Sima BROADCASTER
BROADCASTER
OCTOBER 1971
VOLUME 1
NUMBER 10
SEP T EM B ER RAD IO F E A T U R E S
President. . .
Managing Editor. . .
J. RICHARD CHASE
EVELYN GIBSON
Editor. . .
Biola Hour H o s t. . .
HAROLD PENROSE
DON RANSON
C O N T E N T S Verbal Pollution .........................................................................................4 J. Richard Chase Adam Names The A n im a ls ................................................................. 7 Leon Davis Grace ......................................................................................................... 12 John L. Mitchell Panel D iscussions.................................................................................. 33 Promise of the Coming Redeemer .............................................. 39 Lloyd T . Anderson
Cover Photograph by Pete Schwepker
Student Photographer — Kirk Potter WHEN REQUESTING EXTRA COPIES OF THE BIOLA BROADCASTER, PLEASE ALLOW TIME FOR DELIVERY.
Second Class postage paid in La Mirada, California. Printed in U.S.A. by Penn Litho graphies, Inc., Whittier, California. Address: Biola Broadcaster, 13800 Biola Avenue, La Mirada, California 90638.
ÿolp HanbŒour A Bible Lands Bible Conference conducted by Dr. Richard Chase and Dr. Charles Feinberg as Bible teacher is planned for December 11 through 20.
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*
COST:
$635.00 (includes all expenses from New York to New York)
*
ITINERARY:
* New York to Israel direct * Seven days in Israel * Overnight stay in Tiberias * Trips to Megiddo, Nazareth, Jordan Valley and Bethlehem for the Christmas preparations * Two-day stay in Rome on return trip
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For a d d itio n a l in fo rm a tio n w rite :
Dr. Israel Carmona Tour Coordinator Biola College 13800 Biola Avenue La Mirada, California 90638
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VERBAL
This past spring the University of California celebrated its 103rd birthday at Berkeley, the scene of the Free Speech Movement of the mid 60 ’s. One of the speakers was William J. McGill, President of Columbia University and former chancelor of the university’s San Diego campus. President McGill spoke out against pollution — “ Verbal Pollution.” As reported in the University Bulletin of April 5, 1971, McGill said: “ I have to confess that the most unadulterated form of verbal pollution now audible in American life derives unquestionably from the free speech areas of our university campuses. It is compounded
POLLUTION
out of wild, hysterical charges, gross obscenities, dreary cliches, demagogy and unreason.” To that, a host of Americans can readily agree. Although our nation’s campuses are today inhabited by a large percentage of earnest and able young people, there are those student and non-student ag ita to rs who specialize in undisciplined speech. This speech is, among other things, characterized by unbridled emotion and invective. As one popular speaker said at a large university, “ follow your stomach, not your head.” In other words, let your thoughts and speech be
governed by passion and desire, not reason and careful reflection. Frequently the speeches are designed 1) to inflame the sympathetic but passive student, 2) to provide an outlet for anger, and, presumably, 3) to frighten or coerce those who might disagree with the speaker. Such speaking is not new. It is as old as the act of speech itself. It has long been the stock in trade of those who rely on feeling and force rather than knowledge and understanding. The despot, self-seeking politician, and unscrupulous propagandist often indulge in such rhetoric. Today those who use such Page 5
desire. Disrespect for the “ reason” behind law and order, evidence and lo g ic , c la rity and appropriatness has weakened the essential fabric of a civilized society. Our personal and national ills cannot be ignored, but they are compounded - not alleviated - by the added abuse of undisciplined thought and speech. The Christian has a holy obligation not only to guard his thoughts and his utterance, but to recognize that his faith and the Scripture he holds dear are tied to reason — not fantasy or intuition. In a day that seems to encourage a retreat from reason - the Christian must be on guard lest his faith become nothing more than planitive wish. Faith is no guessing; it is reasoning and agreeing with God that we are miserable when we are alienated from God by our acts and thoughts, and a peace when we are united with God through accepting Christ as our Savior. The Biblical concept of faith involves know ledge , analysis, and e v a lu a tio n — as we ll as commitment. The Christian has an obligation to exercise great care lest he, too, contributes to the “ verbal pollution” that assaults our minds. In that context, and on the firm foundation of the authoritative Word of God, the Christian has the privilege to speak logically and forcefully concerning the needs of mankind.
speech often maintain that no one will “ listen to reason and do what I want them to do, so maybe they will pay attention to my emotionally charged verbal blasts.” Such reasoning, when it does exist, is based on the old premise that any means is acceptable to achieve one’s goals. These people are at least consistent in their philosophy for when their special rhetoric fails, they may even resort to physical violence as their final attempt at communication. Ideally, the college and university ought to attract those who have a high regard for reasoned discourse, for argument based on clear, rational logic and verifiable evidence. But for too many on our campuses today, reason is suspect, feeling or unfettered emotion is king. Oddly enough, it used to be standard academic procedure to dep recia te speakers who blantantly employed emotion. Studies were cited to show the negative effect upon an audience when loaded words, overwrought descriptions and overt displays of emotion dominated a message. And as far as invective, profanity, and threats of force are concerned, many a class in logic paused to underscore the problems in using Argumentum ad hom inen , Argumentum ad infernum, and Argumentum ad baculum. Students in our college and university classes readily joined in condemning such speech. Hopefully the majority still do. “ Verbal pollution” has, however, made great inroads into our academic life. Basically, it is a symptom of the malady of our age: an abandonment of reason and a conversion to intuition, a Page 6
GEN ES IS 2:18-23
word “ alone” means “ to be disjoined or separated.” Man, without a suitable helper is separated. Later on, after God created the woman, the statement is made that man and woman constitute one flesh; that is, woman eliminates man’s separated condition. A second thing about God’s statement is man’s need for a helper. The expression “ help meet for him” is literally a helper like h im .” I t has the idea of corresponding to him. It is actually “ a couterpart.” To put it simply, it means a wife. With the need for a suitable helper being so clearly spelled out in verse 18, one would think that the next verse would read simply, “ So God created a helper for him.” But it doesn’t. Instead, verse 19 says, “ Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field . . . and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.” The most obvious question which could be asked at this point is, “ What does naming the animals have to do with getting Adam a wife?” There seems to be no connection whatever. However, the connection lies in the scriptural concept of the name. In sc rip tu re the “ name” could denote a variety of things about ADAM NAMES THE ANIMALS TH E SCR IPTURA L CONCEPT O F TH E NAME
It is not uncommon for Christian teenagers to turn off when the Old Testament is mentioned. Many feel that it is not relevant and have no desire to trip through the desert with Moses or fight the giant with David. To convince them that the Old Testament contains truth that is as up to date now as it was the day it was written is almost impossible. If you want to put the regular Sunday School student on the spot, ask him this question which at first seems so simple and yet at second glance is not so simple. The question is: “ Why did God give to Adam the job of naming the animals?” Be prepared for an answer such as, “ It was to give Adam something to do” ; or, “ It was to help God out.” He might suggest that it was to show Adam that he had dominion over the animals. All of the answers usually indicate that he really does not know. The occasion for naming the animals arose in Genesis 2:18 when God made the statement, “ It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” When you finally get through the “ King James English” and understand it, two very interesting things will be noted. The first notable thing is that God recognized the important fact that the man could not function properly being alone. A more accurate translation is, “ Not good is the man in his separation.” The Page 8 MAN WAS NOT CR EA T ED TO FUNCTION ALONE
exception, therefore, a suitable wife would have to be compatible with him in these same areas. This fact, that none of the animals was compatible in these areas, Adam learned in naming the animals.
the ind iv id u a l. It may be descriptive of his person or position (Gen. 17:5). It may exp ress some circumstance affecting him (Ruth 1:20-21). It might be an expression of the hope entertained by the parents for him (Gen. 30:24). Or, it could point out some characteristic concerning him (Ruth 1:2). Therefore, for Adam to name the animals would require the giving of a designation which would be exp ressive o f the na tu re , character, and make up of the one named. Whatever Adam called it, it would have to be appropriate and significant to be expressive of that particular creature. So Adam named the animals (Gen. 2:20) and, in doing so, made a very remarkable discovery. “ But for Adam there was not found an help meet (a suitable helper) for him.” Could it be that he named the animals with a view toward finding his helper? It sure seems that way; and, in fact, it was. For what was Adam looking? Or, to put it another way, what would have constituted a suitable helper or wife? A suitable helper would have to be one who corresponded to him. She would have to be compatible with him. Every person develops in four a reas: p h y s ic a lly , mentally, socially, and spiritually. Even the Lord Jesus Christ developed in these four areas. Luke said that He “ increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2 :52 ). Adam was no COM PAT IB ILITY EXTENDS TO FOUR AR EA S
TH E PHYSICA L A R EA
The first instruction of God, after the creation of the woman, was “ Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth” (Gen. 1:28). It becomes apparent that any helper suitable for the man must be capable of bearing his children. No a n im a l c o u ld meet th is qualification. It is conceivable that physical union, alone, could exist, bu t th is is not ph y sica l compatibility. It would have to be a union from which children would be produced. Anything less than this would not be acceptable. The mental development of an ind iv id u a l extends to three essential areas. The first is the em o tio n s and their control including fear, anger, disgust, grief, joy, and surprise. The second is mentality, or the ability to learn which involves study, reading, and listening. The third area is the control o f thought patterns. Within the realm of thought patterns are attitudes (either good or bad), motives, and psychological needs such as se cu rity , confidence to deal satisfactory with problems, love, social approval, and self esteem. No animal possesses these mental c h a r a c t e r is t ic s and co u ld , therefore, not be compatible with the man. Page 9 THE MENTAL A R EA
sleep and, taking one of his ribs, made a woman for him. This creation of woman from Adam’s rib emphasizes the absolute unity of the human race and proves that the entire human race does indeed descend from one ancestor, Romans 5 :18ff. indicates. Adam’s later statement that “ this is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh:” reveals this fact. ADAM NAMES TH E WOMAN It is extremely interesting to note (Gen. 2:22-23) that God did with the woman, after her creation, as he had done with the animals after their creation. He brought her to the man, and it was Adam who called (named) her “ woman.” This is the one name he could not give to any of the animals. But recognizing that the woman was suitable in every area of development, Adam could say, “ This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.” Two very contemporary truths stand out from this passage, both of which should be considered by every Christian teenager. The first is the need for complete compatibility betwwen members of the opposite sex in dating. Harmony comes when there is compatibility in all areas of development. No area can be minimized. Since dating often leads to marriage, the selection of a dating partner should be taken very seriously. Wise marriage LESSONS TO LEARN
TH E SO C IA L A R EA Good so c ia l development requires that there be balance in the individual’s association with others. There must be balance in group participation. Likewise, there must be a development of abilities; participation in activities, development of achievements, and expression of leadership. Animals can be taught to respond to certain stimuli, but they cannot function socially on the level of man. Spiritually speaking, when he is compared to angels and animals, man is the lowest of God’s creation which possesses “ God awareness.” Since animals are lower than man in the order of God’s creation, it is therefore impossible to share God with animals. There is no concept of sin or redemption among them. Animals cannot learn nor practice the Word of God. They cannot grow in faith or obedience to God. The re cannot be fellowship between God and the animals, and animals cannot manifest the glory o f God. For these reasons, spiritual compatibility between Adam and any of the animals would be impossible. THE SP IR ITUA L A R EA
TH E WOMAN IS CR EA T ED
It is obvious that God knew beforehand and had planned this series of developments. Genesis 2:21-22 states that after Adam’s revealing discovery had been made God caused him to go into a deep
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counselors soon learn that marital problems can be traced to incompatibility in one or more of the four areas of development. It is no surprise that Paul would warn his readers in 2 Corinthians 6:14 to “ be not unequally yoked with unbelievers.” Spiritual compatibility between a believer and an unbeliever is not possible. Another important lesson to be learned is the lesson of patience as concerning dating and marriage.
We might speak ridiculously and say that Adam, in his haste and impatience, could have selected a helper from the animal creation. But he didn’t. God had his own choice for him, and it was the best. Every Christian teenager can rest assured that God will lead him to the one of His choice. And, as with Adam, it will be wise and satisfactory. God does all things well.
Leon Davis is a Bible teacher at Whittier Christian High School.
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With the students back in school the library gets a lot of activity.
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GRACE
I inquired further, “ What do you think you would say?” After a thoughtful pause, he replied, “ I think I would call to God’s attention the many years I have gone to church.” I reminded him, “ Yes, but the last couple of years you were not well enough to go to church. What would that do to your chances of getting into h e a ven ;” He shrugged his shoulders with a note of despair, “ Then, I just do not know what I would say.” I asked him if he would not like me to give him an answer which could be fully
SAVED BY GRA C E An 80 year old man told me of his many achievements in the past. I asked him about his future. He looked at me with a blank stare on his face and said, “ Well, I hope heaven is in my future.” I then inquired, “ Suppose you were to stand before heaven today and God were to ask you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ What would you say?” With a puzzled look in his eyes, and a high pitch to his voice, he replied, “ I do not know.”
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GOD'S UNMERITED FAVOR
John L . Mitchell
acceptable to God. There was no hesitation, “ I sure would,” he replied. The answer is found in Ephesians 2 :8 , “ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Many people have the concept that heaven is something that can be earned through man’s own goodness. God says heaven is His gift. It is something we receive by His grace. Grace is God’s unmerited favor. It is given to us freely. This is contrary to our
natural thought. It is instinctive for man to try to pacify a God who is displeased with sin in his li f e .. People struggle, work, impose punishment and harm upon themselves, all with the hope of pacifying the Creator and earning a place in heaven. In “ grace” we have the attitude of God; in “ faith” we have the attitude of man; in the word “ saved” we have the result when these two attitudes converge. In the original Greek Paul was saying, “ For by grace have you Page 13
prevailed. It was during this period that some liberal theologians proclaimed that “ God is dead.” They lacked faith in a living Lord. God offers salvation today on the basis of a living faith. When the Bible speaks of faith it means a dependence upon what God has done and a confidence in what He has said. When Christ died on the cross, He exclaimed, “ It is finished.” This was a commercial term used in the merchandising of His day, meaning “ paid for in fu ll.” The price of man’s salvation was paid for in full when He shed His blood on Calvary. When man counts upon this and depends upon it as sufficient for his hope of heaven, this is an exercise of faith. I am confident that every problem in the church today would be solved if all Christians understood and put into practice the doctrine of God’s grace. In II Corinthians 9:8 grace may be found as the sea of superlatives. “ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” For many years Christians have sung their favorite gospel song: “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me; I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now / see. ” O n e o f t h e s a d d e s t commentaries on the church today is that Christians sing the last line of that second stanza as L I V IN G B Y G R A C E
been saved.” He wanted to leave no doubt or question in the minds of the Ephesian believers that their salvation was a finished work. Paul was speaking primarily of salvation from the penalty of sin which is death. Each spring in Phoenix there is a two week seminar by professors in va riou s fields from the universities of Arizona. They observed that, in the period from 195 0 through 1965 all the knowledge in the world that had been accumulated since the beginning of man had doubled. When they analyzed the type of knowledge that had doubled so rapidly they noticed that it was in the field of the sciences rather than humanities. This is one of the problems we face today. Science claims it can learn how to do anything it wants to do; but it is looking to the field of humanities, which includes religion and theology, to tell it what to do. How is it that the areas of science grew so fast in knowledge? These same professors explained that the scientists had faith in the theories of the past. There could h a v e b een no p o s s ib le development of atomic energy had there not been faith in Einstein’s theory of relativity. These men had faith in consistency in the universe. They believed it could be counted upon to behave in a regulated fashion. All of their advancement and pioneering in scientific knowledge was based upon the instrument of faith in previous knowledge. On the other hand, they charged th a t the field of humanities had seen a decline in faith during the same period of time. Doubts and skepticism
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the greatest experience in their lives:
being defeated, downcast or depressed. He says, “ they who receive the abundance of grace shall reign in life .” The Christian can walk with his head high. He sings in the major key. He marches with a triumphant step. When I was teaching at the Arizona Bible College some years ago, one of the students came to me w ith a p rob lem . He complained about a defeated life. He had the habit of smoking cigarettes. It was not so much the fact that he smoked that bothered him, but that he felt compelled to do it in secret. He would leave the campus and go over to the bowling alley. He hoped his fellow students would not be aware of his problem. He tried to quit time after time but had always failed. I asked him if he thought God’s grace was sufficient to overcome the problem for one hour at a time. He believed this would be possible. I suggested when he got up the next morning at 7:00 that he pray for God’s grace to be sufficient for him to go through the next hour without smoking a cigarette. Then at 8:00 he should pray for God’s grace to be sufficient for another hour. This was to be his practice every hour on the hour. If he experienced the reigning of God’s grace for one hour at a time then the next day he should claim two hours at a time. The following day it could be four hours and so forth until he had the victory. The next week he met me with all smiles. No longer was he defeated. He had triumphed around the throne of God’s grace. He had come boldly and found grace to help just in the nick of time. Page 15
“How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed. ”
What about the hour, or the year, or the decade after they believed? Was God’s grace amazing only at the point of their conversion? We hear testimonies given about the amazing saving grace of God, but what about the amazing living grace of God? Paul says, “ all grace” which means grace of every description. He writes not only of grace sufficient to save, but also of grace that is able to keep in every circumstance. Some Christians express dismay over sinners who will not appropriate saving grace. Yet God will look upon the Christian in the same light and say, “ How is it that you do not appropriate my living grace and believe that I am able to make all grace abound toward you ?” Peter wrote, “ But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3 :1 8 ) . Growth is stimulated through c o n f lic t , prodding, testing, trials and rest. You cannot have an experience of any description which is greater than God’s grace. The next superlative in this verse is “ always” . This means there is grace for instant use (Hebrews 4 :16 ). A colloquial expression might read, “ There is grace to help just in the nick of time.” Paul wrote to the Romans that there is “ much more” grace for us (Romans 5 :17 ). Here the Christian’s life is depicted as triumphant and victorious. Paul gives no concept of a Christian
justification , His glorification. These are the “ all things” that work together for good to assure us and guarantee us heaven. Notice Romans 8:32 , “ He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things.” Here are the “ all things” of God’s living grace. Remember that there are things of sorrow, conflict, chastisement for which we can be thankful as God has given them to us to assure our maturing into the people He would have us to be. Then Paul concludes the verse by saying that this grace “ may abound to every good work.” This is grace to get God’s work done on earth. Let us not be satisfied with the amazing grace that saved us “ the hour we first believed.” But let us sing Ira Sankey’s song, “ More to Follow.” “Have you on the Lo rd believed? S till there’s more to follow. O f His grace have you received? S till there’s more to follow. Oh, the grace the Father shows! S till there’s more to follow. Freely He His grace bestows; S till there’s more to follow. More and more! More and more! S till there’s more to follow. Oh, His matchless, boundless love, S till there’s more to follow. ” G U ID E LIN ES O F GRA C E God, in His divine plan, has seen fit to bring salvation to mankind out of His vast supply of grace. We might wonder how He controls the actions of those who claim to have been recipients of His grace. We can be sure that God does not build a Berlin wall or pull
The “ all sufficiency” of which Paul speaks reveals grace of infinite supply. Paul testified about the thorn in the flesh. He had asked God to relieve him of it. Three times God replied, “ My grace is sufficient for thee” (II Corinthians 12:9).
John L. Mitchell
The “ all things” shows that the re is grace fo r eve ry circumstance. We love to quote Romans 8:28. But when we give testimony as to how this has been effective in our life, we expose our own finite and small view of God. We talk about the little things which have worked together in our lives for good. The “ all things” God has in mind are listed for us in the verses which follow. All of them have to do with our e t e r n a l s a l v a t i o n , H i s f o r e k n o w l e d g e , H i s predestination, His calling, His Page 16
down an Iron Curtain for the Christian. Instead He stretches out spiritual guidelines which will be s e n s i t i v e t o any danger confronting us. Paul gave these gu ide lines of grace to the Corinthians in five propositions. The first raises the question, “ Is it lawful for me?” (I Corinthians 6 :12). Paul now has a new basis of standing before God which is not a result of the law. Its concept comes from a new principle of grace. Just because Paul was no longer bound by the law did not mean that he would purposefully sin, commit adultery, steal and covet. He testifies, “ all things are lawful unto me.” That means he has a new relationship with God not based on a list of do’s and don’ts. Years ago I lived in California. Sometimes we went to the beach in the morning and then drove back late in the afternoon. I remember one time being stopped in a road block. Police were checking all the drivers to see if they had shoes on. Apparently there was an ordinance which required it. All the time I resided in that state I was required to have shoes on my feet while operating a car. In Arizona we have no law which requires this. The moment I crossed the Colorado River and went to Arizona what do you suppose I did? Did I take my shoes off and shout for joy that now I could drive a car without shoes? Of course not! I wore shoes not because I had to, but because I wanted to. “ Is it expedient for me;” is the second guideline. Paul had said that all things were lawful for him.
There are many things lawful for a Christian to do, but in the expediency of God’s grace he still does not become involved. He has accepted Scriptural guidelines which, if followed, contribute toward his effective and successful Christian life under grace. The third guideline is, “ Does it bring me under its power?” (Corinthians 6 :12 ). In other words, is it habit forming? There are many things in life which may be lawful for the Christian; they may even be expedient. The Christian who is saved by grace and lives by grace must ask himself, “ Is there a danger of this bringing me under its power;” (Corinthians 9 :27 ). He knew there were passions and lusts within which would cause his body to clamor for power over him. He lived a disciplined life so that the flesh would not become the master and lord of life. The complexity of our society puts the Christian into many a circumstance where he rubs shou lders w ith p o ten tia lly dangerous habits. The stories he reads, the pictures he sees, the drugs he takes, the programs he watches, can capture his thoughts and bring his mind into their captivity. It is Satan’s desire to bring about our spiritual defeat. The fourth question to ask is, “ Does it edify me?” Something may be legal and I may have liberty to engage in it, but what does it do to build me up and make me a better person? A couple of years ago while waiting at a signal a car coming from my left was going to make a left-hand turn under a green light. The driver had stopped under the Page 17
traffic light waiting for the on-coming traffic to clear. When it was safe she continued on her way in front of me. In Phoenix we have agricultural irrigation ditches bringing water to the city. The water canal by the side of the road was ten feet deep. The woman made the turn very slowly. Then for some reason she continued right on and drove her car directly into the ditch. It rolled over on its side. I ran over to the car to be of assistance. The engine was still running, but water was flooding into the car through the open windows on the right side. The first thing she said to me was, “ But I had the green light!’’ (I never did quite figure out what that had to do with things.) I reached in to turn off the engine and volunteered to open the door and help pull her out. She objected strangely asking, “ But where would I sit down;” Spiritually speaking, God has given the green light of His grace to the believer. We are not under law. Yet we do not have the right to drive our lives into the ditch w h e r e e te rna l va lues are destroyed. Finally, the fifth guideline. “ How does it e ffe c t my neighbor?” (Romans 14:15-21). T h e C h r is t ia n who f u lly appreciates the grace of God will have a mature concern for others. He is not living for himself. A Christian attorney told me he felt it was within his liberty to drink a martini before going to bed at night. It was only in the privacy of his own home. I did not try to argue with him. I simply asked him, “ What kind of impression does this make on your 12-year old daughter?” Suppose
this child has within the chemistry of her body the potential of becoming an alcoholic. By seeing her father imbibe with no apparent ill effects from it, she might begin doing the same thing. I asked the attorney if this would have any bearing on his practice of drinking. The next week he reported that he had poured himself a drink and took it to his bedroom where his daughter would not see him. Yet, it was there that he became convicted and finally went to the kitchen to pour it all out. We have a real responsibility to those about us. Lastly, let us ask the question, “ Is it to the glory of God?” (I Corinthians 6:19 , 20). Before we became Christians we belonged to ourselves. Now we have been redeemed by grace. We should live to please his new owner. When the Christian realizes that he has been bought with a price and that he belongs to another who has paid his redemptive cost, he will accept these guidelines of grace, he will seek ways to please the God who has saved him and who now enables him to live in the purity of divine grace. Tom was reared in a religious atmosphere. He had learned the Ten Commandments and he memorized the Beatitudes. He had rigidly regulated his life by a legal system which had been imposed upon him by the tradition of his church. He was a good boy to the extent of his ability as an 8th grader. When he heard of the grace of God he discovered a new way of life. Gone were the “ do’s” and “ don’ts” . He had been released Page 19 GUA RD RA ILS O F GRA C E
abomination among the fowls. They shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle and the osiphrage and the osprey” (Leviticus 11:13). In this case God was protecting them against physical dangers. There was a characteristic about these unclean animals that, if Israel were to eat of them, harm might come to their bodies. Under the law, God had a way to point out the dangers of its violation. In a similar fashion the Lord has given to the believer under grace guardrails which will protect him from physical, social and spiritual harm. The first phase is the sinner’s position. Paul writes: “ For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one, much more they who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5 :17 ). The sinner now has liberty in Christ. The second phase is the Christian’s proposition, which we find in Romans 6 :1 : “ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” This is the danger of a person who abuses the doctrine of grace. If where sin did abound grace did much more abound, why not then continue in sin that grace may abound all the more? (Romans 6 :2 ). Paul protests, “ God forbid!” Such a person knows nothing about the lordship of Christ. Instead of encouraging a Christian to sin, Paul says the doctrine of grace would cause him to reckon himself to be dead indeed to sin but alive unto God (Romans 6 : 11 ). The content of every one of the decalogue, with one exception, is
from the binding shackles of rigid legalism. As a result he was immediately tempted to flex his muscles of temptation. He began doing an y th ing he wished, experiencing all that the law had been telling him he could not do. This illustration shows the dangers of grace. How does God protect us from going astray? Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit discusses this in Romans 6:1 and 2. Before a person becomes a Christian he has the dominion of sin reigning in his life. This will bring its ultimate end of death. When he becomes a C h ris tian God gives him a "guardrail” so that grace will reign through righteousness unto eternal life. Paul never condemned the law. He merely places it in its proper perspective (Romans 7 :7 ). The law simply calls sin what it really is. It gives us certain protective boundaries. It does not create sin but merely identifies it. In the Old Testament days the law protected man from his real enemy. God gave Israel the law so these people might recognize the dangers of sip and transgression. “ Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3) was a spiritual protection. It showed tha t their Jehovah was the supreme God. Another portion states, “ Thou shalt not covet thy ne ighbo r’s house , nor thy n e ig h b o r ’ s w if e , nor th y ne ighbo r’ s servants . . . nor anything that is thy neighbors” (Exodus 20 :17). This provided the c h i l d r e n o f Israe l socia l protection. Later we read: “ And these are they which ye shall have in Page 20
repeated in concept under the system of grace. But there is one major difference. Under the Old Testament Law, man obeyed the commandments in order to be accepted as a righteous person. Under the system of grace, he responds to these exhortations because of being a righteous individual. Paul exhorts us, “ I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation to which you are called” (Ephesians 4 :1 ). The difference between law and grace is illustrated by the difference between cause and effect. Under the law , by keeping the commandments, man is the cause of his own righteousness. Under grace, the doing of the will of God becomes the effect of God’s righteousness in him. God has given us the teaching of His Word that we should respond to this aspect of His grace. We have His love which draws us in response to the One who gave His life for us. We have the intercession of His Son, who forever liveth to make intercession for us. He is able to save us unto the uttermost (Hebrews 7 :25 ). We have the fellowship of Christian brethren who are able to restore those who have fallen in the Christian walk (Galatians 6 :1 ). There is Christian discipline. If a child of God persists in living a life o f licen se he can expect chasten ing from the Lord (Hebrews 12:6). A few months ago I was on the Navajo reservation back in Indian country, about a hundred miles from the nearest highway. I visited in the hogan of a Christian woman named Anita. She was weaving a
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rug. After going through the usual custom of waiting to be received by the Navajo, I made a request as to whether she would weave a rug for me. I wanted to give it to my wife for Christmas. She agreed and made arrangements. When it was completed she would have it shipped to me. I received the rug in October. I had to decide whether I wanted to wait until Christmas or give it to her three months early. Under the system of the law I could have said, “ Honey, I have your Christmas present for you. It is a new Indian rug, made a c c o r d i n g t o my own specifications. If you are a good wife and cook my meals, wash the dishes, keep my clothes pressed, and all other required chores done faithfully for three months, I will see to it that you get this rug for Christmas.” On the other hand I could have done it under the system of grace. “ Honey, I have your Christmas present for you. It is a Navajo rug. Instead of making you wait for Christmas in order to see it, I love you so much I am going to give it to you now, three months prematurely, as your Christmas present.” What do you suppose the response would have been to that? In the first case she would have tried to be good in order to earn her Christmas present. In the second case she would have been a good wife in response to the love gift which was prematurely given to her. This is the greatest guardrail God has provided for the Christian under grace. Prematurely he has given to the Christian all of the benefits of his salvation. He is
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confident that His child will respond with a life of grace, living unto God through Jesus Christ. He will not allow sin to reign in His mortal body.
here is PAIDEUO. It is the concept of training children which is more than simply teaching them. He could have used another word, D IDASKO which means “ to teach and del i ver didactic discourses.” It would simply be instilling a doctrine in another. PA IDEUO embraces the student’s reception and response. Much of our education today is merely a teaching, telling what is right, without a training or an example to follow. In the Bible PA IDEUO is used both to train (Acts 22:3) and to Chastise (II Timothy 2:24-26: Hebrews 12:6, 7). The grace of God teaches us that we are to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts by virtue of our salvation by grace (Titus 2 :11). Ungodliness means simply the absence of God. There are rather few people who are ungodly in theo ry , but many who. are ungodly in practice. Did you know that it is possible for a Christian to be an ungodly person? In theory he may claim to believe in God, but in practice he ignores the Lord. Such is the route of practical atheism. The second thing God’s grace teaches us is that we should deny worldly lusts or desires (Romans 13:14). These can be distinguished from fleshly lusts. Worldly lusts include desires for prestige, status, e s t e e m , w e a l t h , success, impression. Fleshly lusts mean such things as rebellion, anger, bitterness. Worldly lusts allure from the system around us; fleshly lu sts are those which are stimulated from self within. When Paul speaks of living “ soberly” he means that the Christian is to be of a sound mind, Page 23
D ISC IPLINE O F GRACE
A speaker addressed a high school assembly and spoke of there being three kinds of students: dreamers, visionaries and activists. The dreamers were those who looked to the past; the visionaries those who looked to the future; and activists those who lived for the present. The same may be said for Christians in their relationship to the grace of God. In reality, all three of these concepts can be found in the Christian life. They are all embraced in a classic passage on the grace of God found in Titus 2:11-14. Interestingly, it is. In vs. II we have the grace for salvation. “ The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” In vs. 13 we read of the grace of His second coming, “ looking for that blessed hope.” In vs. 12 there is the grace of His s a n c t i f i c a t i o n w h i c h is accomp lished through loving discipline. All three of these are tied together with the opening statement concerning the grace of God. This discipline of grace involves both some negatives and positives. The negatives include the denial of ungodliness and worldly lusts. The positives require a life which is sober, righteous and godly. How does God go about developing the discipline of grace in a Christian’s life? Paul writes in vs. 12, “ teaching us.” The word he uses
Have you ever wondered what the grace of God looks like? How would you recognize it if you saw it? In the New Testament we have a miniature picture of it. A great revival had broken out in the city o f An tioch . They sent for Barnabas. We read in Acts 11:23, “ who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cling unto the Lord .” What was it that Barnabas saw? Acts 11:26 tells us that “ The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” “ Christian” was a nickname given to these people. The citizens of Antioch had so recognized the teachings and practices of jesus Christ in the lives of these people that they were identified in character and conduct as those like unto Jesus Christ. What an impact the church would make upon the world today if all who are members would live “ soberly, righteously and godly in this present world.” In this manner the people down the street, in the office, in the shops and in the stores, would recognize th e ir relationship and close identity with Jesus Christ. As a result, they could say, “ We have seen the grace of God in that person.” We have the perfect exavple of God’s grace in the person of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote: “ For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (II Corinthians 8 :9 ). We have a human trophy of EXAMPLE O F GRA C E
sane in his actions, and in his senses. He is one who curbs his desires and impulses so that he is self-controlled and temperate. In this same Epistle of Titus, Paul is specific as to what this means to the leaders of the church (1 :7 ,8 ). Here is an area for church officers to learn something about the grace of God in their position of leadership within the church. In Titus 2 :4 Paul speaks specifically as to what living soberly means for women. He addresses himself to the more mature that they should teach the y o u n g e r w om e n t o be sobe rm inded , to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, and so forth. Paul also instructs the believer to be tra ined in “ liv ing righteously.” The Bible has in mind two kinds of righteousness: self-righteousness and God’s righteousness. When a person receives the Lord’s grace as bringing him salvation (2:11) God at that point imputes to him an entirely new kind of righteousness which man can never know by himself. The very goodness of God will be worked out in our practical lives. The third constructive display of God’s grace in a Christian is living godly or piously. Many have memorized the catechism which states that “ The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” The godliness of the Lord is so much a part of the discipline of grace that the whole life of the Christian is in harmony with it. Only when this harmony exists can true enjoyment of godliness be experienced.
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God’s grace in the Apostle Paul. He wrote “ Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ” (I Corinthians 11:1). He told the early Christians as well as us to note those who walked by faith (Philippians 3 :17 ; II Thessalonians 3: 7 ,9 ). Paul testified that before his conversion he had been spiritually bankrupt (Philippians 3:4-6). If we were to examine this ledger of Paul’s life, we would look at the credit side as he had lived it. First o f all he tells us he was c ircum c ised . T h is was his identification as belonging to the chosen people of God. The event was on the “ eighth day” which indicates that he was not merely a convert to Judaism at some later time in life. The Ishmaelites, for example, were circumcized in their thirteenth year. His second credit is that he was of the stock of Israel. While it would have been possible for any person to become a Jewish proselyte and have the mark of circumcision, Paul says that he was directly of the stock of Israel. The third credit was being of the tribe of Benjamin. His ancesto rs m ight have been descendants of Israel, but he could have belonged to a renegade tribe. Not so with Paul; he was from the faithful tribe of Benjamin from whom came Israel’s first king. The fourth credit is that he was “ a Hebrew of the Hebrews.” Many of Israel had adopted customs of the Helenists around them. Not so with Paul. He had not allowed their cultural influence to invade his life. Other credits Paul had built up for himself were “ concerning zeal,
persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Yet he discover.d his devastating bankruptcy: “ Whit things were gain to me, thos counted loss for Christ.” Whe1" he met Jesus Christ he charged all his debts against the account of Christ. He accepted Christ’s offer to pay o f f a ll his sinful obligations. “ For though I am free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all that I might gain the more” (I Corinthians 9 :19 ). He now realizes that God’s grace has made him free from all of the bondage and servitude of the law. Having received this freedom, he vo lun ta rily makes himself a servant unto all. This is his response to God’s grace. Paul then enumerates three dimensions of living grace he has experienced. He states first of all, “ Unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews (I Corinthians 9 :20 ). Grace gave him religious freedom. The second dimension of living grace is stated in the words “ To them that are under the law as under the law (not being myself under the law) that I might gain them that are under the law” (I Corinthians 9:20b). Here Paul discovers that grace gives him legal freedom. He was no longer bound by the law, but, as a recipient of living grace, he could live the life to which a person under the law aspired, but never attained. The third dimension is stated: “ To them that are without law as without law . . .that I might gain them that are without law” (I Corinthians 9 :21 ). God gave him a law-less freedom. When Paul speaks of being without law, he Page 25
provinces: Macedonia and Achaia. The leading Biblical city in Macedonia was Philippi, while that in Achaia was Corinth. Paul and his associates were promoting a missionary fund to meet the financial needs of Christians in Jerusalem. One year earlier the Corinthians had promised that they would do something about it. During this year the Macedonians had responded liberally and had given out of their deep poverty (II Corinthians 8 :2 ). The people in Corinth had not yet actually made any response to what they had promised. They lived in the prosperous commercial center of Corinth where money was more readily available. Paul first of all tells how the Macedonians gave under grace (II Corinthians 8 :3 , 5). He observes that they had given beyond their power. They gave first of all of themselves. Richard Halverson has stated: “ Money is an exact index to a man’s true character. It is not how much he makes, but how he uses it that really counts.” When man understands that he has given himself to God, then he realizes that all he has is the Lord’s. We may th in k we have many possessions but u ltim a te ly everything is traceable to God. For this reason making a gift to the Lord is not really generosity. It is merely a matter of honesty. If a person complains about giving money to God, it simply means he is not yet given himself to the Lord. But, in the sphere of God’s grace , the earnest Christian realizes that all that he has — ten-tenths — really belongs to God, but God has allowed him to be a steward or trustee over it as long as he lives in this world.
merely means that there are certain segments of national life which cannot be regulated by the laws of another nation. Paul’s life was governed no longer by an institutional relationship with God . He had a personal relationship through Jesus Christ. In Paul we have a human example of what God’s grace can do. As a spiritually bankrupt individual, he had all of his debts paid by the saving grace of Christ. He then experienced that “ where sin did abound, grace did also much more abound.” Here he learned what the living grace of God was all about. Daniel Webster was asked to tell what the greatest thought was that had ever entered his mind. He replied, “ My responsibility to Almighty God.” This statement should be reechoed as a testimony of the believer and his church. The doctrine of God’s grace is one of t h e m o s t m a g n i f i c e n t , overwhelming, infinite truths in the Bible. A very graphic and p ra c tic a l p o rtra y a l of the Christian’s responsibility to this grace is found in II Corinthians 8 and 9. Yet in some church circles the subject of these chapters is almost a hushed topic. It is the most earthy type of teaching on which a pastor could select to p reach . It is money! Paul, however, lifts this subject out of the murky mire of mundane things and places it upon the high spiritual plateau of a gracious exercise. Under the Roman conquest, Greece had been divided into two T H A N K S G I V I N G U N D E R GRA C E
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