faith in Jesus Christ; regeneration is the response of God to conversion and the impartation of a new nature through the creative power of the Spirit. Regen eration is God’s act; conversion is ours. I f the Jews did not have the power of life and death under the Roman law how could they stone Stephen as re corded in Acts 7? This was simply mob rule, like our lynchings" in the South. Stephen had no trial at all but was unlawfully killed without mercy. In the case of Jesus, the Jews did not dare kill Him that way; He was too well-known, so they appealed to Pilate. The Romans could execute Him upon the so-called evidence that was furnished. The trials were false and the sentence unjust, but it was at least a form of law. Why is God called “ the God of Abra ham, Isaac and Jacob” instead of “ the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel,” as Jacob was afterwards named? This is a most marvelous example of the grace of God, that He should call Himself by the name of Jacob, the sup- planter. It is an encouragement to all who have sinned as Jacob did, and have been transformed by the grace and power of God. Certainly if He is the God of Jacob, there is hope for all. How can we say that Christ was a Jew when among His ancestors were Ruth and Rahab, both Gentiles? Is He not of the Gentiles, too? In this sense, yes. However, the Gen tiles became Jews in the way that God provided for those who were called “ the strangers.” This is another illustration of the grace of God. What does Ephesians 4-:26 mean, “ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath” ? I believe the writer had in mind what we call “ righteous indignation”— a just anger over injustice of any kind. This of course would not be sin. Jesus was indignant when the money changers made His Father’s house “ a den of thieves.” However, this has nothing to do with getting “ mad” and holding mal ice in our hearts toward our fellows over personal matters. Anger is not be coming to us as Christians and will in jure our testimony for Christ. Was King Saul, the first king of Is rael, a saved man even though he died in sin? Samuel said o f him, “ Tomorrow thou and thy sons shall be with me.” The matter of King Saul and his eternal destiny has puzzled Bible stu dents for many years. Although he died out o f fellowship with God, he may be in His presence, but we shall not know for sure until we ourselves are there.
Dr. L. T. Talbot
an who had been bound by Satan for 18 years. These phenomena are not of God; that is certain. Does one have to be baptized to be saved? No, not with water, which is only the outward sign of the inward work of the Holy Spirit. One is baptized into the body of Christ by the Spirit when he receives Christ as his Saviour. God’s Word says we are not to. be “ un equally yoked together with unbelievers.” Do you think that two Christians who do not agree about the mode of bap tism would be thus unequally yoked? No. The command in Second Corin thians 6:14 has to do with the marriage of unsaved with saved, which the Lord definitely forbids. He goes on to say, “ For what fellowship, hath righteous ness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Be lial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” This could not apply to Christians who do not see eye to eye on every doctrinal point. However, they ought to “ agree to disagree” in advance, and not to have strife over these differences later on. Why is there such trouble between the Arabs and the Jews? Are they not related? Yes, they are. Is there ever any trouble so great as that between rela tives? The warfare between Jews and Arabs is the continuation of the old enmity between Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac was the child of promise, and Ishmael the child of the flesh. The promises were to Isaac, not to Ishmael, and Isaac is the heir to the land of Palestine, not Ishmael. However, when Christ returns, the enmity between them will be com pletely destroyed forever. Is there any difference betwen con version and regeneration? Yes, there is. Conversion is the act of man in turning from sin to God through
Is a literal mountain meant in the verses (Mark 11:23,24-), “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and he thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, hut shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever y e desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them,” or does this mean a moun tain of trouble, sickness, etc.? I think we may take what the Lord said at 100% face value. If a mountain needs to be removed, and it would serve God’s purpose to remove it, it certainly could be removed by faith and prayer. But of course the Lord does not answer senseless prayers; they must be vital to His glory. However, this verse cer tainly may be applied to mountains of all kinds as this questioner has indi cated. While God never works miracles just to “ show off” as men might, He can and often 'does perform miracles for His own. A good verse to keep in mind in connection with answer to pray er is John 15:7: “ If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” It does appear that some of these disciples o f cults have answers to pray er but I do not believe they are answers from God. They cannot be if such pray ers are not made in the name of Jesus and on the basis of His atoning sacri fice. Either theirs is a kind of “mind healing” or Satan himself manifests his power in their case. Many people react favorably from strong mental treatment; this is the whole theory upon which psychiatry is built. Some of the cults use their principles and give them a relig ious setting. On the other hand, there are instances in the Word which show that Satan does have some power in the matter of sickness; there was the wom- How is it that people who are in false cults which deny the saving power o f the blood of Christ have their prayers an swered?
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