BROADCASTER
NUMBER 4
APR IL 197 3
VOLUME 3
MARCH RAD IO F EA TU R E S
Managing Editor __
President. . .
EVELYN GIBSON
J. RICHARD CHASE
C O N T E N T S
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L lo y d T . Ande rson
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♦Edited Biola Ho u r Radio messages
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By DR. CHARLES RYRIE Dean of Doctoral Studies and Professor of Systematic Theology Dallas Theological Seminary January, 1973 Commencement Address Biola College and Talbot Theological Seminary
*The Commencement address replaces Dr. Chase's editorial for this month
according to an unwritten but def inite code of theological protocol. I am not attacking the expression of the gospel in language that is meaningful to people, nor am I casting aspersions on a genuine concern for people. I am alarmed, however, at the trend toward be ing polite — to error — which rel egates the gospel to the category of another human opinion. It is not fashionable today to be dog matic about anything, even a mes sage which claims to be absolute truth from God about forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Paul re minds us, "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." This strong warning says that the content of the gospel is not subject to revi sion, and that it is not determined by the pressures of current con sensus. Toleration, which is foreign to Paul's words, is too often the essence of dialog. We are not seek ing ultimate truth; we have it. The "what" of the gospel determines the "how" of evangelism, and there is no place for compromise or cowardice. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" is still God's message to 20th century man, and it is a mes sage to be preached, proclaimed, witnessed to. "Christ sent me to preach the gospel" has an author itative ring about it which does not come through if you say, "Christ sent me to dialog the gospel," or "to workshop the gospel," or "to seminar" the gospel. And yet, in spite of what I have said, I am for dialog as long as it is conducted in the manner in which
I want to speak today concern ing mirages which have appeared on the scene of contemporary Christianity which will lure you as you walk down the road of your life and ministry. Like all mirages these are particularly attractive when viewed against the back ground of monotonous surround ings. What causes a mirage? I would not dare say this on my own so this seems to be an appropriate time to introduce one of those scholarly quotes so necessary to a commencement address. The en cyclopedia says: " all mirages are formed by hot air near the surface of the earth." The first mirage is one of a re structured presentation of the gospel through dialog. Dialog is a very fine word to express the idea of a conversation between two per sons. Would to God there were more dialog between redeemed and unredeemed people. But one has some misgivings concerning the content and intent of dialog as it is often practiced and promoted today. The intent seems to be to explore each other's viewpoint in order to discover areas of mutual agreement and interest, and in the process impress each other with one's knowledge, scholarship and broadmindedness. The content of such intent often omits a straight forward statement of the gospel which is, after all, the only message which can really help the unre deemed person engaged in dialog. Sometimes in dialog, the gospel is reworded in order to make it seem to communicate more mean ingfully to the 20th century men tality. Usually dialog is conducted
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the specialized organization is markedly successful. And just how successful do you think that spe cialized ministry would be if, like the church, it were obliged to take into its ranks all who profess to believe? It is often successful sim ply because it can be exclusive and choose with whom it will associate and with whom it will work. "But, we are an arm of the church," some people will say. And just how many arms can a body have? And do the arms coordinate and direct the body or vice versa? Not many could qualify as an arm of the church by that simple test. But the church has failed, you insist. And I agree in part. But even though this is true, the rem edy is not to abandon or demean the church but rather to get in there and pitch and make it the organization it ought to be. If the church has failed it is because the members have failed, and they are you and I. Every indictment of the church is an indictment of you and me. May I remind you of a few un alterable truths about the church? The risen and ascended Lord walks in the midst of local churches, di recting, correcting, exhorting but never disowning them (Revelation 1-3). It is the church which is the center of the exercise of spiritual gifts for the building up of the saints (I Corinthians 12). The church when it comes together observes the ordinances which her head gave to her (I Corinthians 11). The church is responsible for the relief of its poor at home and in other places (Acts 11; I Timothy 5). Into its services the unsaved shall come to hear the message of God (I Cor inthians 14:23-24). It exercises dis- Page 7
the Lord Jesus conducted his most famous dialog with an unregener ated individual. That dialog was, of course, with Nicodemus, an intel lectual and religious leader of his day. But you will remember that our Lord did not seek to explore areas of mutual agreement in their Judaic heritage; nor did He dwell on their common professional stat us as rabbis; nor did He ask for Nicodemus' critical appraisal of the viewpoint presented to him. The Lord patiently, persistently and pointedly kept facing this lost man with, "Ye must be born again." That is dialog at its finest. There may be various ways to do this, but if the intent of dialog is to rep resent self, not Christ, and if the content is of the lowest common denominator or mutual agreement, and not the gospel, the result can only be a mirage generated by the hot air of the participants. A second mirage joyfully pic tures the church in a coffin. At a recent Christian leadership confer ence this slogan was frequently heard: "Flee the church to where the action is!" "The Church is fin ished" goes another cliche — or more boldly, "God is through with the church." None of these state ments is true. But because they are presumed to be true, we are being told to give our money, efforts and time to other Christian works which are supposed to be doing a better job for the Lord. I in no way con done the incrustations of church- ianity, but neither can we afford to throw the baby out with the bath. The church, and I speak of the lo cal assembly of professing believ ers in Christ, is a God-ordained institution. But, it is said, the church is failing to get the job done while
cipline over its members (I Corin thians 5); recognized leaders are expected to rule as well as shep herd the flock (Hebrews 13). It is the home base for sending out missionaries, and the object of missionary work is the establishing of local churches (Acts 13-14). In view of these Scriptural truths the importance of the local church can scarcely be overestimated. I be seech you graduates, do not ne glect Cod's church in your own personal relationship to it and sup port of it and in connection with any other aspect of Christian work into which you may be led. A third mirage might be pic tured in a statement something like this: If we could only do some thing about middle-class American Christians, our problems would disappear! Middle-class Christians do have their faults — some are carnal, many are complacent, most are worldly, and worst of all, they live in suburbia. I am not a sociol ogist nor do I offer a way to re- struct society for the better. I do know that in Christianity, class is neither that which commends nor condemns in the sight of Cod. Faithfulness to the Lord in one's occupation, in one's social class, with one's possessions is what He requires. I know, too, that the Bible expects all to work and all to give and not to be impressed with wealth either in one's self or in the church. Selfishness is a matter of the heart, not of what one has or has not. You can be selfish with little or much, and it is wrong in either case. These days middle-class Ameri can Christians are taking quite a beating. They seem to be respon sible for the failure of the church,
the failure of missions, the riots in our cities and anything else that needs a scapegoat. I noticed with interest that an internationally- known liberal theologian said that middle class people, "are fed up with the general disposition of the church to scold them rather than to minister to them . . . they are getting tired of serving as golden goose and whipping boy at one and the same time." I do not con done sins or carnality in any class — lower, middle, or upper; but I would like to point out a fallacy in our thinking about the middle class. Many of you have heard enough missionaries speak to know that anyone who labors in a coun try where there are only a few very rich and masses of very poor, longs for the day when the emerging middle class will become a real force in the society and economy, so that there might be a stable self- supporting and growing national church. Yet, here at home, we are acting as if the middle class should be done away with in the interest of furthering Christianity. I want to say a word in defense of these people. It is the middle class who in large measure support the Lord's work and the Lord's workers. Most missionaries, most churches, most Christian organizations are sup ported by the many regular, though small gifts, that come from middle- class American believers. Thank God for the middle class who get up and go to work day after day, who regularly support the services of the local church and who faith fully give of their income to His work and who, not so incidentally, financed part of your education here. The fourth mirage of which I
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in certain areas. It is a specific and detailed code of conduct. Fourth, legalism is a wrong, self- exalting, attitude toward obeying the laws of the code under which one lives. It is very important to note that a legalist keeps the law; he is not a violator; a libertine is that. Not to obey the laws is law lessness, not liberty. Obeying to the glory of God is right; obeying to exalt self is legalism. But both the legalist and the non-legalist will give outward conformity to the laws under which they are liv ing. Fifth, living in Christian liberty is living a life of restrictions. Slav ery is the Biblical opposite of lib erty, and it is the new position we have as believers in Christ which frees us from the bondage of slavery of sin and the flesh. This position also gives us the possibil ity of being slaves of righteous ness. Christian liberty does NOT give the believer the option of liv ing any way he pleases; it is not license. It is not unrestricted living. The great restriction of Christian liberty is love. Paul put it succinct ly: "For, brethren, ye have been called into liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13). Love is seeking the best in the object loved, and since the best is the will of Cod, love is seeking the will of God. Serving one another by doing the will of God personally and by seeking to see it done in others is the life of true Christian liberty. And this is true Christlikeness, for He whose freedom was unlimited voluntarily took on Himself the re strictions in the form of a servant. His liberty was limited by His great Page 9
wish to speak is the mirage of un restricted Christian liberty; that is, the mistaken idea that a believer can enjoy a life of liberty without experiencing any restrictions in his living. The catchword is a Franken stein word — legalism. To have any kind of law, we are being told, is to be legalistic. Let us think straight about this for a moment. The word legalist, of course, is not a Scriptural word, so it can pretty well mean what ever the person using it wants it to mean. Usually it is defined to jus tify the practice of the one defin ing it, and to condemn the conduct of all others. Let us clarify a few things so that we will not be de luded by this mirage. First, legalism is not the pres ence of law; if it were then God would have to be charged with promoting legalism since He has given a lot of laws. Furthermore, parents, church leaders and gov ernmental authorities would also be guilty of legalism since they are expected to legislate in their re spective areas. Legalism is not the presence of laws. Second, legalism is not the im position of law on someone else. If it were, then how could you ex plain the Biblical sanction for par ents and church rulers imposing laws upon their families and churches? Third, the Christian believer is responsible to a specific ethical code of conduct revealed in the New Testament. That code includes positive and negative commands which are not subject to situa tional interpretation; it also sets forth principles for conduct like "do all to the glory of God"; and it provides for legislation of laws
love for us; so then "we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please our selves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edifi cation. For even Christ pleased not Himself" (Romans 15:1-3). A fifth and final mirage is the mirage which I shall call the mirage of instamatic maturity and power. No one will deny that we live in an "instamatic" society. Scientific advances have made this true. Travel is comparatively instantan eous when you can board an air liner and, according to the clock, arrive at your destination before you left. Miles can be bridged in seconds via the telephone. Or per haps you enjoyed this very morn ing a powder that you mixed with water and drank for your instant breakfast. Our affluence has made us in stamatic conscious. I can wash my car in three minutes. My instant credit consolidates my liabilities (though it does not rid me of them). And who is not anxious to have a photograph all finished in ten or 60 seconds — especially if it is a graduation picture. The increasing youthfulness of our population has become a ma jor force in making us all con scious of the immediate. "We want to right the wrongs of society, and we want to do it NOW," youth declares. "We want peace, power, freedom, justice . . . all NOW." Science, affluence, youth are not villains, and the instamatic society they have created is not all bad. But there is one questionable re sult of it, and that is impatience or frustration with anything that is not instamatic. Everything must be ac complished right now, or else it is Page 10
Dr. Charles Ryrie addressing the January Commencement audience.
to pray. You graduates have un doubtedly learned good habits of prayer and Christian growth here; do not lose them next week, or next year. Later, many of you will be connected with various phases of the Lord's work in leadership capacities; as Christian workers, board members, lay leaders. Lead with power, not the "brown and serve" kind, nor the "just add wa ter and stir" variety, but with gen uine power that comes from long and close fellowship with your Lord. The goal of spiritual power and maturity is no mirage, only when thought to be quickly attained. Lis ten again to the Word of God: "We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit" (II Corinthians 3:18). Or again, "Solid food is for the ma ture, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to dis tinguish good and evil (Hebrews 5:14)." Does that sound like insta matic maturity? Polaroid power that develops in ten seconds is the mirage: spiritual blood, sweat and tears over a long time is the reality. I would be naive if I did not real ize that some might write off what I have said as so negative as to be completely irrelevant. Perhaps our concept of relevance is wrong. Our contemporary idea is that the Bible must be made relevant to today's world. Exactly the opposite is the case. We must seek to make our selves and our society relevant to the unchanging standards of the Bible. As one Christian statesman has said: "Far from catering to our changing whims, the relevance of
intolerable. But the plain fact of life is simply that many things take time. One of those things is spiritual maturity and power. But the mi rage — and you can see it clearly now is that there can be instamatic spiritual power. Many sermons seek to be instamatic with titles, "seven secrets to this," or "five steps to that," or "three keys to something else." You heard about the man who prayed, "Lord give me patience, and give it to me right now!" But perhaps you did not hear about the student who tried to speed-read his devotions. This is the mirage of instamatic spirituality. Using politics, public relations, boasting in size, and numerous other methods are further short cuts we take to apparent spiritual power. The use of politics and ma neuvering can never substitute for fellowship, and the leading of the Lord. The finest public relations firm can never replace prayer. Pep is not power, and size—what shall I say of size? The cliche goes like this: "Of course numbers are not everything, but we are the second, third, first largest something some where." The Scriptures dispel the mirage, for they remind us that God still delights to take the fool ish things of this world to con found the wise, and the weak things to confound the things that are mighty, and He does it for a very special reason—that no flesh should glory in His presence. My impression is that, in general, evan gelicals are well up on the newest methods, and use the best public relations. This is as it should be, but they still play politics, glory in size and influence, and fail utterly
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the Bible is precisely its unwaver ing and disturbing demands on our life. It is relevant by showing us how our life is shamelessly irrele vant to it." By that criterion what I have said is very relevant. Lest you be put off by any tinge of negativism, may I summarize positively what I have said: Mi rages will vanish; therefore, give yourselves to proclaiming the gos pel, supporting your church, being a vibrant and zealous Christian in whatever class of society you live,
exercising your Christian liberty by being a slave to righteousness, and growing into a mature and powerful child of God. As I conclude you may be say ing, "you have said nothing new." I am glad you recognize that, for then you will also doubtless recall where you heard it before. Because it is in God's Word and so basic to your life I thought it worthwhile to say again. God bless you and keep you faithful to the Lord and to His Word.
B îo I a ColleqE HOLY LAND TOURS BIBLE CONFERENCE 1973
TOUR NO. 1 April 24 - May 15 Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland, Lecturer Dr. Israel Carmona, Assistant Cost: $1275 from New York to New York. (Reduced group fares from West Coast to be announced)
TOUR NO. 2 June 18 - July 9 Dr. Charles L. Feinberg, Lecturer Cost: $1355 from New York to New York. (Reduced group fares from West Coast to be announced)
TOUR NO. 3 July 24 - August 8 (with 28-day optional extension around the world) Dr. Lloyd T. Anderson, Lecturer Dr. Robert L. Thomas, Assistant Cost: $1265. 28-day exten sion: additional $1350.
For complete Tour information contact: Tour Coordinator, Biola College.
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PANEL
Dr. Charles L. Feinberg
Dr. J. Richard Chase
Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland
Discussions
Q. Sanger, Calif. "Was Paul ever married? I have heard that he was a member of the Sanhedrin which meant that he had to be married. I Corinthians 7 seems to imply that he was not married. Do you sup pose he was divorced or that his wife had passed away?" A. It seems apparent from Acts 26:9, 10 that Paul had the author ity indicated as a member of the Sanhedrin. Here he is making his second defense (the first is re corded in Acts 20:2). The Talmud and other writings contemporary with the Bible clearly show that those involved with this group were expected to be married. At the same time, there is no question but that I Corinthians 7 implies that Paul was not married or en cumbered with the things of this life and family duties. The general
conclusion, therefore, is probably that he was a widower. He knew much about marriage as is clear from his excellent teachings on the subject, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Q. Ventura, Calif. "In the parable of the marriage feast (Matthew 22: 10-14), why did the king only cast out one man when the servants had evidently brought others to the feast who were also bad?" A. There are two possible answers, both of which may be correct. Keep in mind that a parable is an earthly story given to illustrate a heavenly truth. What took place then still happens in some foreign countries today. Whenever guests are invited to a wedding they are provided with a garment when they arrive to put over their regu-
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lar clothes. This means that no one will appear more elegantly than another. This one guest for some reason came in his own clothes, without the proper attire. Perhaps he thought he was a little better than the rest and wanted to show his achievements. He would not accept a garment from the host but sat down thoughtlessly to en joy the feast. While there were good and bad people in the crowd, the point here is the fact that just this one tried to come in on his own in an unorthodox manner. The wonderful spiritual application to keep in mind is that whether we are good, bad or indifferent, it makes no difference when we come to the wedding feast of the Lamb. We need to be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. None of our own self-righteousness will suffice. It is only as filthy rags in the sight of God. Only those, garbed in the way in which the Lord has prescribed, will find the assurance of eternal life. Q. Lake Oswego, Ore. "In lob 1:12, It seems to imply that Satan may in some cases have power ov er death. Are there any Scriptures to support this conclusion?" A. Satan delights to make insidious attacks, such as "No one would worship God except for what he could get out of it." The primary thing we learn from the Bible, however, is the absolute sovereign ty of God. He is the potentate of righteousness and alone has power over both life and death. For His own purposes He may allow a part of that power to be delegated to others on specified occasions. Note the barrier given to the devil in Job 2:6.
There is an excellent reference concerning our arch-rival being de feated in Hebrews 2:14, 15. Here we learn that Christ, through His death on Calvary's cross, destroyed "him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." For some reason known to God alone, in His in finitely wise plan, He has allowed Satan to have power over death. This He took from him in the case of Job. In the case of one whole generation (I Thessalonians 4:13- 18; I Corinthians 15:50-58) at the Rapture, Satan will again be robbed of this power. The same was true in type with Elijah and Enoch. Q. Vancouver, B.C. "In I Corinthi ans 16:22 It tells us that 'if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.' What does that mean?" A. Historically the word "anathe ma" meant anything that was de voted. It was used in pagan phi losophy as something created and devoted to the worship of the an cient gods. In the New Testament teaching it stands for that which was set apart for destruction. In another place the word is trans lated "accursed." It is a tremen dously strong term and we would do well to take heed of it when it is found in Scripture. Marantha is a beautiful term which reminds us of the fact that the Lord is coming. How wonderful the conditions will be when Christ returns for His own. Q. Phoenix, Ariz. "A modern-day author claims that the people from Nazareth had golden-red hair and blue eyes. Is this true?" A. Such proposals certainly cannot be verified by Scripture or history. It is the romantic fantasy of some Page 15
experienced back in Egypt, or were they never saved at all?" A. This is a very meaningful ques tion. Exodus 32:27, 28 reads, "And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate through out the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the peo ple that day about three thousand men." When the law was given, 3000 died. At Pentecost, when grace was preached, 3000 were saved. Those mentioned here in Exodus 32 did not lose their sal vation. The fact is that once re deemed, we are eternally secure. Doubtless there were some in Is rael who simply were there. They were a part of the mixed multitude. They did not want death for their families so they took the lamb as prescribed. Salvation is based on personal acceptance of God's plan of salvation. Hebrews 4 tells us that these could not enter in because of unbelief. It is a fact that the only sin that will condemn any soul for all eternity is unbelief. It is not any rite or activity that saves, regardless of the dispensation in which a person lives, but rather one's individual faith in the provi sion of salvation from the Lord. Q. Hayward, Calif. "What was the brazen altar from the tabernacle?" A. This study is very rich typology as we apply the truths which are given. Basically, it was a hollow frame of acacia wood overlaid with bronze from which it got its name. It was five cubits square and three
modem author, to be sure. Doubt less, there were those of red, blond, brown and black hair in the Jewish nation at that time. Interestingly, we are told when Samuel went down to annoint David he found that "he was ruddy." That word in Hebrew means "red hair." Another place says he was beautiful of eyes. This does not mean, however, that the whole nation had the same appearance. Q. Lake City, Kans. "Is the rock opera, 'Jesus Christ, Superstar/ blasphemous?" A. Having never seen the produc tion we may not be qualified to answer the query. Any presenta tion of Christ as merely human and not divine, which is what we un derstand is the case, should cer tainly be condemned. From some reviews, it indicated that at times Judas was even a bit wiser than Christ. Counterfeit religion has al ways been very popular and one of Satan's primary efforts. This is the primary caution we would give concerning every popular move ment today which cannot be fully supported by Scripture. There are many people today who are really interested in serving Christ. At the same time there are many others who will simply use Christ to make money. Their motives are not pure in any sense whatsoever. Such would certainly be blasphemous. Q. Vancouver, Wash. "/ understand that the blood of the passover lamb was the means of salvation on cred it for the Hebrew people. What about those who were slain before they reached the promised land. Did they lose this salvation they
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cubits high. A cubit is thought to be about 18 inches. This means it would be about seven feet square. It did not have steps leading up to it but did have a ledge about half way up on which the priest stood when he was offering the blood sacrifice. The brazen altar stood in the outer court, directly in front of the door. It separated the people from the door into the holy place and the holy of holies. All of the blood sacrifices were offered here. The symbolism very clearly shows us that no man has access to Cod except through the blood of Christ. This bronze altar was unlike the golden altar of incense in the holy place which speaks of prayer or the incense of the saints. It was the place where sacrifice was made for sin. In this realm it speaks to us of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. It certainly shows us that in order for one to draw nigh to Cod he must do so with blood. We would urge our readers to lay hold of Christ as the only justification for eternal life. He died on heaven's sacrificial altar between heaven and earth on Calvary for each of us. One other interesting thing is the veil which was torn apart when Jesus died on the cross (Matthew 27:50, 51). This is the covering which separated the holy place within the temple from the holy of holies. The priest, representing the people before God, went into the holy of holies only once a year, presenting this sacrifice. When Christ gave His life, here was one miracle which took place and was tremendously significant. The veil that was torn was massive. It signi fied that the atonement was com plete and no longer would the veil separate man from the presence of
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God. Now each of us can go indi vidually, through faith in Christ, into the very presence of God. Note, too, that the veil was torn from the top to the bottom. No human could have ripped it this way. It was a divine miracle. Q. Anaheim, Calif. "Were insects created after the fall of man as part of the curse which came upon the earth?" A. They were created by God and did serve a purpose as a certain balance in nature. Perhaps they were even more beneficial than after the fall. We have no reason to believe other than that there was insect life even before the fall. How else could you explain Gene sis 1:24, "And God said, let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle and creeping things"? Q. Pomona, Calif. "When the Bible speaks of fire in Hell is it literal or merely symbolic?" A. We are not ashamed to go on record as saying that we here at Biola believe that the fire in Hell is absolutely literal. That does not mean that the fire is physical in the sense that we know fire here on earth to be. Fire, as we know it, consumes whatever it touches. The fire in Hell is distinctively ex plained as being just the opposite (Revelation 20:10). The "lake of fire" is a burning and a torment which is adaptable to spiritual bodies. Remember that Hell was never prepared primarily for hu man habitation. It was originally for the devil and his angels who rebelled against God. There is no other place to go, except to Hell, if you do not go to Heaven.
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In Canada: Biola Association of Canada P.0. Box 3013, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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that others were coming. He was being identified with humanity, not with man's sins. It was not a case that Jesus needed it. The Saviour was now entering into His media torial offices of prophet, priest and king. He went through this formal cleansing. This was a means of in troducing Himself as the Messiah, the promised King. Do not forget that this has a prophetic signifi cance, too. Just as baptism means death to the old life, so Christ was looking on to His death on Cal vary's cross and to His coming res urrection from the grave. HOW CAN IT BE? How can it be that God Who made all things, From flower petal to the farthest star, Should go again beyond imaginings To seek the love of such ones as we are? Though He created us to be His friends, Sin came between us and that Holy one; Yet, loving still, He willed to make amends, And gave for our redemption His own Son. And now He says to those who heed His cry, His purchased ones, beloved by Him, "Draw near, Come, let us feast together, you and I; You are my ¡oy. Each one of you is dear." God wants our fellowship. How can it be? But oh, the sweet reality to me! —Marie Strachan Page 19
Q. San Diego, Calif. "Some Bible teachers say that the new birth is not found in the Old Testament. Is this correct? If so, then why does John 3:10 indicate that Nicodemus ought to know about the new birth?" A. If you mean the words "new birth," you will not find them in either the New or the Old Testa ments. Keep in mind that our Bibles originally were written basically in either Hebrew or Greek. The new birth is certainly taught in John 3, as well as in 1:12, 13. Any teacher who says that the new birth is not in the Old Testament is wrong. Christ logically could not expect Nicodemus to know about it other wise. Consider Jeremiah 32:39, 40. This testifies of it definitely. It is even more explicit in Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:24. Q. Bremerton, Wash. "Does the Bible say anything either for or against blood transfusions?" A. There is no place in Scripture that speaks either in favor or in opposition of this. We think it is a very practical and worthwhile de velopment of medical science whereby a person's life can be po tentially saved physically. Cod has given man this particular wisdom which is not contrary to His Word. Q. St. John, Kans. "Why did Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, accept John's baptism of repentance (Mat thew 3:15)? Was He not showing us by example that we should ac cept this baptism for our salva tion?" A. One reason was that this was one of the strongest possible meth ods of indicating that Christ was not coming for the same reason
Fruit of the Spirit Undoubtedly, the distinctive mark of a Christian is true, heaven sent love. For years liberal theo logians have talked much of love. Psychologists tell us that love is the criterion by which all of life can be measured. Paul points out that our greatest characteristic as a believer is love (I Corinthians 13:13). It is true that a person can demonstrate love, and even Biblically define love, yet not always manifest per sonal self-control in his life. Love is broader than just so many words. The Apostle Paul emphasizes these other aspects in Galatians 5:22, 23 as the listing of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is given. FRUIT the fruit of the Spirit. In the origin al Greek, there are probably three aspects to the word "fruit." The first is actual produce such as oranges, apples, bananas and the like. There is also a broader sense to consider. If a person buys a field as an in vestment, selling it a little later for a profit, that is sometimes referred to as the fruit of his stewardship. One could also refer to fruit as the result of any actions. If a person went fishing and was successful in his efforts, it would be thought of as the fruit of the act of his fishing. A common thread runs through these three uses of "fruit." It is the natural and expected product of any effort or any involvement.
In Romans 1:13 Paul suggests that fruit is the result of sharing your faith with another person through soul-winning. Fruit-bear-
The Christian qualities of charac ter seen as the result of our every action are a good way to describe
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V E A SERIES BY J. RICHARD CHASE
mg, as we speak about it in Scrip ture, can often refer to reaching others for Christ. More often than not, however, the concept of the fruit of the Spirit is related to the qualities to be found in our lives. As an example, it is possible for an individual to be a soul winner and yet not be too careful in see ing that self-control characterizes his life. Fruit-bearing is primarily demonstrated by the kind of life we live. Proverbs 10:16 reminds us, "The labour of the righteous tendeth to life." In other words, the fruit of a righteous person is life eternal. The verse goes on to say, "The fruit of the wicked is to sin." He tends only to produce that which is contrary to God. The testimony of Jesus bears on this too. He said, "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:16-20).
It is most interesting to note that here in Galatians 5:22, 23, Paul uses the word "fruit" as a single noun. It is not plural. This is a very significant point. The qualities of love, joy, peace and longsuffering are all combined to give us the picture of the Christian's life. These are not "fruits" that we would pick and choose. You cannot have love without joy. And you cannot have joy without peace. On down the list it goes. These are all to be ob vious characteristics of our life. Consider a parallel illustration. What would you say is a college? Is it a group of buildings, a stu dent body, a faculty, a staff, an administration? Of course, it is obvious that all of these things are combined, along with a num ber of other facets. These attri butes, then, are to be viewed as a Page 21
Brains and brawn are of the flesh. It is impossible to fight flesh with flesh and come out victoriously. You win by the positive act of walking in the Spirit and taking the offense by bearing fruit. Again, fruit-bearing is absolutely necessary rather than being an op tion for the ideal Christian life. The source of Christian fruit is walking in the Spirit. Basically, this is a picture of redemption along with a firm commitment to the One who has redeemed us. Christ makes us acceptable before a holy and just God. Christ reminds us that if we abide in Flim we will be able to bear fruit (John 15:4, 5). This also means consistency in our walk and control, not by self, but by the Saviour. Which army is going to be vic torious in a conflict? Obviously, it is the army with a committed group of men, with consistent effort and submission on the part of the sol diers to those in leadership. Paul reminds us to walk in the Spirit and let the natural by-product of that walk, which is the fruit of the Spirit, crowd out these other things which would hamper our spiritual growth. PHILEO All of the qualities expressed by "the fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22, 23) are attributes and char acteristics which need to be found in a Christian's life. Certainly the first aspect is definitely pronounced in those four letters, "love." This term needs to be defined carefully in the light of Scripture itself. Quite frankly, love is one of the most difficult qualities to describe. We know from some of the popular songs and concepts of the world
complete unit rather than as frag mented aspects of an individual's life. It is interesting in contrast to this singularity to see the plural works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19). The reason why the works of the flesh are plural is because it is quite easy, as an example, for an individual to commit adultery and still not be a murderer. It is pos sible to hate and yet not be a drunkard. A believer in Christ does not walk the Christian life by se lecting love and ignoring self-con trol, or by seeking peace without longsuffering. The entire list is com pletely inseparable. Fruit-bearing is absolutely nec essary for spiritual love. Paul urges us, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25). The lust of the flesh is part of our normal life. Such is true of a one-dimensional man. The Spir it, however, adds a new dimension when a person is born anew through the shed blood of Christ. While he still has the flesh and desires to go with it, he also has the new birth in this second di mension which is spiritual. This is what adds the tremendous value to life. It is necessary to walk in the Spirit if we are going to be free from the desires or control of the flesh. The choice then is, "Do I struggle with my problems through the flesh, or do I turn my life over completely to the Lord?" If I walk in the Spirit, with the intended fruit as a by-product, I will not consis tently succumb to the old prob lems or irritating qualities that were found in my former life. For ex ample, the best way to stop hating individuals is to start loving them. You cannot defeat the flesh by us ing your head to fight defensively. Page 22
make of our words, not actually in the words themselves. Paul gives us some excellent definitions of love in I Corinthians 13, as does our Lord Himself in the 15th chap ter of John. He reminds us, "Great er love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for a friend" (15:13). This is a picture of sacri ficial love. This is a foreshadowing of Christ's sacrifice upon the cross for all mankind who place their personal faith in Him. BASIC CONCEPT Today, Christian love is signifi cant, not because of a particular Greek word, but because of the Bible's definition of the basic con cept of love. Love is always seen in relationship to other qualities. Love is certainly a most important aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. Paul says it is greater than faith or hope. Christ simply, yet forcefully, stated that His commandment is to love one another. It is through love that we walk in the light and in fellowship with Christ (I John 2:7-11). Here we see that our re sponsibility in love is to show the strongest affection, concern and compassion for our brother. If we do not, quite frankly, we are walk ing in darkness. Are there people who irritate you? Then you are certainly not displaying love. It is through love that we demonstrate the positive fact that we are really walking with Christ. Love is an ac tual necessity in the Christian life. If you would walk in the Spirit and not succumb to living on the hu man level as mere animals, you must display love. If faith without works is dead, as James states in his epistle, then love without its companions in the fruit of the Spirit is not only greatly weakened Page 23
that love can mean almost anything one wants it to mean. So, with such breadth of meaning, what does it signify when we say that Christians ought to display the primary virtue of love? The distinctions we often try to make on the Greek words for love are not always borne out either in classical Greek usage or even in what we find in the original Greek New Testament. Some say that the general Greek word for love, "phileo," is supposed to lack the depth of the popular concept of Christian love. Most prefer the word "agape." Frankly, the latter is not always used as a special kind of Christian love, even in the Bible. These words are used in a peculiar way. As an example, in John 5:20 we read that "the Father loveth the Son." Now this relationship be tween God and Christ one would expect to be pronounced as the very highest kind of love. Yet, the simple word "phileo" is employed. The fact is that there is nothing magical in the Greek word at all. The basic understanding comes from how it was used. Similarly, in Luke 6:32 Christ declares, "For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also love those that love them." He is simply saying, "If you return love only when love is given, there is no real advantage. Even sinners or unbelievers would do that." Here the word "agape" is seen as basic. It is not held out for a divine connotation. The important thing is the meaning for us today. The Bible now has given these words special places of understanding. We would do well to abide by the old linguistic adage which reminds us that meanings are in the use we
us distinct. Love is not the great est means by which we can dem onstrate that we are like Christ. It is a means to an end of being like Christ. Love needs to have a goal that has been set and estab lished. It needs to be hedged in by Biblical perimeters so that we see it in its proper light. The prop er understanding comes when love is focused on Cod Himself. SOUNDING BRASS One of the most important as pects in the concept of love is pre sented to us by the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 13. Here we read, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as a sound ing brass, or a tinkling symbol." This certainly suggests that love is greater than words. If our com ments do not issue from a heart of love, they are of no value what soever. The context of this book reminds us that there were people who came to Corinth using words in a most effective and persuasive fashion. Some brought unusual and fanciful ideas, trying to capture the imagination of those who listened. Not so with Paul for he says, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." There are always those who, with eloquence and power of words, will seek to impress others. What is said can have a tremendous impact on people. By a single command the President of the United States can initiate military action. A judge, sitting in court, can state his deci sion only to pass a sentence alter ing the entire course of an indi vidual's life. Closer at hand, we can speak a false rumor which may
but perhaps it is dead as well. To be very blunt, love without self- control may mean that love is dead. Love without joy may mean that love is dead. Love without peace may mean that a Christian is not living the kind of a life that he should. Love, as great as it is, is not the Christian's major objective or end in life. Love is a quality which when properly found in our lives, helps us to do what we ought to do. It is a treasure quality. It is designed to help us to be like Christ. This should be our real goal or objec tive in life. You can say that you are a man or woman of great faith, but unless you can demonstrate that through the fruit of the Spirit, it does not make you a distinctive Christian. By the same token, you can say, "I have a great deal of hope. I hope that I will get out of debt. I hope that my child will have greater success in school. I hope that my husband will be able to get a promotion." You can hope almost anything. Still, these things do not make you distinct. Faith that is in Christ's ability to save is a Biblical quality. When properly applied it makes our life distinc tive. So it is not simply the con cept or quality of faith but rather the object of faith. Similarly, our hope is in the return of our Sav iour, Jesus Christ. There are a lot of people who seek to demonstrate the quality of love. But, by the same token, sim ply because you love other people does not make you distinctive in Cod's eyes. Love, focused on Christ, and then through Him on the world for whom He died, be comes a quality that provides a dimension in our lives that makes
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have the power to destroy the rep utation of a fellow Christian. Al most everyone has learned how to say the right thing at the right time. The reason is not necessarily love, but more often than not, ex pediency. Love takes words out of the clat ter of the selfish market place and then makes them instruments of comfort and help. The dimensions of Biblical love indicate that with out the right motive or the right quality in our lives, these words are empty. While they may get what we want on a human level, in the eyes of Cod they have de tracted, rather than enhanced our position. GIFT OF PROPHECY In verse two, Paul moves to another level. He suggests that ev en though a person has a gift of prophecy which could edify and exhort, if it is not motivated by love, what real value is there to it? It is useless. The Apostle then pro ceeds to the simple aspect of proper discernment, showing that even though a person has the abil ity to understand what is going on in difficult situations, if love is not at the basic core of his life, it is all worthless. ALL KNOWLEDGE He also uses the word "knowl edge" in the second verse. This refers to the body of information a person might memorize or have close acquaintance with. Even this is of no real value in God's eyes unless the quality of love helps the person in the use of this particular concept. There are those who have very firm convictions about their stand, whatever that may be, but they will not win others because
they can at times be obnoxious in attempting to make their points. The listener may be turned aside, if not "turned off" altogether. What ever we do is not to be achieved by our own position in life. Unless our service issues through a deep love for others, it is simply selfish ness. We know that it is possible for individuals to have great in sight into Scripture. When they use that information for personal prof it, either financially or to further their own position, it is a waste of time. Paul is suggesting in a Chris tian ministry sense that if love does not dominate even the quality of teaching by lip and by life, we are on the wrong track. The equation would read, "ability, given by Cod, minus love, equals nothing!" FAITH WITHOUT LOVE Paul underscores love repeated ly in this important chapter. In verse three he seems to lift it even above faith. Yet, he is not talking here specifically about the concept of faith which makes an individual a believer in Christ. This is faith in a much broader context. What he is saying is, "What is the use of removing mountains if one does not do it through a heart of love?" The ancient philosopher Plato deprecated a man who had tre mendous skill but lacked virtue in the application of his ability. He believed that unless a man was motivated by virtue he was of no value in that particular community. Today, in education, we talk about the skills of an educated person being "amoral." That means they are neither good nor bad. An in dividual can take these skills and use them for ulterior motives. And every issue of the daily newspaper amply illustrates this fact. If our Page 25
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