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)

Children and Sons of God

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)

Redeemed

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.

Children of God

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.

(To be continued.)

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)

Sanctified

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.

(To be continued.)

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.

Forgiven, Justified

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).

Reconciled

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).

Sanctified

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.

(To be continued.)

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.

Reconciled to God

“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.

Redeemed

“[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).

(To be continued.)

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.

Forgiven

“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.”

Justified

“[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.”

(To be continued.)

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).

(To be continued.)

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)

Doubts About Salvation (Continued)

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.

(To be continued.)

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)

Doubts About Salvation

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).

(To be continued.)

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)

Divine Election

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).

Predestination

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.

Faith Alone and Grace Alone

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.

Three Aspects of Salvation

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.

Faith

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).

Not Works

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)

Faith Plus Works

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).

Repentance

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.

Why Did Jesus Have to Suffer and Die for Our Sins?

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.

What Does “Vicarious” Mean?

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)

Propitiation and Substitution

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)

The Atoning Sufferings of Christ

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).

(To be continued.)

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).

(To be continued.)

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)

Introduction

“Man’s not so bad, God’s not so mad.”

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.

The Definition of “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.

Atonement in the Old Testament

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)

Atonement in the New Testament

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.

– F. Allaben

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

(To be continued.)

THE LONG SILENCE:A PARABLE

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.