QUESTIONS/ANSWERS FROM THE QUESTION FORUM
Group Number 73
My
question concerns 1 Corinthians 3:1-17: It sounds to me like this passage says
that even though a person may have sin or sinful work
(the hay, wood or straw) they themselves will be saved because of the foundation
of their salvation and faith (Jesus Christ).
One of the great disservices of denominationalism
is its penchant for theological language – language that is not found in the
Scriptures. The phrase to which you refer is a classic example: "the security of
the believer." If we understand this to mean the keeping power of God through
faith, as affirmed in First Peter 1:5, the issue becomes clear. If, however, it
is considered as something accomplished independently of keeping the faith,
confusion enters in. It is "the believer" who is "kept by the power of God," not
the one who merely professes faith. A believer is one who IS believing,
trusting, and relying upon Christ. That is something that does not take place
automatically. There is such a thing as "the good fight of faith" (1 Tim 6:12),
and it involves fighting against all that competes against faith.
The passage in First Corinthians three is not about "works" as ordinarily
perceived. The works mentioned there are not the good or bad things each
believer does. If that is the case, the passage makes little sense at all. In
that case, it would mean the believer is judged by his works, but even if they
are all burned up, he will be saved anyway. That flies right in the face of the
clear and concise teaching of the Holy Spirit. After enumerating the "works of
the flesh," the Spirit affirms, "of the which I tell you before, as I have also
told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God" (Gal 5:21). A similar statement is made in First Corinthians
6:9-10. Ephesians 5:5-6 makes the same statement: "For this ye know, that no
whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with
vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the
children of disobedience."
Our works, when referring to unacceptable conduct, therefore, are not
inconsequential. They reveal what our real condition is. If salvation does not
change what we do, it is really no salvation at all. That would be like God
saving Israel from Egyptian bondage, yet leaving them under the harsh
taskmasters. Salvation changes what we are, what we do, and how we think. If the
third chapter of First Corinthians is speaking about sinful expressions, it
contradicts everything that is said about salvation.
The "works" of First Corinthians 3:1-17 are converts. The point Paul is making
is that he has been appointed by God to build people upon the foundation of
Jesus Christ. He does this by anchoring their faith to the Savior, thereby
enabling them to "grow up into Christ in all things" (Eph 4:15). The "work" of
the text is people – WHO they are, not what they do. First, he upbraids the
people for being "carnal" and walking as men (verses 1-3). This was being
manifested particularly in the divisions that existed among them (verses 4-5).
In choosing to follow their favorite teachers, and even calling themselves after
their names, they had committed a great sin. Paul and Apollos, for example, were
working together with Christ in the same work. One planted, and another watered,
but God gave the increase. There was, therefore no competition among those who
had initially taught the Corinthians. Thus, the people were "carnal," or
fleshly, in allowing divisions to exist among themselves as though their
original teachers had been divided (verses 7-8).
At this point, Paul affirms Christ's workers had all been laboring together with
God, wholly united among themselves. They were working on a special project.
From the standpoint of producing fruit to God, that project was a field,
vineyard, or "husbandry." From the standpoint of a place where God chose to
dwell, it was a building – "God's building." That "husbandry," or "building," he
affirms was the people themselves: "YOU are God's husbandry, YOU are God's
building" (verse 9).
Paul then focuses on the "building" view. He states that, as a wise
master builder, he laid the foundation, and others have built upon it. By this he
means he started the work, particularly at Corinth. After him, others came and
built on the foundation, bringing others into the church. He adds, "But let
every man take heed how he bidet thereupon." No one must attempt to blend
people who are not trusting in Christ with those who are – that is his point
(verses 10-11). He then likens converts, or professing Christians, to" gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble" (verse 12). It is the people
themselves who are represented in these figures, NOT what they do. We do not
"build" our own works, or deeds, upon Christ. It is people who are "added" to
the church, not deeds. Converts are referred to as the "work" of those who have
preached the Gospel to them. "are not ye my work in the Lord?" (1 Cor 9:1)
The testing in verse thirteen will, take place on the day of judgment – "the
day." It is the people themselves who will be judged, not merely their deeds.
There will be some who will claim to have done "many wonderful works," yet will
not pass the test (Matt 7:21-22). They are the "wood, hay, and stubble."
The "loss" will be realized by the person who attempted to place such people
upon Christ. His labor will have been in vain, and he will lose something
because of it. That does not mean the laborer himself will necessarily be lost
because of these inferior converts, for he himself will also pass through the
fire of judgment (verse 15). Paul referred to this condition when he said he was
"afraid" of the Galatians because of their propensity to Law. He did not want
his labor to be in vain (Gal 4:11). He knew if they did not stand the test of
the day of judgment, he would lose a reward, having labored in vain among them.
He concludes by reminding the Corinthians they are collectively "the temple of
God," and that the Spirit of God is dwelling in them. He is referring to the
"building" he mentioned earlier – the "building" that is comprised of people, or
converts. He then gives a solemn warning to all would-be teachers. "If any man
defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy,
which temple ye are" (verse 17). God will not tolerate the person who insists on
bringing people into the church, (which is intended to be a place for Himself),
who have no genuine identity with Jesus. Such a person will be "destroyed."
This circumstance is why Ananias and Saphirra were eliminated from the
"building," or church (Acts 5). It is why the Corinthian fornicator was
excommunicated (1 Cor 5). It is why Peter would not tolerate Simon's insolent
request to buy the power to confer the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:19-21). Such people
were themselves "wood, hay, and stubble." Unless they were changed, they had no
part in Christ whatsoever.
Does the Bible indeed teach
that the Christian should never drink any alcohol? Our preacher showed us
scriptures in the old testament that says the holy priesthood was never to drink
hard drink. And in the new scripture it says that Christians are a holy
priesthood. So, when Jesus turned the water into wine for his mother at the
wedding, was that OK because they were under the Mosaic Law? Is it really a sin
to have one glass of wine with dinner?
The word of God does not say Christians should
never drink any alcohol. Nothing in Scripture suggests it is a sin to drink one
glass of wine with dinner. This whole matter is in he area of conscience, and
strict laws cannot be imposed upon one believer by another where God has not
spoken. God has, of course, spoken about drunkenness, as well as lusts for
things that ultimately defile.
The "wine" of Scripture was not like the wine of our day. It was more like fresh
grape juice. Imbibed in heavy quantities, the individual could become drunk.
Alcoholic drinks are more like the "strong drink" of Scripture.
As for drinking being all right if you do not get drunk, one would have a
difficult time convincing John the Baptist of that. He was a Nazarite. Before he
was ever born, the angel of the Lord his father, "For he will be great in the
sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled
with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother's womb" (Luke 1:12). Jesus said
that he drank no wine (Luke 7:33).
Samson was also a Nazarite. The angel of the Lord told his mother, "Behold, you
shall conceive and give birth to a son, and now you shall not drink wine or
strong drink" (Judges 13:7). Under the Law, God also forbade the priests to
drink strong drink when they went into the tabernacle. if they did so, they
would die. "Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with
you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you may not die-- it is a
perpetual statute throughout your generations" (Lev 10:9).
It seems as though the more God used a person, the less tolerant he was of
drinking any strong drink.
So, "No," the Scriptures do not condemn a person for drinking a glass of wine
with dinner. But there is more to consider than simply if it is right or wrong.
As I have shown, God has been very particular about those serving Him, and the
drinking of wine. Too, we are told it is good to refrain from drinking any wine
if it is a cause of stumbling to others (Rom 14:21).
You cannot get drunk, you cannot offend your brethren, and you must consider
bringing glory to God in all things, even drinking (1 Cor 10;31). With that, you
are free to make your determination on the matter, and no one can condemn you.
Is
there ever a time when you need to stop questioning every little detail in the
Bible, and just accept what it says?
Yes! In fact, there should NEVER be any
questioning of Scriptural affirmation. When God speaks, it is not intended to
provoke questions, but believing and obedience.
Jesus endured a lot of questions when He was in the world. The majority of them
were neither honest nor sincere, and He would turn the subject to the real
issue. The questions you mentioned are not asked with scripture in mind, but
with human preferences in mind. There is such a thing as wrong questions. They
are a way a person has of promoting their own thoughts.
There is nothing wrong about questioning persuasions for which no apparent
justification exists. Answers from the Word of God, however, must settle the
matter. Too, when a person has more questions than they do answers or
contributions to the faith and understanding of others, that person has become a
thorn and a hindrance. Here is what God says about unending questions. "Don't
have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they
produce quarrels" (2 Tim 2:23). 'But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies
and arguments and quarrels about the law, about the person who "has an unhealthy
interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife,
malicious talk, evil suspicions" (1 Tim 6:4).
When Christians come together, everything is to be done to build one another up.
'All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church" (1 Cor 14:26).
"Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual
edification" (Rom 14:19). That requirement applies whether one is young or old,
male or female.
The EFFECT questions have upon people who love the truth and want to serve Jesus
is to be considered. If this individual is causing interruption, quarrels, and
disputes by their questions, God requires that they keep quiet. That, of course,
means to "shut up."
For
my homework I need two explanations for each of the following mysteries; feeding
of the 5000, healing the blind, healing the dead, removing of evil spirits. I am
really stuck please help! . . . I did the walking on water explanations,
possible heat haze or sandbar etc., to give the effect of walking on water. any
other suggestions
The events to which you refer do not need to be
explained. They are to be believed. All of them are very real -- miraculous,
displaying the work of God. That is why they are called "miracles," and not
delusions, or illusions, or some other form of visionary distortion. Jesus once
condemned a city for not believing the "miracles" that He did (Matthew
11:20-23). Because one city was so dominated by unbelief, He could do not a
miracle there (Matthew 13:58). It is false Christ's that work deception, not the
Savior of the world (Mark 13:22).
Reread the miracles of the Lord and ask God to help you believe the truth of
them.
Will
there be different degrees of rewards once we go to Heaven?
Yes. Rewards will be according to every man's work
-- and every man's work is not the same (Matt 16:27). Jesus spoke of conduct
that would result in a "great" reward (Luke 6:35). Hebrews affirms that strong
confidence will also receive a "great" reward (Heb 10:35). In the parable of the
pounds, Jesus declared degrees of rewards (Luke 19:17-19). The apostles will
have places of unusual preeminence in glory, as indicated by the inscribing of
their names on the walls of the city of God (Rev 21:14).
A
man comes to you and says he has been struggling with the problem of
pornography.
How would you respond?
What kind of practical advice would you give him?
What sort of program would you set up to bring healing?
HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND?
It depends upon what he means by "struggle." If he means he is being tempted,
but is resisting the devil, I would tell him God does not hold him responsible
for unwanted thoughts, which are the fiery darts hurled at the mind by Satan --
"It is not I" (Rom 7:15,16,18,19,20).
If "struggle" means he is giving in to the temptation, lust has conceived, and
is now bearing fruit in him (James 1:14-15). In order for that to happen, the
following had to occur.
01. A place was made for Satan (Eph 4:27).
02. His affection was not placed on things above (Col 3:2).
03. He did not resist the devil (James 4:7).
04. He quenched the Spirit (1 Thess 5:19).
05. He did not keep the Gospel in mind (1 Cor 15:1-3).
06. He did not give heed to Him who speaks from heaven (Heb 12:28).
07. He did not crucify the flesh (Gal 5:24).
08. He rejected the leading of the Spirit (Rom 8:13).
09. He did not pray that he enter not into temptation (Luke 22:40).
10. He did not put on the whole armor of God (Eph 6:11).
11. He did not use the shield of faith (Eph 6:16).
12. He did not walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16).
13. He forgot he was purged from his old sins (2 Pet 1:9).
14. He forgot that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God
(Gal 5:21).
15. He did not seek the things that are above (Col 3:1).
16. He rejected the mandate, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in
the world" (1 John 2:15a).
17. He forgot that if a man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in
him (1 John 2:15b).
These things ought not be said in a harsh or judgmental manner. However, the
individual drawn into this area must realize you cannot sin by accident, or
inadvertently fall into pornography, or the lust of the flesh. In the case of
pornography, you have to seek it out. It is even against the law for it to be
available in public places. People like this must comes to grips with their
distance from God. By choice, they have placed themselves in the devil's domain
AFTER God put them into Christ (1 Cor 1:30), and raised them up to sit with Him
in the heavenly realms (Eph 2:6). Not a single one of us should allow such souls
to explain their situation to us. It is the result of walking in the flesh, and
no solution will ever be realized until that is acknowledged.
WHAT KIND OF PRACTICAL ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE HIM? Jesus said a word on this.
"And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into
the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:47-48). There
are no convenient and painless solutions, because this sin is deliberate -- one
of choice, and aggressive choice at that. The cause of the weakness must be
removed. Whatever that involves is completely without significance. If gouging
your eye out would remove the lust, that should be done. That would not, of
course, pull up the roots of lust. This person should immediately refrain from
going where such things are available. He should remove from his residence
anything that gives the advantage to lust. It is obvious he cannot subordinate
lust while living in proximity of things that provoke it. In other words, the
person has to come to the point where he resolves before God this will never
occur again. If it means running from Potipher's wife, then he must run. The
secret is, that at this precise point, God will give grace and strength to carry
out the resolve of faith. However, until that firm and unwavering resolution is
made (like Joseph did, Genesis 39:9), our suggestions are just noise in his
ears.
If God "made" Jesus "a curse" because of our sin being laid upon Him (Gal 3:13),
you may be sure He will hold no countenance whatsoever for a willingness on our
part to be involved in sin. On the other hand, His love, as demonstrated in the
awesome cursing of Jesus, and making Him "to be sin for us" (2 Cor 5:21),
guarantees He will underwrite the conscientious effort of every person who
despises sin, and want no part of it.
A wife comes to you and says she found pornography on her husband's
computer. She wants a divorce because he has committed adultery, based on
Jesus' statement that "He that looks on a woman to lust after her has
committed adultery already in his heart. She feels she now has the right
to divorce and marry someone else.
The "adultery" of Matthew 5:28 is NOT the
"fornication" and "adultery" of Matthew 5:32. Adultery "in the heart" does not
equate to infidelity, even though it is surely sin, and, if not mortified, will
lead to the defilement of the body as well as the heart. In marriage, the
individuals become "one flesh" (Matt 19:5). That same thing happens when a man
is joined to someone other than his wife -- in the illicit affair, the
transgressing parties become "one flesh" (1 Cor 6:16). Such impurity is a sin
against the "body" (1 Cor 7:18), which is not the point of Matthew 5:28.
The woman who thinks finding pornography in her husband's computer justifies a
divorce has jumped the gun. This by no means exonerates the wayward husband. The
"adultery" of Matthew 5:32 is the "lying carnally" of Leviticus 18:20, and is
the sin of reference in the exception clauses of Matthew 5:32 and 19:9. It is a
physical, or bodily, involvement, not an activity of the eye.
When you say, "This
initially occurs in regeneration," what is your understanding of the timing of
that process? Does the regeneration/circumcision of the heart occur as a gift of
God after a person has already come to faith in Christ and gone through the 5
steps, or is faith in Christ part of the gift/granting of regeneration? I'm
assuming you believe God is the One who cuts the dulling effects of sin away to
make the heart more tender, but can a person have saving faith before God
actually does that? Or do you believe that circumcision corresponds to baptism
in the Col. passage? I can't discern from your answer how you would respond to
this series of questions.
Concerning "the circumcision of Christ," that is the cutting
away, or separation of, the sinful nature, or "flesh," from our basis persons.
Colossians refers to the "putting off," or "removal," of the "BODY of the sins
of the flesh." The NASB reads "the body of the flesh," and the NIV reads
"putting off the sinful nature." Romans six refers to it as "BODY of sin." This
refers to more than our outward frame. The idea is not the mass of
transgressions that we have committed, but the source of our persons that is
responsible for the sin. The argument in both Romans and Colossians is that we
are no longer slaves to sin -- not because our sins have been forgiven, but
because the dominion of the sinful nature has been overthrown. This is why, when
Paul; was tempted with unwanted lusts, he could say "Now then it is no more I
that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me" (Rom 7:17). Sin did not dwell in his
essential part, or the part that is born again. Notwithstanding, the "old" man
remains with us, dwelling in our bodies and contending with the "new man." But
it has lost its power through "the circumcision of Christ." That circumcision is
related to our baptism into Christ, as the completion of the sentence clearly
states in Colossians 2:12.
When I said the stony heart was removed, and the heart of flesh obtained
initially in regeneration, I meant that is the way everyone begins in Christ
Jesus. No one under any circumstances begins to walk in newness of life with a
hard heart, or, to put it another way, without a tender heart -- no one! That
condition, however, must be maintained by continually rejecting the suggestions
of the "old man," or crucifying him, as well as giving heed to the impulses of
the "new man" who loves the truth, possessing faith and hope.
The infamous "five steps" are nowhere grouped in Scripture. They are the
compilation of men, and however wise they may appear, no inspired man every put
them together, and, in the Word, no one coming to Christ was ever apprised of
them. This is most difficult for some to believe, but it is nevertheless the
truth. It is most peculiar that those who boast of speaking where the Bible
speaks, and being silent where the Bible is silent, should adopt a "plan of
salvation" that is not mentioned in that manner any place in Scripture. In fact,
you will be hard pressed to find any two of them mentioned together. That
observation in no way suggests that any of them are invalid, or can be ignored.
They are not, however, to be regarded a Divinely revealed plan, or step-by-step
procedure.
I have come to so thoroughly loath this "step-by-step" view of salvation (which
I myself preached for several decades), that it is difficult for me to speak
about it with a tone of civility. Regeneration is a Divinely initiated procedure
(Phil 1:6). If that process is not aborted by unbelief, it will be carried to
completion. It may be an Apollos needing to know the way of the Lord more
perfectly, or some Ephesians disciples who had not heard of the Holy Spirit. If
men can be brought to really believe, obedience is no problem. In fact, those
who believed in the book of Acts were often on the initiative, asking what they
should do.
On the matter of faith, we must insist on there being only "one faith," which is
a matter of revelation (Eph 4:5). I understand what you mean by "saving faith,"
but that term is not used by the Lord, and we should avoid using it. Either a
person has faith or he does not. There is no such thing as spurious faith. There
may be weak faith that can barely see, but there is no such thing as a faith God
will not honor. When James speaks of faith without works being dead, he is
saying such faith is really no faith at all -- any more than a body without the
spirit is a person.
Faith does precede regeneration, for it is the very means through which
regeneration is accomplished. The Holy Spirit saw no problem with saying we are
"children of God by faith" (Gal 3:26). Hearts are said to be "purified by faith"
(Acts 15:9), and men as becoming "wise for salvation through faith" (2 Tim
3:15). Our blessed Lord Himself spoke of faith as preceding our baptism (Mark
16:16), which thing is also said of the Corinthians, who "believed and were
baptized" (Acts 18:8). The same thing is said of those in Samaria who were
converted under the preaching of Philip (Acts 8:12).
All of the disputes that have arisen over "faith" have occurred because men have
viewed faith as primarily intellectual, as though men believed with their mind.
But this is not the case at all. It is "with the heart" that men believe, not
with the mind (Rom 10:10). Because of this intellectual view, faith is not
regarded as very significant. It is viewed as one of several steps, all of which
have equal weight. But that is the surmisings of men, not the declaration of
God. Faith is what validates anything that is done, whether it is being baptized
into Christ's death, or living out our new lives.
We are categorically told that it is "given" to us to believe (Phil 1:29), that
faith "comes" (Rom 10:17; Gal 3:23), that it is "obtained" (2 Pet 1:1), and that
we believe "through grace" (Acts 18:27). In fact, it is written that "the grace
of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ
Jesus" (1 Tim 1:14), and that "love with faith" comes to us from the Father and
the Son (Eph 6:23). If a person wishes to postulate that all of this occurs only
after regeneration -- or, for the sake of those who contend everything hinges on
baptism, after one is baptized -- he might as well close the Bible. There is no
such teaching in Scripture.
True obedience, whether initial obedience related to coming into Christ, or the
life of obedience that follows, proceeds from faith. Obedience is never said to
produce or precede faith. Although the phrase is hotly disputed among linguists,
Romans 1:5 properly reads, "the obedience that comes from faith."
If God works through our faith, and that is the appointed means through which He
works, of necessity it precedes those things which are declared to be "by" or
"through" faith. That is, as you know, rather elementary.
When pondering the subject of "faith," it is well to saturate your mind with
everything God has said about faith. See if you can find where anyone having
faith or believing was rejected by God. Faith consistently, and without a single
exception, moved people to do what was right. That includes offering a sacrifice
like Abel, building an ark like Noah, or miraculously giving birth like Sarah.
Faith is never demeaned, and is never viewed as one of a series of equally
emphasized responses.
As much as we can, we should cease to think of regeneration in terms of
sequential timing. I do not know that the Spirit ever approaches it in this
manner. As much as those with this dreadful inclination believe this, they did
not get it from God. It is an intellectual approach that pulls the wonderful
things of God down into the arena of flesh and blood. You are always safe and
right when you speak of faith like God does -- in the very words He uses. If men
do not concur with you, wait until the day of judgment. Then they will see the
truth of it all, and God will be vindicated for the WAY He said things, as well
as for the sayings themselves (Rom 3:4).
I
would be very thankful for your in sight and comment on 2 Corinthians 12:1-21.
The person Paul is speaking of in this passage is himself. That
is clear from verse one, as well as verses 5-9. In verse one he states he is
explaining visions and revelations that he had. In the text he is explaining why
he was given a thorn in the flesh and experienced various oppositions and
handicaps. It was because he had received so much from the Lord. He knew it was
the tendency of the flesh to boast, and therefore understood why the Lord had
laid such bodily infirmities upon him. Paul glories in the person mentioned in
verses 1-4. It was this, and perhaps some other revelations, that moved the Lord
to give him a thorn in the flesh, lest he "be exalted above due measure."
As to WHEN he experienced this, we cannot be certain. It was during some time
when he was not sure he was dead or alive -- peasant in or absent from the body,
words denoting the difference between life and death (2 Cor 5:8). His phrase
"whether in the body or out of the body," therefore, means, whether dead or
alive. This was not a mere spiritual experience where he was transported away in
the Spirit, like John was on Patmos (Rev 17:3; 21:10).
It has been suggested this may have occurred when Paul was stoned at Lystra. The
reason for this suggestion is the way the text in Acts reads: "and, having
stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, SUPPOSING he had been dead" (Acts 14:19).
Luke, who traveled with Paul, wrote the book of Acts. He does not clearly say
Paul was dead, although he may very well have been. It is this text that have
led some to believe it is the time mentioned in Second Corinthians. I am drawn
to that opinion myself -- but it is just an opinion. We really do not know for
sure. The texts seem to fit together, but that is really as far as we can take
it.
The point Paul is making is not WHEN the event happened, but that it DID, thus
requiring that God give him a thorn to keep him humble.
What,
in your mind, is the purpose of the assembly (Hebr. 10:25)?
It is interesting to me that there has been so
much dialog about why saints meet together. If God "has placed the members, each
one of them, in the body, just as He desired" (1 Cor 12:18), it seems clear that
they have a ministry to one another, else the word "body" makes no sense.
Coming together is to be for mutual betterment. In fact, the Corinthians were
upbraided for coming together for the worse, and not "the better" (1 Cor 11:17).
We are categorically told that when we come "together," all things are to be
"done for edification," or building up of the saints (1 Cor 14:26). Those
zealous for spiritual gifts (certainly not something for which our churches are
noted), are exhorted to "abound for the edification of the church" (1 Cor
14:15). The believers in Rome were told to follow after things that made for
peace "and the building up of one another" (Rom 14:19).
The fourth chapter of Ephesians reveals God's intention for His people. It is
quite clear, with no ambiguity. Various gifts, including evangelists, pastors
and teachers, are given "for the equipping of the saints for the work of
service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Eph 4:12). In that building
up, or edification, believers come into a unity of the faith, a common knowledge
of Christ , and become spiritually stable, so they are not tossed about by
various winds of doctrine (Eph 4:11-16).
Believers assemble together to edify one another, sharpen their spiritual focus,
encourage, comfort, and make one another more stable in the Lord. Where this is
not accomplished, there really is no purpose for meeting. God has distributed
various graces to His people, making them stewards of the manifold grace of God
(1 Pet 4:10-11). That postulates a sort of interdependence within Christ's body,
just as it does in our natural bodies. A group of believers that do not come
together to complement one another's faith is like Ezekiel's valley of scattered
and dismembered dry bones. If saints are not the better for meeting together --
if they do not become stronger in the faith, more persuaded, more assured, and
stronger in hope, they have neither helped one another nor honored God. This is
an underlying premise that is woven throughout the Epistles.
What
do you do with an elder (Leland Anderson, 80 yrs. old) who wrangles over words
in Sunday school and Bible studies? Do you think the various passages that talk
about those who strive over words apply to this man?
I commend you for
your tenderness, and desire to do what is right. Yes, the texts about wrangling
about words refer to such people. There are several things to consider when you
have someone like this in your presence -- particularly when they have an effect
upon the brethren.
FIRST, it is important that you properly assess the individual. As you must
know, in Christ good things do not simply outweigh or offset bad things. The
fact that Judas was himself a commissioned teacher with power over unclean
spirits with the rest of the twelve (Matt 10:5-14; Mark 6:7) did not change who
he really was -- a devil (diabolos, John 6:70) and a thief (John 12:6). The fact
that this man is good and helpful does not offset the seriousness of what he is
doing.
If the result of this man's intrusions are division, strife, contentions,
wrangling about words, and the likes, here is what the Spirit says. "If anyone
teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is
proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words,
from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of
men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a
means of gain. From such withdraw yourself" (1 Tim 6:3-5). That is strong
language, but it is nevertheless the truth.
If the man is intent on teaching, the Lord has imposed certain things upon him,
and he is not at liberty to ignore them. "And a servant of the Lord must not
quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient" (2 Tim 2:24).
SECOND, in your teaching you must take care to be precise in what you yourself
say, always using "wholesome words" (1 Tim 6:3) and "sound speech that cannot be
condemned" (Tit 2:8). This involves using Scriptural language, or "words taught
by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words" (1 Cor 2:13, NIV).
I am sure you do this now. When this is the case, you can bring the matter right
back to the precise language you used, not allowing alternative ways of stating
the case to diminish what you have said. It is right and needful to insist that
the way God said it is not only proper, but must be accepted.
THIRD, you must do all in your power to get the rest of the people to contribute
to the discussions. Ask questions of particular people. Perhaps you could alert
key individuals that you are going to do this, and why. Make sure they see the
situation as you do, and are not themselves sources of contention. The
interruptions of this man will be neutralized if he is only one of several
respondents. On a practical level, this is the real secret to correcting the
problem. When the resolution is only upon your shoulders, it will be exceedingly
difficult to correct it, particularly if the man does not respect you as he
should. But when the people refuse to allow his interruptions, he will either
correct his behavior, or remove himself from your presence.
The conduct of this man is not allowed in an elder. As an overseer, he is to be
"gentle" and "not quarrelsome" (1 Tim 3:3), "not self-willed" and
"self-controlled" (Tit 3:7-8), and "not as being lord" over the flock (1 Pet
5:3).
FOURTH, you must not allow this circumstance to discourage or disorient you. You
have Christ's mind is abhorring contentions and wrangling about words. The Lord
can give you boldness in this circumstance. When you have prepared your lessons
before the Lord and sought his strength and grace to deliver them, there is no
cause to back down when uncomely intrusions occur. Of course, you must be
gentle, not allowing yourself to be drawn into uncomely attitudes. I have every
confidence, however, that you are not so inclined, and will conduct yourself
admirably.
Be strong now, and of good courage. God is not the author of confusion, but of
peace (1 Cor 14:33). When an intrusion occurs that causes confusion or
interrupts peace, you are confronting something that is not form God, and is to
be opposed. God will stand behind you in this opposition.
How
do you feel about some being saved on the basis of their faith in and commitment
to God without knowing all the facts about Jesus ?
The question you asked depends wholly upon God. He
has not provided the details concerning the eternal destiny of those who have
never heard the Gospel of Christ. Any conclusion on such a thing is purely human
speculation.
Faith in God cannot be assumed by men. God, of course, knows if there is any
legitimacy in the profession of a person who has not been exposed to the Gospel
of Christ.
On the matter of condemnation, it is always based on the rejection of what God
has given. At the bottom end of the scale it is the conscience (Rom 2:15). There
is also the resistance of the Holy Spirit, which is specifically related to
hearing the Gospel of Christ (Acts 7:51-52). At the top end, it is the Gospel of
Christ (Mark 16:16; Acts 13:46). I know of no place that declares those who have
not heard the Gospel are condemned for not doing so.
On the other hand, neither are such people promised salvation. It is my
persuasion that where an honest soul truly seeks the Lord, the Lord will get the
Gospel to the person. We have examples of such Divine direction in Cornelius
(Acts 11:1-14), the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26), the people in Macedonia (Acts
16:9), etc. It seems to me that we must be willing to
leave the matter there, making sure no person has been deprived of hearing the
Gospel because of us.
A
Christian friend, suffering from depression for several years, has had suicidal
thoughts this past year. I have asked him to consider the cost. Do you believe a
Christian who takes his own life can ever enter heaven?
A person who takes their own life has committed
self murder. Life is a gift from God, and those who take it themselves have
denied their life belongs to God. The Scriptures remind us that death belongs to
us (1 Cor 3:22). That means it will work for our good as we trust in the Lord,
for to be absent from the body is to be present with the lord ( 2 Cor 5:8). If
our times are in God's hands (Psa 31:15), then seeking to abort our own life is
a denial of that fact. Also, whatever moves a person to consider taking their
own life is not as strong as it may seem. Jesus taught us ask God to not lead us
into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matt 6:13). In taking ones own life,
the person has refused to do that, and has taken matters into their own hands.
God has promised, "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee,
and thou shalt glorify me" (Psa 50:15).
The child of God is urged to make their requests known unto God, doing so in
every circumstance. The promise that follows such a request is this, "And the
peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:6-7). The person who takes their own life has
refused to do what God has asked, and therefore has not obtained His peace.
A professed Christian who takes their own life has done the following.
1. Taken matters into their own hands.
2. Has not acknowledged the Lord in all of their ways (Prov 3:5-6).
3. Has not cast down imaginations, and thoughts that exalted themselves against
the knowledge of God (2 Cor 10:4-5).
4. Does not have faith, for faith overcomes the world (1 John 5:4-5).
5. Has not resisted the devil, for if he is resisted, he will flee from us
(James 4:7).
6. Has not called upon the name of the Lord, for whoever calls upon His name
will be delivered (Joel 2:32).
7. Has not given their bodies as a LIVING sacrifice to God (Rom 12:1).
8. Has cast away their confidence, giving in to despair (Heb 10:35).
Can such a person enter into heaven? I suggest there is not so much as a
syllable Scripture or a grain of spiritual thought that would lead a person to
that conclusion. Instead of spending time speculating about such things, those
who are tempted to commit suicide should begin living for Christ as they are
admonished to do (Rom 6:16-22). It will not be long until such temptations will
be overcome.
If
a fellow Christian was cremated, can God bring all the original atoms that made
up that person back together to have the exact person again?
I am not at all sure that the resurrection is the
reassembly of atoms that make up the mortal body. Even atoms are in a state of
deterioration. They are not eternal or immortal. I hardly see how immortality
could be accomplished by assembling created atoms that, with the rest of
creation, have been consigned to mortality.
The resurrection is not contingent upon the manner in which the mortal body
deteriorated, and that is not the issue in cremation. Such considerations are
mere philosophical speculations, and should find no place in our thinking.
As to any effects cremation has upon salvation or rewards in heaven, I do not
believe those are the right questions. It is whether a decision to be cremated
can be motivated by faith, and if it brings glory to God. Those are matters of
conscience, and must be personally settled before God. Perhaps you have read my
article on cremation. In it, I share my thoughts on the matter. The article is
of sufficient length to clearly show those thoughts -- and they are precisely
that, my thoughts. It can be accessed through the following link.
http://wotruth.com/article.htm
Now
the question is, if God doesn't intend for people of the same sex to get
married, then should they be allowed to adopt kids, and whatever happened to
God-like morals?
God rejects and will judge those
who live in sodomy (Rom 1:24-27). If He does not
receive such people, it is folly to suppose children should be committed to
their care.
Children are described as "the heritage of the Lord, " or a "gift from the Lord"
(Psa 127:3). One thing for sure, He did NOT give them sodomite couples (which is
like an oxymoron). And, if He does not give children to two men or two women,
who is the man who dares to do so?
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