Dealing_With

Uh-oh! Something is wrong! What disturbing, attention-getting, sometimes foreboding of ill,

sometimes fearsome words these are! We would rather hear: “God’s in His heaven, all’s right with the

world”. But only the blind would accept the latter part of that statement. When we see life’s blunders, we

know that something is wrong. If a piece of machinery will not work with the rest of the machine, we

know that something is wrong. If floor length or width does not match the foundation of a new house, we

know that something is wrong. Either someone mis-measured or the plan has an error in it.

When we see in one county or one community more that a dozen different religious groups with differing

doctrines and practices, yet all professing to be following the same Plan, we must conclude that

something is wrong, since the Plan calls for unity among its true followers (John 17:20-23; Ephesians

4:1-16; I Corinthians 1:10; Romans 16:17). We cannot say that the Plan is faulty, because God gave the

Plan. We must conclude that the fault is in those who ignore the Plan, alter the Plan, add to the Plan, or

misunderstand and mis-apply the Plan. Is that possible? Yes, the Plan itself says that some will depart

from it (I Timothy 4:1-7), some will wrest it to their own destruction (II Peter 3:16), and some will be led

astray by false teachers (Acts 20:29,30). The consequences of these blunders are most serious.

When something is wrong, do you solve the problem by ignoring it? Jesus calls for repentance (Luke

24:46,47), and His word gives correction (II Timothy 3:16,17). Do we believe Him enough to do His

bidding, or will we be counted in unbelief as He taught in Matthew 7:21 and Hebrews 3:18,19? Friend and

neighbor, something is wrong in the religious world. Are you doing anything to correct it? Please read II

Timothy 2:1-7, 14-26; 3:1-17; 4:1-8.

Gilbert Alexander

Beulah Church of Christ

(256) 232-1050