Readers,

As you might have noticed on the home page of this site, I didnt post links to news stories like I normally do. I decided since I want to focus on my ministry more in providing bible lessons and articles of faith on my new site I started: bearingthecross that this site will be a source of info on other news and opinion material. Readers will be able to to directly to what is of interests to them and go from there.

I will continue posting on this blog page any info thats relvant to the virtual worlds communities I happen to be a member of.

Posted by blacksvirtualplanet at 12:53 PM EDT

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The following article was taken from MSNBC.com and its worth reading.

THE INTERNET'S MOST SUCCESSFUL SCAMS

Posted by blacksvirtualplanet at 11:29 AM EDT

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It's a Winter Wonderland on Moove.com

By, Peterthegreat on moove.com

This month's clube theme in Winter Wonderland.

I have a winter maze room, two nativity scene rooms, backgammon room, winter lodge.

On moove.com you start out in your "own" virtual house, where you decorate it anyway you wish. On the Moove.com community board there are links you can buy using their community dallors, furniture, new actors, clothes for you actor to wear and so on.

In my vitural house I decorated my rooms in my house to reflect my interests, and movies I like to watch.

Since this month is the Birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, I decorated my winterland "club" to reflect that.

If you become a gold member you can open your own club so others can visit you.

So with that Merry Christmas to all.

Posted by blacksvirtualplanet at 4:35 PM EST

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If you hadn't already noticed, that all three worlds of vzones this week was down, and partly up. Their webpage is down too. The reason was for an extended maintenance which ended up turning into a really extended maintenance! Dreamscape has been down for three days, so yours truly couldn't host on Thursday or Friday.

New Horizone and Seducity are back up, sort of you can't access any of the forum pages on either worlds to post notices or anything. So you might say that vzones had a bad week.

Posted by blacksvirtualplanet at 2:01 PM EDT

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JESUS IS JOINED TO SALVATION (PART 2)

From the Truth for the World webpage

Last time we looked at the fact that God has joined Jesus to salvation, that we cannot be saved except through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Certainly the cross is crucial to the matter of salvation. That is where the blood of Christ was shed. The cross is an essential part of God's plan for saving man. It is the very culmination of God's plan for saving mankind. Jesus died the death of Calvary, shed His blood on the cross, to save us from sin; and without the shedding of the blood of Christ, the sinless Christ, the perfect sacrifice, there could be no salvation.

However, we must understand that the shedding of Christ's blood purchased the church, to which all the saved are added when they are obedient to the terms Jesus set forth to become Christians. Those terms or conditions of salvation involve: (1) belief in Christ as the Son of God, (2) repentance from sin (that is, changing our mind about sin and our life of sin and turning away from it), (3) confession of the name of Christ (confessing with our lips that we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God), (4) baptism into Christ, burial with Him in the likeness of His death, to be raised with Him in the likeness of His resurrection, cleansed there by His blood. It is only in baptism that the blood of Christ is applied from Heaven, figuratively, of course, but essentially, in order for us to be forgiven of our sins.

Saul of Tarsus, later the apostle Paul, was told by Ananias, "...arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). Sins are washed away in the blood of Christ as the body is buried in that watery grave.

When we come forth from that watery grave of baptism, we are added by the Lord to His church, about which we read in the New Testament. Acts 2:47 says those that were being saved were added to the church, to the body of believers who had been obedient to the terms of Calvary. While the cross is certainly essential to salvation, if we are to receive the crown, we must obey the terms of the cross. We must look to the cross in obedience to the terms or conditions of salvation; but, when we do that, we are added to the church, and we must remain faithful in the church, in that body of believers, in order to be saved, because the saved are in the church.

Today we want to examine the church as an essential part of God's joining Jesus to salvation. Let us look at some Scriptures which clearly show the church is important. In Matthew 16:18,19, Jesus declared, "...upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." Peter had just made the good confession, and Jesus said to him, "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." In other words, I am going to give you (and, of course, the other apostles) the keys to the kingdom—that is, the terms of admission, the authority to admit those into the kingdom or the church. That was done on the first Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ.

In Acts 20:28-32, it is clear that the very shedding of the blood of Christ was to bring about the purchase of the Church. Paul, speaking to the Ephesians elders, said to them, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Verse 28 of that text tells us that the church of God, the church that God has ordained established through Christ, with Christ as it's head, was purchased with the very blood of Christ. Now, can anything be unimportant that was purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ? Certainly, it must be important.

Not only is the church of our Lord important but it is immediate. Christ told us when it would be established, and the establishment of the church was in the days just after Christ ascended to the Father. The kingdom, or the church, was near at hand at the time Christ lived among men and preached the gospel. John the baptizer was the forerunner of Christ, and in Matthew 3:1,2, we read, "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea. And saying, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

The kingdom of heaven and the church are one and the same institution. If we go back to Matthew 16:18,19, we see Jesus there used the terms "church" and "kingdom" interchangeably. He said, "...upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys to the kingdom of heaven." The church and the kingdom are used interchangeably there in Jesus' promise to build the church.

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching And saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand." In other words, the kingdom of heaven is close to being established. Let's look at another passage that clearly shows the church was an immediate institution that is, it was about to be established during the New Testament period. In Mark 9:1, Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power." There the kingdom of God is the same as the kingdom of heaven or the church. Jesus said, "There are some of you standing here who will not taste of death (that is, you will not die) until you have seen the kingdom of God, the church, come into existence." Not only that, He said, "It will come with power."

That is important, because we're going to see the power to which Jesus refers here is mentioned again as He speaks to His apostles in Acts 1:8. He says to them, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Acts 2:1-4 tells us exactly when the Holy Ghost came upon the apostles. This is the record of what took place on the first Pentecost day following the resurrection of Christ and His ascension back to the Father. Notice: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place, And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Notice the power of the Holy Ghost came upon the apostles on the first Pentecost day following the resurrection of Christ.

What is the argument here of the immediacy of the church? It is that Jesus said it would come before the death of some of those with him at that time. Remember John the Baptist preached, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Now notice, Jesus said in Mark 9:1 it would come with power before some of those died to whom He was speaking. Then He told the apostles (Acts 1:8) they would receive power when the Holy Ghost came. So, the power would come when the Holy Ghost came, and Acts 2:1-4 shows us the Holy Ghost came upon the apostles on that first Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ. Thus, that's when the kingdom came into existence. It is a present institution, not a future one. And the kingdom and the church are the same. They are not different.

In an earlier lesson, "The Church is Born," we dealt in detail with the Premillennial theory that the kingdom and the church are different and that the kingdom is some future institution while the church is a present substitute for it. Clearly, the church and the kingdom are the same, and the church is an immediate institution. It is here and now, and it is important.

For Further Information Contact:

Truth For The World
P.O. Box 5048
Duluth, GA 30096-0065
e-mail: info@tftw.org

Posted by blacksvirtualplanet at 11:19 AM EDT

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JESUS IS JOINED TO SALVATION (Part 1)

From the Truth for the World webpage:

We have already seen that God has joined Himself to this universe, that God is the creator of all things. We have seen that God has joined Himself to the Bible, that God is the author of this book, and the evidences are overwhelming to show that this is the case. And, we have seen that God has joined Himself to Jesus, that God and Jesus are one. In John 10:30, Jesus said that He and the Father are one; they are one in nature, one in purpose, one in doctrine. No man can come to God except through Jesus Christ.

Now, that leads us logically to the lesson today: "God Has Joined Jesus to Salvation." There can be no salvation from our sins except through Jesus Christ. He is the author of salvation, and, if any man comes to God, he must come to God through Jesus Christ and through no other. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

In Matthew 1:21-23, Matthew speaks of the birth of Jesus Christ and relates His birth (and His life, of course) to salvation from sin. In Matthew 1, beginning with verse 21, we read, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Matthew is quoting, of course, from the prophecy of Isaiah as recorded in Isaiah 7:14, speaking of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. The birth of Christ was in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Notice, he says that his name shall be called "Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." Jesus is the Savior of all men, of mankind. He is not the Savior of all men unconditionally. His purpose was not to save men despite their disobedience to His will, but Jesus is to save all men only as all men will come to Him.

We know that His purpose in coming to earth was to bring about salvation. Another passage in Luke 19:10 tells us, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." In Acts 4:12, we have these words recorded: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." We can be saved in and through no other name than the name of Christ. And "by that name" is meant by the authority of Christ, By obedience to His will, by submission to His authority may we have eternal life.

In the latter part of Revelation 2:10, Jesus says, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Jesus is the author of eternal salvation. God has joined Jesus to salvation. In Hebrews 5:8,9, the writer tells us, "Though he were a Son [that is Christ], yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." He became the author of eternal salvation. To whom? To all who will obey Him. "I will give thee a crown of life," He said—that is, life as our crown. Eternal life that will be the crown for those who are obedient.

How do we achieve the crown? "Be thou faithful." Faithful in what? Well, in our lives, of course. But, before the crown must come the cross. And before the crown must also come the church.

How has God joined Jesus to salvation? By the cross. The cross is involved in salvation. It is the very center of salvation. Jesus made it so, and in John 3:14-17, we have these words: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." Then John 3:16, which we call sometimes the golden text of the Bible, tells us, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Verse 17 says, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through him might be saved."

In John 3:14, Jesus said, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." That refers to Numbers 21, when the brazen serpent was erected in the wilderness after God sent fiery serpents among the people after they rebelled and murmured against God and Moses. Many of them were bitten, and they turned back to God in obedience at that point, and cried out for help. God instructed Moses to build the brazen serpent, and He said those who would look upon it would be saved. That was simply a type of the lifting up of Christ ultimately upon the cross, and Jesus made reference to it in John 3:14: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." Those who come to me through the cross will be saved is the point Jesus is making.

He said in John 12:32 He would draw all men unto Himself through the cross. The preaching of the cross, according to the apostle Paul in I Corinthians 1:18, "is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." The terms of the cross, or the Gospel, the good news of the cross, is found in I Corinthians 15:1-4, where there the apostle Paul writes of the death, the burial, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The blood that was shed on the cross brings forgiveness of sins.

Ephesians 2:12-6 is a very critical passage along this line: "That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity."

God hath made both Jew and Gentile one in Christ, in one body, through the cross, by the shedding of the blood of Christ. That one body is the church. But, one must be added to the church, or reconciled to God through the cross, by the shedding of Christ's blood on the cross.

How does one contact the blood that was shed on the cross? That blood was shed in the death of Christ. In John 19:34, we read that the soldiers came to break the legs of Christ and those who were crucified with Him, to hasten their death, so they could take them down from the cross before the Jewish Sabbath came into effect. When they came to Christ, however, they found He was already dead, so they didn't break His legs. But, in John 19:34, we read that a soldier with a spear pierced the side of Christ and "forthwith came there out blood and water." Where was that blood then shed? Where did it flow from the side of Christ? It was in His death, was it not?

The Scriptures teach that we contact the saving blood of Christ in the likeness of His death, which is baptism, burial in water, where not the water but the blood of Christ is applied from Heaven itself, to cleanse us from all sin. That's exactly what the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 6, beginning in verse one. In verses 3 and 4 he said we are buried with Christ through baptism, raised with Christ to walk in newness of life. We're buried with Him, we're raised with Him, and the walk in newness of life begins on the other side of the watery grave of baptism.

Paul makes clear that same point in Colossians 2:12,13, where he says that we're buried with Christ, we're raised with Christ, we're made alive together with Him. Paul says we're made alive spiritually together with Christ. When was Christ made alive physically from the dead? Was it while He was still hanging on the cross that He came back to life? No, He was in the tomb, wasn't He? Paul says we are made alive together with Him. Therefore, where is it that we're made alive together with Him? It is in the tomb. What tomb? The tomb of baptism, the watery burial. How much clearer could it be that spiritual life cannot begin until we are buried with Christ in the likeness of His death, that watery tomb, where not the water but the blood of Christ is applied? That's where God promised to meet us, so to speak, in Christ, and to apply His saving blood. It must be applied somewhere, mustn't it? It's not applied universally to all men who have ever lived without their obedience to the will of God through Christ as seen in the Gospel. But it's applied as we are willing to be buried with Him in baptism for the forgiveness of sins. That's where we are cleansed by the blood of Christ, buried with Him and raised with Him, made alive together with Him.

So many stumble at the point of baptism in God's plan for saving man through Jesus Christ. Now, if God has joined Jesus to salvation, then, obviously, we must be joined with Him in obedience to His will.

"Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-4).

For Further Information Contact:

Truth For The World
P.O. Box 5048
Duluth, GA 30096-0065
e-mail: info@tftw.org   
     

Posted by blacksvirtualplanet at 10:35 AM EDT

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INFANT BAPTISM

From the Truth for the World webpage

There are some churches who sprinkle water on babies and call it baptism. Is infant baptism from heaven or from men? We will show in this article why infant baptism is wrong.

Before a person can be baptized, he must be taught. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). A person must also believe before they are baptized. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). It is a command of God that everybody must repent to obey God. "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30). We must confess Christ in order to be saved. "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32,33).

Can an infant do any of these things? No! Neither does the infant have any sin which needs to be forgiven. Jesus said, "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). We become sinners when we break God's law. Paul said, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). We do not have sin until after we transgress the law of God. The apostle John wrote, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4). Since sprinkling babies (infant baptism) is not from God, it is from man.

ORIGINAL SIN

Why do people want to baptize babies? It is because they believe babies are born with sin. The Bible does not teach this. Each person is responsible for his own sins. Ezekiel said, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him" (Ezekiel 18:20). Our spirit comes from God. God does not give people an evil spirit. "And the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Those who go to heaven are to be like little children. If children were sinners, Jesus would not tell us to be like them. "But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14).

CONCLUSION

Since a person must hear and understand, believe, repent, and confess his faith in Christ before being baptized, this does not include infants. Also, until they reach the age where they are able to tell the difference between right and wrong, they are safe.

The practice of infant baptism is from man, not God. We do not have the authority to practice it.

For Further Information Contact:

Truth For The World
P.O. Box 5048
Duluth, GA 30096-0065
e-mail: info@tftw.org  

Posted by blacksvirtualplanet at 2:49 AM EDT

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 HOMOSEXUALITY

From the Truth for the world webpage

There are those who want people to believe homosexuality is normal. Jesus tells us what is normal. And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them 'male and female', and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?' So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matthew 19:4-6).

Many religious leaders are defending this practice. The United Methodist Church recommended their members accept homosexuals as "persons of sacred worth" and welcome them into fellowship of that Church. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Netherlands made a report saying that homosexuality should not be something to keep a person from becoming a pastor in their Church. The United Church of Christ has ordained homosexuals into their ministry. There is even a homosexual denomination in the United States called the Metropolitan Community Church.

There is much confusion in our society, just as there was in the days of Isaiah. Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20). Just because some people say that homosexuality is right, does not make it so!

Some say we should not be talking about this issue, because it is a political issue. However, it was a moral issue long before it was a political issue. The Bible teaches us homosexuality is sin. If a person does not repent and stop the practice, they will be lost eternally.

THE BIBLE CONDEMNS THIS PRACTICE

The first example of homosexuality is found in the city of Sodom. The wickedness of the city is described in Genesis 19:4-7. Men, both young and old, wanted to have sexual relations with Lot's male visitors. The New Testament confirms this is a true account (cf. Matthew 11:23,24; Jude 7; 2 Peter 2:6-8).

Sodom and Gomorrah serve as the standard by which other sins are compared (Isaiah 3:9; 13:19; Jeremiah 23:14; Matthew 11:23,24).

THE LAW OF MOSES CONDEMNED HOMOSEXUALITY

Note three passages condemning this practice. You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.... Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you (Leviticus 18:22,24). If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them (Leviticus 20:13). There shall be no ritual harlot of the daughters of Israel, or a perverted one of the sons of Israel. You shall not bring the wages of a harlot or the price of a dog to the house of the LORD your God for any vowed offering, for both of these are an abomination to the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 23:17,18). The word dog here is a synonym for a homosexual. "Dogs" will not be in heaven (Revelation 22:14,15).

Israel's faithfulness was partly determined by the king's attitude toward the perverted persons (homosexuals) in the land (1 Kings 14:22-24; 22:46; 2 Kings 23:7).

THREE SIGNIFICANT NEW TESTAMENT PASSAGES

God, through Paul, makes it clear those who practice homosexuality will not go to heaven. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). The word for "homosexuals" comes from the Greek phrase which means "men having sexual relations." For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due (Romans 1:26,27). Note the words Paul uses in this passage: "vile," "against nature," "shameful," "error." These are not words of approval. In the context, Paul is discussing the unrighteousness of the Gentiles (Romans 1:18). But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine (1 Timothy 1:8-10). In verse 10, Paul mentions the "sodomite." This is the same Greek word that is used in 1 Corinthians 6:9 translated "homosexual."

All of these passages show us the way God views this practice. It is not approved, but condemned.

CAN THE HOMOSEXUAL BE SAVED?

God loves all people and wants all to be saved (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:4). The homosexual can be saved the same way any other sinner can be saved. They must repent and be baptized (Acts 17:30; Acts 22:16).

Then, the practice must be stopped! And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

CONCLUSION

There is great pressure placed upon the Christian to ignore sin in our society. It is not popular to take a stand against sin today. Neither was it easy for the Old Testament prophets to take a stand against sin. It was not easy for Christians in the first century to preach the gospel to the heathen world. It will not be easy today, but we must obey God (Acts 5:29).

It may not be easy for the person who practices homosexuality to give up this sinful practice. But, if we want to go to heaven, we have to live our lives according to His will (Matthew 7:21-23). The most important thing in the world is to go to heaven!

For Further Information Contact:

Truth For The World
P.O. Box 5048
Duluth, GA 30096-0065
e-mail: info@tftw.org 

Posted by blacksvirtualplanet at 2:58 PM EDT

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GOD'S PLACE FOR WOMEN
IN HIS CHURCH

From the Truth for the World webpage

Woman's place in society is something that is widely discussed in our time. The world has felt the force of the "Feminist" movement, or "Women's Liberation," as it is sometimes called. Most of us would agree that men and women should have the same rights under the law. Equal pay for equal work should be the expected and encouraged. However, what about woman's place in the church? In our lesson today, we'll examine what God has revealed concerning women in His church.

Our study today is entitled: "God's Place for Women in His Church." A tract by this same title has been distributed for some time now by Truth for the World. Rod Rutherford, who works with the literature phase of this mission effort, has written this excellent tract. We thought this subject worthy of our attention here on the program because of the developments in our society today concerning the woman's role as it affects the church of the Lord. Christians must realize that many of the ideas set forth in the feminist movement are contrary to God's will.

Some in the Lord's church today are questioning the place of the woman. They are saying she should be allowed to lead in public prayers, preach, and even serve as elders, or deacons in the church. The religious world as a whole has been influenced to think along these lines, in many instances. However, those who are concerned for truth cannot compromise it in any area. Does the Bible tell us that women should be allowed to do everything men do in the church? The answer to that question is clearly, "No." The Word of God is complete, furnishing us with all we need on every subject. The place of the woman in the church is no exception. God has revealed His will on this subject, as we shall see in this study.

First of all, we need to make clear that in some areas women and men are exactly the same in God's eyes. Certainly there is no distinction between men and women in salvation. God's love for all is seen in the giving of His Son, Jesus Christ for all people. Remember, in Acts 10:34,35, Peter at the house of Cornelius clearly stated this principle: Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." The "whoever" in this passage means just that. Every man or woman of accountable age who obeys God is loved and saved on the basis of obedient faith in response to God's grace. There is no difference in the blessings received through the gospel by men and women. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:26-28: "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Now that passage does not teach that in the church a woman can do everything a man does. Nor does it mean that God makes no distinction between the husband and wife in the family arrangement. God decrees that the husband is the head of the wife (Eph. 5:23). He is to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of his family, including those of his wife. The woman in the home is to be a helper to the husband, teacher of the children, a "keeper at home," as Titus 2, verses 4 and 5 point out. God recognizes certain physical and psychological differences between men and women. God created us all, and He knows us better than anyone. He has given the man and the woman roles best suited for them.

There are several passages in the New Testament which regulate woman's role in the church. In 1 Corinthians 11:3, Paul wrote, "But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." This is an important verse because it reveals that we are all in submission to someone. Even Christ, according to this passage, submits to God, the Father. Is Christ inferior to God because He submits? Certainly not. Neither is the woman inferior to the man simply because she is to submit to him. The difference God makes between the two is in His purpose for each. In fact, God has placed woman on a pedestal, teaching the husband in His Word to love his wife as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5). How much greater love could be given? If the husband takes seriously his God-given responsibilities to his wife, the wife has everything for which to be thankful, and nothing to regret.

A passage of great importance to the question of woman's role in the church is 1 Timothy 2. The context indicates Paul is writing about the public gatherings of the church as it assembles to worship. In verse one, Paul commands that prayers be made for all men. The word for "men" in this verse, in the original language of the New Testament, means "mankind." It is the general word for all human beings, both men and women. However, down in verse 8 of 1 Timothy 2, Paul is writing about the leading of public prayer in the assemblies of the church. Here he uses a different word for "men" which means only the males. It does not include females. This is a very important distinction. Had Paul meant for women to lead in public prayer, he certainly would not have used a word which can only mean the males. Therefore, the men only are to lead the public prayers of the church when men and women are present together.

Another clear contrast is seen between verse 8 of 1 Timothy 2, where men, that is, the males, are commanded to pray, and verse eleven, where women are commanded to learn in silence, or quietness, with all subjection. Then, in verse 12, Paul writes: And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence." A woman cannot "have authority over" a man in the church. Preaching and public teaching of classes where men are present are clearly forbidden by this passage. Leading public prayers where men are present is also prohibited by this passage. The woman is to learn in silence. In this case, the word translated "silence" in many versions, literally means "quietness". She is not required to be absolutely silent in the assemblies today. However, she cannot speak in any way which teaches, or usurps authority over the man.

Paul, here in 1 Timothy 2:13,14, gives the reasons why God has made men the leaders in the church. He writes: For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression." God created the woman for the man according to Genesis 2:18-25. In the deception of the Garden, it was Eve who succumbed to Satan. Adam sinned also by following Eve's lead, and thereafter God made it clear that man was to lead his wife and family. Again, we repeat that this arrangement in no way suggests the inferiority of the woman. It simply establishes God-given roles for her. And oh, how important those roles are, both in the home, and in the church. The importance and the influence of the mother in the home cannot be overstated. Women may also teach in accordance with God's will, as they instruct their children, and other women. Also, Priscilla, a fine Christian woman, privately assisted her husband Acquilla in teaching Apollos (Acts 18:24-26). And we must never overlook the power of example. Peter wrote: "Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear." These verses speak volumes about the influence of a godly woman in the home. The non-Christian husband who will not obey the Word of God by direct teaching, may ultimately be won to the Savior by the sweet, submissive example of his Christian wife who demonstrates daily her love for God and her appreciation of her important God-given role. How totally tragic it is that today so many women are turning away from the greatest life there is --the life of the Christian woman who sees the value of living as God would have her live.

For Further Information Contact:

Truth For The World
P.O. Box 5048
Duluth, GA 30096-0065
e-mail: info@tftw.org   
     

Posted by blacksvirtualplanet at 11:21 AM EDT

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