is made perfect in weakness.” We should not demand things of God. The proper attitude of faith is to submit one’s self unto Him, know ing that His will is best. Bodily heal ing is not on the same basis as sal vation. If it were so, we should not have to wait for Christ to return to redeem the body. SINLESS PERFECTION? Q. Is there any such thing as sin less perfection? Some say that Mat thew 5:48 teaches this. A. All one needs to do to answer this question is to look at his own heart and at the Christians around him. We know ourselves to be far from perfect and never do we come in contact with anyone who is. Should it be possible to be sinless in com mission, there would always be sins of omission, for none of us do all possible for Christ and for the sal vation of souls. One who claims to be sinless is sinning in making such a statement. Perfection so far as human beings is concerned is maturity in the Christian life, growth in grace and in the knowledge of Him. Unblama ble and unreprovable are adjectives used in the Greek to describe this kind of spiritual progress. Those who not only comprehend the truth of the Word of God but allow it to dwell in the heart and life by faith through the power of the Holy Spirit become this kind of Christian. Once I heard a man say in a meet ing that for over twenty-five years he had not sinned in thought, word or deed. I wanted to ask his wife if that was her opinion! In Heaven we shall be free from the presence of sin but not in this life. THE W INE OF CANA Q. Was the wine at Cana unfer mented —/ mean, that which Christ created on the spot?
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Q. Recently I served on a jury where a man was tried for murder. Al though I was convinced that he was guilty, I voted against capital pun ishment, because I could not see such a course to be in harmony with Christian principles. Was I right? A. No; you were not. You were very wrong. You were seriously wrong. The law of capital punishment was not first a part of the Jewish law. It antedated the Law of Moses by 1,000 years. It was one of God’s fun damental, governmental laws, as re corded in Genesis 9:6, “Whoso shed- deth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” The law has never been modified or abrogated. Moreover, it is plainly reiterated in the thirteenth chapter of Romans, where God is speaking of the respon sibility of rulers. The state not only has a right to put a murderer to death; it has no right to let him live. God put government in the world to restrain sin. BODILY HEALING Q. When we pray for the restoration of a dear one’s health, should we add, “ Thy will be done” ? I have been told that to do this shows'a lack o f faith, and that we are to claim healing. A. In matters- like bodily healing, we should be submissive to the will of God; in fact, we should always glory in the will of God, whatever that will should bring. Sometimes it is contrary to the will of God that we should be healed, as in the case of Paul. In II Corin thians 12:7-10 he tells us that, lest he should “be exalted above meas ure,” become proud because of the revelation given unto him from God, he was given a “ thorn in the flesh,” to keep him humble. Bible students generally agree that this “ thorn in the flesh” was very poor eyesight. Paul prayed thrice that it might be removed, but God said, "My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength
A. This question is asked again and again. In Heaven we can ask the Lord Jesus just what kind of a drink that really was. There is a distinc tion in both Old and New Testaments between “wine” and “ strong drink” (Luke 1:15) which may shed some light on this problem. Those who have used this first tremendous mira cle of our Saviour to teach a toler ance for the use of liquor and to de fend intoxication have no conception of the character of the Lord, nor do they know the overwhelming teach ing of the Word of God against these things which destroy the body, mind and soul. He who gave His life for our salvation certainly would not create something that would harm His own creation. It seems to me that the most elementary teach ing in regard to our holy, sinless Saviour would make this clear to young and old. Undoubtedly that was a drink the like of which this world has never known and I certainly do not think it could have brought about inebriation. You judge the action by the character of the One who performed it. THE WOLF AND THE LAMB Q. When w ill it be possible to place wolves and lambs together without expecting the lamb to lie down inside the wolf—as someone has facetious ly expressed it? A. During the Millennial reign of Christ, according to Isaiah 65, this will take place. We read in verse 25 of this marvelous chapter which de scribes the personal rule of our Lord upon this earth: “ The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.” All the conditions of the Gar den of Eden before the fall will be restored. No creature will feed upon another and there will be no blood shed. For the first time since the fall of man peace will fill the earth.
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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