Lester Kamp
Several times the question above is posed in the Scriptures. The question is posed for those present to consider some important facts. We should understand that God wants us to think, to reason, to use our mind to consider the facts. The religion of Christ does not require of us blind faith, faith that is not rational because of the absence of facts. Being a Christian is not going by feelings and emotions alone. To become a Christian and to remain faithful to the Lord requires us to know—let me repeat—to know certain facts and to act upon them. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).The apostle John later wrote, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13). Everything that interferes with clear thinking must be shunned (1 Cor. 6:12). Traditions, feelings, emotions, the praise of men, the “wisdom” of men, and religious dogma tend to cloud our thinking. God has given us sufficient intelligence to “search the Scriptures” (Acts 17:11) to enable us to discern the difference between the Truth of God and the doctrines of men (Matt. 15:9). You need to use your mind which God has given you. Your eternal destiny depends on your knowing and obeying the Truth. Your salvation is too important to rely upon what others have said, or upon what other men have written in manuals, disciplines, and catechisms. Clearly, salvation is based on knowing the Truth. God has given us the evidence to consider. Active belief (faith) is to result from the acceptance of that evidence. The evidence is presented in God’s inspired Word. Jesus said, “Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17). Ultimately, we will be judged by that Word (John 12:48).
I want to challenge you to search the Scriptures and to think. Forget about what you have always heard or what you have been previously taught. Consider only what God has revealed in His all-sufficient Word. God has given us this challenge: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:21- 22). As Isaiah centuries ago wrote, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord” (Isa. 1:18). Once the question was asked, “What think ye of Christ?” (Matt. 22:42). Have you considered the facts about Jesus? John, the apostle, wrote his account of the life of Jesus to give us the facts about Him.
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (John 20:30-31).
The facts presented concerning what Jesus said and did are to cause us to believe in Him as the Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior of man. Salvation certainly depends on faith in Jesus (8:24).Without that faith, we will be lost (Heb. 11:6). However, that faith is to cause us to obey Him. “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (5:9). The kind of faith in Jesus that saves is the kind of faith that acts upon God’s Word and obeys. Inactive faith is a dead faith that even the demons have. That kind of faith will not save! “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.…Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only…For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (Jas. 2:19, 24, 26). Have you considered the facts? What think ye?
What think ye of Christ’s church? Is Christ’s church whatever we want it to be? Is it to reflect our design and desires, or is Christ’s church under His authority and according to His design? Is Christ’s church only optional, or is it the only place where there is salvation? Jesus said the church belongs to Him (Matt. 16:18). He said all authority belongs to Him (28:18). Inspiration states that Jesus is “saviour of the body” (Ephesians 5:23) and that the body is the church (1:22-23). The church that belongs to Jesus exists today. If we teach and follow the “word of the kingdom,” God’s Word (Matt. 13:19), the result will be Christ’s church or kingdom (16:18-19). Jesus purchased the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28).We have no right or authority to change it. When we change it by adding to, taking away from, or altering God’s Word, we no longer have the church that belongs to Jesus the Christ, the church of which Jesus is savior. The Lord’s church is described in the New Testament so it can be duplicated. We can know its organization, its name, its worship, and its work. Have you considered the facts about Christ’s church? What think ye?
What think ye about sound doctrine? Does doctrine really matter? It is evident from the New Testament that doctrine (teaching) is significant. “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9). Clearly, if we do not abide in (live by) the doctrine of Christ, we do not have God with us or in us. The emphasis of the New Testament on sound doctrine suggests that not all doctrine is sound. Paul wrote of things which are “contrary to sound doctrine” (1 Tim. 1:10). He also places the obligation of elders in the church to use sound doctrine. “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers” (Titus 1:9). He instructed Titus, the preacher: “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine” (2:1). He warned Timothy in some of his final words concerning the rejection by some of sound doctrine: For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Have you considered the facts regarding sound doctrine? What think ye?
Consider Matthew 21:23-27: And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. The simple truth is that what we do in religion is either by the authority of heaven (God) or by the authority of men.
Please consider your religion today. By what authority doest thou these things? Is it by heaven’s authority? If it is not, it will not save! What think ye? “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21; cf. 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
