same manner. We earnestly believe that the Lord’s Day should be hon ored. How can one do it on the golf links or mowing the lawn? We read in Acts that believers gathered on the first day of the week. This is the appointed time. It needs to be re membered, however, that we all come from different backgrounds. Person ally, we feel there are far too many unnecessary activities Christians carry on during Sundays. These could be done at other times. What kind of an example are we setting for our children? If they see no dif ference in the Lord’s Day, what im pact for later life will it make upon them? We should not be legalistic, but at the same time, foster a rev erence for the day. It would seem that this should be something which receives our careful and prayerful planning. Certainly we should talk over these things together. The standards we maintain should be ex plained in love and not hypocrisy. It would be just as wrong to give your children a set of rules and “don’ts” and then merely sit around all Sun day. You will need to give them some good wholesome activities they can enjoy. Q. Ivanhoe, Calif. — “WiU, you please comment on I John 3:9. My church believes in eternal security and also that we sin even after being saved. This passage seems to contradict such a belief.” A. As is true with all other verses, this needs to be considered in the light of its context for it presents a magnificent truth, namely, that there are two personalities or natures in the believer. The flesh, which repre sents our old self, has sinned from the beginning and is of the devil. When an individual receives the Lord Jesus Christ into his heart, however, he is bom again and given the new nature of Christ. He be comes a new creation and is indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit (Gal. 2:20,
5:17). This verse means that the new nature does not commit sin be cause it is from the Lord. Let us understand, however, that the old nature is never completely eradicat ed. When the old man gains the as cendancy, it is never satisfied; it always wants more. We can live a victorious life in Christ through the indwelling power of God’s Holy Spir it. Sin is not to be the norm or the practice of the Christian’s existence. Q. Fallbrook, Calif. — “Why did Paul say in Ephesians 6:2 that the fifth commandment to honor your par ents is the first commandment with promise? Actually in Isaiah 58:13, H it tells us that reward is prom ised to those who obey the fourth commandment." A. For proper understanding we should begin with Exodus 20. The first three commandments are ex pressed negatively. The fourth has no promise connected with it, while the fifth does. In Ephesians we have through Paul the Holy Spirit’s in terpretation of this important com mandment. It is precisely the first commandment with promise in he list of the ten. Historically we can see how the Lord has fulfilled His Word with amazing accuracy. While originally given to Israel, there are many wonderful spiritual applica tions for our own lives. The passage from Isaiah is not talking about the third commandment but rather dis cussing millennial conditions. These are two completely different sub jects. Q. Oddesa, Wash. — “What reason could you give me for the number seven which occurs throughout Rev elation?” A. It is the number of completion. It is the full number such as seven seals, seven trumpets, seven person ages, seven churches and so on. These are the complete judgments of 25
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