A. Verse 21 actually gives the mean ing of this phrase. We read, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” No prophecy of the Scrip ture can be interpreted by man’s un aided reason, for prophecy came not in old time by the will of man. In other words, God’s Word is not just a man-made opinion. It is “thus saith the Lord.” Q . Oxnard, California — “What did. Pawl mean when he declared in I Timothy 5:22, “Lay hands suddenly on no man.” A. The Apostle Paul is writing to his son in the faith. The thought here is to give due consideration to all of one’s decisions. It is so easy to make hasty and unwise moves without weighing the many important factors involved. Think things over carefully in the light of God’s Word and through the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Q. Billings, Montana — “Some preach ers leave th e’ impression that i f we give our lives to Christ, we will pros per. Does it always mean that living fo r God will bring success?” A. It is both a very prevelant and a very erroneous notion. The Lord never promises monetary prosperity to any who accept Him. Certainly we will have spiritual success. To the con trary, however, there are evidences that some who accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour actu ally do so a t a great personal sacrifice as far as this world’s goods are con cerned. The Lord does promise, how ever, that all o f our needs will be supplied. We must keep in mind, how ever, that He is not 'talking about wants, desires, or wishes. Tucson, Arizona — “Why did JeSUS allow Ju d as to continue as one o f His disciples i f H e know that he would betray Him?” A. Of course Christ knew all along
Dr. Myers Honored
Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland (left), Biola presi dent, presents Dr. Ray A. Myers, chairman of the Biola Board of Directors, with a special resolution on the occasion of his 70th birthday. that Judas would betray Him. For that matter, He knew it from the beginning of eternity. We cannot be gin to understand the infinite, divine mind of our Lord Jesus Christ. One reason is certainly because o f the in finitely loving and gracious heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. This simply manifested more of His matchless grace. Perhaps He allowed him to re main so that he could be a warning to others. Judas is an example of how near one can be to the Lord Jesus Christ in outward position and yet far from the truth. The same is simi larly true with the two theives on the cross. One of them is an example how that no matter how late it is, the door of grace is still open. The other one shows the folly and emptiness of waiting until it is too late. “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation.” Q. Yakima, Washington — “Is sickness ever a blessing? Our pastor tells us that it can be, but I have never been able to see any good in pain.” A. Pain, so far as our sinful condition is concerned, can be a blessing. If one didn’t have pain when he acciden tally got burned on a stove or in a fire, he wouldn’t know to get out, and would suffer more sever conse quences. This is true in ail o f life. 16
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