It must be understood that some laws are universal truths. In Genesis God gave the law of kind; in that he said: “And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good”(Gen.1:12) . We depend on this law; otherwise, the farmer would have no idea what kind of fruit might be the result of planting an apple seed. Without the law of kind, the farmer would have to wait for the seed he planted to produce fruit to know what to expect from the tree which grew from the planted seed. Look at it this way, suppose the world was in need of corn, but without the law of kind, the farmer would never know if he was going to help the world’s need for corn by the seed he planted. The seed might produce beans while the world was overrun with beans.
It is a truth; the gospel of Christ produces only Christians and the only Christians! The gospel of Christ is the spiritual seed of God; hear Peter just here: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (24) … (25) But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you” (1 Pet. 1:23-25). Notice the “incorruptible” seed is “the word of God,” which equals “the gospel” preached unto you. So, the seed of God produces only children of God and the only children of God. It is the law of kind at work in the spiritual realm. If we can understand this truth in the physical realm, then, we should be able to understand in the spiritual realm! So, it is truth or nothing in the area of how a child of God is produced.
The above helps us see why Jesus said to the apostles: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). The gospel of Christ is the only word that has the ability to save the lost. But, the gospel is the only word that has the ability to bring forth a child of God! If one is “born again” of the incorruptible “seed,” then, he is saved and he is a child of God. As the “seed” brings forth after its own kind; therefore, what the gospel produces is a child of God. The gospel is God’s spiritual seed! How did you think you could become a child of God? Surely it was not without the gospel; the seed of God. It is truth or nothing!
This brings us to a natural question: “Will just any teaching bring forth fellowship with God?” If you read the above with any thought at all, you should know the answer to the question. Hear John as he addressed this subject: “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9). Notice that John uses the word “abideth” two times in these few words. The Greek word is “meno” and means among other things, “to continue to be present.” These words express “fellowship,” do they not? So, the person who “abideth not in the doctrine – teaching – of Christ” is a person who does not “continue to be present” with the teaching of Christ. Now, the same thing is true with God and Christ; for John wrote: “He that abideth – continues to be present – in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” One could translate this verse like this: “Whosoever transgresseth, and does not continue to be present in the teaching of Christ, has no fellowship with God. He that continues to be present in the teaching of Christ, he hath fellowship with the Father and the Son.” Though this would not be a word for word translation, it fully expresses John. It is the truth or nothing!
So, just how important is “the teaching of Christ?” It is the only teaching that brings about fellowship with the Father and the Son. If, if we have fellowship with the Father, then, we are a child of God! “The teaching of Christ” is simply another way of expressing “the word of God,” which is the “seed” of God and it only produces a child of God and the only children of God!
Friends, what do you say about “truth or nothing?” In this series of articles, it has been the objective to bring before your eyes the importance of the truth as nothing else will do what truth can. It can, it has the ability, to save your soul and nothing else has such ability. Therefore, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). Yes my friends, it is “truth or nothing!” Just as my beloved aunt said, “It will marriage or nothing,” so we must say, “It is truth, or nothing!”
— Frank R. Williams.