The Ohio Bible Fellowship Visitor

I’m no Mr. Fix-it, but I do have a variety of tools. I have learned (usually the hard way) that a job always goes more quickly and easily when I have (and use!) the right tool. Along these lines, I would submit to you that 1 Thessalonians 5:14 gives believers a “toolbox” of ways to deal with other believers.

Confront those who are out of line.
The first command Paul gives is to “warn them that are unruly.” When a fellow Christian is violating a biblical command or principle, you are obligated to address it. This command is not only for leadership, the extroverted, or aggressive personalities; every believer is commanded to take an active role in confronting other believers who are disobeying God’s Word. The goal in confronting a sinning brother is to restore him to obedience (Gal 6:1). The motive and manner of all confrontation is love (1 Cor 16:14). Confrontation is the right “tool” for a person who is out of line.

Encourage the fainthearted.
Second, we are commanded to “comfort the feebleminded.” When a brother in Christ has become discouraged about doing right, you are obligated to encourage him to press on. It’s easy enough to find many people who fall into this category. Focus their gaze on God’s faithfulness and not their problems. Encourage them to continue doing what is right, even when it doesn’t “pay” in this world (2 Cor 8:6–8; Gal 6:10).

Support the weak.
Third, we must “support the weak.” When a believer is struggling with a sin, problem, or issue, you are obligated to do everything you can to help him overcome it and go on for the Lord. Just as we would tape a sprained ankle or splint a broken bone, we must bear with those who are struggling (Rom 12:15; 15:1–3; Gal 6:2). The “weak” differ from those who are “out of line” in that they realize they are out of line. They know they have sinned and are grieved over it, but struggle to overcome it. We should help them obey God’s Word by pointing them to biblical solutions (2 Pet 1:3) and providing loving accountability.

Be patient with everybody.
Finally, we are commanded to “be patient toward all men.” Whenever you deal with others, you are obligated to be patient with them. Whether confronting, encouraging, or supporting, all your dealings must be marked by longsuffering. Patience, the converse of pride, is fueled by love (1 Tim 6:11), and stems from a keen remembrance of God’s grace to you (1 Tim 1:12–16).

When you interact with fellow believers, open this toolbox and use this verse to God’s glory and the church’s edification.

December 2007

I’m no law guru, but we all know that the punishment for murder is much more severe when the act is premeditated, or decided on beforehand. The law makes a distinction between a person who, caught up in the passion of the moment, commits a crime and one who plans every detail months in advance (cf. Num 35:10–24).

I believe that the Bible commands that our purity be premeditated. We all know it is important to be pure, and we never know when we might be caught in that one situation, that one moment of temptation where we might suffer a crushing defeat in this regard. However, even before that moment arrives, Scripture commands us to plan carefully and deliberately to be pure. Consider the words of 1 Peter 1:13–16:

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Notice the first command: “gird up the loins of your mind.” We are familiar with idea of the Ancient Near Easterner girding up the loins. He would tuck the long folds of his robe up under his belt in order to be ready for action. Here we are told to prepare our minds for action and get serious about living as obedient children of God. Life is short and Jesus Christ is coming back soon! Be prepared to be pure.

What is so important about purity? Notice the second part of Peter’s command: the mark of a believer is purity. Holiness should characterize every area of our lives. An obedient Christian life is a pure life. We are not to live like unsaved people do (and like we once did!) in lustful impurity. Rather, we are to live in holiness, just as the God who saved us is completely pure from sin.

Peter commands us to prepare our minds now so that we live holy lives. Focus on the idea of preparing to be pure. Don’t wait until you are in the middle of temptation to decide that you will be pure and holy. Decide now! Avoid places where temptation is likely. Stay away from people who you know are not interested in pleasing God or being pure. Practice premeditated purity.

April/May 2007

A charge often leveled at separatists is that they are divisive. They split groups, leave churches, separate from organizations, and go off and form their own “splinter groups.” Aren’t Christians supposed to love one another? Shouldn’t they all be united? Didn’t Jesus pray that all those who believed in him would be as one?

Continue reading ‘Are Separatists Divisive?’

As Paul left the city of Athens and traveled west toward Corinth, he headed into a city renowned for its vice and corruption. If ever a city needed the gospel, Corinth was it. Upon arriving, Paul began to preach in the Jewish synagogue, as he normally did (Acts 18:4), and the Jews rejected his message that Jesus was their Messiah, as they normally did (Acts 18:5).

Paul turned from the religious Jews to the pagan Corinthians and began again to preach the gospel (Acts 18:6). God’s power was displayed as He opened the eyes of Crispus, his family, and many others, and they turned in repentance and saving faith to Jesus Christ (Acts 18:8).

It was during this time that God spoke to Paul one night in a vision: “Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city” (Acts 18:9–10). The Lord’s words to Paul give three reasons why we too should not be afraid to proclaim God’s Word.

We are assured of God’s presence.
As God was with Paul, so he is with us. There is no place in the universe where we are hidden from God’s presence (Ps 139:7–12). Furthermore, God has promised never to abandon us— he is with us (Heb 13:5–6).

We are assured of God’s protection.
God promised Paul that no one would attack or harm him. Since God is in sovereign control of our lives, nothing happens outside of his perfectly ordained plan (Rom 8:28–29).

We are assured about God’s people.
God told Paul to continue proclaiming the gospel because He had many people in the city of Corinth. We too can be confident as we give the gospel that God has those who will be saved (John 10:16; 6:37). Our responsibility is to faithfully give the message; God is the One who will save souls.

God assured Paul that He was with him, that He would protect him, and that He had people who would be saved in that city. What do these truths do for us?

They inform our method of giving the gospel.
The power of the gospel is not based on gimmickry (2 Cor 2:17), clever presentation (1 Cor 1:17–2:5), or personal winsomeness (1 Thess 2:3–5). Rather, the power of the gospel through simple proclamation is the means God has chosen to save souls and change lives(1 Thess 1:4–5).

They prevent discouragement as we proclaim the gospel.
We are not responsible to produce results; we are responsible to proclaim the message faithfully and accurately. We do not need to become discouraged when people reject the gospel; instead, we can remain confident that the Lord still has people he is drawing to himself.

February 2007

For decades, alcohol has been considered entirely “unchristian.” Christians, it was commonly assumed, were “teetotalers,” abstaining completely from drinking alcohol. Bending beneath the world’s unending parade of television commercials and billboards touting the joys and excitement of alcohol, the Christian community has become ambivalent about its relationship to alcohol in recent years. Questions that were once taken for granted are now open for discussion. What about social drinking? How much is too much? When must a person say “when”? Is there a place for alcohol in a Christian’s life?

Continue reading ‘The Christian and Alcohol’

A segment of professing Fundamentalists is increasingly expressing discontent with Fundamentalism. Among their many complaints, one commonly heard regards Fundamentalism’s social action (or more precisely, its lack thereof). Fundamentalism has often been charged (and rightly so in some cases) with isolationism. In its attempt to separate from the world, it has retreated and become “other-worldly,” according to critics. This in turn has caused its evangelism to stagnate, according to this line of thinking. I want to examine this charge along four lines.

Continue reading ‘Fundamentalism and Social Action’

Is it ever dangerous to think? It all depends how you think. Ideas always have consequences. Our thoughts drive our actions. How we think determines what we do. Jesus pointed out that actions find their source in the heart (Mark 7:21). Proverbs 23:7 says that a person is defined by how he thinks in his heart.
The area of thought then, is very important. Worldly thinking is extremely dangerous. Christians must realize that the world has an agenda. The ideas routinely propounded in the news media, in the entertainment industry, and in the realm of secular education have a definite flavor to them— a flavor that is decidedly anti-Christian in nature.

Since Christians are in no way immune from the influence of worldly thinking, the Bible commands us to “gird up the loins of our minds” (1 Peter 1:13), “be renewed in the spirit of our minds” (Ephesians 4:23), “be transformed by the renewing of our mind” (Romans 12:2), and think on things that are “true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report” (Philippians 4:8). Listed below are four dangerous shifts in thinking that Christians are prone to make.

Continue reading ‘Dangerous Thinking’