ways been. Yet, in being saved, a brand new creation takes place (II Cor. 5:17). It is the Christ nature that comes to dwell within a person when he is bom again. This nature will live throughout all eternity. It is possible, however, for the old nature to attain the ascendency in one’s life which is what backsliding really is. Thank God, “If we confess our sins, he (Christ) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). This means bringing back that blessed communion which Christians alone can enjoy with the Saviour. David prayed, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.” Q . San Luis Obispo, Calif. — “In Mat thew 22:10-13 can you help me to understand the meaning of the mar riage feast parable?” A. Parables in Matthew are about a king. Here it speaks of God as the Sovereign Ruler who bids mankind to the redemptive feast. Everybody was to receive the word and were in vited to the marriage feast. Both good and bad were found together. This is the same as we have in our churches today. There are those who are truly saved and others who have never ex perienced the new birth. God care fully scrutinizes those who have made a profession of adherence to Him.
“We shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.” This is why we need to keep in constant communion and fellowship with the Lord through the study of His Word and prayer. Remember, “Greater is he (the Holy Spirit) who is in you than he (Satan) who is in the world.” Q . Santa Maria, Calif. — “Can you please tell me what Ephesians 1:18 means in today’s speech ?” A. This is a very practical portion of this beautiful epistle. Paul tells the believer “to walk worthily.” In the verse about which you have asked he explains what walking as unsaved Gentiles means. “Being da rken in their understanding” suggests t h a t the unsaved man cannot know the will of God or attain unto it. This isn’t God’s fault for He desires that all men should come to repentance. Man’s way became darker and colder since the first sin of Adam. As Scripture puts it, he is alienated from the life of God. This is a most vivid definition of spiritual death. Man’s heart be comes hardened for he will not allow God’s light to penetrate. It is an awe some picture of the unsaved man on whom all of the blame for alienation rests. Q . Medford, Ore, — “Do you believe it is possible for a person to backslide?” A. Yes, but let us be sure we proper ly understand what is meant by these terms. One can never slide back until he has first gone someplace. In salva tion, no one can take away this eter nal gift from us. Through the weak ness of the flesh, however, which we all will experience until our final re demption in glory, we sin and fall back in the area of spiritual growth or what is known as sanctification. There are many who profess to be Christians who are not backsliders at all. They have never actually been possessors of eternal life. There is a vast difference here. When a person is bom again, his old nature remains just exactly the same despicable, des perate, terrible thing that it has al- 22
Deep in concentration (not sleep) is Biola student Louise Moore from Rough and Ready, California who is listening to one of the recordings in the Biola College Library audio-visual room.
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