In various places throughout the world today ancient landmarks are still recognizable and in force. Many of those ancient landmarks were built to establish boundaries, without which confusion would have ensued. Unfortunately, many ancient landmarks have been removed or destroyed, leaving no identifiable traits of any past existence.
Tragically, the same can be said spiritually. God, through His Word, established landmarks to keep people within the parameters of His holy and divine will. But down through the years man has sought to remove and destroy them, resulting in mass confusion and destruction. Let us consider just a few of those ancient landmarks.
First, God set up a landmark for salvation that has forever been established (cf. Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 4:12; 10:34-35; John 14:6; Rom. 6:3-4; Eph. 4:4-5). But down through the years man has sought to alter, even remove altogether, that ancient and divine landmark (Gal. 1:6-9; 1 Tim. 4:1ff:, Rev. 22:18-19).
Second, God set up a landmark for the church. The distinctiveness/oneness of the Lord’s church is clearly seen throughout the New Testament (cf. Dan. 2:41ff; Mat. 16:13ff; Eph. 4:4; Acts 2:47; 20:28; Col. 2:18; 1 Cor. 1:10; 3:1ff). But man has sought to remove that ancient landmark and has done so to their own demise
(Mat. 7:21-23).
Third, God has set up a landmark for worship that must never be tampered with or ignored (cf. John 4:24; Acts 2:42; 23:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; Col. 3:17). Unfortunately, man makes the same fatal mistake as did Cain, Nadab and Abihu, and others by offering unto God something He did not authorize (Gen. 4:1ff; Lev. 10:1ff; cf. Matt. 15:8-9)!
Spiritual landmarks erected by God must never be removed! The wise man’s words will suffice as we close: “Do not remove the ancient landmarks which your fathers have set” (Pro. 22:28).
Terry R. Townsend
Curry Church of Christ
Jasper, AL
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