giveness for failing to witness by his life to the saving power of Calvary’s cross. But whatever the state of that man’s heart, you who are out of Christ are “ without excuse” for rejecting His free salvation. Go to Him, confess your sins, and accept His finished redemp tion for eternal life. Read John 3:36 and John 5:24. Infants Saved Q. Are infants and young children who die saved? A. Yes, all infants, including stillborn babies, and young children who have not reached the age of accountability at death, go immediately into the presence of God. Christ died for “ the world” ; and His atonement provides for these. “ Of such is the kingdom of heaven” . (Mark 10:14). Paradise and Heaven Q. Do the terms “paradise t” and “ heaven” refer to the same place? A. Since the resurrection and ascen sion of Christ, paradise and heaven have been identical. Paul wrote in II Cor. 12:2 that he was “ caught up to the third heaven.” Then in verse 4 of the same chapter, referring to the same event, he said that he was “ caught up into paradise.” Paradise and heaven, however, were not the same before the resurrection and ascension of Christ. The Lord Jesus said to the thief on the cross, “To day shalt thou 'be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Yet after His resurrection and before His ascension, He said to Mary, “Touch me not: for I am not yet ascended to my Father” (John 20:17). If He had not ascended to the Father, He could not yet have returned to heaven. He had gone to paradise. At His ascension Christ took para dise up to heaven; for paradise was the intermediate state of the souls of the Old Testament saints, including the repentant thief who died on the cross. To understand clearly what the Bi
ble teaches on this question , one need only compare several portions of Scripture. The Old Testament saints went to paradise. None of the Old Testament saints went directly to heaven when they died. Their bodies, of course, went into the grave and are still awaiting the resurrection; but their spirits went to a place called para dise, to the place where the Lord Jesus went while His body lay in the tomb, to the place where the repentant thief on the cross went when he died. (See Luke 23:43.) And paradise was then a part of Sheol, or Hades. To prove this point, let us turn the pages of our Bible back to a remark able prophecy, written by David as he was inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. It is found in Psalm 16:8-11, and foretells the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead. Both Peter and Paul quote this prophecy to prove the resurrection of Christ. (See Acts 2:25-31; 13:32-37.) If you happen to be reading from the King James or Authorized Ver sion, you will be perplexed as to the meaning of Psalm 16:10 and Acts 2:27: “ Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell.” These words were spoken by the Son of God to His Father in heav en, as the following statement makes clear: “Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” We know that Jesus’ body did not “ see corruption,” for it arose from the dead. But did His soul go to “hell” during the three days and three nights following the crucifixion? The answer is, emphatically, “ No.” And the ex planation of that verse is this: The original Hebrew word used in Psalm 16:10 is not “hell,” but “ Sheol” ; while the original Greek word used in Acts 2:27 is not “hell,” but “Hades.” The Revised Version so translates them, accurately so. “ Sheol” and “Hades,” therefore, refer to the same place, and are simply the names given by the two different languages, Hebrew and Greek, for “ the place of the departed spirits.” Always the Greek word for “ the lake of fire” or hell, is “Gehen na.”
Entrance to Heaven by Good Works Q. I try to live a moral life and to conform to the teachings of the Ser mon on the Mount. Even though 1 do not make a profession of faith in Christ, why do I not stand as good a chance of getting to heaven as the man who says he is a Christian and yet does things I would not do? A. Your question is two-fold. First, let me deal with your own case; then with the other man’s. You are trying to get to heaven by your own ef forts, and that can never be done. According to God’s Word, “ there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). “Without shed ding of blood is no remission” of sin (Heb. 9:22). There are dozens and dozens of Scriptures that I might quote to you, but these will suffice to show that God has plainly told us how to be saved — by faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by faith alone. My friend, read the New Testament prayerfully, careful ly, for the teaching of Christ and the apostles on this all-important subject. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you; and as you read the Word of God under His direction, you will be convinced — and converted. “ Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Good works are important, very important. But we are saved first; then good works should follow our profession of faith in the Lord Jesus. As for the man who professes to be a Christian, yet does questionable things, let me say first of all that only God and man know the true state of his heart. He may be a hypocrite. He may be a true believer on the Lord Jesus, but a weak Christian. There is no excuse for his being a weak Chris tian; for the Holy Spirit will give power over sin to all who claim the promises of God. If he is truly bom again, then he ought to be ashamed of his poor testimony, and ask for
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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