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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
October, 1936
Paul, standing on the A Good threshold o f eternity, looked Fight upon his past career and affirmed that he had “ fought a good fight.” What did he mean? The answer is found in that remark able Ephesian passage in which Paul described the warrior, his armor, and his foes. Our battle, today, is not against human beings, but against Satan and his demons. W e need to “ put on the whole armor o f God” in order “ to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Paul knew the tricks of the devil and could say: ‘W e are not ignorant of his devices.” Many Christians are ignorant of Satan’s devices and do not recognize him when he approaches as an angel of light. What are the wiles o f the devil that make it so necessary for the be liever to put on the whole armor? The answer, found in Ephesians 6:18, is the climax of that warrior passage, “ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all per severance and supplication for all saints.” The subtlety o f the Adver sary is directed to keep us in a state o f prayerlessness; we, therefore, need the whole armor in order to be vic torious in the prayer closet. Satan endeavors to cause doubt concerning the importance and efficacy o f prayer in order that we might be induced to neglect prayer. When we do enter into the labor o f prayer, he seeks to distract or interrupt that work. Satan realizes the potency o f prayer and fears the effect of our prayer min istry. A prayerless Christian is a defeated and an impotent man; a praying Christian is a victorious and power ful man. Paul was a man o f prayer. He was clothed with the “ whole armor of God.” He consequently overcame the false philosophy concerning prayer which intimates that prayer has no effect upon God, but affects the reflex value upon the one who prays. Paul was victorious in his prayer life, therefore, he was victorious in every sphere of life. When Paul prayed, something happened, for the Spirit of God indited and energized his pray ers. He prayed for his companions, his converts, and the churches which he had established. He believed in prayer, he asked for the prayers of others, and he taught his converts the importance o f prayer. Because o f his steady walk with God he could view his years o f fellowship with the Lord and say, “ I have fought a good fight,” “ I have been a prayer warrior.” When we come to the end o f life’s
journey and stand at the judgment seat o f Christ, we will regret that we have been so negligent in prayer. Shall we not recognize the place of prayer in the program o f God, and give ourselves more to prayer, in order that we may be able to say at the end of the journey, “ I have fought a good fight” ?■ B io la has definite Biola’s doctrinal standards. Our Standards statement o f faith on this page reveals where we stand doctrinally. This statement was signed publicly by all members o f the Board o f Trustees and all members of the Faculty on the opening day of school. No one can serve on the Board or the Faculty who does not hold, teach, and preach these historic doc-*; trines o f the Christian church. Biola has ethical ■ standards. Rules and regulations that are the result of years of experience in dealing with youth are presented to students, and where there is disobedience, discipline follows. Biola has scholastic standards. High school graduation, or its equiva lent, is required o f applicants for the Bible Collegiate Course. A number of Institute students are university grad uates. A diploma from this school stands for much more than the mere completion o f a course o f study; it indicates also that there has been growth in grace, a development of Christian character on the part o f the recipient. The degrees offered by the Institute—B a ch e lo r o f Theology, Bachelor o f Christian Education, and Bachelor o f Sacred Music-—must be earned by completing a carefully plan ned four-year course in the field in dicated. In every course, thorough work is demanded. Biola has spiritual standards. We seek to maintain a spiritual atmos phere, and spirituality is emphasized. The importance o f prayer is accentu ated. The possibility o f a victorious life through our indwelling Lord is taught. We opened our school year with daily revival meetings which had for their objective the spiritual adjust ment of the students. In connection with this campaign, we had a day o f prayer. Biola has practical standards. We constantly affirm that the student is not only preparing for Christian serv ice in the future, but that he must engage also in such service during the period o f his Institute training. Through the Practical Work De partment, students are assigned to definite Christian work. Our objective is : “ Every Biola student a winner o f souls.”
BIOLA'S STATEMENT of FAITH I. The Bible, consisting of all the books of the Old and New Testaments, is the Word of God, a supernaturally given revelation from God Himself, concerning Himself, His being, nature, character, will and purposes; and con cerning man, his nature, need, duty and des tiny. The Scriptures of the Old and New Tes taments are without error or misstatement in their moral and spiritual teachings and record of historical facts. They are without error or defect of any Lind. II. There is one God, eternally existing and manifesting Himself to us in three Persons— Father, Son and Holy Spirit. III. The Lord Jesus was supernaturally conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin— Mary, a lineal descendant of David. He lived and taught and wrought mighty works and wonders and signs, exactly as is recorded in the four Gospels. He was put to death by crucifixion under Pontius Pilate. God raised from the dead the body that had been nailed to the cross. The Lord Jesus after His crucifixion showed Himself alive to His disci ples, appearing unto them by the space of forty days. After this the Lord Jesus ascended into Heaven, and the Father caused Him to sit at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him to be Head over all things to the Church. IV. The Lord Jesus, before His incarnation, existed in the form of God, and of His own choice laid aside His divine glory and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. In His pre existent state, He was with God and was God. He is a divine person, possessed of all the attributes of Deity, and should be wor shiped as God by angels and men. "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." All the words that He spoke during His earthly life were the words of God. There is absolutely no error of any kind in them, and by the words of Jesus Christ the words of all other teachers must be tested. V. The Lord Jesus became in every respect a real man, possessed of all the essential char acteristics of human nature. VI. By His death upon the cross, the Lord Jesus made a perfect atonement for sin, by which the wrath of God against sinners is ap peased, and a ground furnished upon which God can deal in mercy with sinners. He re deemed us from the curse of the law by be coming a curse in our place. He Who Him self was absolutely without sin, was made to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The Lord Jesus is coming again to this earth, personally, bodily, and visibly. The return of our Lord is the blessed hope of the believer, and in it G od's purposes of grace toward mankind will find their consummation. VII. The Holy Spirit is a person and is possessed of all the distinctively divine attributes. He is God. VIII. Man was created'in the image of God, after His likeness, but the whole human race [Continued on page 405] •
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