THË KING’S BUSINESS
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Questions and Answers R . A . TO R R E Y
(Jo h n 13; 10, 1 1 ). T h e A p o stle P a u l says in 2 T im o th y 1:12, “ I know w hom I have believed, a n d am p e rsu ad e d th a t H e is able to g u a rd th a t w hich I have com m itted un to H im a g ain st th a t d ay .” T h e c le ar te a c h in g th e n of th e Bible is th a t th o se w ho a re tru ly C h rist’s sheep, really b o rn a g ain a n d th ere fo re really saved, w ill n ev er be lost. H ow ever, it is very c le ar from th e Bible, a n d from experience, th a t m any a re o u t w ard ly co n v erted a n d y e t go b a ck into sin a n d a re lost fo rev e r; b u t th o u g h con verted, th ey w ere n o t reg en erated . C on version is th e m ere o u tw ard change— re g en eratio n is th e im p a rtatio n of th e new life, th e life of God H im self. So m any seem to be saved w ho really a re n o t saved, an d su ch m ay be lost, b u t one w ho is tru ly b o rn a g ain a n d really of C h rist does n o t go b a ck in to sin (see 1 Jo h n 2 :1 9 ). O n e m ay fu rth e r a sk f "S uppose a re g e n era te p e rso n lies dow n in sin a n d dies in sin, w ill h e be sav ed ?” T h e a n sw e r is very sim ple, a n d very plain. T h e one w ho is tru ly b o rn of God w ill n o t lie dow n in sin. H e m ay be tem p ted a n d fall into sin-, b u t h e will see his sin, re p en t of it a n d p u t it aw ay. T h e one w ho tru ly b e lieves will n o t d raw b ack u n to perd itio n , b u t will co n tin u e stead fast to th e saving of th e soul (H eb. 10:38, 3 9 ) . T h e Bible beyond a d o u b t clearly teach es th e se cu rity of th e tru e believer. If w e know th a t w e tru ly believe in Jesus C h rist th en it is o u r privilege to k now th a t w e have e te rn a l life (I Jo h n 3 :1 3 ), a n d th a t th e re fo re w e shall n ev er p e rish (Jo h n 10:28, 2 9 ) . O u r confidence, how ever, w ill n o t be in o u r ow n p e rsev e ra n ce ; th a t is, in “ th e p e rsev e ra n ce of th e sain ts,” b u t o u r confidence w ill be in th e p e rsev e ra n ce of th e S aviour. H e n e v er b re ak s H is cove n a n t a n d H e has co v enanted to give us e te rn a l life an d to secu re us from ever perishing.
“ In th e Ja n u a ry n um b er of ‘T h e K ing’s Business’ w e re a d : ‘No p a sto r n eed an y lo n g e r say th a t h e does n o t k n ow how to tra in his p eople fo r th is w o rk ( th a t is fo r p e rso n al w o rk in saving so u ls), fo r th e re a re a n um b er of books easily obtained w hich tell him ju st how to do it.’ W h at a re som e of th e books to w hich y o u r e fe r? ” T h e tw o books w hich a re m ost generally used fo r this p u rp o se , a s fa r as w e know , a re th e tw o books w ritte n by th e E ditor- in-C hief of “T h e K ing’s Business,“ entitled, “H ow to B ring Men to C h rist“ a n d “ P e r sonal W o rk . T h e b o o k “ H ow to B ring Men to C h rist“ has b een used th e longest an d has h ad th e larg e st sale. T h e cloth- covered edition costs 75 c, b u t th e re is a p a p e r edition, No. 1, of th e M ontrose L i b ra ry , w hich can be p u rc h ase d fo r 15c o r $7 p e r 100, p u rc h a se r to p ay freight, ex p ress o r p o stag e on sam e. T h e b o o k “P e r sonal W o rk ,“ is a la rg e r a n d la te r book a n d m ore th o ro u g h . It is only published in cloth covers a n d costs $1 p e r copy. A discount of 40 p e r cen t is allow ed w hen b o u g h t in n um bers of tw enty-five o r m ore. “D o y o u th in k th e Bible tea ch e s once saved alw ays saved, a n d if so, could you give som e of th e re fe re n c e s? ” In Jo h n 10:28, 29, th e L ord Jesus dis tin ctly teach es us th a t H e gives u n to H is sheep e te rn a l life a n d th a t n o n e of H is sheep shall ever p e rish a n d th a t no m an is able to p lu ck them o u t of th e F a th e r’s han d . In Jo h n 17:12 (see R. V .) , th e L o rd Jesus is reco rd ed as h aving said to th e F a th er, “W hile 1 w as w ith them , I k e p t them in T h y nam e w hich th o u h ast given m e: a n d I g u a rd ed th em a n d n o t one of th em p e rish ed .” H e goes on to say th a t th e son of p e rd itio n p e rish ed b u t H e distinctly says in a n o th e r p lace th a t th e son of p e rd itio n w as n e v er re g en e rate
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