DK TALBOT Days, Hours, Minutes What is the difference between the expressions used by Jesus: “Mine hour is not yet come” and “M y time is not yet come” ? There is a difference in these two expressions. W hen Christ said “ M y time is not •yet come” He was re ferring to events in His earthly life. For example in John 7:6, when His disciples asked whether He was going down to Jerusalem to the feast of the tabernacles, He said, “ M y time is not yet come.” Every step of the Lord was ordered by the Father. W e often say that we live a day at a time, but the Lord Jesus lived a second at a time. And wherever He put His foot, the same was in fu ll accordance w ith the w ill and guid ance of His Father in heaven. The expression, “ M ine hour has not yet come,” always refers to the cross. A Spiritual Burnt-Offering In Judges 11:30-40 we see the story of Jephthah’s awful vow. Was this vow pleasing to the Lord? The Bible makes no comment one way or the other about Jephthah’s vows; but Jephthah is listed in He brews 11:32 as one of the heroes of faith. But it is certain that he wor shiped the God of Israel. The reli able commentator, Fausset, thinks that Jephthah did not offer his daugh ter, his on ly child, as a human sacri fice; for that was an abomination unto the Lord. The heathen nations of Palestine did offer human sacri fices to their false gods; but Jeho vah repeatedly warned Israel not to do this very thing. Since Jephthah was a God-fearing judge of Israel, and since he knew that human sac rifices were an abomination to God, Fausset thinks he offered his daugh ter as a “ spiritual burnt-offering” unto the Lord, in the sense that she was set apart for His service, for ever to be a virgin (see w . 37-40). However that may be, these were his words to God when he “ vowed a 26
vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the chil dren of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I w ill offer it up for a burnt-offering” (Judg. 11:30,31). Even if he did offer his daughter as a human sacrifice, because he had foolishly made such a vow ; yet he very evidently did it without the ap proval of God. Many of God’s chil dren make grievous mistakes. David sinned w ilfu lly and w oefully; but his sin did not rob him of his salva tion; and God forgave him, even as He often has to forgive us. So that our only conclusion must be that God honored Jephthah’s faith. And as the Scriptures are silent as to a more definite outcome of the story, so we, too, must be silent in our own con clusions concerning the matter. Twofold Sanctification Are holiness, sinless perfection and sanctification synonymous terms? Sanctification and saint are kindred words, and imply separation from a godless world. W e are set apart for God; that is sanctification. Sanctification, however, is twofold. One aspect of the word has to do with our standing before God; the other, w ith our state. Sanctification as to our standing before God is brought about by the blood of Christ, and is eternal, complete, once for all. “W e are sanc tified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10). Sanctification as to our state and daily walk is another thing. This is brought about through the operation of the W ord of God, as we read it and allow it to judge our walk and ways. Christ said in His prayer for His disciples, “ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). And Paul wrote of the same thing in Eph. 5:25,26: “ Christ also
loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it w ith the washing of water by the word.” As we read the Holy Scriptures, meditate upon them, love them, and seek to live by them, we are being separated from the things that would defile. This is sanctifica tion in respect to our life and walk. W e have become afraid of the term, because those who teach sinless per fection in this life have appropriated it and perverted its scriptural mean ing. But that should not cause us to give up the word or its message to us. It is the Christian’s duty and privilege to be sanctified, though we can never claim sinless perfection this side of heaven. Then, “ when he shall appear, we shall be like him ” in glory — free from sin and its power. Worship of Trees Jeremiah 10:3,4 quite apparently condemns the practice of using Christmas trees as beihg a pagan cus tom. What do you think about this passage? Your question crops up every so often among Bible questions. The impression given is that this has reference to the use of Christmas trees as a pagan custom. I strongly recommend that you read the context and you w ill find that the prophet Jeremiah is speaking of idolatry and the worship of a tree as a god. No tice verse 8. This passage has abso lutely nothing to do with Christmas trees. For one thing, how could Jere miah know about a Christmas tree, when Christmas was only celebrated after the com ing of Christ, and the practice arose in Europe within mod em times. The passage in Jeremiah is condemning idolatry just as clearly as Isaiah 44:9-20 is. This is just a misuse of a Scrip ture to make it apply to the Christ mas tree, and it would be most hu morous if it were not tragic. I trust you w ill carefully consider the Scrip ture and see the truth of our position. THE KING'S BUSINESS
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