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

The Struggle (Continued)

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

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

Issues People Struggle With

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

The Failure of Law

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

The Way to Victory and Power

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

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

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

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

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

Christ Is the Answer!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mr. Ronson: Yes … and …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Should We Continue in Sin?

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

The Meaning of “Born Again”

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

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

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

The Struggle

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

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

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

(To be continued.)

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

Foundations of Faith
THE BELIEVER’S TWO NATURES

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

Definition of “Nature”

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

The Old Nature

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The New Nature

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

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

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

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

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

The Old Man and New Man

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

Why Should We Have to Suffer Because of Adam’s Sin?

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

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

Conflict Between the Two Natures

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

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

Foundations of Faith
THE CHRISTIAN AND MONEY

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

Whose Money Is It?

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

For What Should We Spend It?

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

Tithing

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

Borrowing

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

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

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

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

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

Lending

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

Cosigning for the Loans of Others

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

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

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

Foundations of Faith
NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD (III)

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

“Christian” Philosophies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Participation in Sports, Games and Other Activities

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

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

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

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

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

Foundations of Faith
NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD (II)

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

The World’s Philosophies

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

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

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

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

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

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

(To be continued.)

CONGRATULATIONS!

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

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

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

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

Foundations of Faith
NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD (I)

One of the criteria for knowing God’s will (Apr00) is not being “conformed to this world” (Rom. 12:2). We are also told in Scripture:”Love not the world” (1 John 2:15); “whosoever … will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (Jas. 4:4); “keep … unspotted from the world” (Jas. 1:27).

What does it mean to be conformed to the world? What is the world?

General Principles

I could list a great many things that have been taught over the years as being of “the world.” Here are a few:Going to movies, drinking, dancing, gambling, playing cards, playing pool, having television in the home, wearing earrings, wearing lipstick, going to ball games, and listening to rock music. The problem with lists is that they only provoke arguments, such as:”The Bible doesn’t say anything about it”; “lots of other Christians do it”; “what about the things you do?”; and so forth.

Instead of giving a list of do’s and don’t’s, it would be better to consider some principles that relate to the world:

1. “The world” is all that is not of the Father (1 John 2:15).

2. “The world” is that which hates the Lord Jesus Christ and does not “esteem [or value] Him” (Isa. 53:3).

3. “The world” includes all those things that are passing away and will be burned up (1 John 2:17; 2 Pet. 3:10).

4. “The world” is the collection of things, activities, and entertainments that man has put together to make himself happy without God. (See Assignment 8)

5. “The world” includes recreation that is not for the purpose of re-creating, refreshing, or re-equipping the body and mind for service for the Lord (1 Tim. 4:7,8; 2 Tim. 3:17).

Three Aspects of the World

The three major elements of the world-“the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16)-are all found in Satan’s temptation of Eve (Gen. 3:6) and in his temptation of Christ in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-10).

The lust of the flesh. We usually connect this with sexual lusts, and Satan indeed tempts us to think that sex is okay if we love each other or if we are to be married soon (1 Cor. 6:18). But there is more. Satan tempted Eve with a food that she had never tried before, and he tempted Christ to provide food for Himself. He tempts us to eat quantities and types of food that are not good for our bodies (1 Cor. 6:19). He tempts us to allow into our minds visual images, words, and music that will only distract us from our communion with the Lord. It is well to pray often to know and to do the Lord’s will in our relationships, eating, TV and video watching, Internet surfing, etc. Often the Lord’s will about these things is a “no-brainer.”

The lust of the eyes. Satan tempted Eve with food that was pleasant to the eyes, and he tempted Christ by showing Him “all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them.” Satan tempts us by showing us things:fashionable clothes, sporty cars and trucks, beautiful homes and furnishings, electronic toys, etc. In the process, he reminds us that we must not let our friends and neighbors get ahead of us in the possession of these things. He seduces us by showing us the almost unlimited buying power of small plastic cards.

Once again, let us pray for wisdom and knowledge of God’s will when spending our money-oops … I mean to say, His money. (See Assignment 9)

Satan also is very skillful in tempting us to save out as little as possible for the Lord. If you tend to emphasize that “we are not under the law but under grace” (Rom. 6:15), then you may be tempted to give just the “left-overs” from your pay check to the Lord. If you tend to follow the law of Moses, then you may be perfectly satisfied in giving only a tenth of your income to the Lord, and thinking that you are free to do with the rest whatever you please. However, we should rather pray that we will honor and glorify God in the expenditure of every dollar that He entrusts to our care.

The pride of life. Satan tempted Eve with becoming like God Himself through eating the fruit, and he tempted Christ with instant fame by jumping off the peak of the temple. He tempts us to put all of our mental and/or physical energies into being “numero uno,” winning the game or contest or debate or argument, getting the promotion, or being the most attractive. He tempts us to deny rather than confess our sins against one another, to hold grudges, to get even. He tempts us to avoid saying or doing anything (even if God wants us to) that might hurt our reputation or our friendship with others.

(To be continued.)

Running the Race
THE LANGUAGE OF PRIDE

Here are a few examples of the language of pride:

1. “I am not going to let him get away with saying that to me.”

2. “I am going to get an A in history if it kills me!”

3. “I didn’t do anything wrong. He started it!”

4. “I hope Aaron likes my new hair-do.”

5. (After pronouncing a word incorrectly): “I wish I could just crawl into a big hole! What will people think of me?”

6. (In an assembly meeting): “I am going to keep my mouth shut so I won’t say anything wrong.”

7. (After defeating your opponent in tennis): “What’s the matter? You didn’t do so well today, did you!”

8. (After losing the tennis match): “You sure are lucky; you got all the good bounces.”

In contrast, here is some of the language of humility:

1. (When criticized): “Yes, you are right; I was wrong.”

2. (After being called out in a close play at first base): “Wow, what a great catch!”

3. (After receiving a compliment or an award): “Praise the Lord! He gave me the ability, and besides, lots of others helped me.”

4. “What can I do to show the love of Christ to my school mate who often says nasty things to me?”

5. (After saying or doing something stupid in public): “Lord, help me to be more wise and careful; and help me not to crawl into a shell just because I made a mistake.”

Assignment 8: Write out some verses in Genesis 4 that illustrate the point just made.

Assignment 9: Write out a verse in each of Luke 6, 16, and 19 that suggest that our money and possessions all belong to the Lord.

Foundations of Faith
KNOWING AND DOING GOD’S WILL (III)

Ways in Which God Reveals His Will to Us (Continued)

In Apr00 we saw that God reveals His will to us through the Scriptures and by impressions placed upon our mind by the Holy Spirit.

3. By counsel. “Where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14). Sometimes by telling a respected Christian brother or sister about the matter in which we are seeking God’s will, they may point out Scriptural principles that bear upon the matter or ask probing questions to help us determine whether we have really satisfied the criteria for knowing God’s will.

4. By circumstances. God often guides us through circumstances. For example, one’s detailed plans for the next two months can all change in a moment’s time as result of a heart attack. But we must be careful not to look to circumstances as our means of guidance. The Lord tells us:”I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go; I will guide you with My eye.” Then, following this very positive manner of divine guidance, we are warned against depending upon circumstances for guidance:”Be not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding:whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle lest they come near unto you” (Psa. 32:8,9). The one who is guided by circumstances first goes off in one direction, only to be reigned back in, and then in another direction, only to be pulled in again.

We should never make plans with the idea that if God does not agree with our plans He will somehow stop us. Sometimes He may permit us to go ahead with our plans as a painful learning experience. (See Assignment 7)

I once met a man in the Baltimore City Jail who admitted to allowing himself to be guided by circumstances and deceiving himself into thinking that he was following God’s will. He had used drugs from time to time and one morning he awakened with a craving for a “fix.” At the same time he realized that he probably was not pleasing God by “doing drugs.” So he prayed that if God did not want him to have drugs He would not allow him to find a drug dealer. God did not answer this insincere prayer, with the outcome that the fellow ended up in jail. Here, obviously, was a situation where it should have been clear from God’s revealed Word what His will was, without even having to pray about it.

We cannot leave the topic of circumstances without briefly commenting on Gideon and the fleece. You will recall that God confirmed His will to Gideon through the wetness or dryness of a fleece (Judg. 6:36-40). Many people since Gideon’s time have attempted to learn God’s will by “putting out the fleece.” For example, “Lord, if you want me to witness to my next door neighbor, send a purple Cadillac down the street in front of my house in the next five minutes.” Let us observe that the Lord had already plainly told Gideon what He wanted him to do. Since what he was told to do was so against his nature, Gideon put out the fleece to make perfectly sure that he had understood the Lord correctly.

Are You Ready to Do It?

The specific way or ways one learns to discern God’s will may differ for each individual. It depends on our developing a very close, full-time communion with the Lord so we can be guided by His eye (Psa. 32:8). The only way for us personally to discern God’s will is to actively seek it. Let us summarize the steps:First, make sure that the choices you are deciding among are all in accordance with Scriptural principles. Then check through all of the criteria listed earlier in this series and pray that God will help you to recognize any area of your life that might hinder Him from revealing His will to you. If you are seeking God’s will concerning a decision, consider the different choices you have and ask yourself if you would be truly willing to accept any one of these choices as your course of action. Then pray, spend time in quiet with the Lord, and perhaps seek the counsel of an older, wiser brother or sister. If you do not seem to be getting an answer, be patient, check yourself against the criteria again, and try again. Remember that the Lord desires that we be filled with the full knowledge of His will (Col. 1:9). We can count upon Him to respond to our sincere desire for this.

When and for What Should We Seek to Know God’s Will?

Do not wait until you need to make a very major life decision (such as marriage, college, career, etc.) before attempting to discern the Lord’s will for the first time. God may not give us the satisfaction of discerning His will in the bigger matters if we do not care to know His will in the smaller, everyday matters of life.

What are some of the everyday matters in which we ought to be seeking God’s will? Here are a few for starters:whether to trade in the car for a newer model or keep the present car for another year or two; deciding between a plain but reliable car and a sporty red convertible; decisions with regard to other major and moderate purchases; choice of leisure time and vacation time activities; whether to watch a specific TV program tonight; whether to watch TV at all tonight versus writing a letter to a hurting friend; whether to attend the Wednesday night prayer meeting; the best time and way to witness to one’s office mate; how much to put in the collection plate each Lord’s day; how much income to save for future emergencies; whether to visit the neighbor who is in the hospital; whether to accept an invitation to preach at the Sunday evening gospel service; what text to preach on; and so forth.

If we don’t actively pursue God’s will when these different questions come up, Satan usually will give us a gentle nudge in the direction of maximizing self-ease, comfort, and ego-satisfaction. However, if we get into the habit of asking, “Is it the Lord’s will that I do this or not do that?” many of the answers will not be difficult to figure out, simply on the basis of our knowledge of Scripture and of what we know about the nature of Christ. And for decisions that are not so clear-cut, it is well worth our while to take the time to lay the matter at the feet of the Lord and seek guidance and direction from Him.

Running the Race
Assignment 7: (a) Write out a verse in Psalm 106 that tells what might happen if we insist upon our own way. (b) Describe a personal experience in which you insisted on having your own way or else neglected to seek God’s will first.

Foundations of Faith
KNOWING AND DOING GOD’S WILL (II)

The Foundations for Knowing God’s Will (Continued)

In Mar00 we established that (1) God wants us to know His will and (2) He has a specific will for each of His children.

3. God has certain criteria that we must satisfy before we can know His will. (a) We must not be “conformed to this world” but “transformed by the renewing of [our] mind” in order to know “what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2). (b) We must “walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time” if we would understand what the will of the Lord is (Eph. 5:15-18). (c) We must not be allowing active sin in our lives, but daily confessing and repenting of known sin (Psa. 66:18). (d) We must sincerely want to be totally emptied of our own will and earnestly desire the Lord’s will for our lives. We must seek to be like our Lord who said, “I seek not My own will, but the will of the Father who has sent Me” (John 5:30); and “I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart” (Psa. 40:8; Heb. 10:7; Luke 22:42). (See Assignment 5)

(e) We must be faithful in carrying out that which we already know to be God’s will if we would learn His will in new areas and for new decisions (John 7:17). In short, there is no way of knowing God’s will if our state of soul before Him is not right.

4. We must actively seek God’s will through prayer, dependence, and waiting upon God. David prayed, “In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust … for Thy name’s sake lead me and guide me” (Psa. 31:1-3). Also, after praying that God would reveal to him any wicked way in him, David asked the Lord to lead him “in the way everlasting” (139:23,24). And immediately upon his conversion on the road to Damascus, Saul of Tarsus prayed, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6).

5. We must quiet our soul and spirit and allow the Holy Spirit liberty to communicate His will to us. Moses exhorted his people, “Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exod. 14:13; see also 2 Chron. 20:17). Elijah experienced in succession a strong wind, and earthquake, and a fire, but it was with “a still small voice” that the Lord revealed Himself to the prophet (1 Ki. 19:11-13). “Be still, and know that I am God,” we are exhorted (Psa. 46:10). And the Lord said of Israel, “Their strength is to sit still” (Isa. 30:7, 15).

Ways in Which God Reveals His Will to Us

Having laid the foundations, let us consider ways in which God’s will is revealed to us. First and foremost, it is revealed through the Scriptures. We are told that it is God’s will that we abstain from fornication (1 Thess. 4:3), that we give thanks in everything (5:18), and that none should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9); 1 Tim. 2:4). And we certainly are not limited to those verses that explicitly state what God’s will is; surely the Scriptures are full of statements of God’s will-His commandments, His statutes, His words, His desires, and the perfect example given to us by the Man Christ Jesus-for us. For this reason
we ought to become as familiar as possible with God’s Word. Whenever we study the Bible, let us ask what we can learn about the character of God in the passage and then what we can learn about God’s will for our lives.

The Scriptures give mainly guidelines and general principles for our walk through this world. How does God reveal to us the specifics of His will concerning higher education, marriage, career, job, areas of service for Himself, expenditures of leisure time and money, purchase of material possessions, charitable giving, and so forth? Let me suggest a few ways as starters:

1. By the Scriptures. I do not mean to be repetitious. In a previous paragraph we considered the Scriptures as the means of providing general guidelines and principles as to God’s will for our lives. Here I refer to the Holy Spirit’s bringing a particular Scripture to mind that helps to confirm us in the will of God. As a personal illustration of this, a number of years ago while I was planning a business trip to the Netherlands the Lord seemed to burden my heart with stopping in London on the way home to visit a certain Christian couple there; I ticketed accordingly and reserved a rental car for pickup at the London airport. The morning I was to fly from Amsterdam to London I awakened to find snow falling heavily; on the radio I learned that the snowfall was heavy in the London area as well. What should I do? It was very tempting to call up and book a flight straight to New York. But I prayed. I sought to empty my mind of my personal fears and my own will. All of a sudden the words of 2 Cor. 12:8 came flooding into my soul:”My grace is sufficient for thee.” I was filled with peace that the Lord would safely lead me to my destination in the London suburbs. As I set out by car the snow on the roads was already melting and I had a wonderful visit with my friends.

2. By impressions. We have just shown how the Holy Spirit may impress a Scripture verse upon our soul to indicate God’s will for us in a certain matter. I would suggest that the Spirit speaks to our spirits in other ways as well, no doubt far more often than we are aware. For example, when driving, has the thought ever come into your mind, “You had better check the side view mirror once again before changing lanes”?

Sometimes when we pray for guidance, the Holy Spirit immediately impresses a thought or picture upon our minds. (For example, see Sep99, “Prayer for Mislaid Articles.”) But we need to be careful, especially if the guidance is exactly what we had hoped for, to make sure that we are truly emptied of our own will and that the guidance is consistent with God’s Word.

Perhaps more often we do not receive an answer immediately. It is important not to become discouraged at this point. Rather, we must continue to pray often and wait on the Lord for guidance in the particular matter. At the Lord’s perfect time, whether we are praying or not, the Holy Spirit may strongly impress upon our mind the guidance we are seeking. (See Assignment 6)

(To be continued.)

Running the Race
Assignment 5: Write out verses in Psalm 32 and Matthew 6 that show that we must seek to know and to do God’s will with single-minded dependence upon Him.

Assignment 6: Write out a total of four verses in Psalms 25, 27, and 37 that speak of our waiting on or for the Lord.

Foundations of Faith
WHERE HAVE WE COME FROM AND WHERE ARE WE GOING?

As you read this you will have lived through the first two months of a brand new millennium. Perhaps this “new beginning” is good time to review what we have covered in the first seven years of GROWING and see what remains to be covered.

Major topics covered include:

1. The authority and divine inspiration of the Scriptures.

2. The attributes of God.

3. The Holy Trinity.

4. The deity, eternal Sonship, and sinlessness of Christ; evidences for the resurrection of Christ.

5. The Person and work of the Holy Spirit.

6. God’s created beings:Satan, demons, angels, man.

7. Sin, atonement, way of salvation, blessings of salvation, eternal security.

8. Baptism.

9. Law and grace.

10. The Church.

11. Spiritual gifts, serving the Lord.

12. Prayer, worship, praise, thanksgiving.

We still have some major topics to cover, including the beginning of time (creation of the universe), the end of time (second coming of Christ, great tribulation, and millennial reign of Christ), and eternity (heaven and hell). Before we go there, however, we will devote the next few issues (possibly into 2001) to Biblical teaching about the Christian life:living sacrificially, knowing and doing God’s will, living holy lives, not loving the world, the two natures, getting the victory over sin, and-in keeping with the name of this publication-growing spiritually.

PRESENTING OUR BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world:but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:1,2).

In Apr99-Jul99 we discussed serving the Lord, and in Feb00 worshiping the Lord. The word “service” in Rom. 12:1 combines these two ideas. It is a special word that is sometimes translated “service” (Matt. 4:10; Rom. 9:4; Heb. 9:1,6; Rev. 22:3) and other times “worship” (Acts 24:14; Phil. 3:3; Heb. 10:2). It is always used in connection with worshipful service for the Lord.

This service involves sacrifice:”present your bodies [that is, our whole being] a living sacrifice.” This service also involves doing the “good, and acceptable, and perfect will” of our Lord and Master. Christians are to carry out this service every moment of every day, in all situations and circumstances.

In the Old Testament, the children of Israel showed their devotion to the LORD by offering animal sacrifices. As Christians, we do this by presenting our “bodies a living sacrifice.” Let us give examples of how we can do this in a variety of settings.

At home. We can sacrifice our desire for independence by being obedient to those whom God has put over us-our parents (Eph. 6:1; Col. 3:20).

At school. We can sacrifice a bit of our outer beauty by dressing modestly so that members of the opposite sex will be attracted to us more for our inner beauty and moral character than our physical appearance (1 Tim. 2:9; 1 Pet. 3:3,4) . (After all, wouldn’t you prefer a lifetime marriage partner who shares your spiritual ideals and love for the Lord than one who is only attracted to your teenage face and body?)

At work. We can sacrifice our tendency to oversleep and be lazy by always arriving at work on time, not abusing sick leave, putting in a full day’s work, and not “goofing off” when the boss is away (Col. 3:22.23).

At play. We can sacrifice our obsessive desire to win by not trying to bend the rules, not arguing with the umpire or referee, not getting angry when a call doesn’t go our way or when we lose the game, and by complimenting players on the opposing team for playing well (Eph. 4:31,32; 1 Pet. 5:5,6).

At the assembly. We can sacrifice our desire to be heard, to be in control, and to have our opinions accepted (Phil. 2:3; 3:16; 2 Tim. 2:24; 3 John 9).

KNOWING AND DOING GOD’S WILL (I)

As noted above, being a worshipful servant of God also involves proving “what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2). “Prove” in this verse is a word that is used of gold and other precious metals being tested in the fire to reveal degree of purity. God tests us believers in many ways to see if we will respond by going our way and doing what we want to do (Isa. 53:6) or by seeking and doing what He wants us to do. When we pass the test we have “proven” (or demonstrated our obedience to) God’s good and perfect will.

The Foundations for Knowing God’s Will

Let us now look at Scriptural principles for knowing the will of God. There are five main points I wish to make in laying the foundations for knowing His will:(1) God wants us to know His will; (2) God has a specific will for each of His children; (3) God has certain criteria that we must satisfy before we can know His will; (4) we must actively seek God’s will; and (5) we must allow the Holy Spirit liberty to communicate His will to us.

1. God wants us to know His will. The apostle Paul prayed for the saints in Colosse that they “might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Col. 1:9). (See Assignment 3)

2. God has a specific will for each of His children. Some have suggested that God does not have a specific will for His people beyond the general principles and guidelines given in His Holy Word. However, I do not believe Scripture bears this out. When Abraham sent his servant to get a wife for his son Isaac from among his relatives, the Lord definitely led him to a specific woman-Rebekah (Gen. 24:14-27). When Joshua prepared to go to battle against Jericho, the Lord had a very specific battle plan for him to follow (Josh. 6). (See Assignment 4)

(To be continued.)

Running the Race
Assignment 3: Write out verses in Ephesians 5, Colossians 4, and Hebrews 13 that show that God wants us to know His will.

Assignment 4: Write out verses in 2 Samuel 5, John 11, and Acts 8 to show that God’s will is specific.

Foundations of Faith
WORSHIP, PRAISE, AND THANKSGIVING

Just as there is not a gift of prayer, there are no gifts of worship, praise, and thanksgiving. These are activities for all believers. They are the heart’s response to God for His gifts to us of love and grace.

Worship

The Hebrew word translated “worship” in the Old Testament literally means “to bow oneself down.” This word is found in both of the following verses:”He ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground” (Gen. 18:2). “I and the lad will go yonder and worship” (Gen. 22:5). Most of us have seen pictures of Muslims kneeling on their prayer rugs with their faces to the ground. That gives the sense of this Hebrew word.

The word in the New Testament has a similar meaning and is often found in connection with bowing down:”They … fell down and worshiped Him” (Matt. 2:11; 4:9; 28:9; Acts 10:25; 1 Cor. 14:25; Rev. 3:9; 7:11).

Worship, therefore, has to do with the attitude of our soul in the presence of the Lord. Whether or not we are physically on our faces before the Lord may not be of prime importance. But certainly our souls and spirits are to be bowed before Him in humility and lowliness. Thus, we recognize how great and pure God is and how little and sinful we are; we judge our pride, boastfulness, disobedience, willfulness; we are convicted about the times we have pushed God off of His throne, putting ourselves there in His place. This is what is meant by the verse:”O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psa. 29:2; 96:9). (See Assignment 2)

In the New Testament, Jesus tells us that “God is a Spirit, and they who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). This means that we are not free to create our own image or concept of God. We worship Him according to the revelation that He has given us of Himself and His attributes (see Jul93-Nov94) in His Word, the Holy Bible.

In the New Testament we are not told to worship God. However, the Lord Jesus did tell His disciples to remember Him (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:23-26). When we remember Him, worship will truly follow.

Praise

“Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord!” Halal is the Hebrew word for “praise,” u is an ending for the pronoun “you” and Jah means “the LORD.” Put them together and you are speaking Hebrew when you exclaim, “Hallelujah!” Psalm 117, the shortest psalm or chapter of the Bible, begins with, “O praise the LORD,” and ends with “Praise ye the LORD.” In other words, the psalmist is saying, “I am praising the LORD; I want you to join me and we will all praise Him together.”

A literal meaning of the word halal, in today’s language, is “to shine a spotlight on.” At a concert a spotlight is put on the soloist, thus marking him/her out. So praise to the Lord is putting the spotlight on Him, marking Him out as One who is very special and worthy. When an entertainer has performed well, or an athlete has played well, what does the audience do? They clap their hands and/or cheer for that person, and in that way put a “spotlight” on him/ her. My son once told me that he cheered himself hoarse while attending a professional baseball game. A couple of years ago when the baseball player, Cal Ripken, broke the record for consecutive games played, there was unbroken cheering for him for 21 minutes. Better than that, the Italian opera singer, Luciano Pavarotti, was applauded for over an hour on at least one occasion. These are examples of giving praise to men. Do we come close to showing such enthusiasm in the presence of the Lord, giving praise to Him?

The same word for “praise” is found in the following verse:”I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psa. 73:3). Here the word is used in a negative sense:turning the spotlight on oneself-rather than on the Lord-is the ultimate act of foolishness.

Thanksgiving

The Hebrew word, yadah, for “thanksgiving” is often translated “praise” and is also the primary Old Testament word for “confess.” The next three verses all have this same Hebrew word:”When Thy people Israel … shall turn again to Thee and confess Thy name … then hear Thou in heaven and forgive the sin of Thy people” (1 Ki. 8:33,35). “O that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! (Psa. 107:8,15,21, 31). “O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good” (Psa. 136:1-3).
Yadah literally means to stretch out the hand, point one out. John the Baptist had been preparing the people for the coming of One who was greater than he, the Messiah Himself. Then, one day, seeing Jesus coming to him he exclaimed, “There He is! There is the One I have been telling you about! Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). That is what yadah is. Another illustration of yadah is found in this familiar verse:”If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved” (Rom. 10:9). Confessing the Lord Jesus means not being afraid to tell others about your Saviour.

We conclude from these illustrations that thanksgiving should include telling the Lord-and others-what you think of Him and what He has done for you.

The New Testament word for thanksgiving provides a further insight. The Greek word eucharistia for “thanksgiving” contains within it the word charis or “grace.” Thus thanksgiving is the response of my heart and lips to the recognition of God’s grace or favor to me when I really deserve just the opposite (see Jan94).

Thanksgiving relates to all parts of our lives:”In every thing give thanks” (1 Thess. 5:18). “Giving thanks always for all things” (Eph. 5:20; Phil. 4:6).

When someone gives you a birthday present what do you say? “Thank you, that is just what I wanted, the color is beautiful, it fits perfectly, I enjoy reading books by this author” or some such sentiment. It is not difficult, is it? So why do you find it so difficult publicly to thank God for His many benefits to you? It does not take a special gift to thank the Lord-just love for the One who first loved you (1 John 4:19).

Running the Race
Assignment 2: (a) Write out a verse in 1 Corinthians 11 that shows what can happen if we try to worship when in an unholy state. (b) Write out a verse in Matthew 5 that shows what we must do before we can worship properly.

Foundations of Faith
PRAYER (V)

Who Are to Pray?

All believers, young and old, male and female are to pray. None are excluded from this privilege. Every true child of God will pray almost involuntarily. It was said of Saul of Tarsus in the first three days after his conversion, “Behold he prays” (Acts 9:11).

At the assembly prayer meeting, of course, the sisters are to “keep silence” (1 Cor. 14:34; see Oct98). But no brother should think he cannot pray in public. Some say, “I have no gift for prayer.” But does one need a gift to beg if he is starving? Dear young brothers and sisters, attend your local assembly prayer meetings. Write out your prayer requests and hand them to an older brother. Dear young brothers, do not sit like wax figures on the benches month after month. It is only the sisters who are to “keep silence in the churches.”

To Whom Should We Pray?

The apostle Paul bowed his knees “unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:14). Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59). We have no instruction or example in Scripture for prayer to the Holy Spirit. We read of praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20), but nothing of prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Prayer and Fasting

Fasting may often be a help to effectual prayer. Fasting is not an empty exercise which was to be abandoned after the death and resurrection of Christ. The disciples often prayed and fasted (see Acts 13:2,3; 14:23; 2 Cor. 6:4,5). The apostle Paul encouraged the believers at Corinth to devote part of their time to prayer and fasting (1 Cor. 7:5). The relationship between fasting and prayer is a very practical one. For one thing, we do not have to interrupt our praying for the preparation and consumption of food. Also, that part of our blood supply which would have been diverted to the digestive organs is now available for the brain, thus keeping us more alert as we labor before the Lord in prayer.

Unrequited Prayer

Some of you may not be familiar with this word “unrequited,” but the following verses will help to define it:”In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the LORD; and He spoke unto him, and He gave him a sign. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up” (2 Chron. 33:24,25). The Lord wonderfully answered Hezekiah’s prayer when he was terminally ill and gave him 15 more years of active life (2 Ki. 20). But how did Hezekiah respond to this blessing? He did not necessarily fail to thank God for it, but he did fail to devote those additional 15 years faithfully to the LORD.

Let us ask ourselves, “How do I respond when God answers my prayers?” If I have been praying for good health and have also been taking a daily dose of Vitamin C, does God or Vitamin C get credit for my getting through the winter without a cold? If I have asked the Lord for help repairing an automobile and it turns out that I am able to find the problem and correct it in record time, do I turn around and brag about how skillful I am? If the Lord answers my prayer and helps me in a way that leaves me with an extra amount of money, time, or health, do I use such bonuses to treat myself or take it easy, or do I use it to benefit the Lord’s work or minister to needy people? (See Assignment 1)

Perhaps we would receive more answers to prayer and realize significantly greater spiritual growth and blessing if we were more faithful to render to the Lord according to the benefits that He has so graciously heaped upon us.

Running the Race
SOME EXAMPLES OF ANSWERED (AND UNANSWERED) PRAYER (V)

Prayer for Wisdom

A few years ago my wife and I were in Nakuru, Kenya with a couple of hours free before having to travel on to Nairobi; we considered visiting a nearby national park famous for its lake with millions of flamingos. But upon asking the Lord what to do, I was given a strong sense that we should skip the park and catch the first bus to Nairobi.

We arrived a few minutes too late to catch the big, safe “country” bus that tourists are encouraged to take. Our only immediate alternative was to take a minibus “matatu” with its reputation of having a high rate of accidents. Upon praying further, the Lord seemed to direct us to take a matatu. Our ride was safe and uneventful. The next day we read in the newspaper that a riot had broken out at the Nakuru bus station about two hours after we had left, with personal injury, destruction of property, and total disruption of bus service. How we praised the Lord for keeping us from going to the national park that morning and getting us out of there in the nick of time.

Some “Unanswered” Prayers

These “unanswered” prayers in the Bible were really answered differently from what was asked:

1. King David prayed and fasted for the child of Bathsheba, but “the child died” (2 Sam. 12:16,18). But as a result, David’s heart was drawn toward heaven in a way it might not have been otherwise, for he worshiped the LORD and said, “I shall go to him” (verses 20-23).

2. Elijah prayed, “Take away my life” (1 Ki. 19:4). The LORD had better plans-taking Elijah to heaven without dying (2 Ki. 2:11)!

3. The apostle Paul prayed three times for the thorn to be removed from his flesh, and the Lord responded, in effect, “I will not remove it, but I will give you grace to bear it” (2 Cor. 12:8,9). As a result, Paul learned the wonderful truth that through the power of Christ, “When I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:8-10).

4. The Lord Jesus Christ prayed three times at Gethsemane that the cup of God’s judgment might be kept from him. God’s answer was to send an angel from heaven to strengthen Him (Matt. 26:36-44; Luke 22:43). Aren’t you glad Jesus accepted that cup of wrath for your sins?

Finally, here are four ways God answers prayer:

1. No, not yet.

2. No, I have something even better for you.

3. Yes, I thought you would never ask.

4. Yes, and here’s more.

Assignment 1: In Luke 17, only one of the ten lepers responded to being healed by the Lord? (a) Write out a verse that describes his response. (b) Write out a verse that tells of an added blessing this healed leper received as a result of his response to the Lord. (c) Write out a verse in Psalm 116 that refers to our response to God’s blessings.