Viewpoint Study #50 -- Knowing The Truth, by Boyce Mouton

Last updated on **9/10/00**
Viewpoint Brief Bible Study #50
		JESUS calls US to be members of His church



The Christian religion is the worship and service of Jesus Christ. It’s not Mary we worship, but her Son. We worship neither saints, angels, a law code, nor even God’s Spirit. It’s JESUS who is to be honored. The Bible is our guide.

Boyce Mouton, of Carthage and Carl Junction, Missouri
Says we can KNOW the Truth, with a comment by Pete Petree. Then follows comments on capital punishment.

John 7:17 (KJV) "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." -- Jesus
BOYCE MOUTON says This interesting verse reads OPPOSITE to the way we would like for it to read. Most of us would like to be certain just exactly what God's will is, so that we can THEN decide whether or not to obey! Jesus put it the other way around.
   J. B. Phillips translates the verse like this -- If anyone WANTS TO do God's will, he will know whether my teaching is from God or whether I merely speak on my own authority.
   Using this text as a key to interpret and diagnose the religious ills which plague our world, we are led to the conclusion that our hesitancy and reluctance to follow Jesus are due, not to a lack of KNOWLEDGE, but rather to a lack of real DESIRE to do God's will.
   This reminds me of the old story about a farmer who was encouraged by his neighbors to seek the county agent's advice to make his farm better. Looking about at his run-down acres, he replied, "What for? I already ain't farmin' as good as I know how." In a similar fashion, we have lots of folks who need their WANT TO worked on a lot more than they need another diploma.
   Already we know more than we're willing to DO. Our problems stem from the heart, not the head. Taking notes at some thrilling convention won't really help most of us. We took notes last year, remember. But we haven't used them.
   Our heads are full, but our hearts are not. We can parrot a five-step plan of salvation, yet we have NOT talked to our friend about Christ. We will do so. We plan to do so. We feel we should do so. But when are we really going to DO so?
   We can recite verses to prove the Lord's Supper should be spread every week. Does that mean that WE will be there?
   We can prove that Bible baptism is immersion in water, but the thought of baptizing someone with our own hands somehow never enters our minds. Why not?
   Our churches are full of people who stepped into the baptistry over bridges they refuse to burn. As did inhabitants of ancient Israel, we "fear the Lord, but we serve our own gods" (2 Kings 17:33). We pay our church "dues." We attend the meetings when it's not inconvenient. But we're careful to avoid any sacrificial commitment to Jesus Christ. Is this an accurate description of YOU?
   No wonder we're not sure about what Jesus taught, whether it be of God! Those who really WANT to do the will of God are not difficult to find in any congregation. They radiate confidence like a beacon. No one has to argue them into a Bible study, or pressure them to pray. No one needs to beg them to read the Bible or to share their goods with a desperately-needy world. They WANT to know and to do God's will.
   Consequently, they do so. Desire finds a way while indifference is looking for an excuse. Desire makes the personal or telephone contact while indifference is studying the TV guide. Desire searches the scriptures while indifference reaches for the evening news. While indifference snores through the storm, as did Jonah on his way to Tarshish, desire cries out to God in prayer. Desire digs deep and does without for God's work, while indifference shares only of its surplus.
   The secret of the transformed life is DESIRE. It's the elixir which explains the new creature in Christ Jesus our Lord.
   We are not to be conformed to this world, but rather we are to be TRANSformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). The Bible word for repentance literally signifies to CHANGE the mind. When a person REPENTS, that person comes to God with a broken and a contrite heart. The shattered self-will is surrendered to Jesus. Old things are passed away. Everything becomes new. Then, the Holy Spirit can plant seeds in the fertile soil of a surrendered heart, and His glorious fruit (Galatians 5:22,23) is seen by all.
   This is the doctrine of God, and YOU can know that it is -- if you want to!
--------------------- AND a comment by Pete Petree
From: "Petree, Pete"
Subject: RE: An election and Study #50
Date sent: Fri, 6 Nov 1998
GREAT lesson from Boyce. I think of this scripture from a slightly different direction, but still derive a good lesson. God's word is like that! Isn't that superb?
To me, John is saying, "If you want to know whether I an dreaming all this up by myself or whether it came from God, then do what I have taught and examine the results. They will be the proof. If you find yourself transformed and your mind renewed, if you find yourself shattered and then rebuilt, then that is evidence that my words came from God. The ideas of and guidance from men like me can't possibly overpower the world's influence and have such a life-changing effect."
When I follow God's word the way He desires it (not God's word as Pete wishes it would be), the results always yield the sweet and consistent fruit described in His plan. When I "have it my way" the sour, inconsistent results are obvious, and it's quite obvious whose guidance I was following. -- Pete Petree
Capital Punishment -- Good or Bad?
Ray Downen explains -- I enjoy and appreciate almost everything said by Leroy Garrett. In my opinion, he's the greatest! Yet he suggested lately that capital punishment is wrong, and I think it's right and necessary. So I sent out an e-mail briefly quoting him and stating my disagreement. Some responses came from other friends which I find interesting and hope others will also --
From: Ray Downen (outreach@sofnet.com)
To: lgarrett@iglobal.net and several others
Subject: Capital Punishment
Date: Monday, March 30, 1998 10:26 AM
Hi, One of the Christian brothers whose writing always deserves close attention is Leroy Garrett, even if he is a college teacher. [Ray comments later -- Here I should have said <grin>!]
He's always written with respect and love for others. Now he sends out a sometimes publication titled, Once More With Love. I received one today, the 29th he has published. It's dated March, 1998 and it arrived in Joplin on March 30th.
Leroy asks, "What About Capital Punishment?" If you also received the letter, you know that Leroy thinks one of the ten commandments is, "Don't KILL." Students of the Old Testament may have noticed that God on several occasions clearly commanded His faithful servants TO kill -- sometimes even innocent women and children. To think that He commanded both TO kill and to NOT kill is to have discovered a considerable problem for us who believe that God is perfect and never makes a mistake.
I've been told there's some reason to believe that a more accurate translation of the general and basic commandment is, "Don't MURDER."
That is, don't kill the innocent (with exceptions even to this). If indeed the commandment was to not kill, we'd all better become vegetarians. But surely it's obvious that God did NOT condemn the killing of animals for sacrifice. Instead he commanded it. He did not warn against killing animals to feed people. Yet a command from on high to avoid all killing would surely include the slaughter of animals, who are surely living creatures prior to their deaths.
Leroy is opposed to the death penalty for people, since some who are not in fact guilty might be put to death by mistake. He thinks all killing of people is wrong. I think he's misunderstanding God's meaning by the command through Moses to not murder the innocent. What do you think?
I think he is wrong when he says, "We should not deviate from the eternal, moral law of God, 'Thou shalt not kill,' except when it is absolutely necessary." I think there's considerable proof that this is a misstatement of God's eternal, moral law aimed at preservation of human life. I believe that governments SHOULD put to death those who are wicked and a menace to law-abiding citizens.
I do not believe the Bible requires the preservation of the life of those found to be worthy of death in due process of law.
Interesting responses included --
From: "George Faull" <summit1@netusa1.net>
To: "Ray Downen" <outreach@sofnet.com>
Subject: Re: Capital Punishment
Date sent: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 23:09
It takes professional help not to see that God commanded capital punishment in all three dispensations. How could someone possibly misunderstand the covenant with Noah? The sign of the covenant is still here therfore the covenant is still here. In Old testament it is a denial of plain facts that God insisted on the death of the guillty. In the NT we are told that swords are not borne in vain. They are not to tickle with, they are to kill with. I have very little patience with professed Christians who deny what God affirms and calls sin what he commands. -- George at Summit
Date sent: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 17:29
From: Charles Phipps <cphipps@clandjop.com>
To: Ray Downen <outreach@sofnet.com>
Subject: Capital Punishment
Ir appears to me that the quoted statement, "We should not deviate from the eternal, moral law of God, 'Thou shalt not kill,' except when it is absolutely necessary" both appeals to an authority infinitely higher than any other conceivable and at the same time alleges a valid competing authority on occasion. The occasion when it would be abosolutely necessary to contravene the eternal, moral law of God would have to be determined by time-bound, fallible, human judgment.
Granting such an exception renders irrelevant the premise of the prohibition. -- Love in Jesus, -- Charles
From: "Albin Covington" <albin@marktwain.net>
To: "Ray Downen" <outreach@sofnet.com>
Subject: Shedding of blood.
Date sent: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 05:13
Capital Punishment, if I understand correctly, is very definitely taught by God. If we carry the idea, "Thou shalt not kill" then pity the poor flies, mosquitoes, and, Oh yeah, we better stay off the road, because, just look at your windshield on a good summer day.
Gen. 9:1-6 talks about this. Cain and Abel had their problems. From there, man went downhill so badly that God brought on the flood. In the above passage God told Noah he could kill animals for food, and he had just found favor in God's sight by offering a sacrifice to God of the animals he had just saved from the flood.
THEN! One of the first things God commanded of Noah is that the blood of man is special because we are made in the image of God, and if a man sheds the blood of another, then his blood shall be shed. I think a more familiarity with God's Word, added to a little common sense, which God has given us, we can know that God doesn't mean an accidental killing or such but a wanton one.
God allowed certain things in relationship to this, including the "Cities of Refuge" in the O.T. I know the arguement that all of this is O.T. and we are not under it today, and I agree we are not under the Law, but if I do away with "the principles of the the O.T. totally, I can't "...have no other gods before me", etc.
I also have to look very strongly at 1 Peter 2:13-18. What does he mean by "vengeance on evil-doers". No! It doesn't say, "kill them," but coupled with all the other teachings and sayings throughout the Bible, neither does it preclude that. A person can have an "opinion" about capital punishment, but that doesn't change the Word.
And, by the way, Ray, what is your thing about "College Professors"? We weren't and aren't all bad, only when we let "theology" get in the way of serving God. May God bless your day.
Albin J. Covington albin@marktwain.net.

Brief Bible Study #50 from Ray Downen. To go back to Viewpoint's first page, click < here. See additional comments.
Or go on to Viewpoint Study 51.
For Ray's concluding remarks, click HERE.