Book Review: Great Dodrines of the Bible p. 4 January-February 2019 Gospel Gleaner For the lord, His Word, and His Church Things We Must Know Remaining Established in the Present Truth The Existence of God Robert Waggoner p. 1 Why Belief in God is important The Deity of Christ Owen Olbricht p. 5 Jesus Is God! The Inspiration of the Bible John T. Polk, II p. 9 The Bible Is the Word of God The Distinctive Nature of the Lord's Church Thomas McClemore p. 12 The Distinctive Characteristics of the Church God Desires Worship in Spirit and Truth Andy Robison p. 16 Prioritizing the Worship God Seeks from Us Also in this issue Mike Kiser Marriage, Divorce, and Re-Marriage p. 19 Jackson Erwin The Transgender Question p. 21 Ronald Bryant Knowing about God or Knowing God p.25 Andy Erwin The New Heavens and New Earth (part 2) p. 27 "Tbe Cburcbes ofCbrist Greet You" (Romans 16:16) The West Fayetteville Church of Christ is pleased to bring you the Gospel Gleaner. Are you familiar with the churches of Christ? Have you ever attended our services before? Faithful churches of Christ desire to return to the New Testament and to be the church of the Bible. In the Bible, we find that the church is the assembly of all those who have been called out of the darkness of sin by obeying the gospel. These souls are added by God to the spiritual body of Christ, which is His church (Acts 2:42, 47; Ephesians 1:22-23). The church belongs to Christ. It is His church. We, therefore, seek to honor Christ as our Lord in our worship, teaching, and daily walk. One can be added to this sacred assembly and spiritual kingdom by hearing the gospel preached (Romans 10:17); believing the facts concerning Christ as revealed in the gospel (John 8:24); repenting of sin (Luke 13:3, 5); confessing faith in Christ (Romans 10:9-10); and by being baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3; Colossians 2:11-13; Galatians 3:26- 27) to wash sins away by the blood of Christ (Acts 22:16; Ephesians 1:7). For more information about the church, or God's plan of salvation, we offer free Bible correspondence courses and personal Bible studies. Call or write to us. The Gospel Gleaner PO Box456 Fayetteville, TN 37334 www.gospelgleaner.com Andy Erwin, Editor Correspondences, news and notes, and article considerations can be sent electronically to [email protected]. The West Fayetteville Church of Christ reserves the right of discretion in deciding which correspondences, news, notes, and articles to publish. The bistence of God Gospel Gleanei• Yol.31 • No.1 Robert Waggoner WRITERS FOR THIS ISSUE You'll probably agree with the proposition that what people believe about God is a determining factor in how people behave. You'll probably Ronald Bryant also agree that such is true not only Huntsville, Alabama for individuals but also for societies. Andy Erwin This means that whenever people be­ Fayetteville, Tennessee lieve in God, they have a consistent, Jackson Erwin single standard that motivates their Elizabethton, Tennessee behavior because God is one (Romans 3:30; Galatians 3:20; James 2:19) and Mike Kiser he is unchanging (Psalm 15:4; Mala­ Sylcauga, Alabama chi 3:16; Hebrews 6:18; James 1:17). Therefore, collectively speaking, a Tom McClemore society of believers will have a united Selma, Alabama society that strives to conform to the will of God. Owen Olbricht Sherwood, Arkansas However, whenever individuals do not believe in God, they have incon­ John T. Polk, II sistent and pluralistic standards moti­ Oneida, Tennessee vating their behaviors because they Andy Robison are many and often change their Moundsville, West Virginia minds. Therefore, collectively speak­ ing, a society of non-believers will Robert Waggoner have a divided and permissive society Montgomery, Alabama that fluctuates according to the whims of its people. A society with large segments of both believers and non-believers will find itself fraught with constant com­ petition within its governing agencies. That is where we are in our country today. Belief in whether or not God exists therefore has practical im- Gospel Gleaner 11 portance, not only for individuals, but standards applicable to everyone and also for societies as a whole. you will yield yourself to obeying his commandments (Luke 18:20; 1 John How believers and disbelievers 2:3-4). Moreover, you will want eve­ behave differently can be demonstrat­ ryone else in your community to abide ed in various ways. Believers in God by his commandments because it will affirm that God created the world provide uniformity within your socie­ (Genesis 1:1; Nehemiah 9:6; Isaiah ty. 42:5; Revelation 10:6), that he inter­ acts with humanity that he is the su­ On the other hand, if you do not preme law-giver, and that he will believe in the existence of God, then judge everyone. He will reward the you are likely to think that there are righteous and punish the wicked. Dis­ no absolute universal standards and believers in God deny these proposi­ you will not obey his commandments. tions. Notice how people behave dif­ Without God, law and ethics are con­ ferently in accordance with their be­ sidered relative, situational and auton­ liefs about each of these propositions. omous. Your personal ethical stand­ ards may easily shift to the fluctuating If you believe that God is your political, social, and cultural values of maker and that you were made in his your permissive society. image (Genesis 1:27; 5:1; 9:6; 1 Co­ rinthians 11 :7), then you will believe If you believe that God interacts that since God is spirit (John 4:24; 2 with humanity as he did through No­ Corinthians 3: 17) you also have a ah, Abraham, Moses, the prophets, spiritual nature (Isaiah 42:5; 1 Corin­ and the apostles to bless humanity, thians 2:11) that needs to be nourished then you may think that God may act by the word of God (Deuteronomy through you to accomplish his pur­ 8:3; Matthew 4:4). On the other hand, poses (Romans 8:28). You will prob­ if you deny that God is your maker, ably seek to influence your communi­ then you will consider yourself only ty to be righteous (Proverbs 11 : 11 ; physical in nature, and will not look to 14:34). God for guidance. On the other hand, if you believe If you believe that God is the su­ that there is no God then you will not preme lawgiver, i.e., that God pro­ be motivated toward godly living be­ vides the ethical, social, political, cul­ cause you will probably believe that tural and legal standards for life (Gen­ everyone's lifestyle is equally valid. esis 1:28; 5:13-21; 8:16-17; 12:1-3; You may not seek to influence your Exodus 3:5ff; 20:1-17; Deuteronomy community toward godliness because 4:2; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Matthew you may consider that the wisdom of 22:36-40), then you are likely to be­ humanity is sufficient for its own lieve that there are absolute universal 21Gospel Gleaner guidance. You may even think that Five major arguments from reason believers in God are unrealistic. for believing in the existence of God may be stated briefly. First, religion If you believe that God will resur­ exists in all cultures. While cultures rect you from the dead (John 5:28-29) may differ in their religious beliefs, no and that God will judge the world in culture has ever been known not to be righteousness (Acts 17:32), then you religious. That fact indicates that reli­ will probably seek to obey God's gion is ingrained within the human commandments, acknowledge that psyche. People look with awe at the you sin, repent, and live righteously in immensity and grandeur of the uni­ order that you may have eternal life verse and attribute its greatness to with God (John 3:15-16; Romans 2:7; super human intelligence and power. Galatians 6:8). You will probably also Hence, there must be a God. This is strive to persuade others to live right­ called the intuitive argument for God. eously in order that they too may have everlasting life. Second, since it is impossible for people to think about that which does On the other hand, if you believe not exist and since people can think that you will not be resurrected nor be about God, then God must exist. God judged by God, then you may be in­ is considered to be "that than which clined to selfishly seek the pleasures nothing greater can be conceived." and fortunes of this life. Moreover, This is known as the ontological ar­ you may have little incentive to care gument. about the misfortunes of others (Luke 16:19-31). Third, within every individual there is a sense of "ought," i.e., some These examples of contrasting behaviors are right and other behav­ beliefs are only a few of many that iors are wrong. There may be differ­ might be given, but they are enough to ences in what is considered by differ­ illustrate that belief in God is im­ ent cultures as being right and wrong, portant and relevant not only for indi­ but everyone has an inherent sense of viduals but also for societies as a what ought to be. This is designated whole. How then can you prove to as the moral or anthropological argu­ others that God exists? ment.