T H E B I O L A H O U R C A L IF O R N IA Arroy Grande-San Luis Obispo KOAG 1280 9:00 A.M. MTWTF Bakersfield-Wasco KAFY 550 4:00 P.M. Sun. KWSO 1050 9:30 A.M. MTWTF Burbank KBBQ 1500 7:00 A.M. Sun. Chlco-Paradlse KEWQ 930 8:00 A.M. MTWTF Fresno-Dinuba KRDU 1130 8:30 A.M. MTWTF Lodi-Stockton KCVR 1570 8:00 A.M. MTWTF Los Angelas KBBI 107.5 (FM) 8:30 A.M. MTWTF KTYM 1460 9:00 A.M. MTWTF Los Angeles-Long Beacn KGER 1390 11:00 A.M. MTWTF KGER 1390 9:30 P.M. MTWTF Oxnard-Ventura-Santa Barbara KOXR 910 8:00 A.M. MTWTF Redding-Red Bluff KQMS 1400 8:00 A.M. MTWTF San Bernardlno-Riverside KACE 1570 9:30 A.M. MTWTF KFXM 590 7:30 A.M. Sun. Santa Crux KSCO 1080 8:30 A.M. Sun. KSCO 99.1 (FM) 8:30 A.M. Sun. San Diego KBBW 102.9 (FM)
Biola Hour BROADCASTER Monthly Publication of the BIOLA FELLOWSHIP Vol. 8 No. 1 JANUARY, 1968 STAFF President ____ ___ S. H. SUTHERLAND Editor ..................... AL SANDERS Production ...............BILL EHMANN Printing ................ CHURCH PRESS Published monthly by the Radie Dept. B IO LA SCHOO LS ft COLLEGES 13800 Blola Avenue Li Mirada, California 90038 BIOLA ASSOCIATION OF CANADA P.0. Box 3013 Vancouver, B.C., Canada CONTENTS STUDIES IN ROMANS — Stuart Briscoe ................. 3 PARABLES AND PEARLS ....16 PANEL DISCUSSIONS ........ 26 FELLOWSHIP IN CHRIST — Lloyd T. Anderson ...........32 COVER: The Biola Quartet trav eled through Midwest last sum mer. This years itinerary is cur rently In final planning. Pictured from left to right are Jerry Reub, Sacramento, Calif.; Terry Lambert, Whittier, Calif.; Paul Moorefield, Winona Lake, In diana; Jim Ladd, Pasadena, Calif.; and Rex Smith, Salem, Oregon.
8:00 A.M. MTWTF 9:30 P.M. MTWTF
KDEO XEMO
910 4:00 P.M. Sun.
860
8:00 a.m. MTWTF
San Francisco KFAX Santa Marla KCOY
1100 8:30 A.M. MTWTF
1440 10:30 P.M. Sun.
Turlock KCEY
1390 10:30 A.M. MTWTF OREGON 790 8:00 A.M. MTWTF 790 3:00 A.M. MTWTF
Albany-Eugene KW IL
KW IL
Ashland-Medford KW IN Coquillo-Coos Bay KWRO
580 8:00 A.M. MTWTF
630 8:30 A.M. MWF
Portland KPDQ KPDQ
800 (FM)
11:30 A.M. MTWTF 11:30 A.M. MTWTF
93.7
W A S H IN G T O N
Blaine-Vancouver, B.C. KARI 550 Seattle-Tacoma KGDN 630 Spokane KCFA 1330 Walla Walla KTEL 1490 Yakima KBBO 1390
8:30 A.M. MTWTF 11:30 A.M. MTWTF 11:30 A.M. MTWTF 8:00 A.M .MW F 9:30 A.M. MTWTF
(Continued on page 33) Controlled circulation postage paid at La Mirada, California
YOUR CH R IST IAN W ILL Did you know that there it a way to invost in Biola for tho training of studonts whilo saving costly estate taxes! Ultimately you may be able to leave more money for your loved ones. « As a Fellowship member you are under no obligation when you write for information or counsel. BIO LA ST EW A R D SH IP D E PA R TM EN T
T here are many ways to describe the Christian life. One of the most exciting is to define it as a reigning life as is suggested in Ro mans 5:17. We need to have a proper perspec tive of what this means. This same verse talks about “death reigning.” Then in Romans 5:21 we read that “sin reigned,” and following that we learn about “grace reigning.” So, I suppose in this section of the Epistle we find four monarchs on thrones. What does the Bible mean when it speaks of sin reigning? Verse 12 talks about sin entering the world, then how it abounds (vrs. 20) and finally its reign (v. 21). Sin entered the world by the disobedience of one. Man in his original creation rebelled against God. Once started, it spread in an alarming fashion. Man did not reproduce in the image of God but rather in the image of himself. The very first human being bom in the world was a murderer and a liar. Before long, the whole human race had been gripped in a deadly grasp of sin. Sin continued to exercise its tenacled con tro l over individual lives. Actually, it is the reign of sin which will not enable us to be the sort of people we personally desire. Because of this sheer power of sin, we cannot do the things
know we should do. It would be im possible for sin to reign in dynamic fashion in our lives if it hadn’t en tered initially and abounded continu ally down to our generation. The second sovereign mentioned here is death which is simply the fruit or outgrowth of sin. How strange that death is able to touch all men regardless of their back ground, power, color, environment, or anything else. If death reaches out its icy hand, no one can stay its power. Yet, there is an even stronger power that breaks the force of sin and death as it seeks to reign. This is just simply grace. This is the greatest majesty to rule. In Romans 5:20 we discover that “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” What a power so mighty that wherever sin and death abounds, grace super-abounds. The bigger the sin, the bigger the grasp of death, the greater the potential of grace. Too often we are satisfied with liv ing any kind of life, just so we get along and exist. We are conformed in far too many ways with the things of this life. God says that we are to reign in life victoriously, and nothing less is required. Is your life so dynamic and overwhelming that you are capable of making an impact n those you meet, regardless of dif
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ficult situations? This is God’s pur pose for the Christian life. With sin and rebellion abounding all about you, are you still victorious through God’s grace? It is tragically possi ble for an individual to be so satis fied with the status quo that he doesn’t really want to experience the reigning life. To be sure, demands will be made upon us. But God’s abounding grace is more than suffi cient for every need. REIGNING LIFE T here is a real perspective to be be gained on the reigning life. The unfortunate thing for many Christians is that instead of reign ing in life we allow ourselves to be under the circumstances and find nothing but defeat and discourage ment. This is diametrically opposed to what the Lord intends for the Christian life. You see, the reigning life is simply the normal Christian life. All that you are required to live in this kind of life is basically al ready yours. People who would live the reign-
ing life must receive abundance of grace, the gift of righteousness and reign in life by Jesus Christ. These three requirements are extremely important. Every true born-again Christian has already received the gift of righteousness. How sad to see peo ple endeavoring to establish their own righteousness! They are in volved in all types of good things. Kind to their friends, wonderful to their children, these folks are thor oughly lovely to know. This, how ever, does not satisfy in the eyes of God. The Bible says that all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Man’s standards are totally different from God’s. While we may be won derful people by human standards, we can still fall far short of the laws of God. The Bible reminds us that there is none righteous, no, not one. Yet, in the Lord’s wonderful goodness He gives us righteousness as a gift. The only people who can reign in life are those who have ad mitted that they’re not righteous, recognizing that the Lord Jesus died and rose again that they might be declared righteous. Have you re ceived the gift? The second requirement is that we receive the abundance of grace (Ro mans 5:20). Grace comes from the heart of God and is greater than all our sin. Second Corinthians 8:9 and 9:8 give us an excellent definition of sin. As far as receiving the abun dance of grace, this is highly possi ble, for God is able to make all grace abound toward you. Grace is simply the Lord Jesus, who was rich, becoming poor so that we who are poor can become rich. Even more simply said, grace is God giving us all His riches in exchange for all our rags. At any given moment or situation, we can recognize our “raggy” existence and claim the riches of our Saviour. Are you ac customed to relying on the abun dance of grace? 4
Mr. Jack Findley (center), member of the Biola Stewardship Department, looks over the program development for the school with Mr. John Isaac (left). Director of Stewardship, and Mr. Al Sanders, Vice President of Public Re lations. Stewardship Representatives are trained to assist Christians in matters pertaining to wills, agreements, estate planning, and other phases of Christian stewardship.
The reigning life is made possible through the person of Christ. Did you know that it is possible to re ceive the gift of righteousness and still not rely on the abundance of grace? This is because we have not recognized the Lordship of Christ. Only as we gladly appropriate the life of Jesus Christ can we even re motely talk about living victoriously. He is our all-sufficiency in every ex perience with which we are confront ed. Have you received the gift of righteousness? Do you know what it means to be relying upon the abun dance of grace, recognizing the Lordship of Christ? If you are doing all three, you can go out into the ac tivities of today with your head held high, your heart on fire, rejoicing in the fact that Jesus Christ is your grace, your life, and your Lord. There is no reason why life should reign over you, but there is good reason why you should reign over life. RECKONING LIFE PART I H ave you been confronted with what the Bible teaches about God’s kind of Christianity and, thinking of your existence, have be come depressed and disillusioned? There are things which hinder us in our purposeful victorious life. Let us consider the subject of sin in the be liever. The gospel is not just to tell sinners how they can have their trespasses forgiven, but also to show how Christians can live above their sins. We commit transgression be cause sin reigns within us. We can be forgiven for the consequences of our sins as well as delivered from the dynamic of sin within us. We can know the mighty power of the Lord Jesus overcoming the power of sin within us. Paul asks the ques tion, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” There is an un fortunate group of Christians today
who have adopted the attitude that it doesn’t really matter how they live because their sins are going to be forgiven. They are always ready to excuse or ignore their sins. Too often today do we have a tendency to condone sin. We don’t worry that people are backbiters, unloving, gos- sipers and all the rest. Sin has been allowed to run riot in our lives. This is why we cannot live the reigning life. It is absolutely imperative that we recognize something has to be done about the power of indwelling sin within us. The good news is that God has done something. In Romans 6:1-2, Paul asks, “How shall we that died to sin live any longer therein?” Did you know that the moment you became a Christian you were not to live in sin? To be defeated continu ally by sin is not normal, but rather pathetically subnormal. The sooner
Attending Biola this year are two freshmen who were both presidents of their high school student bodies and whose fathers are both on thestaf of Biola. In the center-is Tod Lewis, whose father, Mr. Vernon Lewis, teaches Psy chology at Biola and who was president of the Neff High School in La Mirada. On the right is Mr. Allen Carden,whose father, Mr. William L. Carden,is director of Admissions for Biola Colege. Allen was president of the La Mirada High School. Chaffing with the young men on the left is Mr. Ken Harrower a member of the speech staff and also a student at Talbot Theological Seminary. His home is in San Leandro, Calif.
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ences. This will always bring trou ble. How sad that people abuse the Scriptures, taking items out of con text to use for their own purposes! A Christian is one who has died to sin; he does not continue to live in sin any longer. God does not take away our ability to sin. He rather gives us the ability not to sin. There’s a big difference between the two. It is possible for you to sin be cause you may not be using your God-given abilities. We need to reck on ourselves dead to sin and alive unto God. If you are not living the reckoning life, then you will never live the rejoicing life, or for that matter, the normal Christian life. We must know what it is to enjoy God’s living in the wonderful liberty He has provided. RECKONING LIFE PART II T here is no reason for a Christian to live a defeated life because of sin. This is a total contradiction to what the Bible offers. Having died to sin, why should we continue living under sin? The thought is absolutely ludicrous. While Scripture does not suggest that the Lord has taken away our ability to sin, it does show us that God has given us the ability not to sin. It’s not the impossibility of sin but rather the incongruity of sin. Romans 6:3 reminds us that by faith we were baptized into Christ by His death. Verse 6 tells us that our old man has been crucified. Verse 9 wants us to be assured that “death hath no more dominion” over us. Verse 16 clearly points out tfyat we become slaves to whomever we yield ourselves. To begin with, do you know about your baptism? We are not talking here about the specific mode of the ordinance. We do believe that every Christian ought to be baptized, but this is not the specific rite, but rather the reality of baptism of which the 6
we realize this and do something about it, the better for all concerned. The key to this passage is the word “knowing.” Look at 6:3 where Paul says, “Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were b ap tized into his death?” In verse 6 it reads, “Know ing this, that our old man is cruci fied with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Verse 9 gives us the same idea, “Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.” Further on in Verse 16, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Victory over sin is most interesting to notice. The avenue of all spiritual experience starts initially in the mind. As soon as one talks about victory over sin, some people get alarmed. This, however, is not sin less perfection whatsoever. The rea son so many people go off center is because they try to experience this in emotions rather than in the area of their minds. They have all sorts of emotional experiences and then try to fit their doctrine to these experi-
Lenin de Janon (left), a member of the staff of radio stationHCJB, Quito, Ecuador, is enrolled in Biola College this year preparing further in the Lord's service. With him is his wife, Nelida, and son Eddie. Mr. de Janon is one of the many students who has enrolled in Biola coming from foreign countries.
Apostle writes. This act takes place the very moment one is converted through faith in Christ (I Cor. 12: 13). A person who is in Christ is baptized into Christ not by some ex ternal exercise but by an internal reality. When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He fuses into us the life of Jesus Christ. We become mem bers of His wonderful body. Each member enjoys the life of His body, and acknowledges con tro l of the Head. After first knowing about your baptism, have you been aware of your crucifixion ?What in your think ing does Scripture mean by the “old man” being crucified ? You were bap tized into Christ and therefore into His death. The result is that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin. When Christ died to sin, whatever His relationship to sin was at that moment of His crucifixion (remem ber He was made sin), He terminat ed His relationship to it. Therefore, in Him you died to sin in the same way that Christ died to sin. You ter minated your relationship to sin at the moment of your conversion, that the body of sin might be destroyed. That doesn’t mean that your body is sinful. But your body can be grasped by sin and used for its de structive purposes. When it says that the body of sin might be destroyed, it is not suggesting that it might be annihilated. It rather suggests being “put out of business.” The same word is used in Hebrews 2 telling us that through Christ’s death He destroyed him who had the power of death. He put the devil out of busi ness. Your body should no longer be in business for sin. We are not to be the slaves of sin. The Bible teaches that you should not, and you need not, sin. If it were impossible for you to sin, God wouldn’t waste His breath telling you not to. The next thing I want to ask is, “Do you know about your resurrec tion?” In verse 9 it is stated, “Christ,
being raised from the dead dies no more.” God reckons to you all that He reckons to Christ. You have been raised in newness of life. When the Bible says that you died to sin in Christ, it also teaches that you now live to God in Christ. At the precise moment of your conversion you were baptized into His resurrection. Our sacred obligation now is not to live unto the dynamic of sin but unto the dynamic of the resurrection. A per son who at any given moment lives unto the risen Lord Jesus, reckoning that He died to sin, has only one obligation and that is to be available to the risen Christ. Reckoning this, he will not sin. It doesn’t mean he cannot sin but under these circum stances, he will not. Do you have a problem of indwell ing sin? Did you know that God has made provision for this condition? Did you know that the provision is th is: that you died to sin, you were raised in newness of life, your rela tionship to sin is terminated, and therefore your body is out of busi ness as far as sin is concerned. You are not intended to be the slave of
Dr.Samuel H. Sutherland (left), Biola president, looks over plans for the school's 33rd Annual Tor ey Memorial Bible Conference to be held in key churches throughout Southern Califor nia. With him is the Rev. Harold Adams, pas tor of the First Baptist Church of Downey, which will be one of the locations for the meetings, January 28 to February 2, 1968.
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really a slave to the risen Lord Jesus Christ. You should be available to Him, interested basically in nothing less. When we have allowed truth to come through the avenue of our minds, it is necessary for something to be done about it. The Saviour re minds us, “If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them.” In Romans 6:11-13, the Lord tells us exactly what we should do about what we know. Sin is not to reign in our mortal bodies. We are not to yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness. B asica lly , four things are required of us. In Verse 11 we are required to reckon; Verse 12 to let not; Verse 13 to yield not; and in the same verse to yield. In the original language, at the beginning of verse 13, it requires us not to go unyielding continuingly. The second time the word appears it means we are to yield ourselves once and for all. What does it mean to reckon one’s self to have died unto sin? Let us think through what God says and then come to an intelligent conclu sion. If you are in Christ, and Christ died for sin, therefore my sin gle obligation is to die to sin and to live to God. Have you really come this far in your Christian growth and maturity? The dynamic God in tends to control your life from this moment on is His power and not sin. The next thing which follows is sug gested in verse 12, pointing out that we are not to let sin reign. Have you learned to say “no” to sin? God hasn’t asked you to screw up all of your abilities so that you can say “no” to sin. He wants you to realize that the Lord Jesus Christ, the risen One, lives within you. I t is the power of His resurrection that now becomes at your disposal. He then is your ability to say “no” to sin. I t cer tainly can never be done in your own strength. Next, stop yielding your members as instruments to unrighteousness 8
Sharon Maxwell, student at Blola Colege, In the education major, has the opportunity of working with kindergarden boys and girls at the El Portal School of the Lowell District System located in nearby Whittier. Pray for the Biota students who have the privilege of serving the Lord as school teachers.
sin and have no further obligation to it. Your responsibility is to the risen Lord Jesus. Reckon yourselves to have died indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. RECKONING LIFE PART III W e need to keep in mind con stantly that sin is the thing that keeps a believer from living victoriously and triumphantly. When we become Christians, God doesn’t take away our ability to sin, but He does give us the power not to sin. This doesn’t mean that it is impos sible for a Christian to sin. The Bible does not teach sinless perfec tion. Having been baptized into Christ, God reckons to us all that He reckons to Christ. Therefore, we can possibly know what it means to die to sin. Again, it doesn’t mean that we are incapable of sin, but rather that our relationship to sin has been terminated. We have been raised again in newness of life. This won derful experience is followed by a trem endou s obligation (Romans 6:16). We no longer have any obli gation to sin. Our new responsibility is to live unto God. A Christian is
unto sin. It may be that one of your members has continually been avail able to sin. But not yielding your self it now means that the member of yours is no longer available; the temptation no longer has its appeal. You are yielding yourself once and for all to One who is alive in resur rection power. Have you ever gladly and joyously related yourself to the fact that your obligation to sin has been terminated? Therefore, to be consistent you say “no,” and stop yielding your members as instru ments of unrighteousness. Will you pray, “Lord Jesus, I’m glad You died for me. I’m discovering that I died in You. There are many things I don’t understand, but I realize that somehow You have made it possible for me to be set free from the power of sin. I know it is totally unsatis factory for me to sin. I understand that I’m related to You in the power of Your resurrection. On the basis of who You are in me, I want to reckon on Your power and Your life in me. I want to be able to say ‘no’ to sin. You, through Your power within me, can enable me to do this. I want to yield myself as never before to all that You are in me. I thank You thdt I can claim Your promises. Sin shall not have dominion over me as long as I continue to live in this atti tude. Amen.” God bless you as you go out today to enjoy victories in His name. RELATED LIFE I N R omans 7 :l-4 we find the blessed secret of the way in which a be liever can live a life of new relation ship to Jesus Christ. This is at the very center and core of all spiritual experience. Basically, Christianity is a relationship existing between the Lord Jesus Christ and an ordinary human being. This passage is really the story of a girl who got married with the realization that she had def-
Elsa Beckendorf, Biola senior, has the oppor tunity to work with boys and girls as a teacher in the first grade of the Loma Vista School located in the South Whittier District.Miss Beckendorf is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Beckendorf, well-known Gospel musi cians.
inite responsibilities to her husband. While married, should she become involved with another man, she would be an adulteress. When her husband died, she was then free. Similarly, men were once married to the law. Then through faith in Christ, they died to the law and this relationship was terminated auto matically. This is one of my favor ite verses in the Bible. I usually like to preach about an hour on it alone. Think for a moment what it means to Mr. Law. There are many people who try to get to God and Heaven by being good. They endeavor to keep the Ten Commandments or, as the Bible suggests, they are endeav oring to be married to Mr. Law. His description in verse 12 is that he is holy, just, and good. The trouble is that he is so perfect it is impossible to live with him. I hope no wife has this problem. Mr. Law’s demands are so exemplary that there isn’t a hu man being alive, or who has ever lived, except Christ, adequate to ful fill his requirements. See his require ments in Galatians 3:10. The law doesn’t require belief. In our illus tration, every morning before he goes to work, he gives his wife a whole list of instructions. She knows perfectly well that it is imperative 9
a matter of fact, a Christian is one who, in Christ, has died to the law in the same way that in Christ they died to sin. Their relationship is now being married to Jesus Christ. Two people who are married simply come to each other voluntarily and mutually say in effect, “I make my life available to you.” They go on through the years in this blessed union. A Christian is no longer en deavoring to please God by trying to fulfill the demands of the law, but is now related to the Lord Jesus Christ in such a way that his life is avail able to Him, and vice versa. Mar riage only operates properly on a principle of love and respect. Our love for the Lord Jesus Christ can not be in word only, but also in deed. Could your Christian experience best be described as a blissful mar riage? The Bible says that we should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead. The first thing one should do is really to find out who the partner is. In Yorkshire, England they have a saying, “You never know what you’ve got until you’ve got it home and shut the door.” There’s a lot of truth to that. I have told many young people contemplating mar riage to spend time finding out all they can about their proposed part ner before the vows are consummat ed. It is exciting to think that one’s life is available to Christ and His risen life is available to you at any given moment. My wife and I were so delighted when the Lord gave us the gift of two boys and a girl. This was not a surprise for when two are married it is natural to bring forth fruit. Even so, a person whose life is related to the risen Lord Jesus should similarly bring forth fruit. This is the evidence of the Lord Jesus Christ risen from the dead alive within you. How much evi dence is there in you ? I t is a case of your availability to the Saviour so He can reproduce His life in terms of yours. Have you discovered that 10
she does these things. While she may be a wonderful person and tries her best, she is miserable, due to her in adequacy. The Bible emphatically states, “Cursed is everyone who con- tinueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” She can’t say to her husband, “Well, I didn’t do that, but I did do this.” That won’t interest him at all. He insists that she has to do every thing he has compelled her to do. This she is unable to achieve and for this reason her life is wretched. She may explain to him, “I had a bad day today.” But he would snap back, “You don’t have time for ‘bad days’.
Dr. Gordon Hooker (left),recently retired from the Biola music department, chats with several of the new California students. From left to right are Diane Gardner,Walnut Creek, Diane Stephens, Oakland, and Florence Freeman of Inglewood.
I expect you to continue in all the things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Every time she fails, he curses her. Can you imagine what it would be like to be married under such circumstances? What a picture of an individual who tries to get to heaven by keeping the Ten Commandments. It can never be done, and even the most noble of ef forts meet with condemnation. Mar ried to Mr. Law will make anyone so discouraged and depressed that life itself will seem impossible. Carrying on in our illustration, the wife dies to the law. Her former relationship is now terminated. As
you have died to the law? Did you know that the Christian life is sim ply being available to the Lord Jesus? Recently, here in America, I re ceived a letter from my wife’s moth er in England. It was really thrill ing. She said she was feeling very lonely and knowing I was away from my family for so long, she thought I might be lonely, too. Wasn’t that thoughtful of her? She is a very wonderful lady. I can re member how thrilled she was when our children were coming along. At times, she seemed more excited than we were. Grandparents are wonder ful people. There is also a grandpar ent in this section. Romans 7:4 points this out. Without being irrev erent, may I say that God is the Grandfather? You are married to His Son, and it is exciting to Him to see fruit, which is the evidence of your life mingled with the life of the risen Lord Jesus. He wants to see it in your character, your behaviour, your thoughts, and in every area of your daily existence. The most nat ural thing in the world is for Christ’s life to be reproduced in oth er people when we are living the re lated life. How are you doing? Are you enjoying being married to Jesus Christ? Do you think He is enjoying being married to you ? How are the children? Is the Grandfather pleased? RELEASED LIFE PART I I N R omans 8:2 we have what I be lieve to be one of the most critical verses in the entire New Testament. “For the law of the Spirit o f life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” These few words can really teach us what it means to enjoy victory in our Christian life. God states quite categorically that a Christian is a person who, in
Christ, has died to sin as well as to the law. Again we say, this does not mean that a Christian is incapable of living under the power of sin. God has made it possible, however, for people to be free from the dominion of the law and from the dominion of sin. When you become a Christian sin is not eradicated. There is still the capacity to sin. In Romans 7, Paul says three things about himself. The first is in verse 18, “For I know that in me [that is in my flesh], dwelleth no good thing.” In verse 21, “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.” Paul
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Hafer (center) talk with Biola faculty member. Dr. Harry Sturz, (right) and his wife, at a recent time of fellowship for school members. Mr. Hafer, a graduate of Biola, is director of the Alumni Association.
suddenly discovered something abso lutely objectionable about himself in that he was a slave of sin. Have you been prepared to admit you are a slave to sin? The reason for Paul’s conclusion is in Romans 7 :15 and 16. “For that which I do I allow [ap prove] not. For what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law, that it is good.” Do you ever find yourself dis approving things in other people, and yet knowing in your heart that you are also guilty of them? It would do us well to step outside of ourselves and take a good long look at our own 11
a tremendous statement for a highly educated and talented man to make. Many people for this, as well as an other reason, find it extremely diffi cult to come to this point. There needs to be the standard of refer ence which is only acceptable in God’s sight. Most people like to measure themselves by their own standards, or at least by the stand ards of the world. But when our lives are placed alongside of God’s perfect law, we see that there isn’t anything inherently good in us. After we have been to a summer conference or heard a stirring mes sage from the pastor, we come up with the assertion, “Oh, I’m going to be different!” There is the desire but no dynamic. The law of sin and death is operative within you. The first statement is one of discovery, the second statement one of disillu sionment, but this third one of dy namic decision. The indwelling pres ence of Jesus Christ gives us the power over sin and death, if we will but lay hold of it and claim it for ourselves. Like any law of dynamics, it must be applied in order to be ef fective. Can you say today, as your personal testimony, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” ? RELEASED LIFE PART II W e hear much about freedom to day; however, s p i r i t u a l l y speaking, the way a person is set free from sin and death is through the operation of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Again, we un derscore that the Bible doesn’t teach a principle of sin eradication. It shows us rather counteraction. The Spirit of Christ in the Christian is greater than the principle of sin and death (I John 4:4). Unfortunately, many Christians appear to be rather ignorant concerning the principle of 12
capacity to engage in things which we do not like to see in others. Paul knew that there were certain things he ought to do, and yet they were not his practice. All Christians have something about themselves they ut terly hate. It may be a sin, a charac teristic, some part of their tempera ment. Whatever it is, it is obnoxious to them and they would like to be rid of it permanently. Have you ever looked back and discovered that you have a tendency to do things you hate? Pointing up the final reason for his conclusion that he is sold under sin, Paul illustrates: half of me rec ognizes what ought to be done, but I am like a split personality. Half of me has understanding of spiritual realities, but there is something else in me that is diametrically opposed to all of these things. He comes to the only conclusion that it is sin that dwells within. When you arrive at ■this point, you begin to know some thing of the law of sin and death in your members. Paul’s testimony was the realiza tion that within his sinful flesh was no good thing. Philippians shows us that this is something he could have gloried in. This chapter gives us his impressive human pedigree. To say, “There is no good thing in me” is
Mrs. Martha S. Hooker (left), recently retired from the Biola College faculty in the Christian Education Department, meets a new freshman student coming from the western Caroline Islands, Dakio Syne.
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Don’t spend all of your time bemoan ing difficulties and problems. Don’t get so w o r r ie d about yourself, worked up because of your difficulties that you are totally incapable of do ing anything for God. The Lord is present with you and you have His resurrection power to perform for the glory of God. The Lord wants to set wretched men free. He does it through the indwelling Holy Spirit. When He is the operative dynamic of your existence, He sets you free from the law of sin and death. Do you know who He really is? Then, do you know where He is? Verse 9 tells us, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.” If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit is in you. God doesn’t give you any alternative. Either the Spirit of Christ is in you, or you are not a Christian. There are no two ways about it. Then ask yourself, “Why is the Holy Spirit within me?” His simple purpose is continually to set you free from the law of sin and death. God expects you to live in the good of all that the indwelling Holy Spirit is. In one of my meetings over here, a man came up after a message and
the Spirit of life. This only operates in Christ Jesus. While I was ministering in New ark, New Jersey, some riots broke out. An untold amount of damage was done to property and life. The law that had been operating there was overridden and counteracted by a law that had no right to exert it self. To use a good American word, the law was constitutional. For the Christian, there is only one princi ple or law in our lives that is consti tutional. The only one recognizable by God in Christ Jesus is the law of the Spirit of life. Some Christians have never come face-to-face with this. It is like living in New Jersey under mob rule instead of under the proper law of the land. Whenever we fail to live under God’s proper principles, death and defeat will al ways result. When we as Christians let sin rule and reign rampant with in our hearts, sin and death will have the upper hand. It is an excit ing possibility to know that you can be emancipated from the power of sin when you let the life of the Spirit of God cut loose in your life. There are many descriptions of the Spirit of God, particularly in this eighth chapter of Romans. I would encourage you to do a study of this. His title, often neglected, is in verse 11, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quick en your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” One of the things that gets me really excited about the Christian life is that God raised up Jesus from the dead. I don’t know how He did it, but it was a tremendous dynamic. This same power is available to every single Christian. While we have troubles with ourselves, the Bible teaches that we can die to these things because Christ now lives within us. We no longer have an obligation to sin. Our requirement is to live under the domination of the Spirit of God.
Mr. Terry Rose (right), Biola faculty member and freshman counselor, with his wife, talk to three of the new students attending Biota. They are Susan Valladao and Ruth Biggs, of Fairfield, California, and Sharon Forrest,of Oregon.
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asked if he could talk to me about spiritual problems. We discovered that the only time we both could make it was while he was up flying the next afternoon. So, I went with him, although I get all the flying I need in meetings from here to there. As we were cruising along, he sud denly turned and asked, “Listen, how can the law of sin and death be over come? How can I be set free and live in the liberty of God’s Son?” I illus trated it for him: “A little while ago we were bound to the ground. It’s because of the fact that we’re in the airplane now which sets us free. The principle or law of gravity held us on the earth. But that law has been overcome now because of aerodynam ics. It doesn’t make the law of grav ity non-existent. It simply over comes it when we are in the air plane. Even so, in Christ Jesus there is a principle that operates, the law of the Spirit of life, that sets us free from the law of sin and death. If you are in Christ, the Spirit of God is in you to overcome all that the power of sin is within you.” He readily saw the point and claimed God’s victory for his life. How about you? Have you been set free from this lesser power that seeks to dominate and
bind? May God help us to enjoy all the power and freedom God intends that we should have through the in dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. RELEASED LIFE PART III A s WE CONSIDER the power of God which can be operative in our lives, there are three key words to remember: mind, walk, and mortify, found in Romans 8. These three en able the law of the Spirit of life to be the counteracting force of the law of sin and death in the believer. While the Lord doesn’t want us to have an obsession, He does want our minds to be captivated and abso lutely anchored upon the Spirit of God in us. We can either mind the flesh or we can mind the Spirit. One commentator has suggested that there are about twenty-three differ ent meanings of the word flesh in the Bible. It basically means all that you are apart from all that the Spirit of God is within you. As long as our conversation and thinking is gov erned by “I, me, my, and mine,” we are minding the things of the flesh. We have really become obsessed with ourselves. In this way, spiritually speaking, we never get very far. Are you so enthralled with who He is and so delighted in all that He is within you that you are exhilarated by the possibilities of the Holy Spirit’s be ing released through you? Now it is one thing to have our minds fixed upon something and it is another for us to act upon what we know in our minds. The Bible re quires that we not only mind the things of the Spirit, but also that we walk after the Spirit. This means to move one step at a time into a sit uation, reckoning with who the Spirit of God is within us. The Christian life is not a step, but rather a continuous walk. We need to remind ourselves that it is possible in every single step of the way to
Dean of Men, Paul Poelstra (right), chats with Biola freshman student Larry Neiswender of Spokane, Wash. Mr. Polstra is also a graduate of Biola Colege.
mind the Spirit. This indeed makes life exciting. Suppose we take a step into a situation that is a disappoint ment. What do we do? If we are minding the things of the Spirit, we know that He is working within us. We rejoice in all that He can do for us. Our minds recognize disappoint ment, but they are so full of all that the Spirit of God can be in such a circumstance that we are not ob sessed with our problems. In these situations Christ’s life sets us free from the old life that reproduced discouragement, defeat, and death. Remember, that you died to the law in the same way that you died to sin. The wonderful thing that happens when we walk in the Spirit is that we don’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh. The righteousness of the law is ful filled in us. Automatically the quality of Christ’s life is released through us. The quality of the life of the Holy Spirit within us is the essence of the law of God. Love, righteousness, peace, and joy flow through us. We don’t have to manufacture them; it is a spontaneous reaction. It is necessary for us, through the Spirit, to mortify or put to death the deeds of the body. Sin is still going to raise its ugly head. Satan will come along with temptations. De feat and discouragement will be his sharp tools. It isn’t necessary for us to respond. While the power of sin is too big for you, remember you have within you the principle of the Spirit of life. If the power of God could raise Christ from the dead, don’t you think that same power can be used to defeat Satan? Living the Romans life is a most glorious prospect. You can recognize sin and how to over come it. You can recognize self and how to overcome it. You can see Satan at work and know how to over come him. There are untold possibili ties to seeing tribulations, trials, problems and difficulties overcome and your rejoicing in them. This is the glorious liberty of being set free from all the tremendous de
mands of the law. You are brought into a new relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. You can enjoy Him risen from the dead within you by His Holy Spirit. He reproduces His life in yours which is fruit unto God. It is a life of faith, expecting God to do the sort of thing He prom ised He would do through you by the Holy Spirit. This is nothing more or less than living the normal Chris tian life. If you have never done it’ before, kneel down now. open your Bible to the Epistle of Romans and say, “Oh God, this wonderful Chris tian life is for me. While I have known so little of it up to now, I want to claim the full blessings of Your power within me.” May God give you the power and conviction to do it now for His honor and glory.
UNLESS I SH A R E Though Jesus Christ were born Two thousand years ago. His birth was but in vain— Unless my brother know. The life of love He lived, Except I make it clear, His sacrifice was loss— Unless my brother hear. The love that Christmas means, In me, shows meager part— Unless I share abroad His love from out my heart. —Jesse Cameron Alison
Jeanne Fox (left) of San Diego, Calif., a junior, has the opportunity of meeting Rick Allen, Associated Student Body president whose home is in Tucson, Ariz. Mr. Allen will be graduat ing this June from Blola Colege.
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parables and pearls
(AS FEATURED OVER THE BIOLA HOUR)
and insults, he pushed away the rebel relative with his foot. No one could blame him for they all knew the wick edness of the man. Services had al ready begun as he moved forward to his seat. Suddenly, it seemed like the voice of God speaking. The minister read the words found in Matthew 18, “Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Jesus 8aith unto him, until 70 times 7.” Con science-stricken, the Kaiser returned to the side of his now repentant broth er who lay sobbing. Raising the dis heveled creature to his feet, he planted a fraternal kiss of brotherhood and forgiveness on his brow. Forever after the formerly wayward brother became his most obedient and trusted helper. Some say that this act of forgiveness was Kaiser Otto’s greatest victory, for it was a triumph over sinful hatred. We can only gain a forgiving heart by going to Calvary and seeing there how much our Lord has forgiven us. “And be ye kind one to another, tender-heart ed, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephes. 4:32). * * * If absence makes the heart grow fonder, how some people must love church and Sunday school! * * * SEARCH FOR GOLD Through the centuries, civilization has often been spread through man’s search for gold. I t was in the 15th cen tury that the Spaniards entered South America for such conquests, while in 1849 other gold seekers rushed to the new land of California. Two years later, discovery of gold there started the colonization of Australia. One can understand why for just one nugget
HEART POWER Did you know that your heart, if nor mal, beats approximately 100,000 times every day, a million times every ten days, and between 36-38 million times each year? Every hour your heart ex pends enough energy to carry a 150- pound man from street level to the roof of a three-story building. Every day it pushes from 5 to 10 tons of blood, de pending upon the size of your body, through your blood vessels. I f you at tain your allotted threescore and ten years, your heart, in the course of those seven decades, will have exerted enough force to lift the world’s largest battle ship 14 feet out of the water. How wonderful to know that this human heart can be employed to bring God’s redeeming grace and message of eter nal life to spiritually hungry and needy hearts. This is the purpose of Biola which, next year, marks its 60th year of preparing students for world-wide Christian service. * * * He who abandons himself to God will never be abandoned by God. * * * TRUE FORGIVENESS How strangely does destiny move l Years ago when Otto the Great en tered the cathedral of Frankfurt one day to attend services, he was ap proached by a poor, emaciated-looking man dressed in sackcloth. With raised praying hands, the profligate fell pros trate at the monarch’8 feet. The Kaiser suddenly recognized this penitent per son as none other than his own broth er. Normally, one would think such a reunion would be joyful. However, the sovereign couldn’t forget the evil man ner in which his brother had tricked him. Remembering the ill treatment
weighed 2£20 ounces which is about as much as a medium-sized man. The in satiable quest for gold drove hopefuls to Alaska as well as other portions of the world. Yet, do you know, even unth such endeavors, all the gold mined in the U50 years between 1492 and 1942, if cast into a cube, would measure less than 44 feet each way. Not very much is it: 44 feet square? A s we keep this in mind, it’s difficult to conceive of paving the streets of a city, especially one with a main boulevard 1400 miles long, with gold. The Bible reminds us that this will be the dimension of this gigantic city whose external walls are also made of the same precious mate rial. Thrilling to contemplate? Yes, but it’s not the gold to which we look for wardbut rather our God and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.” * * * The Christmas spirit that goes out with the dried up Christmas tree is just as worthless. * * * WISE INVESTMENTS This Christmas season, millions of dollars are being spent on selfish indul gences, all in the name of the One whose free g ift is Salvation. Our Lord told the interesting parable of those who were entrusted with funds and urged to invest them wisely. Some used the money to earn more capital while one was afraid to do anything. While Scripture doesn’t specifically speak about a fourth steward, if the situa tion took place today, there might have been one who would have apologized, “Lord, Your pound gained 10, but, You see, I’ve spent 9 on myself. So, here’s one pound I kept for You. I’m grateful for the way You prospered me, Lord. Ilf8 hard to live in such a competitive society, especially at Christmas. The neighbors look at you sideways if you don’t keep up. We really meant to give more to You but we didn’t want our children to be ashamed of us,” people say to the Lord. “Ilfs true; it is a sorry situation the way they’ve treated You. It’8 hard to understand, when we tried so hard to teach them eternal values.
By the way, Your pound is a little chipped on the edges. I guess that hap pened when some of our time payments came due; we had to cut corners here and there.” Sound familiar? Should this poor steward pause long enough from his selfish pursuits, he no doubt would hear the Saviour say, as in the long ago, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not sat isfy?” A t this joyous season of the year, let us not be so occupied unth the secular aspects of a commercial world that we miss those true values which alone unit last throughout all eternity. * A complaining tongue reveals an un grateful heart. * * * SPEECH LESSON A t this time of the year there are many parties and social gatherings. Perhaps you’ve heard of the wife who persuaded her unwilling husband to go to dinner at the home of some of her old acquaintances. A fter the meal, the host and hostess left the room and busied themselves in the kitchen pre paring the dessert. The now irritated husband grumbled, “I hope you’re en joying yourself, because I ’m not. The man’s a bore and the woman’s a snob. What’s more, the meal was awful. Even this room is deplorable; itfs as drafty as the North Pole. I don’t care what you say ; this is the last time I’ll come here!” A moment later, when the host returned to the room, the husband pulled a tape recorder from underneath the table and said, with a rather roguish grin, “We’ve got something here you’ll be intrigued unth. We switched it on while we were out of the room. I think you’ll be amused to hear what your voices sound like. Let’s play it back.” Well, to make a long story short, the visitor was quite right when he said he would never enter that house again! Similarly, we need to re member that while we may think no one else hears what we say, or even knows what we think, God does! Let us be sure that we do nothing which might bring condemnation upon His name. This Scriptural truth is proven real in our lives, that “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and * *
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