13
January, 1944
Dr. Talbot's Question Box Questions for answer in this depart ment should be sent to the Editorial Department, THE KING'S BUSINESS, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 13, Calif.
The “Rebuilding” oí Biola Goes On! Friends of the Bible Institute áre watching with eager interest the progress of the project to free the Biola buildings of debt. A month ago the amount received was not quite half the necessary $110,000; how it stands at two-thirds! With o n l y approximately $40,000 yet remaining of the amount of indebtedness, it is not unreasonable to say that the goal is in sight. The response of .God’s stewards has been spontaneous— the blessing of the Lord will be upon the gifts. Nowhere has the spirit of sacrifi cial giving been more joyous than at Biola itself. Blocks, each repre senting a gift of SI00, have been inscribed with the names of student groups and organizations: the Stu dent Body, the Glee Club, the Ora torio Choir, the Dining Room Staff, the Evening School, and a block from each of the ten floors of tbf dormitory. Other blocks have b 9 , A taken by the Faculty, the employ ees, and members of the Board of Directors, to make a total of $20,000. This is an expression of gratitude from those who are the closest to the work of this great school. "Give and it shall be given unto you” with that peculiar blessing which the Lord bestows upon those who give in His name and for His sake. As the Lord directs, w ill you not become a part of this present en deavor? Use the accompanying cou pon prayerfully. The Bible Institute of Los Angeles 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 13, California. Enclosed find ....... as my gift to the Lorfl to be used in liquidating the indebtedness on the buildings of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. (G ift may be for one or more blocks at $100 gach, or for any portion thereof.) Name i_____ _________—..— .— ------- Address ...--------------- ----------------—•
the Christian, or saint, scarcely a day p a s s e s without that person’s being guilty of sinning in some way—either in thought, word, or deed. Paul em phasizes this fact in his letter to the Romans (cf. Rom. 7:15-19; 8:5-13). However safe he may feel, he is never beyond the need of watching lest he fa l (cf. 1 Cor. 10:11-13; 2 Cor. 10:17, 18). A Christian does not continue in sin; it is abhorrent to his new nature. The more conscious he b e c o m e s of what sin really is, and of the great salvation that is his in Christ, the more he will depend upon the Saviour who is able to keep him victorious. This verse does not teach sinless perfection as some would have us be lieve. The words refer to the new na ture which a person receives when he accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. A t the time of this act of f a i t h by the individual, the Holy Spirit enters the heart to dwell. This is the new birth. The believer be comes the possessor of a new nature (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17; CoJ. 3:10; 1 John 3:14; 4:7, 8). Because this new nature is o f God, and is motivated by the Holy Spirit, it is good, perfect, and sinless. It is that which is “ bom of God,” and “ doth not c o m m i t sin.” However, the Holy Spirit’s entrance into the heart toes not mean that the old Adamic, sinful nature is instantly, entirely, and permanently eradicated. It is of the flesh, and it still exists (cf. Gal. 5:16,17). Herein lies the re sponsibility of the individual: He must nourish the new nature with prayer, Bible study, obedience to God, and de voted service, so that the old nature is starved and made ineffectual. Then the new n a t u r e prevails and rules w i t h i n the Christian’s heart. The Spirit of God can thus operate. QUE.: I have been told that the Bible speaks of a war lasting one hundred years. Could you tell me if there is any Scripture on this, and where it is found? To our knowledge there is no Scrip ture to substantiate the theory that there is to be a wai which w ill last one hundred years. Since time began, men have been at war against men, and nations against nations. Further more, we read in Matthew 24:6, 7 that there w ill be “wars and rumors of wars.” We know that this condition w ill last until Christ comes; but there is no particular time specified fox the duration of any one of the weirs. QUE: Please explain the mean ing of the verse, 1 John 3:9.
QUE: Will God condemn me for wrongs which I committed be fore I became a Christian? I have no way of making restitution for the sins. To attack the Christian with doubt as to the completeness o f his salva tion is one of Satan’s subtle tricks. The evil one delights to remind God’s child of past wrongdoings, and to make those taunts a basis fo r mis givings as to the believer’s safety in Christ. How thankful we can be that in God’s Word there is perfect assur ance of freedom from condemnation for the one who has put his trust in Christ. In Romans 8:1 we read, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Other Scriptures referring to this fact are: Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 43:25; John 10:28; Romans 8:31-39. Let it be said, however, that the born-again one, in keeping with the new nature which he has received, w ill endeavor, insofar as it is possible, to mak~ right the of fenses which he committed before he became a Christian, for in so doing he may give a testimony to others of the genuineness o f his profession. In this the “ fruit of the Spirit” is manifested (cf. Gal. 5:22-25). QUE: Is there not a distinction made in God’s Word between a saint and a sinning Christian? First, It is necessary to understand the meaning o f these terms. It is thought by some that the word “ saint” pertains to perfection. There is no Scripture to substantiate this belief. According to God’s Word, the expres sions “saint” and “Christian” are synonymous, and are used to designate believers. In the Old Testament, serv ants of the Lord are called “ saints” (cf. Deut. 33:3; 1 Sam. 2:9; Psa. 97;10; 106:16; Hos. 11:12). In the New Testa ment, we find that the followers of Christ, believers, are referred to both as saints and as Christians (cf. 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 1:15, 18; 3:8; Rev. 16:6; Acts 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:16). There are believers who are termed “carnal” Christians. Because they have accepted Christ as Saviour, they will inherit eternal life; but because of their carnality of walk and serv ice, they will lose much of present blessing and future reward (cf. 1 Cor. 3:11-15). Though the question o f his soul’s salvation has been forever settled for
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