide a way for God to have the family He so desired. It was also by God’s grace that the Israelites repeatedly disobeyed God and did not suffer immediate consequences. By grace David was forgiven his sin with Bathsheba, and even the murder of her husband Uriah. The history of all humankind is a story of God’s repeated grace.

For the most part people had not been able to see the picture of God and His grace until Jesus reflected it for them, which is one reason the Pharisees were so graceless—they thought they were modeling themselves after God. Jesus presented the perfect image of the invisible Creator, his Father, in all he said and did.

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

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Jesus was full of grace and truth because His Father is full of both, and that means that there cannot be anything contradictory between the two.

A grace that is not grace, and truth that is not truth One of the problems is that what most people promote as grace is not really grace at all. Some endorse a grace that says we should not hold people to the standard of truth, almost as if grace is a “free pass” for our weaknesses. But grace never denies the truth; it always affirms God’s holy standards and His righteousness.

The problem with understanding truth is that many people today improperly think that truth is “relative”—as in, “You have your truth and I have mine.” Truth is singular and applies to everyone equally, all the time. Whether we admit it or not, truth exists and we cannot break it. The law of gravity is a good example. Jump off a ten-story building and you will feel the consequences of truth when you hit the ground, whether you accept gravity as real or not. Truth draws a line in the sand and we are either on the side of truth or not. When it comes to truth there is a large sign posted next to the line that says, “No straddling allowed!”

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The author Randy Alcorn makes a powerful observation about the complimentary nature between grace and truth: “Grace isn’t about God lowering his standards. It’s about God fulfilling those standards through the substitutionary suffering of the standard-setter. Christ went to the cross because he would not ignore the truth of his holiness and our sin. Grace never ignores or violates truth. Grace gave what truth demanded; the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.” 2

The road of truth and the guardrails of grace One day I pictured truth as a paved road with a bright yellow line running down the middle. We are either on the road or we aren’t and if we veer to the left or right we will run into the ditch.

Sometimes we may have one wheel on the roadway of truth and one in the ditch. If you’ve ever driven like that you know how the wheel wants to jerk out of your hand and pull you to further into the culvert. Staying on the road of truth can be quite challenging at times.

Then along comes God who, realizing how difficult it is for people to follow the roadway of truth, installs guardrails of grace to keep us from the

hazards on the side and to help us stay on track. The guardrails don’t eliminate the dangers beyond the road, nor do they do the driving for us; that is always our responsibility. Their purpose is to point out the dangerous conditions and to help us stay safe on the road. But hit one hard enough and you can still get into trouble. Knowing the guardrails are there should inspire us to drive better because we know we are safe. Grace can do the same thing by inspiring us to try harder to walk the path of truth as we strive to conform ourselves to God’s standards of holiness. Grace and truth, like the roadway and the guardrails, are completely complimentary—never working at odds with one another.

Grace should propel us to truth

When I first learned that I was saved by grace, not by my own works (Eph. 2:8), I was overwhelmed. I had been raised in a Christian denomination that never taught me anything about grace. I understood that Jesus died for my sins, and that when I confessed them I would be forgiven, but so much emphasis was put on my behavior that the message of grace was lost in rules and regulations of conduct. The receiving of forgiveness of sins was all about my works, my need to repent, my saying prayers and doing acts of

contrition.

Grace has pardoned us from a death sentence. It is as if we are standing on the edge of the gallows, noose around our throat, black hood over our head, and the death sentence is read. We wait, our heart pounding, knowing that any second now we will drop to an agonizing death, our neck breaking or us choking from the noose. The executioner slowly and deliberately places his hand on the lever—and then, a voice of authority shouts, “RELEASE HIM—HE IS PARDONED!” Tasting death so close we collapse and weep. The thought rings through our head and we cry, “I’m forgiven, I’m forgiven.” Our weeping soon turns to tears of joy as we jump to our feet and shout, “and I’m free…and this time I’m going to obey.” That is the proper response to grace: thankfulness, joy, and obedience.

When I was in my early thirties I was arrested, charged with seventeen felonies and faced close to forty years in federal prison. (I praise God that I was ultimately released and all criminal charges dropped—but that’s a story for another time) As I stood in my jail cell, staring out at the night sky, I prayed to God, asking Him humbly to please help me. I promised that the rest of my life was His, and by His mercy and grace He not only restored my life, He gave me even more. I have done my best to use His grace on my life for His glory. Grace should propel us into His arms, and inspire us to walk in His truth.

Grace doesn’t lower the bar – it raises my ability to jump over it

When I was in high school in my freshman and sophomore years I participated in pole vaulting. This is the track and field event where you run as fast as you can, holding a 12 to 16 foot long fiberglass rod, aim it for a small box in the ground, and when it hits you propel yourself into the air upside down as you try to hurl yourself over a bar.

It is a tremendously difficult sport that requires speed, core strength, and a dose of insanity—something that was right up my alley. We would practice at heights that we knew we were successful at while we worked on our speed and form. But eventually, we had to raise the bar if we were going to stretch and reach new heights. That’s what grace should do for us—it should stretch us to go higher.

There is no way a pole-vaulter can ever achieve success over the bar if he has five-pound weights strapped to his ankles. In the same way, the state of sin for all mankind weighs us down and prevents us from rising to the heights of truth. Grace frees us from the weight of sin that so easily entangles us (Heb. 12:1). Grace acknowledges that we cannot lift ourselves up to the bar by our own strength and abilities. Grace gives us the ability to succeed by allowing Christ’s strengths to be there in the place of our weaknesses.

For years I failed to understand the Lord’s reply to Paul

when he pleaded for help with an affliction: 2 Corinthians 12:8, 9 8) Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

9) But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Jesus’ grace on Paul’s life was all he needed. It is all we need too! As Charles Spurgeon once said, “Grace puts its hand on the boasting mouth, and shuts it once for all.” The reason it shuts the boasting mouth is because grace is all about what He has done for us, and does through us—when we understand that, we learn to rely on him, not ourselves.

In closing I am compelled to quote from Randy Alcorn once again: “Truth without grace crushes people and ceases to be truth.

Grace without truth deceives people and ceases to be grace.

Truth without grace degenerates into judgmental legalism. Grace without truth degenerates into deceitful tolerance…We who are truth-oriented need to go out of our way to affirm grace. We who are grace-oriented need to go out of our way to affirm truth.”

“Truth hates sin. Grace loves sinners. Those full of grace and truth do both.” 3 Notes: 1. See the Revised English Commentary (REV) on this verse, produced by Spirit & Truth Fellowship International by going to: http://bit.ly/rev-john 2. Randy Alcorn, The Grace and Truth Paradox, (Sisters, OR, Multnomah Publishers, 2003) p. 32.

3. Ibid, Page 88

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The Grace Brought by Jesus Christ

by John W. Schoenheit

J

esus Christ embodied grace. The Bible testifies that Jesus was full of grace and truth, and brought that grace and truth to us. This is clearly shown in the verses below:

John 1:14-17 (REV) 14) And the word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we saw his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.

15) John testifies about him, and cries, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is become before me, for he was before me.’”

16) For we have all received of his fullness, and grace in place of grace.

17) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

There are many aspects of the “grace” that came with Jesus Christ. The first, as we see in John 1:14, was that he himself was the embodiment of God’s grace—he was God’s gracious gift. Without the grace that was Jesus himself, we could not have clearly seen God (John 1:18), we could not have truly been forgiven of our sins and declared righteous, and we could not have attained everlasting life.

Grace in Place of Grace

Another aspect of the grace that came with Jesus was that it was “grace in place of grace.” There has been much theological debate about exactly what John meant by that phrase, but we find the argument by D. A. Carson to be convincing: “…it appears that the grace and truth that 10 The Sower Apr/May/Jun 2013

come through Jesus Christ is what replaces the law; the law itself is understood to be an earlier display of grace.”1 We believe that Carson has put his finger on the primary meaning of the phrase, and we also believe that a secondary meaning, which is reflected in the many modern translations that have “grace upon grace,” is that God’s grace is continually flowing. The grace of God is not a one-time event, but rather something that flows continually from the fullness of God. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians that what we have today in the Administration of the Grace of God is so glorious that, although the Law was glorious, it “has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory [of the Grace Administration]” (2 Cor. 3:10). In other words, if we compare the glory we have today with the glory under

the Law, the Law had “no glory” at all. What could possibly make the Administration of Grace that we live in today that glorious? Certainly one thing is the permanence of our salvation: the Christian is “born again” and his everlasting life is never in doubt. But another thing is the amazing grace we have when it comes to being forgiven by God.

Sacrifices Were for Unintentional Sin

It is not often taught, and not well understood, that the Law never promised forgiveness for those people who purposely and defiantly sinned against God. That is not to say that God would not and did not forgive sins committed on purpose. There clearly are instances where God did

forgive people who sinned on purpose, such as His forgiveness of King David when he sinned against Uriah and Bathsheba. But what we need to understand is that forgiveness for sins that were willfully and purposely committed was not promised in the Law. The sin offerings of the Old Testament were only for people who Apr/May/Jun 2013 The Sower 11

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sinned accidentally or because of human weakness (Lev. 4:1, 2).The book of Numbers confirms and further elucidates what Leviticus stated. Notice how the word “unintentionally” is used in almost every verse. There is no doubt about the point God is making—the sacrifice is for unintentional sin.

Notice also that even if a non-Israelite is living among the Israelites, God considers his unintentional sin to affect the community, which is why he too is to bring a sacrifice and be forgiven when he sins unintentionally.

Numbers 15:22-29 22) “‘Now if you unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the LORD gave Moses— 23) any of the LORD’s commands to you through him, from the day the LORD gave them and continuing through the generations to come— 24) and if this is done unintentionally without the community being aware of it, then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, along with its prescribed grain offering and drink offering, and a male goat for a sin offering.

25) The priest is to make atonement for the whole Israelite community, and they will be forgiven, for it was not intentional and they have brought to the LORD for their wrong an offering made by fire and a sin offering.

26) The whole Israelite community and the aliens living among them will be forgiven, because all the people were involved in the

unintentional wrong.

27) “‘But if just one person sins unintentionally, he must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering.

28) The priest is to make atonement before the LORD for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made for him, he will be forgiven.

29) One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether he is a native-born Israelite or an alien.

These verses, and others like them, make it clear that in the Old Testament God forgave unintentional sin. But what about intentional sin?

The Rabbis understood that what God meant by “unintentional” sin included sin that occurred by human weakness but was not meant to purposely defy God. Admittedly, this becomes somewhat of a judgment call, but an example might be if someone burns his hand on a stove and lets out a string of cuss words, that would be considered an unintentional sin (cussing like that is a sin; cp. Eph. 5:3).2 Another example would be if someone promises God that he is going to get up and read the Bible and pray, but then in a moment of weakness he ignores his promise and turns off the alarm and goes back to sleep (cp. “When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow;” Ecc. 5:4 ESV). These kinds of sins were not considered “intentional.”

Forgiveness Was Not Promised for Intentional Sin

The kind of intentional sin for which God did not specifically

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promise forgiveness is sin committed in willful defiance of God and His commands: Numbers 15:30, 31 30) “‘But anyone who sins defiantly, whether nativeborn or alien, blasphemes the LORD, and that person must be cut off from his people.

31) Because he has despised the LORD’s word and broken his commands, that person must surely be cut off; his guilt remains on him.’”

Although the NIV text uses the phrase, “sins defiantly,” the Hebrew text is more graphic. It says that anyone who sins “with a high hand,” must be cut off. We have seen angry people lift their arm and make a fist in anger or as a threat, as if they were going to attack, and that is the picture here. This defiant person lifts his hand against God as if he could attack God and be successful. There is no humility here, no love or concern about the sin and those who would be hurt by it, and certainly no mere human weakness involved. This is active defiance of God, and God, in recognition of the fact that such people will destroy themselves, their family, and their society, said these people should be “cut off” from Israel; executed. There was no forgiveness extended to these people.3

Sabbath-Breaker Executed

To illustrate the point God just made so the Israelites would be clear about it, the chapter continues by giving an example of someone who did sin “with a high hand,” and how God had Israel deal with the sin.

Numbers 15:32-36.

32) While the Israelites were Apr/May/Jun 2013 The Sower 13

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in the desert, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day.

33) Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly,

and slaves got to rest and recuperate. The Sabbath was thus a great expression of God’s love for mankind and a reminder that God wanted people to live peaceful, blessed lives.

Given all that the Sabbath did, to defiantly ignore it was an act that threatened the picture of the work of Christ and Israelite society itself, and God would not tolerate that.

The Law said that Sabbathbreakers were to be put to death, and people respected that until the unnamed man in Numbers 15:32. He lifted his hand to fight against God, and by being put to death he became part of the true picture of all those who reject and defy God—their end is destruction.

“He magnified His Son by allowing him to be the entry and focal point of the great grace of God” 34) and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him.

35) Then the LORD said to Moses, “The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.”

36) So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the LORD commanded Moses.

To us today, who have been raised in a secular culture that does not recognize God, and a Christian culture that does not have to recognize or keep a Sabbath, this execution seems unreasonable and extreme. Yet we must remember that when God ordained the Sabbath, He specifically stated (twice!) that Sabbath-breakers be put to death (Exod. 31:14; 35:2).

The Sabbath was a vital part of ancient Israel for many reasons. For one thing, although the “type” of the Sabbath is fulfilled now in Christ and thus is no longer in force, before the death of Christ the Sabbath was a vital part of God’s portrayal of the work of Christ and was a pattern of the “Sabbath rest” the Messiah would usher in for the people of God (Heb. 4:9).4 It also anchored the recognition of God as the creator of the earth. God rested on the Sabbath after six days of work (Gen. 2:2), so the Sabbath was a weekly reminder of the God who created the universe whom the Israelites were to obey. Also, Jesus’ statement that the Sabbath was made for man was certainly on point (Mark 2:27). Unlike the often fast-paced and hectic Sundays that many church-going Christians experience, the Sabbath in ancient Israel was truly a day of rest. No work was done by anyone, and people were forbidden from traveling very far. Families spent time together and servants 14 The Sower Apr/May/Jun 2013

Christ’s Death Brought Forgiveness for All Sin

The death of the Sabbath-breaker highlights one of the great aspects of the grace that Jesus Christ brought to us. One of the wonderful blessings of the Good News is that “the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The New Testament is unconditional when it comes to asking for, and receiving, forgiveness for sin.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

What great grace! Because of the shed blood of Christ, now a person can even raise his hand against God and still be forgiven for his arrogant action; this is grace indeed.

Christ’s Atonement Applies to Everyone

Since God required sacrifices in the Old Testament for unintentional sin, it is legitimate to ask why they were not sufficient for intentional sin. If the blood of Christ can atone for any sin, intentional or not, why couldn’t the blood of bulls, sheep and goats do that too? The Bible tells us that the blood of animals did not really cleanse from sin, but just covered for sin until the Messiah, the true Lamb of God, came. There are many facets to the atonement of sin before the death of Christ, but Hebrews states the essence of the argument: “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and

goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:4).5 The sacrifices in the Old Testament were never meant to be sufficient in themselves to cleanse the sinner. They were designed to point to the Messiah, who would take away sin. In fact, part of the reason for the number of sacrifices and variations between them was to emphasize different aspects of the work of Christ. A section of Romans that is not usually translated well shows that God’s ultimate view, and ultimate atonement, was in Christ.

Romans 3:25, 26 (REV) 25) God set him [Jesus] forth to be an atoning sacrifice through faith in his blood, to show His righteousness because, in God’s forbearance, He passed over the sins previously committed 26) with a view to show His righteousness at this present time, for He Himself is righteous, and He declares righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

These verses are part of one sentence in the Greek texts, and the prepositions translated “because” and “with a view to” are different, although

that difference is not recognized in many translations. About these verses, William Hendriksen correctly states: “The merits of the cross reach backwards as well as forward.”6 R. C. H. Lenski gets the heart of the matter: This “passing over” of the sins prior to Christ’s time does not refer to what God did regarding the wicked who lived prior to Christ; it means: God passed over the sins of the believers who lived prior to Christ…What actually took away the sins of the Old Testament saint was Christ’s blood. Until that blood was actually shed, all aphesis [forgiveness] was…a “passing over.” …During the entire old covenant God acted in view of what he would set Christ forth to be, namely the real mercy seat…. Thus throughout the old covenant he remitted the sins of the believers by passing over them as though they were already expiated by Christ, passing them over thus in his forbearance exercised in view of Christ [emphasis his].7

As Romans says and Lenski points out, God “passed over” the sins of the people in the Old Testament so that He could show His righteousness now, today. It was a righteous act for God to pass over the sins of the Old Testament believers back then so He could now judge them cleansed in light of Christ’s sacrifice. Since the blood of bulls and goats could not actually cleanse from sin, if God had judged the Old Testament believers at the end of their lives, they would have all been condemned because they would all have had unforgiven sin counted against them. Only by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the second Adam and the true Lamb of God, could anyone, now or then, be truly forgiven and declared righteous. God is so righteous that he used bulls and goats to postpone (“pass over”) the judgment of everyone until after the death of Christ, at which time people could get a “fair trial.”

Our Response to God’s Grace

We are now in a position to see the great grace that came with Jesus Christ. Our sin, even intentional sin, can be forgiven by just humbly and honestly asking for it in Christ’s name.

Along with that, we can see the great grace that Jesus’ life brought to the Apr/May/Jun 2013 The Sower 15

Old Testament believers. They will not be judged based on their sin that the blood of bulls and goats could not carry away, but they, like we, get to be judged in light of Christ’s fully atoning sacrifice. And, as Romans 3:26 says, God set it all up like that “to show His righteousness at this present time.” Thus, God set up His plan of forgiveness and salvation in a wonderful way that pictured the work of Christ and the death of the wicked: He magnified His Son by allowing him to be the entry and focal point of the great grace of God; and He allowed all believers of all time to participate in the benefits of the grace brought by Jesus Christ, resulting in everlasting life for all believers. Our response to such grace should be exhibited in many ways: profound thankfulness and praise to God for His great love; working hard on our personal lives so we do not sin intentionally and then have to “use” the grace of forgiveness for intentional sin; taking advantage of God’s grace and asking for forgiveness when we do sin; and helping others to take advantage of the great grace that we have from God, especially by being saved and forgiven.

Notes: 1. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to John (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI), note on John 1:17; p. 132.

2. It is sometimes argued that there is no way to tell exactly what words are considered cuss words, since times and cultures differ. Actually, a study of history and culture shows that the cuss words are almost all the same. In ancient Greek or Latin, and in modern English, German, French, etc., they relate to human waste and sexual activity. Furthermore, the only proper name that is used as a cussword is “Jesus Christ,”

16 The Sower Apr/May/Jun 2013

and his name is sometimes even used in non-Christian cultures.

3. It has been debated whether God would forgive the person if he confessed, even though he would still experience the consequences for his sin, and it seems the nature of God would assure us that He would, but we must realize that He never specifically said that He would.

4. The concept of “type” and “antitype” is very important in the Bible. In short, the “type” is the “picture,” “pattern,” or “shadow” of something else that is the “reality” or “antitype.”

The Bible has a number of “types” and “antitypes.” In fact, one reason why the people and events in the Old Testament are recorded the way they are is for their value in illustrating future people and events. For example, the Passover lamb was a “type” of the “lamb of God,” Jesus Christ. Joseph was a “type” of Christ, and pictured both sufferings and glory, as well as being exalted to the right hand of the ruler. Noah’s flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah were “types” of the destruction of the ungodly (2 Pet. 2:5, 6). God’s asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac was a “type” of Christ: the Father willing to give his son, and the son willing to die at the request of the father. There are dozens and dozens of types in the Bible, and they are part of the “glue” that makes the Old and New Testaments fit together.

5. Many studies have been done on the meaning of the Hebrew words for “atonement,” “forgiveness,” etc., and it is clear that the sacrifices in the Old Testament pointed to the greater work of Christ.

6. William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: Romans (Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI, 1981), note on Romans 1:26, p. 134.

7. R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, MN, 1961), note on Romans 1:25, 26; pp. 260-263

Partner Profile Melody Baran

It is my hope to help this ministry be to others what they have been to me – and that, I am very blessed to do.

I

have been truly blessed by Spirit and Truth Fellowship International. Therefore I am very pleased to partner with this ministry for a multitude of reasons. Here are a few:

Sound Biblical Teachings

The teachings provided by this ministry are very intellectually satisfying. In Luke 10:27 it says to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind….” We know that our mind is our intellect, which can and should be used to consider and understand the things of God in logical and practical ways.

As a biologist, I especially appreciate the technical side of things and am impressed with the huge array of Bible-based teachings that illuminate the scriptures and help to deepen my understanding of them. Among the many resources available at STFI there are a great many thought-provoking articles and teachings about science and scripture that skillfully navigate the apparently rocky interface between them. Difficult topics are explored with scholarly diligence.

Great Spiritual Food

My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in Matthew 4:4 – with the fate of mankind in his hands – declared, “Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” And Job, in Job 23:12, says, “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” The words of God are

PARTNER

as necessary as food to us. We humans need to be connected to our Creator and our Savior to live the way we were intended to live. We need more than the physical world can supply; we need spiritual food.

Consider the many animals that live in the world’s oceans that breathe air such as whales, porpoises, dolphins, etc. They exist, feed, socialize, and raise their young in one realm (water), yet they breathe in another realm (air). Similarly we live, eat, socialize, etc., in the physical world, but need to breathe deep the spiritual air of God’s truth and love. Nourished by the Word and the divine relationship we have with our God and our Lord, we learn who we are. We are His dearly loved, forgiven, and redeemed children. As the Psalmist writes, “You have made known to me the path of life, you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Ps. 16:11) With sound biblical teaching, like spiritual food, we grow.

Enjoy the rich banquet!

We Are Family

As members of the Body of Christ, it is important to be connected to others so that we can work together.

Although I may have a great desire to be powerful and effective for the Lord, by myself I do not possess all of the necessary skills and resources to do what a flourishing ministry can do. However, I can assist and/ or support a ministry who is demonstrating that they are accomplishing great things for the Lord. It is my hope to help this ministry be to others what they have been to me – and that, I am very blessed to do.

with Spirit & Truth Fellowship International

Sign up online at STFonline.org/partnership Or call us 888.255.6189 M-F 9 to 5 (ET).

Apr/May/Jun 2013 The Sower 17

Featured Article

The ABC’s of God Lessons from my children

Hanging By a Thread

by Cara Hanson

T

he Prodigal Son may be a story of forgiveness, but to some people it is also a story about a loose tooth. Okay, only to me, but with good reason.

Luke, my six-year-old, had his front tooth loose and hanging by a thread for months, with no end in sight. Every day brought more certainty that this tooth was with us for the long haul.

Through graduations, weddings, and funerals, The Tooth would be there as an inextricable part of our family. I’ve seen bull dogs with less tenacity.

Every time Luke smiled at me, I saw his future before me in a flash. In every scene, he still sported a dangling, loose front tooth. Every milestone picture captured it: driver’s license, prom, even holding his first child.

Then there was my recurring nightmare of his wedding. In front of friends and family, Luke stood at the altar, exceedingly handsome with his surfer-blond hair and strapping physique. He turned to greet his lovely bride and smiled. The crowd gasped in horror at the sight of his dangling, bloody tooth. He lisped, “I, Luke Hanthon, take thee…”

I felt a terrible sense of guilt as a mother. When Luke got his first tooth at one year, my heart gushed over how adorable he looked. Now I just wanted to grab a pair of pliers and yank.

When a child has a loose tooth, the rest of the family hangs in the balance. In the middle of all this dental madness, I happened to be reading the story of the Prodigal Son. Of course, this name was just assigned to him over time; it wasn’t actually his nickname. It’s not like his father referred to him

“He now had a huge gap in his mouth, but he smiled with relief from the pain.”

18 The Sower Apr/May/Jun 2013

this way in the Christmas newsletter. This year our Prodigal Son decided that my hard-earned money really must grow on trees so why not waste it all and have nothing to show for it. We’re so proud.

The Prodigal Son demanded all of his inheritance at once and then led a more scandalous lifestyle than a Hollywood bad boy. Once he hit rock bottom, he had to take a job as a pig feeder. The only thing worse than getting a job as the Director of Pig Slop is the poor guy who didn’t get the job.

One day when the pig slop started looking tasty, the son came to his senses. Filled with guilt and remorse, he returned to his father. By this point he must have been looking quite gaunt and scraggly, not to mention in desperate need of a shower. On the journey home, he probably imagined his neighbors and family lined along the village streets and

taunting him. Hey, Bones! Here’s some slop–you want some fries with that? Hahahahaha! Oink, oink!

The only thing that could save this wretched man was redemption by his father. His father had every right to be angry and hold a grudge against his son. Instead, being filled with compassion, he ran to his son and buried the sin with his love and forgiveness. When the son’s life was hanging by a thread, the father was able to cut the cord that tied him to his pain.

Sometimes we just need Daddy to save us.

We were eating lunch when I noticed Luke’s loose tooth was starting to bleed. Against Luke’s wishes, it was time for Daddy to intervene. Dave had no choice but to end everyone’s agony and cut the cord…er, thread, that held us all in

bondage. It was a bloody scene, but one that brought great deliverance for us all, especially our son. He now had a huge gap in his mouth, but he smiled with relief from the pain.

It reminded me of all the times in my life when I’ve been hanging on to something painful, and all I needed was the loving touch of my Father to help me let go. God is ready with his trusty pliers; all we need to do is let Him do His work.

The day after the impromptu tooth surgery, I heard Luke crying in his room.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

Nothing could have prepared me for the squeaky answer from the other side of the door: “My other front tooth is loose!”

“It reminded me of all the times in my life when I’ve been hanging on to something painful, and all I needed was the loving touch of my Father to help me let go.”

AUDIO TEACHING Jesus the Servant of Yahweh

The more we know about Jesus Christ, the more we can fully appreciate what he went through personally, the more deeply we can love him, and the more personal inspiration we can draw from his example. There are many prophecies of the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament, many of which are well known. A series of prophecies that are not as commonly known are the four “Servant Songs” in Isaiah; four sections that refer to the Messiah as the “servant.”

We hope this teaching will inspire you as John Schoenheit opens the Servant Songs of Isaiah and provides insights into the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Subscribe to our audio podcast in iTunes and listen to this teaching for free at STFonline.org/podcast

Apr/May/Jun 2013 The Sower 19

20 The Sower Apr/May/Jun 2013

The Balance

Biblical Customs

(or “Scale”)

By John W. Schoenheit

H

elping people understand and apply the lessons of the Bible is one of the great goals of The Sower, and in that light we are presenting a series of short articles on customs of the Bible.

The Bible is written in such a way that it is completely and inextricably interwoven with the culture and the customs of the times and places in which its events occur. While the cultural references were well known to the people who lived in biblical times, many of them are unfamiliar to us today.

Learning biblical customs has many advantages: it makes reading the Bible more enjoyable when we know about the people and how they lived; it clarifies things in the Bible we would otherwise not readily know, or that do not make sense to us at first; it alerts us to possible mistranslations in the Bible; and it gives us great insight into how to properly apply the Word of God in our lives.

In this article we are going to focus on the balance, or scale. In order for commerce to exist, there has to be a fair way to transact business. In both ancient and modern times, the balance or scale has been a vital part of transacting business. The modern grocer, for example, still has to use a scale to determine how much meat or produce weighs so a fair price can be placed on it.

Coins that standardized the value of a piece of silver or gold were not invented until about 600 BC. Before then, any time there was a transaction involving gold or silver, it had to be weighed first to determine its value, and only then could the transaction proceed. Needless to say, the invention of standardized coins greatly facilitated business. We see the absence of coins throughout the Old Testament. Abraham

paid 400 shekels of silver to buy a burial site for Sarah, and a shekel is a measure of weight; a thousand years later David was still paying by weight for land, and bought the site of the Temple from Araunah the Jebusite for 50 shekels of silver (2 Sam. 24:24).

The ancient balance or scale was a horizontal beam often suspended by a chord that was held in the hand, and which had a pan or bowl suspended from each end. If very heavy things were being weighed, the horizontal beam was balanced on a fixed stand so it did not have to be held. We know the names for the ancient measures of weight, and they included the talent, shekel, mina, gerah, beka, and pim, but the weights discovered by archaeologists vary, especially from region to region. As a result, no one has been able to determine the exact weight of each of them; at best we have close approximations.

Ancient balances were not very accurate, particularly because it rarely happens that the thing one wants to weigh comes out exactly equal to the amount of shekels or whatever weights the merchant was carrying. What we know as the “graduated scale,” a scale with one weight that moved back and forth on a beam that had pre-marked positions that represented different amounts of weight (much like the scales in many doctor’s offices that use sliding weights), did not come into existence until Roman times.

Weights made of metal were not common in ancient history. They became more common only later, and even then usually among the more wealthy. In the ancient world, weights were mostly made of stone. That is why the Hebrew text of verses such as Proverbs 11:1 have the word “stone” when we would say “weight.”

Apr/May/Jun 2013 The Sower 21

Proverbs 11:1 The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights [Heb. = “stones”] are his delight.

One of the things about stone weights was that they could be made to look very much alike even if they differed somewhat in weight. It was not uncommon for a merchant to have two sets of weights that he would keep in a bag and could tell apart by feeling them—a heavier one to buy with and a lighter one to sell with. That kind of dealing was specifically condemned by God. Proverbs 20:10 Differing weights and differing measures—the LORD detests them both.

This verse is a perfect example of how the original Hebrew text, if translated literally, would be very clear to someone in the ancient world, but not particularly clear to the modern reader. The Hebrew text literally reads, “A stone and a stone; an ephah and an ephah; are hateful to Yahweh.”

Similarly Deuteronomy 25:13 said, “You shall not have in your bag a stone and a stone.” The modern reader would not generally understand why Yahweh would hate “a stone and a stone,” but the person who lived in the ancient culture and bought and sold every day from merchants who used stones for weights would understand the meaning perfectly.

It can be imagined the carrying around a load of weights could be a problem, and from early times merchants had bags in which they carried their weights.

Proverbs 16:11 Honest scales and balances belong to the LORD; all the weights [Heb. = “stones”] in the bag are of his making.

Micah 6:11 Shall I acquit a man with 22 The Sower Apr/May/Jun 2013

dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights [Heb. = “stones”]?

Evil people were brash about their dishonest dealings, and the prophets lamented the situation: Hosea 12:7 The merchant uses dishonest scales; he loves to defraud.

Amos 8:5 [Wicked people are] saying, “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain?

And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, The ephah was the volume measure that the merchants made smaller so they did not hold as much, and the shekel was the weight paid, which they wanted to be larger. Greedy people were always trying to cheat, so in the ancient world just as today rulers were engaged in a constant struggle to stop dishonest business practices. David tried to standardize weights and measures by putting the Levites in charge of “all measurements of quantity and size” (1 Chron. 23:29).

The Levites would travel through the country checking the weights and measures that merchants were using.

Of course that never did much good, because the merchants could hide their dishonest stones when the Levites came to town.

The best way to reduce dishonesty was for the merchants to fear God (the same is true today). Moses had said in the Law, “Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity” (Lev. 19:35).

Then in the next verse he said to use “righteous stones” (often translated “just weights”). In Deuteronomy 25:15 God said that people were to have whole or complete stones, “so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” In

other words, if the people were honest, God could bless them and the land of Israel.

The balances were essential to commerce, but they were also a wonderful illustration of the Day of Judgment, when people will be weighed in the balances of God. Daniel pronounced to the wicked king Belshazzar: “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting” (Dan. 5:27). There are many Egyptian motifs of the heart of a deceased person being weighed in balances. The Psalms show that we humans in and of ourselves do not weigh much, and “go up” if weighed: Psalm 62:9 (ESV) Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.

We need God’s help to successfully “weigh in” on Judgment Day. Thankfully, there is no need for anyone to be like wicked Belshazzar and be “found wanting” in the scales of God’s justice. Jesus Christ paid the price for the salvation of all mankind, and the weight and value of his life will be added to the life of anyone who accepts him. In the scale of God’s justice, when our sin is weighed against His holiness, no one is “heavy” enough to keep from “going up” on the scale, but the added weight of Jesus Christ tips the scale in our favor so that we attain everlasting life.

The balance or scale is not only a vital part of ancient and modern commerce, it is a wonderful illustration of many things in life.

The godly person learns to properly balance all the different things in his life. We balance our work and play; our personal time with God and our corporate fellowship with others; our being awake with sleep; and the list goes on and on. We also balance our lives theologically, for example, balancing grace and truth to be able to walk like Jesus did.

Apr/May/Jun 2013 The Sower 23

The Vine

The Fellowship Network STFonline.org/network

A Fellowship Full of Grace & Truth

By Dan Gallagher

T

his past summer Lori and I relocated to the West coast, which meant that, besides the hours of packing, lifting, and pulling up our roots, we also had to leave behind some of our very dear and close friends. Moving often includes a change in the nature of some relationships, and that can be very difficult when you have spent years building close ties with others.

Every warrior knows well the bond that’s forged when you’ve served alongside others in the trenches of war. The same holds true for spiritual comrades who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with others in the heat of the spiritual battle. Hearts become welded together when you labor with others in prayer, or stand with people in their times of pain or joy. However, as hard as moving can be, the physical stress and emotional 24 The Sower Apr/May/Jun 2013

heartache can be alleviated by the excitement of a fresh start.

Deep down I have a very entrepreneurial spirit. I love starting new ventures, especially spiritual ones. There is a lot of fulfillment when you see something you planted grow and blossom into a real fruitful work. After almost forty years of being involved in “Simple Churches,”1 starting a new home fellowship once again was never a question and really seemed like no big deal to us. In many ways it’s really quite easy.

Preparation involves praying about it, inviting lots of people, deciding on a day and time of the week, and then starting.

And as far as running one—well, that’s easy too. Make time for socializing, sharing, prayer, a teaching and songs. We certainly knew what we were doing—or at least we thought we did. This time around though Lori and I had a sense

things were going to be different.

In the past when we invited people we experienced some general resistance.

Sometimes it was that people were either too busy or just didn’t want to have anything to do with Christianity.

At other times people hesitated because they thought it was unusual to meet in a home, especially when we call it “church.” This time though things seemed different. Lots of people expressed interest—and even better, many showed up. I think one reason for this was that many people have become familiar with the Simple Church concept, and they desire something different than the encumbrances that often accompany involvement with a traditional church.

But what really resonated for them was that we told them we were placing our focus on getting back to the simplicity of following Jesus and spiritual growth.

In the past we have mostly been with others who were virtually 100% likeminded on doctrine and practice.

One of the biggest differences with our new Christian group was its great diversity. People were coming from a very wide range of Christian backgrounds and experiences, which meant that we were going to be faced with a lot of differing theological perspectives. The real challenge we faced was, “How do we run a fellowship when there is such a potential for differences among us?” It was clear that these were all brothers and sisters in Christ and that they were hungry to be closer to Christ and others in His Body. It was also clear that we were where Jesus wanted us to be and these were the people he wanted us to serve.

As Biblical Unitarians we’re used to being in a minority position when it comes to doctrinal perspectives.

We have also experienced attacks and ostracism from the mainstream

Christian community and, admittedly, we have been guilty of antagonism towards them too. It’s easy to get along with others when you see eyeto-eye on things, especially doctrine, which is something many Christians take seriously, and rightly so. Sadly, Christians who disagree have often acted like two prizefighters, tossing theological jabs and doctrinal blows at one another in an effort to pummel

Walking full of grace does not mean that we “go along to get along,” or that we avoid the difficult doctrinal issues.

Rather, we openly acknowledge our doctrinal differences and purposefully decide that we are not going to make them a point of division and contention. Living this way means we promote one another’s liberty to see things differently; another way of saying this is, “On some points of Scripture we agree to disagree and not be disagreeable about it.” At times we have all been very challenged by this but we believe it is the Ephesians 4:3 model:

“Jesus’ death allowed us to become part of his Body. It is our obligation to make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit that he purchased. We believe this can only be done when we are full of both grace AND truth.” each other into submission. Experience has shown me that doctrinal fisticuffs don’t work. Like in all boxing matches, all that happens is that people walk away bruised, bloodied, and hurt. We realized if we placed our entire focus on truth—or doctrine—we would not be able to minister to those we felt the Lord had placed in our midst.

It soon became clear to us that the only way we could have an effective fellowship was for us to genuinely learn to serve people the way Jesus did; that is, we would need to be full of grace and truth. Walking with grace allows us to love people for who they are and right where they are. Most Christians express a desire to love others and extend God’s grace to them, and most certainly to those who are deeply ensnared in sin.

If we will readily give grace to the drug addict or prostitute, why would we not live with grace toward others who have doctrinal differences, especially since they are members of the Body of Christ?

We are commanded to be especially kind to other believers, (Gal. 6:10), and there is no caveat that says, “except if they disagree with you on doctrine” The fact that we may have experienced doctrinal prejudice from others does not exempt us from being full of grace.

Ephesians 4:2, 3 2) Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

3) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Jesus’ death allowed us to become part of his Body. It is our obligation to make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit that he purchased. We believe this can only be done when we are full of both grace AND truth.

Note: 1. A simple church may meet anywhere, with or without trained leaders, formal liturgy, programs or structures. Their emphasis is on discipleship (spiritual formation), spiritual relationships, multiplication, mobility, and member ownership.

A simple church is usually a small group of no more than 20-25 persons. Church “programs” are virtually nonexistent and small group participation is essential. The process of moving from worship to small group, small group to mission work, and mission work to worship is a primary focus. (Source Wikipedia) Apr/May/Jun 2013 The Sower 25

Dear Sower Thank you for your continual efforts in making endless amounts of information so readily available.

And SO unbelievably easy to access.

Oh my gosh, the ability to access the podcasts while walking between classes? Unreal. I feel like I have learned years of information in just two weeks.

Chrissy

Hurricane Sandy Support

YouTube Feedback I love how fatherly you are. And I thank you for your tireless ministry.

I’m in Singapore and your videos have blessed me :) Keep going!

Tim I found your videos through a search for bible study materials on attitude. I wanted to let you know that this homeschooling mother is blessed to have found your ministry. I will use your teachings in my lessons, when appropriate, from now on.

Many Blessings to you all, Sunni Editor’s Note: Check out our YouTube Channel, visit Youtube.com/truthortradition

I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for your generous Hurricane Sandy donation which helped offset my financial strain.

To receive such a gift from believers who I do not personally know, yet found it in their hearts to do such a wonderful thing is truly a gift from the Lord that has spiritually uplifted me as well as my loved ones around me. It was more than my human family had done.

In spite of Sandy’s devastation of my community (20 people died and many homes totally destroyed), there is much to be thankful for.

The reason and the real story for me is how the Lord worked through and around this disaster in helping many victims to recover – though his Christian Community.

I wish you all the best – and again thank you for your generous help.

and customs. It takes courage and knowledge to do that.

Keep up the Great work.

Saša S. Editor’s Note: For more information visit STFonline.org/REV

Website Feedback I appreciate everything I’ve read so far on your website. It has been extremely helpful with my personal research, knowledge of the Bible & growth in my relationship with the Lord. Keep up the excellent work!

Blessings...

David A. Editor’s Note: Visit our research website at TruthOrTradition.com

Audio CD’s I’m so glad you did an article on “WHO IS JESUS?” in the “Sower”. I loved the CD you did on this muchasked question. Keep up the good work!

Priscilla J. Editor’s Note: For more information visit STFonline.org/audio

Frank S.

Truth Seeker This website has been more than a blessing and a priceless tool.

I commute between East Lansing and Battle Creek for my last semester at Michigan State. So, this is an especially important time to strengthen my relationship with God as I figure out what direction I want my life to go after I graduate.

26 The Sower Apr/May/Jun 2013

REV Feedback I have been subscribed to your channel for a few months now and I am amazed with your honesty. I have studied The Bible for many years now and this is the first time that I have met people that are open minded and that take the Word of God for what it really is no matter the history

Send us your Feedback Do you have questions about the Bible?

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