Q . Sacramento, California — “Will you please tell me what you believe are the most important elements in the Christian home.” A. A deep, abiding faith, by every member, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our motto needs to be as the Apostle Paul suggests, “That in all things HE might have the preeminence.” After this, there is the need for a true love be tween husband and wife, parents and children. This must be a love of mutual devotion and understanding not just something that appears as sentiment on greeting cards. A preacher visited in a certain home one day. The husband was at work and so the minister asked the wife one question. He said, “Does Christ live here?” It bothered the wo man all day long. That evening when the husband came home he found his wife in tears. She said, “The pastor came today and asked, ‘Does Christ live here?’ That’s all he wanted to know.” The husband angrily replied, “Well, why didn’t you tell him we go to church every Sunday? We send our children to their Sunday school. We give tithe money to the church.” The wife responded with a sob, “But he didn’t ask any of those questions. He only wanted to know, ‘Does Christ live here?’ ” This is a question every Christian home should ask, and honest ly answer. Q . Fresno, California — “Would you please give me an explanation of justi fication?” A. Justification comes from the verb “to justify.” Whenever an “ify” ap pears in English it is an ending which
means “to make.” As examples, mag nify means to make great, glorify means to make glorious, justify means to make just. Ever since Adam and Eve were disobedient to God man has been declared a sinner. We are all under the curse, apart from God, which means we do not have the character of God and therefore we can not live eternally in His holy presence. Only those who have been made just will have this privilege. God has worked out a mar velous plan of redemption whereby all the righteousness of His blessed Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is transferred to sinners who receive Him as their Sav iour. This is what Paul meant when he said, “He hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). In II Corinthians 5:21 we read, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Justifi cation and righteousness are related terms. All of this is not because of anything we 'have done but rather because of all the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a central doctrine of the entire 'Bible both Old and New Testaments. Read such por tions as Romans 3:21 to 31. “Righteous ness is all that God commands, de mands, approves and He Himself pro vides.” Q , Long Beach, California — “Will those who have heard the Gospel and think they are saved, have a chance to be Saved during the tribulation?” A. There are many people who hear the Gospel and who are erroneously depending upon their works or their 20
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