God’s unchanging faithfulness is described in James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Aren’t you glad that God’s goodness is not fleeting? God is always good. He does not change (Malachi 3:6). Tomorrow He will be just as good and true as He is today (Hebrews 13:8).

 
James 1:18 continues this discussion by declaring of the faithful God, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” The word of truth is what saves us (James 1:21). The truth sets us free (John 8:32), it separates us from the world (John 17:17), and we must walk in it to be pleasing to God (2 John 4; 3 John 3-4).

Truth is to make us into a kind of first fruits of God’s creatures. Are we like God in the sense of being faithful and true? It is not always easy to be true and faithful, but it is worth it. A lie sometimes seems like the easy way to get out of a tight spot, but the result is a nagging conscience and a sense of shame (Ephesians 4:25). While many people today are like Ahab, wanting people to tell them what they like to hear rather than the truth (1 Kings 22; cf. Isaiah 30:10; 2 Timothy 4:3-4), deep down we must recognize that it is the person who will always tell us the truth who is really our best friend (Proverbs 27:6).

 
At critical points in our lives, when our character is tried, we must remain true. When crises come, the greatest desire is not for the most intelligent or most popular people, but for those who are faithful and true (Proverbs 20:6). A loyal person is the greatest blessing in these times. While we can’t choose our intelligence or popularity, we can always choose to be true.

 
When people pressure you with their false beliefs, do you remain true to your convictions? The majority of people follow falsehood (Matthew 7:13-23). God is not swayed to be false even if every man in the world is (Romans 3:4). Can we be like God and refuse to be swayed, or do we cave in to peer pressure? When many disciples of Jesus walked no more with Him because they could not accept the truth He preached (John 6:66), Jesus did not change His tune to bring them back. Instead He challenged those who remained with what they would do. Peter recognized they could go nowhere else if they were to follow the truth that saves for Jesus had the words of eternal life (John 6:68).

 
Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). He is the One who makes true life possible. Jesus calls us to follow Him in His words of truth, stating, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth,and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). Like no other, Jesus helps us to be true.

 
–Mark Day

Jesus said in John 7:17, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” The first “will” in this verse conveys the concept of desire; thus, Jesus is affirming if a man truly desires or wills to do God’s will, then he will know what God’s will is.
There are many today who say that the Bible cannot be understood. They point to the great variety of conflicting concepts people have about certain Bible subjects as proof for their claim. Though many very educated people differ in their views on the scriptures, the problem is not with the Bible. God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Many people were divided over the identity of Jesus while He was here on earth (John 7:43), and today there is still division over who He is, but the defect has never been in Jesus. The defect is in the hearts of men.

Jesus’ words in John 7:17 still ring true. Jesus did not claim that education or intelligence will absolutely guarantee true knowledge of God’s will. Though those factor in, the main ingredient Jesus identifies is desire. True, honest desire to please God is the number one prerequisite for understanding God’s will. If someone comes to the Bible for any other purpose than to ascertain what God wants and does it, then there is no telling what kind of “interpretations” they may put on the Scriptures. Luke 8:15 identifies those who have an honest and good heart as the people who receive the word of God and bring forth fruit. The Bible is not only for those of supreme intellect with the highest education; God’s word is for everyone. Mark 12:37 says of Jesus that, “the common people heard him gladly,” because He did not speak like the educated religious leaders who made things so complicated. While not everyone has the privilege of the highest education, everyone can choose to be honest.
You can understand the Bible. You just have to be honest with it. Paul expected those in Ephesus to whom he wrote to be able to understand, “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)” (Ephesians 3:3-4). Jesus even expected men in the first century to understand what Daniel had written centuries before concerning the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15). God expects us to read the Bible and understand His will. “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17).

–Mark Day

The church by the end of the apostles and prophets of the 1st century was exactly like God in Christ wanted it to be. We find that by the death of the apostles and prophets of the 1st century, all things that pertain to life and godliness was given to us, was written down, and we today when we read what they wrote, we know what they knew. Thus when we look at apostasies we look at departures from truth. Throughout the years from Pentecost, 33 AD, following the death burial and resurrection of Christ the faithful saints have always existed on earth. They were not the most influential and are they were (are) not the largest group, but they always existed. Keep in mind the dates of these apostasies may vary slightly depending on the historian that you choose to follow.

Sin is sin, false teaching is false teaching. It does not matter if it developed like in 154 A.D. with baptism for the dead or you go to 1870 and discuss the infallibility of the Pope, false teaching is false teaching. Just a sampling from the list in V. Glenn McCoy’s book “Return To The Old Paths”, pp. 16-9 are:
1. Distinction made between elders – A.D. 150.
2. Baptism for the dead – A.D. 154.
3. Prayers for the dead – A.D. 300.
4. Sign of the cross was practiced – A.D. 300.
5. Lighting of candles instead of individual prayers – A.D. 320.
6. The Lord’s Supper was changed into a mass and celebrated daily – A.D. 394.
7. The phrase “Mother of God” was applied to Mary by the council meeting at Ephesus.
8. Extreme unction (anointing of the newly dead or those about to die) – A.D. 526.
9. The actual formal establishment of the doctrine of purgatory (a second chance for dead sinners from which one could escape through money paid to priests who, offer prayers for them) by Gregory I – A.D. 593.
10. Latin became the official language for prayer and worship, imposed by Gregory I – A.D. 600.
11. Near deification of Mary as “queen of heaven.” Prayers made to Mary, dead saints, angels imposed by Gregory I – A.D. 600.
12. The title “pope” or “universal bishop” was given to Boniface III by emperor Phocas – A.D. 606.
13. Instrumental music was introduced in church worship in A.D. 670 by Pope Vitalia. However, it created such a furor that it was removed and reintroduced much later. (~900 AD)
14. Worshipping of the cross, images, and relics – A.D. 786.
15. Hagiolatry, worshipping of departed saints – A.D. 788
16. Holy water (water mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by priest) used – A.D. 850.
17. College of Cardinals established – A.D. 890.
18. Dead “saints” canonized by authority of Pope John XV – A.D. 998.
19. Rosary invented by Peter the Hermit (counting of beads in prayer).
20. The sale of indulgences in sin began in 1190. (Pope Leo X financed a good part of the building of St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome by this means. This was one of the 95 points included in the thesis of Martin Luther that was nailed to the door of the Wittenberg, Germany church in A.D. 1517.)
21. Confession of sins to the priest for the purpose of forgiveness of sins (auricular confession) was imposed by Pope Innocent III – A.D. 1215.
22. Sprinkling was approved for baptism by Council of Ravenna – A.D. 1311.
23. Tradition was declared by the Council of Trent to be equal in authority with the Bible – A.D. 1545.
24. Infallibility of the Pope – A.D. 1870

The definition of apostasy is people changing what God has given in the Scriptures. If you change one element of the church, if you change any part of that once delivered faith, then you are no longer a part of the church, that organization that was blood bought by Christ. He is the head of the church, He is still the head of the church, and He will always be that the head of the church. Nothing has changed.

The teachings we have today are the teachings that were practiced in the 1st century. When you worship with the Lord’s church and you sing without mechanical instruments, you pray, you give, you participate in the Lord’s Supper, and you listen to exhortations from the Word of God, you are doing exactly what they did in the 1st century. It doesn’t need to be changed, it doesn’t need to be altered, it cannot be made better. To begin to move from the truth of God’s Word, brings further and further movement away from the truth.

-Jerry D. Sturgill

In 2 Samuel 7, we learn that David wanted to build a temple to God, but the Lord gave that privilege to his son instead. David then made preparations for the building of the temple while he was reigning so that his son Solomon would build the temple when he took the throne. Toward the end of his reign in 1 Chronicles 29:1-9, David gave the final provisions for the building of the temple before he would die (1 Chronicles 29:28 says he died in a good old age). There are spiritual principles even in this preparation for the Old Testament temple that we can apply today in the church, the New Testament temple (1 Corinthians 3:16, Ephesians 2:21).

What the Jews often cherished about the temple was its grandeur and splendor. Even in the first century AD, when the temple was rebuilt under Herod’s reign, the disciples of Jesus wanted to show Him the buildings of the temple complex (Matthew 24:1). As some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with magnificent stones and offerings (Luke 21:5). But those physical features were not what really made the temple of great value. The value of the temple was that God manifested His presence there. Solomon recognized when he built it that it could not contain God (1 Kings 8:27); nothing on earth can, but, nevertheless, the glory of the Lord filled the temple, as a demonstration of His presence (1 Kings 8:10-11). There are some fine people in the Lord’s church, but what makes the Lord’s church so precious is God’s presence among His people. The reason God’s people are holy is because they belong to the Holy God. 2 Corinthians 6:16 says, “for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” The Old Testament temple was built for Israel to have fellowship with God. The reason Jesus Christ built the church is so that men might have fellowship with God in the church (Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:16).

 
In accordance with this truth, David realized in the long ago that his preparation for the Lord’s temple was not work that he was doing for man, but for God. In 1 Chronicles 29:1, he said, “for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.” That fact made all the difference for David in the importance of building the temple. Because he was preparing a place for God, David said, “I have prepared with all my might…” (1 Chronicles 29:2). Do we in the church prepare with all our might to worship, to serve, to evangelize? There are examples all about us of people who give all their might to climb the corporate ladder, win a championship in sports, or accomplish any number of earthly achievements. Shouldn’t we have at least that level of energy and zeal when it comes to working in the Lord’s church? 1 Corinthians 9:25 says, “Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

 
David was willing to sacrifice himself for the temple. 1 Chronicles 29:3 indicates that not only did he give of the king’s treasury for the work, but also of his own private treasure. 1 Chronicles 29:5-9 reveals how that the chief men followed David’s example and gave willingly. When we give of our money, time, talents, and energy to the Lord, do we do it willingly and happily? There is no greater joy than to serve the Lord out of a willing heart.

 
As the church we are part of a greater temple than David ever knew in his time. Let’s mimic his example and enthusiasm for preparing to build the temple of the Lord.

-by Mark Day

When Paul arrived at Athens, he was moved by the pervasive idolatry in the city (Acts 17:16). He began to dispute with philosophers and idolaters that filled Athens and was even brought by them to the Areopagus in order to hear this “new doctrine” he was teaching (Acts 17:18-19). Now how was Paul going to present the gospel to these Athenians? Would he quote the Old Testament and appeal to Jesus’ fulfillment of the prophecies as he did in Antioch of Pisidia in Acts 13:16-41? No. These Athenians had little if any knowledge of the Old Testament, and did not have the proper concept of the true God. Thus we find Paul establishing some more basic truths in his sermon in Acts 17.
 

Paul first combated the prevailing belief of pantheism among his audience. Pantheism is the belief that the world is deity. Paul shows how God is the creator of the world and all things therein, but is also distinct from the world (Acts 17:24). Next, Paul countered the assumption that deity is limited to a certain locale and has human-like needs. God does not dwell in temples made with hands (Acts 17:24). As Solomon recognized when the temple was built, nothing in this world can contain God because He is everywhere (1 Kings 8:27). God also does not need anything from mankind to continue to prosper, but instead is the sustainer of all things (Acts 17:25). God is self-existent and can live independently of all other beings; we, on the other hand, are completely dependent on Him.
 
After establishing some truths about God, Paul teaches the Athenians some truths about man. Contrary to the beliefs of many throughout history, the different ethnic groups that exist in the world do not have varying values. They did not come into being from different sources, but are all of one blood (Acts 17:26). Thus, the message of salvation is for all nations who inhabit the earth.
 
As a balance to the truth that God is distinct from the world, Paul goes on to point out that God desires men to seek Him. Contrary to many of the philosophers in Athens who believed in an impersonal God, Paul taught the truth that God, while being transcendent of the world, also desired personal involvement with His creatures. Thus, he declared the reason for our lives on this earth is that we should seek the Lord, who is distinct from the world, but not so distant that He cannot be reached (Acts 17:27). Paul even used the words of Cleanthes, a Stoic, who acknowledged that man is the offspring of God, to hammer home the acknowledged truth of God’s operating within the universe (Acts 17:28).
 
In conclusion, Paul shows that the above truths make idolatry wrong (Acts 17:29). Thus, he pleads with the Athenians to give up these practices, which are offensive to the true God, and turn to Him (Acts 17:30). It is only at the end of establishing these truths that Paul mentions the resurrection of Christ, which is fundamental to the gospel message (Acts 17:31).
 
In twenty-first century America, we cannot assume that those outside of Christ have biblical notions of God. Like the Athenians, many Americans may have never heard the most basic concepts of Christianity, and to them these truths may be considered “new doctrine” (Acts 17:19). As laborers for the harvest (Luke 10:2), we should be prepared to meet people where they are like Paul did with the Athenians. Are you ready to talk to people about moral absolutes, the exclusivity of truth, the nature of God, the concept of holiness, the definition of sin, the certainty of an afterlife, and many other issues that we often assume people understand? Let’s make sure people understand these concepts when we evangelize.
 
–Mark Day