Why do you not baptize infants and very young children? It is my firm conviction that baptism follows conversion. I am happy to dedi cate infants and young children to the- Lord, in the Lord’s house or in the home. In fact, it seems to me that every Christian parent should dedicate h is child to God, both as an act of devotion to Him and as a safeguard to the child. But dedication is not'baptism. Dedica tion is the act of the parent, in which he presents his child to God and as sumes responsibility for the training of that child for Him. Baptism, however, is the act of the believer himself, in which he confesses faith in the Lord Jesus who died for our sins and rose again for our justification. Let me merely outline briefly some of the conditions to answered prayer: 1. We must pray to the Father in the name of the Son, even as our Lord said: “ Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13,14; cf. John 16:24). 2. We must pray for God’s glory, not for selfish ends, “that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). 3. We must pray according to God’s will. “We know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us . . . according to the will of God” (Rom. 8: 26,27). “ And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, what soever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we 'desired of him” (1 John 5:14,15). 4. We must pray in faith, believing that God will answer. “ And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, be lieving, ye shall receive” (Matt. 21:22). “ According to your faith be it unto you” (Matt. 9:29). 5. We must abide in Him: “ If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be M A R C H , 1 9 5 0 What are the conditions to answered prayer?
Dr. L. T. Talbot
done unto you” (John 15:7). “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 John 3:22). 6. We must pray “with thanksgiving,” praising God for our salvation and for His providences. (See Phil. 4:6.) Prayer and praise should ever go hand in hand. Some ministers claim that every one, even the devil, will be saved when Christ gives the kingdom back to the Father after His millennial reign on earth. These ministers base this teach ing on Philippians 2:9-11, where we .read “ that every knee shall bow” before God. If that is so, why was Christ’s great sacrifice necessary, if after a few years’ punishment, we all are to be saved anyway? What some ministers believe and what the Bible teaches are two different things, although it is to be regretted that it should be so. There is a difference between recon ciliation and subjugation. It is true that “ God also hath highly exalted him [Je sus], and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11). Paul here is speaking of subjugation; therefore the three realms are named: Things in heaven, things in earth, and things under the earth. Even Satan and his demons know that Jesus Christ is Lord; but the day will come when they will have to confess it before all of God’s universe. The words here give no intimation, however, of a saving faith on the part of the unregenerate; nor
does any portion of Scripture. On the contrary, many passages might be cited, to prove just the opposite. Revelation 20:10 is enough to prove what will become of Satan, the Antichrist, and all his followers: “ And the devil that de ceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tor mented day and night for ever and ever.” What Philippians 2:9-11 does teach is that men and angels and demons, even Satan, will bow the knee before Jesus of Nazareth, acknowledging Him as King of kings and Lord of lords. This passage is a wonderful proof of the deity of Christ. But when it comes to a matter of love and heart-allegiance, even salva tion, that is another matter entirely. Read Colossians 1:20: “Having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself . . . whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven . . .”—here you will note that nothing is said of reconciling things under the earth, although the things under the earth will be subju gated to Christ. Should a Christian sue for slander? It all depends upon what you mean by slander. If you are suffering at the hands of others for Christ’s sake, !>«•■ cause you are a Christian, then you are to take the same kindly and patiently. If, however, your personal character is being attacked, that is another thing, and courts and prisons were established for slanderers. Let us remember, though, that “prayer changes things” ; and I am convinced that Christians could accom plish far more through prayer than they do, when it comes to such matters, without taking them to court. (Continued oji Page 19) Page Fifteen
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