BIOLA HOUR
September, 1969 / Volume 9 / Number 9
MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE BIOLA FELLOWSHIP
CALIFORNIA Arroyo Grondo - Son Luis Obispo KOAG
president . editor . .. .
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S. H. SUTHERLAND
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BILL EHMANN
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CONTENTS
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SALVATION BY GRACE ........ 3 VICTORY IN CHRIST .............. 4 IDENTIFIED WITH CHRIST .. 6 MANIFESTING CHRIST .......... 8 HEAVENLY CITIZENSHIP . . . 9 Roy Brill ALL THINGS ARE N EW ..........11 THE LIFE OF VICTORY .........12 THE HIGH CALLING .............. 13 LOVED BY THE LORD .............15 Stanley Collins PANEL DISCUSSIONS ............ 17 PARABLES AND PEARLS . . . .22 THE RESURRECTION BODY .27 Lloyd T. Anderson
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ON THIS MONTH'S COVER
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WASHINGTON
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maino - vincouvi ICARI Seattle
One of Biota’s photographers, Mr. Le- Roy McBee, a senior in Biota College, captured this scene on the Pacific Coast near Anacortes, Washington.
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Second Claes po sta g e p a id in L a M irada, C alif. Printed in U.S.A. by Church Press, Glendale, Calif. Address: Biola Broadcaster, 13800 Biola Ave., La Mirada, California 90638.
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Salvation BY GRACE
by Dr. Roy Brill
W HAT MORE IMPORTANT TOPIC could occupy our thinking than that of the message of salvation through Christ’s sacrificial death on Calvary’s cross? In Phil. 2:8 it is re ferred to as “even the death of the cross.” Although the Saviour’s life was one of holiness, of complete obe dience to the Father, and totally sep arated from the world, yet men are not saved by virtue of emulating the life of Jesus. Our Lord knew that He had left the Father’s glory for one purpose, and that was to die for fall en mankind (John 3:14-16). His death was a carefully planned event. God’s program is always of design and purpose. Galatians 4:4 reminds us that when the divine calendar was ready, and not before, nor after, Christ came “in the fullness of time.” (The same is true in Rom. 5:6.) This should convey that He was not taken unawares when He went to Calvary. He was not over powered by sinful man (John 19:11). Christ, did not die as a foreigner on behalf of a good cause. God had this in mind before He laid the founda tion of the world. Let us never for get to challenge the unsaved with such verses as I Pet. 1:18-20. Again we find this blessed thought in Tit. 1 :2. This means that the Lord has a perfect knowledge of our personal present spiritual condition as He has had in eternity past. The picture is far from beautiful! In Rom. 3:10 we are reminded, “There is none righteous, no not one!” The Creator of the universe saw that we were full of sin. Listen to the way the prophet Isaiah puts it: “From the sole of the foot, even to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putri-
fying sores” (1:6). Hospitals, jails, and rescue missions all bear testi mony to this fact. It’s not difficult to get a person in these areas to ac knowledge he is a sinner. How many there are in society’s other levels who feel they are really morally up right before God. To such an indi vidual read Isa. 64:6. When Jesus Christ went to the cross, His death was a shameful one (Heb. 12:2). “He made himself of no reputation.” He didn’t take the load of just part of our sins but all of them, past, present and future! His was a substitutionary death. Here was something never known be fore or since, the righteous dying for the unrighteous. This truly re veals in a wonderful way the match less, unspeakable grace of God. God poured out all of His wrath and con demnation upon Christ. As we em brace Him as our own personal Sa viour, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us and we thereby be come holy before God. Yes, the Saviour died to redeem sinful man. The word redeem means to deliver by paying a price. It is the picture of a man completely bound and enslaved by sin. He has no power or ability to reverse his situation apart from God's own pro vision of grace. But more than this Christ reconciled us to God (Isa. 59:2). The very moment you reach out to take the Saviour, you are brought nigh to God. Salvation also means forgiveness (Eph. 1:7). All of these things are as a result of “the riches of His grace.” Do you have the assurance that you possess eternal life? If not, by faith won’t you accept Him right now? (Rom. 10:9, 10). 3
by Dr. Roy Brill
Uktou; IN CHRIST
hearts in this area! Unfortunately, there is a laxness of discipline, pur ity and holiness in the church, in the body of Christ. What greater, moti vation for a life of triumph? Yet these things we’ve touched on are negative in a sense. On the other side of the ledger, we should want to live victoriously because of the immeasurable blessing which will re sult. Christ wants us to have life, yet He wants us to have it abundant ly. What transformation has come to lives of those who, in child-like ac ceptance, have claimed the victory established 2,000 years ago at the cross by our blessed Saviour! It was said of Hudson Taylor before experi encing such victory. “He had been a toiling, burdened Christian with not much rest of soul. One day by faith he reached out and appropriat ed the triumphant life that was his in Christ. He was never the same thereafter. His sister wrote, ‘In the place of bondage there was liberty; instead of fear and weakness, a rest ful sense of sufficiency.’ ” Keep in mind that this triumph was made possible for us at the cross just as salvation was obtained. The Perfector was the Lord Jesus Christ by virtue of His finished atonement. There He dealt with the penalty of sin as it effected me in my regener ate state. How wonderful that we can sing now, “My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Oh my soul!” Christ dealt definitively with the power of sin. Now we can be vic torious over sin, Satan, and the world. Listen to His promise in John 8:36, “If the Son shall make you
W ith so many people leading de- defeated lives today, it is a wonderful thing for the Christian to realize the glorious victory he has in our Lord Jesus Christ (II Cor. 2:14). When Scripture speaks of tri umph in Christ, it’s not referring to a second blessing or eradication of sin. It is not even suppression or ref ormation. When Christ died on Cal vary’s Cross, He intended for us to enjoy peace, satisfaction, communion and fruitfulness in our daily lives. This experience can be the part of every child of God. As Christians, we need to live a life of triumph because of the inher ent weakness of the flesh. No one will argue that there is a tendency to sin on our part. Never in this life are we absolutely free from the presence of evil. Apart from Christ’s indwell ing life even a most advanced believ er would at once relax into a state of spiritual decay. Then there is an in cessant warfare with our old nature such as it is taught in Gal. 5:17 and Eph. 6:10-18. Let us not be fooled. There is a real battle to be waged each day. To expect that life is going to be easier upon accepting Christ is not an accurate picture. There are now conflicts greater than the man of the world ever experiences. Only at the day when we see the Lord Jesus Christ face to face will we be free from internal strife. In addition, there is the intrusion of worldliness which we face. One of the signs of the times in which we’re living is the loosening of moral standards to the point of nearly re pudiating righteousness altogether. Men so quickly set their affections “upon material possessions.” May Gal. 6:14 be a real challenge to our 4
free, ye shall be free indeed.” That means free from temper and pride, greed and anger, envy and criticism. The important thing to remem ber, if we are to be victorious, is that it must come from a source outside ourselves (Rom. 7:25). It is not a question of how, but of who, we will seek for this victory. Just as salva tion is in Christ, so in Him alone can we triumph in our day-by-day experience. It is not a system of rules, but by His very person (I Cor. 15:57). Shall we accept salva tion as a gift, while stumbling and hesitating when he offers us victory in the same manner? It is a life to receive by faith. It is to be applied daily in our own hearts through the faithful use of the Word of God. Ask your own heart, “Am I a trium phant Christian?” If not, you can be, as you accept the Lord’s gracious provisions for your needs (I John 4:4).
MY RIGHTS "I have a perfect right,” you say, “To do the things I do, To be with whom I wish to be: And who shall then dictate to me? Or say where I shall go?” But you forget . . . you’re not your own; For you a price was paid . . . A price One only could afford . . . And then a charge to serve your Lord Was surely on you laid. And if the thing you wish to do Will cause another pain; Have you the "right” to add to grief? Should you not, rather, give relief? Think it over again. Once more: Will you insist on "rights” And weak ones hindered be? Oh, Lord! Do Thou our actions guard That we may never make it hard For souls to follow Thee. GOD’S SMILE How oft have you sought for some reward For a task you said was “for the Lord.” How oft have you felt a stinging slight And thought that you were not treated right? How oft have you said, “I quit . . . I'm through Nobody says, ‘thanks’ for things I do.” How oft have you felt the precious thrill That comes from just being in His will? How oft did you count earth’s glory dim Compared to the joy of serving Him? What is it your heart is longing for? Does praise of men .. . or His smile mean more?
When God is going to do something wonderful, He begins with a difficulty. If it is going to be something very wonderful, He begins with an impossi bility.
Rev. Wilbur Nelson, radio voice of "The Morning Chapel Hour" and pastor of the Metropolitan Bible Church in Paramount, California, received a Doctor of Divinity degree from Talbot Theological Semi nary at the June commencement exercises. Presenting the diploma is Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland, president of Biola. On the left is Dr. Charles L. Feinberg, dean of Talbot Theological Seminary.
I T is important in our spiritual growth and maturity to realize fully our standing in the Saviour’s grace. As a missionary traveling ex tensively all over the world, I have the opportunity to give out the Word of God in Bible Conferences and churches. Luke 9:23 has struck me forcefully, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Denial of self speaks to us of cru cifixion. To take up His cross spells out in large letters identification. In obeying His command, “Follow me,” we see the thought of presentation. Just how willing are we to come to the point of being crucified with Christ? This means to deny the self life within me. There is the need for absolute surrender. We must yield ourselves to the Lord without any reservation whatsoever in order that we might be an effective wit ness for Him. We must come to the end of ourselves that God may be all in all. All too few have entered into the glorious reality of such an ex perience. Back of all successful work for the lost is an inward spiritual impulse from the Holy Spirit who reproduces Christ in us. It is the brand mark of the cross, the living experience which must both enter and control the life before we are fit for service. Self is often the strongest single deterrent to accom plish God’s will (II Cor. 9:14, 15). Before accepting Christ, my life was characterized by self-exaltation, am bition, and indulgence. I was deter mined to have my own way regard less of what the cost might be. I was like the rich fool described in Luke
12. It is a life lived independent of God and in the energy of the flesh. The flesh, as Paul rightly pointed out to the Galatian Christians, will never p e r f e c t anything spiritually. The flesh profiteth nothing (John 6:63). The flesh contains no good thing (Horn. 7:18). Those who live in this manner cannot please God (Bom. 8:8, 13). It is sad to note at this point that when the Lord’s people are called to identify themselves with Christ in His death, dying to all that they are and all that they hope to be, there is a drawing away from such a b le ss ed experience (Phe. 5:29). Why would we nourish and cherish the protection of our sinful flesh? God calls upon us to crucify and mor tify it. Our wonderful Lord, who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, in order to pro vide a perfect salvation, wants us realistically to enter into the truth of Galatians 2:20. Do you know what that means in your life day-by-day? As God puts before us this command that we might rise to walk in new ness of life with the Lord, living life on the highest plane, Satan, the enemy of our soul will put all kinds of delays and difficulties in our way. I believe this is what Christ had in mind when in John 12:24 He states, “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die it bringeth forth much fru it!” Can one really be a disci ple and servant and yet not be will ing to abdicate the throne of his heart, dying to all that he is, and let ting the Saviour have complete con trol? I love the hymn that testifies “Not I, but Christ be honored, loved, exalted. Not I, but Christ be seen,
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be known, be heard. Not I, but Christ in every look and action. Not I. but Christ in every thought and word.” Christ calls us to follow Him, but His first prerequisite is. “If any man will follow me, let him deny himself.” Are you willing to come to this point of absolute surrender and find the attendant joy, peace and victory? Make this life yours today by simple child-like faith. It’s sad that the only respect some people have for Sunday Is to wear their best clothes. well that I ought not to have all I ask for. I’m only testing you. 2. Don’t be afraid to be firm with with me. I prefer it; it makes me feel more secure. 3. Don’t let me form bad habits. I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages. 4. Don't make me feel smaller than I am. It only makes me behave stupidly "big." 5. Don’t correct me in front of people if you can help it. I'll take much more notice if you talk quietly with me in private. 6. Don’t make me feel that my mistakes are overwhelming. It could upset my sense of values. 7. Don’t protect me from conse quences. I need to learn the painful way sometimes. The lesson is more lasting. 8. Don’t be too upset when I say “I hate you!" It isn’t you I hate but your power to thwart me. 9. Don't take too much notice of my small ailments. Some times they get me the atten tion I need. 10. Don't nag. If you do, I shall have to protect myself by ap pearing deaf. 11. Don’t make rash promises. Re 20 MEMOS FROM YOUR CHILD 1. Don't spoil me. I know quite
Let go and let God have His own way. Surrender your life and your will today.
The more of heaven there is in our lives, the less of earth we shall covet for ourselves.
The average man Is like a match. When he gets lit up, he loses his head.
Beware of trying to cover over your own inadequacy by criticizing others.
Many tombstones are carved by chiseling in traffic.
member that I feel badly let down when promises are bro ken. 12. Don’t forget that I cannot ex plain myself as well as I should like. That’s why I’m not always very accurate. 13. Don’t tax my honesty too much. I'm easily frightened in to telling lies. 14. Don't be inconsistent. That completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you. 15. Don’t put me off when I ask questions. If you do, you'll find that I'll stop asking and seek my information elsewhere. 16. Don't tell me my fears are silly. They’re terribly real; and you can do much to reassure me if you try to understand. 17. Don’t ever suggest that you’re perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock when I discover that you’re neither. 18. Don’t ever think that it’s be neath your dignity to apolo gize. An honest apology makes me feel surprisingly warm to ward you. 19. Don’t forget how quickly I’m growing up. It must, be very difficult for you to keep pace with me. But, please, do try. 20. Don't forget that I can't thrive without lots of understanding love, but I don’t really need to tell you that, do I?
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by Dr. Roy Brill
W jo u ü ^ Ltd in q CHRIST
what God is like is to see what Christ is like. Christ was the image of the invisible God. Listen to other Scriptural testimony: “Christ in you the hope of glory” (Col. 1 :27); “that Christ may dwell in your h e a r t s by faith (Eph. 3:17); “Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Are people really be holding the Lord Jesus Christ in you? Do you manifest Him in your life day by day? We are not only called upon to accept Him as Saviour but also God points out to us very carefully in His Word that Jesus comes to live in us. He wants to be seen through your every action and thought. The ramifications of this are volumnious. People wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. Could that be said of you in any sense? John 1:14 re minds us that “The Word (Christ) became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Christ was full of grace so that when He opened His lips, this was the only kind of words which came out. “Out of the abun dance of the heart the mouth speak- eth” (Matt. 12:34). Paul exhorts us, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” It was a little maid who identified Peter: “Thy speech betray- eth thee.” Despite the fact that we know Jesus Christ is living within us, we say words that are alien and strange. What a poor commentary on the kind of life we should be liv ing!
N O matter what our position in life, as born-again believers, we are called to a life of exemplification. We should show forth the Lord Jesus Christ in every look and action. All of us know that wonderful text, Rom. 8:28; however, too many over look the 29th verse. We have been predestinated “to be conformed to the image of His Son.” This is not something we need only project into the future after death. This can be a blessed reality in a sense here and now. Other verses on this same point come to mind, I Cor. 15:49, Eph. 5 :27; I John 3 :2. It is true that some day, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, no doubt sooner than many of us anticipate, we shall be in the presence of the Lord either via the rapture or through physical death. We shall not only behold the Lord but also we shall be like Him. How wonderful! The Holy Spirit, through Paul, is speaking about a present ex perience. Entailed in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ was not only salvation, but also that His fallen creatures might regain His divine impress through salavtion. In I Tim. 3:16, Paul writes that Christ “was manifest in the flesh.” Note that he doesn’t use an indefinite article, for all flesh, apart from His, is inherent ly evil. Christ alone was holy, harm less, undefiled and separate from sin ners. That body of our Saviour was a kind of divine showcase where God was able to reveal Himself to man kind. Philip asked our Lord, “Show us the Father and it sufficeth us.” He said in essence, “If you reveal the Father to us, all of our fears will be dispelled.” Jesus pointed out, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Fa ther.” The only way we can know 8
Wsuavsurdij. CITIZENSHIP W HILE IT IS TRUE that the Bible speaks to us about salvation, appropriation, identification, and ex- emplication, there is also the wonder ful assuarnce Paul declared of the Saviour “who gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us out of this present evil world” (Gal. 1:4). Before coming to Christ, we all walked in the world, being taken up with the things of this life (Eph. 2:2). While in this state many years ago, I can remember the tremendous thirst that built up within me to know something better. I tried a number of things but was never completely satisfied until I came to know Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. The things of this life, no matter how appealing they may ap pear superficially, bring no lasting peace or contentment. It was in Aug ust 1929 that I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour, and that I died to self. While I was in the world I was not of it. My life was no long er lived on a horizontal plane, for I had found a wonderful relationship and communion with God. Consider to what point Christ has delivered us. My heart never ceases to praise God for the truth conveyed in Ephesians 2:6: “And has raised us up and made us to be seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” What a marvelous position to be in! We, as born-again children, of God, are “in Christ,” (Rom. 8:1), II Cor. 5:17). In the Word of God there are three words denoting the One who died for us upon the cross of Cal vary. Matthew 1 :21, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” Here we obviously consider the finished work
He did for us nearly 2,000 years ago. In Philippians 8:9 we find the im portant word “Lord.” This speaks of sovereignty in the future. At the ap pointed day, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The third word is “Christ.” According to Ephesians 2: 6, He has raised us up and made us to be seated in heavenly places. This should remind us of his advocacy. A boy was walking along the street with his father as they passed a church. Seeing one of the beauti ful stained-glass windows depicting Christ standing outside the door knocking, the lad asked, “Daddy, how is it that Christ stands outside the door?” The father pondered a mo ment and then replied, “Im sorry, Son. but I don’t know.” When they had walked a short distance farther, the son again inquired, “Daddy, don’t you really have an answer?” The parent had to admit that he didn’t. But, on down the street, when the question came again, he whimsically explained, “Maybe the people were living in the cellar and didn’t hear the Lord knock.” What a picture that is of our unregenerate state! Man lives in the deprived basement of his soul. The tragic part of it is that many born-again Chris tians who can sincerely say, “I know Jesus Christ as my own per sonal Saviour” are not living in the heavenlies, possessing all of their possessions in the Lord. They fail to realize that their lives are hid with Christ in God. They don’t draw deeply upon Him day by day for their spiritual strength and victory. Where is your treasure? What do you value more than anything else? 9
•Tesus Christ? The spiritual necessi ties are yours to live triumphantly in the Lord Jesus Christ. Your mind and affection are to be stayed upon Him. This is the kind of a triumph ant life that God, by His grace, wants us to experience. Our life is to be lived but not to be lived on a low plane. We are to live our lives in the light of the Saviour’s ascen sion whereby we can now walk in newness of life. Some people practice what they preach. Others simply practice preach ing. It’s foolish to invite trouble into your life, because it will always accept. Flattery is a commodity that makes everybody sick except those who swallow it. No crowd ever went in one direction very long.
It was Peter’s testimony “Unto you which believe He is precious” (I Pet. 2:7). Jesus rightly commented, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Many years ago there went to Africa, a land in which I have la bored for 25 years, a man whose name was David Livingstone. He gave all of his life for the cause of Christ. One day, almost at the head waters of the Congo River, his two boys who had served him for many years came into his tent. They found him dead in a kneeling posture be fore his cot. What a way to go home! The natives were not sure what to do with his body. Their first thought was to bury him at the headwaters of the Congo River. This seemed natural since he had given most of his life to the people. When word went back to London, however, the people of England protested, “Not so; he is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.” These faithful servants carried that body for nearly a solid year before they came to the coast and saw it loaded on a steamer bound for the British Isles. Today, visitors to Westminster Abbey can see the revered vault where his re mains were entombed. The inscrip tion reads. “Other sheep have I, them also I must bring.” But before his body was taken on this long jour ney, those two faithful workers had removed his heart. This they put in a small earthen vessel which was buried at the headwaters of the Congo River. It seems so appropri ate. This should give us a picture of the way Christians ought to live. It’s true that we’re in the world, moving in various realms, but our affections and our minds must be with Him every waking moment of each day. Paul exhorts us, “Since ye have been risen with Christ, seek those things which are above” (Col. 3:1-4). Is your life lived on a higher plane? Do you recognize the sacred position that’s been given you in the Lord 10
Talbot Theological Seminary presented a Doctor of Divinity degree to Rev. Raymond Ortland, pastor of the Lake Avenue Congregational Church, Pasa dena, Calif. Making the Presentation, on the right, is Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland, President of Biola Schools and Colleges.
I T is interesting to see in the New Testament just how the Apostle Paul was used of the Holy Spirit to point out eternal truths to those who had great spiritual needs. One por tion I particularly appreciate is II Corinthians 5:13. This shows us how God brings the transformation of new life to those who place their faith and trust in Him. He is a new creature, with a miraculous trans formation of the new birth. This gives us a clear answer to the two things in Paul’s life. First, the love of Christ constrains us. This shows his emotional drive. No man will ever completely belong to the Lord Jesus Christ until the Saviour domi nates his thinking. He wants us to know that through Christ’s death we no longer live unto ourselves but unto Him who died for us and rose again. This philosophy of Christ’s death and resurrection is that on which Paul based his manner of liv ing. Nothing would ever be the same again following his conversion. The knowledge of Christ is not dependent upon having seen Him in the flesh. Paul had met Christ on the Damas cus Road, but not as the disciples who had accompanied the Lord be fore His crucifixion. One cannot be in Christ and remain unchanged. The faith which saves a soul changes the life. The two things go together. There will be a complete re-orienta- tion of life. Nothing can ever be the same again. We talk about life be ginning at 40, but I say that it only begins when by faith a person re ceives Jesus Christ as Saviour. This is the good news of the Gospel. If you enter into this experience of sav ing grace, He enters your heart and you enter His family. His Holy
Spirit indwells your life and you are no longer under condemnation. Now, as the Bible says, you are “in Christ.” You are safe inside His fold. One of the most wonderful things about being converted is that you get to see the way old things pass away. Old habits drop off; old sins and their enticements go away. The Bible, which we ignored and hardly knew, is now precious in every word and verse. It is milk to feed us when we are tiny babes in Christ. It is meat to strengthen us as we grow in grace. It is light along our pathway. It is the chart and com pass on life’s tempestuous sea. Ev erything we’ll ever need in life is found in the Word of God. How long has this Book been unused in your home? An unconverted person will rarely open it. When one becomes a Christian, the Bible comes alive. Prayer is vital union and communion with the Lord. God reveals Himself as your loving, heavenly Father. Open your heart to Him. Tell Him everything that is of concern to you and your loved ones. Take everything to the Lord in prayer. The church to a new-born Christian is no longer just an organization full of hypo crites. It now becomes the best com munity of people to be found any where. One can enter the Christian life only by faith. You trust the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, asking Him to forgive all your sins, remov ing the guilt, and indwelling your life by His Holy Spirit.- You will be rejoicing in the fact that you are a child of God, new bom through grace. May the Lord grant that each one of us may know the wonder of being a new creation in Christ Jesus! 11
one time, nor is it always immediate. A soul which has been born into the kingdom of God will walk in obedi ence day-by-day, so that over a pe riod of years there will be a marked change in that character as it be comes more Christ-like. So many of God’s people strive hard to do their best for God. This is not condemn ing any kind of trial which may be right and proper. From Scripture we see that the Christian life is not your trying to do your best but rather it is your allowing God to do His best in and through you. Our Lord used so many illustrations, such as the one in John 15:5: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fru it: for without me ye can do nothing.” It’s the abiding life which provides the victory. There has to be a proper relationship to the Saviour. As Paul points out in Romans 6, “In the old days these fin gers, this tongue, these eyes, these ears, were all used for wrong pur poses; they were the instruments of sin.” Now we have been redeemed; we have become re-orientated. We don’t get new hands, new eyes, new ears, but rather, we receive a new nature. Our hands are to serve Christ; our feet are to walk in His way; our lips are to speak His praise. This very same body now be comes the vehicle through which His holiness expresses itself. “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
I N THE SIXTH CHAPTER OF ROMANS we find the life of Christian vic tory flO-17). The first thing we find in this portion is the fact that vic tory for the Christian is not an ab normal experience. It is not reserved for just preachers or those who go around to conferences and conven tions. This doesn’t produce a supe rior brand of Christians. The vic torious Christian life has been pur chased for us by Jesus Christ by His death and resurrection. This then is your spiritual b i r t h r i g h t . You weren’t redeemed in order to live a life of constant defeat. I t is true that occasionally there will be the bitterness of failure. This, however, isn’t the fault of Christ. Instead, you failed to depend on the Lord. The Lord wants to keep you from stumbling. Defeat comes through our lack of trusting Him. The Bible doesn’t te a c h sinless perfection. That’s an attribute belonging only to God. When we see the Lord, we shall be like Him. We are living in a filthy world. Yet we are required to live before God and men in holiness and righteousness all our days (Gal. 2:20). In the flesh no man can please God. What we need to do is to cru cify the flesh. Being in the flesh is defined in various ways such as “the carnal mind,” “enmity against God." The flesh is the crucifixion of the self-life. The previous life need not be a drunkard’s life, or an immoral life. I t could have been a religious life, yet still according to the flesh. The Lord didn’t come just to Chris- tionize our paganism, coloring up our old personality. His life is all new, for we receive His nature. This should now dominate our personali ties. It may not always be seen at 12
When a fellow falls in love with him self, it’s certain he won’t have any com petition.
He w an ted God’s righteousness which was not man-made. God’s righteousness is received by faith in Jesus Christ. It is appropriated by grace. Would you like to follow Paul’s philosophy of life? He was willing to live for the Lord, or die and live with the Lord in glory. From a purely selfish basis he would rather have been with Christ, which is far bet ter. In the stage of development in the lives of the Philippian believers, it was necessary for him to remain behind for the time being. If anybody under heaven ever knew Christ it was Paul. Yet note his prayer. “That I may know Him.” He wanted his realization to be in power of Christ’s resurrection, in the fellowship of His sufferings, be ing made conformable to His death. He wanted to share with Christ in everything. He wanted to conform to the Saviour’s sufferings. He didn’t feel he had arrived. He, better than anyone else, knew in his heart that he was not yet perfect, mature or complete. This, however, was the aim of his life. The word “apprehend” means to lay hold of. In the old days, the police world seized a culprit by getting two fingers down the back of the neck, pressing the knuckles into the jugular vein. In this way, with these pressure points covered, he could be marched along to jail very easily. Paul says, “That’s the way the Lord took hold of me on the road to Damascus.” He had been bent on destruction of the church. The Lord directly changed his out look and purpose. He further ex plained, “I’m sure that everything the Lord planned for me on that Da mascus Road is not over yet. I want everything He has for me.” 13
A l l o f u s , I am sure, enjoy per sonal testimonies of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. One of the most penetrating is to be found in Philip- pians 3:7-14 wherein Paul explains how the Lord has used and blessed him. Many of us can learn a great deal from what such a personal word of victory and triumph in Christ ac tually means. Here was the witness of current events in the Apostle’s life. The test of a good testimony is one that speaks little of self but much of Christ. You may not think it is as dramatic or impressive, but the point is not what we think, but what God indicates. Paul isn’t talk ing about what he’s done, but, rath er, what are his goals, aims and pur poses in life. Obviously Paul previ ously had reason to be a proud man. It may have been one of his major sins, even as pride will plague us, too. Of course, Paul had human rea son to be proud of his ancestors and of the society to which he belonged. After all, he had achieved much. These had been the things that meant everything to him. Then one day Christ met him on the Damascus Road. As a result, he got a new sense of values. These things now meant l i t t l e to him. Contrariwise, the things which meant nothing before now m e an t everything. “Those things I was counting gain, now meant nothing.” Paul put Christ on one side of the scale, and all these things on the other. The Lord out weighed them all, even the very best of his life. He declared that if he lost everything he had previously held dear, he wouldn’t consider it anything at all in the light of his having obtained Christ. He desired above all else to be found in Christ.
He further testifies that he wants to forget those things which are be hind. How necessary this is! Some of us are always living in the past, dwelling on some old experience. The future, however, is just as bright as the promises of God. Stop being in misery about the old days which will never come again. God is here with every new day. Forget the successes as well as the failures of the past. Thank God for every day you have lived, and for the victory He has for you in the future. The race is not over yet! Eeach out to the things that are in front, press toward the mark of Christ which is the aim of your life. Does this describe you? There 4 s the need for an all-out in action. The indwelling Holy Spirit will give you the strength and pow er. This is Paul’s conception of the Christian life. Thank God for the oast, but don’t let it crowd in and hinder you. The best is yet to come! If you think the price is too high (it will cost you everything), keep in mind that the prize is Christ. God help you to press on and keep on pressing on until the day dawns, the shadows flee away, and you see Him face to face.
THE GOD OF COMFORT I have been through the valley of weeping, The valley of sorrow and pain; But the God of all comfort was with me, At hand to uphold and sustain. As the earth needs the clouds and the sunshine Our souls need both sorrow and joy So He places us oft in the furnace, The dross from the gold to destroy. When He leads through some valley of trouble His omnipotent hand we can trace; For the trials and sorrows He sends us Are part of His lessons of grace. Oft we shrink from the purging and pruning, Forgetting the Husbandman knows That the deeper the cutting and paring The richer the cluster that grows. Well He knows that affliction is needed He has a wise purpose in view; And in the dark valley He whispers, “Hereafter thou shalt know what I do." As we travel through life’s shadowed valley, Fresh springs of His love ever rise, And we learn that our sorrow and losses are Blessings just sent in disguise. So we'll follow wherever He leads us, Let the path be dreary or bright, For we’ve proved that our God can give comfort, Our God can give songs in the night.
Biola College presented a Doctor of Literature de gree to Mr. Al Sanders, vice-president of Public Relations for Biola at the June commencement exer cises. Making the presentation is Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland, Biola president. On the left is Dr. J. Richard Chase, academic vice-president for Biola.
If you are concerned about your needs, remember God gives every bird food, but he doesn’t throw it into the nest.
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by Rev. Stanley Collins
Jtoved BY THE
The song here in Revelation be gins, “Unto Him who loved us.” Here we have the heart of the Gospel. This is the essence of the message of heaven. So many people say, “No body loves me. There is no one who cares or who will show any inter est.” Christ loves you so much that He died for you. This is the first and essential truth of the Gospel. It’s not that we loved Christ, but that He loved us. What amazing love! Many a young couple has stood at the altar and sworn their devotion to one an other. They never dreamed that there could be a day when they would literally hate and hold each other in the greatest contempt and scorn. How tragic! We are loved with an everlasting, a never-dying love. We can never be separated from Him. If anybody ever proved His love, it’s our Lord. He washed us from our sins in His own blood. There is noth ing more precious in all of heaven and earth. It is the precious blood of the Lamb without blemish and without spot. There is no other means of taking away the iniquity of man’s soul than by the blood of Christ. “The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin.” We come to the Lord the first time for all our transgressions to be for given. We need to come to Him daily, however, for cleansing. (Consider the 51st Psalm.) Notice next in verse 6 of Revela tion 1 that “He hath made us kings and priest unto God and His Fa ther.” Have you ever considered yourself as royalty? Did you know you can be a priest in the house of our God? Both of these are our privi leges. We worship Him as kings and priests. How it should lift our 15
T here are many blessed devotional truths to be found in Revelation, the last book of the Bible. In the first chapter, verses 1 to 6, we have one of the most wonderful doxologies ap pearing anywhere in the New Testa ment. This portion of the Bible is a prophecy which reveals the unfail ing glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. These events are just prior to His absolute reign in glory over the world and the universe. John, who is now an elderly man, was a very close friend of the Lord. Yet he now sees Christ in all His glory and falls at His feet as one dead (v. 17). While we haven’t seen Him yet, yet believing, we reioice with joy un speakable and full of glory. We can look forward to that day when we’ll see Him face to face. Here we find the song of the re deemed about Christ. It is directed to Him in every aspect. He is the faithful one, the true witness, the absolute express image of all that God is. He alone could say, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” In verse five the fact is stated that He was the first begotten of the dead. This doesn’t mean that He was the first person to be raised from the dead. There were others in the Old Testament, as well as even during the lifetime of our Lord. Yet they all died again; they were not given glorified bodies as was our Lord. As far as Christ is concerned, “Death could not hold its prey.” Corruption never entered Christ’s body. He is alive forevermore! God is still on the throne. Our Lord Jesus is the appointed heir of everything; all shall be subject unto Him. “Jesus shall reign where’er the sun doth his successive journeys run.”
hearts today as we think that this Saviour is ours for ever and ever. Do you have this song in your heart? Can you take these words and say to Him today, “Unto Him who loved me and washed me in His own blood.” Can you further testify, “He hath made me a king and a priest unto God His Father? Therefore, unto Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.” May God draw you by His strength to the place where yon will humbly bow in His presence and receive God’s Son to be your Saviour and Lord if you have not done so. The strongest words are usually used in the weakest arguments. Sometimes the trouble with being a parent is that by the time you’re experi enced you're usually unemployed. It may be a great life if you don’t weaken. It all depends on what causes you the weakness. Many people have the right aim in life but never get around to pulling the trigger. Don’t allow yesterday’s mistakes to bankrupt tomorrow's efforts.
BEARING FRUIT It is the branch that bears the fruit, That feels the knife, To prune it for a larger growth, A fuller life. Though every budding twig be lopped. And every grace Of swaying tendril, springing leaf. Be lost apace. O thou whose life of joy seems reft, Of beauty shorn; Whose aspirations lie in dust, All bruised and torn. Rejoice, though each desire, each dream, It is the hand Of love divine That holds the knife, that cuts and breaks With tenderest touch, That thou, whose life has borne some fruit May’st now bear much. —Annie Johnson Flint CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP Each hope of thine Shall fall and fade; Every coin of earthly treasure We have lavished upon earth, For our simple worldly pleasure. May be reckoned something worth; For the spending was not losing, Though the purchase were but small; It has perished with the using, We have had it, that is all! All the gold we leave behind us When we turn to dust again, Though our avarice may blind us. We have gathered quite in vain; Since we neither can direct it, By the winds of fortune tossed, Nor in the words expected, What was hoarded, we have lost! But each merciful oblation Seed of pity wisely sown, What we gave in self-negation. We may safely call our own; For the treasure freely given, Is the treasure that we hoard, Since the angels keep in heaven What is lent unto the Lord!
Talbot Theological Seminary presented the Doctor ot Divinity Degree to The Rev. Coy T. Maret, Pastor of Emmanuel Faith Community Church, Escondido, California. Making the presentation is Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland, President of BiolaSchools and Colleges. On the left is Dr. Charles
L. Feinberg, Dean of
Talbot Theological Seminary.
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D I S C U S S with DR. SAMUEL H. SUTHERLAND/DR. CHARLES L FEINBERG
of this type. Sometimes it is used as a figure of speech and elsewhere it means the actual animal. Take a concordance and check this through for yourself. It makes the study all the more meaningful. Some examples are Matthew 7:6; 15:27, Philippians 3:2. In the eyes of Jews, dogs were Gentiles. This didn’t have the same connotation as we know it today. They were unclean, and far from the household of Israel. This made the distinction between the one who lived a righteous and holy life and the one who was spiritually filthy. Q. Arroyo Grande, Calif. — “I ’ve been interested in the subject of the res urrection, especially o f the unsaved. Will they be raised w ith immortal bodies?” A. Those who are believers will re ceive their resurrection bodies lik ened unto Christ’s glorified body at the time of the rapture of the Church (I Thess. 4:13-18). This is when mortal flesh shall take on im mortality. The unsaved will also be resurrected. Daniel 12 mentions those asleep in the dust of the earth who shall be raised. Some will be to everlasting life while others will be to everlasting shame and contempt. There will be a definite time between the two as is clearly stated in Reve lation 20. There is no general res urrection or general judgment at all. The word immortal is hardly appro priate for the bodies of the unsaved. It is true that they will not die again but be in eternal conscious torment 17
Q. Holden, Mo. — “In your under standing o f the Word, how do you explain Luke 12:42-48? Does Verse 47 refer to the Judgment Seat of Christ, or does i t mean the final Great White Throne Judgment?’’ A. This is a very important passage with a doctrine too often overlooked or misunderstood. Read this for yourself carefully. It concerns our responsibility and potential punish ment. This has a wonderful prophetic frame of reference. Our Lord, before He left, was trying to indicate how men will act and react when they come up for final review. Notice, it is the title “lord,” without the capi tal. To everyone there is a measure of responsibility given. It depends on many factors. We do that our selves. This passage shows that there are degrees of commitment, re sponsibility and punishment. The Judgment Seat of Christ is clearly presented to us in II Corinthians 5: 1-10. It is for believers only. The Great White Throne Judgment takes place after the millennium. The judgment here takes place when our Lord visibly and bodily comes back, just before He sets up His millennial kingdom. It is therefore a judgment upon the nations. They have failed in not trusting the Saviour. Q. Port Orchard, Wash. — “I ’d like to know i f anywhere in the Bible it says anything about dogs? I t seems like I read it; however, I can’t find where this is.” A. There are a number of passages
the Lord can’t overlook some one who hasn’t even begun to conform to His will in the acceptance of Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. Q . San Bernardino, Calif. — “Can you give me some understanding as fa r as the scriptural teaching of mar riage in eternity? Does it continue? Will we know our mates up in glory ? I realize that there will be no mar riage there, but I ju st wondered if we would know each other and recall our experiences together.” A . Matthew 22:30 confirms the fact there is no marriage in heaven. Yes, we believe we will know our loved one up in glory. While it is not given in Scripture one way or the other, our relationship there will be quite different from what it is down here. We will be so occupied with the per son of our Lord Jesus Christ, so com pletely filled with His glory, that we will be altogether taken up with Him. Our central goal and purpose will be concentrated upon Christ Himself. Q. Orovilte, Calif. — “Did the Old Testament people experience the Spirit birth as we know it today at salvation? How was their nature changed? Were they born depraved, inheriting the nature of Adam, the same as we are?” A . The answer to your last question is a resounding “yes.” Romans 5:12 gives us ample proof of this fact. Look at the description of Jeremiah 17:9. Their nature was changed the same as ours is. It is always by the operation of the Spirit of God. “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.” That is the new birth. Abraham was born again the same way we are. The difference was that he looked for ward to Christ’s coming. We look back by faith to the cross. It is never stated in the Old Testament that after a person was born of the Spir-
and agony of mind and heart. The words immortal and incorruptible are used only of believers. The unsaved will go on in their resurrection bodies forever throughout eternity. But that is never called eternal life. It is known as eternal death. Q. Eugene, Ore. — “Did Jesus fall beneath the cross when Simon was called to help Him?” A . None of the four Gospel accounts give us any definite information. We know Simon was compelled to bear Christ’s cross, The implication is that our Lord was so weak He couldn’t carry the cross Himself. Keep in mind that it was probably a very heavy, crude, piece of lumber. It may be that our Lord didn’t have the human strength to bear it Him self. Q. Nanaimo, B.C., Can. — “Could you please give me help on I Peter 4:18? I don’t quite understand the words ‘scarcely be saved.’ ” A . This has troubled some from the reading on the surface. It doesn’t mean that one is partly saved. The translation is really “with difficulty.” All of us are responsible to the Lord. If a man suffers as a Christian, that’s one thing. But some of us suffer also because we need to be sanctified. God wants His children purified. So, if the Lord brings us judgment in order to purify us, what will happen to those who obey not the gospel, trusting that they can go it alone? If we get to heaven through much trial and tribulation, what is going to be the condition of those who never obey the Lord Jesus Christ? Look at I Corinthians 3 where we see that a believer is saved and yet his works can be consumed by the fire of judgment. This has nothing to do with salvation. If there has to be this kind of judgment brought into our lives to conform us to the will of God, then certainly
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