Ancient Landmarks
Strident forces are marching on, to their own ruin, and to the ruin of untold thousands, not only of this generation, but of generations to come. We hear the most plaintive cry when they are called in question about some of their perverted teaching, or attempted removal of some ANCIENT LANDMARK. Are they not aware that they do not remove the landmark, but only remove themselves from it? Have they so soon forgotten what God said to Adam and Eve, "DO NOT EAT"? Can they lightly pass by the punishment method out in the days of Noah? Is it possible to turn a deaf ear to the punishment of King Saul, in the removal of him as king? Then too have they so little memory as to the case of Nadab and Abihu? Did not the children of Israel mistreat the word of the Lord and reap the whirlwind? Was not the bounty of Israel withholden because they served themselves rather than God? and is it not true that they had no revelation from God for many years because they found no place in their hearts for God?
It is plain to be seen that the "ancient landmarks" are no more or no less than the Law of the Lord. The greatest landmark the world has ever known is that STONE that Daniel spoke of. Moses had recorded for those of all ages this message, (Deut. 18:15) "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me: unto him shall ye hearken," together with this statement from the book of Acts, (4:11, 12) "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." Thoughtless indeed it is when men will try to remove the markings that will lead us in the right way, or to be more pointed, pervert the right way of the Lord. Let us hear the ancient sage when he pens these words in Proverbs 22:28, "Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set up."
Some muddled thinking has been indulged in by some, to an alarming degree as will be manifest in this question: "Do Restorationists agree on what the `New Testament' was like?". To ask this question is to put in jeopardy what the prophet of old stated, (Isaiah 35:8) "And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein." Looks like education has gone to pot here, with this statement, to wit: "If there is a picture in the New Testament, that picture is blurred beyond our ability to distinguish it." The legs of the lame are not equal, and also, no one is so blind as he who will not see. If the New Testament does not furnish us with all that pertains to life and Godliness, pray tell, where shall we get the information that will make us free? Such reasoning will rob Christ of every power the good book states he has. The best laid plans of man are puny indeed when compared with what Christ has revealed to us. The whole scheme of man becomes a sepulchre of dead men's bones. Such conclusions lead us to the brink of disaster, and the final resting place of the First Christian Church. Some years ago these excerpts were taken from The Christian Standard. The following words will show just how far some will depart from the truth.
Christian Church, Concord, California,
R. C. Davis, Minister
"We have no objection on the part of our active members toward this arrangement of receiving the unimmersed . . . ." — Christian Standard, November 9, 1940.
Christian Church, Springfield, Massachusetts Ministers statement:
"I baptized a baby because the parents so desired. I received a Catholic on confession, who by the way is most active." — Christian Standard, November 9, 1940.
Linwood Boulevard Christian Church,
Kansas City, Missouri
"The Linwood church dropped all restrictions on baptism eleven years ago . . . And even more radical in departure was the ruling that if a person wished to affiliate with the church on just an expression of faith, he could do so. If the prospective member wished no formality at all, he would sign a card at the pew." — Christian Standard, October 5, 1940.
Douglas, Kansas Tribune:
"Mrs. O.B. Morris, wife of Rev. O. B. Morris, pastor of the Christian Church in Douglas, is pastor of the Christian Church in Rosalia, Kansas." — November 29, 1940.
"Christian Church sets Communion Services Thursday." — Winkler County News, March 30, 1953.
Will our modernistic brethren's blurred concept of the word of God permit such as has just been noted? Jesus said, "you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." This of itself denotes that the word of God is understandable, and too it should point out, that if one cannot understand it he shall be counted as an infant, idiot or one who will not see. We would rather place our compromising brethren in the latter class for they have shown some ability, even though they gathered this information from the wrong source, and not the word of God. Here we have concrete evidence that the WALLS OF JERUSALEM are being undermined from within.
This gives great comfort to the enemies of the cause of Christ, for it is another case of removing the ancient landmarks. A word of wisdom at this point, (Job 24:1, 2)
`Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days? Some remove the landmarks . . . ."
It is remarkable to be able to look back through the eyes of those of yesteryear and see the great fight that our sires put up in defense of the truth. Yes, even to the time of Paul when he penned these words, (I Cor. 15:58) "Therefore, my beloved brethren be ye steadfast, unmovable. always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain." Once more we hear him say, "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine." This fuzzy doctrine of every man to his own liking is the doctrine of Ashdod, not the doctrine of Christ.