December, 1942
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
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Dr. Talbot's Question Box Questions for answer in this department should be sent to the E d i t o r i a l Department, THE KING’S BUSINESS, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, Calif.
12:25). If any of our loved ones are not there, we shall be so perfectly in the will of God in bur understanding of all* things that there will be no bitterness in our souls (Rev. 21:4). This fact does not excuse us from do ing our utmost now to urge them to accept Christ (-2 Cor. 6:2). QUE .: Is is possible for a Chris tian to become possessed of a demon ? Yes, it is sadly possible for a be liever on the Lord Jesus Christ to be come a tool of Satan (cf. Matt. 16:22, 23; 1, John 4:1-3). But this need not be, and it is never the case if the believer avails himself of the means of grace and victory which Christ freely provides. The adversary is a wily foe, and the child of God is ex horted to beware “lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). If a believer is an obedient; fol lower of the Lord Jesus Christ, feeding upon the Word of God and expe riencing daily the “washing of water by the word” (Eph. 5:26), he need have no fear of the power of de mons over his life. Demon possession is much more apparent in heathen lands than elsewhere, for in the lands where Christ is named and honored— even to a limited extent—a restraint is exerted over the awful power of the evil one. QUE .: Please explain the differ ence between believing with the head and with the heart. The theologians of old used ft> say that faith is composed of three things: First, the acknowledgment of the head; second, the assent of the heart; and third, the affiance of the life. I think this definition cannot be im proved. Believing with the head is a part of saving faith, but that kind of faith alone cannot save. You remem ber that even the demons believed and trembled (Jas. 2:19). There are thousands of unregenerate men and women who believe intellectually in
QUE .: Is is wrong to rent a house from a person who denies Christ and mocks Him? There is nothing wrong in a Chris tian’s having dealings with the un converted and u n g o d l y , provided those dealings are just and right. As a Christian, you are not responsible for the unbelief or for the mockery of the ma*n frpm whom you rent your house. Your business is to show forth Christ, by life and by spoken word when the latter is possible (Isa. 43:10). If, while maintaining this prayerful attitude toward your unsaved land lord, you find that his taunts become unbearable, you certainly could feel justified in leaving. But be sure, be fore you go, that he has had at-least a clear understanding .of how to be saved. It must be remembered, at the same time, that believers on the Lord Jesus Christ are exhorted not to enter into any kind of fellowship with the unregenerated (2 Cor. 6:14). QUE .: To what extent shall we know one another in heaven ? Shall we know our former loved ones as such? The Bible teaches that now we see through a glass darkly, but then—in the presence of our Saviour and Lord, —“face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12). If mu tual recognition were not tb be had in heaven, how could Paul say to the Thessalonians, “We . . . shall be caught up together with them [our departed dead] . . . Wherefore com fort one another with these words” ? See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. There would be no comfort in being caught up with our loved ones if we did not recognize them or «know who they were! However, the fact that we shall know and love our dear ones does not even suggest that there will be par tiality in our regard for them, for we shall love every one, and shall rejoice together in the glorious presence of Christ. In heaven, saints will neither marry nor be given in marriage, but will be as the angels of God (Mk.
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Christ, but they have no saving faith. To believe with the heart involves the affections. That is where the word “love” comes in. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, said, “F or: with the heart man believeth unto righteous ness” (Rom. 10:10). The expression, “affiance of the life,” shows that faith always includes action. It is not a dead intellectual thing, but it is a living, pulsing, acting, expressive af fair. Paul and James agree thoroughly. James said, “Faith without works is dead” (Jas. 2:20), but a living faith that issues in works is the only kind of faith that Paul ever preached. We fear that there are multiplied thou sands in the churches today who have been taken in on a mere assent of the mind. The Old Testament word for “faith.? is “trust.” Because the word “faith” has been profaned by misuse, it is often helpful to use the word “ trust.”
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