verse has caused many heartaches and even major divisions in churches. The meaning of this passage is that when an individual has wronged an other, these things should be made right between them as well as being confessed to the Lord. They should not be “confessed” to any outside party whatsoever, much less public- ally. If you have wronged another by speech or action, this needs to be made right with the injured party, not to those not concerned. Q. Spokane, Wash. — “How is it pos sible to follow the Lord’s command when Jesus said we should become os ‘little children’?” A. It doesn’t mean that we are to be unlearned and gullible. A little child, however, is generally the per sonification of one who has real and worthy faith. He has not yet learned to be suspicious and critical. So, we are to have complete faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, the faith of a child but not the mind of a child. Q. Bakersfield, Calif. — “I am puzzled by the Bible verse which says that Christ was made perfect through suffering. I thought that He was al ready perfect.” A. There is so much about Christ that is beyond our human and finite understanding. There has never been in the world, nor will there ever be again, a personality like our Sav iour. He was 100% human and at the same time 100% divine. While He was God of all eternity, yet in the incarnation, He became very man of very man. There were certain things true of Him because of His deity as well as of His manhood. As an example, our God never gets weary. When the Lord rested in Genesis 2, it wasn’t because He was tired. This was a rest of satisfaction in that which He had accomplished. God isn’t thirsty or hungry. Jesus was God-Man. The things that are
Dr. J. Richard Chase (left), academic Vice President of Biota, presents the championship trophy to Biola basketball co-captain. Bob Thune. The Biola "Eagles" won their own Biola Invitational Tournament with a perfect record. common to us were also true of Him. Anything common to the human body, apart from sin, was true of our Lord Jesus Christ. The perfection through suffering about which Scrip ture speaks does not place the em phasis upon Christ’s deity but rather on His humanity. In His humanity Jesus learned things that He already knew in His divine consciousness. This is how we explain Luke 2:52. This is a picture of how, in taking on our human form, Christ went through all of the processes of growth known to human beings. Christ was already perfect from all eternity. Nothing can be added to deity. Remember, however, that deity took upon humanity. This is the only area of growth or maturing known to the Saviour. Q. Redding, Calif. — “It seems that every time I try to get close to the Lord and every time He pours out spiritual blessings upon me, I later experience a time of extreme depres- Continued on page 20 17
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