the sacred pages of His Book. Such are the typical laws concerning Israel’s food as set forth in this chapter. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians (2:17) we un derstand that these laws are a “ shadow of things to come.” To take these dietary laws literally and bind them upon the Christian, thus making them a part of a religious ceremony, is what Paul calls “ the doctrine of demons.” Listen to his words of exhortation to the young min ister of the gospel (Timothy) whom he loved to call his “ son.” “Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doc trines of devils [demons] . . . command ing to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanks giving of them which believe and know the truth” (Tim. 4:1,3). Again, the in spired Apostle wrote to the Roman Christians, saying, “ The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteous ness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17). Let us consider briefly, how the ani mal with the cloven hoof chews the cud, then we shall see the spiritual lesson God has for us in this chapter. The cow belongs in this classification; she goes into the meadow and stores away much food; she then lies down to rest and to chew the cud — to assimilate what she needs for strength and growth. This is the picture, my friend, that God has for us in this matter that has puzzled you. Reading Matthew 25:82, I understand this to be a judgment on the earth, when Jesus separates the sheep from the goats. Where will the sheep and the goats go? Here we find the nations will be judged at the return of Christ; some to enter His millennial kingdom; others to go into everlasting punishment. Those are the “ sheep” and the “ goats” referred to in verses 31 to 46. The reward to the blessed, the sheep, will be that they will inherit the kingdom. To those on the left hand, the goats, He will say, as recorded in verse 41, “ Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” It seems very clear that this judg ment, immediately following the tribula tion, which is “ the time of Jacob’s trou ble,” will be to determine how the na tions have treated God’s chosen people, Israel, Christ’s brethren according to the flesh, during that time of trouble. Then His covenant with Abraham will be liter ally fulfilled, “ I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee” (Gen. 12:3). T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
of the believer as declared in John 16: 8-11, and 3:8. (Please read.) First, every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit as Paul tells us in Galatians 4:6, “ Because ye are sons,” not because of anything else, but “because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father.” (Read also John 14:16,17,26; 15:26; 16: 7,12-15; Rom. 8:14-17; 1 Cor. 12:3.) This last verse is very striking. “No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.” In plainer words perhaps, you and I could not acknowledge that Jesus of Nazareth is Lord of lords, if we did not have the* baptism of the Holy Spirit. He (the Holy Spirit) teach es us the truth of God as it is in Christ, in whom “ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9). Please explain John 5:45,46: “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have be lieved me: for he wrote of me.” How could the Jews “ trust” .Moses, and yet not “ believe” Moses? Thousands of people are doing that very thing today. What does Moses rep resent? The law. There are thousands today who are trusting the law, but they do not believe what Moses wrote about the “ sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1 Pet. 1:11). When Moses gave the law, because he knew that Israel could not keep the law, he gave them a sacrifice. The sacrifice was a part of the law, and part of the teach ing of Moses. Israel presumed to try to keep the law, but rejected Christ, of whom the sacrifice spoke. They, like many Gentiles today, sought to obtain righteousness by the deeds of the flesh, rather than by the free gift of God’s grace. And because the Pharisees in the day of Christ refused to give up the law and receive Christ absolutely, they were not saved. Then their nation was set aside—not cast away, but set aside dur ing this church age, when God is “ calling out a people for his name.” I am puzzled by the restrictions placed upon the food the children of Israel were told to eat as described in Leviticus, chapter 11. Verse S names but one beast to be eaten by man. God often illustrates deep spiritual truth in simple terms that we can un derstand; hence many of the figures and comparisons that are found throughout
Dr. Louis T. Talbot I would appreciate more information on the Mormon system of teaching con cerning the baptism for the dead. As stated in a late issue of The King’s Business this is an important question for the Mormons teach that baptism is absolutely essential to salvation, and while there is no Scripture to substan tiate such a perversion of the truth of God’s Word, baptism is a picture of our association with Christ in His death and resurrection. It speaks not only of death, but also of our being risen with Him. But if Christ is not risen from the dead, as some evidently contended, then, as Paul asked, “ What shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then bap tized for the dead?” (1 Cor. 15:29). In other words, if Christ be not risen from the dead, then we have been baptized unto a dead man, and of what signifi cance or value could that be? Baptism speaks of resurrection, as well as of death, but if Christ be not risen, the ordinance of baptism loses all of its significance; for then we should have been baptized for (i.e., “ unto” ) the dead (or a dead man), which would have no meaning at all. The whole trend of Paul’s argument which follows in this Corinthian discourse makes it conclusive that this is what Paul was talking about, for he says in verse 20: “ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.” The errors of Mormonism are legion—they hold that all who are not Latter-Day Saints, that is, members of that move ment, will be damned. The gospel of the grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is unknown in Mormonism. The work of the Holy Spirit is as clearly set forth in the Word of God as is the work of the Father, and as is the work of the Son. The Holy Spirit con victs of sin, and regenerates the heart Poge Six Can you explain just what is the work of the Holy Spirit?
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