mind that man is a free moral agent. The Holy Spirit never forces Himself upon anyone. Someone has said that He is the only perfect gentleman. He never forces Himself into a position where He has been rejected or where He is not wanted. Prayer is the hand that moves the mighty arm of God. We are commanded to pray; it pleases God for us to ask. Q. Lafayette, Calif. — “7 would like help on Matthew 22:1U, ‘Many are called but few are chosen.’ Could you help me?” A. These few words have many im portant overtones. This is also given in Matthew 20:16. Scripture reveals that there is, first of all, a general call to salvation extended to every one. God is not willing that any should perish. Christ said, “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” In answering positively this call, those who have by faith received Christ, now possess eternal salvation. In the light of the masses, however, they are the few. We can leave the more difficult phases of this to the infinite mercy and love of God. Q. Myrtle Point, Ore. — “Can you tell me if there are degrees of sin? Also, are there degrees of rewards men tioned in the Bible? I f so, where?” A. In God’s sight, all sin is the same, and all have fallen short of His glory. There are both degrees of punish ment as well as rewards. Sin is any lack of conformity unto or trans gression of the law of God. In man’s sight, there are gradations of sin but to God all sin is sin. We find lists of man’s categorized wickedness in such passages as Galatians 5:19- 21. As for rewards, look at Luke 12:47. This indicates degrees of punishment and correspondingly in fers rewards. There are a number of different crowns mentioned in Scrip ture. These are rewards. Yet, in
A. In this wonderful portion of God’s Word, we find explicit warnings by our Lord concerning false doctrines. He then gives the parable of the rich fool who, although he had every thing to live with, had no eternal purpose to live for. He gave no thought for his spiritual life. God said that night His soul would be required of Him. We should learn that it is not our business to be overly occupied with a concern for the things of this world. These truths are far ahead of the materialistic philosophies pressing us on every side. The Saviour exhorts us not to be anxious or worried about such things, for after all, “It is your Fa ther’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” This finally represents the millennial kingdom. We are to be content with the things He has al ready given us. We can strive to alter our situation by godly activity and industry, but this is not to be our consuming and driving goal. God, in His marvelous grace, is going to give you the kingdom where you will have infinitely more than you could ever begin to expect or even imagine. Q. Everson, Wash. — “Can one per son’s prayers erase another person’s sin? Just what is the scope of in tercessory prayer?” A. Only the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ can cleanse any man’s sin, through one’s personal faith and trust in the Saviour. It is all entirely on an individual basis. Each one must ask for forgiveness and cleans ing. The scope of intercessory prayer is something none of us will fully know this side of heaven. We are finite creatures and this matter is most definitely in the realm of the infinite. We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ through the pow er of the Holy Spirit. We do know that God hears and answers prayers on behalf of others. We are exhorted to pray for one another. Keep in 16
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