by J. Randal Matheny

First of all, we extend our sympathies to Emmett Smith and his family in the death of his sister Emma. She passed away Thursday at age 43, and her funeral was to be held this afternoon. If you would like to convey your condolences to the family, you may leave a comment below.

That's why you probably won't see an article from Emmett today.

Emmett and his wife Jeanina have been our friends for many years. They are some of the most dedicated Christians I know. Though I did not have the opportunity to know Emmett's parents well, Jeanina's parents, Leo and Betty Yearry, have been a great encouragement to me personally for over 25 years.

I count it a privilege to work with all the columnists of Forthright. Though I don't know all of them personally, I've come to appreciate each one of them and the contributions they make to our understanding of the Sacred Text and to our encouragement to the single commitment to Jesus Christ.

They often work under trying circumstances and great duress, as do we all. And they give freely of themselves, because they have a deep-rooted hope of turning lives toward eternity.

So I ask your prayers for Emmett's family and for all of us here at Forthright.

Blessings,

Randal Matheny Editor

Phil sent me a newspaper article, "Oak Hill drops 'Church of Christ'," published Sept. 6th in the San Antonio Express-News. People will have plenty to write about it, pro and con, and I'll probably add my piece as well, eventually. But suffice it to note it's a sad day, a sad if not final note, to what has been a discouraging path. Phil wrote a piece about this moment, and I have posted both the newspaper report and his piece here. Read and weep.

by J. Randal Matheny

Americans today celebrate 227 years of political freedom. One organization which measures freedom in countries around the world claims that more people enjoy greater liberties today than at any other time in history, in part because of Americans' efforts at home and abroad.

Every nation which enjoys some degree of freedom does well to commemorate and remember the responsibilities of citizenship.

Though Americans celebrate July 4th in a unique way, the moment serves to remind us all, regardless of nationality,

(1) That Christian values make good government. As Patrick Henry said, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!" The old saw is still true that "America is great because America is good." Remove the goodness, and the greatness will tumble. This is true, not only of the USA, but of any country that would adopt Christian principles.

(2) That Christians make good citizens. Social and economic progress and political stability are served by the qualities of honesty, thrift, hard work, and integrity. Christians also understand true justice. As an example, slavery in England and the USA was abolished because of people who insisted upon the Christian truth that all people are created equal.

(3) That Christian faith thrives in any social or political climate. One does not need democracy, as we know it, to live in Christ nor to preach the gospel. As thankful as we may be for the democratic process, the Way was born under foreign domination and spread throughout an Empire, under diverse and often harsh conditions.

(4) That Christian freedom in the Lord Jesus Christ is eternal. Nations rise and fall, freedoms wax and wane, political systems come into vogue and disappear, but "[i]t was for freedom that Christ set us free" (Gal. 5:1 NASU). The phrase "for freedom," according to Kenneth Boles, "emphasizes the permanency of the new status" and, as J.W. McGarvey notes, indicates "the very design that we should cherish and enjoy our freedom."*

Indeed, in Christ we are set from sin and its consequences to enjoy the wonderful, full, and lasting liberty of relationship with God. Such freedom is a daily celebration and causes constant gratitude.

*Kenneth L. Boles, Galatians & Ephesians, The College Press NIV Commentary, p. 123; J. W. McGarvey and Philip Y. Pendleton, Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians and Romans, p. 279.

If you're checking in to see what happened to the email list, please know that we're still here on site, but the email list server (associate.com) has been down since Saturday, 31 May. The owner was supposed to go on vacation the 2nd, and as things will happen according to Murphy's law, it must have crashed about as he was traveling.

The associate.com service has been excellent in all regards, so I cannot complain too much, especially considering it is a free service. So we wait patiently until the service returns.

In the meantime, please check in daily here on the site, because we won't stop writing and working. --Editor

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