Q . Watsonville, California — "I would like help on I John 3:9.” A. This reads, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he can not sin, because he is born of God.” There may be a misunderstanding in what the apostle John is indicating. He tells us in the first chapter that, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” The writer proves at the very outset that all human beings have a sinful nature and repeatedly commit sinful acts. The Bible does teach us, however, and we know from experience, that a believer does not commit sin as a rule of life and practice. Here it refers to a constant committing, habitually and uninterruptedly, of sin. It is not true with a Christian for the seed of God’s Word is within him, and he is “born of God.” In I John 2:1 we read, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” John is saying, “I am writing you these things so that you do not go on living the way the unsaved world does; that you do not go on habitually living a life of sin. But if any man (meaning Christian man) sin (that word in the original means ‘commits an act of sin’) we have a means of forgiveness through Christ.” While we are in the body we do commit acts of sin. Q . Ashland, Oregon — “Why did Jesus have so many critics and enemies? I t seems to me that with His divine nature, everyone would have loved Him.” A. Our Lord Himself said, “Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.” Jesus called Himself the “Light of the world.” The heart of man is desperately wicked and actually enjoys sinful activities. Since our Lord was the perfection and personification of all that is good, righteous and holy, He had many ene mies. Satan hates Him because Satan 16
Biola students enjoy athletics. This Sep tember a major in physical education will be offered to meet a growing need in an area where a testimony for Christ can be very effective. necessary to do some things we would rather not do. Any arbitrary activi ties which can be arranged for other times should certainly be done this way. The Lord’s Day should be set aside for worship of the heavenly Father through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. To begin to legislate, however, and to say that one can do this and cannot do that, tends to make the whole Christian life a mat ter of legal bondage. Christ has set us free! Concerning the question on motion pictures, Biola has a policy that as a school we cannot endorse the com mercial theater. We ask our students to sign a statement that they will not attend moving pictures during the time they are enrolled in school. Even the people within the industry admit that pictures made today are basically designed to appeal to the depraved character of people’s morals and the baser nature of human beings. There is plenty to do that is worthwhile, noble, upright and uplifting in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ with out putting money into the coffers of this type of entertainment.
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