Olivet Nazarene University Digital Commons @ Olivet Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today Church of the Nazarene 5-15-1982 Herald of Holiness Volume 71 Number 10 (1982) W. E. McCumber (Editor) Nazarene Publishing House Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation McCumber, W. E. (Editor), "Herald of Holiness Volume 71 Number 10 (1982)" (1982). Herald of Holiness/ Holiness Today. 281. https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh/281 This Journal Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Church of the Nazarene at Digital Commons @ Olivet. It has been accepted for inclusion in Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Olivet. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AN EDITORIAL REAKING the ninth com­ ears but are quickly passed on. ple ready to believe the worst mandment is an evil per­ There is no endeavor to ferret out about other good people. Bvading much of today’s society.the facts of a case. The grapevine The commandments of God “Thou shalt not bear false wit­ carries the rumors with unbeliev­ are still “yea and amen” and are ness,” said God. able speed and before long re­ not to be tampered with or mod­ Yet prevarication of the truth putations are ruined, characters ified. Let us all be rumor stop­ unfortunately is practiced by peo­ assassinated, and the damage is pers, whether in our communi­ ple of all ages and all walks of not only devastating but perma­ ties, our local churches, or even life. Glaring examples of fact dis­ nent. in the denomination. “Encourage tortion have been seen in cases of The more well known the per­ one another,” challenged the biased reporting through the me­ son or persons who are the vic­ apostle Paul, “and build each dia. The rationalized explanation tims of stories being spread, the other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, given usually suggests a lack of wider the distance the stories NIV). thorough investigation and, con­ reach. It is amazing how quickly What a happy and positive cli­ sequently, conclusions drawn too and how far a lie spreads once it mate is created when this is prac­ hastily. is ground out of som eone’s rum or ticed. People should be consid­ The public is quick to condemn mill. ered innocent unless proven when an investigation reveals Some very pious-appearing guilty, and keeping faith in one fraud, perjury, or a blatant cover- people would strongly resist the another is a principle which if up. No one likes to learn of being suggestion they were guilty of sin followed will help secure a lasting misled at the price of serving in the passing on of gossip which and effective witness in any fel­ someone else’s selfish interests. has not been found to be true. A lowship of believers. When the practice is exposed, few simple questions demanding I want to join you in developing justice is demanded. The com ­ facts would have brought the pro­ sensitivity at this point. Let us mandment of God which de­ cess to an immediate halt and make the keeping of the ninth mands a declaration of truth at all kept the damage minimal. But commandment a guiding princi­ times is an important preservative stories are heard and quickly re­ ple in our lives. I believe our Lord for a government which tries to peated with seemingly good peo­ will be pleased if we will do so. □ maintain a concept of equal fair­ ness for all in its legal system. One can almost hear a great chorus of “amens” on the part of GOD'S COMMANDMENTS believers in response to the above comment. The burden of ARE STILL "YEA & AMEN" this editorial, however, is an un­ popular concern for the fact that AVOID “FALSE WITNESS BEARING.” sometimes “false witness bear­ ing” is found even in a fellowship of Christians. Rumors not only find listening by General Superintendent Jerald D. Johnson HERALD OF HOLINESS IT’S IMPORTANT TO GOD “ For I am the Lord your God ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). by PAUL T. CULBERTSON X p A R TH E CLOSE of his quoting from Psalm 45:6-7, writes: X ^1 widely read book on the “Thy throne, O God, is for ever Holy Spirit, Billy Graham makes and ever: a sceptre of righteous­ this provocative statement: “The ness. is the sceptre of thy king­ cross [of Jesus Christ] is the stand­ dom. Thou hast loved righteous­ ing evidence that holiness is the ness, and hated iniquity; therefore principle for which God would God, even thy God, hath anointed die.” thee with the oil of gladness above If that is so, as I believe that it thy fellows” (Hebrews 1:8-9). This is, why is it so? The basic answer indicates that the holy, loving, to that question is that God is moral character of God revealed in deeply concerned about holiness Jesus Christ discloses itself, oper­ because He himself is holy! In ationally, in loving righteousness both the Old and the New Testa­ and hating iniquity. ments, this fact concerning God’s Sin, which is the polar-opposite essential nature is cited as the of holiness, expresses itself in lov­ irreducible, fundamental reason ing wickedness and hating righ­ why sinful men should be made teousness. Its spirit is that of m or­ holy and live holy lives. Among al anarchy, red-handed rebellion the many commands and exhorta­ against the authority of a holy, tions of the Old Testament are righteous God. these: “And ye shall be holy unto It was for the very purpose of me: for I the Lord am holy, and Luoma Photos dealing radically with this self- have severed you from other people, that ye should centered, rebellious attitude against a holy, loving be mine” (Leviticus 20:26). “For I am the Lord God that the Eternal Son of God came down from your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, heaven’s glory, became incarnate as the Lord Jesus and ye shall be holy; for I am holy” (Leviticus Christ, and voluntarily gave His life as an atonement 11:44). St. Peter picks up the same theme in his First on Calvary’s cross (Philippians 2:5-9). And it was not Epistle: “ But as he which hath called you is holy, so only to deal effectively with the guilt, power, and pol­ be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it lution of sin in our lives that Jesus gave His very life is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1:15-16). on the Cross; but that we might, through the ministry The Scriptures clearly assert “ God is holy” and of His Spirit, become actual partakers of the very G od is love” (1 John 4:8). Consequently, the most life and nature of God His holiness (2 Peter 1:3-4). profound statement that can be made about the es­ Yes, Billy Graham was right! Holiness is so im­ sential moral nature of God is that He is infinite, portant to God, that God, in and through His only personal, holy love. Every attitude He assumes and begotten Son, gave His very life that we might be every action He takes are motivated by His infinite, partakers of His likeness! The author of Hebrews perfect, holy love! puts this life-changing truth in these memorable The incarnate Lord Jesus Christ, the unique God- words: “ Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify Man, is the final, perfect, lived-out revelation of the the people with his own blood, suffered without the very character of God. Jesus Christ was like His gate” (Hebrews 13:12). Father in heaven as a coin is like the die in which it is stamped (Hebrews 1:3). The author of the Book of And the fact that the holiness of God has, by Hebrews, speaking of the sinlessness of our Lord, and grace and faith, become oui very own will be evi­ denced as it was in the life of our Savior, by our PAUL T. CULBERTSON is a retired professor of loving righteousness and hating iniquity in every psychology and author of several books. He resides at conceivable form! □ San Diego, California. MAY 15, 1982 3 HERALD M3HOLINESS W. E. McCUMBER, Editor in Chief Bible Quotations in this issue: IVAN A. BEALS, Office Editor Unidentified quotations are from the KJV. Quotations from the following translations MABEL ADAMSON, Editorial Assistant are used by permission: (NIV) From The Holy Bible. Hew International Version, copyright © 1978, by New York Cnntrihutinn I V. H. LEWIS • ORVILLE W JENKINS International Bible Society FHitnrc CHARLES H. STRICKLAND • EUGENE L. STOWE traitors. j W |LUAM M GREATHOUSE • JERALD D. JOHNSON HERALD OF HOLINESS (USPS 241-440) is published semi monthly Ly iho NAZARENE PUB­ General SupennLeriJeiits, Church of the Nazsrsne LISHING HOUSE. 2923 TR00ST AVE. KANSAS CITY, MO 64109, Editorial Office at 6401 The Paseo, Kansas City M0 64131 Address all correspondence concerning subscriptions to Naza Cover photo: by H. Armstrong Roberts rene Publishing House. P 0 Box 527. Kansas City, M0 64141. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Send us your new address, including ZIP code, as well as your old address, and enclose a label from a recent copy. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: $5.00 year. Second-class pcstag* raid a! Kansas City Volum e 71.