the Lord Jesus? I f he urns saved, was he lost when he took his own life?” A. We do not believe that Judas was ever saved. This is based on such verses as John 13:18-19. The Lord knew whom He selected. He chose Judas knowing full well that he was going to betray Him. Verse 21, in dicates this. Judas was a hypocrite from the very beginning. He claimed allegiance to the Lord, but he had it in his mind not to follow Christ with his whole heart. Jesus called him “the son of perdition.” Q . Paso Roblei, Calif. — “In Matthew 20:20 we read that the mother of James and John requested that they might sit, the one on His right hand and the other on His left, in His kingdom. Mark 10:35 says it was James and John who made the re quest. Can you harmonize this?” A. This shows us how psychological ly true to human nature the Bible is even in the smallest detail. No doubt it was James and John who first asked for the privilege. Later their mother asks on their behalf. They all were asking for this favor. We con demn these people for selfishness; however, how many today really love the Lord enough so that they want to be next to Him at all times? We need to give them credit for this. Q . Turlock, Calif. — "Were any of the brothers of Jesus His disciples? What were the names of His broth ers and sisters?” A. John 7 :5 tells us that during the lifetime of our Lord His brethren did not believe on Him. In Acts 14, however, we read that they did be come followers of Him. This change may have come at Pentecost. We do not know all of the names of the Lord’s half-brothers and none of His sisters are given by name, only re ferred to in true Oriental fashion (see Matthew 13:55 for some of the names).
Q . Vancouver, Wash. — “Is the man whose house urns empty, swept and garnished a converted person? I f so, what did he neglect to put into the house?” A. This is found in Matthew 12:43- 45. The Saviour was speaking to the Pharisees and scribes, telling them that He was not going to give them another sign. Already they had re ceived sufficient. He knew that they had made many efforts toward self reformation, being cleansed outward ly, but still void of Christ within. He gives an example. The unclean spirit is the spirit of idolatry, the spirit of Satan. This is what leads men to worship some other object than God. A man may turn over a new leaf but reformation doesn’t begin to suffice. What a picture of the vain and empty “self-help” cults of our day. The last state of such an individual is far worse than the first. The story is not referring to a converted man. No born-again be liever is characterized or described as being empty, swept, and garn ished. This is, however, a picture of the condition of Israel after self reformation. Though she thinks she has gotten rid of all her idolatry, Revelation 13 shows that because she didn’t receive Christ, she will receive the anti-christ. This will be infinite ly worse than any of the idolatry that she had been subject to before this time. Self-reformation is always an absolute failure, spiritually speak ing. The only way you can get to heaven is through faith in the Lord Jesus and what He did for you in dividually on Calvary’s cross. Q. Spangle, Wash. — “The text in Ezekiel 18:U states, ‘The soul that sinneth it shall die.’ This conveys to me the meaning that the wicked shall be punished until consumed, which would be the second death spo ken of in the Bible. I cannot con ceive that our God of love, as we know Him, could possibly permit 23
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