Robert Wallace Officer (1845-1930), at one point in his life, served as a missionary for the Liberty Baptist Association. During this six year period, he faced several charges of heresy. Below is an excerpt from a heresy trial in which Dr. J.R. Graves examined him to determine his “soundness of faith.”
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It has been said before that the church is just one generation away from apostasy. This is certainly true. While there are exceptions to any rule, generally what the wise man said is accurate: “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). If we want children to follow the way of truth when they grow up, they must be taught the way of truth while they are growing up.
As we raise the next generation, we should focus on this question: Why do we believe, teach, and practice what we do? This is important. We are to “please [God] in all respects” (Colossians 1:10). The next generation must be taught to please God as well. But if we do not teach them how to do this, what will they do when they are grown?
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“A righteous man who walks in his integrity—how blessed are his sons after him” (Proverbs 20:7).
When we think about raising children, we might immediately think of training them. This is done through instruction and discipline. We will consider this more in the next lesson. However, what we will deal with in this lesson is necessary to lay the foundation for the next. Parents must teach by example – walking in integrity (Proverbs 20:7) – so that their children can see the way of righteousness in practice. If parents fail to do this, children will eventually come to see them as hypocrites, thus making the parents’ instruction seem to be irrelevant. Parents must “practice what they preach.” Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). We must let our lights shine, especially to our children.
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Occasionally when people find out that I preach, they will ask questions about it. They might wonder what motivated me to preach: Why are you a preacher? They may be curious, particularly if they come from a denominational background, about whatever process I went through to enter into the work of preaching: What did you do to become a preacher?
Questions like the ones above are legitimate questions. Preachers need to have answers for them. Answers to these questions are also helpful for all Christians to consider as they may be in a position to support or encourage those who preach. To answer these questions, we should look to the Bible and not to the religious world.
In this article, I want to consider some of the right and wrong reasons for preaching and for being recognized as a preacher.
So let us consider the question: What makes one a preacher?
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“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth…” (Genesis 1:27-28).
God’s plan from the beginning was for a man and a woman to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). By God’s design, the bringing forth of children would be carried out in marriage (Genesis 2:24). Unfortunately, this does not always work out – either through sin or tragedy – then single parents or other caretakers are left to do the best they can for the children. But the Scriptures emphasize marriage and the home. We must as well.
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In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul described the unfolding of God’s scheme of redemption as the revelation of a mystery that was previously hidden.
“For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:10-12).
Paul explained that the only way for man to know the mind of God is for the Holy Spirit to reveal it. Today, that revelation is found in the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16). It is not only erroneous but also dangerous to the fate of our eternal souls to go beyond the Scriptures and presume to know the mind of God. Let us notice how we may, if we are not careful, be guilty of this.
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“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate” (Psalm 127:3-5).
What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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