(There are two articles on this page)
Hitchhiking
by Gailen E. Evans
"With his thumb, a hitchhiker says, 'You furnish the gas, car, attend to the repairs and upkeep, supply the insurance and I'll ride with you. But if you have an accident, I'll sue you for damages.'" Although most of us have not considered this before, the statement above which appeared in a major publication is true in every respect. The tragic fact is that the same principle is true in spiritual matters as well.
There are many members of the church today who are nothing more than hitchhikers. By their actions they are saying, "You go to all of the assemblies, take care of the minimal tasks such as cleaning the building, study the Bible and do the teaching, do the giving, and I'll just go along for the ride. But if things don't suit my fancy, I'll be the first to complain and criticize. And if you don't do things my way, I'll deprive you of my company and hitch a ride with some other congregation." Such uninformed people are not interested in the work of the church at all. Their only concern is, "What's in it for me?" These are the people that cannot be depended upon to do ANYTHING unless they can see something in it for them.
It is the duty of every faithful Christian to be aware of such parasites. They can drain the life completely out of the local congregation. Christ says, "by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:16). Thus we need to watch the fruits that are borne by those who are the constant complainers. If complaining is the only fruit they are bearing, chances are that they are nothing short of spiritual hitchhikers.
Don't allow yourself to become a hitchhiker. Set your mind to do all that you can to further the cause of Christ in this area. If it means sweeping the floors of the building in which we meet for worship, or taking a part in the public worship, we should be willing to carry our share of the load. A hitchhiker is immature and irresponsible – a Christian must be mature and responsible in the work of the Lord (I Corinthians 16:13; Galatians 6:4-5).
The Whole Counsel Of God
by Gailen E. Evans
In the Northern part of Mesopotamia, on the banks of the Chebar, God called to Himself a prophet to speak to His people who were then captive in Babylon. This was Ezekiel, a man who lived in the colony of banished Jews called Tel-Abib, with his family. As God was making clear his mission, He impressed upon him the great responsibility of warning others concerning their sinful state.
"When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked {man} shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul" (Ezekiel 3:18-19.)
Although this is a case where God came directly to one man and gave him a specific task to perform, the principles taught here are as valid today as they were then. Through His inspired writers, He has laid upon us the duty of reaching the lost with the gospel of salvation in Christ Jesus (Luke 24:46-47; Matthew 28:19-20). The urgency is no less than it was in the time of Ezekiel. People are still dying in iniquity, destined to stand condemned before the Great Judge in the Last Day.
The question that we must face is, "Are we free from the blood of all men?" The only way we can be is if we, like the apostle Paul, can say that we have "…not shunned to declare…the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). If we neglect to teach others concerning the commands of God, have we declared the whole counsel of God? Or if we "water down" some of the restrictions that He has placed upon our lives and regard people's feelings rather than the truth of God's word, have we declared the whole counsel of God?
Yet, many are critical of preachers and teachers who stand before others and proclaim the mandates of God. Do they not realize, that if ANY who are proclaiming God's Word neglect to warn those who God says will receive death as the wages of sin (Romans 6:23), that they themselves will be held accountable before God for their neglect? There is no doubt that many who are criticizing others for their bold proclamation of the Word today, are themselves facing the danger of eternal condemnation for their own negligence in declaring to others the whole counsel of God!