Foundations of Faith
THE FINALE

This is the 120th and concluding issue of GROWING, Series 1. We pray that the readers of GROWING have truly grown, not only in their knowledge of God’s Word and the major doctrines of Scripture, but also in their love for the Lord and in the closeness of their walk with their Saviour. However, this is not the end of GROWING. The publishers have encouraged the editor to repeat the cycle. So in January 2003, if the rapture has not yet taken place, you will receive the first issue of Series 2 of GROWING.

Running the Race
Assignment 17 (continued from Nov02 GROWING):

3. (Mar.) What is the difference between the rapture and the appearing of Christ?

4. (Apr.) What do we mean when we teach that the rapture is imminent?

5. (May) Write out two Scriptural arguments in support of a pre-tribulation rapture.

6. (June) List six events that will take place during the tribulation period.

7. (July) Write out four features of the millennium.

8. (Aug.) What is the difference between the judgment of the sheep and the goats and the great white throne judgment?

9. (Sept.) Write out three verses that teach that the punishment of the lost is for eternity.

10. (Oct.) Write out four verses that describe different features of heaven.

11. (Nov.) Write out three more verses that describe different features in heaven.

Foundations of Faith
WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE? (II)

When “our earthly house … [is] dissolved, we have a building of God … eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven…. Not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life” (2 Cor. 5:1-4). The apostle Paul looked forward, not just to being released from the trials, labors, and pain of his earthly life, but to being clothed upon with his new body that would perfectly fit him for heaven. The relationship between our present “natural body” and our future, “spiritual body” is likened to that between a seed that is sown and the plant or tree that grows from that seed (1 Cor. 15:35-44). In other words, our present bodies are like a seed and our future bodies will be like the full-grown plant.

This suggests powers and capabilities that go far beyond those of our present bodies. With our new bodies we may be able to sing with perfect pitch, harmony, and rhythm, and perhaps with a much wider range than we have presently. Similarly, we may have keener hearing and vision and be able to see a much wider spectrum of color and discern more subtle differences among colors.

Our new bodies, if like Christ’s resurrection body, will be capable of eating (Luke 24:43; John 21:13; see also Rev. 22:2; however 1 Cor. 6:13 suggests the contrary thought). If we will eat in heaven, we can well imagine having taste buds that are sensitive to a far greater range of taste experiences than at present. But if it turns out that there is no eating in heaven, not to worry! We can be certain that the Lord has prepared other pleasures so wonderful that they will cause us to forget we used to eat (Psa. 16:11).

While heaven will be a happy place, it is first and foremost a holy place (see Assignment 15 below), dominated by a holy God, His sinless Son, and the Holy Spirit. We have been predestined to be conformed to the image of God’s Son (Rom. 8:29), and “when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Just think of it! In heaven there will be no pride, no offenses, no hard feelings, no selfishness, no put downs, no hypocrisy, no disappointment. Every individual will be totally righteous, good, loving, giving, friendly, helpful, patient, kind, meek, and humble.

“You who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight” (Col. 1:21,22). (See Assignment 16)

Far above all the other blessings of heaven mentioned above, we shall “be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8; also Luke 23:43; John 17:24; Phil. 1:23; 1 Thess. 4:16,17; Rev. 20:4); we shall see His face (1 John 3:2; Rev. 1:13-16; 5:6-8), hear His voice (2 Cor. 12:4; Rev. 1:17-20), and be united with Christ as bride with Bridegroom (John 3:29; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7-9).

What a wonderful future lies ahead of every born again child of God! We are living in very unstable and uncertain times:terrorism, famine, violence, natural disasters, injustice, divorce, child abuse, and widespread immorality abound in our world (see Matt. 24:6-8; 2 Tim. 3:1-5). Instead of despairing over what is happening to this world we live in, let us “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:2).

May we live out our days on earth as citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20) and with our hearts set upon our eternal home and upon our blessed Lord and Saviour. Let us devote our lives, time, talents, and energies to serving the One who gave His all for us (1 Cor. 6:19,20).

Running the Race
HOW SHALL WE THEN LIVE IN VIEW OF HEAVEN?

Are you looking forward to going to heaven, as the apostle Paul was (2 Cor. 5:2,4,8; Phil. 1:23)? Would you be happy if the Lord came today (1 Thess. 4:17,18)? Do you believe that “in [God’s] presence is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psa 16:11)? Do you truly believe that heaven will be at least a million times more enjoyable than your present life on earth?

If your answer to each of these questions is “yes,” then you will be interested in beginning to enjoy the pleasures of heaven right now. Here are a few suggestions as starters:

1. Singing hymns of redemption with other believers in Christ (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).

2. Gaining as much knowledge as possible of the Bible, of God’s attributes, and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18).

3. Serving the Lord (Psa. 100:2; Rom. 1:9; 14:18; 1 Thess. 1:9; Heb. 9:14).

4. Not sinning, being holy (Rom. 6:11; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Thess. 4:3,4; 2 Tim. 2:21; Heb. 12:10; 1 Pet. 1:16; 2:21-23; 1 John 2:1).

5. Being reconciled with persons from whom we are estranged (Matt. 5:23,24; 6:14; 1 Cor. 7:11; Jas. 5:16).

6. Beholding, communing with, and meditating upon Christ (John 15:4; 2 Cor. 3:18; Col. 3:1-3).

7. Being zealous in spreading the gospel of salvation to as many others as possible before the “day of salvation” comes to a close (2 Cor. 6:2; Eph. 5:16; Luke 19:13).

May “the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ” (2 Thess. 3:5; 1 Thess. 1:10).

CONGRATULATIONS!

Kate Sipple (Pennsylvania) completed all 28 assignments for 2001 with a perfect score.Assignment 17: The following is a review quiz based on the Year-2002 issues of GROWING. Please refer back to the indicated issue when answering each question.

1. (Jan.) Write out four ways believers have been blessed as a result of the ascension of Christ to heaven.

2. (Feb.) What is the difference between the work of Christ as High Priest and His work as Advocate?

Foundations of Faith
WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE? (I)

1. Are you sure you are going to heaven? The Bible says that you can have that assurance:“These things have I written unto you who believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life [who] believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13; see also Apr97, May97, Feb98, Aug02).

2. How do you expect to reach heaven? Those who have placed their trust for eternal salvation in the blood-atoning work of Christ on the cross will go to heaven either by death or by the rapture—the coming of Christ for His people (see Apr02).

3. Are you looking forward to going to heaven? Do your thoughts agree with those of the apostle Paul about it:“To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain…. I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better” (Phil. 1:21,23).

4. Would you be happy if the Lord came today? “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout…. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:16-18).

5. Is there anything you would very much like to do or complete or accomplish before you finish this present life? A familiar hymn addresses this question:“Have I a hope, however dear, Which would defer Thy coming, Lord, Which would detain my spirit here (Where naught can lasting joy afford)? From it, my Saviour, set me free, To look and long and wait for Thee” (G.W. Frazer).

6. Most people think that heaven will be nicer than hell. But do you think that heaven will be more enjoyable than your present life on earth? Is it your desire to eke out all the pleasure you can from this present life before you have to leave it and go to heaven? Can you identify with Moses of old? “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt:for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward” (Heb. 11:24-26).

Let us allow these questions to challenge our hearts as we prepare to consider the next question:What is heaven like?

Upon a first reading of the Bible, it may seem that very little information is given about heaven. But as we become familiar with all of Scripture, we begin to find little nuggets about what heaven is like in a number of different places in the Bible.

In three Psalms with prophecies of the sufferings of Christ, we find the resurrected Christ singing and praising God. “In the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee” (Psa. 22:22, 25; Heb. 2:12). “He has put a new song in My mouth, even praise unto our God” (Psa. 40:3). “O God, set Me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving” (Psa. 69:30).

The curtain of heaven is rolled back briefly in Revelation 5 and we find the saved ones (represented by the 24 elders) singing “a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof:for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (verses 8,9; see also 14:3 and 15:3).

“The foundations of the wall of the [heavenly] city were garnished with all manner of precious stones,” representing many different colors (Rev. 21:19,20). “The tree of life … bore twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month” (22:2).

“They shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD:for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD” (Jer. 31:34). “Now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Cor. 13:12). We will be with our all-knowing Creator and Saviour throughout eternity. There we will be able to learn everything there is to know about the created Universe, and there we will undoubtedly learn much more about the Man Christ Jesus, especially His love and grace and sufferings for us. However, there may still be knowledge about the Trinity that is beyond man’s comprehension (1 Tim. 6:15,16).

“They who … have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb … are … before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple” (Rev. 7:15). “The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him” (22:3). One aspect of this service is that “the saints shall judge the world” (during the 1,000-year reign of Christ) and “we shall judge angels” (1 Cor. 6:2,3).

It is well to notice here that, contrary to the thought of worshipers of leisure time, work is not a curse of God upon man. God gave Adam work to do in the garden (Gen. 2:15,19, 20). As a result of sin, work became more difficult and complicated (Gen. 3:17-19), and thus, no doubt, less enjoyable and fulfilling. But in heaven, where sin will not be found, enjoyable work will again abound.

There are hints of such activity in several passages (1 Cor. 3:22; Rev. 4:10,11; 21:7). (See Assignment 14)

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:for the former things are passed away…. There shall be no night there” (Rev. 21:4,25).

CONGRATULATIONS!

Four of our readers completed all 28 (16 regular plus 12 review) assignments for 2001:Nkechi Peace Chiedu (Nigeria; perfect score for the year), Drew Johnson (Pennsylvania), John Hope (Virginia), and Lori Spielman (Pennsylvania). Also, during the past year the following have completed the assignments for previous years:Clement Aninga (Kenya, 1993), Joseph Amusuk (Nigeria, 1996, 1997), Nkechi Peace Chiedu (Nigeria, 2000).

Running the Race
Assignment 14: Write out at least two verses in Ephesians 1 that suggest that the heavenly company might have the entire created universe to enjoy.

Foundations of Faith
THE ETERNAL PUNISHMENT OF THE LOST

In this issue we expand upon last month’s study of the final judgment of sinners at the great white throne and look at verses that teach the eternal punishment of the lost.

We hear more and more people saying, “I believe in a loving and tolerant Jesus.” To be sure, Jesus was not only loving, but the highest example and pattern of divine love (John 15:12,13; Eph. 5:2,25). Jesus was also tolerant, far beyond the people of His day. Observe His willingness— as a Jewish man—to receive a drink from a Samaritan woman, something that just wasn’t done in those days (John 4:9). His tolerance of a woman who had a reputation as a sinner was due to her being a sinner saved by grace (Luke 7:36-50; also John 8:3-11). When it came to dealing with people who sinned, and who covered their sin with a cloak of piety, Jesus was probably the most intolerant Person ever to walk this earth (see Matt. 12:34; 23:13-38; John 2:13-17; 8:44).

All this is leading up to the point of this article. People say that a loving and tolerant Jesus surely would not condemn anyone to hell, especially to an eternity in the lake of fire. Many people have the idea that the concept of hell and a lake of fire was invented by the apostles. Let us listen to the Scriptures.

“Broad is the way that leads to destruction” (Matt. 7:13).

“The children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness:there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:11,12).

“Fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).

“The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom … those who do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 13:41,42; also 49,50).

“It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:43-48).

“Then said the king to the servants … Cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 22:13; 25:30).

“Then shall [the King] say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41).

“The rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments…. Cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:19-31).

“He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

“Those who have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [or judgment]” (John 5:29).

“… the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Rom. 2:5; also 1:18; 2:8).

“The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not God, and who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:8).

“It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27).

“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet…. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone…. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever…. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20; 20:10-15; 21:8).

Outer darkness, wailing, weeping, gnashing of teeth, hell, lake of fire, unquenchable fire, torment, intense thirst, wrath of God, eternal judgment, vengeance. What a horrible future is in store for those who reject the salvation offered by God through the death and resurrection of His Son. Not all of these verses mention the fact that these judgments are eternal, but enough of them do to convince us of that awful truth! (See Assignment 13)

Who are the authors of these terrible words of judgment? About half of these passages were spoken by Jesus Himself, and additional ones refer to the direct involvement of Jesus in the punishment of sinners. Jesus tolerant of evil? No way!!

A number of “evangelicals” today have given up the truth that God’s judgment of sinners is for eternity. If it does not seem to be fair to punish for eternity one who was a sinner for only 90 years, we need to understand that God’s punishment of man is no more severe than His punishment of His own Son-for our sins (Psa. 22:1,15; 69:3,10,20; 88:7,8,16-18; Lam. 1:12; Matt. 27:45,46; John 19:28).

Running the Race
DO WE REALLY BELIEVE IN HELL?

We may hold proper Biblical teaching about hell. But do we really believe hell is terrible, hell is eternal, and thousands of people around us are doomed to spend eternity there? Have we considered what it would be like to spend eternity in the blackness of darkness, completely separated from God and from all light and all love?

It is rather ironic that the sects which claim that there is no hell (for example, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Mormons, and the Seventh-Day Adventists) are extremely active in evangelism, while many people who hold all the right doctrines seem content to let people go on to hell.

We must have more compassion for the lost. Where are the “weeping prophets” or “weeping preachers” for whom the thought of men and women in hell is so terrible that they will cry to God for the souls of the lost? We must overcome laziness, fear, self-indulgence, or whatever is holding us back from telling to all we can their frightful danger.

We must wrestle in prayer, for we are in conflict with a determined and desperate enemy. Satan knows his time is running out. He is using every weapon to ensnare men’s minds.

If we really believe in hell, let us act as if we believed. Proper doctrine without love, compassion, and action is a cold, useless thing, as offensive to God as to the world.

Assignment 13: Write out verses in Matthew 3 and 18 and one in Jude that show that God’s judgment of unrepentant sinners is forever, or with fire that will never go out.

Foundations of Faith
THE END TIMES (VI)

In Jul02 we saw that at the end of the tribulation period, the 12 tribes of Israel will be restored as God’s special people on earth and the raptured and resurrected believers will reign with Christ over the earth. During this period Satan will be bound and it will be a time of unparalleled righteousness and peace.

Here are a few additional features of the 1,000-year reign of Christ:

8. It will be a time of great beauty and fruitfulness:“The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose” (Isa. 35:1). “They shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them” (Isa. 65:21).

9. “Weeping shall be no more heard in [Jerusalem], nor the voice of crying” (Isa. 65:19).

10. Open sin will not be tolerated, but will result in death (Isa. 65:20). (Note that sin occurs even when Satan is bound; let us not use the excuse that “the devil made me do it”!)

At the end of the 1,000 years “Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations … to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea….
And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone … for ever and ever” (Rev. 20:7-10). These human rebels stirred up by Satan likely will be numbered among those born during the millennium, not the “sheep” of Matthew 25. Such is the human heart that even 1,000 years of peace and righteousness will not endear people to the Lord!

Following the final rebellion at the end of the millennium we read of the judgment of the dead:“And I saw a great white throne, and Him who sat on it…. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened … and the dead were judged … according to their works” (Rev. 20:11,12). This judgment is to be distinguished from the judgment of the sheep and the goats that will occur at the end of the great tribulation (Matt. 25:31-46). On that earlier occasion, the Son of Man shall come in glory and judge all of the living nations, with the “sheep”—the saved ones— inheriting the millennial kingdom on earth and the “goats”— the lost—being sent “into everlasting fire.” At the great white throne, on the other hand, the unsaved dead are raised to stand before the Son of God to be judged according to their works. (See Assignment 11)

“Death and hell [or Hades] delivered up the dead that were in them” (Rev. 20:13). In other words, death (or the grave) will give up the body and Hades will give up the soul of each unsaved dead person to be reunited “unto the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:29). All of the dead who are saved will have been resurrected previously (1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:15-17; Rev. 20:4). At the great white throne, the degree of punishment in the lake of fire for those who died unsaved will be determined according to their works. (See Assignment 12)

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15). This brings us to the end of the end times. What a solemn conclusion this is to the history of self-centered, self-loving, self-satisfied, self-confident, Christ-rejecting men and women.

Running the Race
IS YOUR NAME WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE?

How would you answer this question? You think so? You hope so? You are not sure?

Let us review God’s way of salvation and eternal life according to the Scriptures. The Bible has both Bad News and Good News. We need to understand the Bad News about ourselves before we can enter into the Good News of the Bible.

1. You are a sinner. “There is none that does good, no, not one…. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:10-23).

2. God is holy and hates sin. “[God] is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity” (Hab. 1:13).

3. One sin is enough to separate you from God and to cause you to be spiritually dead. Your “iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you” (Isa. 59:2). “You … were dead in trespasses and sins … and were by nature the children of wrath” (Eph. 2:1-3).

4. Because of your sins you deserve the death penalty. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). This is not just physical death, but eternal separation from God. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). “The wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

Have you, dear friend, come to the point in your life where you realize that you are a lost, helpless sinner who deserves God’s eternal punishment? If so, you are ready to hear the Good News.

1. While God hates your sin (Prov. 8:13; Zech. 8:17), He has great love for you personally.

2. Stop a moment and think about this: What is the greatest way in which God has shown His love for you? Yes, he has kept you alive and safe and healthy all your life. Yes, he has given you a loving family and friends. Yes, he has helped you out of tough situations and has at times answered your prayers. Anything greater yet?

3. “God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6-8; John 3:16). “[Christ] bore our sins in His own body on the tree” ( 1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18; 1 Cor. 15:3).

4. If you place your trust, your dependence for your salvation, not in your own works and merits (Eph. 2:8,9), but in the sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ for your sins, you will “not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16,36; 5:24).

5. What about “good works”? They are produced through us by the Holy Spirit in appreciation for God’s great love in saving us (Eph. 2:10).

If you have lais hold of the Bad News and Good News of the Bible, you can be sure that your name is “written in the book of life.”Assignment 11: Write out two verses in John 5 that show that “God” in Rev. 20:12 is referring to God the Son.

Assignment 12: Write out a verse in Matthew 11, two verses in Luke 12, and one verse in Romans 2 that show that God’s punishment of the unsaved will be according to their works.

Foundations of Faith
THE END TIMES (V)

The Coming of the Son of Man. As mentioned in Jun02, the seven-year tribulation period will end with the coming of the Son of man to execute judgment upon the earth:“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He who sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…. And His name is called the Word of God…. And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations; and He shall rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on his vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords…. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet [or Antichrist] … [and] both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Rev. 19:11-21).

It is well to be aware of this side of the “meek and lowly” Lord Jesus. Today, thankful to say, He “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). We hear people today saying, “I believe in the God of the New Testament” or “I believe in a loving, tolerant Jesus.” He wasn’t always tolerant when He was here on earth (Matt. 21:12,13; 23:13-36), and He is not going to be tolerant when He comes back in judgment upon those who rejected Him and His free offer of salvation.

1. Satan will be bound and shut up in “the bottomless pit” for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:1-3).

2. “The LORD shall be King over all the earth” (Zech. 14:9; also Jer. 33:15; Dan. 7:13-14; 2 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 11:15).

3. The raptured and resurrected saints (including those martyred during the tribulation) will reign with Christ (Rev. 5:10; Luke 19:12-19). (See Assignment 10)

4. All 12 tribes of the nation of Israel will be joined together in their land, God will write His law upon their hearts, and they will become the center of blessing for all the nations of the earth (Isa. 2:1-3; 11:10-13; 60:3,10-22; Jer. 23:3-8; 31:31-34; 33:7-9; Rom. 11:25-27).

5. It will be a time of righteousness. “They shall not build, and another inhabit…. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble” (Isa. 65:22,23).

6. It will be a time of unparalleled peace:“Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people:and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither, shall they learn war any more” (Isa. 2:4).

7. This peace will extend to the animal kingdom:Wolves, lambs, leopards, kids, lions, calves, bears, snakes, and little children will all live peaceably with one another (Isa. 13:6-9; 65:25).

Running the Race
WHAT ALTERNATIVE DO I HAVE?

We are often faced with dilemmas and decisions in life. It may seem like the only “safe” way is to go along with the crowd, even though we know that the crowd is not following God’s Word and way.

In Noah’s day, “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of … of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). Noah and his family could easily have adopted the attitude, “Everyone else is doing it; I might as well do it too.” But because they were willing to stand alone in faithfulness to the LORD, they were saved through the flood while “everyone else” perished (1 Pet. 3:20).

Caleb and Joshua stood apart from all other children of Israel, and they alone, of all who were at least 20 years old, survived the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness to enter into the promised land (Num. 14:29,30; Josh. 14:6-13).

In the times of ancient Babylon, the only way to survive-so it seemed-was to obey king Nebuchadnezzar’s orders to bow down to the image of gold that he had made. After all, the alternative was not very pleasant: being “cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace” (Dan. 3:1,6). But three young men challenged “the only safe way.” And guess what? You already know the rest of the story: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survived the fiery furnace with no hurt and with not even the smell of smoke on them (3:25-27). On the other hand, the men who threw the three young men into the furnace were killed from the intensity of the heat (3:22).

During the coming tribulation period those who are saved will face a similar dilemma. The second beast [Antichrist] will cause “that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causes all … to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and no man may buy or sell, except he who had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name [666]” (Rev. 13:15-18). Some may be able to avoid a confrontation with the image of the beast, and thus escape with their lives. But what about buying groceries and gasoline, paying the mortgage, and receiving social security and pay checks? To conduct the most ordinary matters of business one will be required to choose between allegiance to God and allegiance to the beast.

The Book of Revelation provides much encouragement to the saved persons who will be challenged with such decisions. Here is a promise to those who remain faithful to the Lord, even unto death: “I saw the souls of those who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus … and who had not worshipped the beast … neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Rev. 20;4; also 15:2). For the rest, “there fell a … grievous sore upon the men who had the mark of the beast” (Rev. 16:2). “The smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast” (Rev. 14:9-11).

Young men and women, you may be faced with similar choices and decisions in your lifetime. Don’t take the easy route. Don’t do what everyone else is doing. Don’t make the choice that appears to be “safe.” The only really safe way is obedience to God’s Word and total allegiance to the Lord.

Assignment 10: Write out a verse in 1 Corinthians 6, one in 2 Timothy 2, and one in Revelation 20 that support the point just made.

Foundations of Faith
THE END TIMES (IV)

Introduction:Tribulation and the Tribulation. All Christians are promised tribulation. Jesus told His disciples, “In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer:I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Paul and Barnabas advised the new believers “that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). These tribulations are not to be “avoided like the plague” but “we glory in tribulations … knowing that tribulation works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope” (Rom. 5:3,4; 12:12; 2 Thess. 1:4).

In the last issue we showed that Christians will be raptured, that is, taken to heaven out of the world, prior to the seven-year period of tribulation in the last days. We must not allow this truth to give us a false sense of security and safety. Citizens of North America have been quite shielded from the fires of persecution and tribulation that have afflicted Christians in other parts of the world –both past and present. When the Communists gained control of China in the early 1900’s, the persecution of Christians was so intense that many believers feared that the rapture had occurred and somehow they had been left behind to go through the seven-year tribulation. One of the readers of GROWING recently wrote to me of violent persecution of Christians in his city in Nigeria. More and more this persecution is coming to Christians in America. Let us be prepared through prayer and nearness to the Lord. When it comes, “rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings” (1 Pet. 4:12-14).

What Believers Will Be in the Tribulation? If the Church–made up of all true believers in Christ–is raptured prior to the tribulation, and if there is no second chance for unbelievers at the time of the rapture (see Apr02), then who are the 144,000 sealed “servants of our God” and the “great multitude … of all nations” who “came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:1-14)? The Lord is going to raise up a gospel testimony during the tribulation (Rev. 11:3-12). Presumably God will open hearts of children and adults who had never heard the gospel previously. (Amazing as it may seem, I have met some people here in America who had no idea who Jesus Christ is, except being a swear word.) The 144,000 represent those from the 12 tribes of Israel who are saved during the tribulation. Note that these will include not just Jews as are identified today (who are mainly from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi), but descendants of the so-called “lost tribes of Israel” as well (Jer. 30:3). The “great multitude” refers to Gentiles who are converted during this period.

What Will Happen During the Tribulation Period? In Revelation 6 we find the Lamb opening the book with seven seals. This chapter seems to present the unfolding of events in the tribulation period. The Lord’s description of this period in Matthew 24 presents a similar order:(1) war (Matt. 24:6,7; Rev. 6:2-4); (2) famine (24:7; 6:5,6); (3) death (24:7-9; 6:7,8); (4) martyrdom (24:9,10; 6:9-11); (5) the sun and moon darkened and the stars falling (24:29; 6:12-14); (6) the coming of the Son of man to execute judgment upon the earth (24:32-25:46; 6:15-17). Both passages also mention earthquakes (24:7; 6:12).

Items 1-3 above fall under the heading of “the beginning of sorrows” (Matt. 24:8), no doubt referring to the first half of the tribulation period. It is probably during this same period that the Jewish temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Also, the alignment of world powers prominent in the tribulation likely takes place at this time. The first beast–a political leader–will head a confederation of ten nations that corresponds in some way to the ancient Roman Empire (see Dan. 7:7,19-25; Rev. 13:1; 17:7,12, 16). The second beast–a religious leader, also called the Antichrist (Rev. 13:11-15; 1 John 2:18) and the False Prophet (Rev. 19:20; 20:10)–will decree that the people worship the first beast … or else be economically discriminated against or killed (Rev. 13:15-18).

The so-called “great tribulation” (Matt. 24:21 and Rev. 7:14) starts at about the middle of the “week” of seven years and is marked by the de- filing of the temple by the first beast (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15). This is referred to in Scripture as the “abomination of desolation.” The Holy Spirit goes to great lengths to reveal the length of the great tribulation (3½ years), no doubt to clarify its link with the 70th week of Daniel 9:27 and to encourage the believers that it will soon be over:It is 1260 days (360×3½; Rev. 11:3; 12:6), 42 months (12×3½; Rev. 11:2; 13:5), and a time, times, and half a time (or 1+2+½ years; Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 12:14), along with being half of seven years (Dan. 9:27).

The great tribulation will be a time of vast amounts of death and destruction that will make what happened on September 11, 2001 seem like child’s play. “Four angels were loosed … to slay the third part of men … by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone” (Rev. 9:15-18). The King of the North (perhaps a confederation of Islamic nations such as Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, and some of the Soviet states) and the King of the South (perhaps Egypt) will battle each other, with Israel caught in the middle (Dan. 11:40-45). Toward the end of the tribulation many nations will be gathered together in Israel for the Battle of Armageddon and more judgments from heaven (Rev. 16:14-21). Babylon the Great, generally considered to be Christendom minus the Church, will fall (Rev. 17,18). The tribulation will conclude when the Son of man–the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ– comes “in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him. Then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; and before Him shall be gathered all nations:and He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Matt. 25:31, 32). The sheep–those saved during the tribulation and surviving to the end–will join the Lord in His millennial kingdom upon the earth (25:34), while the unsaved goats will be cast into everlasting fire (25:41,46).

Running the Race
Assignment 8: Write out two verses in Isaiah 13, one verse in Jeremiah 30, and two verses in Ezekiel 20 that refer to the tribulation in the last days.

Assignment 9: There are many verses in Revelation 6-18 that give encouragement to believers who are going through tribulation. Find and write out at least one such verse from each of four different chapters in Revelation 6-18.

Foundations of Faith
THE END TIMES (III)

Scriptures That Support a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. One of the most frequently used verses in support of a pre-tribulation rapture is found in the letter to the church in Philadelphia:“Because you have kept the word of My patience, I also will keep you [out of] the hour of temptation [or testing] that shall come upon all the world, to try those who dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:10). Temptations and testings are an expected and normal part of every Christian’s life (Acts 20:19; 1 Cor. 10:13; Heb. 2:18; 4:15; Jas. 1:2,3). But this verse in Revelation refers to “the hour,” that is, a prescribed period of time rather than an open-ended lifetime of testing. This verse also says that this time of testing “shall come upon all the world.” Even World War II (which many people thought to be the great tribulation) did not come upon all the world. So this verse seems to be referring to the seven-year period of tribulation in the last days. Being kept out of this period of tribulation fits better with a pre-tribulation than a mid- or post-tribulation rapture.

In Revelation 4 and 5 we find two word pictures of heaven. Seated around the heavenly throne are 24 elders with “crowns of gold” on their heads (Rev. 4:4). These elders (1) “cast their crowns before the throne” (4:10); (2) worship the Lord as the Creator of all things (4:11); (3) sing to the Lamb who had redeemed them by His blood (5:9); (4) fall down and worship the Lamb (5:14; 11:16; 19:4); and (5) ask about those “who came out of great tribulation” (7:13,14). The crowns in 4:4 and 4:11 are not the kingly crowns (or diadems) worn by the dragon (12:3), the beast (13:1), and the Lord when coming as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (19:12,16). Rather they correspond to the crowns of life, righteousness, and glory (1 Cor. 9:25; 2 Tim. 4:8; Jas. 1:12; 1 Pet. 5:4; Rev. 2:10; 3:11) given by God to His people in recognition of their faithfulness to the Lord.

What does this have to do with the timing of the rapture? Just this:When Isaiah and Ezekiel received visions of heaven, there was no mention of 24 elders. When the apostle John had a vision of the Son of Man in Revelation 1, there was no mention of 24 elders. But after reading the letters to the seven churches (Rev. 2 and 3) and before reading about the series of judgments to be sent by the Lord upon the earth during the tribulation period (Rev. 6-18), we begin reading about 24 elders gathered around the Lamb singing songs of redemption. Who else could these elders be but the redeemed saints, no doubt including those saved in Old Testament times as well as those of the New Testament Church? The entire picture provides a very strong inference that these saints were raptured prior to the seven-year period of tribulation. In agreement with this picture, there is no mention of the Church on earth in Rev. 6-18 concerning the tribulation period.

Let us now examine an Old Testament passage that gives strong evidence of a pre-tribulation rapture:“Seventy weeks are determined upon your people and upon your holy city. … From the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and 62 weeks:the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after 62 weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself:and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the over-spreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Dan. 9:24-27).

This is a prophecy concerning Jerusalem, “your holy city.” It concerns a period of 70 weeks, or literally 70 periods seven units long. Usually in Scripture these are periods of seven days or one week, but in Daniel’s prophecy it fits best to make these periods of seven years. So the prophecy has to do with 70×7=490 years. The 490 years are divided into periods of 7×7=49 years, 62×7= 434 years, and 1×7=7 years. The period of 490 years begins with “the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” (Neh. 2:8). After 49 years, “the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” This corresponds to the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem (Neh. 3-4).

After another 434 years, the Messiah–the Lord Jesus Christ–shall be “cut off” or rejected by His people. After this, “the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary,” referring to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70.

A Bible scholar, Sir Robert Anderson, performed detailed calculations of the 69 weeks and determined that the 69 weeks (or 483 years) ended on the very day of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, five days before His death (Luke 19:28-40). (See Assignment 7)

This leaves one final week of seven years. The coming prince “shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate.” In Matt. 24:15-21 this prophecy is linked with “great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be”; this final week has not yet happened.

We shall see in the next issue that the end of the great tribulation will usher in a brand new beginning for the nation of Israel, with the Messiah coming to reign over the Earth.

Why is there a gap of nearly 2,000 years or perhaps more between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel’s prophecy? Because this defines the period of the Church as God’s chosen people (Eph. 1:4). Israel as a nation is, for a time, set aside in God’s purposes while the gospel of salvation is going out to Gentiles and Jews alike throughout the entire world. The fact that the 70th week marks a return to God’s dealings with the nation of Israel strongly suggests that the intervening Church period has come to a close. This would signify a pre-tribulation rapture.

Running the Race
Assignment 7: Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is often spoken of as a “triumphal entry.’ Write out a verse in Matthew 21 that shows it was triumphal and another verse or two that reveal rejection by His people.

Foundations of Faith
THE END TIMES (II)

What Is the Difference Between Dying and Being Raptured? Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Those who are familiar with the Bible know that Ol’ Ben was wrong. Even death is not certain! One of the best known and loved passages of the Bible is where Jesus tells His disciples:“I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3). But to most people, this is no more than a promise of what will happen when they die.

There are two passages that clearly show that the Lord is coming again for the living as well as for those who die:“The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout … and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air:and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16,17). “Behold, I show you a mystery:we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…. The dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we [that is, the living] shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51,52). (See Assignment 5)

These two passages show something else:there is something more for the believer than dying and going to heaven. “The dead in Christ shall rise first”; “the dead shall be raised incorruptible.” When a believer dies, the body is placed in a grave where it eventually decays and returns to dust (Gen. 3:19); at the same time, the soul and spirit go to be with the Lord “in paradise” (Luke 23:43). However happy the soul and spirit may be to be “present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8), they are incomplete without the body. At the time of the rapture, the decayed and dusty bodies of dead believers will be resurrected. Our new bodies will have the same identity as our old ones, but they will be changed. Our present body is called “a natural [or ‘soulish’] body,” that is, suited to the interests and desires of our soul. Our new body in heaven is called “a spiritual body,” that is, suited to the interests and desires of our spirit (1 Cor. 15:44, see Dec95 and Sep01 for the distinction between soul and spirit). Furthermore, our new body will be “incorruptible” and “immortal” (1 Cor. 15:52-54), that is, incapable of sickness, growing old, or death.

In 2 Cor. 5:1-4 the apostle Paul refers to four distinct bodily states with regard to death and resurrection:(1) Being alive with our present physical body (“our earthly house”); (2) having died with our soul and spirit separated from our body (“unclothed”); (3) being in heaven with our future resurrected body joined with our soul and spirit (“clothed upon with our house that is from heaven”); and (4) standing before God unsaved, without the covering that He provides for those who have trusted Christ for salvation (“found naked”). Many people today, in their pain, loneliness and distress, cry out, “Oh, that I could die and go to be with the Lord!” However, the apostle wasn’t just looking forward to dying (“unclothed”), but to the rapture when he would receive a new body from heaven to go along with his purified soul and spirit. (We will have more about his later in an issue about heaven.)

When Will the Rapture Occur? As pointed out in the previous issue, there are many different views about this. Most who adopt the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view also believe and teach that the rapture is imminent. We need to examine this word carefully. “Imminent” can mean “likely to happen soon or without delay.” But Christians have been looking for the Lord to come for nearly 2,000 years now, and that doesn’t sound like “soon.” This word “imminent” is used in connection with the rapture in the sense that the rapture is certain to occur at some time, but uncertain as to what time. Another way of looking at it is that while other events may happen before the imminent event, nothing else has to take place before it happens.

There are such things that happen in our world-such as the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 or the tragic events of September 11, 2001-that cause us to exclaim, “The Lord’s coming must be very near!” However, there is nothing in the Bible that says that these or any other events must happen before the Lord comes back for His own.

Will There Be a Second Chance for Those Who Are Unsaved at the Time of the Rapture? A woman who had seen a film about the rapture concluded that she would wait until the rapture occurred and then, knowing what had happened, would put her trust in Christ. This response is foolish for two reasons:(1) She might die before the rapture occurs; and (2) Scripture does not hold out the possibility of a second chance for those who have rejected or neglected Christ’s offer of salvation (Heb. 2:3). Three times in the last chapter of the Bible the Lord declares, “I come quickly” (Rev. 22:7,12,20). This word “quickly” does not mean “soon” but “swiftly, all at once,” that is, before one can make preparations. The rapture will take place “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:52); there will be no “two-minute warning” nor another opportunity after the rapture.

In the next issue, if the Lord does not come before then, we shall examine some of the Scriptural arguments that support a pre-tribulation rapture.

Running the Race
HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE (in View of the Imminence of the Lord’s Coming)?

“A certain nobleman … called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:12,13). God has given every believer a spiritual gift to exercise and work to do (see Oct98, Jan99-Aug99). The time to serve the Lord is now! It won’t do any good to wait until after the Lord comes.

“For our [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). Would any of your friends recognize you as a citizen of heaven? (See Assignment 6)

“Be also patient, establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near” (Jas. 5:8).

Assignment 5: Write out a verse in 1 Thessalonians that shows that the believers were looking for the Lord to come while they were still alive.

Assignment 6: Write out three verses in Philippians 4 that tell how we should live in view of the Lord being at hand.

Foundations of Faith
THE END TIMES (I)

Do the horrible events of September 11, 2001 mean that the Lord is coming soon and that the end of the world is not far off? What is going to happen next? The Bible has quite a bit to say about the end times. In fact there is an entire branch of theology devoted to the study of what the Bible teaches about the end times:it is called eschatology. We will devote this and the next few issues of GROWING to a consideration of what is going to happen in the future to the believers, the unbelievers, and the earth. This will be followed by a study of heaven and hell according to the Scriptures.

Let us lay the groundwork by giving some definitions:

Rapture. A word commonly used in reference to the Lord’s second coming for the believers. This word, which means “being carried away,” is not found in the Bible, but captures the thought of being “caught up together … to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:13-18). Another word sometimes used for the second coming is “parousia” (par-ou-sea’-a) after the Greek word for “coming” in 1 Thess. 4:15 and elsewhere.

Tribulation. A seven-year period of God’s judgment upon the earth. The last three and one half years of this period are sometimes called “the great tribulation” (Matt. 24:21; Rev. 2:22).

Appearing. A word often used in Scripture to refer to the coming of the Lord to set up His millennial kingdom upon the earth (see 2 Tim. 4:8; Tit. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:7).

Millennium. The 1,000-year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ over the earth (Rev. 20:1-7).

The Beast. A wicked Gentile king or political leader who will head up the western world during the tribulation (Rev. 13:1-8,18; 19:19,20); also known as the “Little Horn” and the “Prince That Shall Come” (Dan. 7:26; 9:26).

The Second Beast. A wicked Jewish man who will pretend to be the promised Messiah and who will work hand in hand with the Gentile Beast (Rev. 13:11-15); also known as “Antichrist” (1 John 2:18) and the “False Prophet” (Rev. 19:20; 20:10).

The King of the North. An ambitious leader of nations to the north of Israel (Dan. 9:40-45) during the tribulation; probably the same as Gog, the political leader of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal (Ezek. 38, 39). Some think this refers to Russia; others think it is a federation of Islamic nations.

There are several different views held by evangelical Christians about the order of events in the end times. I shall present first of all the one that I believe fits most closely with Scripture. After that I shall outline some alternative views as to the end times that we may encounter when talking with other Christians.

Pre-Tribulationism. The following ordering of events places the rapture at the very beginning of the end times, before the tribulation; thus this is referred to as Pre-Tribulationism:

1. The rapture occurs, removing from the world to heaven all true, born-again Christians as well as raising up and giving new bodies to all believers who have died in ages past, including those of Old Testament times (see Heb. 11).

2. With the salt and light influence (Matt. 5:13-16) of Christians removed from the world, evil personages including the Gentile and Jewish Beasts and the King of the North will quickly take charge of the world.

3. While there will be no second chance for Christ-rejectors in this present age, God will raise up believers and evangelists during the tribulation period among those who had never heard the gospel before. There will be believers from all of the original 12 tribes of Israel (Rev. 7:4-8) along with “a great multitude” from “all nations” (Rev. 7:9-17).

4. There will be intense persecution of believers, horrible wars centered in Israel, and severe judgments from heaven upon the entire earth for the seven-year tribulation period.

5. The Lord will return, this time with the large company of His raptured and resurrected saints, to set up a 1000-year reign of peace and righteousness upon the earth (Isa. 11:1-9; Rev. 20).

6. At the end of the 1000 years there will be a final outbreak of rebellion against God, followed by the judgment of the wicked before God (Rev. 20:7-15).

7. The heavens and earth will be cleansed of all evil and renewed for habitation of God’s people for eternity (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 11:15; 21:1).

Mid-Tribulationism. The rapture occurs at the middle of the seven-year period of tribulation. This view is in part based on linking the sounding of the seventh trumpet during the tribulation (Rev. 11:15) with the “last trump” of the rapture (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16).

Post-Tribulationism. The Church will go through the Great Tribulation; the rapture will occur at the end of the tribulation period. The saints caught up to be with the Lord will immediately return with Him to the earth to set up the 1000-year reign. This view is based on equating the coming of the Son of man, “immediately after the tribulation,” to “gather together His elect” (Matt. 24:29-31) with the accounts of the rapture in Paul’s epistles (1 Cor. 15:51-54 and 1 Thess. 4:13-18). (See Assignment 4)

Partial Rapturism. This is a modification of Pre-Tribulationism. Only those who are actively looking for the Lord’s coming will be raptured (based on 2 Tim. 4:8; Heb. 9:27; Rev. 3:21).

Post-Millenialism. The Scriptures that speak of the great tribulation were fulfilled in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem; the millennium will be ushered in by the efforts of the Church; afterward, Christ will come and reward His own, judge His enemies, and establish the new heavens and new earth.

Amillenialism. This view is similar to Post-Millenialism except there is no millennium during which Christ will reign over the earth. Those who hold this view and the preceding one do not distinguish between the nation of Israel (God’s chosen people in the Old Testament) and the Church (God’s called out ones in the New Testament).

Comment. The scope of this publication does not permit a detailed comparison of these various views concerning the Lord’s coming. Please write the editor for more information.

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture view will be discussed in more detail in the next issue.

Running the Race
Assignment 4: Read Matt. 24:29-31 and 1 Thess. 4:13-18. In What ways are these two passages similar? In what ways are they different?

Foundations of Faith
THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST (II)

As noted in the previous issue, one of the benefits of the ascension of Christ into heaven is that He is now our High Priest, Intercessor, and Advocate. We now examine these aspects of Christ’s present work on behalf of His own.

Christ became “a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make [propitiation] for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered being tempted, He is able to [help] those who are tempted (Heb. 2:17,18). “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a High Priest who cannot [sympathize] with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:14-16). This High Priest “ever lives to make intercession for those” who “come unto God by Him” (Heb. 7:25,26).

The role of the high priest of Israel in the Old Testament was to offer the animal sacrifices necessary to keep the people in a close relationship with God and make it possible for the people to approach God with all their needs. All of these sacrifices pointed forward to the one perfect sacrifice offered by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. That perfect sacrifice has been offered; the Offerer is risen and ascended into heaven. On the basis of that sacrifice of Himself, Christ as our great High Priest helps and encourages every believer to “come boldly unto the throne of grace … in time of need.”

Many of our needs relate to our trials and temptations. Christ Himself “suffered being tempted.” How so? In the wilderness He was hungry (Matt. 4:2). In the garden He was “in an agony” and His “soul [was] exceeding sorrowful” (Luke 22:44; Matt. 26:38). Before and on the cross He was falsely accused, wrongfully condemned to death, forsaken, denied, mocked, spit upon, slapped, beaten, stripped, nailed, and taunted by man, and then forsaken by God (Matt. 26:56-27:50). Oh, how He suffered—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—far more than we can imagine! So whenever we are tried, tested, or tempted—because of pain, ill-ness, bereavement, depression, loneliness, financial problems, hurtful or difficult people, false accusations, or whatever—we are invited to bring those needs to the throne of grace. There we will find a merciful High Priest who knows perfectly—from His own personal experience—what we are going through, and thus knows perfectly how best to help us in our time of need.

Let us be careful to note that these passages are only referring to so-called “holy temptations,” those that come from outside of us. Christ cannot sympathize with our lusts, sins, and failures. For those we need Christ as our Advocate (see below). But when we are oppressed with trials and temptations, our merciful High Priest helps and strengthens and encourages us to depend upon Him; thus He keeps us from anger, fear, impatience, retaliation, or other sinful responses to our trials.

“If any man sin, we have an Advocate with [or literally, toward] the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:1,2). “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever:even the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16,17,26). The words “Advocate” and “Comforter” are exactly the same in the original Greek. That is why the second passage says “another Comforter.” We are blessed with two Advocate-Comforters—the ascended Christ and the Holy Spirit. An advocate or comforter is literally one who comes along side to assist us.

While the work of Christ as High Priest is largely to keep us from sinning, the work of Christ as Advocate is to direct our hearts back toward the Father if we do sin. How does Christ carry out this work? By reminding us that “He is the propitiation for our sins” (see Feb97), that is, by reminding us of how much He suffered for us on the cross for our sins. Such a reminder shames us, humbles us, leads us to confess this fresh outbreak of sin, and results in our restoration to communion with God our Father. (See Assignment 2)

Is there a difference between the work of the ascended Christ as Advocate-Comforter and that of the Holy Spirit as Advocate-Comforter? The work of the Spirit is to remind us of the teachings of Christ (John 14:26) and the things pertaining to Christ, including His Person and work (John 16:14, 15). So it would seem that these activities of the ascended Christ and of the Holy Spirit go hand in hand with each other.

In Jan02 we noted that one of the blessings of Christ’s ascension is the blessed hope that He is coming back to take His waiting people home with Him in heaven. This plus other themes relating to the end times will be topics of consideration in upcoming issues of GROWING.

Running the Race
HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE (in View of Christ as Our High Priest, Intercessor, and Advocate)?

God’s purpose for His sons is that we should “be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29). If our risen and ascended Christ is presently occupied with keeping us from sinning and restoring us if we do sin, is this not also a worthy occupation for each of us in our associations with our fellow believers? “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14) “Love covers all sins” (Prov. 10:12).

Assignment 2: (a) Write out a verse in Matthew 26 that illustrates the high priestly activity of trying to keep another person from sinning. (b) Write out a verse in John 21 that illustrates the advocate-like activity of restoring a sinning person to the Lord.

Assignment 3: Write out one verse each in Matthew 18, Galatians 6, and 1 Thessalonians 5 that point out our responsibility to help others not to sin and to restore sinners to the Lord.

Foundations of Faith
THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST (I)

Studies of the Person and work of Christ, including His deity, humanity, sinless perfection, sufferings, atoning death, and resurrection can be found in the Jun94-Oct94 and Dec96-Mar97 issues of GROWING. A further feature of the work of Christ not covered earlier is the ascension of the risen Christ to heaven and His ongoing activities there for us.

For a period of 40 days, the risen Christ “showed Himself alive” to the disciples “by many infallible proofs,” and spent time “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:2, 3). During this period He was seen several times by His disciples as well as by over “500 brethren at once” (1 Cor. 15:4-7), a powerful testimony to the fact of His resurrection. Christ also encouraged His disciples (John 20:15-17,27-29; 21:4-19), taught them from the Old Testament Scriptures “the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:29,44-46), commissioned them to preach the gospel among all nations (Matt. 28:19, 20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; John 20:21; Acts 1:8), and asked them to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5). Finally, with His disciples watching, Christ ascended into heaven.

Were the disciples depressed or grief-stricken at the departure of their beloved Lord? No, we read that they “returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God” (Luke 24:52, 53), and “in prayer and supplication” (Acts 1:14). They eagerly anticipated what their ascended Lord had in store for them, and they were not disappointed.

Not just the 120 early disciples (Acts 1:15), but believers in Christ ever since have been greatly blessed by the ascension of Christ to heaven.

1. Christ ascended that He might enter “in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Heb. 9:12). This contrasts with Old Testament times when the priests were required every year (on Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement) to bring the blood of a sin offering into the innermost room of the tabernacle, the most holy place. Christ’s ascension signifies that the work of redemption is truly finished and fully accepted by God. This means there is nothing left for us to add by our own efforts and works. Christ has done the whole work necessary for our salvation. All we have to do is reach out, with the empty hands of faith, and receive God’s eternal salvation as a free gift (Eph. 2:8, 9; see Apr97 and May97). Then, and only then, will we be truly able to do good works, for they will be produced by the Holy Spirit and flow out of gratitude and appreciation to our precious Saviour for all that He suffered on the cross for our sakes (2 Cor. 5:14,15; Eph. 2:10; Tit. 2:11-14).

2. Christ ascended that He might send the Holy Spirit to dwell in the hearts of the believers. “The Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). “The Father … shall give you another Comforter … the Spirit of truth…. He dwells with you and shall be in you” (John 14:16, 17). Many Christians say that life would be so much better if we could have Christ living with us day in and day out as the 12 disciples did. However, when Christ was on earth He was limited to being in one place at a time. In contrast, the Holy Spirit is with and in every believer in the whole world at all times. The many blessings of the indwelling Spirit have been discussed previously (Nov94-Apr95). (See Assignment 1)

3. Christ ascended that He might give spiritual gifts unto men. “When He ascended up on high, He … gave gifts unto men…. He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:8-12; see Jan99-Aug99). This relates closely to #2 above, being one of the blessings of the Holy Spirit. It is singled out here because of its specific connection with the ascension of Christ.

4. Christ ascended that He might “be Head over all things to the Church.” The apostle Paul prayed that “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” would show the believers “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.” It is the same power that raised Christ “from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion … and gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph. 2:15-23). The Church, the body of Christ made up of all true believers in Christ (Jul98), exists today because of the ascension of Christ. It is always well to keep in mind that the Head of the Church is alive and seated with His Father in heaven. This means that every movement of the body of Christ is to be subjected to the direction and leadership of the Head of that body. The body is not left on its own to devise its operating principles; its Head has provided us with an instruction Book. Also, the Head, in anticipation of His death, resurrection, and ascension, has told us, “where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20).

5. Christ ascended that He might become our High Priest, Intercessor, and Advocate in order to help us to deal with the trials and temptations of this life. (This will be expanded upon in the next issue.)

6. Christ ascended in order to prepare a place for us so that we might be with Him and enjoy Him forever. “I go to prepare a place for you, and … I will come again and receive unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2, 3).

7. Christ ascended that He might be crowned King of kings in preparation for His return to set up His kingdom upon the earth for 1,000 years. “I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He who sat upon him was called Faithful and True … the Word of God…. And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations and … rule them with a rod of iron…. And He has … a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:11-16). (#6 and #7 will be considered in more detail in later issues this year, should the Lord tarry.)

Running the Race
Assignment 1: Write out a verse in Acts 2 that links Christ’s ascension into heaven with the sending of the Holy Spirit.

Assignment 2001-17: Here are the remaining questions of a review quiz based on the 2001 issues of GROWING. Please refer back to the indicated issue when answering each question.

10. (Oct.) The October issue presents five different theories as to the timing of the creation events in Genesis 1. Select one of these theories and give at least one argument in its favor and at least one argument against it.

11. (Nov.) Give two arguments in opposition to the theory that the universe, life, and man came into existence totally by chance.

12. (Dec.) Give two arguments in opposition to the theory of macroevolution.

Foundations of Faith
CREATION (VI)

Macroevolution. As noted in Nov01, Darwin and others observed only microevolution in action. They observed birds, plants, and micro-organisms showing minor adaptive changes in response to a changed environment as well as more substantial changes in response to breeding programs. These scientists then made a tremendous leap:they hypothesized that over the course of millions of years multitudes of small changes would accumulate so that new species and even new families, new orders, and new phyla of animals and plants would be formed. These large changes are called macroevolution.

There are many problems with macroevolution. One is that it is not supported by the fossil record. While evolutionists believe that birds evolved from reptiles, there are a great many fossils of fully formed reptiles and birds, but no fossils of the hundreds of intermediate forms required by Darwin’s theory.

A second problem with macro-evolution has to do with the nature of mutations. Sometimes when living cells are reproducing a gene may not get copied exactly right. This is called a mutation. If this occurs in reproductive cells, the offspring may have a characteristic that neither of the parents possessed due to the mutation. It has been observed by scientists that the vast majority of mutations are harmful (such as producing a disease). For macroevolution to work, however, in every step of the evolutionary pathway (say from a reptile to a bird) there must occur a helpful, beneficial mutation.

A third problem with macroevolution is that of understanding how the intermediate forms could have survived and prospered. Imagine the evolution of a lizard into a bird. The lizard’s forelegs would have to become much longer (to develop into wings), its bone density would have to decrease greatly (to make flight possible), its leathery skin would have to change into feathers, among many other major changes. Now try to picture a lizard that, over millions of years, has evolved half the way to becoming a bird. It is neither a lizard nor a bird. It is now lacking some of the features that made it possible to survive as a lizard, and doesn’t yet have the features that would make it possible to fly and survive as a bird. That such a creature would be able to survive and reproduce itself for millions of years while evolving into a bird sounds more like survival of the “misfits” than of the “fittest”!

These are not simply the mocking expressions of a creationist. Here is a quotation by the foremost evolutionist, Ernst Mayr, in his book Systematics and the Origin of Species:“It must be admitted that it is a considerable strain on one’s credulity to assume that finely balanced systems such as certain sense organs (the eye of vertebrates, or bird’s feathers) could be improved by random mutations…. However, the objectors to random mutations have so far been unable to advance any alternative explanation that was supported by substantial evidence.” Is this science, or is this faith in a different kind of creator, the god of Chance? (See Assignment 16)

Punctuated Equilibrium. In the past two or three decades, more and more evolutionists have been withdrawing their support of Darwinian evolution. A number of alternative theories have been proposed, the most popular being that of punctuated equilibrium. This theory does away with the hundreds of tiny changes proposed by Darwin and requires very large and sudden changes, such as a lizard giving birth to a bird. Of course there is not a shred of evidence supporting this. But it illustrates the lengths to which evolutionists will go to avoid acknowledging a Creator.

Intelligent Design. While many books still refer to evolution as “a fact,” there is movement among evolutionists today toward acknowledging that there must at least be an “intelligent designer” who has directed the evolution. (This is somewhat similar to “theistic evolution” mentioned in Nov01.) The following books might be helpful to read and share with the teachers of evolution at your school:(1) Darwin’s Black Box by Michael Behe, (2) Evolution:A Theory In Crisis and (3) Nature’s Destiny, both by Michael Denton, and (4) Darwin on Trial by Phillip E. Johnson.

It is important to understand that scientists have defined “scientific evidence” in such a way as to exclude anything that is supernatural, or cannot be explained by natural happenings. If the scientists were honestly to compare all of their scientific knowledge against two theories-the theory of evolution by time and chance and the theory of creation by a Supreme Being-I believe that the creation theory would fit much, much better with the evidence. But the scientists will not permit such a test to take place with the argument that Divine creation is “unscientific.”

Much, much more could be written about these matters, but it all boils down to this:Will you believe in eternal Matter and omnipotent, omniscient Chance, or in the eternal, omnipotent, omniscient Creator-God?

Running the Race
Assignment 16: Write out at least one verse in 1 Corinthians 15 that might be used as an argument from the Bible against macroevolution.

Assignment 17: The following is a review quiz based on the Year-2001 issues of GROWING. Please refer back to the indicated issue when answering each question.

1. (Jan.) What made Jesus angry? Write out some verses that describe His anger.

2. (Feb.) Write out verses to describe three examples of sinful anger.

3. (Mar.) Write out three verses that give us Biblical instruction concerning anger.

4. (Apr.) Briefly describe three ways that a Christian might deal with the problem of sinful anger.

5. (May) What do the following classes of Christians need: (a) babes in Christ; (b) young believers; and (c) spiritual fathers?

6. (June) What does it mean to “know Christ”?

7. (July) Write out verses that state (a) how and (b) why God created the universe.

8. (Aug.) On the second day God made the firmament or expanse; write down three ways in which this benefits mankind.

9. (Sept.) Write down three ways in which the fourth day of creation benefits mankind.

The remaining three parts will be given in Jan02 GROWING.

Foundations of Faith
CREATION (V)

How did our universe, the galaxies, the planets, earth, life, and man come into being? As noted in Jul01, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth…. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psa. 33:6-9).

Our school books, however, give quite a different story. It goes something like this:About 15 billion years ago a super-dense ball of matter exploded, scattering clouds of hydrogen and helium in every direction; gravitational forces caused these gases to be drawn together into stars and stars into galaxies; various other forces caused the hydrogen and helium atoms to combine to form larger atoms, like oxygen, carbon, iron, and many others; large clumps of these heavier atoms spun off the stars to form planets; on at least one of these planets, the action of lightning and other strong forces caused some of the hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen atoms to combine to form various amino acids and nucleotides; unknown forces caused the amino acids to unite together in long chains to form proteins and enzymes and the nucleotides to join together to form DNA (the stuff that makes up genetic material); then somehow or other, the DNA, proteins, and enzymes all got together in exactly the right way to form a living, reproducing cell. At this point, the biologists and evolutionists pick up the story and tell us that the early one-celled organisms, progressively changed into multi-celled organisms, and then into plant and animal creatures of increasingly greater complexity, until finally the highest being of all—man—appeared.

Now this is a most amazing story, because most scientists will tell us—with a straight face, mind you— that the two mysterious powers driving the immense changes from chaos to ever-increasing magnitudes of order and complexity are … Time and Chance! Yes, they say that given enough time all these wonderful things will happen randomly or by pure chance. As noted in Oct01, we all have observed that everything, left to itself without human or divine intervention, tends to run down, decay, and deteriorate. I confess that I haven’t cleaned out the tool shed under the front porch for several years. Is it self-cleaning? Alas, no! Spider webs on the walls, decaying leaves on the floor, garden tools in disarray. Do I see change from chaos to order? No! Change from order to chaos? Definitely!

The Evolution of Life. A scientist named Stanley Miller is a hero among those who worship the gods of Time and Chance. Several decades ago he devised an experiment that showed that by heating the gases methane, ammonia, and cyanogen in the presence of water and an electric spark, which produces ultraviolet light, many different chemical compounds are formed. He found in these preparations nearly all of the amino acids found in all living things. But in spite of many attempts since then to carry these results to the next step, no scientist has found a “natural” way of combining these amino acids into proteins, crucial building blocks of life. Furthermore, no scientist has yet been able—even with great intellectual effort—to “create” a living cell out of non-living chemicals.

But suppose that a simple protein should be formed by chance, what then? An isolated protein does not represent life. A living cell consists not only of suitable proteins but of strands of DNA that make it possible for those proteins to be replicated to form a new cell. The DNA has to be precisely matched with the protein in order to reproduce it exactly. So for that first living cell, not only was it necessary for one or more proteins to be formed by chance but also for the exactly corresponding DNA chain to be formed by chance at the exact same time and place. What is the probability of such a thing occurring by chance? Evolutionists Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe have recently calculated this probability—or the probability of life evolving by chance from non life—to be of the magnitude of 1/10^40,000 (that is, one chance out of the number 1 followed by 40,000 zeros). Hoyle says that a living organism emerging by chance from a soup of chemicals is about as likely as that “a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein.”

The Bible says that God is the source of all kinds of life (Genesis 1, 2). Which takes more faith? To believe that a Divine Creator brought life into existence by His own wisdom and power, or that life spontaneously evolved from non life over the course of 100 million years?

Evolution and Natural Selection. The theory of evolution states that all living things on earth are here as a result of descent, with modification, from a common ancestor. Charles Darwin in the 19th century proposed a mechanism to explain how evolutionary change takes place. This mechanism—natural selection or “survival of the fittest”—is the cornerstone of the theory of evolution.

Darwin observed what he presumed to be the outcome of evolution in his study of the finches of the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. He noted that variations in beak size, body shape and other anatomical features among the finches conformed to variations in climate and vegetation on the different islands. (Something similar is going on whenever drug-resistant strains of viruses and bacteria appear.) Darwin also was impressed with the great variations that could be obtained with artificial selection—such as the breeding of dogs (from Chihuahua to St. Bernard), livestock (for milk, wool production), and crops (for yield, disease and drought resistance). (See Gen. 30:25 43.)

What Darwin observed, and what we observe in plant and animal breeding and in microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics, is micro-evolution. There may be large differences among different breeds of dogs … but they are all still dogs. No one has ever been able to breed a non-dog from a dog. A new strain of the “staph” bacterium that is resistant to penicillin is still the same species, Staphylococcus aureus.

Running the Race
Assignment 15: Write out at least four verses in Genesis 1 that show, or at least imply, that species of plants and animals are fixed and do not change into other species.

Foundations of Faith
CREATION (IV)

We could easily take up the next several issues of GROWING with a consideration of the many wonders and beauties of God’s creation. But let us conclude by listing just a few of the many evidences found in the universe that point to a Creator-God.

1. The high degree of order of our universe, given that all things, left to themselves without human or divine intervention, tend to run down, decay, and deteriorate.

2. The balance between gravitational force and electromagnetic force in stars:if the strength of gravity were altered by one part in 10^40, all stars would be either red dwarfs or blue giants and suns supporting planets with life could not exist.

3. The holding together of the nucleus of the atom. Except for hydrogen atoms, each atomic nucleus has two or more positively charged protons along with neutrons. Just as the positive poles of two magnets repel each other, so the protons in a nucleus will naturally repel each other. Unless there is an extremely strong force holding the nucleus together, the nucleus will fly apart. Physicists have no idea what holds the nucleus together, but they have invented a term for it:the “strong nuclear force.” I suggest that Christ Himself is the strong nuclear force, for the Bible says that “by Him all things [hold together]” (Col. 1:17).

4. Surface tension of water (why water rises from roots to tops of trees).

5. The multi-step blood clotting system (why clotting stops once the open wound is “bandaged” and does not keep on clotting until the arteries are completely clogged).

6. The body’s immune system (how the human body is prepared at a moment’s notice to produce zillions of just the right kind of antibodies to attack an invading army of viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms).

There are a number of different theories held by Christians as to the timing of the creation events described in Genesis 1. These include the gap theory, the young universe theory, the young earth old universe theory, the day-age theory, and the theistic evolution theory, among many others. A description of each of these theories and arguments both for and against each one will now be presented. The writer does not find any of these theories totally satisfactory—either scientifically or scripturally—and believes we may have to wait until we are able to talk to the Creator in person before we can know for certain which—if any—of these theories is correct.

The Gap Theory. The creation of “the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1) may have taken place billions of years ago—as claimed by scientists. There may have been plant and animal life on the earth during this time. Something—possibly the fall of Satan —caused the earth to be totally covered by water (Gen. 1:2). Then in six literal days about 6,000 years ago God reformed the heavens and the earth specifically for the creation of man in His own image (Gen. 1:3-27). A verse in Isaiah (45:18) is used to argue that God did not originally create the earth in the condition described in Gen. 1:2. However, if we consider Isa. 45:18 in its context, this may not be an appropriate interpretation. A stronger argument for the Gap Theory comes from the Hebrew structure of Gen. 1:1,2:The past tense is used in the first two verses while the present tense is used in the rest of the chapter, suggesting a break between the initial creation of “the heaven and the earth” and the six days. Historically, the Gap Theory is said to have been formulated in the early 1800’s to accommodate claims by geologists that the earth is billions (rather than thousands) of years old. However, to the writer’s knowledge, there is little scientific evidence to support an earth previously filled with plant and animal life but becoming “without form and void” about 6,000 years ago.

The Young Universe Theory. Gen. 1:2 describes the state of the earth immediately after God formed it and the six literal days of creation tell how God shaped and populated the earth. Contrary to claims by scientists, the universe is only a few thousand years old. All of the geological formations, fossils, and fossil fuel deposits can be explained by the world-wide flood of Gen. 6-8. Those who promote this theory discount the carbon-14 and other dating methods used by scientists, saying these methods are based on unprovable assumptions. (However, their own theories are also based upon unprovable assumptions.) They also claim that God created the universe with merely an appearance of great age some 6,000 years ago. Some object that this theory portrays God as a deceiver.

The Old Universe, Recent Creation of Life Theory. This is kind of a cross between the first two theories; it allows for a universe and earth billions of years old but no life on earth prior to the six days of Genesis 1 about 6,000 years ago. Again, fossils and fuel deposits are explained by the flood.

The Day-Age Theory. The six days in Genesis 1 represent six long periods of time, each period marked by God’s direct formation and creation of new heavenly and geological features and new life forms. One argument for this theory is that the events of the sixth day (Gen. 1:26-31; 2:19-22) seem to cover much more than 24 hours. It is also argued that the Hebrew word for “day” is sometimes used in the Old Testament for long periods of time (such as Prov. 4:18; Eccl. 7:14; Isa. 2:11, 12); however, such use is infrequent. Also, the repeated use of the expression, “and the evening and the morning were the third day,” in Genesis 1 would seem to argue against this theory.

An argument sometimes made for the Recent Creation of Life Theory and against the Gap and Day-Age Theories is that “by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin” (Rom. 5:12). The opposing argument is that the next phrase specifically applies this to the death of man:“death passed upon all men.”

The Theistic Evolution Theory. God created the universe with a built-in program that would bring about by so-called “natural causes” the formation of chemical elements, heavenly bodies, planets, life, and ultimately man.

Running the Race
Assignment 14: (a) What arguments, if any, can you think of in favor of the Theistic Evolution Theory? (b) What arguments, if any, can you think of in opposition to this theory?

Foundations of Faith
CREATION (III)

The Third, Fifth, and Sixth Days— Dry Land and Three Kinds of Life. On the third day God caused dry land to appear by fashioning the earth into hills and valleys. Then He caused the earth to bring forth plant life. This life-form consists only of “body.” Plants do not have souls. They can respond to physical and chemical stimuli such as light and water, but cannot think.

On the fifth day we find the second occurrence of the word “create”:“And God created great whales and every living creature [or literally, soul] … and every winged fowl” (Gen. 1:21). All of the elements of plants are in common with the elements of the dust of the earth; therefore we don’t read of God “creating” the plants, that is, forming them out of nothing (see Aug01). But the soul was something totally new, and therefore was “created.” Both animals and man have souls, by which they think, learn, remember, and express emotion.

On the sixth day we find the third occurrence of the word “create”:“God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them” (Gen. 1:27). Here again is something new. The animals, while they have souls, were not created in God’s image; only man was. While the word is not used in Genesis 1, that which distinguishes man from animals is possession of a spirit. The attributes of the spirit include reasoning power, creativity, conscience, responsibility, moral qualities, and ability to know, believe in, and communicate with the invisible God. Biologists have defined basically two kingdoms of life—the plant kingdom and the animal kingdom. But God clearly shows us in Genesis 1 that there are three kingdoms of life— plant, animal, and man. (See Assignment 13)

The Fourth Day-Sun, Moon, and Stars. On the first day God called light into existence, without specifying the source of that light. What may have occurred in the fourth day was the adjustment of the heavenly bodies to the optimum arrangement for habitation of the earth by man. Let us consider some features that God has given to this universe of galaxies, stars, sun, moon, and earth that make it possible for life to exist and for man to live comfortably.

First, what relationship between the earth and the sun determines the length of a day? It is the time it takes for the earth to make one rotation on its axis-24 hours. Have you ever thought about the value and importance of the rotation of the earth? It is God’s way of providing the light and heat of the sun for a part of each 24-hour day for every part of the earth. Also, if part of the earth were continually facing the sun it would become unbearably hot, just as the part continually away from the sun would become unbearably cold.

Second, what determines the length of a year? It is the time required for the earth to make one complete revolution around the sun-about 365 1/4 days. God set the earth in motion around the sun at precisely the correct speed to balance the centrifugal force of the revolving earth against the gravitational force of the sun. If its speeds were slightly greater, the earth would fly off into outer space; if slightly less, it would be pulled into the sun. Is it not evidence of God’s creative power and genius that not just earth but eight other planets as well maintain regular, predictable orbits around the sun? Could this have happened by chance? Surely “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Psa. 19:1)!

Third, what determines the change of seasons from spring to summer to autumn to winter? It is the 23 degree tilt of the earth’s axis with respect to the sun, along with the revolution of the earth about the sun, that determines the seasons. If the Earth’s axis (that is, the imaginary line running through the earth from the North Pole to the South Pole) were perpendicular to the sun while the earth revolved around the sun, then the entire earth would always experience the first day of spring or the first day of autumn. While that may sound pretty good to some of you, note that on the first day of spring in northern Minnesota a few years ago it was -15 degrees F. (-26 degrees C.)! So once again, we can be thankful to our all-wise God who has designed the movements of the earth to provide a very large part of the earth with comfortable weather as well as a climate suitable for growing crops for a substantial part of the year.

Let us make another observation in connection with the seasons. The earth’s orbit around the sun is not circular but slightly elliptical. This means the earth’s distance from the sun varies through the year. Now at what part of the year do you think the earth is closest to the sun? I would have guessed summertime too, but that is not the correct answer. The earth is closest to the sun (91.4 million miles) in early January and farthest from the sun (94.6 million miles) in early July each year. What does this mean for man? Again I believe that God designed the orbit of the earth around the sun to maximize the survivability and comfort of man and the growing season for crops for the earth as a whole. With a circular orbit, it would get even hotter in the summer and colder in the winter than it does now.

Now some clever reader may observe that this arrangement is all well and good for us who live north of the equator. But how about those poor folks who live in the southern hemisphere? For them, the earth is closest to the sun in their summer season and farthest from the sun in their winter season. Once again the perfect wisdom of God shines out. If we look at a map of the world we see that there are vast land masses in the northern hemisphere north of the 30th parallel (all of Europe and most of North America and Asia), while in the southern hemisphere there is very little land south of the 30th parallel. So the lands that need it the most-because farthest from the moderating ocean breezes-benefit most from the earth’s elliptical orbit about the sun.

“And God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day” (Gen. 1:18, 19). As we learn more about the marvelous universe that God has created for man, how we can echo, with worship and praise, those words, “It was-and still is-good.”

Running the Race
Assignment 13: (a) Write out a verse in Romans 8 about God communicating with the human spirit. (b) Write out a verse in 1 Thessalonians 5 that distinguishes between soul and spirit.

Foundations of Faith
CREATION (II)

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). The word “create” in this verse means to form something out of nothing. How does the big bang theory—that a dense ball of matter exploded into the universe—fit in with Gen. 1:1? There is a superficial similarity between the two in that both state that the universe suddenly came into existence. However, the big bang theory says that everything we see in the universe evolved from the initial explosion by chance over a long period of time, whereas Genesis 1 makes it clear that the Creator-God was very actively involved in it all.

Some scientists naively think that with the big bang God is removed from the picture. They must, however, explain how the matter got there in the first place. Some think they can get around this by appealing to Einstein’s equation, E=mc2. This equation states that small amounts of mass (m) can be converted into a tremendous amount of energy (E) (such as in a nuclear explosion) because of the great speed of light (c). Turning the equation around, all that is needed for the big bang to occur is a vast amount of energy. However, the scientists are still in a bind because they cannot explain where all that energy came from. (We can, though, can’t we, by appealing to the omnipotence of God.) Still other scientists claim, with a wave of their hands, that matter and energy are eternal and self-existent, so the necessary ingredients for the big bang have always been around. But they have only replaced the personal Creator-God with an impersonal matter-energy-god. They worship their god as much as we Christians worship our God.

There is another problem with the big bang if God is left out of the equation. Have you ever seen the results of an explosion? What is it like? Do brand new buildings and automobiles and new varieties of trees and animals suddenly appear that were not there before the explosion? No, all you see is ruin, rubble and devastation. So how does the tremendous explosion of the big bang happen to produce such a highly ordered and beautiful universe?

Genesis 1 describes for us what God did on each of six days of creation. He could just as easily have done it all in one day or one split second; perhaps He spread it out to help us meditate with awe and wonder upon the details of what He did. Let us consider some of the highlights of what happened on each of the six days of creation.

The First Day—Light. There was light on the First Day, even though the sun, moon, and stars are not mentioned until the Fourth Day. God is the source of all light—both physical and spiritual. Are you walking in the spiritual light of God’s Word and will for you (1 John 1:7)? Those who love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (John 3:19) will be rewarded with “outer darkness” (Matt. 8:12; 22:13) for eternity.

The Second Day—Firmament. God inserted an atmosphere of air between water on earth and water in the clouds. Do you remember the composition of air? It is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen plus a mixture of other gases. This composition is ideal for man; a higher concentration of oxygen would result in many spontaneous explosions, while a smaller concentration would not be enough for people who live in places like Mexico City that are nearly two miles above sea level. What is the nitrogen in the air used for? Interestingly, while the human body has a great need for nitrogen (an important element in protein), our bodies are totally incapable of extracting nitrogen from the air. Rather, we are de-pendent upon tiny “nitrogen-fixing” bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia and nitrates that are incorporated into plants. When we eat the plants or eat the animals that have eaten the plants, our bodies get the needed nitrogen to make protein.

We also find on the Second Day the development of a most marvelous water distribution and purification system. Water evaporates from the oceans and is carried in clouds by the wind thousands of miles inland where it falls to the earth as dew and rain. Furthermore, the process of evaporation provides pure water, leaving the salt and pollutants behind in the oceans. It sure beats building long irrigation canals and large desalination (that is, salt-removal) plants, doesn’t it! (See Assignment 11)

Speaking of water, this common substance that we take so much for granted is one of the most wonderful parts of God’s creation. You may be thinking of how much fun it is to go swimming, surfing, or boating in the water, or to watch the sun rise or set over the ocean. Others may think of how refreshing it is to drink an ice-cold glass of water on hot day or a cup of hot tea or coffee on a cold day. Still others may appreciate the cleansing powers of water. But what is particularly wonderful and unique about water is that its solid state-ice-is lighter than its liquid state. What is so special about this? For one thing, there is no other known substance that has this property of being less dense when frozen than when liquid. But of tremendous practical importance, this is why ice forms on the top of lakes and rivers-where the hot sun can melt it in the Spring-rather than at the bottom where the sun would never reach it. If water were like every other liquid, most of the water on earth would be permanently frozen into vast beds of ice at the bottom of the oceans. Did the formation of water “just happen” as a random outcome of the big bang, or does it point to an all-wise Creator-God? (See Assignment 12)

CONGRATULATIONS!

Four of our readers completed all 28 (16 regular plus 12 review) assignments for 2000:Drew Johnson (Pennsylvania), John Hope (Virginia), Lori Spielman (Pennsylvania), and Juliet King (Nigeria). Also, the following (all from Nigeria) completed the assignments for previous years:Gabriel Akagwu (1996), Richard Unutaire (1997), Joseph Amusak (1998), Ojukwu Jonah (1998), and Juliet King (1998, 1999).

Running the Race
Assignment 11: Write out a verse in Ecclesiastes 1 that refers to the water cycle, and a verse in Job 38 that points to God’s role in watering the plants.

Assignment 12: Write out a verse in Job 38 that speaks of ice being lighter than water, and a verse in Psalm 147 about the power of God to melt the ice.

Foundations of Faith
CREATION (I)

After spending over a year considering issues of Christian living and spiritual growth, let us return to our study of the basic doctrines of Scripture. In a few months we will be taking up Biblical teaching concerning the end times. But before that let us go way back and consider what the Bible teaches about the beginning of time.

What majestic and powerful opening words are these for the book we call “The Bible”! But how can we know for sure that this description of God’s creation of “the heaven and the earth” wasn’t just the poetic expression of some ancient person’s imagination?

1. One answer to this question takes us back to the very first issues of GROWING (Feb93-May93) in which we considered many different evidences for the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. God does not give us permission to pick and choose the passages of Scripture that suit us (such as those about love and tolerance and how others should treat me), and reject others that speak of the infinite power of God and His authority over His created beings.

2. The Biblical account of creation is not confined to Genesis 1 and 2. There are at least 44 distinct references in 12 Old and 12 New Testament books to the creation of the world or universe by God:

Gen. 1,2; 5:1,2; 9:6; Exod. 20:11; 31:17; Deut. 4:32; 1 Chron. 16:26; Neh. 9:6; Job 33:4; 38; Psa. 8; 19:1-6; 33:6-9; 90:2; 96:5; 102:25; 104:2-5; 148:5; Prov. 8:27; Isa. 40:22; 42:5; 44:24; 45:18; 51:13-16; Jer. 32:17; Amos 4:13; Matt. 19:4,5; Mark 13:19; Acts 17:28; Rom. 1:20; 11:36; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16,17; 1 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 1:2,3,10; 4:4; 11:3; 2 Pet. 3:5; Rev. 4:11; 10:6. (See also Assignment 10 for additional references.) (See Assignment 9)

3. There is evidence outside of the Bible that provides a measure of agreement with the teaching of Genesis 1. According to The New Encyclopedia Britannica (1987 edition), the writings of most ancient cultures of the world include accounts of the creation of the earth, and many of these refer to creation by a supreme being. Though the precise nature and characteristics of the creator deity differ from culture to culture, most speak of this deity as being all wise and all powerful, and having a definite plan of creation in mind (rather than creating on a trial-and-error basis).

4. A fourth, and probably most important, basis for accepting the truth of Genesis 1:1 is given to us in the New Testament:“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb. 11:3). There is no way we can prove absolutely that the universe was created by a supreme being, so ultimately we must accept by faith that the testimony of the Scriptures is true. (It might be noted that neither can scientists prove that the universe was not created by God or that the universe evolved over long periods of time purely by chance; therefore the creed of most scientists is:“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by chance out of eternal matter.”)

1. Who brought everything into being? Why God did, of course! But the point of the question is to affirm the involvement of the entire Trinity-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-in creation. (See Assignment 10)

2. How did God do it? Did it require tremendous effort on His part? No, but “by the word of the LORD were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth…. He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psa. 33:6-9). Notice how often in Genesis 1 we find the expression, “And God said, Let….” We find that same power residing in the Lord Jesus when He simply “speak[s] the word” to heal the centurion’s servant (Matt. 8:8, 13), “Lazarus, come forth [from the grave]” (John 11:43).

The fact that “God … rested on the seventh day” (Gen. 2:2) doesn’t mean that He was all tired out from His work of creation. Rather it signifies that the work of creation was complete.

3. When did God create “the heaven and the earth”? This very controversial question among Bible-believing Christians will be considered in a future issue of GROWING.

4. Why did God create the universe, the earth, and man? Some people have the idea that God created man because He was lonely. But given the eternal fellowship enjoyed mutually by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we can be sure that God was never lonely. Therefore, God did not need to create. This fact makes it all the more wonderful that God, in fact, did create man in His own image, and did make it possible for finite, sinful man to be brought into a close relationship with the infinite, personal, holy God by His grace. But more than this, we can be sure that God created all things for His own glory. “Bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the ends of the earth; for I have created him for My glory” (Isa. 43:6, 7; also 60:21; 61:3). “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things:to whom be glory for ever” (Rom. 11:36).

5. What then? Once the work of creation was complete, did God retire and let the universe run by itself? Not at all:“For by Him [Christ] were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth … and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist [or subsist, or hold together]” (Col. 1:16, 17). “God … has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son … by whom also He made the worlds … upholding all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:2, 3). God has not only put the universe together, He also actively keeps it from disintegrating into nothingness.

Running the Race
Assignment 9: In Job 38 the LORD asks Job a number of questions because Job has been questioning His goodness and justice. Find and write out three verses from this chapter that make a statement (rather than ask a question) about the LORD’s creative works.

Assignment 10: Write out a verse in Malachi 2 and one in 1 Corinthians 8 that speak of God the Father as Creator; a verse in John 1 that speaks of God the Son as Creator; and a verse in Genesis 1 and one in Job 26 that speak of God the Holy Spirit as Creator.

Foundations of Faith
SPIRITUAL GROWTH (II)

In the previous issue we noticed the apostle Paul’s desire to know Christ. What is involved in knowing Him? Just as “all Scripture … is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction” (2 Tim. 3:16), so knowing Christ involves these same three elements.

1. Doctrine. Knowing Christ, first of all, involves learning about Him (1 John 1:1), His Person and work, primarily as revealed in the Gospels.

2. Reproof. Knowing Christ involves recognizing areas of our lives that are contrary to His commandments, words, ways, and walk. “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk even as He walked” (1 John 2:6).

3. Correction. Knowing Christ involves bringing our lives, attitudes, responses, and ways into agreement with His holy life. This does not mean simply that we make outward changes in our behavior, such as attending all the meetings of the assembly or legalistically saying “I am going to stop doing this and start doing that.” It involves deep inward changes in our whole way of thinking. It involves finding Christ more and more attractive, resulting in the things of earth losing their attraction to us. It involves a growing sensitivity to the mind and will of Christ.

This matter of spiritual growth is not something we do by ourselves, in our own strength. Rather, God gives us all the power and encouragement we need for this growth through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, for it is the Holy Spirit who ministers Christ to our souls (John 16:13-15; Eph. 5:18; Phil. 1:6).

4. Knowing Christ involves experiencing the joy of communing with Him, walking with Him, pleasing Him, trusting Him, responding in the way He would, learning and doing His will, and serving Him. The more we are occupied with Christ, the greater our motivation for wanting to know Him even better.

5. Knowing Christ involves longing to know Him in ways we cannot know Him here below. “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death” (Phil. 3:10). Note in this verse that the ideal path to getting to know Christ the best of all involves suffering and perhaps even death for His sake (see also Phil. 1:29; Col. 1:24).

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).

“Till we all come … of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).

“God would make known … Christ in you, the hope of glory; whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col. 1:27,28).

“We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

As noted above, our knowing Christ involves bringing our lives, attitudes, responses, and ways into agreement with His. Christ’s life as recorded in the Gospels serves as the perfect example for the devoted Christian to follow (John 13:14, 15; Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Pet. 2:21, 22; 1 John 2:6). Previously in GROWING (Aug94) we have listed some of the things we learn about Christ in the Gospels, including His purity of heart and life, His attitudes in various circumstances of life, His actions, His responses to those who opposed and mistreated Him, His responses to man’s sin, and His work. It is an immensely profitable study to go through the four Gospels and notice how the Lord Jesus lived His life and responded in a whole variety of situations. What a challenge it is to each one of us to seek to live our daily lives as Christ lived His. Let us be learning continually to ask ourselves, “What would Jesus have said or done in these circumstances?” and “What can I do to please and glorify the One who humbled Himself for my sake?”

The following evidences of spiritual growth in the Christian are based on verses that include the Greek word teleios, meaning “perfect,” “full-grown,” or “mature”:

1. Having love, even for one’s enemies (Matt. 5:44-48; Col. 3:14).

2. Acknowledging one’s own weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

3. Having well-exercised spiritual perception with discernment of good and evil (Heb. 5:14).

4. Separated from unholy alliances and cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1).

5. Able consistently to discern God’s will (Col. 4:12).

6. Like-minded with other mature Christians (Phil. 3:15; contrast 1 Cor. 3:1-4). (See Assignment 8)

7. Desiring even greater maturity (Phil. 3:12, 13).

Running the Race
WHY SHOULD I BOTHER?

“Why should I bother trying to grow spiritually? I want to enjoy earth now; I can enjoy Christ when I get to heaven.” Have you ever had questions and thoughts like these? Consider the following parable:

Fifty world-class chefs have gathered from around the world to engage in a competition. You have won a free ticket to a buffet consisting of the most special creations of these chefs. On the way to the buffet you pass a McDonald’s Restaurant. You think, “I don’t know what the buffet will be like. Maybe it will just be stuff like caviar, brains, and cauliflower. I think I’ll go to McDonald’s instead.”

Some Christians may have thoughts like that about heaven. “In case there is no tennis, Scrabble, Internet, videos, or (fill in the blank) in heaven, I want to make sure I get my fill here on earth.” What they do not realize is that the least of heaven’s joys will far exceed the best that this world has to offer. Furthermore, if we are truly saved, we will want to bear fruit (John 15:1-5), give evidence of our faith (Jas. 2:14-26), and grow to be more like Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). “The love of Christ constrains us … that [we] should not … live unto ourselves, but unto Him who died for [us] and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14, 15).

Assignment 8: Write out verses in James 1 and 3 and 1 John 4 that give evidences of spiritual “perfection” (or full growth and maturity).

Foundations of Faith
SPIRITUAL GROWTH (I)

When my grandson was two years old, often the first thing he would say when he came to our house was, “Play cars.” He could spend hours on end playing with cars. When he was five, he said, “I don’t think I will ever get tired of playing cars, do you?”

Do you still like to play with matchbox cars or dolls? Would you like to retain the body of a 2- or 5-year-old? How about the mind and level of intelligence of one?

Probably most, if not all, of our readers would not want to go back to the body and mind of a child. But how about your level of spiritual growth? Are you happy with where you are right now? Are you content with just being saved and no more, with preserving your childlike faith, with remaining a spiritual baby the rest of your life?

The Bible never suggests that it is normal for a believer in Christ to remain a spiritual infant. Thus, we need to ask ourselves these three questions:(1) “How much have I grown and matured spiritually since I first trusted Christ?” (2) “How much more do I have to grow to be conformed to the image of [God’s] Son (Rom. 8:29)?” and (3) “How can I narrow the gap between where I am and where I ought to be?” Let us see what we can learn about what the Bible teaches us about the spiritual growth of the Christian.

The apostle John writes to three classes of Christians according to their level of spiritual maturity:little children, young men, and fathers (1 John 2:13-27). Let us consider each of these classes, both what they have and what they need.

Little children—what they have:“You have known the Father” (2:13). Similarly:“You have received the Spirit of adoption [or sonship], whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15, 16). Even newborn babes in Christ quickly learn to know the blessed position they have as children of their heavenly Father. Here are some ways God relates to us as Father (May94):

1. He has affection for us, is our Friend (John 16:27).

2. He instructs us in holiness by allowing us to experience trials and testings (Heb. 12:5-11).

3. He keeps us safe and secure for all eternity (John 10:29).

4. He answers our prayers (Matt. 6:9; 7:11; John 15:16).

5. He reveals to us His will for our lives (Matt. 12:50; 16:17).

Little children—what they need:“Even now are there many antichrists…. He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:18, 22). The babes in Christ, because they are not yet grounded in the teachings of the Word of God, are particularly vulnerable to false teaching, such as the following:

1. Jesus is a good man and a great prophet, or the highest created angel, but is not God.

2. Jesus is God, but is not human.

3. The Holy Spirit is not a Person but just an influence.

4. Satan is a myth.

5. There is no life after death.

6. The universe and all that is in it came into being by chance.

The little children need to be established in the basic teachings of the Bible, especially concerning the Person and work of Christ. Our passage tells us that the Holy Spirit— “the anointing”—is equal to the task of “teach[ing] us of all things” (2:27). The Spirit often leads an older Christian to take the little child under his/her wing and encourage the learning of the Scriptures (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15).

Young men—what they have:“You are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one” (2:13, 14). This, linked with what the little children need, means that the young men have learned the basic teachings of Scripture so that they are not in danger of accepting the false teachings that Satan—“the wicked one”—places before them.

Young men—what they need:“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world…. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (2:15, 16; see Jun00). Even though this class of “young men” know the Scriptures well, they are not fully walking according to them in faithfulness to the One who loved them and gave Himself for them (Gal. 2:20). Their focus is not yet entirely on the Lord Jesus Christ. His power, glory, creation, incarnation, humility, love, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension into heaven, intercession for us, and coming again do not yet fill and thrill the hearts of these redeemed ones.

Fathers—what they have:“You have known Him who is from the beginning” (1 John 2:13). Who is this? The apostle tells us at the opening of his Epistle that this One is the Lord Jesus Christ “who was from the beginning, whom we have heard,… whom we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life” (1:1-3).

The fathers have what the young men yet lack—a whole-hearted attraction and commitment to their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. They no longer struggle with “the lust of the flesh.” They have found Christ to be far better than the glitzy but empty attractions of the world, the “lust of the eyes.” all of these. They have become sufficiently “conformed to the image of” God’s Son that they recognize and judge the subtle “pride of life” that once controlled them. The apostle Paul’s desire, “that I may know [Christ]” (Phil. 3:10), is surely the expression of a spiritual “father.”

Fathers—what they need:“You have known Him who is from the beginning” (1 John 2:14). This is exactly the same as the statement in the previous verse of what they fathers already have. Therefore, all the fathers need is to “keep on keeping on.”

While the apostle John presents three classes of spiritual maturity, I would suggest that there are not strict lines separating these three classes. Just as physical growth follows a continuous pattern, so does spiritual growth. Likewise, just as one’s body weight may rise and fall, depending on how much and what we eat, or being afflicted with certain illnesses, so one who has become a “young man” may regress back to a “little child” if he stops studying the Word of God, and a “father” may return to being a “young man” if he gets his eyes off Christ.

Running the Race
Assignment 7: Write out some of the ways you have grown spiritually since you became a newborn (born-again) child of God.

Foundations of Faith
ANGER (IV)

It is easy to say, “Stop your sinful anger,” but many people, including Christians, really struggle with the problem of uncontrolled anger. It may seem like the anger just flashes out before the person knows it is happening. What advice can we give to such people?

1. First of all, take an inventory of all the excuses you have made for your anger problem. Do you say, “That’s just the way I am,” or “That’s the way God made me,” or “I’m only human,” or “I’m just a sinner like everyone else,” or “All the males in my family get angry,” or “I have a short fuse but I get over it quickly,” or “I often wake up on the wrong side of the bed”? Not a single one of these excuses is valid, because as a Christian you are a new creation in Christ:“Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). Confess your excuse-making to the Lord, and don’t make excuses any more. (See Assignment 6)

2. Do not justify your anger as being righteous unless you can properly, scripturally distinguish between righteous anger and sinful anger (see Jan01 and Feb01).

3. Check your thought life. Do you often have angry thoughts toward certain people? Does your mind go through scenarios in which you are engaged in an angry argument with someone? When this happens, do you catch yourself, confess your sin to God, and ask Him to help you to deal with that person in a loving, Christ-like way? “Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry” (Eccl. 7:9).

4. Memorize Phil. 4:8 and meditate upon it often. When you find yourself having angry, vengeful thoughts about a person, replace them with thoughts of that which is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy about the person. For example, instead of thinking about spreading falsehoods or evil reports in vengeance against that person, think rather about that person’s character traits that are virtuous or worthy of praise. “Whatsoever things are lovely” means those things that tend toward making friends. So replace your thoughts of anger with thoughts about how you and the other person can become better friends.

5. Memorize Matt. 5:44:“Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, etc.” We may not think of applying this verse to a family member who has irritating habits and behaviors. But if we are to love and bless and do good to those who are our sworn enemies, how much more ought we to do these things to those who are our close friends and loved ones!

6. If you have a problem with angry words “popping out” before you know it, pay attention to whether this ever happens when you have company over, or are in the presence of other Christians in the assembly or your next door neighbor or your boss at work, or while you are talking on the telephone with the director of the local gossip society. If you can control yourself under certain circumstances, then you can control yourself in all circumstances by keeping in mind that if you are God’s child the entire Trinity dwells in you (Rom. 8:9, 11; 1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 3:17; 2 Tim. 1:4; 1 John 4:12,15,16). Surely we want to have self-control in the presence of our blessed Saviour. The “fruit of the Spirit is … temperance [or self-control]” (Gal. 5:22, 23); we are not slaves to the lack of self-control that is part of our old, sinful nature.

7. Just keeping the anger bottled up inside us is not the solution to our problem. This will tend to create other problems such as stress, depression, and physical illness. You need either to turn the whole thing over to the Lord and let Him deal with it, or else in a prayerful, loving, Christ-like manner go to the person with whom you are angry and seek to resolve the problem. “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21). J.N. Darby wrote, in connection with this verse, “Let not my bad temper put you in a bad temper.” And George Washington Carver said once, “I will never let another man ruin my life by making me hate him.”

8. In Psa. 76:10 we read, “Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee:the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain.” What does this mean? God turns man’s wrathful fury into ultimate blessing for man. Nowhere is this better seen than at the Cross of Calvary. Also, there is a saying that goes something like:“The persecution of the saints is the seed of the Church.” Satan and man have joined together in repeated attempts to destroy God’s people from off the face of the earth. But the Scriptures assure us that God puts great limitations upon man’s wrath. He will only permit that which will ultimately bring praise and glory to Himself; the rest He will restrain.

An implication of this verse is that God permits the anger and sinful behaviors of men and women as tests of faith for His own people, just as the unjust charges brought against Job by his so-called “comforters” turned out to be a bigger challenge to Job’s faith than the loss of all things brought about by Satan’s hand. When the Lord tests His own, it is in view of our passing the test in the strength and ability that He gives to us. So, let us consider those things or people that cause us to become angry to be tests from God. And let us remember that “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tested above that you are able; but will with the testing also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

Running the Race
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY (III)

The third most frequent response to a question posed to young people, “What makes you the angriest,” was “people who are proud, arrogant, and display a superior attitude.”

Like the other behaviors that make this group of young people angry, pride and arrogance are sinful (1 Sam. 2:3; Prov. 8:13; Isa. 13:11). It is well to analyze why these attitudes make us angry. Is it because those who profess to be Christians are dishonoring the Lord by such behavior? Then perhaps our anger will lead us prayerfully to speak a word to awaken them to their sinful behavior.

But maybe it is our own pride and high thoughts of self that cause us to be irritated at another’s display of pride and superiority. “In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Phil. 2:3).

Assignment 6: Write out verses in Genesis 3, Exodus 32, and 1 Samuel 15 in which people make excuses for their sinful behavior.

Foundations of Faith
ANGER (III)

We most often think of people losing their temper, blowing up, shouting, etc. But there are other ways. Here is an example from 1 Ki. 21:1-4:“Ahab spoke unto Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs…. And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto you. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased … and he lay down upon his bed and turned away his face and would eat no bread.” Ahab was angry because he wasn’t getting his own way even though he was king. He didn’t blow up in anger; rather he went off and pouted, perhaps became depressed. It is said that depression often results from suppressed anger—not always, but often. Much of what people today call “stress” is due to going on day after day with suppressed anger and holding grudges.

Another way anger is manifested is the silent treatment. Some people realize deep down that losing one’s temper is wrong, so they express their anger by being silent, not communicating with the ones who make them angry. I once read about two sisters who lived together in the same house. They had a falling out, and lived the last 20 years each keeping to her side of the house, and never once speaking to the other. How awful! How stressful!

Then there are those whose motto is:“I don’t get angry; I just get even.” Surely that is wrong:“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord” (Rom. 12:19, 20). A variation of this is using cutting or mocking words. I remember a high school teacher who, when a certain boy misbehaved in class, called him “Butterball.” If, in our anger, we attack or make fun of the person (in this case, the physical appearance of the person) rather than using the energy derived from our anger to attack and resolve the problem (in this case, his misbehavior), then we are really taking vengeance into our own hands.

We are to be angry, but without sinning. “Be angry and sin not:let not the sun go down upon your wrath:neither give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:26, 27). We considered this in the Jan01 issue.

We are to be slow to anger. “He who is slow to wrath is of great understanding” (Prov. 14:29). “Love suffers long [or is long-tempered] … is not easily provoked” (1 Cor. 13:4, 5). (See Assignment 4)

We are to stop our sinful anger. “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:fret not yourself in any wise to do evil” (Psa. 37:8; also Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8). In the next issue we shall return to this very important question of how to deal with our problem of anger.

We are to consider the effects and consequences of our anger. “A wrathful man stirs up strife” (Prov. 15:18; also 27:4; Heb. 12:15; Jas. 1:20). “Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” (Matt. 5:22).

We have the privilege of passing over some transgressions. “The discretion of a man defers his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression” (Prov. 19:11). Before you lash out at another person for a trivial misdeed (like squeezing the tube of toothpaste in the wrong place), pray! Ask God and ask yourself if it is worth bringing conflict and disharmony into your relationship with the other person over such a matter as this. Also ask God to remind you of the many times the other person has passed over your transgressions. And don’t forget your Saviour who suffered for your transgressions instead of taking vengeance upon you (1 Pet. 3:18).

Christ, besides praying for His tormenters (Luke 23:34), was very patient with His disciples:“There was also a strife among [the disciples], which of them should be accounted the greatest.” The Lord had just instituted the remembrance feast with His disciples. He had just asked them to remember Him, and already they are arguing among themselves which of them should be accounted the greatest. I think the Lord would have been fully justified in giving all of His disciples a sound thrashing for their selfishness … but He didn’t. Rather He gently gave them more ministry.

Likewise, the apostle Paul might rightly have rebuked the Philippians for engaging in petty conflicts, but instead he gave them (and us) the wonderful ministry of Phil. 2:5-11 concerning the humility and subsequent exaltation of Christ Jesus. (See Assignment 5)

How we are to deal with other people’s anger. “A soft answer turns away wrath” (Prov. 15:1; also Matt. 5:44).

We are to avoid stirring up anger in others. “Grievous words stir up anger” (Prov. 15:1). “Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21). If a member of our family has an anger problem, the other members should be much in prayer and in the Word to discover any behaviors on their part that may be helping to kindle the anger of the other. This does not at all excuse one’s anger. “The devil made me do it” or “my parents drove me to anger” doesn’t cut it with God. But at the same time, the more reasons and excuses we can remove from the path of angry persons, the greater the possibility of helping those persons with their problem of anger.

Running the Race
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY? (II)

The second most frequent response to a question posed to young people, “What makes you the angriest,” was “people who gossip about me behind my back.”

While whispering and backbiting are sinful (Rom. 1:29, 30), we cannot keep others from doing this. If they are gossiping about your sinful behavior, then repent and change your behavior. If they are gossiping about things you cannot change-such as looks or personality-the suggestions given in the previous issue may help. If they are gossiping about your Christian testimony, rejoice (Matt. 5:11, 12)! You are in good company (Psa. 22:7; 69:12).

Assignment 4: Write out verses in Proverbs 15 and 16 and James 1 that tell us to be slow to anger.

Assignment 5: (a) In Num. 20:1-12, how did Moses’s response to the people’s sin differ from the LORD’s response? (b) How does this passage illustrate Prov. 19:11?

Foundations of Faith
ANGER (II)

In Part I of this series, we learned that some of us need to learn to be angry-that is, to express righteous anger in the appropriate situations. However, before any of us is qualified to express and act upon righteous anger, we must be absolutely certain that we can properly, scripturally, differentiate between righteous anger and sinful anger.

In the previous issue it was noted that there are over 40 people, or groups of people, reported in the Bible as having sinful anger. There are various reasons for these people’s anger:

Cain was angry at his brother Abel because of envy (Gen. 4:5,6). God accepted Abel’s offering and not Cain’s. There is no evidence that Abel had done anything personally against Cain. It was a simple matter of wounded pride on the part of Cain.

Jacob was angry at his wife Rachel because she complained to him about not giving her any children (Gen. 30:2).

Simeon and Levi were angry at Shechem for violating their family honor (Gen. 34:7).

Moses was angry when the Israelites complained about having no water (Num. 20:10,11).

Balaam was angry at his donkey when it didn’t go where he wanted it to go (Num. 22:27).

Balak was angry at Balaam because Balaam didn’t do what Balak had hired him to do (Num. 24:10).

Asa was angry at the prophet Hanani for rebuking him (2 Chron. 16:10).

Namaan was angry at Elisha when told he would have to wash in the Jordan River in order to be cleansed of his leprosy (2 Ki. 5:11).

Haman was angry at Mordecai because Mordecai did not bow down to him (Esth. 3:5).

The older brother was angry at his father for treating his prodigal brother so kindly (Luke 15:28).

Herod was angry at the wise men because they did not tell him where he could find the child Jesus (Matt. 2:16). (See Assignment 3)

Let us try to summarize the categories of reasons behind these people’s anger. If we were able to interview these people in the Bible and ask, “Why were you angry?” here is what they would have said (if they had been honest):

1. I’m being treated unfairly.

2. I’m being blamed for something that is not my fault.

3. I or my family haven’t been treated with proper respect.

4. That person didn’t do what I wanted him to do.

5. That person dared to tell me that I was wrong.

Notice how each of these reasons has a strong element of self and pride in it. Furthermore, the anger of several (Cain, Balaam, Balak, Asa, Naaman, Haman, and Herod) was directed at one who was simply doing what God wanted him to do. These examples in the Bible should give us much pause the next time we are about to blow up at someone.

There are also examples in the Bible in which sinful anger was directed at a person who had sinned:

Esau and Jacob. Jacob had lied to his father, and Esau responded by plotting to kill his brother.

Jacob and Rachel. Rachel was sinfully complaining, and Jacob lashed out at her in anger rather than suggesting they pray together about it.

Simeon and Levi. Shechem had raped their sister, and Simeon and Levi got even by massacring all of the men in the village.

Moses and the Israelites. The people were sinfully complaining against God and Moses responded with anger rather than letting God deal with the people in His way.

If a person sins against me and I respond in anger, does the fact that it is a response to sin automatically make my anger righteous? Not necessarily. In each of these examples there is evidence of wounded pride; the anger is not used to make a godly appeal to the person to repent of his/her sin, but to attack and/or get even with the sinner. Here are reasons why I ought to be slow to anger when I think that someone is sinning against me:

1. My thinking may be wrong; I may have misunderstood or misinterpreted the person’s words or actions; thus my anger would be totally wrong.

2. My thinking may be correct, but if my anger is expressed only for the purpose of punishing the person, it is wrong, because I am to leave vengeance in the Lord’s hands (Rom. 12:19).

3. “The discretion of a man defers his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression” (Prov. 19:11). Christ is our example in this, as already mentioned.

All are familiar with Peter’s angry denial of Christ when people kept insisting that they recognized him as a disciple of Jesus. The people were right and Peter was lying to them. So why did he get angry? As a means of control, I suggest. The situation was getting out of control, and he feared for his life. So he used anger as a means of getting the people to back off. This is a very common use of anger-for controlling other people and getting them to do what I want them to do. There is no Scriptural support for this:it is a result of pride and selfishness through and through.

Running the Race
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY? (I)

In response to a question posed to young people, “What makes you the angriest,” the most frequent response was “people who are mean, harass me, or make fun of me.”

Is it wrong to be angry when people are mean to us? How did the Lord Jesus respond when people were mean to Him? He always took it meekly and silently and prayed for the mean people, didn’t He? And He tells us to do the same (Matt. 5:44).

When people make fun of us, it often means that they have problems in their life. Maybe by seeing you get angry they feel less guilty about their own anger. When people are mean or make fun of you, try gently, lovingly asking them why they are doing it and if they would care to talk about what is “bugging” them or going on in their life.

Assignment 3: (a) Why were King Saul and his son Jonathan angry in 1 Samuel 18 and 20? (b) In each case was it righteous or sinful anger? (c) Write out an incident in which you expressed sinful anger.

Foundations of Faith
ANGER (I)

Do you ever get angry? If so, you have lots of company. I recently polled about 75 young people on the question, “What makes you the angriest?” Only one respondent denied getting angry. Is it wrong to get angry? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. We will try to sort this out in this series of articles.

This topic is slightly out of place. No doubt it should have appeared prior to the Oct00 issue of GROWING. The problem of anger has been mentioned a few times previously in GROWING, but it is such a widespread and serious problem, even among Christians-young and old alike-that it merits special consideration in this publication. Anger destroys marriages. Anger alienates parents and children. Anger has led to physical assault and murder. Road rage maims and kills.

The problem is not new. There are nearly 500 verses in the Bible with the words “anger,” “wrath,” “bitterness,” and related words, and there are over 40 people, or groups of people, in the Bible who are reported to be angry.

There is one Person whose anger is referred to in the Bible more often than that of all others put together:God. Why is God angry so often? Here is just one of many examples:”You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people that are round about you (for the Lord you God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you and destroy you from off the face of the earth” (Deut. 6:14,15). Some Christians seem to be embarrassed by the frequent references to the anger and wrath of God; but we need to remember that God is a holy God (Nov93) and hates sin and must judge sin; that is why He had to send His own Son to bear His holy judgment against sin.

There are basically two kinds of anger-righteous anger and sinful anger. There are at least three reasons we can know that some kinds of anger are not sinful:(1) God has anger and we know that God does not sin; (2) Jesus Christ when here on earth sometimes displayed anger and we know that He never sinned; and (3) we Christians are commanded to “be angry” (Eph. 4:26).

How can we tell the difference between righteous anger and sinful anger? Let us consider the examples of Jesus’ anger:”He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse Him…. And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He said unto the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it out:and his hand was restored whole as the other” (Mark 3:1-5). Jesus was angry because of the people’s hypocrisy. They were very happy to be able to have whole bodies and be able to use their hands and feet properly on the Sabbath day; but their hearts were so hardened that they were more interested in having an opportunity to find fault with Jesus than seeing this man’s body made whole like their own. Jesus was angry because of their pretended concern for the Sabbath of Jehovah-God and their corresponding lack of concern for those whom God loved.

In Matthew 23:23-31 we have another example of Christ’s anger when He openly denounced the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. They pretended to be religious while carrying around many very sinful attitudes and behaviors. One more example is found in John 2:13-16 where we read of Jesus overturning tables and driving out merchants from the temple. By selling animals for sacrifice at the temple, the religious leaders pretended to be promoting proper religious activity, while actually it was a front for gouging the public and enriching themselves.

Note that in each of these examples, Jesus’ anger was not in response to being personally offended or hurt. On the occasion of man’s greatest personal offenses against Him, when they wrongfully condemned Him to death by crucifixion, consider His responses:”He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth” (Isa. 53:7; see also 1 Pet. 2:23). “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). He was angry, rather, because of the way they misrepresented God by their pretended love for God’s law and lack of love for God’s people.
The Bible describes others who had righteous anger. Potiphar’s anger toward Joseph (Gen. 39:19) was righteous based on his wife’s testimony; sadly, her testimony was false. (See Assignment 1)

There is a place in our lives for righteous anger. Christ is our example. We do well to respond with anger when we hear or read of men or women who bring reproach upon God or Christ or the Holy Scriptures or God’s people, or who grossly misrepresent the Bible or God.

But what are we to do with our righteous anger? Just vent it and go on to something else? No! God created us with the capacity for anger for a reason. Anger spurs us to action, to defense, or to attack. There is a physiological response in anger that gives us heightened clarity of mind and increased strength. It is given to us to use to deal with the sin against God or against a fellow human being that we have just observed. So, as with any other problem, we first take it to the Lord in prayer (if even for a split-second). Then we act upon the Lord’s direction and strength in seeking to rescue a person from a verbal or physical attack, or in speaking or writing strongly to the sinning person.

Our anger stirs us to action. That does not mean that we attack the person, using nasty language and the like. We use anger to attack the problem rather than the person. So we try to get them to see how they have reproached or misrepresented God by what they have said or done. (See Assignment 2)

Before any of us is qualified to express righteous anger, we must be certain that we can properly, scripturally, differentiate between righteous anger and sinful anger. This will be considered in the next issue.

Running the Race
Assignment 1: Why was Moses angry in Exodus 32, and why was Elihu angry in Job 32?

Assignment 2: Describe a situation in your life in which you expressed righteous anger.

Foundations of Faith
GETTING THE POWER AND VICTORY OVER SIN IN OUR LIVES (II)

The Nov00 issue concluded by presenting the struggle described in Romans 7 :”The good that I would, I do not; but the evil that I would not, that I do” (7:19). There is no lack of knowledge here of God’s Word and God’s will. The problem is that the believer described here often behaves and acts and speaks contrary to God’s Word and will. And he knows it! He hates it! He cries out, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death ?” (7:24).

Have any of you, my readers, had such an experience? If so, that’s good. Why do I say that? Because it probably means that you are truly born again (Nov00) and possess the new nature (Oct00) since this struggle is between the old and new natures within us. I don’t know of any true believer in Christ who has not experienced this struggle.

With what kinds of behavior, habits, and attitudes do Christians struggle? Let us list a few:Losing one’s temper, sexual thoughts and lusts, worry and anxiety, impatience, irritability, pride, gossiping, jealousy and envy, and wasting time (watching TV, playing computer games, surfing the Internet, or reading novels). These are all sins of commission. People also struggle with sins of omission (Jun96), particularly, failure to share the gospel with those about us, failure to help people in need, failure to reach out to those who are lonely, suffering, or bereaved, and failure to read the Bible and pray every day.

The struggling person cries out, “O wretched man that I am!” He has tried the law and the law has utterly failed to help him, just as it utterly failed to keep the children of Israel following and obeying God. Is this because the law is not broad enough or its penalties not strong enough? No, “the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Rom. 7:12). The problem is that the law does not have any built-in power or motivation to help people to keep it. People who use the law as a rule of life tend to try to find loopholes and to concentrate on keeping their own favorite list of rules, to the neglect of others (Jun98).

The wretched man in verse 24, realizing the failure of the law to help him, asks, “Who shall deliver me?” Now the struggler is ready to seek the help of a Person. He is on the right track!

The solution is found at the beginning of chapter 8:”There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit- life in Christ Jesus- has made me free from the law of sin and death” (8:1,2). Why is “no condemnation” mentioned here in connection with holy living? Doesn’t it belong rather in chapter 3 in connection with the sinner’s deliverance from the penalty that his sins deserve? I believe it is brought in here as an answer to the believer’s struggle in chapter 7. When he sins, the believer who uses the law to get power over sin is condemned by that same law and is self-condemned. God’s solution, on the other hand, is one that is totally apart from condemnation (or judgment) of any kind. The wretched man has asked, “Who shall deliver me? and here the Holy Spirit answers, “Christ Jesus.”

Our Source of power and victory over sin in our daily lives is exactly the same as the One who has delivered us from the penalty that our sins deserved- the Lord Jesus Christ. We must read the Bible daily, growing in our knowledge of Christ and His eternal glories, His humility, His holy life, His obedience unto death, His immense sufferings for our sins, His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension back to the glory, and His coming again for us.

The law of the Spirit, which is life in Christ Jesus, provides the liberating power from the law of sin and death. Up to this point there had been but a single reference to the Holy Spirit in the Epistle to the Romans. mans. Now in chapter 8 there are 16
such references! What is the work of the Holy Spirit? It is ministering the things of Christ to us. He ministers to us Christ’s love, joy, peace, longsuffering, etc., and we respond to such ministry by producing the 9-fold fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Mar95). In proportion as we have Christ before our souls, we will find deliverance from sin and power to do God’s will in our daily lives.

Just so, when we see our fellow Christian heading down a path of sin, what should we do? Once we have pointed out his fault to him (Matt. 18:15; Gal. 6:1), we should minister Christ to his soul, reminding him of the Cross and all that Christ has suffered for his sake.

Let us conclude this topic by simply quoting a number of Scriptures that show us that the power to live holy lives comes from having our hearts set on Christ:

“As I have loved you, you also
love one another” (John 13:34).

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice…” (Rom. 12:1).

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:14).

“Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself” (Rom. 15:2,3).

“We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).

“For the love of Christ constrains us … that those who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14,1).

“Be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you. Be therefore followers of God as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God” (Eph. 4:3l-5:2,25).

“Our Saviour Jesus Christ … gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Tit. 2:10,12,14).

“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that does so easily beset us,… looking unto Jesus … who …
endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb. 12:1-3).

Running the Race
Assignment 16: Write out two passages in 1 Peter 2 that appeal to the grace or kindness of Christ and the example of Christ when speaking about Christian behavior.

Assignment 17: The following is a review quiz based on the Year 2000 issues of GROWING. Please refer back to the indicated issue when answering each question.

1. (Jan.) (a) On the first page of the Jan. issue there is an incorrect Scripture refernce (off by one chapter). Find the error and write out the passage with correct reference. (b) What lesson concerning prayer is illustrated by this passage?

2. (Feb.) What is meant by the verse, “O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness”?

3. (Mar.) Write out an example of how you have sacrificed for the Lord’s sake.

4. (Apr.) List five criteria that we must satisfy before we can know God’s will.

5. (May) (a) Write out some verses that describe how God may guide us through circumstances. (b) Write out another verse that tells us not to depend on circumstances in learning God’s will.

6. (June) (a) Which aspect of the world- lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, or pride of life gives you the most trouble? (b) Give an illustration of this in your life.

7. (July) (a) What is your most important goal in life? (b) Write out a Bible verse that shows that God, too, thinks this goal is important.

8. (Aug.) How can even teaching the Word of God sometimes become a worldly activity?

9. (Sept.) What scriptural priciples are given to us to guide us in borrowing money?

10. (Oct.) Write out two verses that refer to or describe the “old nature” and two that refer to or describe the “new nature.”

11. (Nov.) Write down four points from this lesson that tell what it means to be “born again.”

12. (Dec.) Write out two verses that give the key to victory over sin in our daily lives.

Foundations of Faith
GETTING THE POWER AND VICTORY OVER SIN IN OUR LIVES (I)

Let us once again look in on Mr. Ronson’s Sunday school class:

Mr. Ronson: Do any of you ever struggle with temptation and sin in your lives? (All but one raise their hands.) Beth, would you feel free to tell us about your struggles?

Beth: My mother told me that in order to go to heaven I had to make lots of changes in my life and reach the point where I don’t sin any more, and …

Mr. Ronson: Yes … and …

Beth (in tears): And … it’s so hard! I don’t think I’ll ever make it!

Bill: No, I don’t think you will make it, Beth, because none of us can be saved and go to heaven on the basis of our own efforts.

Mary: That’s right; the Bible says, “By grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8,9). Also, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Tit. 3:5).

Mr. Ronson: Thank you, Bill and Mary. Does that help you, Beth?

Beth: Yes, and maybe after the class you can tell me more about how to be saved.

Mr. Ronson: Fine, and for those of you who have been saving all your issues of GROWING, you should review the Jan97-May97 issues for God’s way of salvation. Now Bill, please tell us about your struggles.

Bill: I know that I am saved and have eternal life because I have put my trust in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16). I owe everything to Him and want to please Him and live for Him in return. But I still give in to temptation sometimes and I still do and say and think things I know are wrong. Is there anything I can do?

Bob (with a slight air of superiority): Bill, why are you concerned about all that. I am saved too and I know I am going to heaven. Remember what Mr. Ronson taught us last month:”Once saved, always saved” (Feb98-Apr98)? Don’t you see? Now that we are saved, we can just do as we please and sin all we like and it won’t make any difference!

What do you think, readers of GROWING? Is Bob correct in what he says? If not what can we say to help Bill? How about you? Do you struggle with temptation and sin? Are you trying to get the victory as Bill is, or are you-like Bob- happy to live your life yielding to temptation and wallowing in sin?

The apostle Paul knew people like Bob. In his presentation of the gospel, the apostle shows that the blessings brought to mankind by the obedience and death of Jesus Christ more than overcome the negative effects of Adam’s sin:”Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20; see Assignment 15). But there were some who took God’s grace and ran with it. They asked questions like this:”Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” (6:1). The apostle responded by reminding the believers of the meaning of their baptism:”Don’t you know that so many of us as were baptized unto Jesus Christ were baptized unto His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism unto death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (6:3,4). Whenever you are tempted to excuse your sin by saying, “I’m only human,” or “That’s the way God made me,” or “I can’t help it, I’m just a sinner like everyone else,” remember that these excuses are not valid anymore for a real child of God.

Have you been born again (John 3:3,7)? Do you know what it means to be “born again”? Yes, you are correct that it means you were lost and now are saved (Acts 16:31); you were spiritually dead and now have eternal life (Eph. 2:2; John 3:16); and you have been born into the family of God as His children (John 1:12). But there is more.

There are three words or expressions in the New Testament that give the truth of new birth. First, “You must be born again” (John 3:3,7), or literally, “born from above.” Second, “God … has begotten us again unto a living hope … being born again … by the Word of God” (1 Pet. I :3.23),. or literally, “born upward.” ” Third, “He saved us by the washing of regeneration” (Tit. 3:5). The only other use of the word translated “regeneration” in the New Testament is found in Matt. 19:28 where it refers to a whole new order of life. There it refers to Christ’s 1 ,000-year reign of righteousness and peace upon the earth (more about this in a later issue of GROWING). So we see that being born again denotes a totally new kind of life. “If any man, be in Christ, he is a new creation:old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5 5:17). So let us not excuse our sin by saying, “This is just the way I am,
I can\’t help it.” God has given us the power to live Christ-centered lives.

This goes hand-in-hand with the teaching of Romans 6 of our identification with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection. Our position now in Christ is “dead to sin” (Rom. 6:2); therefore let us “reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (6:1 1).

This all sounds very good, but how do we do it? how do we carry this out in our everyday lives? We want to live our lives on this higher, heavenly plane, in anticipation of being with our Lord and Saviour in heaven for eternity. But… we keep failing! We sing, “Jesus keep our feet from falling,” and then a few minutes later we fall again.

At this stage, many believers turn to the law for help. By “the law” I don’t mean necessarily the Ten Commandments, but any set of rules of living that I am trying to follow. I may try to remind myself of God’s justice and judgment in order to keep from breaking His commandments. I may tape the verse, “Be not deceived, God is not mocked:for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7) on my wall. I may ask another Christian to check upon me periodically and ask if I have been able to keep from yielding to temptation.

What is the outcome of this turning to the law. Here is how the apostle Paul describes it:”What I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I… The good that I would, I do not; but the evil that I would not, that I do” (Rom. 7:15,19).

Running the Race
Assignment 15: Write out four other verses in Romans 5, besides verse 20, that include the phrase, “much more.”

Foundations of Faith
THE BELIEVER’S TWO NATURES

In preparation for a discussion of getting the victory over sin, it would be well to consider the teaching of the Bible concerning the two natures that exist together in each believer in Christ.

“Nature” refers to the innate (that is, what we are born with) or essential qualities and tendencies of a person or thing. Since we who are believers in Christ have had a second birth, that is, have been born again (John 3:3,7), we therefore have two natures or two sets of moral qualities. We have one nature as born of Adam, and the other as born of God.

The first thing we need to point out is that the expression “the old nature” is not found in Scripture. The Scripture terms are “flesh” and “sin,” as in the following verses:

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6).

“It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me” (Rom. 7:17).

“I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing” (Rom. 7:18).

“With the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Rom. 7:25).

“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16).

“[Christ] was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin” (1 John 3:5).

The old nature is the sinful nature that Adam received when he disobeyed God’s commandment in the Garden of Eden, and which he passed down to the entire human race:”Adam … begat a son in his own likeness, after his image” (Gen. 5:3). “By one man [that is, Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12). So we received our old, sinful nature at the time of our natural birth, or perhaps even earlier. (See Assignment 14)

When we talk about the “old nature,” we are referring to “sin” (singular), not “sins.” The old nature or sin or flesh is the root that produces the fruit of sins or sinful actions. Some of the fruits (or works) of the old nature (or flesh) are:”adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like” (Gal. 5:19-21).

Again, this exact expression is not found in Scripture. The closest to it is “the divine nature,” and it is also called “the inward man” and “God’s seed”:

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4).
“I delight in the law of God after the inward man” (Rom. 7:22).

“Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).

“Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9; see Aug94 for application to the inability of Christ to sin).

Our new, divine, Christ-like nature was received at new birth or when we were born again:”That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). (In other words, we who were once “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1) are now spiritually alive by virtue of the new nature we have received. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). In addition to the fact that this new nature “cannot sin” (1 John 3:9), the Holy Spirit acts upon this Christ-like nature to produce in us “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Gal. 5:22,23).

The “old man” (Rom. 6:6; Eph. 4:21; Col. 3:9) seems to refer to the unsaved person who possesses only the old nature. The “new man” (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10) would be the saved person who, while still possessing the old nature, is characterized by the new nature and its deeds. “Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created him” (Col. 3:9,10).

As noted above, all of mankind inherited from Adam a sinful nature, and therefore death has come upon the whole human race. “But that’s not fair!” some will say (and have said). “Why should we have to suffer because of one man’s sin 6,000 years ago?” The Bible (Rom. 5:12-21) suggests that Adam, as the first man and head of the human race, was selected by God as a perfect representative of all mankind. God could have tested every descendant of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, all with the same sad results (Rom. 3:23). But instead of focusing on the results of Adam’s disobedience, we are invited to focus rather on the results of another Man’s perfect obedience. “As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19). Would it not be more appropriate to ask why the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross applies to people who had absolutely no part in that work? At least we can identify with Adam because we all are proven sinners. There is nothing in us, naturally speaking, that comes close to identifying with Christ’s holy, sinless life, His obedience unto death, or His perfect love and grace. And yet “the grace of God and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded unto many” (Rom. 5:15).

So this passage (Rom. 5:12-21) teaches us that just as the whole human race is identified with its head, Adam, by physical birth, so by new birth, and by receiving a new nature (the sinless nature that is in the Man Christ Jesus), every believer is identified with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of a new race, the “new creation.”

“The good that I would, I do not, but the evil that I would not, that I do” (Rom. 7:14-25). Most, if not all, true Christians will experience the struggle between the old and new natures described in this passage. We shall consider this struggle-and its solution-in the next issue of GROWING.

Running the Race
Assignment 14: Write out a verse in Psalm 51 that tells when we received our old nature.

Foundations of Faith
THE CHRISTIAN AND MONEY

In the preceding issues on “Knowing and Doing God’s Will” and “Not Conformed to This World” a few brief comments were made on how a Christian should handle money (Mar00-Aug00). In this issue we shall expand on some of the points already made and add some new ones.

Assignment 9 (Jun00) asks for verses in Luke 6, 16, and 19 that suggest that our money and possessions all belong to the Lord. Other verses confirm these:”The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine, saith the LORD” (Hag. 2:8; also Matt. 25:14-30; 1 Cor. 4:7; Col. 1:16). This means that the Lord wants us to be “faithful and wise steward[s]” (Luke 12:42), always seeking His will as to how we spend the money He has entrusted to our care.

We were reminded (Jul00) of the world’s philosophies that “this world is all there is,” and “you can’t take it with you.” However, the Bible tells us, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” rather than “upon earth” (Matt. 6:19-21). Even if you don’t do the GROWING assignments, you might spend a few moments thinking about Assignment 10:”Describe two (or more) ways in which a Christian can lay up his or her material ‘treasure’ (such as money or possessions) in heaven.”

Our natural tendency is to try to determine the least amount we can get away with in our giving to the Lord. Scriptural principles are these:(1) Under grace, we are free to give much more than the 10% that the Israelites were required to give under law. Our giving is to be “as God has prospered” us (1 Cor. 16:2), along with always keeping in mind the tremendous price paid for our redemption (1 Cor. 6:20). (2) Whatever amount or percentage of our income we give to the Lord, we must pray that we will honor and glorify God in the expenditure of every dollar that He entrusts to our care (1 Cor. 6:20; 10:31).

A common financial practice today is for an individual or family to obtain many credit cards, “max them out” quickly and keep them maxed out, and let the bank take the loss when we die. Now we, as Christians, may not actually set out to do this, but in our greediness, covetousness, and urgent need to “keep up with the Jones’s” (or other young couples in the assembly or at work), we may end up doing the same thing.

Here is what Scripture says:”Render therefore to all their dues:tribute … custom … fear … honor. Owe no man anything” (Rom. 13:7,8). When we borrow money from a bank or a credit agency, we contract to pay back a certain amount of the principal, along with the accrued interest, each month or week. As a minimum application of this verse, we should not allow ourselves to fall behind in our loan or mortgage payments, and thus violate the terms of the contract into which we have entered.

“Watch out, you who say, ‘I realize that my monthly payments already exceed my income, but I’m going to blow my current paycheck on the latest computer gizmo; if I get the new job I applied for, I’ll be okay’; but you do not know what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (Jas. 4:13,14; free modern-day interpretation by the editor). Putting the passages in Romans 13 and James 4 together, we see that we should never borrow beyond our ability at any time to repay to the fullest. Another way of expressing this is that we should not borrow money in order to purchase depreciating items. If we cannot pay the loan on our house or car, we can at least return the house or car to the lender. However, food, clothing, vacations, and many other items commonly put on charge cards cannot be returned to the lender.
“The borrower is servant to the lender” (Prov. 22:7). As Christians, we want to use the money and the time that God has given to us in such a way that we are free, when the Lord shows us a need, to reach out and meet that need. If we are “up to our eyeballs in debt,” even if we are able to keep up the monthly payments, we may-through having to work two jobs or not having any extra money to give away-be limiting God’s ability to use us in His service.

“[Lay] aside all … guile, and hypocrisies” (1 Pet. 2:1). In the present context, this means not pretending to a standard of living that we cannot afford. Let us be patient, content with the kind of house, furnishings, car, and clothing that we can easily afford, and save up (rather than borrowing) for newer and better things.

If we are trying “to keep up with the Jones’s,” consider two things:(1) the Jones’s themselves may have gone deep into debt to purchase their nice possessions; and (2) Christ is to be our example (John 13:15; Phil. 2:5; 1 Pet. 2:21), not the Jones’s.
Finally, let us consider the cost of borrowing-sometimes $100,000’s in interest over a lifetime; this is not “faithful and wise” stewardship.

“If you lend to those of whom you hope to receive, what thank have you? For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the children of the Highest” (Luke 6:34,35). This means that we as Christians are to lend as if we were giving our money away, not expecting repayment. It is not that we should refuse repayment if offered to us, but that we ought not to fret and worry and, particularly, harass the borrower if the payments have not been made on time.

Scripture is very clear on this point:Don’t do it! that is, unless you are fully able to pay off the loan yourself. “Be not one of those who … are sureties for debts. If you have nothing to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you? (Prov. 22:26,27; also 6:1-5; 11:15; 17:18).

If we want to be popular, or not lose our friends, we may be trapped into being surety for another. A young girl in college was befriended by a male foreign student who asked her to cosign a $5,000 loan. She did not have any finances to back her up and did not really know what she was doing. He skipped the country and she is still, several years later, strapped with paying off the loan.

Running the Race
Assignment 13: Read 2 Corinthians 8 and (a) write out a verse that shows the motivation for our giving to the needy, and (b) write out a couples of verses that suggest an upper limit on our giving.

Foundations of Faith
NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD (III)

In the last issue we considered some of the philosophies of the world or basic attitudes shown by people who do not know Christ as their Lord and Saviour. We continue with some Bible-twisting philosophies that are all too often expressed by Christians; then we conclude this series by focusing on issues related to sports and games.

If I sin, God will forgive me. This is a true, Biblical statement:”If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9). However, when professing Christians use this as a justification for entering into sin, this attitude is totally contrary to Scripture. “Shall we sin, that grace may abound? God forbid!” (Rom. 6:1,2).

Many years ago, I learned that a co-worker who professed to be a Christian and who attended a Bible study I was leading at work was living with her boy friend. I spoke to her about this. Her response was that she knew it was sinful but didn’t know how to get out of it; she went on to reason that once they got married she would confess her sin, God would forgive her, and everything would be all right. They did marry, but everything was not all right. She found that her husband had not the slightest interest in spiritual things and she has suffered a very difficult marriage for over 20 years.

As another example, while leading a Bible class with inmates at the Baltimore City Jail I stressed the importance of telling the truth in court, even if it meant having to “do time.” I told them it was better to be on God’s side in jail than to be on the streets without God. One inmate looked troubled when I said these things and said softly, “But God forgives, doesn’t he?” Clearly his idea was to lie his way to freedom, then confess his lie to God. Another inmate answered him more eloquently then I could by saying, “When I went to court last year for a minor charge, I lied and pleaded not guilty. The judge bought my story and let me go. Not long afterward I committed a far worse crime and now I am looking at a 20-year sentence.”

Yes, it is true that “God forgives.” But it is also true that “God is not mocked:for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).

I am assured of heaven, so I can do as I please. The doctrine of the eternal security of the believer in Christ (review Feb98-Apr98) is a most blessed truth of Scripture. Those who are truly saved, and enter into the marvelous grace of God and the love of our suffering Saviour on our behalf, will not trample on God’s grace by thinking for a moment, “Now I am free to do as I please.” (See Assignment 12)

When you hear professing Christians saying such things, your response should be to present the gospel to them and emphasize how much the Lord Jesus Christ suffered for their sake. It may be impossible for us to say definitely whether or not such are saved; we may have to rest on “The Lord knows those who are His” (2 Tim. 2:19). We surely cannot enjoy Christian fellowship with a person who has such an attitude.

God wants us to be wealthy. This teaching that is being spread by some TV evangelists is totally unscriptural and utterly unworthy of Christ. The Lord may feel free to entrust wealth to certain individual Christians who have shown a sensitivity to His will as to the use of that wealth. But actively seeking wealth as an end in itself or as a sign of God’s favor was one of the sins of the Pharisees that the Lord strongly denounced (Luke 16:13,14). The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “Charge those who are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate [or to share their wealth with the poor]” (1 Tim. 6:17,18).

There are some Christians who believe that playing baseball, volley ball, and other sports and games is worldly. However, Scripture does not portray active participation in sports and games in a negative way (see 1 Cor. 9:24-27; Phil. 3:13,14; 2 Tim. 2:5; 4:7,8; Heb. 12:1; 1 Tim. 4:8). Whether athletics are worldly depends in large measure on a person’s attitude about it. If one’s whole life is centered around athletics, this is idolatry and thus worldly. If one engages in sports because of the thrill of victory or the personal pride of being recognized as a superior athlete, again this is a worldly attitude.

Of course, the same applies to just about any activity or occupation one can think of:baking, sewing, painting, playing a musical instrument, collecting stamps, furnishing a house, fixing up old cars, or any kind of profession or daily employment. In any activity or occupation, one can easily be caught up in the idolatrous pursuit of becoming “number one.”

On the other hand, if a believer participates in sporting activities with the primary goal of reaching out to and developing bonds of friendship with others so that he/she might be a spiritual help to those others, is this worldly? I know a Christian man who enjoyed playing basketball. He would go out on the sandlot courts in the inner city and play with the neighborhood kids. In so doing, he eventually became good friends with them, got them to go to Bible studies, and led a number of them to Christ. That work, carried on a number of years ago, is still bringing forth fruit in the lives of some of those young people.

Playing Scrabble is worldly for the person who gets impatient or angry if the other players are concentrating more on conversation than on the game itself. Playing dominoes is worldly if one just has to keep playing another game until he/she wins, or always finds an excuse for losing and/or gloats over winning. Washing the car is worldly if one’s primary motive is for other people to notice how nice it looks. Doing gospel work is worldly if one’s motive in it is gaining some kind of credit with another person or with God. Teaching the Word of God can be a worldly activity if one enters into it with the idea of showing off his superior intellect and knowledge of the Scriptures, or winning doctrinal debates by means of his clever arguments, or believing that only he understands Scripture rightly and that all teaching flows in one direction-from him to others.

Running the Race
Assignment 12: Write out a verse in Galatians 5 and at least one in James 2 that clearly tell us that Christians are not free to do as they please.

Foundations of Faith
NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD (II)

In the last issue we considered some specific aspects of the world, including ways that Satan tempts us concerning “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Not being “conformed to the world” (Rom 12:2) goes way beyond not engaging in certain activities. It includes not falling in with the philosophies of the world or basic attitudes shown by people who do not know Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

God is dead. The world says to us, “Be your own person.” “We will help you to be independent” (financially or otherwise). While only a small percentage of people in this country absolutely deny the existence of God, a large proportion believe that God is dead in the sense that He is not interested in man, does not interact with man, does not have a specific will for our lives, and does not care how we live. But the Bible teaches from cover to cover that God is very interested in each one of us, and very definitely has a specific will for us to follow (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 5:17; Col. 1:9,10). The Bible also teaches us to depend upon God for all of our needs and to cast all our care upon Him (Matt. 6:31-33; Phil. 4:19; 1 Pet. 5:7).

Man’s chief goal is personal happiness. A survey was done with college students, asking what one thing was most important to them. The overwhelming response was “to be happy” or “to have things go my way.” The world says to us, “You owe it to yourself.” “Pamper yourself.” “If it feels good, do it.” “Do your own thing.” When we buy into these ideas, we respond by saying, “If you don’t do or give me what I want, I will become angry or depressed.”

Here is what the Bible says about man’s chief goals:”One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple” (Psa. 27:4). “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby (1 Pet. 2:2). “Jesus said unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work” (John 4:34). “Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

This world is all there is. The world says to us, “You can’t take it with you.” “You have only one life to live.” “Do it now.” “Live your life to the fullest.” “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” (see Luke 12:19). Let me ask a question of you young people:If you were told by your doctor that you had only six more months to live, how would you live the rest of your life? I have seen young people with incurable cancer or other fatal disease go wild trying to cram a lifetime of pleasure into their remaining days. I see people of all ages (Christians and non-Christians alike) living as if they either do not believe in heaven or else believe that heaven will not offer as much pleasure, enjoyment, and happiness as can be found in this present world. In a future issue, Lord willing, we shall examine what the Bible tells us about heaven; we shall see that to be in heaven with our Lord and Saviour “is far better” (Phil. 1:23) and that in the presence of the LORD “is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psa. 16:11).

The Bible therefore tells us:”Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:19-21). “[Lay] up in store for [your]selves a good foundation against the time to come, that [you] may lay hold on eternal [or the real] life” (1 Tim. 6:19). (See Assignment 10)

There is no such thing as sin. The world says to us:”Drunkenness is not a sin but an illness; homosexual practice is not a sin but a life style; dismembering another person is not a sin but insanity; stealing is not a sin but a product of a dysfunctional family or society; doing drugs is not a sin but a simple result of poverty and lack of education; adultery and fornication are not sins but just the result of God-given urges.” There seem to be only two things left that the world is willing to consider as sin:The first is rich desserts. Our local newspapers may refer to luscious desserts as “positively sinful” (and indeed they may be, as discussed in the last issue), while on other pages they may be very accepting of sexual sins. The second is the “sin” of intolerance. Jesus Christ was the most intolerant Person ever to walk this earth (see Matt. 23, for example). And notice how intolerant the local church is to be toward “any man who is called a brother [who is] a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner” (1 Cor. 5:11). “Woe unto those who call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isa. 5:20). (See Assignment 11)

CONGRATULATIONS!

Five of our readers completed all 26 (14 regular plus 12 review) assignments for 1999, and all had scores over 88%. Special honors go to Lori Spielman and Drew Johnson, both of Pennsylvania, who led the way with perfect scores of 100% for the year. Others included Kate Kauffman (Pennsylvania), John Hope (Virginia), and Joseph Amusuk (Nigeria). Richard Unutaire (Nigeria) completed 24 assignments.

If you are doing assignments for 2000, remember to write out the text of the verses and not just the reference. If you are missing any issues of GROWING, please send your request for replacement copies as well as completed assignments to the editor at the address given below.

Running the Race
Assignment 10: (a) Describe two ways in which a Christian can lay up his or her material “treasure” (such as money or possessions) in heaven. (b) Describe one or more other kinds of “treasure” besides money and material possessions that we can lay up in heaven.

Assignment 11: For one week, pay attention to what you hear on the radio and television, read in the local newspaper, hear your friends and neighbors talking about, and/or hear your school teachers instructing you. Or else think back to past experiences. (a) Write out from these experiences two examples of the philosophy of the world that we have been describing in this issue. (b) for each of these examples, write out a Bible verse that shows the correct way to think about the matter.