Foundations of Faith
ETERNAL SECURITY (I)

As noted in the Apr97 issue of GROWING, we are saved by “placing our trust for eternal salvation totally upon the Lord Jesus Christ and the work of atonement that He completed on the cross.” After telling us that we are saved through faith by God’s grace, the apostle Paul adds for emphasis, “Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8,9).

The question is often asked, “Can a person who is saved become lost again?” Since Christians are very much divided over this question, we must spend some time discussing it.

In this paper we shall present and seek to defend from Scripture the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer. This doctrine states that once a person has been born again by the Word of God and the Spirit of God, has been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, has received a new life and been made partaker of the divine nature, and has been justified from every charge before the throne of God, it is absolutely impossible that that person should ever again be a lost soul.

The doctrine of eternal security clearly assumes that a definite work of God has been done in the heart of the one who trusts in the finished work of Christ alone for salvation. It does not necessarily mean that if one merely professes to be saved, or goes through the motions of praying “the sinner’s prayer,” or “goes forward” at an evangelistic meeting and is pronounced “saved” by a Christian worker, that that person is forever secure; such persons may not truly be saved in the first place.

God’s salvation is a deep work. To be saved, people need first to realize they are lost, dead in trespasses and sins, heading for the lake of fire. To be saved, people need to repent of their sins, taking God’s side against themselves. To be saved, people need to understand and believe that the only way of salvation is through the horrible sufferings that Jesus endured on the cross as God’s punishment for our sin.

Here is what Scripture says about the person who truly believes these things:

1. The believer has eternal life (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; 1 John 5:13).

2. The believer shall never perish
(John 3:15,16; 10:28).

3. The believer shall not come into judgment (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1).

4. The believer shall never be separated from God’s love (Rom. 8:35-39).

5. The believer is kept by the power of God (1 Pet. 1:3-5).

6. The believer cannot be plucked out of the hand of Christ or His Father’s hand (John 10:28,29).

7. The believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13; 4:30).

8. The believer is perfected forever (Heb. 10:14).

9. There is no mention whatever in Scripture of the possibility of losing any of the blessings that have been discussed in the Sep97-Jan98 issues of GROWING. The Bible never once suggests that a true believer can become unforgiven, unjustified, unreconciled, unredeemed, unsanctified, abandoned by the Holy Spirit, or expelled from the family of God and the body of Christ. And what, pray tell, is everlasting life if it does not last forever after all?

When talking with one who does not accept the doctrine of eternal security, it is very important to have clearly in our minds the scriptures already mentioned that positively teach eternal security. Since Scripture cannot contradict itself, passages that may seem to contradict the ones listed above need to be carefully considered in their context.

Most of the scripture passages people use to reject the doctrine of eternal security are found to be warnings to challenge professing Christians. The Lord Jesus Himself laid the groundwork for this in His parable of the sower. He spoke of two classes of people who receive the Word initially but never go on to bear fruit:”He that received the seed into stony places, the same is he who hears the Word, and anon with joy receives it; yet has he not root in himself, but endures for a while; for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, by and by he is offended. He also who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the Word, and he becomes unfruitful” (Matt. 13:20-22).

I have had a number of experiences, and maybe you have too, in which a person listens eagerly to the gospel and seems to receive it with joy. But after a few days it is as if nothing has happened. I dare not call such people saved, but continue to bring the gospel before them.

The term “carnal Christian” is sometimes used today to describe those who are truly saved but are living no differently from the typical unsaved person. Scripture does not recognize such a class of people. If we know people who say they are Christians but show no evidence of the fruit of the Spirit or works pleasing to God in their lives, we have no right to regard them as saved (John 15:2; Gal. 5:22,23; Eph. 2:10; Tit. 2:14; Jas. 2:17-26). Others show so little fruit that we may just have to fall back on the truth that “the Lord knows those who are His” (2 Tim. 2:19).

For these reasons, the apostle Paul was never satisfied in getting people simply to make a profession of Christ. He worked with them, discipled them, and taught them, to make sure that they were really saved, really growing in the truth, really giving evidence of salvation in their lives.

Many of the verses used to argue against the doctrine of eternal security are plainly the apostles’ determination that “converts” give clear evidence that they are saved:”And you who were once … enemies … has He reconciled … to present you holy … if you continue in the faith” (Col. 1:21-23). “I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain” (Gal. 4:9-11; Phil. 2:16; 1 Thess. 3:5). We are Christ’s house “if we hold fast the confidence … of the hope firm unto the end” (Heb. 3:6; 4:14; 10:23). “Faith without works is dead” (Jas. 2:17-26). Since salvation is “not of works,” and since those who truly believe have “everlasting life,” these passages must be talking about confirming one’s salvation, not losing it.

We shall continue this topic next time, considering some particularly difficult passages, including Heb. 6:4-6, as well as objections and questions that are commonly raised about eternal security.

Running the Race
Assignment 2: Suppose a born again believer in Christ has a wicked thought while crossing the street, and immediately is hit and killed by a truck. Would that person go to heaven or to hell? Write out a verse to support your answer.

Foundations of Faith
BLESSINGS OF SALVATION (V)

Salvation brings us into a three-fold link with God. We become children and sons of God the Father (Dec97), we are indwelt, sealed, and anointed by God the Holy Spirit (Dec94 -Apr95), and we become members of the body of Christ, the Son of God.

“For as the [human] body is one and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body:so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:12,13).

It surely is a wonderful blessing to be linked to God the Father individually as His children; and we are likewise blessed to have the Holy Spirit indwelling us as individual Christians to guide and help us and teach us the things of Christ (John 16:13-15). But God has purposed that we should be linked to Himself in another way. Collectively, as a body, we are linked with every other believer as members of the body of Christ. We are “members one of another” (Rom. 12:5).

The human body is composed of many members-eyes, ears, mouth, arms, legs, heart, liver, blood, nerves, bones, hair, etc. Just so, the body of Christ is composed of many members, each having a particular role to play in the body, and all under the direction of the Head, Christ Jesus (Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:1-26).

In a particular assembly of believers, one person may serve as an evangelist, another as a pastor or teacher, another as a wise counselor in matters requiring church discipline, another as a major contributor to the financial needs of the assembly, and another as a helper with building construction or maintenance.

There is a woman in her 90’s whose closest living relative is a first cousin who lives a thousand miles away. There is a mother with several children whose husband/father abandoned them. There is a woman with two dependents who lost her job and whose family is too poor to help her. These people-all members of the body of Christ-are being helped and provided for, spiritually, emotionally, and materially, by other members of the body of Christ.

These are just a few of the many blessings and benefits of being members of the body of Christ. We plan to devote several issues of GROWING to this important topic in the future, Lord willing.

We all are familiar with the verse that ends, “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting [or eternal] life” (John 3:16,36; 1 John 5:11-14). This eternal life is never ending:”So shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17). Though we may die physically, our soul and spirit will never die and will be clothed with a new body at the coming of Christ (1 Cor. 15:35-54; 2 Cor. 5:1-4).

This eternal life is also a totally new kind of life. Jesus prayed, “This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:3). It is a life with an entirely different focus. The natural life with which we were born was focused on ourselves-me, me, me (Isa. 53:6). Eternal life is focused on getting to know, obey, please, worship, and serve God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour. In this sense, eternal life has already begun for the believer in Christ, but will blossom greatly when we get to heaven.

What is heaven like? In brief, heaven will have lots of singing (Rev. 5:9), variety (Rev. 21:19-21; 22:2), knowledge (1 Cor. 13:12), work and service (Rev. 7:15; 22:3), and enjoyment of God’s creation (1 Cor. 3:22; Eph. 1:10, 11,21-23; Rev. 21:7). Heaven is a holy place with no sin (Rev. 4:8; 22:15) and no effects of sin, such as tears, death, sorrow, or pain, or night (Rev. 21:4), and where all will be in perfect unity and harmony with one another and with God (John 17:22-24; Col. 1:21, 22). Most of all, heaven is where we shall be with Christ our Creator, Saviour, and Bridegroom (John 17:24; 1 John 3:2; Rev. 4:10,11; 5:6-14; 19:7-9).

Perhaps that is enough for now to whet our appetites for heaven. In a later issue, Lord willing, we shall discuss in more detail what the Bible says about heaven and hell. (See Assignment 1)

We shall conclude our studies of the blessings of salvation by noting that every one of these blessings is totally a result of God’s grace to us. Grace, remember, is God’s favor to those who deserve the opposite (Jan94). The more we recognize this, the more we will appreciate God and want to live for Him every moment of every day.

“To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted [or objects of grace] in the Beloved [that is, Christ]” (Eph. 1:6). This word “accepted” is also found in Luke 1:28. “The angel came in unto [Mary] and said, Hail, you who are highly favored [or made an object of grace, or accepted], the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.” The grace of God that made the Virgin Mary so blessed is the very same that has come upon every believer in Christ. This is not only the grace of God that has saved us in the first place, but His grace that is shown to us every day of our Christian lives.

Running the Race
POSSESSING OUR POSSESSION (III)

God has purposed that we, as His sons, should be “conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). This will be fully true of us when we get to heaven: “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). But we can begin even now to possess this possession: “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” (2 Cor. 3:18). The more we study and meditate upon the Person and work of Christ, the more we shall become like Him.

We possess the blessing of being indwelt by the Holy Spirit by allowing the Holy Spirit freedom to control us and guide us in every part of our lives. This is what it means to “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18).

Finally, here is how we know we are really possessing our possession of God’s grace as being “accepted in the beloved”: It is when we find ourselves showing grace-favor to those who deserve the opposite-to the various people in our lives.

Assignment 1: Write out two verses in 2 Corinthians 12: one that tells what the apostle Paul experienced when caught up to heaven, and one that describes the impact of that experience on the apostle.

ANSWERS TO ASSIGNMENTS FOR 1997

1. Isa. 53:4,5,6,8,10,11,12 (write out four verses).

2. Acts 4:10,12 (write out at least one verse).

3. Phil. 2:6-8 (write out at least two verses).

4. Rom. 3:20,28; Gal. 2:16; Tit. 3:5 (write out three verses).

5. Matt. 5:39-41,44,45 (write out two verses). Rom. 12:14,20,21 (write out both verses).

6. Matt. 22:14 (write out); 1 Pet. 1:2 (write out); Rom. 9:7,11,15,21-23 (write out at least two verses).

7. John 6:35,37,39,40,44,45, 47,51,54,58 (write out at least four of these verses).

8. Mark 9:24 (write out).

9. “Born again” means starting life all over again. It means counting as dead all of the “good” works that we thought were credited to our account with God; in their place, we trust in the more excellent work that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross for our sakes. Thus we begin a new life that has Christ rather than self as its entire focus.

10. Luke 7:42,47.

11. (a) Gal. 3:11,24. (b) To be justified by the law would mean that one would have to keep every part of the law in the smallest detail perfectly.

12. There are at least three reasons why it is important to preach the resurrection of Christ from the dead: (a) The resurrection shows that Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be, namely, the Son of God who came down from heaven and has return to heaven (John 3:13; 14:2). (b) The resurrection of His Son shows that God is totally satisfied with the work of atonement carried out by Jesus Christ on the cross for our sakes (1 Cor. 15:14,7). (c) The resurrection of Christ gives assurance to those of us who trust on Him for salvation that we too will be raised up in the last day (1 Cor. 15:22,23).

Special Assignment. God gave His only begotten Son to suffer, bleed, and die for sinners (John 3:16). (I have asked many people this question and the great majority give some other answer, such as, “God allowed me to wake up and see another day.” Try it on your acquaintances.)

13. 2 Cor. 7:1; 2 Tim. 2:21 (write out both verses).

14-1. Christ is the only begotten Son of God; He suffered from the hand of God; He suffered as the sinless sin-bearer; He experienced the wrath and judgment of God; He was forsaken by God; He suffered infinitely for our sins; He laid down His own life (include at least three of these points).

14-2. (a) Propitiation: Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10 (write out one verse); substitution: Isa. 53:12: Rom. 4:24; 1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18 (write out one verse). (b) Propitiation has to do with the effects of Christ’s sufferings and death upon God, while substitution has to do with the effects of His sufferings and death upon us who believe. Propitiation is Christ satisfying all of the righteous claims of holy God against sinners, while substitution is Christ taking our place on the cross as the sin-bearer.

14-3. God could not have punished anyone but His own Son for our sins because the one being punished had to be both (1) sinless and (2) infinite; among all human beings to live on this earth, only God’s Son met both qualifications.

14-4. Saving faith is placing our trust for eternal salvation totally upon the Lord Jesus Christ and the work of atonement that He completed on the cross. Write out one of John 1:12; 3:16,18,36; etc.

14-5. Salvation from the penalty of sin: write out John 5:24, or Rev. 20:15, or similar verse. Salvation from the power of sin: write out Phil. 2:12 or Rom. 8:2. Salvation from the presence of sin: write out Heb. 9:28 or Rom. 8:23,2429; 1 John 3:2.

14-6. Eph. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13 (write out both verses).

14-7. Write out Eph. 6:17.

14-8. (a) Write out John 20:25 (Thomas) and Matt. 11:3 (John the Baptist). (b) We should take our doubts and questions to the Lord and to His Word, and perhaps to a mature and compassionate Christian friend.

14-9. We are forgiven when we are delivered from the penalty deserved by our sins; we are justified when we are pronounced “not guilty” or cleared of every sin charged against us.

14-10. We are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ; write out 1 Pet. 1:18,19 or Tit. 2:14 or Matt. 20:28. We have been redeemed from slavery to idols (Gal. 4:8), to heathen religions (Gal. 4:9), to sin (John 8:34; Rom. 6:6,16,17; Tit. 2:14), to lusts and pleasures (Tit. 3:3). (Write out at least one of these verses.)

14-11. We have to be saved by trusting in the finished work of Christ in order for God to view us as sanctified or holy. In order to be holy in our practice, we must be obedient to Jesus Christ and obey as He obeyed.

14-12. As children of God we enjoy a close relationship with our Father, and as sons of God we share an eternal inheritance with God’s Son.

Foundations of Faith

Running the Race

Foundations of Faith
BLESSINGS OF SALVATION (IV)

Wasn’t the prodigal son surprised when his father received him back as a full-fledged son! He would have been quite happy just to be a servant in his father’s household (Luke 15:19-24). Wouldn’t you and I be quite content to be rescued from the lake of fire and to live eternally as God’s servants? But God has graciously planned that we should enjoy a relationship with Himself far superior to that of servant and Master.

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the [children] of God” (1 John 3:1; John 1:12). We have been “born again” (John 3:7; 1 Pet. 1:23), born into God’s family so that He is our Father and we are His children.

In addition, God has made us His sons (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5; the KJV does not always have the correct translation). God graciously calls us by the same name-sons-as He calls the One who was eternally with Him in heaven (John 1:18). The Lord Jesus, after His resurrection, calls us His “brethren” (John 20:17; Heb. 2:11). God has purposed that we, as His sons, should “be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). Also, as sons we are heirs with Christ of all that God has given to His Son (Eph. 1:11, 14,22). Recall from the Jun97 issue the link between God’s predestination and our position as sons and heirs.

In summary, as children we enjoy a close relationship with our Father; as sons we share an eternal inheritance with God’s Son.

Running the Race
POSSESSING OUR POSSESSION (II)

As noted in the Oct97 issue, Christ shed His precious blood to redeem us from slavery to idols, heathen religions, sin, and/or lusts and pleasures. We have been set free to serve, worship, and obey God.

Whenever we are tempted to yield to fleshly lusts or return to worldly pleasures and amusements, let us remember that Christ shed His blood to deliver us from that kind of life. To go back to these things is almost like saying that the shedding of Christ’s blood did not accomplish a thing.

We possess the blessing of being redeemed when we stay clear of the things to which we were once enslaved.

How do we possess or make good for ourselves the blessing of being made the children of God? Perhaps we can get some pointers by eavesdropping for a few moments on a father and his son who are taking a walk together.

Daddy: What did you learn in school today, Bobby?

Bobby: I learned the difference between “through” and “threw.” Oh yes, and we just started a unit on long division. I think it’s going to be hard. But I’ve already started praying that the Lord will help me to understand it.

Daddy: Good for you, Bobby! Let us try a simple problem while we are walking. How about 156 divided by 12?

After a few moments of thought, Bobby notices a big, evil-looking man walking down the sidewalk in their direction. Bobby snuggles closer to his father and watches the man warily. His father puts his arm around him. The man passes without incident.

Bobby: That reminds me. There is this seventh-grader, Butch, who rides on the school bus. He always teases me about my glasses and calls me a nerd and sometimes says bad things about you and Mom. What should I do?

Daddy: What have you been doing so far, son?

Bobby: I just try to pretend I am reading a book and don’t hear him.

Daddy: And what does Butch do then?

Bobby: He usually gives up and tries bothering someone else.

Daddy: It sounds like you are doing just fine. Can you think of a Bible verse that says something about this situation?

Bobby: Umm, something about loving your enemies or something?

Daddy: Yes, very good, Bobby. And it says, “Do good to those who hate you and pray for them.” So you should try to remember to pray for Butch that he might be saved. If you can find out when his birthday is, maybe you could surprise him by giving him a bag of M & M’s and a gospel tract. And by the way, Bobby, haven’t you been teasing your little brother quite a bit lately? Do you think the Lord is pleased with that?

Bobby: No. (He is silent for a couple of minutes.) Daddy, what causes an eclisp?

Daddy: The word is “eclipse,” Bobby, and it is caused when the earth gets between the sun and the moon, keeping the sun’s rays from reflecting off the moon.”

Bobby: Ohh, I think I understand now. (Pause.) Daddy, I’m tired. Will you carry me?

Daddy: You are getting pretty big for that, but I’ll put you on my shoulders for a little bit.
A few minutes later Bobby is walking again. They are heading back toward home.

Bobby: What is that shiny thing on the other side of the road? (He starts to dart across the street.)

Daddy (as an oncoming car comes to a screeching halt): Stop!!

Bobby’s Dad gives him a stern reminder about the importance of looking both ways before crossing the street. Before long, they are back home again.

Our walk with our heavenly Father has some parallels with Bobby’s walk with his father. We learn to talk with God, bringing every matter to Him, no matter how huge or how trivial, whether a success or a problem, a happy time or a bad time. We go to God for wisdom and guidance with respect to difficult decisions or situations. We turn to Him for help and protection in times of perceived danger. And even if God knows there is no real danger, He comforts rather than rebukes us. When we are exhausted, either physically or emotionally or mentally, we pray to God for the strength to get through another day. If we leave His side for a moment, He may shout out a warning to us, though it may not be quite as obvious as Daddy’s shout of “Stop!” to Bobby.

All of us who trust Christ for salvation are born-again children of God. May each one of us learn to enjoy walking and talking with our heavenly Father as much as with our earthly parents. In this way we will possess our possession of being children of our Father in heaven.

Assignment 14: The following is a review quiz based on the 1997 issues of GROWING. Please refer back to the indicated issue when answering each question.

1. (Jan.) In what ways was the sacrificial death of Christ of greater value than animal sacrifices?

2. (Feb.) (a) Write out two verses, one that speaks of propitiation and one that refers to the concept of substitution. (b) What is the difference between propitiation and substitution?

3. (Mar.) Give two reasons why God could not have punished anyone but His own Son for our sins.

4. (Apr.) What is “saving faith”? Write out a verse that illustrates the faith that saves.

5. (May) Write out three verses that illustrate the three aspects of salvation.

6. (June) Write out two verses that speak of God’s election or choosing of people to be saved.

7. (July) Write out a verse that tells us what we need to take and put on when Satan is trying to make us doubt our salvation.

8. (Aug.) (a) Write out two verses that speak of believers who had doubts. (b) What should we do when we have doubts and questions?

9. (Sept.) How does our being justified differ from our being forgiven?

10. (Oct.) Write out a verse that tells how we are redeemed and a verse that tells from what we have been redeemed (or in what way we were in slavery).

11. (Nov.) What does one have to do in order to be considered by God as sanctified or holy?

12. (Dec.) What is the difference between being made a “child of God” and being made a “son of God”?

Foundations of Faith
BLESSINGS OF SALVATION (III)

Michael’s dad bought him a very special gift, a basketball autographed by each member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team (known as the “Dream Team”). His dad spent “a pretty penny” for it. One day Michael’s mom saw him taking his Olympic ball outside to shoot baskets. “No way!” she told him sternly. “You use your old basketball outside. This one is very special and very valuable! (True story except for change of name.)

Because of the value of Michael’s basketball, it was to be set apart from his other possessions and play things. Just so, God places great value on each person who is saved. Therefore He has set us apart from the rest of the world and before Himself as trophies of His grace. We are His “jewels” or “special treasure” (Mal. 3:17). The biblical words for our being set apart like this are “sanctified” or “made holy.”

God has cleaned us up, cleansed us from our sins (Zech. 3:3-5; Rev. 1:5). He graciously views us as “sanctified” (1 Cor. 1:2,30; 6:11; 2 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 10:10), “saints” (Rom. 1:7; 12:13; 15:25, 26), and “holy” (Col. 3:12; Heb. 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:5,9). Now if we are honest with ourselves, we know that we still sin and behave in unholy ways (Rom. 7:14-25). But God’s purpose for us is that one day, when He takes us to heaven, we will be actually, totally delivered from all sin, uncleanness, and unholiness (Eph. 1:4; 5:27; Rev. 20:6; 21:2). This is why heaven will be such a happy place-because it is, first of all, a holy place with absolutely no sin (Rev. 21:27; 22:15). Furthermore, God graciously sees us right now, today, as being as fit for His holy presence in heaven as we possibly could be. This is because He sees us through the finished work of Christ. He has “made us accepted in the Beloved [Christ]” (Eph. 1:6). He has given us a new, Christ-like nature (2 Pet. 1:4), a nature that cannot sin (1 John 3:9; see Aug94). Christ is in us (Rom. 8:10; Gal. 2;20; Col. 1:27; 3:3,4). “As [Christ] is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).

The truth of our position in Christ as holy, sanctified, set apart ones provides us with a strong motivation to grow in the practice of holiness in our daily lives. This will be discussed further below in The Race.

Running the Race
POSSESSING OUR POSSESSION (I)

God promised to give to the children of Israel the land of Canaan as their own possession (Deut. 7:1-26). He led His people into the promised land and gave them great victories over the Canaanite armies (Joshua 3-12). But several years after all of this, the LORD said to Joshua, “There remains yet very much land to be possessed” (Josh. 13:1; 18:3).

God has given each believer in Christ a wonderful possession. This consists of the various blessings of salvation that we have been studying in FOUNDATIONS. While all of these blessings are ours by God’s grace, we often fail to possess them and get the good from them. Let us learn how we can possess the possessions we have in Christ.

When you, a believer in Christ, realize you have freshly sinned, do you immediately assume you have lost your salvation? If so, you have not possessed the blessings of forgiveness and justification. As noted in the Sep97 issue, all of our sins were still future when Jesus died for them. “God … [has] forgiven you all trespasses” (Col. 2:13)-past, present, and future. Also, God has justified us, that is, cleared us of every sin on our record. If we find ourselves plagued by the memory of past sins, we need to go back to the cross and see that Christ suffered and atoned for every one of those sins. This will give us peace of mind (Rom. 5:1) and we will possess the blessings of forgiveness and justification.

In addition to this, a clue that we are really possessing and enjoying the blessing of God’s forgiveness is that we are ready and willing to forgive others who sin against us (Eph. 4:32).

We who were once enemies of God and far away from Him are now reconciled and brought near to Him by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13; Col. 1:21). Do we enjoy being near to God? Do we enjoy reading about Him in His Word? Do we enjoy having such a Resource of wisdom and knowledge close at hand? Do we often turn to Him, seeking to know His will?

If we really appreciate the truth of our reconciliation with God, we will find ourselves making special efforts to be reconciled with people whom we have offended, or who have offended us (Matt. 5:24; 18:15; 1 Cor. 7:11).

God has not chosen us to be saved so we can sit back and relax until we go to heaven. We are “elect … through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience … of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:2). God has chosen us that we might not only be obedient to Jesus Christ but obey as He obeyed. “I delight to do Thy will” was Christ’s constant attitude (Psa. 40:8).

There are a number of verses that encourage us in the daily practice of holiness. “As He who has called you is holy, so be holy in all manner of behavior” (1 Pet. 1:15,16). “Christ … loved the Church, and gave Himself for it that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word” (Eph. 5:25,26). We will possess the blessing of being sanctified to the extent that we live holy, sanctified lives daily.

NOTICE: Richard Unutaire (Warri, Nigeria, 1995) and Ojukoro C.U. Jonah (Enugu, Nigeria, 1996) have successfully completed the assignments for the indicated years.

Assignment 13: Write out a verse in 2 Corinthians 7 and one in 2 Timothy 2 that tell how we can be practically holy and sanctified.

Special Assignment from Oct97: I have asked many people the question, “What one thing has God done more than anything else to show us that He loves us?” The majority response is, “God has awakened me this morning, has kept me alive for another day.” Dear friend, God has done something far greater for you than that: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16; see also 1 John 4:9,10). Having the assurance of eternal life “present with the Lord” is far, far better than living another day “absent from the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:6-8; Phil. 1:23).

Foundations of Faith
BLESSINGS OF SALVATION (II)

In the previous issue we considered the blessings of being forgiven and justified. We continue with further blessings that accompany our salvation.

“God … has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 5:18). “You, who were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death” (Col. 1:21,22).

Suppose there are two people who are at odds with each other, are not speaking to one another, or are enemies of each other. Then peace is made between them-they are reconciled.

Before we were saved we were enemies of God (Rom. 5:10; Col. 1:21; Jas. 4:4). Our sins had separated us from Him (Isa. 59:2). But, praise God, we are now reconciled to Him through the atoning death of the Lord Jesus and our faith in His work for our salvation. We who were once far away from God have been brought near to Him “by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13).

Just as being justified is a step beyond being forgiven, so being reconciled to God is yet another step further. Not only does divine justice have nothing against us, but God has brought us close to His loving heart.

There is a future aspect to reconciliation. God will “reconcile all things unto Himself … things in earth [and] in heaven”(Col. 1:20). This will take place when the end of time meets the beginning of eternity (1 Cor. 15:24-26; Rev. 20:7-14) . There will be no enemies of God in heaven or earth in the eternal state.

“[He] gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity” (Tit. 2:14). “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, … but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:18,19). “The Son of Man came … to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).

Slaves were redeemed-set free from bondage to their masters-upon payment of a price. People who have been kidnapped or prisoners of war may sometimes be released by their captors when the required ransom price is paid.

Before becoming saved, some of us may have been in slavery to idols (Gal. 4:8), to heathen religions (Gal. 4:9), to sin (John 8:34; Rom. 6:6,16,17; Tit. 2:14), and/or to lusts and pleasures (Tit. 3:3). But Christ has paid the ransom price-His precious blood-to deliver us from our captivity and slavery to these things. We have been set free (Gal. 5:1) to serve, worship, and obey God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Since we have been “bought with a price”-the precious blood of Christ -let us “glorify God in [our] body and in [our spirit], which are God’s (1 Cor. 6:20).

Like reconciliation, redemption also has a future aspect, referring to the time when our bodies that are now subject to pain, weakness, disease, and death will be changed to be like Christ’s glorious body (Rom. 8:23; Phil. 3:20,21).

Running the Race
PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION (III)

We have noted in the previous issues that the gospel sermons recorded in the Book of Acts reflect the particular audience that is addressed. However, there is one particular theme that is found in most of the sermons preached by the apostles-the resurrection of Christ (Oct94). This theme is found in the messages preached to the Jews of Jerusalem (Acts 2:24-33; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30,31), the Jews of Antioch and Thessalonica (Acts 13:30-34; 17:3), the Roman centurion (Acts 10:40,41), and the Gentiles of Athens (Acts 17:18,31). (See Assignment 12)

As we share the gospel with our acquaintances today, we will find that few of them are Gentile idol-worshipers or Jews. Rather, most will call themselves Christians, will know something about Jesus Christ, and may be at least a little bit acquainted with the Bible. We will also discover, if we ask appropriate questions (Aug97), that many have a mistaken idea about the way to heaven; they think it is based on their good works outweighing their bad works on the final judgment day.

Points that need to be made clear to such people in the gospel presentation are these:

1. They are sinners (Rom. 3:10-23).

2. Their sins have separated them from God and they are spiritually dead (Isa. 59:2; Eph. 2:1).

3. God is holy and hates sin (Lev. 11:44; Isa. 6:1-5; Hab. 1:13); it took only one sin for Adam and Eve to be expelled from the garden (Gen. 3:6,7, 24).

4. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23) and “after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27).

5. The judgment for our sins will be carried out in “outer darkness” with “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12; 22:13), in “torment” with intense thirst (Luke 16:24,25,28), in “the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15) “that never shall be quenched” (Mark 9:43-48).

6. God, in addition to being holy, is a God of love. Ask your audience the question in the following Special Assignment, but first make sure you know the correct answer yourself. (See Special Assignment)

7. The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God (1 John 4:9,10,14) and Creator of the universe (John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2), died on the cross for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3; 1 Pet. 2:24).

8. The One who died for our sins “rose again the third day” (1 Cor. 15:4) and is now in heaven (Acts 1:9-11; 7:56; Heb. 10:12; see Assignment 12).

9. One can be saved by (a) confessing to God that he/she is a sinner who deserves eternal punishment (Luke 15:21; 18:13; Acts 3:19), and (b) believing that the Lord Jesus suffered and died on the cross for his/her sins (John 3:16,36; 1 Cor. 15:2,3; Eph. 2:8,9).

Two final words of advice: (1) Never, never engage in proclaiming the gospel without praying first. Salvation is God’s work (Eph. 2:8; Tit. 2:11), so depend on Him. (2) If you are shy about sharing the gospel with others, pray for boldness and opportunity (Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3). God wants all of us to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47).

Assignment 12: Why do you think it was (and still is) important to preach the resurrection of Christ from the dead?

Special Assignment (for all readers): What one thing has God done more than anything else to show us that He loves us? (Answer will be given in the next issue.)

Foundations of Faith
BLESSINGS OF SALVATION (I)

In recent issues of GROWING we have presented the basis of salvation, namely, atonement, or the sufferings and death of Christ for our sins. We have presented the way of salvation, or what we must do to be saved, namely, “repent [that is, accept that we deserve God’s judgment because of our sins] and believe [that is, place our full dependence on Christ’s sacrificial work on the cross for eternal salvation].” We have presented the three aspects of salvation, namely, salvation from (1) the penalty of sin (already accomplished), (2), the power of sin (present and ongoing), and (3) the presence of sin (when we get to heaven).

In this and the next 2-3 issues we shall present from Scripture some of the blessings of salvation.

“Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 13:38). “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered” (Rom. 4:7). To forgive the sins of another means literally, in the Bible, to send or put them away. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psa. 103:12).

To forgive a debt means to cancel it or to free the debtor from obligation to pay for it. To forgive (or pardon) a prisoner means to free that person from part or all of the penalty imposed on him by the courts. When God forgives our sins He delivers us from the penalty deserved by our sins, namely, the lake of fire. (See Assignment 10)

Many people I talk to have been taught that God forgives our sins. But few of them have thought about how a holy God (Nov93) who hates sin (Psa. 5:4,5; 45:7) can forgive our sins and remain true to His own character. God can rightfully deliver us from sin’s penalty because the Lord Jesus Christ, His perfect, holy, sinless Son, has suffered that penalty as our Substitute.

How many of our sins were forgiven when we received Christ as our Saviour? “God … [has] forgiven you all trespasses” (Col. 2:13). Yes, all of our sins-past, present, and future-have been forgiven if we are saved. Remember that all of our sins were still future when Jesus died for them.

In the Bible, the words “remission” and “pardon” mean the same as “forgiveness.”

“[We are] justified freely by His grace … by faith … by His blood” (Rom. 3:24,28; 5:1,9). The criminal who is forgiven (or pardoned) has been found guilty by a court of law but is set free before serving all of his sentence. The criminal who is justified has gone to court only to learn that he has been found not guilty.

When God justifies a person, He pronounces him or her “not guilty” or cleared of every sin charged against that person. “Oh, so I am not so bad after all!” one might respond when learning of his/her justification. No, that is not the point at all. God “justifies the ungodly” (Rom. 4:5). This is an act of incredible grace and mercy by God to sinners; it is a further blessing added to that of our being forgiven. God justifies us to take away our fear of Himself and His judgment. He justifies us that we might “have peace with [Him]” (Rom. 5:1). (See Assignment 11)

An easy way of remembering the meaning of the word “justified” is using it like this:”Just as if I’d never sinned.”

Running the Race
PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION (II)

By studying the several sermons recorded in the Book of Acts, we find that they are adapted to the particular audience. When Peter, Stephen, and Paul preached to the Jews, they frequently quoted from and referred to the Jews’ own Scriptures, the Old Testament (Acts 2:17-21,25-28,34,35; 3:13, 18,21-25; 4:11; 7:2-50; 13:17-22,33-36,39-41). When Paul preached to the Gentile idol worshipers, his sermon contrasted the true Creator-God with their false gods (Acts 14:15-17; 17:22-31); also, rather than quoting from the Old Testament, unfamiliar to most Gentiles, he quoted from one of their own poets (Acts 17:28).

I recently talked with an inmate at the City Jail who had read parts of the New Testament and parts of the Koran (the Muslim holy book, Mar93), and was considering taking up the Islamic religion. Having previously done my homework, I told him that the Koran placed honor on Jesus Christ as a great Prophet, but denied that He was coequal with God and claimed that Jesus went straight to heaven without being crucified. The inmate indicated that I had spoken accurately of the Koran. Then I told him what the Bible teaches about Jesus-His being the Creator-God who came down from heaven for the express purpose of being crucified and punished by God for our sins. The inmate, realizing that he had sinned much in his lifetime, immediately saw that it was the Jesus of the Bible whom he needed and he expressed a desire to be saved right then and there.

The point of all this is that it helps to know where people are coming from and what their thoughts are concerning God and Jesus Christ and their own sin when we are trying to show them the way of salvation.

A prominent evangelist once said that if he had 60 minutes in which to present the gospel to a group of people, he would spend 55 trying to convince them of their need of a Saviour, and the remaining five minutes telling them of the work of Christ on their behalf. In the apostle Peter’s first sermon to the Jews, 15 verses are devoted to his seeking to convince the Jews of their sin of crucifying Christ. When they became convinced and asked what they should do, in one verse he told them how to be saved (Acts 2:22-38). On the other hand, when the Philippian jailer, already convicted of his great need, came to Paul and Silas asking, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul got right to the point and answered him in one short sentence (Acts 16:31).

Assignment 10: Write out two verses in Luke 7: one that speaks of forgiving a debt and one that speaks of forgiving sins.

Assignment 11: (a) Write out two verses in Galatians 3: one about being justified by the law and one about being justified by faith. (b) From what you have learned about the meaning of being justified, what would be required for one to be justified by the law?

Foundations of Faith
SALVATION (V)

Doubting Thomas and John. Surely all of our readers have heard of “doubting Thomas.” For reasons we are not told, Thomas was not with the disciples on that resurrection morning when the risen Lord appeared unto them. When told that the disciples had seen the Lord, Thomas replied, “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails … and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). Yet Thomas had not always been a doubter. Just a few months earlier he had gone with Jesus and the other disciples to Bethabara beyond Jordan to escape the Jewish rulers (John 1:28; 10:39,40). When the Lord told His disciples He was going to Bethany on account of the death of Lazarus, Thomas recognized the danger, but still encouraged his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (John 11:16). When the Lord appeared to Thomas a week after he had expressed his doubts, He showed great patience with His disciple. Thomas’s doubts quickly evaporated and he burst out with a very strong acknowledgement of Christ’s deity:”My Lord and my God!”

John the Baptist was another one who was plagued with doubts. He was put in prison for exposing Herod’s adultery (Matt. 14:3,4). In prison John began to question whether he had been totally mistaken in his ministry of directing people to Jesus Christ. After all, if Christ was truly the Son of God, what was he, the proclaimer of Christ, doing in prison? So John sent disciples to ask Jesus, “Art Thou He who should come, or do we look for another?”

Jesus did not rebuke John for doubting. Rather, He provided the needed evidence to answer John’s questions:”Go and show John again those things which you hear and see:The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matt. 11:2-5). Then Jesus went on to praise John before the multitude:”Among those who are born of women there has not risen any greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. 11:11). The Lord accepted John as he was-doubts and all!

Let us not become discouraged by our doubts and questions. Rather let us take our doubts and questions to the Lord and to His Word. Perhaps we can share our concerns with a mature and compassionate Christian friend. Our doubts will eventually give way to greater faith and a closer walk with the Lord. (See Assignment 8)

Running the Race
PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION (I)

Have you ever tried to present the gospel to a friend or acquaintance? Have you ever tried to find out about your friend’s relationship with the Lord? How do you go about it? What questions do you ask?

Many evangelists have learned from experience what questions not to ask. Do not ask, “Are you a Christian?” Most people who have attended services at a Christian church, or whose parents or grandparents have done so, assume that they are Christians. They know they are not atheists, agnostics, pagans, Satanists, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, or adherents of other religions, so by default they must be Christians. However, they may know little or nothing about the Christ of Christianity or about the way of salvation.

Do not ask, “Have you been born again?” Nicodemus was a teacher of the Jewish religion (John 3:10) and thus very familiar with the Old Testament scriptures. So when Jesus said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” He assumed that Nicodemus could relate it to the passage, “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you … and I will put my Spirit within you” (Ezek. 36:25-27). Most people today have no idea what “born again” really means. Many think it is another term for being baptized. Others think it has to do with speaking in tongues. Still others identify the term with Christian fundamentalism, meaning that it stands for being pro-life, anti-gay, and the like. So if we are going to use the term “born again” in our evangelism, we must be prepared to define the term. (See Assignment 9)

In a similar way, questions like, “Are you saved?” or “Have you been converted?” may be misunderstood by your hearers.

Leading questions that are much more easily understood are these: “If you were to die tonight, would you have the assurance of going to heaven?” or “Have you ever come to the point in your life where you realized you were a sinner and deserved to spend eternity in the lake of fire?”

Answers to these questions may give you a good idea where the person stands spiritually. However, the best questions of all are those that require something other than a “Yes” or “No” answer and make the person think. For example, “Suppose you were to die and be taken to the gate of heaven, and suppose the Lord Jesus standing at the entrance were to ask you, `Why should I let you in here?’ How would you answer Him?” Another way of phrasing the question is this: “What do you think God requires of people before He will take them to heaven?” People’s answers to questions like these will give you a good idea where they stand with God and what points may need particular emphasis when you present the gospel to them.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Three of our readers completed all 27 (15 regular plus 12 review) assignments for 1996. Drew Johnson of Pottstown, Pennsylvania led the way for the second year in a row with a score of 95.9% for the year. Carrie and Lisa Keillor of Acton, California had scores of 94.8% and 94.4% correct answers, respectively. April Helsel of Bedford, Pennsylvania completed 18 of the assignments with a score of 97.2%. Several scholars from Africa have submitted assignments, but none so far has completed at least half of them for 1996. Please note that when you are asked to “write out a verse,” you are expected to write out the text of the verse, not just the reference; you will lose points for giving only the chapter and verse and not the text.

Assignment 8: Write out a verse in Mark 9 that shows how one man dealt with his doubts.

Assignment 9: Write out a sentence or two to describe what you think the expression “born again” means?

Foundations of Faith
SALVATION (IV)

I remember reading somewhere that people who have doubts about their salvation probably are not saved. That is a potentially dangerous statement and must be clarified. There are several categories of doubts concerning one’s salvation that ought to be distinguished.

Doubts from not understanding the way of salvation. Often when I ask people if they have the assurance of going to heaven their answers express some doubt:”I hope so” or “I think so.” Upon further probing, it turns out that most of these people have never been instructed properly as to the way of salvation outlined in the Bible. Even though they may have heard about Christ dying on the cross for their sins, they have been depending upon their works, hoping that they will have enough good works to outweigh their bad ones on the final judgment day. In many cases, the doubting disappears when the way of salvation is clearly presented and is received in faith by the hearer.

Doubts from not feeling saved. I believe that many young people, as well as some older ones, experience doubts of this kind. I myself went through a period as a child around eight or ten years old when I very much wanted to be saved. I knew I was a sinner and I did not want to spend eternity in hell. I had placed my trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who, I knew, had suffered and died for my sins. But I did not feel saved. I was looking within myself for some kind of feelings that would give me assurance that I really was saved. Finally, after a couple of years of constant worry, I was led by the Holy Spirit simply to rest on the certainty of God’s Word and promises. I knew I was trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for my salvation; the Bible states, “Whosoever believes in Him … has everlasting life” (John 3:16); therefore I had everlasting life! No doubt I had been saved all along, but I entered into the peace and joy of that salvation once I stopped looking within myself for feelings and started looking outside myself to the sure word of holy Scripture.

Doubts from hard questions by acquaintances. Many young believers have been challenged by friends, acquaintances, and school teachers with difficult questions concerning the Bible. For example, “How do you mesh the Biblical account of creation with scientific evidence? What about all the inconsistencies in the Bible? How could Christ be born of a virgin? What evidence is there apart from the Bible that Christ rose from the dead?” Being new in the faith and not well instructed in the Scriptures, the young people allow these difficult questions to throw them into confusion and doubt.

A Bible teacher once wrote about the doubts he experienced as a young Christian because of difficult questions people threw at him. He was delivered when these words from the Bible came home forcefully to His soul:”Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17). If one of our readers is experiencing doubts and questions about the Bible, let those doubts drive you to the Word of God, not away from it. Read it over and over, memorize it, meditate upon it.

The Bible teacher just mentioned writes about a college student who challenged him during a youth conference. The student threw all the questions at the teacher that had crippled the teacher’s own faith years before. The teacher did not argue with the student, but after each question said, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Read the book of Romans [or some other appropriate portion of the Bible].” The student responded to the teacher’s challenge and within months became a believer himself.

Doubts from satanic harassment. There is another kind of doubting that I will introduce by way of an illustration. A Christian lady who had been serving and worshipping the Lord for most of her life told me about something that was greatly upsetting her. An incident that she had totally forgotten for the past 60 years suddenly came into her mind. It was the memory of a sin she had committed as a teenager. Because of this memory she began to be plagued with questions and doubts about whether she had ever been really saved.

Others have told me about being plagued with questions that keep coming into their minds, such as:”What if God doesn’t really exist after all?” “What if the Bible is only a bunch of myths?” “What if this life is all there is?” Still others have experienced ugly, blasphemous thoughts about God popping into their head. As a result of such thoughts going through their heads they begin wondering if they have lost their salvation or if they were ever really saved.

As already brought out in the Aug95 issue, all Christians have an enemy named Satan who tempts and harasses them. If Satan cannot keep one from becoming saved by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, He will do his utmost to keep that person from enjoying his/her salvation. One of Satan’s methods is to whisper negative thoughts and doubting questions into the believer’s mind so that the person will begin to doubt his/her salvation. For this reason, one of the pieces of armor that God has graciously given to each of His children is “the helmet of salvation” (Eph. 6:17). We put on that helmet by keeping fresh in our minds and memories those scriptures that speak of the assurance of our salvation.

Satan would occupy us with negative and doubting thoughts. We can counteract these by focusing on the clear, definite, positive statements and promises of Scripture, such as the following:”He who believes on the Son has everlasting life” (John 3:36). “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). “The blood of Jesus Christ … cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

If you have come to Christ, placing your faith in His sacrificial death on the cross for your salvation, do not be surprised if at times you experience doubts about your salvation. This shows that Satan is busy trying to draw you away from your Saviour. Just remember to put on “the helmet of salvation.” Remember too that “greater is He [Christ] who is in you than he [Satan] who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Running the Race
Assignment 7: Write out at least four verses in John 6 containing promises that give assurance of salvation.

Foundations of Faith
SALVATION (III)

Twelve-year-old Michelle had just visited her father for the first time in nearly a year. Her father, Michael, was in prison about 150 miles from home. For lack of room, I was not permitted to join Michelle and her mother, brothers, and sister in the visiting room with Michael. However, I was able to visit Michael for a few minutes by myself. He told me excitedly that he had talked to each member of his family about the way of salvation. On the way back to my car, Michelle looked up at me and said, “Guess what, Mr. Canner. My daddy saved me.” I knew what she meant and did not correct her, but allowed her to enjoy that precious moment of her life.

We know that our mom and dad didn’t save us. We know that the gospel preacher didn’t save us. They just showed us our need of salvation and pointed us to Christ. But sometimes we may think that we ourselves can take some credit for being saved. I have heard born again Christians say, “Salvation is so simple; I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, why doesn’t so-and-so?” Such questions betray the pride of people’s hearts in taking at least a tiny bit of credit for their own salvation. What does Scripture say? “By grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). What is “not of yourselves” and “the gift of God”? It is faith! Our very ability to accept the gospel and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation is “not of [our]selves” but “the gift of God.”

When I hear the gospel and respond to it by faith, it may seem to me that I have made the choice of Christ over Satan, heaven over hell, life over death. But as I study the Bible I learn something different:”[God] has chosen us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). “God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thess. 2:13). Jesus said, “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you” (John 15:16,19). “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” (Rom. 8:33). (See Assignment 6)

Why is it that God has made the choice of who will be saved, rather than leaving it up to man’s free will? Let me quote from Charles Stanley (born 1821 in England):”The fact is, man is so desperately wicked, that left to his own free choice, he will not believe God … he will not receive Christ as his Saviour. God did not make him so. Man’s condition is the result of his own sin. He believed Satan and disbelieved God (Gen. 3:1-7).

“God ‘now commands all men everywhere to repent’ (Acts 17:30). Men will neither believe what God says nor repent. If God had left the matter … to man’s free choice only … it is clear that no one would be saved.” (Mr. Stanley’s pamphlet entitled, Election, may be obtained by writing the editor of GROWING. See also the Oct93 issue for more on this topic in connection with God’s sovereignty.)

The result of learning this truth of our divine election is eternal praise, worship, and thanksgiving to the One who has graciously chosen us for salvation (Eph. 1:4-6).

“How can I know if I am one of the elect?” one may ask. Not to worry! Jesus said, “All whom the Father gives Me shall come to Me; and him who comes to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37,44). If you have heard the gospel and want to be saved and have come to Christ, this is clear-cut evidence that the Father has chosen you.

“Does not Rom. 8:29 say that God’s election is based on His foreknowledge?” another may ask. It is true that God knew everything about us long before we were born. He has always known who would be praying for us, who would share the gospel with us, and so forth. Still, it is totally His choice who should be saved, and this should cause each one of us who has been saved to fall on our knees before God in worship.

There are aspects of the doctrine of election that confound our human understanding. It may help us a little to think of a door opening up into heaven. On the outside is a sign saying, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17); on the inside is a sign saying, “Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4).

This is a word that is often used interchangeably with election. However, there seems to be a distinction between the two. “Election,” “elect,” and “chosen” are words used in the Bible to refer to God’s sovereign choice of certain individuals to be saved. The word “predestinate” means “to mark out beforehand.” In the Bible this word is always connected with God’s special blessing upon those who believe; in particular, it refers to the truth of the believer’s sonship with God the Father:”Whom He did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of [sons]” (Eph. 1:5). “We have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of [God]” (Eph. 1:11).

Running the Race
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF CHRIST?

Hey, fellows, imagine this if you can: You have just become engaged to a girl. She isn’t just any girl; she is the most beautiful, attractive, talented, intelligent, friendly, charming, loving, selfless, and spiritual girl in town … maybe in the entire country. And she has agreed to marry you!

Now imagine thinking to yourself: “She is mine, she has agreed to marry me, we have a wedding date set for 12 months from now. I am going to be living with her for the next 50 years or so. Therefore, I think I will use the next few months before our wedding spending time with as many different girls as I possibly can. I won’t have such an opportunity once I am married.”

That’s pretty silly, isn’t it! Of course you wouldn’t think anything of the kind! Rather, you would be spending every moment possible with the girl of your dreams.

Are you treating Christ like that? Maybe you are thinking: “I want to get all the pleasure possible out of this present world while I can; I can enjoy Christ and heaven when I get there.”

“What do you think of Christ?” (Matt. 22:42).

Assignment 6: Write out a verse in each of Matthew 22 and 1 Peter 1 and at least two verses in Romans 9 that express the truth of election.

Foundations of Faith
SALVATION (II)

We have learned in recent issues that the basis of our salvation is the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus Christ for our sins. That is God’s side-what He has done for us. The way of salvation-what we must do to be saved-is “repent and believe” (Mark 1:15). To repent means to accept the truth of the Bible that we are lost, dead in trespasses and sins, and deserving of God’s judgment because of our sins. To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ means to place our full dependence on His sacrificial work on the cross for our eternal salvation.

To repeat from the last issue for emphasis, salvation is by faith alone and not by faith plus works. While repentance accompanies our faith, that repentance is not a work of merit on our part but simply our agreement with what the Bible says about our lost, sinful condition.

Salvation is also by grace alone. “By grace are you saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8). Grace, as mentioned last time, is favor shown to us who deserve the opposite. Grace is not just turning the left cheek to the one who hits us on the right one; it is baking a pie for that person; it is returning good for evil. (See Assignment 5)

God’s salvation is like that. We, because of our sins, deserve “hell fire” (Mark 10:47). Christ, in a very real sense, went through that hell fire in our place so that God could take us to heaven instead. What wonderful, marvelous grace! Our salvation is by grace alone. It is all of God. “Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe,” goes the hymn. “You are bought with a price, therefore glorify God” (2 Cor. 6:20). Yes, God deserves all the thanks, all the praise, all the glory for our salvation. We have done absolutely nothing to deserve, earn, or merit it.

A Christian man was once confronted on the street by a young man who asked him, “Are you saved?” The older man, wanting to test the younger one, responded, “Saved from what?” The young man, full of zeal but lacking in knowledge, didn’t know how to answer that question.

We have considered how and by what means we are saved. But saved from what? The Bible speaks of three aspects of our salvation-past, present, and future.

Salvation from the Penalty of Sin (Past or Already Accomplished Aspect). Through faith in the finished work of Christ for our salvation, we have already been delivered from the penalty that our sins deserve-eternity in the lake of fire. “He who hears My word and believes on Him who sent me has everlasting life, and .. is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15).

Salvation from the Power of Sin (Present Aspect). “My beloved … work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). Notice that this verse does not say “work for” but “work out your own salvation.” Thus, we are to let our salvation become very real and practical in our lives. The knowledge that Christ in His love for us suffered and died for us motivates us to live for Him rather than for ourselves (2 Cor. 5:14, 15). The realization that we have been saved from eternity in the lake of fire makes us want to glorify God and serve Christ as much as we possibly can. In this way we “work out” in practice our salvation. In this way we are saved or delivered from the power that sin once held over us.

Let us consider an example. Macho Max utterly despises Nerdy Ned. He can’t stand to be around that weakling. He considers Ned to be a disgrace to the male gender. Then one day Max is in deep trouble. His house has caught fire and he is trapped on the third floor. All he can do is throw up the window and holler at the top of his voice:”HELP!!!” Whom do you suppose comes to Max’s rescue? Yes, here comes Ned with a long ladder and climbs up and helps Max to safety. Max has not only been saved from a very dangerous-and possibly fatal-situation; he also has been totally delivered from his negative attitude toward Ned. Now, in his deep gratitude, he wants to do everything possible to help and please Ned. Just so, out of our great appreciation to our Saviour-Lord, we want to do everything possible to serve and glorify Him. In this way we are saved daily-as long as we keep our focus on Christ-from the power of sin in our lives.

In a sense, this present salvation is also a salvation from ourselves. What do I mean by this? Is it not true that we are our own worst enemies? All too often it is the stupid, selfish, sinful things we do that give us so much misery. I can think of dozens of people who have suffered for years or maybe a lifetime because of sinful actions and decisions. I speak of such things as having sex before or outside of marriage, a Christian marrying an unbeliever, using alcohol and illicit drugs, engaging in criminal activity, and ignoring the wise advice and counsel of others. As we center our lives around Christ-as we regard Him as our Lord and Master as well as our Saviour-we shall be saved from a great deal of sinning and from the misery that results from it.

The wonderful truth that we have “life in Christ Jesus” by virtue of His sufferings and death for us sets us free-saves us-from sin in our daily lives (Rom. 8:2; 5:10).

Salvation from the Presence of Sin (Future Aspect). The day is coming for the believer in Christ when there will be no more struggles with temptation and sin. In heaven we shall be delivered from our sinful natures. This is one of the reasons why heaven will be a happy place. There will not be the slightest bit of selfishness, pride, pretending, put downs, or cutting remarks. Everyone will be totally loving, giving, friendly, helpful, kind, and humble. Everything that caused separations among God’s people here on earth will be healed. What a wonderful eternity that will be!

Here are two scriptures that refer to this future salvation:”Unto those who look for [Christ] shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation (Heb. 9:28). “We … groan within ourselves , waiting for … the redemption of our body, for we are saved by hope” (Rom. 8:23,24). In heaven we will receive brand new bodies, perfectly adapted to life in heaven, to go along with our soul and spirit that is “conformed to the image of [God’s] Son” (Rom. 8:29).

Running the Race
Assignment 5: Write out two verses in Matthew 5 and two in Romans 12 that illustrate “grace,” that is, returning good for evil.

Foundations of Faith
SALVATION (I)

In the last three issues we have discussed the basis of salvation, namely, atonement, or the sufferings and death of Christ for our sins. We learned that Jesus Christ “is the propitiation for … the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Does this mean that the whole world is automatically saved? No, the Bible speaks of sinners who will spend eternity in the lake of fire (Mark 9:43; Rev. 20:15).

What, then, must we do to be saved? The jailer at Philippi asked this question and the Apostle Paul responded, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31). In this issue we shall discuss what it means to “believe on” or “have faith in” the Lord Jesus Christ. We shall also discuss the meaning of “repentance” which is often connected with faith as something required for salvation.

What is faith? Here is what my Webster’s New World Dictionary says:”Faith implies complete, unquestioning acceptance of something … especially of something not supported by reason.” This is not at all what the Bible means by “faith.” Biblical faith is not blind faith, that is, believing things that are unreasonable and unsupported by evidence. To the contrary, there is much strong, convincing evidence for the things that we read in the Bible (Feb93-May93).

Here is what the Bible says about faith:”Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). In other words, faith is accepting as true things that we may not be able to observe with our own senses. None of us has actually seen George Washington but very few will doubt that he lived and was our country’s first president. Why? Because there are many reliable sources of evidence to attest to those facts. So it is with the Bible.

What is it that we must believe in order to be saved? Surely we must believe in the existence of God (Heb. 11:6). But that is not enough, for “the devils also believe [that there is one God], and tremble” (Jas. 2:19). In addition, we must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, came down from heaven to become a Man, lived a perfect life on earth, suffered, bled and died for our sins, and was buried and rose again the third day (1 Cor. 15:3,4).

It is not enough, however, simply to accept in our minds that these facts about the Lord Jesus Christ are true. Faith or belief also includes the concept of trust and dependence. I may believe that Karl Wallenda, the world-famous aerialist, is able to walk on a wire stretched between the two walls of a canyon carrying a grown person on his back. But am I willing to put that faith into action by entrusting myself to Mr. Wallenda’s skill and balance?

There is a difference between “believing in” and “believing on.” When a father tells his son, “I believe in you,” it means that he believes his son is telling the truth or capable of accomplishing a certain deed. When i tell the Lord Jesus, “I believe on you,” it means that I am placing my full trust and dependence upon Him. Saving faith, then, is placing our trust for eternal salvation totally upon the Lord Jesus Christ and the work of atonement that He completed on the cross. This is why (with the correct translation) there are over 50 verses in the New Testament that refer to our “believing on” the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation (John 1:12:3:18,36; 6:35; Acts 16:31; Phil. 1:29. etc.; also John 3:16 in which “in” should be translated “on” in the KJV).

At this point, it needs to be made absolutely clear that salvation is not produced by our works, whether our good deeds, our baptism, our confirmation, our church attendance, our prayers, our penance, or our service. After telling us that we are saved through faith by God’s grace (that is, favor shown to us who deserve the opposite), the Apostle Paul adds for emphasis, “Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8,9). (See Assignment 4)

Many people are wrongly taught that Christ did His part (died on the cross) and we need to do our part (good deeds). A related teaching is that we are saved by trusting in the finished work of Christ and we are kept saved by keeping the works of the law. The Apostle Paul tried to correct this wrong teaching:”Having begun in the Spirit [by faith], are you now made perfect by [the works of the law]?” (Gal. 3:2-12).

But what about the passage that argues that “faith without works is dead” (Jas. 2:14-26)? The key to this passage is in verse 14, “Though a man say he has faith.” If one says to you “I am a born-again Christian,” but shows absolutely no evidence in his life of the fruit of being saved (Gal. 5:22,23, for example), it may be appropriate for you to question that person’s faith. In such cases we can take comfort in the fact that “the Lord knows those who are His” (2 Tim. 2:19).

The Lord Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). “The Lord is … not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). The apostles called upon sinners to “repent” (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30).

What does “repentance” mean? It refers to the changing of one’s mind. In our unsaved state we were either unconcerned about our sins or we counted upon our good deeds to outweigh the bad ones in God’s eyes. “Repentance” refers to our acceptance of the biblical truth that we were lost (Luke 19:10), “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1), and deserving of God’s judgment because of our sins.

Therefore, we see that repentance and faith go hand in hand. Before we can properly exercise faith or trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, we must come to repentance, realizing that we are lost and in need of a Saviour. Repentance and faith are joined together in Mark 1:15 and Acts 20 21.

Neither repentance nor faith stop with our becoming saved. Believers are called upon to trust in the Lord throughout their lives (Prov. 3:5,6; 2 Cor. 1:9; 1 Tim. 6:17). “Faith” is both a fruit (Gal. 5:22) and a gift (1 Cor. 12:9) of the Spirit. Likewise, believers are called upon to repent and turn away from their sins (2 Cor. 12:21; Rev. 2:5,16; 3:3). The more we grow in our knowledge of Christ, the more we will become aware of sin and failure in our lives, and the more we will repent of and turn away from those sins.

Running the Race
Assignment 4: Write out a verse in each of Romans 3, Galatians 2, and Titus 3 that says that we are not saved or justified by works or deeds of the law.

Foundations of Faith
ATONEMENT (III)

In the last issue we considered two aspects of atonement, namely, propitiation and substitution. Summarizing what we learned, propitiation has to do with the effects of Christ’s suffering and death upon God; substitution has to do with the effects of His sufferings and death upon us who believe. In this issue we shall discuss a few questions relating to atonement.

God is all-powerful and all-wise. So why couldn’t He have found some way to deal with man’s sin other than having His own Son suffer and die on the cross? We have five questions to ask in this regard.

1. Why couldn’t God have created man without the ability to sin? As discussed in a previous issue (Apr96), God wanted more than puppets to obey, serve, and worship Him.

2. Why couldn’t God have provided salvation by just forgiving all the sinners? The answer to this question is that while God is loving and forgiving, at the same time He is holy and righteous (Nov93). God has to deal with our sin in agreement with His holiness. If He forgave without demanding a proper penalty or payment for our sins, He would be forgiving unjustly. (What would you think if someone murdered the fellow or girl you were planning to marry and the judge decided to pardon the murderer rather than make him pay a penalty for his crime?)

God’s holiness demands atonement for sin, and His love provides it. God’s only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, has made full payment for our sin and guilt. God does not merely forgive sinners, but forgives in a way that shows how great is His holy hatred of our sins.

3. Why couldn’t God have punished someone else instead of His own Son? First of all, the one being punished would have to be sinless. All the Old Testament sacrifices, which look forward to the sacrifice of Christ, required that the victim be “without blemish and without spot” (Exod. 12:5:Num. 19:2; 1 Pet. 1:19; etc.).

Perhaps God could have created a special sinless being just for the purpose of making atonement for the sin of mankind. But this surely would not have been fair to that individual. Besides, how could a single, finite being suffer all of the punishment necessary to be “the propitiation for … the whole world” (1 John 2:1)?

The only other possibility was for God to make atonement by Himself. God exists as three co-equal Persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Mar94). God the Son agreed voluntarily to be sent by God the Father into the world to make atonement for sinful man. Since the One who made atonement was the Creator Himself, and not a created being, no one can charge God with injustice. (See Assignment 3)

Furthermore, Christ, being infinite, was capable of making full atonement for “the whole world.” He is fully God and fully Man. His life was of infinite value, as were His sufferings and death on the cross. The total value of all of those for whom He died does not come close to the infinite value of the life that He laid down for our sakes.

4. Why did Christ have to suffer as well as die? Because He had to bear the actual penalty that our sins deserve. And what is that penalty? Eternity in the “lake of fire,” “outer darkness,” “torment,” intense thirst, separation from God (Matt. 8:12; Luke 16:19-31; Rev. 20:15). On the cross, before He died, Christ experienced the agony and suffering that we deserve for eternity.

5. If atonement was made by Christ’s sufferings on the cross, why did He have to die as well? “The wages of sin is death” and “after this the judgment” (Rom. 6:23; Heb. 9:27). “Through death” Christ destroyed “him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14). Therefore both suffering and death were necessary for Christ to make atonement for our sins.

Sometimes we hear or read the phrase, “vicarious atonement.” A vicar is a substitute or representative of another. So “vicarious” is just another word for “substitutionary” or “taking the place of another.”

Running the Race
HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE (in View of the Atonement?) (II)

Here are a few more verses that appeal to the way we should live on the basis of Christ’s sufferings for us.

“Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself, but, as it is written, The reproaches of those who reproached Thee fell on Me” (Rom. 15:2,3).

“Consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest you be weary and faint in your minds” (Heb. 12:3). In other words, do not shrink from the opposition of others because of your faith, remembering what Christ endured on the cross.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might be rich. And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun … now therefore perform the doing of it” (2 Cor. 8:9,10). In other words, the Apostle Paul is appealing to the Corinthians to give sacrificially to aid the poor and persecuted Christians in Jerusalem, just as Christ sacrificially gave Himself that we might be spiritually rich.

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it” (Eph. 6:25). Say, fellows, you may not be married yet, but how do you treat your girl friends? Are you mainly interested in the happiness, good times, and companionship that you get out of the relationship? Or are you interested in what you can give to her to increase her happiness and spiritual well-being. For those of you who may be preparing for marriage, are you preparing yourself for a lifetime of self-sacrifice (giving of your time, your habits, your ambitions, and your favorite activities, if necessary) for the benefit of your life partner? Christ, who gave Himself for the Church, is both your Example and motivation for such self-sacrifice.

Assignment 3: Write out some verses in Philippians 2 that show that the Son of God voluntarily came down from heaven to die on the cross.

Foundations of Faith
ATONEMENT (II)

The word “atonement” is not found in the New Testament except in one verse where it should be translated “reconciliation” (Rom. 5:11). The closest word to atonement in the New Testament is “propitiation.”

What does propitiation mean? It has the thought of paying the penalty for sin, appeasing and satisfying all of the righteous claims of holy God against sinners. Christ made “propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb. 2:17). “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2 NKJV). “[God] loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Note, in the second verse quoted, that propitiation is “for the whole world.” (More about this later.)

A word that is often mentioned by Bible scholars in the same breath as propitiation is substitution. The words substitute and substitution are not found in the Bible, but the truth that Christ died as a Substitute for sinners certainly is. “He bore the sin of many” (Isa. 53:12). “Jesus our Lord … was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:24). “Christ also suffered for us … who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree … the Just for the unjust” (1 Pet. 2:21,24; 3:18). We see from these verses that the Lord Jesus Christ-the Creator and eternal Son of God-took the place of us-rebels and sinners! He, the Just One, was the Substitute for us, the unjust.

Let us now compare propitiation and substitution. Propitiation, as we have seen, is “for the whole world.” Christ has so completely satisfied God by His suffering and death on the cross that salvation is made available to every man, woman, and child in the world. Sadly, not every one in the world has taken advantage of God’s gracious offer of free, eternal salvation. But for every one of us who has accepted God’s free gift of salvation, Christ bore our sins as our Substitute.

While Christ “is the propitiation for … the whole world,” the Bible does not say that Christ bore the sins of the whole world. Rather, He “bore the sin of many” as our Substitute. Propitiation has to do with the effects of Christ’s sufferings and death upon God; substitution has to do with the effects of His sufferings and death upon us who believe.

While we shall take up the topic of salvation in a future issue, we can see that Christ’s atonement provides the basis of our eternal salvation. In the minds of most people in the world, man’s hope for eternal salvation is based upon his own good works. But God has presented a far different way in His Word. (See Assignment 2)

In a recent issue of GROWING (De96) we had a brief paragraph on Christ’s atoning sufferings. Since these sufferings are so crucial to our eternal salvation, let us consider them in more detail.
Let us begin by asking a question:What is repulsive to you? What kinds of things make you sick just to think of them? Maybe finding a rat or a snake in your bed. Or seeing a person with terrible burns all over his body.

What was the most repulsive thing of all to the Lord Jesus? Sin! There was no sin in Him (1 John 3:5). He had no sin nature. Throughout His life He never even had a sinful thought. He was perfectly holy. He hated sin. His standards were so high that He said to His disciples, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off … If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out” (Mark 9:43-48 NKJV). To the holy Lord, sin was infinitely more repulsive than being covered with rats and snakes.

Now think about this:the very thing that was so repulsive to the Lord came upon Him. He “who knew no sin” was made “sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21). In order to make atonement for sin, He had to take our sin upon Himself. So He became guilty, so to speak, of man’s sexual immorality, unclean lusts, stealing, envy, murder, violence, deceit, false accusations, gossip, slander, hatred of God, blasphemy, filthy speech, pride, and drunkenness (see Rom. 1:24-31; Col. 3:5-9:2 Tim. 3:2-4). Our sins became so much a part of Christ on the cross that He could refer to them as “my iniquities” which “are more than the hairs of my head” (Psa. 40:12; 69:5).

Have you ever been accused of someone else’s wrongdoing? Perhaps as a child you were spanked for something your brother did. It was hard to take, wasn’t it? Now think of your Lord and Saviour. He, who was absolutely sinless, took upon Himself billions and trillions of sins of others as if they were His own. Then the wrath of holy God came down upon Christ in crushing force. “All Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over Me … Thou hast laid Me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lies hard upon Me” (Psa. 42:7:88:6,7,16).

Through all of this, Christ had absolutely no one to hold His hand, to comfort Him, to encourage Him. “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? why art Thou so far from helping Me? … O My God, I cry in the daytime, but Thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent … I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none … Lover and friend hast Thou put far from Me, and mine acquaintance into darkness” (Psa. 22:1,2; 69:20; 88:18).

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us” (1 John 4:9).

Running the Race
HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE (in View of the Atonement?) (I)

There are several verses that appeal to the way we should live on the basis of Christ’s sufferings for us.

“The love of Christ constrains us, because we thus judge that if One died for all, then were all dead; and He died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14, 15).

“Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:2).

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who … humbled Himself and became obedient unto … the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:5,8).

Assignment 2: Write out some verses in Acts 4 that say that God’s way of salvation is only through the sufferings, death, and resurrection of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Foundations of Faith
Atonement (I)

This little ditty describes the thinking of many so-called Christians today. But as we have seen in the last several issues, man today is still as bad and sinful as the Bible describes him to be (Rom. 3:10-23). And God is still as holy and intolerant of sin as the Bible describes Him to be (Hab. 1:13; Isa. 6:1-5). Because of man’s sin and God’s holy hatred of sin, God has prepared eternal punishment for sinners (Matt. 8:12; 18:8,9; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-31; Rev. 20:11-15). In view of this, is there any hope for mankind? Or are we all doomed to eternal darkness and separation from God because of our sin?

The Bible’s answers to these all-important questions are centered around the doctrine of atonement. In its simplest form, this doctrine can be stated in five one-syllable words:”Christ died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:3). However, there are two major sides to this doctrine (propitiation and substitution, as we shall see in the next issue), as well as many fine details. May the Lord help us to come to a clear and correct understanding of what the Bible teaches about atonement.

We immediately run up against a problem when we try to give a definition of the word “atonement.” This is an English word derived from two simple words-“at one.” Man is separated from God and an enemy of God because of sin (Isa. 59:2; Rom. 5:10; Col. 1:21). He needs to be made “at one” with God or “reconciled” to God (2 Cor. 5:20). The problem lies in the fact that the word “atonement” as found in the Old Testament does not mean “reconciliation” (although reconciliation of man with God is surely one of the results of atonement).

The Hebrew words translated “to atone” or “atonement” throughout the Old Testament basically mean “to cover” or “covering.” Since the word atonement is so commonly heard in our prayers, hymns, and Bible studies, we shall continue to use it. We just need to keep in mind that the word refers to our sins being covered rather than our “at-one-ment” with God.

The concept of atonement is introduced to us in Genesis 3. God provided coverings of animal skins for Adam and Eve after they had sinned. Adam and Eve had tried to provide their own covering with fig leaves, but God’s covering was based on the killing of an animal-the shedding of blood.

We read much in the Old Testament about God’s requirement of animal sacrifices to make atonement for the sins of His people. “It is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul” (Lev. 17:11). These sacrifices, though imperfect in themselves (Heb. 10:1-4), pointed the sinners forward to the One Perfect Sacrifice of God’s provision, and so provided a covering for man’s sins in the eyes of a holy God. In Abraham’s offering of Isaac on the altar, we have a hint that God’s purpose in atonement was the sacrifice of a human being. The Prophet Isaiah further developed this idea, foretelling the sufferings and death of a man on behalf of sinners. (See Assignment 1)

Still the question remained:where could be found a human being who fulfilled the Old Testament types and qualified as a sinless sin-bearer? The answer is revealed in the New Testament. All of the Old Testament sacrifices were types and pictures that had their fulfillment in the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus Christ:

1. The animals offered as sacrifices could not have any physical defect (Lev. 1:3; Num. 19:2). Christ had no moral or spiritual defect, being totally without sin (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5).

2. The animals were to be taken from the people’s flocks and herds, rather than wild beasts that had to be hunted down and captured (Lev. 1:2). Christ offered Himself as a willing Victim (Luke 22:42; John 18:3-6).

3. The animal’s blood was shed (Lev. 1:5). Christ’s blood was shed (John 19:34).

4. The animal was killed (Lev. 1:5). Christ died (John 19:30.33).

In the sacrificial death of Christ we have elements that take us far above and beyond the types and shadows of animal sacrifices:

1. The animals apparently were killed quickly and painlessly, whereas Christ suffered greatly before He died (Luke 24:46; 1 Pet. 2:21). Not only did He suffer from man (see the Dec96 issue), but He particularly suffered from the hand of God. He suffered as the sinless sin-bearer (Psa. 40:12; 69:5; 2 Cor. 5:21). He experienced the wrath and judgment of God (Psa. 42:7; 88:7,16; 102:10; Lam. 1:12). He was forsaken by God (Psa. 22:1,2; 69:20; Matt. 27:46).

2. Christ, being the Son of God, was infinite (Job 5:9; Psa. 147:5), and thus could suffer infinitely for our sins.

Spotless Man, uniquely fair,
God Eternal from above,
Suffered infinitely there-
Mighty, quenchless, deathless love.

3. While the animals were killed by man, Christ laid down His own life (John 10:15-18).

At the end of time, billions of people were scattered on a great plain before God’s throne. Most shrank back from the brilliant light before them. But some groups near the front talked heatedly-not with cringing shame, but with belligerence.

“Can God judge us? How can He know about suffering?” snapped a pert young brunette. She ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. “We endured terror, beatings, torture and death!” In another group, an African- American man lowered his collar. “What about this?” he demanded, showing an ugly rope burn. “Lynched-for no crime but being black!” In another crowd, there was a pregnant schoolgirl with sullen eyes. “Why should I suffer?” she murmured. “It wasn’t my fault.”

Far out across the plain there were hundreds of such groups. Each had a complaint against God for the evil and suffering He had permitted in His world. How lucky God was to live in heaven where all was sweetness and light, where there was no weeping or fear, no hunger or hatred. What did God know of all that man had been forced to endure in this world? God leads a pretty sheltered life, they said.

So each of these groups sent forth their leader, chosen because he had suffered the most. A Jew, an African-American, a person from Hiroshima, a horribly deformed arthritic, a youth with severe birth defects. In the center of the plain they consulted with each other. At last they were ready to present their case. It was rather clever. Before God could be qualified to be their judge, He must endure what they had endured. The decision was that God should be sentenced to live upon earth as a man!

“Let Him be born a Jew. Let the legitimacy of His birth be doubted. Give Him a work so difficult that even His family will think Him out of His mind when He tries to do it. Let Him be betrayed by His closest friends. Let Him face false charges, be tried by a prejudiced jury, and convicted by a cowardly judge. Let Him be tortured. At the last, let Him see what it means to be terribly alone. Then let Him die. Let Him die so that there can be no doubt that He died. Let there be a host of witnesses to verify it.”

As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, loud murmurs of approval went up from the throng of people assembled. And when the last had finished pronouncing sentence, there was a long silence. No one uttered another word. No one moved. For suddenly all knew that God had already served His sentence.

(Taken from Understanding the Trinity by Alister E. McGrath. Copyright (c) 1988 by Alister E. McGrath. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.)

Running the Race
Assignment 1: Write out four verses in Isaiah 53 that speak of one making atonement, that is, suffering on behalf of the sins of others.

ANSWERS TO ASSIGNMENTS FOR 1996

1. Job helped the poor, fatherless, widows, perishing, blind, and lame (Job 29:12-16; write out three of these verses).

2. He who is chief should be as one who serves (Luke 22:26,27; write out).

3. “Dead in trespasses and sins” is spiritual death (Eph. 2:1; write out). “In Adam all die” (1 Cor. 15:22; write out). “Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Rev. 20:6,14; 21:8; write out all three verses).

4. “The heart is … desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9; write out). “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6; write out). “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10-19,23; write out at least three of these verses).

5. Three verses with “trespass”: Lev. 5:6; Josh. 7:1; Matt. 6:14 (write out verses).

6. Sins of omission: Luke 10:10 or 13; 10:31,32 (write out verses).

7. “Do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31; write out verse).

8. Paul and Silas sang praises (Acts 16:25; write out verse). Rejoicing in all situations and praying instead of being anxious bring glory to God (Phil. 4:4,6; write out one or both verses).

9. Matt. 20:20,21 (write out at least verse 21). Hypocrites sinfully desire glory for themselves; God should receive glory (Matt. 6:2,13; write out both verses).

10. Consequences of sin: physical sickness and tiredness (Psa. 32:3,4, 10; write out at least one); God won’t answer our prayers (Psa. 66:18; write out); we reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7,8; write out one or both verses).

11. “If a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Gal. 6:3; write out). The apostle Paul feared that he would find wrath, strife, tumults, uncleanness, fornication, and lasciviousness among the Corinthian believers (2 Cor. 12:20,21; write out). God will give us power over sin if we take a position of weakness (2 Cor. 12: 9,10; write out one or both verses).

12. The sword would never depart from David’s house (2 Sam. 12:10); David’s wives would be taken away from him (12:11); David’s child would die (12:14,18); David’s son raped his half-sister (13:14); David’s son Absalom killed his half-brother Amnon (13:28,29). (Give three of these consequences.)

13. Be reconciled to your brother, agree with your adversary (Matt. 5:23-25; write out at least verse 24 or 25). “I repent” (Luke 17:3,4; write out one or both verses).

14. Personalized responses.

15. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3: 23), or a verse with a similar sentiment.

16-1. No, work is not a curse (Gen. 2:15,19; Rev. 22:3; write out two of these verses).

16-2. (a) For a husband to love his wife means to give of his time, energy, interests, and preferences for the welfare and happiness of his wife. (b) Lesson from the three R’s: be diligent in carrying out your household duties and responsibilities.

16-3. Four consequences of Adam’s sin: (a) The entire human race became sinners (Rom. 5:12-19; write out at least one verse). (b) Death came upon mankind (Gen. 2:17; write out). (c) Several kinds of separation occurred (Gen. 3:8,10, 12,18, 19; 4:8; write out at least one verse). (d) Pain and suffering came upon the human race (Gen. 3:16-19; write out at least one verse).

16-4. Rom. 5:12,15,17-19 (write out at least one verse).

16-5. Sin=missing the mark; iniquity=lack of righteousness, justice, or fairness; transgression=stepping over a boundary or breaking a law.

16-6. Sin of commission: Exod. 20:15; Prov. 24:9; Matt. 5:28; Rom. 1:29-31; Eph. 5:4; Col. 3:8,9 (write out one verse). Sin of omission: Exod. 23:4,5; Jas. 4:17 (write out one verse).

16-7. Sin resulting from zeal: Luke 22:31-34; Acts 21:23-27; Phil. 3:6 (write out one verse).

16-8. No, God wants us to do the right thing all the time (Num. 20:12; write out).

16-9. Speaking against the testimony of the Holy Spirit concerning the Lord Jesus and saying it is of Satan is the unpardonable sin.

16-10. Instead of being a confession, it blames the other person for being too sensitive.

16-11. Forgiveness is a promise that I will not bring up the matter again to the forgiven one, to others, or to myself.

16-12. Christ suffered (a) from the hand of God when made sin (Matt. 27:46); (b) because of the results of sin in the world (Mark 7:34; John 11:33,35,38); (c) because of the sin, unbelief and hardness of heart of the people around Him (Matt. 23:37-39; 26:56; Mark 3:5; 8:11; Luke 22:24, 61); and (d) from man’s hatred toward Himself (Matt. 11:19; 12:24; Luke 4:29; John 8:48,59; 10:20,39; Psa. 22 and 69; Matt. 26 and 27). (Write out one verse from each of three of these categories.)

Foundations of Faith

Running the Race

Foundations of Faith
THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST

We have just completed a series of articles on the topics of the Fall of man and sin (Mar96-Nov96). We trust that by now all of our readers are thoroughly convinced that they are sinners. Earlier (Nov93), when studying the attributes of God, we learned about the holiness of God and His hatred and intolerance of sin. The Lord Jesus, when here on earth, reminded the people of God’s holiness; He told them often about the “outer darkness,” the “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” the “torment,” the “everlasting punishment,” and the “flame” of “hell fire” that awaits unrepentant sinners (Matt. 5:22; 8:12; 18:8, 9; 22:13; 24:51; 25:41, 46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:23,24, 28).

In view of the Bible’s teaching concerning our sin (Rom. 3:10-23) and the eternal punishment God has prepared for sinners, what are we to do? Is there any hope for mankind? Or are we all doomed to eternal darkness and separation from God because of our sin?

These questions lead us into the next series of topics that will occupy us through much of 1997, if the Lord hasn’t come by then. These are topics related to the wonderful teaching in the Bible about God’s salvation of sinners. Specifically, these topics will include atonement, propitiation and substitution; repentance and faith; conversion and regeneration; foreknowledge, election, and predestination; the blessings that accompany salvation; and the eternal security of the believer.

As we shall learn-and most of our readers know it already-our salvation is based on the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, followed by His resurrection from the dead. In the Jun94- Oct94 issues of GROWING we took up a study of God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ His deity and humanity, His virgin birth, His attributes, His sinlessness, His names, titles, and offices, His life, His example for us, and His resurrection. We put off a study of His sufferings until we came to the topic of salvation.

In preparation for our study of atonement in the next issue, let us take a brief look at the sufferings of Christ. These sufferings are sometimes divided into two classes-His atoning sufferings (that is, those He experienced when He was punished by God for our sins) and His non- atoning sufferings (that is, those He received from man).

These were Christ’s sufferings from the hand of God when He was on the cross. He experienced them particularly during the three hours of darkness, during which He cried out, “My God, My God, why host Thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:45,46). This is when the sinless One was made sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21), and “bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24); when He was “wounded for our transgressions” and “bruised for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5).

Sufferings because of the results of sin in the world. Even when He was about to use His miraculous powers, Jesus wept and sighed (or groaned) because of the disease and death brought upon mankind because of sin (Mark 7:34; John 11:33,35 ,38).

Sufferings because of the sin, unbelief, and hardness of heart of the people around Him. He sighed when the Pharisees tried to trip Him up with their questions (Mark 8:11). He grieved at the people’s hardness of heart (Mark 3:5). He wept over Jerusalem because of the people’s sin and soon-coming judgment (Matt. 23:37-39). How it must have grieved the Lord, on the eve of His crucifixion, when “there was … a strife among [the disciples], which of them should be accounted the greatest”; when “all the disciples forsook Him and fled”; and when one of His most faithful disciples denied Him three times (Matt. 26:56:Luke 22:24,61).

Sufferings from man’s hatred toward Himself. Months before the crucifixion, on several occasions the religious leaders tried to kill Him (Luke 4:29; John 8:59; 10:39). They charged Him with being a glutton, a drunkard, and a madman, having a demon, and casting out demons by the power of Satan (Matt. 11:19; 12:24; John 8:48; 10:20). Leading up to and during the crucifixion, the Jewish and Roman leaders and soldiers spit in His face, slapped Him, accused Him of blasphemy, wrongfully condemned Him to death, whipped Him (with leather cords weighted with sharp pieces of bone or lead), mocked Him, beat a crown of thorns into His head, stripped Him, pounded nails into His hands and feet, and taunted Him as He hung on the cross (Psa. 22; 69; Matt. 26;27). While the Lord took these insults with the greatest patience, grace, and even forgiveness (Luke 23:34), yet how His perfect, sinless spirit, soul, and body must have been acutely sensitive to every one of these horrible acts against Himself.

In these non-atoning sufferings of Christ there are some very important lessons for us:First, He is an example for us:”Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps…. Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not” (1 Pet. 2:21-23). Second, He is a help to us:”In that He Himself has suffered being [tested], He is able to [help] those who are [tested]” (Heb. 2:18; 4:15,16). Third, He gives us the privilege of being “partakers of [His] sufferings (1 Pet. 4:13).

Running the Race
Assignment 16 (continued): This is the second part of a review quiz based on the 1996 issues of GROWING. Please refer back to the indicated issue when answering each question.

4. (Apr.) Write out a verse that illustrates Adam’s federal headship.

5. (May) Write down the meanings of these three words: sin, iniquity, and transgression.

6. (June) Write out two verses, one describing a sin of commission and one a sin of omission.

7. (July) Write out a verse that illustrates sin resulting from zeal.

8. (Aug.) Is God satisfied if we do the right thing most of the time? Write out a verse to back up your answer to this question.

9. (Sept.) What is the unpardonable sin?

10. (Oct.) Why isn’t the following statement a proper confession of sin: “I am sorry if I did anything to hurt you.”

11. (Nov.) Write down a definition of “forgiveness.”

12. (Dec.) Write out verses that illustrate three different ways in which Christ suffered.

Foundations of Faith
SIN (VII)

Scene: Sunday school class.

Teacher: Last time we discussed the question, “What should I do if I sin?” This time we will consider the “other side of the coin”:”What should I do if one sins against me?”
Who has some thoughts about this question?

Sarah: Doesn’t it depend on whether or not the sinner confesses the sin to me?

Teacher: Yes it does. What should you do if the one who sinned against you confesses that sin to you?

Tom: I think that depends on what the sin was like.

Teacher: Would you explain what you mean, Tom?

Tom: Well, if someone does something really bad to me, I’m not about to forgive him.

Karen: Is that the attitude you want God to have toward you, Tom?

Tom: I’ve never done anything really bad toward God.

Teacher: Tom, I think you had better stop and reconsider what you are saying. (See Assignment 15)

Teacher: What do the rest of you think about forgiving one who confesses to you? What does the Bible say?

Rick: “If your brother trespasses against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he trespasses against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to you, saying, I repent, you shall forgive him” (Luke 17:3,4).

Tina: “Be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32).

Bill: Even if the sin is so bad that it is very difficult to forgive, the Lord tells us, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:44,45).

Teacher: All of those verses give very good answers to the question. Now what exactly is forgiveness?

Rick: I remember someone saying something like this:forgiveness is a promise that I will not bring up the matter again. I won’t bring it up to the forgiven one to throw it in his/her face; I won’t bring it up to others to gossip about it; and I won’t bring it up to myself to brood over it.

Teacher: Excellent! True forgiveness of others is patterned after God’s forgiveness of us and includes restoration to full fellowship (Psa. 103:12; John 21).

Lisa: There is a popular saying that goes, “Forgiving is forgetting.” I think I have really forgiven people but I haven’t been able to erase the matter completely from my memory. Am I not really forgiving?

Teacher: You have brought up a very important question, Lisa. God says “I … will not remember your sins” (Isa. 43:25; Jer. 31:34). But He never says “I will forget your sins.” The expression “He will remember their iniquity” (Jer. 14:10; Hos. 8:13) refers to God bringing judgment upon the sinners. So there is a difference in the Bible between forgetting and not remembering. We may never fully forget the sins that others have committed against us, but we can chose not to remember them in the sense of punishing the sinner or holding a grudge against him.

Tom: What if someone steals from me and comes and confesses his sin to me. If I forgive him, does that mean that he doesn’t have to repay what he stole.

Teacher: Not at all. The Bible is clear that if someone causes you to suffer loss, he/she must make restitution to you (Exod. 22:1-14; Lev. 6:1-5). You may forgive that person and have fellowship restored between the two of you while he/she is faithfully paying off the debt. On the other hand, just as the Lord Jesus has totally paid the far greater debt that you owed to Him, you have the privilege of forgiving that person of the debt as well.

Let us briefly move on to the question of what to do if the offender does not confess the sin to you. Does the Bible have anything to say about this situation?

Bill: “If your brother shall trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone; if he shall hear you, you have gained your brother” (Matt. 18:15).

Tina: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted” (Gal. 6:1).

Teacher: Just the verses I was looking for! Now why do you suppose the offender may fail to confess on his/her own?

Tom: Pride and embarrassment. Also the fear of getting “blasted” if he confesses. I realize that I am pretty tough and unforgiving toward such people; I guess I need to learn to be more gracious.

Teacher: Good points, Tom; it looks like you are learning some things from this lesson. What are some other reasons?

Rick: Maybe the “offender” is not really guilty. Perhaps he has been totally misjudged.

Karen: Besides that, sometimes the offender may not be aware of what he has said or done.

Teacher: Very good. Don’t these various possibilities illustrate the wisdom of going to the “offender” in a humble spirit, according to Matt. 18:15 and Gal. 6:1? This way all kinds of misunderstandings and misjudgments can be cleared up. For the offended one to keep quiet could lead to an unnecessary separation between the two parties.

Let me summarize this lesson. If someone sins against me, I have only two scriptural responses:either (1) I confront that person about the sin or (2) I forgive that person and never bring up the matter again. Holding a grudge is not an option.

Running the Race
Assignment 15: How would you answer from the Scriptures Tom’s claim that he had never done anything really bad against God?

Assignment 16: This is the first part of a review quiz based on the 1996 issues of GROWING. Please refer back to the indicated issue when answering each question.

1. (Jan.) Is work a curse? Write out two verses that support your answer.

2. (Feb.) (a) What does it mean for a husband to love his wife? (b) What lesson is to be learned from the three R’s-Rebekah, Rachel, and Ruth?

3. (Mar.) Write out verses describing each of four consequences of Adam’s sin.

Foundations of Faith
SIN (VI)

Scene: Sunday school class.

Teacher: Today we are going to discuss the question, “What should I do if I sin?” Who can answer that question with a verse from the Bible?

Tom: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9).

Karen: Is that necessary if we are already saved? The Bible says, “In [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Eph. 1:7).

Rick: Isn’t it important to confess our sins daily to God in order to stay in a good relationship with Him?

Teacher: Yes, do you have some verses to support that?

Rick: In Psalm 51 David confessed his sins against Bathsheba and Uriah. He did not ask God to save him again but he did say, “Restore unto me the joy of my salvation” (verse 12).

Teacher: Good. I would suggest that each of you read Psalm 51 several times. It is a wonderful example of a prayer of confession that God can accept. Some other benefits of confessing our sins, and consequences of not confessing them, can be found in Psalm 32:3-7 and James 5:16.

Lisa: In verse 4 of Psalm 51 David says, “Against … Thee only, have I sinned.” Does this mean we only have to confess our sins to God, and not to the people we sin against?

Teacher: Excellent question, Lisa! Let me point out that the word “only” in verse 4 is better translated “especially.” So all of our sins are especially against God, though they may be against other people as well. Who can find a verse about confessing to other people?

Tina: “Confess your faults one to another” (Jas. 5:16). (See Assignment 13)

Teacher: Excellent! Now Tina, what words do you use when you want to make a confession to the person you have sinned against?

Tina: Well, let’s see. I guess I would say, “I’m sorry if I did anything to hurt you.”

Teacher: Let’s analyze that statement. What did you really confess?

Tina: Oh, I see! I didn’t really confess anything. Instead I sort of blamed the other person for being too sensitive.

Teacher: Now we’re on target. What would be better language to use when making a confession?

Rick: “David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD” (2 Sam. 12:13). He also said, “I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me” (Psa. 51:3). So when we confess to others, shouldn’t we just tell the persons what we said or did to them and say that we were wrong in doing so?

Teacher: Exactly, Rick. The word “confess” is homologeo in the Greek and means “to speak the same thing.” God and the people sinned against already know what you did. When you confess, you are agreeing with them about what you did. This, more than anything, opens the way for true restoration of friendship with the one sinned against. There is a similar Greek word, apologeo. We get the English word “apology” from it. The word means “to make a defense.” The statement, “If I did anything to hurt you, I am sorry,” is an apology, a defense, rather than a confession. Let us consider one more question before our time is up. How do you respond when someone confronts you or rebukes you concerning some sin or fault of yours. Do you say, “Yes, you are right. I sinned. I failed to show the love of Christ to you. Will you forgive me”? (There is dead silence.)

Tom: Sometimes I say, “You’re crazy, I didn’t say anything like that!” even though I know the other person is right.

Karen: Just the other day I responded angrily, “Do you think you are perfect?” when someone pointed out a fault of mine.

Aaron: I often hear children, and sometimes even myself, saying things like, “It’s not my fault!” or “I couldn’t help it!” or “He hit me first!” (See Assignment 14)

Teacher: I appreciate your honesty. Often it takes real courage and a strong push from the Holy Spirit for one Christian to confront another about a sin or fault. Such persons have a real love and concern for our spiritual welfare. Let us try to be prepared to respond humbly, confessing our wrong if we have sinned. If you think the person is wrong and that you are not guilty, don’t get angry. Rather, gently probe for more information since there may be some misunderstanding between you. This leads us into a question that we shall discuss next time:”What should I do when one sins against me?”

Running the Race
“GOD FORGIVES, DOESN’T HE?” (II)

I was conducting a Bible study with a group of jail inmates. We were discussing the ninth commandment about bearing false witness (Exod. 20:16). Most of the men were preparing to go before a judge or jury to face the charges against them. I urged them to tell the truth in court, even if it meant receiving a long prison sentence.

One fellow looked very troubled at what I had just said. He raised his hand and asked the question: “But God forgives, doesn’t he?” It was immediately obvious what was going through his mind. He was going to lie to the judge; if the judge believed him and found him not guilty, he would confess his lie to God and God would forgive him. As simple as that!

I assured the young man that God indeed forgives us when we confess our sins, but there was one thing he was forgetting. In order for us to be fully forgiven and restored to the Lord, we must also confess our sin and make restitution to the people we have sinned against. In this case, it would include the judge to whom he had lied and the person whom he had robbed. If we want to have God on our side, we must confess our crimes and sins up front to all concerned.

On another occasion I gave the same lesson. A fellow came up to me afterward and told me that he had lied in court concerning a charge of petty crime. The judge believed him and set him free. Not having learned his lesson, he then proceeded to commit a far worse crime and was now facing a 20-year sentence. Let us not play games with God!

Assignment 13: Write out verses in Matthew 5 and Luke 17 that express the thought of a person confessing his/her sin to another.

Assignment 14: How did you respond the last time someone confronted you concerning a sin?

Foundations of Faith
SIN (V)

All sin is serious. The tiniest sin is an act of rebellion against God (May96). Still, there are degrees of wickedness. Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees that there were matters of the law such as “judgment, mercy, and faith” that were more important than paying their tithes of herbs and spices (Matt. 23:23).

People may be surprised to learn what God considers to be the more serious sins. Jesus said that it would be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for the city of Capernaum. Those who rejected Christ in spite of personally witnessing His miracles of healing committed a sin that was worse in God’s eyes than all the awful perversions of the men of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 13:13; 19:5).

Some rebels may have the idea, “Since I am probably going to hell anyway, I might as well sin as much as I can now.” But these are heaping up God’s wrath for themselves since God “will render to every man according to his deed” (Rom. 2:5,6; Rev. 20:12,13).
On the bright side, the worst sinner who ever lived can still be saved by God’s grace. The Lord Jesus prayed for God’s forgiveness of those who were in the act of committing the worst crime imaginable (Luke 23:34).

Here is a word of caution to our young Christian readers:If you do not think you are capable of sinning just as badly as the worst sinner, be careful:you are deceiving yourself. (See Assignment 11)

This is one of the most widely asked questions by young Christians today. It is based on the Lord Jesus’ response to the Pharisees who had claimed that Jesus cast out demons by the power of Satan:”All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven Him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come” (Matt. 12:22-32).

To say that Jesus was performing miracles by the power of Satan was blasphemy. Yet, that sin was forgivable while Jesus was still on earth. Later, the Lord Jesus finished His work on earth, made atonement for man’s sins on the cross, was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sent the Holy Spirit into the world. The work of the Holy Spirit is to convict sinners of their need of a Saviour and to declare all of the truth concerning the Person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:7-15). One who speaks against this work and testimony of the Holy Spirit concerning the Lord Jesus, in spite of all the evidence and eyewitnesses (Acts 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:3-8), and says that it is of Satan, is guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Such persons are so hardened against the Lord Jesus and the testimony of the Holy Spirit that they will never come to repentance and thus never receive forgiveness.

Are you afraid that you may have committed the unpardonable sin? Be encouraged! The very fact that you are concerned about it shows that you have not become hardened against the Lord Jesus. If you are already saved, the Holy Spirit will keep you from committing such a sin (John 10:28; Rom. 8:35-39). If you are not saved and want to be, the word for you is:”He who comes to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

Saul of Tarsus was “a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious” (1 Tim. 1:13). He was “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord” when the Lord stopped him short and miraculously saved him (Acts 9). Even he who consented unto the death of Stephen in his rage against Christ and Christians (Acts 7:61) did not commit the unpardonable sin!

The term, “total depravity,” is not found in Scripture; however, the truth of it is. This expression refers to the fact that sin affects every part of a human being. This includes the will (Rom. 7:14-24); the mind and understanding (Gen. 6:5; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17); the affections and emotions (Rom. 1:24-27; 2 Tim. 3:4); and the outward speech and behavior (Mark 7:21-23; Gal. 5:19-21; Jas. 3:5-9). This phrase does not mean that we are “utterly depraved” or as evil as we possibly can be. (This is true of Satan and his demons but not of humans in general.) Rather it means that no aspect of our nature is unaffected by sin. Because of this, we are totally unable to save ourselves. (We will come back to this later when discussing salvation.)

The next two months we shall consider what we are to do when we sin and when one sins against us.

Running the Race
“GOD FORGIVES, DOESN’T HE?” (I)

I was conducting a Bible study at work over 20 years ago. It came to my attention that a young woman who regularly attended the Bible study, and who professed to be saved, had taken up living with a fellow. I talked to her about this and she confessed she knew it was wrong. However, the relationship had progressed to the point where she felt she could not break it off. “Besides,” she said, “I have confessed it to God. God forgives, doesn’t he?” I assured her that God does indeed forgive, but also told her that her confession was meaningless if she was continuing in her sin. She went on to marry the man and has had a problem-filled marriage ever since.

Do you ever plan to sin with the idea of confessing it to God and receiving His forgiveness when you are all through sinning? Think it over carefully before you do such a thing. Are you prepared to accept the consequences of dishonoring God, reaping what you sow (Gal. 6:7)? Are you prepared to miss out on God’s blessings, unable to count upon His help and presence while you go on sinning (Deut. 28:15,23)?

Assignment 11: Write out verses in Galatians 6 and 2 Corinthians 12 that support the last point and that show that God helps us when we take a position of weakness.

Assignment 12: Even though King David eventually confessed his sins of adultery and murder, give from 2 Samuel 12 and 13 three consequences of his sinful behavior.

Foundations of Faith
SIN (IV)

4. Sin resulting from trials and “natural” circumstances. All of us experience trials and tribulations at one time or another. We all have had to take tests and exams in school to show the teachers what progress we are making in the different subjects. Just so, God may test us with different kinds of problems or difficulties to help us see what progress we are making in our Christian walk.

After bringing Abram safely to the land of Canaan, the LORD tested him by allowing “a famine in the land” (Gen. 12:10). Abram failed to continue to trust in God and let God direct him. He went down to Egypt, and there, to secure his personal safety, asked his wife to lie and tell the Egyptians that she was his sister. Abram sinned by going to Egypt, and sinned again once he was there. The end result was trouble for the Egyptians and shame to himself (12:11-20). Doesn’t this often happen in our own lives? We allow one small sin in our life and that leads to more and bigger sins.

The LORD promised to give Abram a large number of descendants (Gen. 12:2; 15:5). Then He tested Abram and his wife Sarai by not giving them any children (16:1). Again, Abram failed the test, taking matters into his own hands by having a child by Sarai’s maid, Hagar (16:2-5). This sin of impatience by Abram led to problems between Sarai and Hagar, Isaac and Ishmael later on, and the nation of Israel and the Arab nations up to the present time.

The Lord Jesus tested Simon Peter’s faith by asking him to do something that was humanly impossible-walk on water. In obedience and faith, Peter did it! for a while at least. But then he took his eyes off Christ and began worrying about the wind and the waves-and began to sink (Matt. 14:22-31). Peter began with great faith and ended up with little faith and a reprimand from the Lord. Peter made a valiant attempt but “missed the mark.” (Do you recall the definition of “sin” from the May96 issue?)

The last example shows the high standards God has for His children. But what blessings He has for those who pass His tests! Job illustrates this very well. In a very short period of time his children, his possessions, and his health were taken away from him. Yet “in all this Job did not sin with his lips” (Job 1,2). Later we read, “The LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning” (42:12).

5. Sin resulting from the bad behavior of others. As long as we live in this sin-filled world, we are going to meet up with other people’s sinful and offensive behavior. God may sometimes use this as a means of testing His children. All too often, we respond to the sin of others by sinning ourselves.

God does not excuse us if we believe another person’s lie that contradicts His Word. The prophet of Judah disobeyed God through believing another prophet’s lie, and was killed by a lion as a result (1 Ki. 13:1-26; see also Gen. 3:1-6). When the Gibeonites lied to Joshua, he believed them without asking counsel of the LORD. As a result, Joshua made a peace treaty with the Gibeonites, contrary to God’s will (Joshua 9).

Moses responded wonderfully to the frequent complaints of the children of Israel (Exod. 14:10-14; 15-23-27; 16:2-8; 17:1-6; Num. 12:1-15; 14:1-5). Yet on a rare occasion when Moses responded with impatience and anger, he was severely punished by the LORD (Num. 20:1-12). This reminds us that we must not be content with doing the right thing most of the time.

Many of God’s servants met with acts of aggression and hostility. King Saul, in a jealous rage, pursued David for several years. At times, David responded to this in a mature, God-honoring way; he even spared the king’s life on two occasions (1 Sam. 23:10-12; 24; 26). But at times, David seemed to forget all about God and behaved very sinfully and shamefully in response to Saul’s threats (1 Sam. 21; 27). King Asa of Judah took matters into his own hands when threatened by the king of Israel. Instead of crying out to God, he turned to the king of Syria for help. When the LORD sent a prophet to reprove him, King Asa added to his sin by throwing the prophet in prison (2 Chron. 16:1-10; compare 14:9-14).

In order to avoid getting herself and the Israelite spies in trouble with the authorities, Rahab told a lie (Josh. 2:1-6). Some might argue that she had no other choice. However, had she known more about the God of Israel, she might have trusted Him instead of resorting to lying. The One who had put a cloud of protection between the Israelites and the pursuing Egyptian army, and the One who had blinded the Syrian army, was well able to protect both Rahab and the two spies (Exod. 14:19,20; 2 Ki. 6:18).

In summary, in these examples we find the following sins in response to problems:(a) taking one’s eyes off the Lord; (b) seeking help from others instead of the Lord; (c) trying to escape from the problems; and (d) trying to lie one’s way out.

We shall continue with a few further issues related to sin in the next issue.

Running the Race
SO WHAT IF I SIN?

I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and, on the basis of John 3:16, I have eternal life. I am one of Christ’s sheep, and John 10:28 says that no one is able to pluck His sheep out of His hand. So what does it matter if I sin occasionally?

Consider the following illustration: Your house catches on fire and you are trapped in the second story. Your neighbor, hearing your cries, rushes over with a ladder and-at great risk to himself-helps you to safety. Initially you are grateful to your neighbor, but in time you forget what he did for you. You carelessly throw trash on his lawn; you tease his dog; when he asks you to help him, you find excuses. How would your neighbor feel about such behavior? How does the Lord feel about your careless, selfish, sinful behavior after all that He suffered for your sins?

Furthermore, our sins are often accompanied by consequences. Breaking the law may result in a prison sentence, sexual sin in AIDS, alcohol consumption in a traffic accident. Unconfessed sin leads to loss of communion with the Lord and of His help in our daily lives.

Assignment 10: Write out verses in Psalms 32 and 66 and Galatians 6 that speak of the consequences of sin.

Foundations of Faith
SIN (III)

In the last issue we gave examples of sins of commission (doing what God doesn’t want us to do), that may involve our actions, attitudes, words, or thoughts, and sins of omission (not doing what God wants us to do). In this issue we shall bring these categories and examples closer to home by considering ways the people of the Bible sinned. We shall organize these examples by the types of circumstances that resulted in sin. This is because we have a tendency to excuse our sins because of the situation. For example, do you ever remember giving the excuse, “He hit me first!” in your younger days? As we read, let us check whether any of these people of the Bible reflect ourselves in their sin and failure.

1. Sin resulting from selfish desires. This is no doubt the most common source of sin. “The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16) all stem from selfish desires.

Jacob lived much of his life scheming to get his own way. He made Esau sell his birthright to him for a pot of soup (Gen. 25:23,30-34). Later, he tricked his father into giving him, rather than Esau, the blessing of the firstborn (27:1-40). This was not only sinful, it was stupid. The LORD had announced at Jacob’s birth, “the elder [Esau] shall serve the younger [Jacob]” (25:23). How much trouble we would avoid if we would just wait for the Lord to work out His perfect plan for our lives!

David already had at least seven wives (2 Sam. 3:2-5,13-16); but when “he saw a woman washing herself, and the woman was very beautiful” (11:2), he wanted her too. Before it was all over, David had committed several very serious sins.

Gideon also had selfish desires, but of quite a different kind-a more respectable kind-from those of Jacob and those of David. He had just gained a great victory over the Midianites through faith in God. The people wanted to make him king, but he modestly turned them down. Instead, he made a golden ephod out of the jewelry taken from the Midianite soldiers. The ephod was a part of the prescribed clothing of the high priest of Israel. It contained the mystical Urim and Thummim by which the priest determined the mind of God. With selfish pride, Gideon desired to have the golden ephod as a memorial of the fact that God had spoken directly to him (Judg. 6,7). While the desire to be honored and recognized and remembered by others may seem more respectable than the “lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes,” it is still sin. It is “the pride of life”-taking honor for ourselves that rightfully belongs to God alone. (See Assignment 9)

2. Sin resulting from zeal. Is it possible to be too zealous or too enthusiastic about a project or a cause? Saul of Tarsus was very prominent among the Jews as a persecutor of Christians (Phil. 3:6). He meant well, but in God’s eyes, he was dead wrong! Many years later, the Apostle Paul’s zealous desire for the salvation of the Jews got him into trouble. He did something that was contrary to his relationship with Christ and that confused the gospel message (Acts 21:23-27).

Peter was another disciple of Christ who was full of zeal. When Jesus forewarned him that Satan wanted to trip him up, Peter responded with great confidence, “I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison and to death” (Luke 22:31-34). You know the rest of the story.

Fifteen centuries earlier, Moses sinned in his zeal to defend God’s interests. When the children of Israel complained about lack of water, the LORD told Moses to speak to the rock and water would come from it. Moses thought the LORD was being too lenient with the people, so he angrily called the people “rebels” and struck the rock with his rod instead of speaking to it. God wanted to show His grace to the people, but Moses misrepresented Him as impatient and angry. For this Moses was deprived by God of the privilege of leading the people into the promised land.

Zeal is good, but it must be brought into submission to the Lord (Gal. 4:17,18). We want zeal so we will not lag behind God’s will. But in our zeal, we also must be careful not to go ahead of God.

3. Sin resulting from trying to add our own works to those of the Lord. Jephthah, a judge of the children of Israel, was a skillful, experienced military leader. When asked by his people to lead the army of Israel against the invading Ammonites, he responded by putting his dependence upon the LORD (Judg. 11:27-29). Then, with the Spirit of the LORD on him, ready to go to battle, Jephthah blew it! Not content to rest totally upon the gracious help of the LORD, he made a vow. If the LORD would help him win the battle, he would make a certain offering to the LORD (11:30,31). This was a disastrous mistake by Jephthah, for he unknowingly had promised to offer his own daughter as a sacrifice to the LORD. One of the most difficult things for man to learn is that God delights to be gracious-to give to those who don’t deserve it. Not wanting to be in debt to God, we despise God’s grace and try to add our own works to those of God’s. Many millions, perhaps billions, of people have tried to earn salvation by their own works or by adding their works to the work of Christ. The outcome of such attempts will end in disaster, as with Jephthah.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Three of our readers completed all of the assignments for 1995. Drew Johnson of Bedford, Pennsylvania led the way with a score of 98.1% for the year. Lisa and Carrie Keillor of Acton, California each had scores of 93.7% correct answers. Christopher Ochieng of Kenya, East Africa and Marisa Scheidecker of Clarksville, Iowa answered over half of the assignments. Kevin Bennett of Jessup, Maryland and Andrew Okezie of Nigeria, West Africa got late starts but both completed all of the assignments for 1994. Christopher Ochieng answered over half of the 1994 assignments and Andrew Okezie did the same for 1993.

Running the Race
Assignment 9: (a) Write out a verse or two in Matthew 20 that tell of a woman who desired glory for her loved ones. (b) Write out two verses in Matthew 6 that tell who should, and who should not, receive glory.

Foundations of Faith
SIN (II)

In the previous issue, we considered several words in the Bible that express the idea of sin in different ways:Transgression, trespass, iniquity, perversity, lawlessness, ungodliness, rebellion, and unbelief. We shall now consider specific kinds of sin.

Roman Catholic doctrine divides sins into two categories, mortal and venial. Mortal sins are those so serious as to cause “death of the soul,” or loss of salvation; according to this teaching, salvation can be restored only through the performance of acts of penance. Venial sins are less serious ones. There is no Biblical support for this distinction. In one sense, all sins are mortal sins in that they deserve death; in another sense, no sin is mortal, for a soul that is truly saved will never be lost because of any kind of sin. (We shall take up this topic in more detail in a later issue.)

There are sins of commission and sins of omission. Sins of commission are acts that are forbidden by the Word of God. The Bible says, “You shall not steal” (Exod. 20:15). Stealing is a sin of commission. A long list of sinful acts given in Romans 1 includes such serious matters as murder, fornication, and hating God. Mixed in among these are such things as envy, debate (or arguing), and whispering (or talking behind one’s back), which might be considered rather minor by most people, but not by God.

Sins include not only physical actions (such as murder and stealing), but also attitudes (such as pride and envy), words (such as backbiting, blasphemy, filthy language, lying, and foolish talking), and thoughts (such as foolish and lustful thoughts) (Prov. 24:9; Matt. 5:28; Rom. 1:29,30; Eph. 5:4; Col. 3:8,9).

Sins of omission occur when we fail to do what God wants us to do. “To him who knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin” (Jas. 4:17). “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again” (Exod. 23:4,5). (See Assignment 6)

Running the Race
IDOLS OF THE HEART

The sin that, more than anything else, led to the downfall of the nation of Israel, was idolatry (Isa. 10:11). This was not only worshiping images of wood and stone, but setting up idols in their hearts (Ezek. 14:1-5). What is an idol of the heart? It is any desire of our hearts that is greater than our desire to please and glorify God. (See Assignment 7)

What are some idols of our hearts-things we may desire more than glorifying God? Happiness, friends, a Christian husband or wife, a successful career, a beautiful home, good health, being well liked by others. There may be nothing wrong with many of these objects of our desires. But if our all-consuming goal in life is to obtain happiness, good health, or any other earthly object, it is sin. Any desire that exceeds my desire to bring glory to God is an idol.
You may ask, “How can I know whether I have any idols of the heart?” Perhaps the best way is to be aware of how you respond when something or someone gets in the way of your achieving that desire. Let us consider two examples.

There was a Christian man, let us call him Pat, who had his heart set on being promoted to a vacant position in his company. The position was granted to Joe, a man whom Pat considered far less qualified than himself. In a fit of rage, Pat stormed into the office of his boss and chewed him out for his poor judgment and unfairness. When the boss was finally given an opportunity to speak, this is what he said: “You know, Pat, the reason we did not offer you that position was that we are in the process of establishing a new position even higher than that one. We were going to ask you to take that new position. But given the immaturity and lack of self-control you have just shown, we cannot possibly offer you that position now.”

How sad! not only that Pat lost out on his desired promotion, but that he gave such a negative testimony as a Christian! If his supreme desire had been to glorify God, think of how he could have turned this seemingly negative experience into a positive testimony for Christ. Suppose a co-worker had come to Pat, offering sympathy to him for not receiving the promotion. “You certainly were more deserving and qualified than Joe will ever be!” might have been his encouraging words. Then Pat could have responded, “Thank you for your kind words. I have placed my life and my career in God’s hands. Whatever He wants for my life is fine with me. I am going to go over and congratulate Joe and assure him of my support and cooperation.” Whether or not Pat received a promotion, he had the satisfaction of glorifying God before his co-workers. And the Lord sometimes adds a special blessing to those who put His glory first.

As another example, a woman may be so desperate to “catch” a certain man to be her husband (or the other way around) that she literally drives the desired man away through her jealous possessiveness. If, on the other hand, her supreme desire is to bring glory to God and to do His will, then she will be content to let the Lord work out the details of bringing her together with His choice for a marriage partner. (Review the February 1996 issue for more on this point.)

Suppose you break your leg in the middle of the football season while on the way to being named “All-Conference” … or the girl you have a crush on will not pay any attention to you … or the night before you are to fly to Europe with your classmates your appendix ruptures. How will you respond? If your response is anger, bitterness, depression, self-pity, hurt feelings, or wanting to end your life, this is a pretty clear indication that your desires are “idols of the heart.” They are more important to you than giving glory to God.

Assignment 6: Write out two verses, one in the first half and one in the second half of Luke 10, that illustrate sins of omission.

Assignment 7: Write out a verse in 1 Corinthians 10 that shows that the most important desire of the Christian should be to glorify God.

Assignment 8: Write out a verse in Acts 16, and one or more verses in Philippians 4 that show how we can glorify God even when things are not “going our way.”

Foundations of Faith
SIN (I)

We have referred to the topic of sin several times in previous issues of GROWING. Jesus Christ could not sin (Aug94); Satan was the first created being who sinned (May95); Adam and Eve were the first human sinners (Mar96). We discussed the doctrine of original sin and the consequences of man’s sin (Mar96, Apr96).
In this and the next couple issues of GROWING, we shall discuss questions such as:(1) What is sin? (2) are some sins more serious than others? and (3) so what if I sin?

Answer:Sin is exceedingly sinful! These may sound like a silly question and a trivial answer, but they really are not. In the world today, sin itself is trivialized, or considered by many or most people to be unimportant or non-existent. For example:fornication is not considered to be a sin; it is called an affair, or a one-night stand. Homosexuality is called a lifestyle. Drunkenness is called a disease. Crime is called a social disorder resulting from poor education and faulty upbringing. Abortion is called a personal choice to rid oneself of undesirable, unformed tissue. “It is okay if I do not hurt anyone” is a common expression today. Another is, “Sin is relative; it depends on the situation.”
The well-known psychiatrist, Karl Menninger, may have had some of these ideas in mind when he wrote his book, Whatever Became of Sin?

The exceeding sinfulness of sin is proven in the Bible in three ways:

1. When the highest angel committed but one sin, he drew after him a huge company of demonic followers who will be the enemies of God and separated from God through all eternity.

2. When the first human being committed but one sin, sin and death came upon the whole human race.

3. The Son of God suffered to an infinite degree and died on the cross because of sin.

The nature and character of sin are expressed by a variety of words in the Old and New Testament. It might be noted that several of these words are clustered together in Psa. 32:1-5.

1. Sin. The Hebrew and Greek words commonly translated “sin” literally mean, “missing the mark.” We have here a picture of one who takes aim at a target, but misses the bull’s-eye. The same Hebrew word is found in Judg. 20:16:”Every one could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss.” So sin is failure to follow perfectly God’s Word and will, down to the smallest detail of our thoughts, words, and actions. Man’s idea of sin is often limited to the gross offenses such as murder, assault, rape, and stealing. However, God’s idea of sin includes angry thoughts such as, “I could just kill him!” (Matt. 5:22); cursing, or assault with one’s words (Exod. 21:17); lusting after a woman (Matt. 5:28); and stealing time from one’s employer, cheating just a little on one’s income tax, or finding something and not returning it to the owner (Col. 3:22; Rom. 13:7; Lev. 6:3).

2. Transgression. This word in English means “a stepping over or across a boundary” or “an act of breaking a law or commandment” (see Num. 14:41; Josh. 7:11). “Where no law is, there is no transgression” (Rom. 4:15), but man may still sin, even though no specific law may have been given to him (Rom. 5:14).

3. Trespass. This English word is similar in meaning to “transgression,” namely, “going beyond the limits of what is considered right or moral.” However, in the Bible, it is the translation of three different Hebrew and Greek words. These words have the meanings of “guiltiness,” “acting treacherously or sneakily,” and “stumbling or falling away.” (See Assignment 5)

4. Iniquity. This English word is related to “inequity” and “unequal”; it has the meaning of lack of righteousness, justice, or fairness (see Acts 1:18; Rev. 18:5).

5. Perversity. This word is not found in the King James Version. However, a Hebrew word that is translated “iniquity” throughout the Old Testament, including Psa. 32:2, 5, has the basic meaning of “bending or making crooked” or “being perverse” (see 2 Sam. 19:19; Prov. 12:8). We sometimes speak of persons “bending the truth” and those who are “crooked” or “crooks.” A curse was pronounced upon those who would “turn aside out of the way” which God had commanded (Deut. 11:28). One of the most familiar verses in the Bible gives the meaning of this word very clearly:”We have turned every one to his own way, and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity [or perversity] of us all” (Isa. 53:6).

6. Lawlessness. “Sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4, literal translation). Sin involves not only disobeying God’s law, but living and acting as if God has no law or will for His people. One may obey the letter of God’s law as given in His Word; but at the same time he may become involved in sinful activities that are not specifically prohibited in the Bible. “The Bible does not say anything about it, so it must be okay,” expresses the thinking of a lawless person.

7. Ungodliness. Similar to lawlessness, ungodliness is living as if there is no God. “Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:6; see also 1:18; Tit. 2:12).

8. Rebellion. The word “transgression” in Psa. 32:1,5 is different from the one that means “crossing a boundary” or “breaking a law.” This word literally means “a breaking away from authority,” that is, rebellion or revolt (see 2 Ki. 8:20; Isa. 1:2). So, while the word “sin” may include the slightest deviation from God’s revealed will, “rebellion” refers to a willful, wholesale turning away from God to do “our own thing.”

9. Unbelief. “They could not enter in because of unbelief” (Heb. 3:19). This is failure to trust God. “Without faith it is impossible to please [God]” (Heb. 11:6). This, more than any other kind of sin, is the reason why so many people will spend eternity in the lake of fire (compare Rev. 20:15 with John 3:36).

Running the Race
Assignment 5: Write out three verses with the word “trespass” in the King James Version. The first is Lev. 5:6 where it has the meaning of “guilt.” The second is Josh. 7:1 where it has the meaning of “taking something sneakily.” The third is Matt. 6:14 where it has the meaning of “stumbling” or “falling away.”

Foundations of Faith
MAN (VI)

In this concluding article on man, we shall discuss a few additional features relating to man’s fall into sin.

“Original sin” is a technical expression coined by Bible scholars. It may be used to describe the first sin committed by man. However, it is more commonly used to refer to the result of the first sin-the fallen condition in which every human being is born. God created Adam in His own image and likeness. But that image and likeness was greatly marred due to Adam’s sin; therefore we read that “Adam … begat a son in his own likeness, after his image [rather than in God’s likeness and image]” (Gen. 5:3). The psalmist writes, “I was shaped in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psa. 51:5); and “The wicked … go astray as soon as they are born” (58:3). Because of their sin, not only did Adam and Eve themselves receive a sin nature, but the whole human race is born with one. We are not viewed as sinners because we sin, but because we are sinners by nature (the root), we commit acts of sin (the fruit). (See Assignment 4)

“Why do I have to suffer because of one man’s sin 6,000 years ago? It just is not fair!” Have you ever heard this or thought it yourself? The answer is that God chose Adam to be the representative of the whole human race. He tested man under the most ideal circumstances-and man flunked the test. God could have tested every one of us in the same way, and He knows that every one of us would have failed. The truth that Adam is the “federal head” or representative of all mankind is the theme of Rom. 5:12-19.

Instead of brooding over our being born with a sin nature because of Adam’s sin, let us focus on the positive side of the passage in Romans 5:”As by the offense of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of One [Jesus Christ] the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous” (verses 18,19). Through receiving the free salvation offered as a result of the suffering, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf, we transfer from being under the federal headship of Adam to that of Christ. “Is that fair?” we might ask. If we are honest, we must admit that God was totally fair in having Adam represent us in the test of obedience; but it surely was not fair that a totally righteous and obedient Man should suffer so much that we who are unrighteous and disobedient might be saved. “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable [or indescribable] gift” (2 Cor. 9:15)!

Could not God have created both angels and man without the ability to sin and rebel? Yes, of course He could have! But would that have suited God’s purposes for His relationship with man? Imagine having an electronic, programmable robot as a girl friend or boy friend. You can program it to throw its arms about you at different times and exclaim, “I love you passionately!” But would not this kind of friend wear thin after awhile? Would you not appreciate much more one who could choose either you or a dozen others, and chose you as best friend or life partner?

Just so, God decided that He did not want to create puppets or chatty dolls that obey, serve, and worship on command. He derives far greater pleasure in those who voluntarily obey, serve, and worship Him out of immense gratitude for what He has done for them.

By today’s standards, Adam and Eve’s sin in the garden seems trivial. But what terrible consequences, not only for themselves, but for the whole human race! It is well to keep this in mind in our attempts to win souls to Christ. A common reason people give for refusing the gospel is, “I’m good enough; I’m not a big sinner; I think I have an excellent chance of making it to heaven.” It is well to ask such people, “How many sins did Adam and Eve have to commit to be kicked out of the Garden of Eden?”

Here is a word to add to your vocabulary. Perhaps you have learned a related word, “impeccable,” meaning “flawless.” “Peccability” is another technical term used by Bible scholars. It means “capability of sinning.” There are four possible categories that can apply to intelligent beings:

1. Capable of sinning.

2. Incapable of sinning.

3. Capable of not sinning.

4. Incapable of not sinning.

We have already learned that Adam before the Fall fell into classes 1 and 3, and after the Fall became 1 and 4. The Lord Jesus Christ differed from unfallen Adam, being in class 2 (see the August 1994 issue of GROWING). Believers in Christ have both a sin nature (classes 1 and 4) and a new, Christ-like nature (class 2).

Running the Race
HOW COULD EVE HAVE KEPT FROM MESSING UP?

Let’s look at the facts of the case:

1. God commanded Adam not to eat the fruit of a particular tree, and told him the consequences of disobedience (Gen. 2:17).

2. Adam obviously passed this information along to Eve (3:2,3).

3. The information that the serpent gave to Eve disagreed with what Adam had told her (3:3,4).

4. Either (a) Adam misunderstood what God told him, (b) Adam misrepresented to Eve what God told him, (c) Eve misunderstood what Adam told her, or (d) the serpent lied to Eve.

In the face of all these possibilities, what should Eve have done? Obviously, she should have gone to Adam, and Adam to God, if necessary, to clarify the matter. There are important practical lessons here for all of us. Satan wants very much to lead God’s children away from doing His will, just as he tried with Jesus (Matt. 4:1-10). We must be aware of this and constantly pray to God, study His Word, and seek the counsel of others to find out if we are going God’s way or Satan’s way.

Assignment 4: Many people cling to the idea that human beings are basically good. Write out a verse in Jeremiah 17, one in Isaiah 64, and at least three in Romans 3 that declare just the opposite.

Foundations of Faith
MAN (V)

The Circumstances. Adam and Eve were in the garden. They had plenty of delicious food to eat, the wonders and beauties of God’s creation to enjoy, human companionship with one another, and companionship with God Himself (Gen. 3:8). They were free to enjoy all that was in the garden, with but one restriction:God had told them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They did not possess sinful natures as we do, so did not have natural, inward tendencies to go their own way or disobey God. While for us, temptation often comes from our own fleshly lusts (Jas. 1:14), for them, the temptation to sin could only come from some outside source.

The Temptation. Sin had already entered God’s creation. The highest ranking angel, Satan, had rebelled against his Creator by wanting equality with God (Isa. 14:13,14). As a result, he had been cast down from his high position. Satan, in the disguise of a serpent, lied to Eve, raised questions in her mind about God, and tempted her along the lines of his own rebellion:”Has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? … You shall not surely die; for God knows that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:1, 4,5). We see these same elements of Satan’s temptation in false religions today:(1) questioning the Word of God or replacing it with other writings; (2) denying man’s ruin and eternal judgment; and (3) promising man a status of equality with God.

The Fall. Eve believed Satan and distrusted God. So “she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat” (Gen. 3:6). While Eve was the one who sinned first, in the New Testament we mainly read of Adam being the one responsible for sin coming into the world (Rom. 5:14-19; 1 Cor. 15:22). Eve sinned, being deceived (1 Tim. 2:14), but Adam sinned with his eyes wide open; his was the more serious crime. One might wonder, since Adam had heard the commandment directly from the LORD and was not deceived, why he ate the forbidden fruit. Perhaps it was because he loved his wife so much he did not want to be separated from her. She became an idol to him-more important to him than God who gave her to him.

What was so special about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that made it so serious a sin to eat of it? There probably was nothing special in the tree itself. It may have been an ordinary date or fig or pomegranate tree. (There is no evidence in the Bible that it was an apple tree.) God Himself set it apart by commandment to serve as a test for the first man and woman. They were created with the capability of sinning or not sinning; the choice was theirs. By eating the fruit of that tree, they gained knowledge through their own bitter experience of what evil is, and how it differs from good.

The Consequences-All Made Sinners. Because of Adam’s sin, the entire human race became sinners:”By one man sin entered into the world…. By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” (Rom. 5:12-19). As mentioned earlier, Adam and Eve before the Fall did not have sinful natures:they were capable of not sinning. But once they sinned, they received a sin nature and thus became incapable of not sinning. (The double negative here is very important.) Furthermore, every person born into the world by the union of man and woman since then has inherited this sin nature. (We shall say more about this in the next issue.)

The Consequences-Death. Because of Adam’s sin, death came upon mankind:”In the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:17). This death has three aspects- spiritual death, physical death, and “second death” which is eternal judgment in the lake of fire for those who do not receive God’s free gift of salvation (Rom. 6:23; 2 Thess. 1:9). (See Assignment 3)

The Consequences-Separation. Adam’s sin has caused several kinds of separation:

1. Man is separated from God, not enjoying communion with Him, because of sin. “Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden” (Gen. 3:8). This is the same as spiritual death mentioned in the previous paragraph. If this separation is not overcome by one receiving the salvation God Himself has provided (Eph. 2:1-10), it will end in the “second death” which is eternal separation from God.

2. Man is separated from the rest of creation. Instead of harmony there is conflict. The ground brings forth thorns, thistles, and weeds, requiring hard labor (Gen. 3:18,19). Raccoons and woodchucks eat the crops, foxes eat the chickens, and, in some areas of the world, tigers eat the farmers. Man, in turn, pollutes the environment.

3. Man is separated from other humans. Marital conflict began at the Fall when Adam blamed Eve for his troubles (Gen. 3:12). And the very first man to be born into this world became a murderer (Gen. 4:1,8).

4. Man is separated from himself. He is self-conscious and embarrassed about his nakedness (Gen. 3:10). He is not satisfied with the way God has made him (Matt. 6:27,28; compare Psa. 139:14-16) or prospered him (Psa. 73:3). He is self-deceived (Gal. 6:3; Jas. 1:22, 26), unable to face his own guilt before God and man. He is filled with fears and anxieties because he cannot control everything that happens around him (Phil. 4:6).

The Consequences-Evil and Suffering. God gave pain and suffering to the human race as a constant reminder of the seriousness of sin (Gen. 3:16-19) and the need for repentance toward God (Acts 20:21). Some pain and suffering may come directly from God as part of His schooling of His children (Job 33:14-18); the trials that God allowed Satan to inflict upon Job are an example of this (Job 1 and 2). Some is a natural consequence of one’s own sinful behavior (Prov. 26:27; 28:10; Eccl. 10:8; Gal. 6:7). And some results from other people’s sins, such as war, murder, stealing, rape, or drunk driving (2 Ki. 6:24-29).

Running the Race
Assignment 3: Write out a verse in Ephesians 2 that refers to spiritual death, a verse in 1 Corinthians 15 that shows that physical death originated with Adam, and three verses in Revelation 20 and 21 that speak of the “second death.”

Foundations of Faith
MAN (IV)

Adam was surrounded by birds and animals, and no doubt received much enjoyment from watching them. He also had plenty of work to occupy his time. But still he was lonely (Gen. 2:18). God remedied this by making “a help meet [or suited] for him.” This helper was a woman who-through a perfect blend of sameness and difference-was completely suited to Adam’s needs. Adam now had one with whom he could relate and communicate in ways not possible with the animals.

The woman was not made from the dust like Adam but from Adam himself-from one of his ribs. As has been stated at many wedding ceremonies, woman was not taken from Adam’s head to dominate him, nor from his feet to be dominated by him, but from under his arm to be protected and from near his heart to be loved by him.

Following the making of the woman from Adam, we read a very significant statement about the relationship of a man and his wife:”Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). Let us discuss the three statements made in this verse.

First, marriage involves leaving one’s parents. This doesn’t necessarily mean moving to New Zealand and never seeing your parents again. It means severing those strong emotional ties you had with your parents so that new ones may be made with your spouse. It means that you become more concerned about your mate’s ideas, opinions, and practices than those of your parents. And it means moving out from the under the authority of your parents and forming a new household with a new leader. This is made more clear in the New Testament. “The head of the woman is the man” (1 Cor. 11:3). “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church” (Eph. 5:22,23). Some may dislike these verses. But when read along with verse 25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it,” they display God’s wisdom and love.

The marriage of two Christians ought to be a picture of the relationship of Christ and the Church. Christ is the Head; the Church is submissive to Christ. Does Christ use his headship to abuse the Church and trample on it? Of course not! Rather, He loves the Church and has given Himself for it. Following this pattern, the Christian husband will take the lead in loving and serving his wife and family. By the giving of his time, energy, interests, and preferences for the welfare and happiness of his wife, she will delight in submitting to him and loving, serving, and giving to him in return. (See Assignment 2)

The second part of our verse in Genesis says, “A man … shall cleave unto his wife.” The word “cleave” here has the meaning of adhering to or becoming attached or glued to something or someone. For the Christian husband and wife, this is a close-knit, long-term relationship of love. It involves (1) spending time together, (2) talking together, (3) communicating together (finding out what each other really thinks and feels about things), (4) tenderly respecting each other, (5) working through problems together, and (6) supporting and helping each other physically, materially, emotionally, and spiritually.

The third expression is really the outcome of the first two:”And they shall be one flesh.” This includes not only the physical union that a man and wife enjoy together, but also the emotional, mental, and spiritual unity that will be enjoyed by those who are truly married “in the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:39), that is, both giving the Lord first place in their lives.

The Lord Jesus quoted this verse from Genesis and added the familiar line, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt. 19:6). So we see that God’s plan for a married couple’s greatest happiness is a permanent relationship-until the bond is broken by the death of one or the other. The Christian husband and wife who are truly growing in likeness to Christ throughout their lives, will at the same time continually grow closer to one another. Thus, it will not only be a permanent relationship, unbroken by divorce or separation; it will also be a relationship of ever-increasing mutual joy and happiness.

Our study of man will continue next month, Lord willing, with a discussion of man’s fall into sin and its far-reaching consequences.

Running the Race
HOW CAN I FIND THE MARRIAGE PARTNER THE LORD HAS FOR ME?

Adam and Eve had it easy, didn’t they? They didn’t have to try to figure out whom they were supposed to marry; they were literally made for each other-by God. Christian young people today who want to find the right marriage partner-the one God has prepared for them-may find it more difficult than did the first bride and groom.

Let us look at some examples in the Bible of “boy-meets-girl” situations and man-woman interactions before marriage; then we shall try to draw some lessons and principles from these examples for Christian young people today.

1. Isaac was content to let Abraham’s servant, through God’s guiding hand, find a bride for him (Gen. 24).

2. Jacob helped his cousin (and future wife) Rachel water her sheep (Gen. 29:10,11).

3. Dinah “went out to see the daughters of the land” and got raped (Gen. 34:1,2).

4. Moses protected the seven daughters of Reuel as they watered their sheep; as a reward, he was given one of the daughters, Zipporah, to be his wife (Exod. 2:17-21).

5. Samson’s relationship with Timnath was a selfish one-based on her pleasing him (Judg. 14:1-10).

6. Samson supposedly “loved” Delilah but didn’t have an open, honest relationship with her, and it destroyed both the relationship and himself (Judg. 16:4-21).

7. Ruth was a Moabite whose Israelite husband died. Boaz learned of Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi-her mother-in-law and Boaz’s cousinin-law-and so he encouraged Ruth to glean in his field and provided protection for her. Ruth had a reputation as a virtuous woman and this attracted her to Boaz (Ruth 2,3).

8. David committed adultery with Bathsheba while she was married to Uriah, and then had Uriah killed so he could marry Bathsheba and cover up her pregnancy. The consequences of these sinful actions haunted David the rest of his life (2 Sam. 11-18).

9. Joseph felt disgraced and nearly broke his engagement when he discovered that Mary, his bride, was pregnant (Matt. 1:19; Luke 1:27-35).

The following questions often are asked about dating: How old should a girl be before going out alone with a boy? How late should a couple be allowed to stay out? Should kissing be permitted on the first date? any date? Is it okay for a Christian to date a non-Christian? We won’t try to answer all of these questions because there are other, more basic, questions that need to be asked about dating: Is dating scriptural at all? What purpose does dating serve in discovering God’s choice for my marriage partner? Does dating tend to turn one’s attention away from (1) seeking God’s will concerning a lifetime partner, and (2) devoting oneself to growing in the Word of God and in likeness to Christ so as to be the best possible marriage partner for the one of God’s choice?

Let us see what we can learn about dating from the scriptural examples given earlier and from scriptural principles.

1. Going out and looking for a fellow or girl or a fun time or a romantic evening often leads to disaster (Dinah was raped; Samson’s marriage with Timnath was very shortlived; Samson’s friendship with Delilah led to the loss of his strength; David’s voyeurism led to his committing adultery and murder; and wasn’t Bathsheba inviting trouble when she bathed in view of nearby residents?).

2. Several women in the Bible were discovered by men-eventually leading to marriage-while they were engaged in their daily household responsibilities or helping their parents. These include Rebekah, Rachel, and Zipporah when they came to the public well to draw water, and Ruth when she was gleaning in Boaz’s field to provide food for herself and her mother-in-law. Abigail impressed David at their first meeting because of her industriousness (she prepared a huge meal for David and his men) and because of her fearless, faithful, but gentle rebuke to David which kept him from shedding innocent blood (1 Sam. 25:24-42).

3. The wife of Proverbs 31 was attractive to her husband because he could safely trust her (verse 11), she consistently did good things for him (verse 12), she worked diligently each day to provide the family with food and clothing (verses 13-22), her labors resulted in enough additional clothing to sell (verse 24), she was not selfish but helped the poor and needy as well as her own household (verse 20), she habitually spoke words of wisdom and kindness (verse 26), and she feared the Lord (verse 30). She did not require physical beauty to be attractive and highly respected (verse 30).

4. It is an unequal yoke for a Christian to marry an unbeliever (2 Cor. 6:14). Therefore, a believer should never enter into a relationship that could lead to marriage with an unbeliever. If an unbeliever asks you for a date, make a counter invitation to gospel meeting, Bible study, or a discussion of the Scriptures at your home with you and your parents.

5. Sex before marriage is forbidden by God (Prov. 5:1-14; 6:20-35; Matt. 15:19; Acts 15:20; 1 Cor. 6:18; Eph. 5:3; 1 Thess. 4:3) and can lead to disastrous consequences. It was an expected thing in Israel that a bride be found to be a virgin on her wedding night (Deut. 22:13-21; Matt. 1:19). Therefore, avoid any and every situation that might give room to temptation. Don’t trust your ability to triumph over temptation. Peter confidently claimed, “Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). Pray, “Lead us not into temptation” (Matt. 6:13), and then cooperate with God by not giving temptation any opportunity to assert itself. Instead of going out on “dates,” just the two of you alone, try taking walks in public places. Or plan activities at home where you can be doing things together (like baking cookies, washing the car, making a puzzle, playing a game, or studying the Bible together), are free to talk together, can interact with other family members (perhaps your future in-laws), and thus not be far away from other people who can serve as a buffer zone against temptation.

6. Some may ask: “Isn’t sex okay if we love each other, particularly if we are planning to get married anyway?” The scriptures and arguments in the preceding section still apply. Mary’s purity during her engagement to Joseph qualified her for great blessing from God. God will also bless all young men and women who remain virgins until marriage.

7. Scripture places a high value on being a “One-Woman Man” and a “One-Man-Woman” (1 Tim. 3:2; 5:9). This doesn’t forbid breaking an engagement if it becomes clear that it is not God’s will for the two to marry. But it does suggest that it is not God’s purpose for His children to be flitting from one date to another or one relationship to another.

8. Follow the example of Abraham and his servant who counted upon “the LORD God of heaven” to provide just the right wife for Isaac. Pray much and experience the blessed result, “I being in the way, the LORD led me” (Gen. 24:27). Girls, don’t try to attract a potential husband by your beauty (or attempts to be beautiful or sexy); fellows, don’t try to attract a potential wife by your handsome looks, muscular build, or athletic ability. If you marry someone who is only attracted by your youthful good looks, what is your mate going to do when your beauty fades, the wrinkles appear, the muscles lose their tone, and the fat begins to build around the middle?

9. Take advantage of school lunch hours, athletic events, Bible conferences, Christian youth groups, retreats, and other large group events to get to know and be known by different young people. Be diligent in your school studies; be diligent in carrying out your household duties and responsibilities (remember the three R’s-Rebekah, Rachel and Ruth); be conscientious, honest, dependable, and responsible in your employment (Rom. 12:11); be respectful to your parents (Eph. 6:2); dress modestly (fellows too!) so that those of the opposite sex will not be overly attracted to your body (1 Tim. 2:9; 1 Pet. 3:3,4); exhibit the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,23); be faithful in speaking of your Lord and Saviour (2 Tim. 4:5) in your conversations with other young people. You may not attract Handsome Hunks and Homecoming Queens this way, but you might attract the attention of a serious-minded, dedicated Christian who is God’s choice for a life-partner for you.

10. Introduce your friends to your parents and give them an opportunity to get to know your friends. Ask for your parents’ approval and advice before pursuing any relationship with one of the opposite sex (Prov. 6:20-24; 13:1; 30:17).

Assignment 2: Write out two verses in the first half of Luke 22 that show that a true leader is a server.

Foundations of Faith
MAN (III)

Try to picture the scene:A garden with beautiful trees; the trees bearing delicious fruit; the garden filled with animals, birds, insects, and other living creatures of all sizes, shapes, colors, and sounds; and a beautiful river flowing up out of and through the garden. And now one additional creature is put into the garden-a male human being named Adam, meaning “man” (Gen. 2:8-10,19). What now? What was Adam to do in that garden? His Creator did not leave Adam guessing. We read that “the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it…. And … the LORD God … brought [the animals and the birds] unto Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof” (Gen. 2:15,19). God gave Adam work to do caring for His creation. These were not at all unpleasant tasks for Adam. It was work, though not hard work. This work was a blessing to Adam from the LORD. No doubt it gave to Adam a sense of purpose and satisfaction to be able to give of himself and do these things for the LORD and His creation.

In the Book of Revelation we have a similar picture given to us of heaven:a pure river, the tree of life bearing a different kind of fruit each month, and the inhabitants of heaven serving God (Rev. 22:1-3). The point of all this is to stress the fact that work is not a curse. It is not God’s punishment of man for sinning. Work and service were instituted by God before man sinned and will no doubt continue throughout eternity as one of God’s blessings to mankind. In connection with our work, the Apostle Paul exhorts us, “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men, … for you serve the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:23,24). Young people, do you see the application? Do not follow the popular trend of despising work and personal responsibility so that you might devote yourselves to securing “happiness.” Otherwise, you will, like the Prodigal Son, go out full and come back empty. Don’t look for shortcuts to wealth and success (see Prov. 28:22). Be content with starting at the bottom, if necessary, and working your way up to better jobs through hard work, dependability, and a good attitude. Do not be quick to quit your job because you don’t get along well with your boss; God may be allowing this trial to show you your pride and ego (1 Pet. 2:18-20). Remember:even in that disagreeable job with low wages and a difficult boss, your real “Boss” is the Lord Jesus Christ. Serve Him well and see how He will prosper you as He did Joseph some 4,000 years ago (Gen. 39:1-6).

Running the Race
HOW CAN I SERVE THE LORD?

In the previous article we suggested ways of serving the Lord by being a dependable, honest, careful, diligent worker in our daily employment. This would apply whether we are talking about a paid job, household chores, or homework for school. Now let us explore additional ways that you-as young people-can serve the Lord. We shall do this by considering the activities and service of men and women of the Bible.

“Speak, LORD, for thy servant heareth” (1 Sam. 3:9). Most of our readers have learned from childhood who spoke these famous words. The child Samuel was given an urgent message from the LORD to deliver to his master Eli, the High Priest of Israel. This is an example of “prophesying,” meaning, literally, “delivering a message on behalf of another.” Mary Magdalene was another one who delivered an important message from the Lord, namely telling the disciples that their Lord was risen and alive (John 20:17, 18). If you, dear young reader, are walking close to the Lord, He may ask you to serve Him in this way. He may “lay on your heart” or suggest to your mind words of encouragement, comfort, warning, or gospel from the Bible to deliver to an acquaintance.

“Peradventure there are 45 righteous: wilt Thou destroy all the city for 45?” (Gen. 18:28). Do you remember who made this appeal to the LORD? It was Abraham pleading for the city of Sodom. Anna and Epaphras served the Lord with their prayers (Luke 2:37; Col. 4:12). And have you ever noticed how long the Apostle Paul’s daily prayer list must have been (Rom. 1:9; Eph. 1:16; Phil. 1:4; Col. 1:9; 1 Thess. 1:2)? If you do not know any other way to serve the Lord, surely you can serve Him by praying often for your family, relatives, friends, neighbors, schoolmates, fellow believers, heads of government, people in the news, and so forth (Eph. 6:18; 1 Tim. 2:1-4).

“He read in their ears all the words of the Book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD” (2 Chron. 34:30). Was this one of the elderly priests or prophets who read God’s Word to the people? No it was young King Josiah who was in his twenties (34:1,8). Timothy’s mother and grandmother taught him the holy Scriptures when he was a young boy (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15); young Timothy himself was encouraged by the Apostle Paul to “do the work of an evangelist” (4:5). What a broad field of service is open to all of us-young people included-in teaching children as well as older ones the Scriptures and the way of salvation!

“David [when he was a youth] took a harp and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed” (1 Sam. 16:23; 17:33). “Caleb stilled the people” and encouraged the people by saying, “The LORD is with us” (Num. 13:30; 14:9). Manoah’s wife encouraged him when he was afraid (Judg. 13:23). King Solomon administered wise counsel (1 Ki. 3:5-28). In a world of depressed, distressed, fearful, lonely, and confused people, what opportunities lie open to the Christian who knows the One who can wonderfully meet those needs.

Noah built the ark, the Levites erected and transported the tabernacle, the widow fed Elijah, the woman of Shunem housed Elisha, Dorcas made clothing for the poor, and Rahab protected the spies. What can you do for the Lord?

Assignment 1: Write out three verses in Job 29 that speak of ways Job helped people in need.

ANSWERS TO ASSIGNMENTS FOR 1995

1a. Phil. 1:15,16 (write out).

1b. Acts 17:4,5 or 32,34 (write out).

2a. Stephen (Acts 6:5 and 7:55); Paul (Acts 13:9).

2b. Stephen did great wonders and miracles (6:8), preached boldly (7:1-53), and was calm and forgiving when being put to death (7:54-60); Paul rebuked the sorcerer and caused him to become blind (13:10,11).

3. He didn’t revile or threaten (1 Peter 2:23) and kept His mouth shut (Isa. 53:7) (write out verses).

4. Riches (Psa. 52:7), our own understanding (Prov. 3:5), and falsehood (Jer. 13:25) (write out verses).

5. Moses (Num. 12:3); he prayed for Miriam rather than seeking vengeance (Num. 12:13) (write out verses).

6. On the earth (Job 1:7), in the presence of the Lord (Zech. 3:1), and in high (or heavenly) places (Eph. 6: 12) (write out verses).

7. Preaching the gospel of peace (Rom. 10:15), living peaceably with all men (Rom. 12:18), and following after the things that make for peace (Rom. 14:19) (write out verses).

8. Satan will be cast out of heaven into the earth (Rev. 12:8,9); cast into the bottomless pit and bound for a thousand years (Rev. 20:2,3); and finally cast into the lake of fire forever (Rev. 20:10) (write out verses).

9. The angels brought messages of encouragement, hope, assurance of God’s presence, and instruction (give at least two of these).

10. John 3:16; 10:27-29; Rom. 8:35-39, among others.

11. Short and acceptable answer: Job 1:6 and 2:1, 2 Pet. 2:4-9, and Jude 6-8 suggest that the sons of God were angels. Matt. 22:30 suggests that they were human beings.

More complete answer for instructional purposes: Job 1:6 and 2:1 suggest that the sons of God refer to angels (since Satan is an angel). Jude 6-8 compares a class of fallen angels with men who have gone “after strange flesh” (that is, homosexual) and with those who “defile the flesh,” suggesting that the angels in verse 6 may have been the “sons of God” in Genesis 6. In 2 Pet. 2:4-9 we read of three examples where some were saved and others brought into judgment. Ignoring the man-made division between verses 4 and 5, we see a connection between sinning angels and the time of the great flood. Again, this suggests that the “sons of God” in Genesis 6 may indeed have been angels. Matt. 22:30 says that angels do not marry, which suggests, at first glance, that “the sons of God” who took wives of “the daughters of men” could not have been angels. However, upon looking at this verse more closely, we see that the angels “in heaven” are not given in marriage. Jude 6 refers to angels who did not keep the state in which they were created and left their own “habitation.” This word “habitation” is the same in the original Greek New Testament as the word “house” in 2 Cor. 5:2 which refers to the new, resurrection body which believers will receive when the Lord comes to take us to heaven. Putting this all together, we see that the angels in heaven as they were originally created do not marry; but those angels who have fallen from their created state may have that ability upon earth.

12. They minister to heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:14).

13. Blindness in order to manifest the works of God (John 9:3); sickness and death resulting from partaking of the Lord’s supper unworthily (1 Cor. 11:29,30); chastening so that we might become more holy (Heb. 12:10; also 12:20).

14. Satan parades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14; write out).

15. Do not cut down fruit trees (Deut. 20:19,20; write out).

16-1. No, our gift is to be used in subjection to and dependence upon the Lord (1 Cor. 12:5; write out).

16-2. Write out Eph. 5:18. To be filled with the Spirit means to allow the Spirit to work freely in our minds and lives.

16-3. Meekness (verse 29) and gentleness (verse 30, “easy”).

16-4. Love is the opposite of indifference. Write out Eph. 5:2.

16-5. Pride. Write out personal experience with pride.

16-6. The breastplate of righteousness (Eph. 6:14).

16-7. No, Satan will be forced to bow and submit to Jesus (Phil. 2:10; write out).

16-8. Angels sometimes bring judgment upon sinners (Acts 12:23; write out).

16-9. Write out Matt. 18:10.

16-10. Fortune tellers, if not total frauds and deceivers, receive their power from demons (Acts 16:16-18). Also fortune telling or soothsaying is an abomination to the Lord (Deut. 18:10-12). (Write out one of these passages.)

16-11. To the editor’s knowledge, only reason “c” for administering the death penalty is given in the Bible (Gen. 9:6; write out).

16-12. Write out Heb. 4:12.

Foundations of Faith

Running the Race

Foundations of Faith
MAN (II)

Man is made up of three parts. The one we know best is the physical or material part, the body. There are also the immaterial or invisible parts, the soul and spirit.

Man is like the plants (Gen. 1:11,12) and the animals in having a physical body. Just as the Bible says, “You are dust, and unto dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19), man’s body is made up of 16 chemical elements also found in plants and animals and in the earth. These elements are, using their symbols, C, Ca, Cl, F, Fe, H, I, K, Mg, Mn, N, Na, O, P, S, and Si. (How many of these symbols do you recognize? How about C, H, and O in H2O and CO2?)

Man is like the animals in having a soul. “God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that has life [or literally, soul]” (Gen. 1:20). The Hebrew word, nephesh, is the one translated “soul” throughout the Old Testament. For example, “He restoreth my soul” (Psa. 23:3). “Bless the Lord, O my soul” (Psa. 103:1). “I will speak in the bitterness of my soul” (Job 10:1). Man and animals alike can learn, remember, and have appetites, desires, and emotions.

Man is alone among the inhabitants of the earth in having a spirit. It is the possession of a spirit that sets man apart as created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26,27). The attributes of the spirit include reasoning power, creativity, conscience, responsibility, moral qualities, and ability to know and believe the invisible God. These set man distinctly apart from the animals. It is well to note that the Hebrew and Greek words denoting the spirit of man in both the Old and New Testaments are the same words used to denote the Spirit of God or Holy Spirit. “The [Holy] Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God” (Rom. 8:16).

Biologists have defined basically two kingdoms of life–the plant kingdom and the animal kingdom. (More recently they have added three more kingdoms to adapt to various one-celled organisms that are not clearly plant or animal.) But in Genesis 1 God clearly shows us that there are three main kingdoms of life–plant, animal, and man.

It is only fair to say that some Bible scholars believe that man is made up of only two parts, that soul and spirit are synonymous. They base this on the fact that in many passages of the Bible, soul and spirit seem to refer to the same thing. For example, we read both of Jesus’ soul being troubled (John 12:27) and of His spirit groaning and being troubled (John 11:33; 13:21). On the other hand, there are passages that clearly distinguish between soul and spirit. Perhaps the clearest is the one that contrasts the human body as it is on earth and as it will be in heaven:”It is sown a natural [literally, ‘soulish‘] body, it is raised a spiritual body” (1 Cor. 15:44; see also 1 Cor. 2:14; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12). In other words, our bodies on earth are particularly suited to, and tend to be controlled by, our souls–that is, our emotions, desires, appetites, and all that would cater to self. The new bodies we shall have in heaven will be totally controlled by our spirits–that is, our desire to know God, communicate with Him, please Him, glorify Him, and worship Him.

When we speak of the three parts of man, we usually follow the order, “body, soul, and spirit.” This is the order of importance most often displayed in the lives of humans. However, God’s purpose and desire for man is just the opposite–“spirit and soul and body” (1 Thess. 5:23). God would have the believer overcome his or her natural (or “soulish“) desires and tendencies and let the qualities of the spirit have first place.

Some people have the idea that God created man because He was lonely. They suppose that because He is a God of love He needed an object for His love. This is a mistaken idea because God already had a perfect object for His love before the creation of the Universe. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit had always, from eternity past, enjoyed the deepest, closest possible love and fellowship among themselves. This fact makes it even more wonderful that God created man in His own image, and made it possible for finite, sinful man to be brought into a close relationship with the infinite, personal, holy God by His grace. Surely this wonderful truth should cause each of us to praise God with all of our heart and might!

This may seem like a silly question to many of our readers. However, some of you may meet people who, while claiming to accept the Bible, still argue that Adam and Eve were not real, historical people, but mythical people introduced to illustrate certain spiritual truths. If you ever encounter such arguments, it would be well to review the several references to Adam and Eve by Christ and by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament (for example, Luke 3:38 Rom. 5:14; 1 Cor. 15:22,45; 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:13,14). These passages show that there is as much historical basis for the existence of Adam and Eve as for Moses and Jesus Christ.

Running the Race
IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD: HOW DOES IT AFFECT ME? (II)

4. Marital separation and divorce, and couples living together without being married, have become so common in today’s society that most people probably have come to think that this is one of man’s basic freedoms–freedom from marriage. But permanency of marriage (“till death do us part”) is rooted in man being made in the image of God.

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him, male and female created He them…. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh” (Gen. 1:27; 2:24). The Lord Jesus referred to this when discussing people’s ideas about marriage and divorce (Matt. 19:4-12). Marriage is uniting two different, but equal, persons into one. In some ways this is a bit like the Trinity–the three Persons of God united as one. Perhaps that is why “the image of God” is linked with “male and female” in Gen. 1:27. To break up a marriage is to destroy a two-dimensional image of the Trinity who created us.

You young people are going through a period of life in which you are building friendships, getting to know different members of the opposite sex, and starting to think about who would make a good marriage partner for you. Do not follow the pattern of the world in looking for the most attractive young woman or most handsome fellow, or the person whom you think will best meet your needs and bring you the most happiness. Instead, pray for, and be on the lookout for, one with spiritual beauty, one who truly loves the Lord. Ask the Lord to lead you to one who can help you to grow in your likeness to Christ, and with whom you can be the best possible reflection of the image of God.

Assignment 16: The following is a review quiz based on the 1995 issues of GROWING. Please refer back to the indicated issue when answering each question.

1. (Jan.) Is it okay for a believer to use his/her spiritual gift in any way he/she pleases? Write out a verse in 1 Corinthians 12 that answers this question.

2. (Feb.) Write out a verse in Ephesians 5 that speaks of being filled with the Spirit. Then in your own words tell what it means to be filled with the Spirit.

3. (Mar.) What two aspects of the fruit of the Spirit (see Gal. 5:22,23) are found in Christ in Matt. 11:29,30?

4. (Apr.) What fruit of the Spirit is the opposite of indifference? Write out a verse in Ephesians 5 that shows that people having this fruit are anything but indifferent.

5. (May) In one word, what was the main reason both for Satan’s fall and for man’s fall? Briefly describe an incident in your own life in which you have displayed this same characteristic.

6. (June) Suppose Satan taunts our minds concerning a sin we have committed. What piece of the armor of God do we particularly need to have on when this happens?

7. (July) Will Satan continue to fight against God throughout eternity? Write out a verse in Philippians 2 that helps to answer this question.

8. (Aug.) Are angels always engaged in showing God’s love and helping people, or do they sometimes bring God’s judgment upon sinners? Write out a verse in Acts that answers this question.

9. (Sept.) Write out a verse in Matthew that tells us that at least some human beings have angels watching out for them.

10. (Oct.) Is there anything wrong with a Christian going to a fortune teller? Write out a verse in the Bible that supports your answer.

11. (Nov.) Which one or ones of the following reasons for administering the death penalty for convicted murderers is/are found in the Bible:
a. To discourage other people from murdering.
b. To make sure the murderer does not have an opportunity to kill any more people.
c. Because the person who was murdered was made in the image of God. For each reason you select, give a Bible verse to support your answer.

12. (Dec.) Write out a verse in Hebrews 4 that indicates that the soul and the spirit are two distinct parts of the human being.