In the Q&A Update #237 the statement is made, "Otherwise, we would be eating and drinking 'judgment' to ourselves, which might result in sickness and death ([1 Corinthians 11] verses 29-30)." Does this mean that by taking the Lord's Sacrifice in an unworthy manner, the consequences might result in physical sickness and death? Are we not all unworthy?

It is true that we are all “unworthy” in comparison with God the
Father and the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but this is not what Paul is
addressing. Rather, Paul speaks about the manner in which we partake of
the Passover–and yes, if we partake of the Passover in an unworthy
manner, and if we, especially, fail to discern the Body of Christ which
was beaten for our healing from our sicknesses, then prolonged sickness
and even death might be the consequence.

It is important to study
the context of these verses as found in 1 Corinthians 11:17 through 34.
Paul very emphatically corrected those in Corinth who had been treating
the Passover in an irreverent and self-centered manner. He mentions
that there were divisions within the Church (verses 18-19). Beginning
with the early chapters of 1 Corinthians, Paul strongly warns against
the divisions that were arising–especially those that were created by
some members who focused on the personalities of various ministers
(Compare 1 Corinthians 1:11-13; 3:1-23).

Paul took issue with the
conduct of those who were assembling for what should have been the
observance commanded by Jesus Christ through the symbols He instituted
surrounding Passover. Note what Paul had already written to the
Corinthians regarding their allowance of sexual immorality. He
illustrates their problem through the Days of Unleavened Bread: “Your
glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the
whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new
lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover,
was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old
leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the
unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

Here
is what Paul states in 1 Corinthians 11:20: “Therefore when you come
together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.” We
understand this verse to say that they could not and should not try to
eat the Lord’s Supper, as the Passover is not the Lord’s Supper. Paul
was chastising them for trying to eat a supper or a meal, rather than
just partaking of the symbols of bread and wine in a worthy manner. (We
address this issue in Update #88 in the Q&A, pointing out that we
are not to partake of the Lord’s Supper or a meal, but of the Passover
symbols. Also, we explain this distinction again in Update #189,
under “Feasts,” titled, “Is Passover the Lord’s Supper?”) He plainly
chastises the Church for assembling in a way that nullified the intent
and example of observing the New Testament Passover as instituted by
Jesus Christ. Paul challenges their practice of using this time for a
common meal; of getting drunk; and of adding to the division between
members who were wealthy and poor because of their degenerated
observance of the Passover.

In verses 23 through 26 of 1
Corinthians 11, Paul carefully reminds the Church of the correct way to
observe this time–not as a riotous, self-indulgent meal, but as a
meaningful reminder of the glorious sacrifice made by Jesus on behalf
of mankind. In verse 26, Paul states: “For as often as you eat this
bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”
The correct observance of these symbols, along with observing the time
established by God for the Passover, is to be faithfully followed by
the New Testament Church (Compare Exodus 12; Leviticus 23). As we see
from verse 23, Jesus instituted the symbols at this same specified time
as an example for the Church (Compare John 13).

Next, Paul gives
a powerful warning that no Christian should take lightly: “Therefore
whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy
manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians
11:27); continuing in verses 29-30: “For he who eats and drinks in an
unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the
Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many
sleep [are dead].”

Although the application is much broader, we
may, nonetheless, apply what is stated in Hebrews concerning those who
take for granted the inestimable sacrifice of Jesus Christ: “For if we
sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there
no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the
adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on
the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment,
do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of
God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was
sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews
10:26-29).

Paul warned the Church at Corinth that their actions
were seriously and dangerously wrong! Like the message in Hebrews, the
people in Corinth were treating the Passover as a “common thing”–that
is, just another meal, and, even worse, as an activity of the Church in
which rebellious actions were taking place. We find an Old Testament
parallel in the story of the golden calf. In their idolatry, the
children of Israel made a proclamation that their observance was “a
feast to the LORD” (Exodus 32:5). They brought upon themselves both an
immediate penalty of death for some (Verse 28) and a future punishment
for their sin (Verses 34-35).

Disobeying God will lead to death.
The only exception is through repentance and forgiveness, and our
repentance and God’s forgiveness are only possible because of the death
of Jesus Christ in our place. He paid the ultimate penalty, and His
sacrifice is not a meaningless ritual. The Passover must not be taken
lightly–rather, we are to approach this observance carefully through a
personal reflection and self-examination.

In another letter to
the Corinthians, Paul states: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are
in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus
Christ is in you?–unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians
13:5). This is essentially what he had told them to do regarding the
Passover Christ established: “But let a man examine himself, and so let
him eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28);
Continuing in verses 31-32: “For if we would judge ourselves, we would
not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord,
that we may not be condemned with the world.”

Being “chastened by
the Lord” is exactly the purpose that was accomplished through Paul’s
writing. It applied to the members in Corinth, and it applies to us,
today. We are to examine ourselves in order to properly take the
Passover–to do as Jesus Christ commanded. Indeed, some, both then and
even now, have failed to properly discern the Lord’s body–which was
beaten for our healing–and they might thereby have suffered the
consequence of physical sickness and perhaps even death. They,
like Israel of old, have brought upon themselves penalties for their
sins. We can avoid these consequences if we seek to zealously obey what
God has commanded!

This is not to say–by any means–that every
Church member who is suffering from an illness is being punished by God
because of a lack of discernment of Christ’s body. As we explain in our
booklet, “Sickness and Healing–What the Bible Tells Us,”
the reasons for sickness and disease are manifold, and they might have
nothing to do at all with any ungodly conduct of the sick person. All
Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 11 is that sickness COULD be the result
of partaking of the Passover in an unworthy manner, by not discerning
the beaten body of Christ and the fact that we are healed “by His
stripes” (Isaiah 53:5; compare Matthew 8:16-17).

Even though we
are asked to examine ourselves, Paul also says that we ARE to take the
Passover, if we are baptized members of the Church of God. When we
examine ourselves and when we hear sermons telling us of our ongoing
need to overcome, we must not become so discouraged that we don’t want
to take the Passover! Rather, examining ourselves should serve as the
preparation God wants for us. Once we do, we are to focus on Jesus
Christ–He is our Passover! Just as He set us an example, let us also
keep the Passover in the manner that is truly pleasing to God!

Lead Writers: Dave Harris and Norbert Link

As We Examine Ourselves…

On April 8, 2006, Edwin Pope will give the sermon, titled, “As We Examine Ourselves…”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

On
Tuesday evening, April 11, 2006, is Passover. If you are a baptized
member of the Church of God and won’t be able to attend local services,
but want to keep the PASSOVER AT HOME, please read the SPECIAL
ANNOUNCEMENTS regarding this in this Update, under “Feasts.”

On Wednesday evening, April 12, 2006, is the Night to Be Much Observed.

On
Thursday, April 13, 2006, is the First Day of Unleavened Bread. Rene
Messier will be giving the sermon in the morning from Oregon, and Dave
Harris will give the sermon in the afternoon from Colorado.

The
services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 9:00 am and 1:30 pm
Pacific Time (which is 11:00 am and 3:30 pm Central Time). Just click
on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

A new Member Letter is being completed and will be sent out early next week in time to
arrive prior to Passover. In the letter, J. Edwin Pope discusses
important principles about Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread.

A new StandingWatch program was posted on the Web, titled, “Afghanistan’s Radical Islam.”

Another StandingWatch program was recorded this week and will be posted shortly. It is titled, “Uproar in France.”

What is a true Christian?

Many have attempted to “define” who or what is a true Christian.
However, far too often, a totally false explanation has been offered.
For example, some would say that somebody is a Christian who is a
member of a “Christian” church. Others claim that one is a Christian if
he or she believes in Jesus Christ. Still others state that one becomes
a Christian if he or she is baptized into a Church organization,
perhaps even as an infant.

What is the Biblical truth on the
matter? It is important that you understand, because otherwise you have
no immediate hope for your future. We read that there is no salvation
in any other but in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). In order to be saved, you
must be a follower of Christ–a true Christian.

First of all,
the word “Christian” is only used three times in Scripture, namely in
Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; and 1 Peter 4:16. In all these cases, the word
applied to God’s disciples–true followers of Christ–who were innocent
of evil doing and who had to be willing to suffer for Jesus Christ–as
“Christians.”

A definition of a true Christian is given in Romans 8:9:

“But
you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God
dwells in you. Now if anyone does NOT HAVE THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, HE IS
NOT HIS.”

A true Christian, then, is one in whom Christ’s Spirit
dwells. And when Christ’s Spirit, which is also the Spirit of God the
Father, dwells in a Christian, the individual will live and think in a
certain way, as Romans 8:4-7 explains:

“… that the righteous
requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not WALK
according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live
according to the flesh SET THEIR MINDS on the things of the
flesh, but those who LIVE according to the Spirit, the things of the
Spirit. For to be carnally [or fleshly] minded is death, but to be
spiritually MINDED is life and peace. Because the carnal [or fleshly] mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God,
nor indeed can be.”

When the Spirit of Christ lives in a person,
he or she will have the MIND OF CHRIST (Philippians 2:5), which
includes the desire to keep the law of God–the Ten Commandments (John
15:10). Christ’s Spirit will help us not to sin–and sin is the
transgression of God’s Law (1 John 3:4, Authorized Version).

When
we keep God’s law, we will love our fellow man (Galatians 5:14). When
we are being led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:18), we will not fulfill
the lusts of the flesh (verse 16). And as a consequence, we will bring
forth in our lives the fruit of the Spirit, which is “love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control” (verses 22-23).

1 John 2:3 tells us that we know
God the Father and Jesus Christ “if we keep His commandments.” Verse 4
continues: “He who says, ‘I know Him’ [that is, I belong to Him, I am a
Christian], and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the
truth is not in him.” God’s Holy Spirit is a Spirit of truth (compare 1
Peter 1:22)–therefore, if the truth is not in such a person, then
Christ’s Spirit is not in him.

In order to receive God’s Spirit,
we must first repent of our sins–what we have done and what we are;
that is, we must repent or feel deeply sorry about the fact that we
have followed our carnal human natures and sinned (Acts 2:38). When we
repent of sin, we repent of having transgressed God’s law, and we begin
to keep God’s law. This can also be described as “conversion” or
“change”–by ceasing to walk in the way of breaking God’s law and by
beginning to walk in the way of keeping it. Acts 3:19 says: “Repent
therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” And
Acts 26:20 describes, in Paul’s own words, how he “declared… to the
Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting
repentance.”

We must also believe in the Sacrifice of Jesus
Christ; that is, that His death paid for the penalty of our sins, as
well as the gospel message which Christ proclaimed (Mark 1:15). And we
must be properly baptized as an outward sign of our repentance and
faith (Acts 2:38).

How many well-meaning people actually
repented of their sins BEFORE they were baptized? How many well-meaning
people understood before their baptism that they must keep God’s law,
including the commandment to keep the Sabbath; in fact, that they must
already show God, by their conduct, that they are willing to obey Him,
before they become baptized (Acts 5:32)? If these requirements were not
fulfilled, they would not have received Christ’s Spirit, and they would
not be “Christians” according to the Biblical definition.

But
even those who were baptized, as adults, after they felt sorry for
their sins, are called upon to examine themselves whether they are
REALLY true Christians–true followers of Christ. We read in 2
Corinthians 13:5: “EXAMINE yourselves as to whether you are in the
faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ
is in you?–unless indeed you are disqualified.”

Many have proven
to fall into that last category. They THOUGHT they had genuinely
repented of their sins, before they became baptized, but, in fact, they
never had. They THOUGHT they had become true Christians, but the Bible
and history tell a different story. John states in 1 John 2:19: “They
went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us,
they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be
made manifest, that none of them were of us.” Jude describes those
people who might even ATTEND Church services with true Christians as
“sensual [or worldly] persons, who cause division, NOT HAVING THE
SPIRIT” (Jude 19).

1 John 3:10 tells us that if we are
Christians–true followers and children of God–we will practice
righteousness. That is, we will live a righteous life, which is
well-pleasing to God. The one who does not practice righteousness is
“not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” But the one who
“keeps His commandments abides in Him, and HE IN HIM. And by this we
know that He abides in us, by the SPIRIT [which] HE HAS GIVEN US” (1
John 3:24).

Once we are properly baptized, we are commanded by
God to partake of the annual Passover, by eating a piece of unleavened
bread and by drinking a small amount of red wine, symbolizing the body
and blood of Jesus Christ who died for our sins (1 Corinthians
11:23-26). But before doing so, we must EXAMINE ourselves whether we
fully understand the deep significance of Christ’s Sacrifice, so that
we don’t eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord “in an unworthy
manner,” without “discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Corinthians 11:27-28).
Otherwise, we would be eating and drinking “judgment” to ourselves,
which might even result in sickness and death (verses 29-30). Compare
the Q&A in Update #224 on, “Discerning the Lord’s Body.”

To
be a true Christian, then, is a LIFE-LONG commitment to God and His way
of life. We are never to become indifferent about our calling and give
up. The LIVING Jesus Christ resides in a true Christian, through His
Spirit, leading the way, and the Christian must follow Him (compare
Revelation 14:4). We are to “sanctify the Lord God in [our] hearts” (1
Peter 3:15); that is, we are to set aside for Christ a place in our
hearts so that He CAN live in us and lead us.

Again, we ask: How
many well-meaning people qualify as true Christians according to this
Biblical definition? And most importantly for you is this question: Do
YOU qualify? Are YOU a true Christian?

For more information, please read our free booklets, “Baptism–A Requirement for Salvation?” and “And Lawlessness Will Abound…”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The Power of the Tongue

On April 1, 2006, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “The Power of the Tongue.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

We recently began to place most of our StandingWatch
programs on “Google Video.” We are very encouraged by the responses.
The most watched programs were, “What Is Happening in Germany?”,
“Ghosts of Departed Ones?”, “Europe and the Middle East,” “The Pope is
Dead–What Is Next?” and “Germany in Prophecy.”

We have also
started an advertisement campaign on the Internet, by placing an ad
next to Google searches. When someone searches for a certain
expression, the ad will appear next to or above the search results. The
overall average click through rate (somebody sees the ad and clicks on
it) was 5.2%, but at times it reached 7.7 %.

Does Revelation 3:14 teach that God the Father created Jesus Christ, and that Christ had a beginning?

The Bible teaches that God had no beginning, but that He has always
existed. We read that God created all things; that is, human beings,
animals and all physical things, as well as angelic beings and all
spiritual “things.” However, God is not just one Person, but a Family,
presently consisting of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. We
read that God created everything through Jesus Christ (Colossians
1:15-17)–proving that God the Father and Jesus Christ existed before
there was anything else. Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us that God the Father
created “the worlds” through His Son, Jesus Christ. John 1:1 says that
the “Word”–Jesus Christ (compare Revelation 19:13)–was “in the
beginning” with God and that the Word WAS God. John 1:3 tells us that
“all things” were made through Him, and “without Him nothing was made
that was made.”

Some
claim that God the Father first created His
Son, Jesus Christ, and proceeded afterwards to create everything else
through Christ. They say that the Word was created, and when that
happened, there were no days or time created, so Christ had no
beginning of days as such. This is not, however, what the Bible
teaches.

Micah 5:2 talks about the coming Messiah when it states “But you,
Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of
Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in
Israel, WHOSE GOINGS FORTH ARE FROM OF OLD, FROM EVERLASTING.”

Isaiah 9:6 states: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is
given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will
be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace.” According to Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible
Concordance, the Hebrew for “Father” can also convey the meaning of
“ancestor, source, inventor.”

In
Hebrews 7:1-10, we are introduced to the Son, Jesus Christ, who was
known as the High Priest Melchizedek at the time of Abraham (When
Christ was here on earth as a human being, born as a man, He confirmed
that He actually met Abraham in His prior life as an immortal God
being, compare John 8:56-58).

Note how the Son of God or Melchizedek is described:

— Hebrews 7:1: He was the Priest of the Most High God–God the Father, who is higher than Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3).
— Hebrews 7:3: He was “without father, without mother, without
genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life.” Christ
said later that He is the One who “was and who is to come, the
Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).
— Hebrews 7:3: When He appeared as Melchizedek, He was made like, or
better, He was “resembling” (compare Revised Standard Version) or
“bearing the likeness of” (compare Revised English Bible) the “Son of
God”–that is, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, manifested Himself as a
human being, as He did on other occasions in the Old Testament (for
instance, He and two angels appeared to Abraham before Sodom and
Gomorrah were destroyed, Genesis 18:1-2, 13, 16-17; 19:1).
— Hebrews 7:3: The One known as Melchizedek and the Son of God, Jesus
Christ, “remains a priest continually.” He is still alive, confirming
what Christ said in Revelation 1:18: “I am He who lives, and was dead
(and in the grave for 72 hours), and behold, I am alive forevermore.”
— Hebrews 7:8: He was not a “mortal man” but someone who still “lives” today.

Accepting
the clear Biblical testimony, we must conclude that Jesus Christ, as a
Spirit being and as the second member of the God Family, has always
lived together with God the Father. He had no beginning.

How
then are we to understand Revelation 3:14 which says that Christ is
“the Beginning of the creation of God”? Since the Bible does not
contradict itself, we can rule out the idea that God the Father created
Christ so that Christ became the very first act–the “beginning”–of
God’s creation. What, then, is the meaning of the verse?

Let us note how other translations render this verse:

— New International Version: “the ruler of God’s creation”
— Living Bible: “the primeval source of God’s creation”
— New Revised Standard Version: “the origin of God’s creation”
— Revised English Bible: “the source of God’s creation”
— New Jerusalem Bible: “the Principle of God’s creation”

Please also note the following statements from a few commentaries:

— The Broadman Bible Commentary gives the following explanation:

“‘The
beginning of God’s creation’ is not easy to interpret. If taken to mean
that Christ was the first creature, then one has ignored the
Christology of Revelation… Beckwith translated this phrase ‘the one
from whom creation took its beginning.’ Another good translation is
‘who is the origin of all that God has created.’… God is the primary
source (4:11; 10:6), and Christ is the agent of creation as in John 1:3
(see Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2). The letter to Colossae was intended by Paul
for Laodicea also (Col. 4:16). He spoke of Christ as the agent of
creation, and this is probably the intent of the writer of Revelation.”

— The Nelson Study Bible states:

“…
the Beginning, meaning the ‘First Place’ or ‘The Ruler.’… The phrase
about creation has been interpreted by some to teach that Jesus is the
first being that God created. This is certainly not required by Greek
grammar, and is contrary to other biblical passages. Christ is
described in other passages of the New Testament as eternal (see John
1:1-1) and as being God Himself (see John 8:58; Phil. 2:6; Titus 2:13).
Revelation speaks of Him as the First and the Last, the Alpha and
Omega, the Beginning and the End. In fact, the Greek phrase in this
verse can be translated in a more active sense, so as to read, ‘the One
who begins the creation of God.'”

— The “New Bible Commentary: Revised” adds the following:

“…
the title ‘the beginning of God’s creation’ (better translated ‘the
principle’ or ‘source’ of creation) exalts Christ as Creator above the
proud but puny creatures that boast in their self-sufficiency.”

—
The Commentary of Jamiesson, Fausset and Brown agrees, pointing out:
“‘beginning of the creation of God’–not he whom God created first, but
as in Colossians 1:15-18… the Beginner of all creation, its
originating instrument. All creation would not be represented adoring
Him, if He were but one of themselves. He being the Creator is a strong
guarantee for His faithfulness as ‘the Witness and Amen.'”

The
foregoing has also been the established understanding of the Church of
God. In a letter from the Worldwide Church of God, dated January 1988,
it is stated: “The correct meaning of the phrase ‘the beginning of the
creation of God’ is the BEGINNER of all creation. It refers to ITS
ORIGINATING INSTRUMENT (see Colossians 1:15-17). Jesus is the Head and
Governor of all creatures; He is the King of creation… The Bible
tells us plainly that Jesus… had no beginning of days… He… was
the Creator of all things that were made… He was with the Father in
the beginning, and all things were made by Him… He has always
existed.”

In a number of Church of God publications, the eternal
nature of Christ was emphasized and has, historically, been the
understanding of the Church. In Herbert Armstrong’s article, “Is Jesus
God?” dated 1958, it is stated on page 1: “Therefore, Jesus who is and
was God, who has always existed (John 1:1-2) was actually made flesh
(v14).” The Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 13, “Who and What Is
God?” stated on page 5: “Christ, when He was ‘the Word,’ was an
immortal being who had always existed–there had never been a time when
He did not exist–He was literally without ‘beginning of days.'” And in
the booklet, “Why Humanity Cannot Solve Its Evils,” it is stated on
page 3: “In order of time sequence the first revelation of who and what
is God is found in John 1:1, ‘In the beginning was the Word.’ This
‘Word’ was a personage, eternally self-existent.”

In Revelation
22:13, Christ refers to himself as the “beginning [arche] and the end
[telos].” If “beginning” suggests that there was a time when Christ did
not exist, but that He came into existence as the first being of God’s
creation, does “end” indicate that there will be a point at which He
will no longer exist? That would be a ridiculous suggestion!

Based
on all the biblical evidence, we can dogmatically state that Jesus
Christ had NO beginning. Rather, He is the BEGINNER of God’s creation:
God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ, who existed
since all eternity. For more information, please read our free
booklets, “God is a Family” and “Jesus Christ–A Great Mystery.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Eternal Death

On March 25, 2006, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Eternal Death.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Does it matter what a political leader does in private as long as he does his "public" job effectively?

In recent years, we have seen a spate of allegations and revelations
about the behavior of certain leading political figures and other high
profile leaders, both in the UK and the USA, as well as in Western
Europe. While this is not a new phenomenon, public attitudes seem to
have changed to a more liberal and tolerant, if not accepting approach.
This is because of moral and ethical barriers being lowered as society
adopts a much more permissive attitude.

We may recall that in the
US presidential election in the late 1990’s, the public re-elected
their President in spite of his behavior. As long as the President gave
the American people a good standard of living it didn’t matter, as one
commentator put it, “what happened after dark.”

America’s first
President, George Washington, wrote a letter in 1790 to his nephew. He
said that “ a good moral character was essential in a man.”
But today’s prevailing attitude in the Western world is that “we have
moved on”–which means that “anything goes.”

The Dutch theologian
and historian philosopher Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) said that “A man
cannot govern a nation if he cannot govern a city; he cannot govern a
city if he cannot govern a family; he cannot govern a family unless he
can govern himself; and he cannot govern himself unless his passions
are subject to reason.”

Those in the public eye and in political
leadership positions should have certain standards. We ought to
be able to expect that politicians bring certain qualities to the jobs
that they undertake, including honesty, integrity, uprightness and a
moral code. In other words, we ought to be able to expect “character.”

Character
is the ability to discern right from wrong and to always choose the
right, irrespective of circumstances or popular demand.

Character
is a vital ingredient and involves the whole person. In his book “The
Death of Outrage,” William J. Bennett makes the following comments:
“Are character and integrity abstract side issues, outweighed by
current economic well-being?… The leader must be whole; he cannot
have his public character be honest and his private character be
deceitful.”

There are those in this world who know the importance
of integrity. Years ago, a company in the pharmaceutical business in
the US, named Squibb, released the following story on a poster board to
be displayed in drugstores:

“In the city of Baghdad lived Hakem.
Many went to him for counsel which he gave freely, asking nothing in
return. Then came a young man who had spent much time and got little.
‘Tell me, wise one,’ he said, ‘What can I do to receive the most for
that which I spend?’ Hakem answered, ‘A thing that is bought or sold
has no value unless it contains that which cannot be bought or sold.
Look for the priceless ingredient.’ ‘But what is the priceless
ingredient?’ asked the young man. Spoke thus the wise one, ‘My son, the
priceless ingredient of every product in the market place is the honor
and integrity of him who makes it. Consider his name before you buy.”

In
July 1993, the American Air Force Academy formed a center for character
development. Colonel Alexander stated the following in “proposed
character development outcomes,” issued January 21st 1993:

“Officers
with forthright integrity voluntarily decide the right thing to do and
do it in both their professional and private lives. They do not choose
the right thing because of a calculation of what is most advantageous
to themselves but because of a consistent and spontaneous inclination
to do the right thing. Their inclination to do right is consistently
followed by actually doing what they believe they should do and taking
responsibility for their choices. In other words, persons of integrity
‘walk their talk.'”

What is the Biblical teaching on character
and integrity of political leaders? In the book of Proverbs, this
wisdom is revealed: “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but
the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them” (Proverbs 11:3). We
are also taught: “When the righteous are in authority, the people
rejoice” (Proverbs 29:2).

In God’s eyes, the moral conduct of
political leaders DOES matter. Proverbs 31:4-5 teaches: “… It is not
for kings to drink [too much] wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink;
Lest they drink and forget the law, And pervert justice of all the
afflicted.”

Let us also note the effect which a morally corrupt
leader may have on others. We read in Proverbs 29:12: “If a ruler pays
attention to lies, All his servants become wicked.” The opposite is
true, as well: “Take away the wicked from before the king, And his
throne will be established in righteousness” (Proverbs 25:5).

The
last words of David in 2 Samuel 23:3 are revealing: “The God of
Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men
must be just, Ruling in the fear of God.'”

Unfortunately,
Biblical injunction is mainly ignored today in an ever increasingly
secular society, but “righteousness exalts a nation” (Proverbs 14:34).
We read in Proverbs 16:12: “It is an abomination for kings to commit
wickedness, For a throne is established by righteousness.” All of God’s
commandments are “righteousness” (Psalm 119:172)–including the “Great
Ten,” as well as other rules and regulations, such as the ones against
homosexuality, adultery, false religious worship and sorcery with its
various forms and customs. In God’s eyes, a king–especially in this
Western world–ought to familiarize himself with His Law–rather than
adopting and living by the standards and morals of humans. We read in
Deuteronomy 17:18-20:

“Also it shall be, when he sits on the
throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this
law in a book… and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he
may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the
words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted
above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to
the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his
kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.”

Integrity
comes from studying and applying God’s Word, and it is still of
paramount importance. To put it simply, integrity is the difference
between what you say and what you do. It has also been described as
what you do when no one is looking.

In Matthew 23:1-7, Jesus
spoke about the hypocrisy, self righteousness and great vanity of the
Pharisees who lacked integrity–even though they knew the letter of
God’s law. They taught the law, but they themselves did not obey it
(verse 3). They were leaders at that time but their example was poor.

John
the Baptist was not afraid to challenge the bad moral conduct of King
Herod. The King, as a leader of the people, was supposed to live beyond
moral approach, but he sinned greatly. We read in Mark 6:17-18: “For
Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison
for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married
her. Because John had said to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have
your brother’s wife.'”

The behavior of politicians really does
matter. Sadly, in this world which is ruled by Satan, most politicians
do not follow God’s Way of Life. Many citizens copy the bad behavior of
their leaders. It is partially for the reasons set forth in this
Update, that the Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates
do not vote in governmental elections, nor do we endorse any political
candidates. (For more information as to the Biblical reasons for our
position, please read our fee booklet, “Should You Fight in War?“) For
true Christians, our role models–or examples–should not be those
conformed to this world. Our example is Jesus Christ who was
perfect.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale

Profitable Work!

by

At my last job, my employer had all the employees account for every
15 minute block of the day. While this is a common practice in fields
such as law and accounting, I had never come across it in my line of
business: computer networking. Learning this system was a pain in the
beginning…and in the end and all points in between. I would much
rather have been working on some technical issue beyond my
understanding or with a problematic customer. But nonetheless there was
no getting around it.

During the course of this exercise I was
forced to look critically at what I did during the day at all times.
Naturally it should go without saying that the boss was interested in a
term that I became intimately familiar with–“billable hours.” This was
time that the company was able to charge the customer for work that I
did. With this realization, I quickly came to some conclusions about
the typical work environment.

First was that when someone says
that they are “busy” that does not necessarily mean that they are
“working.” When someone says that they are “working” it does not
necessarily mean that they are being “profitable.” When I was being
micro-managed, I suddenly became accountable for everything that I was
doing for the company and it really made me consider my every action.

As
we come into the Passover season we need to be asking ourselves this
same thing–even more seriously than we have been doing throughout the
past year. If we say that we are busy, are we busy laboring and
striving, not in vain, but according to the good work that God has begun
in us (Philippians 1:6; 2:6 )? If we say that we are working, are we
doing a work which is good and profitable (Titus 3:8)? Only each one of
us individually can answer these questions and we must do so carefully
and prayerfully as we will soon have to give an account (1 Peter 4:5).

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