I Corinthians 11:23-30 on the aspect of the Lord’s table. That last verse speaks of those who had not first ex amined themselves and as a result had become ill and even died. The Communion Supper to them had been turned into something the Lord nev er intended. The Apostle here is talk ing about their physical state. This is what John has reference to in the passage about which the questioner wrote. Keep in mind that an uncon verted man can never come to the place where God cannot save him or deal with him. The Holy Spirit con victs a man right up to the end of his life. Let us make certain that as chil dren of God we are living to the full est for our blessed Saviour. Q. “One of my loved ones has become insane and is now confined in a men tal hospital. Before this happened, he gave a strong testimony for the Lord, showing every evidence of hav ing been truly bom again. Now, however, he is boisterous and uses profanity. Bo you think that insan ity is demon possession?” A. In answer to your last question, some of it may be, but certainly not all of it. In the Gospels we read how our Lord went about healing those “who were possessed of demons and those who were lunatic.” Note that there is a difference between the two. The latter were what we would term mentally unbalanced. In the provi dence of God it is hard for us with our finite minds to know why some people have been allowed to lose their minds. This is one of the mysteries that often children of God will be thus afflicted. They may even act as you have described your loved one, 15
Q. “In I John 5:16 it speaks of a sin ‘which is not unto death,’ and a sin that is ‘unto death.’ What does this mean?” A. I believe this refers to physical death. Here is a Christian, for First John is written to believers, who dies before his time. It may be that he has been a hindrance or a stum bling block in the work of the Lord. He will still go to heaven, since he has placed his faith in the Lord. Salvation is always by grace. But you can be sure the Lord won’t greet him with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” This is what Christ talks about in John 15. He refers to the vine and the branches. Verse six is very ex plicit in this context. He points out that if a branch does not bear fruit, He takes it away, that is, He takes it to heaven. As far as what man does with this individual who is not giv ing a good testimony, we see from this verse that they are gathered and cast into the fire where they are burned. Here is a person who just lives for self in following the pleas ures of the world. Then he tries to give a witness for Christ out of a heart that has grown cold and is in sincere. He’s not fooling anyone but himself. It’s as if others tossed his words to be consumed by the fire. This is figurative speech. If such a person is not living for the Gospel and for Christ, it would be better if he didn’t say anything at all. God is the judge; we cannot make such a determination. But He may look down from heaven and say, “That will not be a very happy situation for that person.” This same subject is in view in
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