The MARK of a Christian
Rather, God says, "WORK out your own salvation with fear and trembling!" (Phil. 2:12). The Apostle Paul said he really had to WORK on himself — that he had to struggle, and labor in living a Christian life. ". . . forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I PRESS [that is, he worked, struggled, DROVE himself, forced himself forward] toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!" (Phil. 3:13-14).
Notice an example Christ used to illustrate His message about work. Read Matthew 21:28-31. Notice, ". . . a certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, 'Son, go work today in my vineyard.' He answered and said, 'I will not': but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, el go, sir': and went not!"
Christ then asked, "Which of the two did the will of the Father?" Read the answer in your own Bible! The first, of course! Even though he had first refused — he REPENTED, and then DID something about it. But the other son — though professing to obey — DID NOT WORK!
This other son was in exactly the same category as those of whom we have read who, "have a form of godliness — but deny the Power thereof!" (II Tim. 3:5).
What is your status? Perhaps you have seen the truth! You may be able to SEE the difference between the pagan doctrines of this world and the precious TRUTH of God which you have been hearing over The WORLD TOMORROW program, and reading in the pages of The PLAIN TRUTH! Perhaps you nod your head — being willing to "go along" with some of it, or all of it. Many have been able to SEE the truth of God by the REASONING of their own minds. But, if in actual practice they deny the very truth which they profess — because they refuse to work at it — they are denying Jesus Christ! Notice, "They profess that they know God, but in WORKS they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every GOOD WORK reprobate!" It's easy to float downstream. It's easy to take the line of least resistance. It's easy to let a huge organization tell you to slow down, to take it easy, or to go off work on strike. But it's DIFFICULT to forge ahead, WORKING with all your might, putting into PRACTICE the truths of Almighty God!
Christ said we are to be shining LIGHTs in the world — that others may see our good works! Through the positive, brilliant, purposeful and hard-working example of every Christian, others should be turned to the truth of God.
There should be such an obvious difference between a person who is a True Christian, and one who only "professes" Christ — that you could be able to tell by how hard he works.
God has not called anyone to take it easy. No one has been chosen so he could RELAX! Jesus said, "In the world, you shall have tribulation" (John 16:33). But God also promises, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:18). Some, hoping "God will take care of them," have neglected the plain-spoken commands of Scripture.
They say they have FAITH. Faith, you say? FAITH that God will take care of you? And certainly HE WILL, but unless or until you PROVE TO GOD YOU REALLY MEAN BUSINESS BY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT WORKING — HE WILL LET YOU STARVE! God inspired Paul to write, "For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we COMMAND and EXHORT by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they WORK, and eat their own bread . . . and if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed" (II Thess. 3:11-14).
Notice it! God says any able-bodied individual who CAN work — but refuses to work, expecting others to take care of him, will be put out of the true Church of God — for refusing to work!
God commands us to be quiet — to quit criticizing others — and to WORK WITH OUR HANDS that we may have, in order to give to others! (I Thess. 4:11-12).
James said, "Faith without WORKS is dead!" (Jas. 2:20).
Who Is a "Goof-Off"?
Are YOU a "goof-off"? The goof-off is the "average" worker who takes perhaps an hour or more for lunch, 15 minutes for a morning coffee break, 15 minutes for an afternoon coffee or tea break, about 45 minutes for chatting and doodling on paper, perhaps 15 minutes walking to and from the water-cooler, the wastebasket, or the restroom.
On an outside job, the goof-off spends far more time seeing to his personal comforts, selecting and picking up his tools, "getting started" or "cleaning up" near finish time than he does on the job!
The goof-off is always late, his work is slipshod and half-hearted, he is possibly accident-prone, since he knows small accidents will give him several days' leave away from the job with perhaps pay and a half.
The goof-off is a skilled artisan — knowing How to spend perhaps eight hours a day in the vicinity of work, but without doing any work himself!
In an office, he may be hiding a copy of "Mad" magazine behind the Statistical Report on Business Efficiency. He may be going through the motions of work — filing, clipping, stapling, shuffling papers about. He may use a rubber stamp, a handful of paper clips, and appear to be "busy," but he can point to NOTHING truly accomplished at the end of the day.
The master of the goof-off, according to the Chicago American, is the secretary who manages to make her boss feel she is doing him a favor whenever she does some work.
An educator, Dr. Houston Cole of Jacksonville State College, said, "The average American actually works only about 4 hours a day. The rest of the day he 'goofs off.' "
The TOOLS of the goof-off are the telephone (for personal conversations), note paper, form letters, office supplies and his desk drawer (for doodling, shuffling, rearranging, and "looking busy"), the typewriter (for personal letters, notes, or just consuming time), his neighbor's ears (for jokes, last night's party, plans for later, or discussing his work"), the water-cooler, the teacup, coffee cup, restroom, and wash basin and mirror!
The goof-off is a LIAR! His very presence "on the job" is a lie. He is a CHEAT — since he is cheating the boss of all pay he receives during periods of goofing off. He is a FALSE WITNESS, a time-waster, a useless appendage leeching from the company, a cancer in the organization — since his example may encourage others to goof off — and he is decidedly NOT a Christian!
The U.S. News said, in indicting America for our softness, that never before in history have the people enjoyed the mass prosperity found in the United States. At the same time, paradoxically, there are now, more than ever, widespread signs of complete decadence in American morals. The U.S. News went on, "Critics are saying that Americans, in prosperity, have become soft. They find people turning more and more to pleasure-seeking and profits — AWAY FROM HARD WORK and the high standards of the past."
Several years ago, while traveling in South America, Dr. Benjamin Rea and I heard an interesting comparison from a businessman in Bogota, Colombia. He said, "Ask a Briton about his product and he immediately launches into a long discussion on why his product is the best. Ask an American, and he sends you a huge catalog. Ask a Frenchman, he haughtily refuses to answer. Ask a German, and two Germans show up immediately, saying 'Where do we put it?' "
Today, European consumers are turning against American-made goods. Morris J. Gottlieb, Vice President of Market Facts, said the findings came as "quite a shock!"
"The findings were certainly not what we expected," he said. But he said they felt the findings to be valid because the reports were consistent from one country to another. Europeans felt the "made in U.S.A." brand conveyed the thought of POOR WORKMANSHIP, and little durability!
Yes, phlegmatism, apathy, lethargy, laziness — a soft, coddled, pampered, overindulgent and COMPLETELY SPOILED race of indolent people are on a greased toboggan slide toward their own national OBLIVION!
Its time you WOKE UP to the fact that America and Britain have begun to go the way of ancient ROME! With HORRIFYING problems to face — terrible crime waves, frightening moral and spiritual decay, sickening racial confusion and hatred, confusing religious disagreement, and AWESOME stockpiling of weapons — WE THINK IT'S TIME TO PLAY!
Jesus said, "As it was in the days of NOAH, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man!" (Luke 17:26). He referred to MAN'S PERVERTED WAYS — his evil and wrong marriages, his complete MORAL depravity and CRIME, his violence! But He also referred to his COMPLETE UNCONCERN IN THE FACE OF IMPENDING CALAMITOUS DANGER!
Jesus said, "Remember LOT'S wife" (Luke 17:32). Why? Because, plucked from the prospect of being burned to a crisp in a seething vortex of flame, Lot's wife looked longingly back toward the OLD WAYS — toward the perverted PLEASURES — toward the lazy, indolent, FLESHLY LUSTS of Sodom! She was destroyed because of her LUST for the ways of the world!
The handwriting is on the wall for America and Britain! OUR pagan orgy is about to end! OUR "Decline and Fall" is an ever-sharpening reality! OUR "Armageddon" is at the door!
But YOU can change. YOU can begin to work hard — and hardest of all on the MOST IMPORTANT JOB ON EARTH TODAY — that of performing the very work Christ started.
Be sure to write for our free booklet, The Seven Laws of Success, and the article, "How to Get and Hold a Good Job."
Keep reading The PLAIN TRUTH, and EVERY piece of literature you hear announced over the air, or mentioned in the pages of this magazine!
Keep listening to EVERY WORLD TOMORROW program you can. Remember, God says, "WORK out your own salvation with fear and trembling!"