shows us that all they did was to profess, but never to actually pos sess the Saviour. There has been no personal commitment to Jesus Christ by faith. So long as they are sinning it is impossible to come to the Saviour. These are merely "tasters" not "trusters." Q. San Jose, Calif. "/ have several questions on Isaiah 19:17-25. Could this have reference to the time of the brief few days war between Is- ral and Egypt in June 1967? Do the five cities mentioned in verse 18 still exist? What is the language of Canaan? Will these last verses be fulfilled soon? Do you think we will see it, or will it happen after the Lord comes. Also, who are the Assyrians today?" A. From the 13th chapter of Isaiah through the 23rd, the prophet in dicates judgments concerning the nations. Then it gets broader as in verses 24 through 27. We find the whole world reeling and stagger ing like a drunken man. The proph et, in a very fine succession of log ical steps, gives the judgment of God against sin. This is both among His own people Israel as well as the nations. We believe the 19th chapter is yet to be fulfilled although we have seen foreshad ows of that coming hour of con flagration. This will have a more complete and ample fulfillment in days that lie just ahead. We should not restrict verse 17 to one event for there would be numerous ap plications. As to those five cities it is inter esting that they are not men tioned. God always has a purpose for what He does. Doubtless these important centers do exist how ever, we are not given their names. Many of those towns have been
the human experiences of being tested and tempted by Satan. If Christ could have sinned He would be a sinner. How could such a per son atone for our transgressions? The Lord suffered because you and I, as well as all mankind has sinned. Peter tells us that He bore in His own body our sins upon the tree. As the perfect God-man Christ never could have fallen. Thank God for His Saviourhood! Q. Portland, Ore. "You had an in teresting discussion of Arminian- ism and Calvinism. I still need help, however, on Heb. 6:4-6. Do you suppose people might not come back to Christ because of this passage?" A. All one has to do is to come in faith to the Saviour and they will find the assurance of sins forgiven and the promise of eternal life. Arminians hold that even though once a person is saved he can still be lost if he sins. Because of such transgression he would need to be saved all over again. Calvinists hold just the opposite view, which we at Biola believe is entirely scrip tural. While a child of God may backslide there is still mercy and forgiveness from the Lord (I Jn. 1:9). The verses you have sug gested, however, are not to sup port either view. To the Arminians it would erase all hope of an indi vidual's salvation after sinning since the Bible declares that "it is im possible to renew them again." It is our contention, based upon the verse's context, that this is not re ferring to those who are saved. They may have been elightened, even having heard the Gospel, but that won't take a person to heav en! While we do not judge indi viduals every outward indication Page 30
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