The Age in which we live is characterized,
in my opinion, by the greatest rise in the outward religion
calling itself Christian that has ever been seen in the world. This is described by the prophet
Daniel when he said, Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge
shall be increased. It seems that on every street
corner there are churches of one type or another, and in every
town and hamlet a Bible school or seminary, along with multitudes
of Bible book and trinket stores, whose shelves are creaking with
an overload of books which cover every topic found in the scriptures,
and quite a few which are not. These are exaggerations, to be
sure, but the proliferation of supposed Bible knowledge is set
forth by an ever-increasing multitude of teachers and would-be experts
of scriptural scholarship of one type or another. Yet in the
midst of all of these megachurches, worship centers, and family churches,
the truth can hardly be found, as multitudes flock to be entertained,
excited, and ultimately fleeced. The radio and TV airwaves were
constantly abuzz with various prophets, bishops, biblical psychologists,
and self-help psychoanalysts, reverend doctors, pastor kings,
and tellers of prophecies concerning the moon and stars, horses and
seals. Conservative politicians and
patriots fought off about the so-called biblical foundation
of our nation and confused the difference between that which
is holy and that which is profane. And the people loved to have
it so. The one thing which binds all of these various sects, denominations,
and orders of one sort or another is an abiding and unshakable
belief in man's free will and God's necessary acquiescence
thereto. Those who would question this
are looked at as out of touch, and those who would preach that
God is an absolute God who causes all things to occur according
to the good pleasure of His will are seen as relics of the past,
heretics, or worse. The preaching of the truth as
it is in Christ, declaring a Savior who actually saves helpless sinners,
who cannot participate in their own salvation, and a work of
the Spirit which actually produces a people who love the truth and
one another is an oddity. There is a contrast between those
who preach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
and those that preach a message which may contain some truth.
We see these two types of messengers compared and contrasted in the
case of Cushi and Ahimaaz in the 18th chapter of 2 Samuel.
Ahimaaz was anxious to be the one who would bring the news
of victory to King David. He was motivated in some measure
by a desire to garner fame and notoriety in this task and to
ingratiate himself to the king. Some of those who preach simply
desire this same sort of preeminence. They love titles such as reverend,
elder, pastor, or bishop, and to be saluted in the marketplace.
Cushaw, on the other hand, sought no notoriety, and was perhaps
even reluctant to step forward to the task at hand, yet was
recognized by Joab as a faithful messenger, and once sent to the
task, did not shrink from it. Ahimaaz is like the man who chooses
the ministry as a vocation and prepares himself in the schools
of men, thinking that he can equip himself just as with any
other career which men might pursue. Cushiah ran to the task
at hand because he was selected by Joab and gave no thought to
any gain which might come to him personally. While the true
messengers of God may be taught in some measure by other men,
yet the root of the matter instilled in their heart by the Holy Ghost
is the basis of their understanding. All who would preach the truth
must receive it from this same source. Ahimaaz ran more swiftly
than Cushiah because he took the path of least resistance.
A message which exalts the free will of man is much more appealing
to the religious flesh of men than one which faithfully declares
man's total depravity and his inability to perform anything
which is good in the sight of a holy God. Though Ahimaaz told
David some truth, Cushiah was the only one who brought a faithful
message, even though he feared David's reaction. This is a faithful
saying and worthy of all acceptation. that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.