1998_10

UPLOOKSPECIAL REPORT: Ravaged by Hurricane Georges

J U N E 1 9 9 8 November 1998

THE DEVILÕSTRAPLINE

Real SnakeHandling

The Origin of Sin

rooted, built up, stablished, abounding with thanks (v. 7).3. “And ye are complete in Him…in whom also ye are

circumcised with the circumcision made withouthands…buried with Him in baptism…risen withHim…And…blotting out the handwriting of ordinancesthat was against us…Let no man therefore judge you inmeat, or in drink…or of the sabbath: which are a shadowof things to come; but the body is of Christ” (vv. 10-17).

JEWISH LEGALISM finds in man an ally in its quest tofind acceptance with God based on performance. A falseview of the will, it assumes that I can resolve myself intorighteousness. The devil is resurrecting this tactic as

many overcompensate for the careless liv-ing we see all around us. There is a grow-ing emphasis on physical circumcision as aritual, dietary schemes (not for health rea-sons but as spiritual placebos), and dresscodes which move one up the ladder ofspiritual superiority. Much of this is basedon fabricated “principles” drawn obtuselyfrom Old Testament passages. But likemodern art, “anything can become any-thing else” in the process. There is no con-sistent Bible hermeneutic in this scheme.

The solution? Christ! Why grasp shadows when youcan embrace Him? (v. 17). Legalism is not obedience toChrist; it is imposing man-made standards as divine law.Any externalizing of Christianity leads to Phariseeism,and it is impossible to be a consistent Pharisee.

4. “Let no man beguile you…intruding into thosethings which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by hisfleshly mind, and not holding the Head, from which all thebody…increases with the increase of God” (vv. 18-19).

WESTERN ASCETICISM is a false view of the body.Assuming material things are inherently evil, this trapoffers retreat from the world, but it is too late. The worldhas a co-conspirator already lurking in our hearts (1 Jn.2:16). Neglecting the body ends up feeding the flesh.

The solution? Christ! We are joined to every othermember of the Body for mutual growth when we hold ourcommon Head. Instead of being puffed up by spiritualpride, we grow up by spiritual life in the Lord Jesus.

hat would you think of a liege lord who, beingrepeatedly attacked by an enemy at a weakspot in his defenses, failed to move his troopsinto the gap? Why does the devil keep using

the same tactics against us? Because they work! Whyalter your strategy when it is devastating your foe?

The adversary mounts four weapons against us, snareson the devil’s trapline, as recorded in Colossians 2:

1. “In [Christ] are hid all the treasures of wisdom andknowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguileyou with enticing words…I am with you in the spirit, joy-ing and beholding your order, and the stedfastness ofyour faith in Christ” (vv. 3-5).

EASTERN MYSTICISM still is a real dangerto the people of God. It is a false view ofthe heart—that I can trust my feelings tolead me. A prominent segment of evangeli-calism is led by emotion. Yet our hearts are“deceitful”—how easily they fool us.

The solution? Christ! In Him are hid allwisdom (sophia, insight into the true natureof things) and knowledge (gnosis, informa-tion acquired so as to make a right judg-ment). The Word combats men’s enticingwords. The result? Biblical order and steadfastness.

2. “As ye have therefore received Christ…, so walk yein Him: rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in thefaith…abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lestany man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of theworld, and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all thefullness of the Godhead bodily” (vv. 6-9).

GREEK INTELLECTUALISM posed another danger to theearly Church, as it does to us. It is a false view of themind. Of course Christians should be marked by intelli-gence, where the mind is servant. But with intellectual-ism, the mind is king. Men’s philosophies tend towardsvain deceit, man-made traditions, and worldly thinking.

The solution? Christ! In Him the fullness of theGodhead dwells. All truth finds its source in the One whois the Truth. He is truth in 3D—living, breathing, func-tioning truth in the real world. Notice the rich benefits:

2 UUPPLLOOOOKK • NOVEMBER 1998

E D I T O R I A L

b y J . B . N I C H O L S O N , J R .

THE DEVILÕS TRAPLINESnap! Another one caught!

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W

3UUPPLLOOOOKK • NOVEMBER 1998

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Website: http:\\www.uplook.orgemail: [email protected]

FEATURESLITTLE ROCK UPDATE John and Bobbie Heller 4

COMPLETE DELIVERANCE FROM SIN C. H. Mackintosh 7

HOW GOD TREATS SIN J. T. Mawson 8

PROJECT JAMAICA 9

IS THERE AN ETERNAL HELL? Donald Norbie 11

REAL SNAKE HANDLING & OTHER SURVIVAL TIPS Chart 14

THE PENALTY OF SIN David Millar 17

FORGIVEN MUCH Samuel John Stone 18

CHRIST’S IMPECCABILITY James Martin 19

IMPERVIOUS TO SIN A. E. Long 21

THE STRATEGY OF THE ENEMY Mark Kolchin 22

THE ORIGIN OF SIN David Dunlap 25

DEPARTMENTSEDITORIAL 2

FRONT LINES 5

WHAT’S GOING ON? 9

BOUQUET OF BLESSING 13

LIVING ASSEMBLIES 16

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C O N T E N T S

Number 10Volume 65 November 1998UPLOOKUPLOOK


with the work here also. She has ajob as a high school teacher in thepublic school system. Pray that shewill have opportunities to shareChrist with her students. She is alsoexercised about possible evangelisticstudies with a student at the U. A. atLittle Rock. She, Sarah and Michelle(Heller) hope to be involved in aministry with children.

A Fall Outreach is planned inLittle Rock for October 13-17. Thereare 1,200 Seed Sower packets to bedistributed to homes, and we arepraying that the Lord will lead us tohungry souls searching for the Lord.Folks are planning to come from sur-rounding areas to help.”

salvation. It cannotbe stated enough howgrateful we are foryou who are holdingthis work up beforethe Throne. What hasand is taking placehere is nothing shortof miraculous whenyou consider howstubborn the heart of man is, espe-cially in these dark days.

We have a number of Bible studieswith unsaved people each week. Prayespecially for a Chinese couple as theLord continues to work in theirhearts, and they show a steady inter-est in the Word. Their main concernis the validity of the Scriptures. Praythat the Spirit will convict them of theneed to trust His infallible Word.

Phil and Martha Moffitt moved toLittle Rock from Tulsa, OK, at theend of September, and are gettingunpacked. We thank the Lord for Hisleading them here to help.

Holly Lindamood moved to LittleRock from Tulsa this summer to help

o His glory, there are 25of us meeting regularlyon Sundays, 19 breakingbread. There are visitorson a regular basis. Last

Sunday in the prayer meeting it wasexpressed by several men that theywere no longer uncomfortable withthe silent moments in the Lord’sSupper. They agreed that it is pre-cious to see Christ as the center, andto come ready to honor Him, but towait on the Lord’s leading.

There is a nucleus forming and areal desire for proper body life andevangelism. Satan, to be sure, isworking to hinder the establishmentof this fellowship, but we are restingin the Lord’s promise that ‘the gatesof hell shall not prevail against it.’

A great part of the time is spentshepherding and discipling believerswho are interested in the fellowship,as well as reaching out to those whomthe Lord has put in our path who need

How are they doing in LR?Isn’t it encouraging when you can see the answers to your prayers in 3D?

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S P E C I A L R E P O R T

TJOHN HELLER

The assembly meeting by the Lord’s grace at Little Rock

have attended numerous churches in my twentyyears as a Christian, but have always been frus-trated with flawed teaching, worldly attitudesand practices, or rigid adherence to unprofitable

traditions. As a result, my family has reluctantly foundourselves “between churches” many times. It was during arecent such period of transition that I noticed a flier in thenewspaper announcing a series of evangelistic meetings ata local high school, sponsored by a church whose name I hadnever heard. I was intrigued, but made no plans at thattime. Eventually curiousity (as well as desperation)prompted me to attend one of the meetings, with my “spir-itual antennae” carefully extended (later to learn that my

presence had rendered them equally cautious toward me!).The teaching appeared sound, so I prayed and pondered fora week or two before attending one of the regular assemblies.Coming from a church background in which worship wasvery demonstrative, I found the simple, contemplativenature of the Remembrance service rather unusual.However, I have since come to appreciate the central focusupon the Person of Christ alone. Ours is still a young,developing work, but we trust in the Lord to build Hischurch, as He promised in Matthew 16:18. I anticipate afruitful future of seeing lost souls converted, believers edi-fied, and Christ exalted in this city. After all, that’s what thechurch is all about. —GENE SAUGEY, Little Rock, AK

I

SEED SOWING IN HINTONPreparations are being made for a

door-to-door distribution of SeedSowers packets in the city of Hinton,WV, during the week of May 24,1999. Dr. Paul Carmean (Niceville,FL) will be the coordinator for theevent. Hinton has an establishedassembly and will be doing the fol-low-up work based on expressedinterest of the literature recipients.Three gospel meetings are alsoplanned during the same week. Prayfor the sowing of the seed. Questionsmay be referred to:

Paul Carmean(850) [email protected]

COMMENDATIONSDavid and Patti Langford

David and Patti Langford werecommended to the Lord’s work withMMS (Missionary MaintenanceServices), Coshocton, OH, by theassembly of believers meeting atNorthern Hills Bible Chapel,Cincinnati, OH. MMS prepares air-craft for missions while training air-craft mechanics for mission service.David started a thirty-month trainingprogram in August 1998. As anapprentice, he will be eligible to takethe examination for the Federal

Aviation Administration airframeand powerplant mechanic license.

David and Patti, with their twoboys, Daniel and Paul, then antici-

a committment to attend all of theclasses, but would not discouragethose whose schedule makes thisimpossible. The study expenses aremet entirely from the freewill offer-ings of those in attendance.

For further information, contact:Willie Burnett(905) [email protected]

HUTCHINSON CONFERENCEThe Hutchinson Gospel Chapel

(334 E 6th, Hutchinson, KS) Fallconference is scheduled for Nov. 21& 22. The invited speaker is J. B.Nicholson, Jr. Sessions will be onSaturday at 2:00, 3:30, and 7:00 andon Sunday at 11:00.

For more information or accom-modations, contact:

Paul Wakefield2(316) 669-0933

CONGRESSSingles 16 years of age and older

are invited to attend the CongressRetreat at Greenwood Hills(Fayetteville, PA) on Jan. 8-10, 1999.The expected speaker is Barry Kirk(WV). Registration fee of $70 ($65 ifregistered before Dec. 15) includestwo nights’ accommodations and fivemeals. For a registration form, write:

Congress2721 Oberlin Dr.York, PA 17404-1249

WINTER CONFERENCEThe 12th Annual Winter

Conference will be held at GalileanBible Camp (Blind River, ON) onFeb. 26-28, 1999. Lord willing, JoeReese (ON) will be speaking. Fulldetails are available online atwww3.sympatico.ca/jrm/wc.htm

For more information, contactJames Martin at (705) 560-5646 or e-mail [email protected]

MEETINGS IN QUEBECWe look forward, in the Lord’s

will, to the ministry of Mr. J. BoydNicholson, Sr. at various assembliesin the Eastern Townships of Quebec.

Nov. 20—Ayer’s Cliff (7 PM)Nov. 21—Parkside Ranch , Cherry

River (8 AM breakfast)Nov. 21 & 22—Ayer’s Cliff (3:30

& 7 PM; supper at 5 PM)Nov. 22—Stanstead (11 AM)If you have any questions, call

Tom Robertson:(819) 838-5774 (home)(819) 838-4983 (work)

QUITE FRANKLY…Brother Frank Burgess is expected

for meetings on November 22 and 29at the Grace Bible Chapel inSpringfield, Illinois.

He is expected to minister theWord at the Sunday School and theFamily Bible Hour. Prayer is muchappreciated.

BIBLE STUDY PROGRAMThe Bible Study Program provides

a systematic approach to Bible study,and is available to any who feel theywould benefit, regardless of age orgender. Classes commence at 9 AM

and finish at noon each thirdSaturday of the month. One teacherwill conduct three 40-minute ses-sions. Classes are held at HopedaleBible Chapel, Oakville, ON.

Nov. 21 W. BurnettThe Feasts of Jehovah

Dec. 12 J. B. Nicholson, Jr.Prayer

Jan. 16 A. McInteeSermon on the Mount

Feb. 20 B. GunningParables of the Kingdom

Mar. 20 W. BurnettUpper Room Ministry

April 17 J. Comte7 Churches of Revelation

It is preferred that attendees make


F R O N T L I N E S

Heights, FL), a Christian Retirementand Bible Conference Center, haswell-built apartment homes availablefor occupancy. Call:

John Forrest(352) 473-4926

UPHOLDING IN PRAYERClarence Low (St. Catharines,

ON) writes that he has been invitedby a number of assemblies in AndhraPradesh, India to return for a fourthmission trip. He may also have theopportunity to minister in Nepal.

Your prayers are valued as heleaves, Lord willing, in the middle ofJanuary 1999.

PASSING INTO LIFEPhyllis Alexandria Paulson

Phyllis Paulson (Victoria Beach,MB) passed peacefully into the pres-ence of her heavenly Father onAugust 27, 1998. She and her hus-band, Peter, were married for 68years. They had four children, 13grandchildren, 36 great-grandchil-dren, and three great-great grand-children. Phyllis’ greatest interestwas in raising her family in the fearand admonition of the Lord. She wasa faithful prayer warrior and a dili-gent worker with youth in her home,at Faith Bible Camp, in hospital visi-tation, and in the assemblies whichshe attended over the years.

A NEW ASSEMBLYA new assembly has started meet-

ing in Clinton Township (northernDetroit area, MI). They are presentlymeeting at Chesterfield ElementarySchool (23 Mile Rd. and Gratiot)Sundays at 9:30 for Breaking ofBread; 11:00 for Family Bible Hourand at 6:00 for an evening service.

Calvary Bible ChapelPO Box 380645Clinton Township, MI 48038Correspondent Michael AntosPhone: (810) 263-9370

Day Care AdministratorThe day care that is run in the

building of Concorde CommunityChurch (formerly Bethany Chapel,Anderson, SC) is in need of a full-time administrator.

For more information, contact:Larry Reeves(864) 225-2702

Pre-school TeacherNorthway Bible Chapel, located

30 minutes north of Albany, NY, inClifton Park, operates LittlefolksPreschool, a program for three-andfour-year-olds.

Littlefolks is in need of a certifiedpreschool teacher to teach our three-year-old program. Responsibilitieswill include teaching two days perweek, eight hours per day.

The teacher will work under thedirection of the Director of the schooland will have an assistant to help inthe day-to-day operation of the pro-gram.

If interested, please contact:Mike or Nancy Dore4 Melanie Dr.Saratoga Springs, NY 12866(518) 584-9394

General ManagerGreenwood Hills (Fayetteville,

PA) is looking for a General Managerwho would be able to replace the cur-rent manager, Mr. Ed Suess, by theend of 1999. This position requiresadministrative ability and the abilityto work with people of all ages.Commitment to New Testamentassembly principles is a must.

Anyone interested in this positionmay send qualifications, work histo-ry, and other pertinent information to:

Greenwood Hillsc/o Mr. Steve Hulshizer2721 Oberlin Dr.York, PA 17404

PARK OF THE PALMSPark of the Palms (Keystone

pate the Lord to direct them in full-time missionary service overseas.

The Langfords have been in fel-lowship at Northern Hills BibleChapel for seven years. We encour-age all of you to pray for them as theytake this step of faith to serve ourLord.

David and Patti Langford4561 Ridge Rd. SWBaltic, OH 43804(330) [email protected]

Jeff and Kara RickertThe saints meeting in the name of

the Lord at Bethany Bible Chapel(Conway, SC) are commending to thework of the Lord, Jeff and Kara(Detweiler) Rickert. They have beenexercised to serve with the youth ofthe chapel and will also be teachingin the local Christian school. In addi-tion, Jeff is being used by the Lord inteaching/ preaching the Word in localchurches and in youth camps.

Peter and Susie LandisThe Concorde assembly in

Anderson, SC, have commendedPeter and Susie Landis to full-timeministry. They will be involved withdiscipleship, AWANA, youth group,and Bible studies as well as helping atCamp Hope in Dahlonega, GA.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIESAssembly Missionary Home

A caretaker couple is required forthe Assembly Missionary Home inAsuncion, Paraguay. Commendationfrom their local assembly is required.The home is available to all assemblymissionaries and those recommendedby missionaries who need temporaryaccommodation.

For details, write to:The PresidentMision Cristiana en el ParaguayCasilla 1445Asuncion 1209Paraguay, South America


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FRONT LINES

which reigns through righteousnessunto eternal life, by Jesus Christ ourLord” (Rom. 5:21).

This glorious emancipating truthis little understood by the Lord’s peo-ple. Comparatively few get beyondthe forgiveness of sins. They do notsee their full deliverance from thepower of sin; they feel its presence;and, arguing from their painful feel-ing, instead of reckoning themselvesto be what God tells them they are,they are plunged into doubt and fearas to their conversion. They are occu-pied with their own self-con-sciousness, instead of Christ. Theyare looking at their state in order toget peace and comfort. Hence theyare, and must be, miserable. The veryhighest spiritual state could neverform the basis of peace. We shallnever get peace if we seek it in ourstate, our condition, our experience,our anything. The way to get peace isto believe that we died with Christ;were buried with Him; are justifiedin Him; accepted in Him. In short,that, “as He is, so are we in thisworld” (1 Jn. 4:17). This is the divinebasis of peace.

And not only so, but it is the onlydivine secret of a holy life. We aredead to sin. We are not called tomake ourselves dead. We are so inChrist. A monk, an ascetic, or anardent striver after sinless perfection,may try to put sin to death by variousbodily exercises. What is theinevitable result? Misery, yes, miseryin proportion to the earnestness.How different is true Christianity.We start with the blessed knowledgethat we are dead to sin; and in thefaith of this, we “mortify” not thebody, but its “deeds.” In this way youmay enter, by faith, into the power ofthis full deliverance today.

Now grace is on the throne. “Sin shallnot have dominion over you; for yeare not under the law, but undergrace” (Rom. 6:14). Glorious deliver-ance! Blessed emancipation! Mayyou enter into it, and live in the powerof it, through the precious ministry ofthe Holy Spirit!

And, be it carefully observed, theApostle is not speaking in Romans 6of the forgiveness of sins; this hetreats in chapter 3. Blessed be God,our sins are forgiven—blotted out—eternally canceled. However, in chap-ter 6 the theme is not forgiveness ofsins, but complete deliverance fromsin, as a ruling power or principle.

How do we obtain this immenseboon? By death. We have died tosin—died in the death of Christ. Isthis true of every believer? Yes, ofevery believer beneath the canopy ofheaven. Is it a matter of attainment?By no means. It belongs to everychild of God, every true believer. It isthe common standing of all. Blessed,holy standing! All praise and homageto Him who has earned it for us, andbrought us into it. We live under theglorious reign of grace—“grace

t is an obvious fact that whena Christian dies and goes toheaven he is completely deliv-ered from the power of sin. Itis manifestly impossible that

sin can have any power or authorityover a dead man. But it is not so read-ily seen that the believer, at the pres-ent time, is as thoroughly deliveredfrom the power of sin as though hewere dead and gone to heaven. Sinhas no more dominion over aChristian than over a man who isactually dead and buried.

We speak of the power, not of thepresence of sin. Carefully note this.There is, regarding the question ofsin, this material difference betweenthe Christian here and hereafter.

Here, he is delivered only from thepower of sin; hereafter, he will befreed from its presence. In his presentcondition, sin dwells in him; but it isnot to reign. By and by, it will noteven dwell there. The reign of sin isover. The reign of grace has begun.

Sin was condemned on the Cross.


Complete deliverance from sinIs this a breathtaking but uncertain possibility? No,says the well-known author. It is a life-giving reality.

I T ’ S A C L A S S I C

IC. H. MACKINTOSH

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We are savednot only byblood fromthe penaltyof sin but bywater from

its influence.

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in dust and ashes.” Then he iscompelled to cry out to God, asDavid did: “Wash me throughlyfrom mine iniquity, and cleanseme from my sin…Purge me withhyssop, and I shall be clean;wash me, and I shall be whiterthan snow” (Ps. 51:2, 7).

How can a man appreciate theatoning death of Christ unless hefeels that he is a sinful man? And whyshould he trouble himself at all aboutthe matter if sin is a light thing in thesight of God? If men are to have aright attitude towards God, if they areto “awake to righteousness and sinnot,” the first thing necessary is thatthey should exchange their thoughtsas to the gravity of sin and take God’sthoughts instead.

The cherubim with flaming swordat the gates of a tenantless Eden pro-claim God’s thought of sin. A worlddestroyed by a flood of great watersshows His severity and inexorablejustice in dealing with sin; and Sinai’sflaming summit with its pealing thun-ders in the presence of an awed andtrembling people declare that sin isnot a small thing in God’s sight.

Sin has wrecked God’s fair cre-ation; it has ruined men, separatingthem from God by a gulf that couldonly be crossed and removed by infi-nite love.

But it has done more than this. Ithas challenged the very majesty ofGod in His own universe. Sin isrebellion against God’s supremacy; itwould dare to climb to the eternalthrone if it could, and tear Him fromthence. This is what sin means when-ever it shows itself in the life of aman; it is the determination of his

heart to go his own way, regardlessof the will of God. It is lawlessness,the refusal to be subject to thesupreme Ruler of the universe.

But it is the cross of Christ thatshows us what sin is, as nothing elsecan. We Christian men and womenmust not lose sight of the cross or weshall lose our sense of the awfulnessof sin. The Scripture says: “Christonce suffered for sins.” Let us dwelloften and long upon that statement,considering—as far as we may—what He suffered that He might bringus to God. As we grow in our appre-ciation of those sufferings, we shallgrow in our abhorrence of sin, and sowe shall increase in holiness and ingratitude to God who “commendethHis love towards us in that while wewere yet sinners Christ died for us”(Rom. 5:8).

We are often asked the way torevival of spiritual life in the childrenof God, and of a deeper work of con-viction in the souls of those whoneed the gospel. We know no otherway than this: let those who professto know the Lord turn afresh to thecross of sacrifice and have theirsouls renewed in the presence of thatcross, where their sins and God’sholy judgment met in the Person oftheir suffering Substitute. May theHoly Spirit of God affect us deeplyin this exercise.

knew of a little girl, not morethan eight or nine years old,who had been disobedient.Her mother, perhaps not wise-ly, said to her: “Go upstairs to

your bedroom, and tell God all aboutyour naughtiness, and don’t comedown again until He has forgivenyou.” In a very short time the littlechild returned to the living room, aspert as could be.

“Well,” said her mother, “did youtell God what a naughty girl you hadbeen?”

“Yes, Mother,” she replied, “I did,and He said, ‘Oh, don’t mention it.’”

The little girl’s conception of whatGod thought about her sin is enoughto raise a smile, but she merely put acommon notion into quaint expres-sion. For the majority of peopleappear to think that because their sinsare a very small matter in their eyes,they are also small in God’s eyes, andthat when He comes to deal withthem He will treat them as of noaccount at all. We venture to suggestthat this estimate of sin largelyaccounts for the lack of depth inmany who are really Christians, andfor the indifference of the multitudesto the gospel of God’s grace.

What a difference it makes whensin becomes “exceeding sinful” in theeyes of a man; when he is brought tosee himself as God sees him, and torealize how sin appears in God’ssight. Then he says, as Job said,“Behold, I am vile.” Or with David,“Now mine eye seeth Thee.Wherefore I abhor myself and repent


How God treats sinWhat is revival but a fresh beginning of obedience to God?

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K E Y S T O R E V I V A L

IJ. T. MAWSON


W H A T ’ S G O I N G O N ?

the building to handle the crowd.At most of the evening meetings,

150 people came, 200 in one meet-ing. The Lord gave opportunities tospeak to many people.

The desire of the team as we lookforward to returning to Jamaica nextsummer, Lord willing, is to help theWestern Bible Camp in St. Elizabeth.It is the only assembly-run camp onthe island, strategically locatedbetween Kingston and Montego Bay.It is potentially a great mission fieldfor all ages. The facility is in desper-ate need of repairs and basic equip-ment such as pots and pans, servingspoons and knives.

Two trips are planned: the first todo maintenance at the camp, and thesecond to train Jamaican believers to

do the work themselves.GMJ’s experience over the past

two summers has been that peopleare anxious to respond to the gospeland that there is a need for the Wordto be given in these areas. The full-time workers there also need ourprayers and support.

For more information, or toreceive a quarterly newsletter, writeor call:

Project JamaicaFt. Lauderdale Bible Chapel141 NW 38th St.Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309(954) 563-6012

The second week of the team’s tripwas spent at Billy’s Bay, a small fish-ing village in St. Elizabeth. There areonly 12 people in fellowship at thischapel. The building was tiny—15'by 30'. The accommodations seemedimpossible for the program and forseating the expected forty children.

To our surprise, as many as 100children attended DVBS. What welacked in facilities, the Lord providedthrough creativity. We made crafts inthe shade of the Lignum Vitae trees,played football (soccer) in a nearbyfield, and erected an awning beside

he Gospel Missions toJamaica team was con-ceived in 1997 when thegroup started praying for

Jamaica. Many in the Ft. Lauderdale(FL) Chapel are of West Indian her-itage with a burden for their friendsand loved ones back home.

As the group prayed and preparedfor their first trip to Jamaica, theyfound that such an undertaking couldnot happen overnight. Many of theyouth spent many hours paintingmurals, writing leaflets, planningcrafts, and studying for speaking andteaching assignments. They even pre-pared for such mundane tasks askitchen duty.

The team flew to Jamaica on July6, then travelled by van to the southshore, to an area known as TreasureBeach, located in St. Elizabeth.

The first week was spent at BethelGospel Chapel in Southfield, anassembly of approximately 100 peo-ple. About 100 children attended theDVBS with puppet shows, games,crafts, singing, and Bible stories.

Each evening there were gospelmeetings, videos, and testimonies,with more than 150 in attendance.

Project JamaicaThey need the gospel there too, Mon.

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The Gospel Missions to Jamaica team(above) and a crowd of young folk (below).

T


WHATÕS GOING ON?

Christian God—God of the Bible.”Shabir Ali heard that statement

and filed a complaint against Mark.Now more Muslims are joining thecrusade against him.

Mark has been charged with “dis-criminating on the basis of religion”and “inciting hatred againstMuslims.” He is scheduled to appearbefore the Canadian Human RightsCommission Tribunal on October 21.

Mark has already spent 2 days injail for other similar incidents.

NEPAL CHURCH GROWS AMID PERSECUTION

The evangelical church in Nepalhas grown from about 70,000 sevenyears ago to at least 300,000, accord-ing to Loknath Manaen, former headof the Bible Society. Young peoplehave been especially responsive, hesaid. The growth has prompted per-secution. “Persecution is comingfrom three different sources—Hindufundamentalists, Maoist revolution-aries, and government bureaucrats—all of whom have different reasons topersecute Christians. —Pulse

The Aucas, now known as theWaorani people, have since beenevangelized. MAF pilots now flyevangelists, doctors, and relief work-ers freely into almost 200 airfieldsthroughout the country. —MNN

RACISM ON THE RISEAccording to a report in the Wall

Street Journal, racism is on the rise inGermany. Racially motivated crimesincreased by 10 percent last year, to1,608. Much of the problem is rootedin eastern Germany, where the job-less rate is 19 percent, with youthunemployment far higher. After oneyoung man was convicted of a racial-ly motivated attack, his victim com-mented. “There are thousands ofother skinheads. In East Berlin, yousee them everywhere…I am afraidfor Germany.” —Pulse

TRUE, NORTH,STRONG AND FREE?

Mark Harding is an Ontario-basedChristian with a radio show calledVoice of the Christian Martyrs (not tobe confused with VOM). On oneoccasion he said, “Allah is not the

EUROPEAN COURT OUTLAWS SPANKING

In an extremist anti-family deci-sion this week, the European Court ofHuman Rights ruled Wednesday thata British law under which parents arepermitted to use spanking as a formof discipline is illegal.

The case, which threatens thetime-tested relationship of parents totheir children and which also under-mines Britain’s national sovereignty,revolved around a boy who, accord-ing to his mother, attempted to stabhis younger brother with a knife andas a result was spanked with a caneby his stepfather. CNN reportedWednesday that the European courthas ordered Britain to pay $50,400(US) in damages and legal fees.

50 YEARS IN ECUADORMission Aviation Fellowship is

celebrating 50 years of ministry inEcuador. Nate Saint, Jim Elliot andthree other missionaries made thefirst flight to the country’s tribal peo-ple in 1948. Auca Indians murderedall five—shocking the world andencouraging worldwide missions.

RAVAGED BY HURRICANE GEORGESReports have been received about considerable damage from wind and water to the following:

—some believers’ houses and the agricultural project in Nevis;—two assembly buildings and some believers’ houses in St. Kitts;—the camp, Esther Frey’s office, and some believers’ houses in Puerto Rico.

While other islands had been warned of the coming storm and were able to prepare somewhat for its approach,the Dominican Republic had no warning and was particularly hard hit. The storm path indicated that it was head-ed in the opposite direction when suddenly it turned and whipped across the island. The effects of this storm arefar worse than Hurricane David which devastated the area in 1979.

Hardly any trees are standing in Santo Domingo, the capital city…most phones and lights are out oforder…more than 90% of the food crops have been wiped out. An entire village of around 2000 people was buriedunder mud—the bodies are still being recovered. The death toll released by the media is considerably lower thanthe actual figures.

An elder in one of the assemblies in the Dominican Republic reported that many of the believers have com-pletely lost their homes and eleven assemblies have lost their roofs.

One Christian from an assembly near the Haitian border travelled to Santo Domingo in search of supplies forthe people in his area. They have lost their homes, food, and clothing.

CMML has established an emergency disaster fund. Anyone interested in giving to this should designate theirgift: “Dominican Republic Disaster Fund.” The address is: CMML, PO Box 13, Spring Lake, NJ 07762-0013.

(Rom. 14:12). The sinner will bepunished. But “Christ has redeemedus from the curse (penalty) of thelaw” (Gal. 3:13).

The death of Christ involved farmore than just physical death. Thereis a mystery here; His soul was madean offering for sin. There was fearfulspiritual agony involved; He tasteddeath for every man (Heb. 2:9). Ifthere is no hell, no punishment afterdeath, Christ died in vain. If there isno hell, from what are believerssaved? The reality of judgment andpunishment following is vital to thegospel message.

Christ Himself spoke often of thereality of hell. Jesus spoke ofGehenna, the final abode of the

saves, then the contents of the gospelare vital for a person to believe if hewishes to be a Christian.

Paul succinctly states the gospel in1 Corinthians 15:3-4: “For I deliveredto you first of all that which I alsoreceived: that Christ died for our sinsaccording to the Scriptures, and thatHe was buried and that He rose againthe third day according to theScriptures, and that He was seen.…”One must believe these truths tobecome a Christian.

Why did Christ die? For our sins,Paul would respond. What did Paulmean by this? The law has been bro-ken and there is a coming day ofjudgment. “So then each of us shallgive account of himself to God”

he question has beenraised: Can you be aChristian and not believein a literal, eternal hell?Some today believe in

universal reconciliation, that ulti-mately all will be in heaven in thepresence of God. Many would ask,“How can a loving God consign peo-ple to everlasting punishment afterdeath?” Is not this life enough of ahell with all of its trials and pains?

Yet the belief in hell survivesamong most people. U.S. News andWorld Report, March 25, 1991, ran anarticle entitled, “Hell’s sober come-back.” They write: “Indeed, theprospect of punishment beyond thegrave for the wicked has been part ofChristian teaching since the days ofJesus. It has roots in ancient Judaismand branches in most other majorworld religions.”

But for much of the 20th centuryhell has not been an article of belieffor many Americans. The article con-tinues: “Now, however, it seems thathell is undergoing something of arevival in American religiousthought.” According to their survey,78% of Americans believe in heavenand 60% believe in hell. However,this belief does not seem to influencebehavior too much, even amongChristians. Martin Marty, Universityof Chicago, states, “If people reallybelieved in hell they wouldn’t bewatching basketball or even the TVpreachers. They’d be out rescuingpeople.”

What is the gospel? If the gospel


Is there an eternal hell?Are we more merciful and loving than God is? Grim though it is, hell isproof positive that God takes man and his choice seriously.

S O L E M N B U S I N E S S

TDONALD L. NORBIE

The Awful ChoiceSinners, turn; why will you die? God your Maker asks you why;God, who did your being give, made you with Himself to live;He the fatal cause demands, asks the work of His own hands:Why, ye thankless creatures, why will you cross His love, and die?

Sinners, turn; why will you die? God your Saviour asks you why;God, who did your souls retrieve, died Himself that you might live.Will He for you die in vain? You crucify the Lord again.Why, you ransomed sinners, why will you slight His grace, and die?

Sinners, turn; why will you die? God the Spirit asks you why;He, who all your life doth move, wooed you to embrace His love;Will you not His grace receive? Will you still refuse to live?Why, you long-sought sinners, why will you grieve your God, and die?

ÑCharles Wesley

The Awful ChoiceSinners, turn; why will you die? God your Maker asks you why;God, who did your being give, made you with Himself to live;He the fatal cause demands, asks the work of His own hands:Why, ye thankless creatures, why will you cross His love, and die?

Sinners, turn; why will you die? God your Saviour asks you why;God, who did your souls retrieve, died Himself that you might live.Will He for you die in vain? You crucify the Lord again.Why, you ransomed sinners, why will you slight His grace, and die?

Sinners, turn; why will you die? God the Spirit asks you why;He, who all your life doth move, wooed you to embrace His love;Will you not His grace receive? Will you still refuse to live?Why, you long-sought sinners, why will you grieve your God, and die?

ÑCharles Wesley

deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve theunjust under punishment for the day of judgment” (2 Pet.2:9).

The Apostle John speaks of an awesome coming daywhen “anyone not found written in the Book of Life was

cast into the lake of fire”(Rev. 20:15). That hell isnot simply a place ofextinction is plain. Johnspeaks of the beast and thefalse prophet still existingafter 1,000 years in thisplace of torment (Rev.20:10). He warns that sin-ners will have “their partin the lake which burnswith fire and brimstone,which is the second death”(Rev. 21:8). While we may not knowthe details concerning thenature of hell, it is plainthat it is a place of con-scious existence, of vividmemories with a torment-ing conscience and of end-less pain, fearful pain.Apparently there is bothmental and physical pain,because the lost will beraised, too (Rev. 20:5-6)and suffer in their bodies.Scripture exhausts lan-guage to paint a fearfulpicture.We may shrink back fromsuch a scene and wish itwere not so, especially ifwe have loved ones whodied without turning to the

Lord. But God is a righteous Judge and sin must be pun-ished. The sinner will pay for his evil if he does not haveChrist. There is much evil in this world which is never setright here. But the day is coming. Thank God for thegospel and that there is forgiveness for the sinner if hewill receive it.

If only we had just a little glimpse of hell we wouldnever be the same. We would see people then as Christsaw them, as sheep without a shepherd, in fearful danger,and we would cry out in warning. Paul could write,“…some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak thisto your shame” (1 Cor. 15:34).

wicked. (Gehenna, the valley of Hinnom, was locatedoutside of Jerusalem and became a prophetic symbol forjudgment and eternal punishment because of its vile idol-atry, Jer. 7:31-32). Hades is also mentioned in Scripture,the place where the lost go upon death, awaiting resur-rection and the judgment. It’ssimilar in purpose (thoughnot in nature) to the countyjail, where one awaits histrial. After sentencing, hegoes to the state prison.Both are similar in theircharacter.

Jesus warned that hateand disdain would placeone in the danger of the fireof Gehenna (Mt. 5:22). Ifone could escape this fear-ful place by amputating anarm or by gouging out hiseye, he would be wise (Mt.5:29-30). He warned thatGod is able to cast bothbody and soul into hell (Mt.10:28). Hypocrites werewarned, “How can youescape the condemnation ofhell?” (Mt. 23:33) Seventimes in Matthew, Jesuswarns men concerning hell.Mark and Luke have similarwarnings. Surely Jesusbelieved in a literal hell.

The Lord gives a graphicdescription of the afterlifein Luke 16. He describedwhat happened at death totwo men who had knownone another in this life. Onewho had been a beggar wastaken to a place of well-being and comforted by fatherAbraham. He was fully conscious and could communi-cate. The other, rich in this life but spiritually a pauper,cried out after his death from hades, being in agony, “Iam tormented in this flame” (Lk. 16:24). Was the com-passionate Saviour deceiving His followers, or is there aplace of punishment for the lost?

The apostles also proclaim the reality of eternal judg-ment. Paul states of the lost, “These shall be punishedwith everlasting destruction from the presence of theLord and from the glory of His power…” (2 Thess. 1:9).Peter writes in his last epistle, “The Lord knows how to


Ý

IS THERE AN ETERNAL HELL?

Why?The dying of the Lord Jesus is the most

awakening sight in the world. Why did thatlovely One that was from the beginning thebrightness of His FatherÕs glory, and theexpress image of His Person, degradeHimself so much as to become as a smallÒcorn of wheat,Ó which is hidden under theearth and dies? Why did He lie down in thecold, rocky sepulcher?

Would Christ have wept over Jerusalemif there had been no hell beneath it? WouldHe have died under the wrath of God ifthere were no wrath to come?

Oh! triflers with the gospelÑand politehearers, who say often, ÒSir, we would seeJesus,Ó but who never find HimÑgo toGethsemane, see His unspeakable agonies;go to Golgotha, see the vial of wrathpoured upon His breaking heart; go to thesepulcher, see the Òcorn of wheatÓ laiddead in the ground. Why all this sufferingin the spotless One if there is no wrathcoming on the unsheltered, unbelievinghead? —Robert Murray M’Cheyne

B O U Q U E T O F B L E S S I N G

SIN & ITS SOLUTION


For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2

Of man’s first disobedience, and the fruit

Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste

Brought death into the world, and all our woe,

With loss of Eden, till one greater Man

Restore us, and regain the blissful seat,

Sing, Heavenly Muse. —John Milton, Paradise Lost

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about withso great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside everyweight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, andlet us run with patience the race that is set before us,looking unto Jesus… Hebrews 12:1-2

The voice of sin may be loud; butthe voice of forgiveness is louder.

—D. L. Moody

The chains of habit are too weakto be felt until they are too strongto be broken. —Samuel Johnson

Sin is the only thing that Godabhors. It brought Christ tothe cross; it damns souls; itshuts heaven; it laid the foun-dations of hell.

—Thomas Brooks

The Deceitfulness of Sin

Sin has a thousand treach’rous arts,To practice on the mind;With flatt’ring looks to tempt our hearts,Yet leave a sting behind.

With names of virtue it deceivesThe aged and the young;And, while the heartless soul believes,It makes the fetters strong.

It pleads for all the joy it brings,And gives a fair pretense;But cheats the soul of heav’nly things,And chains it down to sense.

The instances are exceedinglyrare of men immediately passingover a clearly marked line fromvirtue into declared vice and cor-ruption. There are middle tintsand shades between the twoextremes; there is somethinguncertain on the confines of thetwo empires which they must passthrough, and which renders thechange easy and imperceptible.

—Edmund Burke

Sheila O’Gahagan was a factory girl in Northern Ireland. Broken in health,

she was advised to try a holiday by the seaside. In her heart she was perplexed

by a problem that struck much deeper than her health—it was the problem of

her sins.

One day she sat with her Bible on her knee looking out on the waves that

were breaking against the Giant’s Causeway. She came upon the passage in

Micah that reads: “Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” As

she surveyed the seascape, she exclaimed to herself, “My sins are all cast into

the depths of the sea!” God’s forgiveness dawned on her soul.

When she died a few months later, the following verse was found in her

desk:I will cast in the depths of the fathomless sea

All thy sins and transgressions, whatever they be;

Though they mount up to heaven, though they sink down to hell,

They shall sink in the depths, and above them shall swell

All the waves of My mercy, so mighty and free:

I will cast all thy sins in the depths of the sea.

If we say that we have nosin, we deceive ourselves,and the truth is not in us.

1 John 1:8

• History is His Story (The Dispensations) L-CHA• The Feasts of Jehovah L-FCH• Key Events in the Life of Peter (map) L- CPE• The Seven Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 L-SCR• Stir up your Gift L-GCH• The Habitation of God on Earth L-TCH• The Levitical Offerings L-OCH• The Seven Parables of the Kingdom L-PCH• Key Locations from the days of the Early Church (map) L-CKL• The Conspiracy of Love: God’s Tactics in Evangelism L-CLL• Psalms: Heaven’s Poetry L-CPS• The Long Walk: Israel’s Wilderness Journey (map) L-CLO• Compound Names of Jehovah L-CNA• Unlocking the Treasure Chest: the Sources of Truth L-CUT• Multiple Names and Titles of the Lord Jesus L-MNT

• Real Snake Handling:The Devil’s Devices L-RSH• Love By Association L-LBA• Isaiah:The Old Testament Evangelist L-OTE• A Brief Church History at a Glance L-CHG• Unfolding of the Doctrine of Dispensations L-UDD• Ten Test Questions to Discern Biblical Orthodoxy L-TTQ• So Great Salvation (definitions, examples, references) L-SGS• Revelation:The Book of Opened Things L-BOT

(Some of these charts are pictured on the next page)

Pricing: each $1.99US / $2.99CAN (plus shipping and handling)or as a complete chart pack. Prices subject to change.

Gospel Folio Press, P.O. Box 2041, Grand Rapids MI, 49501Toll-free • 800-952-2382 Fax • 616-456-5522Phone • 616-456-9166 Email • [email protected]

This issue of UPLOOK magazine included the chart shown above in a double-page format.

This full-color printed chart as well as the various topics listed below are available from Uplook

Ministries by calling toll-free 1-800-952-2382 (new charts are added periodically).The wealth

of info in these charts is perfect for Bible studies, intermediate and advanced Sunday school

classes and for reference. Printed on quality paper and shipped in durable mailers.

O r i g i n a l l y p u b l i s h e d i n t h e N O V E M B E R 1 9 9 8 I S S U E O F UUPPLLOOOOKK M A G A Z I N E A v a i l a b l e f r o m G o s p e l F o l i o P r e s s , P . O . B o x 2 0 4 1 , G r a n d R a p i d s , M I 4 9 5 0 1 - 2 0 4 1

The TRI-TRIPLE THREAT against the people of God.

1. The WORLD: The place where people are trying to be happywithout God; the great POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, and RELIGIOUSsystem constructed by fallen mankind as a substitute for GOD.The world is always opposed to the FATHER because they areinterested in the same thingÑour AFFECTION: ÒLove not theworld, neither the things that are in the world. If any man lovethe world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is inthe world, the LUST of the FLESH, and the LUST of the EYES, andthe PRIDE of LIFE, is not of the Father, but is of the world. Andthe world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeththe will of God abideth for everÓ (1 Jn. 2:15-17).

2. The FLESH: ManÕs nature, corrupted by sin; the HEART doesnot naturally LOVE God, the MIND does not naturally KNOW God,the WILL does not naturally OBEY God. Though the Christian isno longer Òin the flesh,Ó it is possible to Òwalk after the fleshÓ(Rom. 7-8), providing a fifth column traitor within the gateswho conspires with Satan to continue the long war against God.The flesh is opposed to the SPIRIT because they are interested inthe same thingÑour ACTIONS: ÒWalk in the Spirit, and ye shallnot fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh [fights] against theSpirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrarythe one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that yewouldÓ (Gal. 5:16-17).

3. The DEVIL: The arch-fiend who in the last great conflict willform a triumvirate of evil with the Beast (Antichrist) and theFalse Prophet. The Devil will put himself in the place of theFather (see Jn. 8:42-44); the Antichrist obviously in ChristÕsplace; and the False Prophet mimics the Holy Spirit who takes ofthe things of Christ and shows them to us. He even has a falseÒbride,Ó the ÒMother of Harlots.Ó The Lord Jesus is alwaysopposed to the devil because they are interested in the samethingÑour ALLEGIANCE: You either follow the false god of thisworld or the true God as revealed by the Lord Jesus Christ.ÒÉThe god of this world hath blinded the minds of them whichbelieve not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who isthe image of God, should shine unto themÓ (2 Cor. 4:4).

Some OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES.1. Moses was given three object lessons at Horeb (Ex. 4). He had victory over the

serpent through the courage of faith: ÒResist the devil, and he will flee fromyouÓ (Jas. 4:7). He had victory over the corrupt flesh by full disclosure: ÒIf wesay that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If weconfess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse usfrom all unrighteousnessÓ (1 Jn. 1:8-9). And he had victory over the parched

earth through the water and the blood: Òthe cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, bywhom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the worldÓ (Gal. 6:14).

2. The three battles of Benaiah (2 Sam. 23:20-21). Like the two lion-like men ofMoab (like the roaring lion, but Moab points to the flesh), the flesh has twoextremesÑthink youÕre wonderful, or terrible, both are self-occupation. The lionwas defeated in a pit (no quarter) when it was slippery underfoot. The good look-ing Egyptian (the world) was defeated with his own spear. We must resist the deviland fight the flesh, but just leave the world alone. It is passing away and has theseed of its own destruction already in place. So Benaiah was Òmore honorable.Ó

REAL SNAKE HANDLING and other SURVIVAL TIPSREAL SNAKE HANDLING and other SURVIVAL TIPS

The TRI-TRIPLE THREAT against the people of God.

Some OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES.

ÒThanks be unto God,which always causeth us

to triumph in ChristÓ2 Corinthians 2:14

ÒThanks be unto God,which always causeth us

to triumph in ChristÓ2 Corinthians 2:14

TRICKS from the DEVILÕS bag.1. The MIN-MAX trick: While a Christian contemplates sinning, the devil minimizes it. You are told that the sin is of little conse-quence. It wonÕt hurt anyone (go to the Cross and dare to say that!). Then if the believer yields to the temptation, the enemy maxi-mizes it. How can you be a Christian and do such a horrible thing? he asks. No use for you to pray. (He doesnÕt mind quoting Ps.66:18ÑÒIf I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.Ó) You keep doing the same sins over and over, he says. A trulyrepentant sinner would forsake his sin. No use you confessing it; itÕs just a sham, he says. The solution? Turn the tables on the devil.See sin-to-the-max before you yield. Think what it did to Christ, what it does to your joy and confidence toward God, what it coulddo to your testimony, and will do to your character. Sin is never Òmin.Ó

2. The OUT-IN trick: YouÕve been a very good boy, says the seducer. You have resisted this temptation for several days (or weeks). Butof course you canÕt do this for ever. Sooner or later you will have to give in. So why donÕt you do it and get it out of your system, hetempts. But is that true? No! You donÕt get it out of your system, you get it into your system. You become a slave to it. The solution?Remind yourself that the Lord doesnÕt ask us to resist the temptation forever. ÒSufficient unto the day is the evil thereofÓ (Mt.6:34). But His grace is sufficient to get us through the day as well (2 Cor. 12:9). Every morning a fresh supply of daily mercies awaitsme to be applied to the daily need. And if the Lord can get me through this day, I am confident He can get me through every day.

3. The BACK & FORTH trick: We are pendulum people. How difficult it is to have a balance. Most error, after all, is truth, but truthout of place or out of proportion. All grace and no truth is limpid sentimentality and leads to Corinthianism. All truth and no graceis hard, unfeeling Galatianism and leads to spiritual pride of the worst kind. When we turn from one sin, how quickly we can be ruth-less with those still entrapped by it. If we excuse our sin, how easy it is to accuse serious Christians of being legalists when in factthey are simply being obedient to the Lord. The solution? ÒGrace and truth came by Jesus Christ.Ó Balance is Christlikeness.

TRICKS from the DEVILÕS bag.

Ý A Brief Church Historyat a Glance

M O R E T O P I C A L C H A R T S A M P L E S

Ý The Feasts of Jehovah and Jewish Calendar Months

Ý The Seven Churches ofRevelation 2 & 3

Ý The Key Locations of the Early Church

Ý Outline of the Dispensationsshowing the purpose of the ages

Ý The Multiple Names and Titlesof the Lord Jesus Christ

Ý Stir Up Your Gift with defintions& examples of gifts in Scripture

Ý 7 Parables of the Kingdom

M O R E T O P I C A L C H A R T S A M P L E S

information to elders or others, prefacing their remarkswith, “I don’t want you to repeat this,” or “You didn’t hearthis from me,” are to be dealt with themselves. If a believ-er is not interested in substantiating the “story,” theyeither have false information and are guilty of gossip orhave no interest in curing the problem. Substantiatedfacts are vital in handling sin in the assembly.

5. Discipline takes a variety of forms. For instance,there is self-discipline. We all have a duty to disciplineourselves. One meaning of the word is “training.” We dis-cipline ourselves by attending meetings to be under thesound of the Word of God. Paul knew about self-disci-pline (1 Cor. 9:27), and instructed Timothy in this (1 Tim.4:16). Then there is discipline in warning and teachingbelievers. An example of this is Paul’s instructions toTimothy (1 Tim. 4:6, 11) and to Titus (Titus 1:13). Thereis also a form of discipline which requires withdrawalfrom fellowship. This was the case in Thessalonica on amatter of doctrine (2 Thess. 3:14-15), or a matter ofmorality as in Corinth (1 Cor. 5:1-5).

6. An act of discipline should preserve the assemblyfrom sin and recover the offender. Again, the Corinthianexample demonstrates this (compare 1 Cor. 5:6-13 with 2Cor. 7:2). Second Thessalonians 3:15 confirms the objec-tive of judging matters of sin. The joy of restorationshould extinguish the sorrow of excommunication.

7. Dealing with sin in the assembly brings sel- exami-nation on all of us. Smug self-righteousness has no place.There should be sorrow over the spiritual environment ofthe assembly that could allow a member of the fellowshipto be comfortable in disobedience. Discipline requiresgreat wisdom, prayer, and spiritual discernment. Anyconversation about it should be at the throne of grace.Elders acting with God’s delegated authority are to besubmitted to. It is serious and solemn business.

Let’s mind one another without being busybodies. Seta good example. Keep close to the Lord and His Word.Watch for dangers and act to prevent problems. It takescourage. It takes love. Paul says, “Watch and remember,that…I ceased not to warn every one night and day withtears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and tothe word of His grace…” (Acts 20:31-32).

he human body’s ability to reject a dangerousvirus is a wonder of the Creator’s design. TheBody of Christ also has an immune system toprotect her from debilitating disease.

Sin always brings damage. Both individually and cor-porately, God’s people suffer the effects of sin. Israel hadto be taught this hard lesson many times. New Testamentassemblies are also at risk when there is no discipline inthe matter of sin (1 Cor. 5:6).

The New Testament is not silent on the handling of sinin the local church. A careful study of the relevantinstructions and examples should help equip us to dealwith sin. Here are some of these principles.

1. What constitutes sin in the assembly? TheScriptures show it is disobedience. For example, Paulwarns the Thessalonians about those who do not obey theWord (2 Thess. 3:14) and the Corinthians are warnedabout one who was disobedient in a matter of sexualimmorality (1 Cor. 5:1).

2. There is a responsibility on the part of the assemblyto take action against those who are guilty of sin. Againthe above references include Paul’s instructions to thebelievers to separate themselves from the offenders.

3. There is a difference between persistence in disobe-dience and a “spiritual accident.” Paul makes this distinc-tion in Galatians 6:1. He exhorts spiritual believers torestore any who are “overtaken in a fault”—those whohave taken a wrong step and have been ambushed. This isa believer who has succumbed to temptation, not noticingthe trap coming, very different from a Christian whowants both assembly fellowship and an ungodly lifestyle.

Church discipline requires discernment to determinethe difference between a persistent and careless offenderand those who need the careful hand of restoration. Muchharm has been done when believers lacking wisdom havefailed to take this distinction into account. The LordHimself taught that private restoration is the first move,public discipline should be the last (Mt. 18:15-17).

4. Discipline in the assembly should always be basedon facts and impartiality. Gossip, innuendo, unsubstanti-ated sources of information, have no place. Paul alwaysnamed his sources (1 Cor. 1:11). Christians who pass on


L I V I N G A S S E M B L I E S

b y B R I A N G U N N I N G

Discipline in the local churchBe careful. No one is above failure.

Ý

T

another, and forsaken by all, He trodthe winepress alone.

He looked for comforters butfound none. He was numbered withthe transgressors; He was accountedworthy of death; a murderer wasaccounted more worthy of grace. Hedied between two thieves. Reproachbroke His heart. He suffered in spiritfrom the reproach of men. And Godpermitted it, for He suffered for sins.

HE SUFFERED IN SOUL & BODYUNDER THE WRATH OF GOD

In the Garden of Gethsemane,while His body was as yet unharmedby man, He uttered those words,“My soul is exceeding sorrowful,even unto death.” The soul of theMan of Sorrows was then full withexcessive sorrow—sorrow even untodeath. Its fiery heat was enough todry up the well-spring of life—enough to sever the silver thread and

UUPPLLOOOOKK • NOVEMBER 1998

What did it cost the Man of Sorrows to win the fight? Our minds cannot fathom it, but our hearts must try.

DAVID MILLAR

G O T O T H E C R O S S

e are reminded inRomans 1:18 that“The wrath of God isrevealed from heavenagainst all ungodli-

ness and unrighteousness of men whohold the truth in unrighteousness.”God is holy, righteous, and just,therefore He cannot pass over sin. Asa proof of this we turn to Calvary.Look at the sufferings and dyingagony of our crucified Redeemer.

HE SUFFERED IN HIS BODYFROM THE WRATH OF MAN

That brow before which angelsbowed was crowned with thorns. Thatface, fairer than the sons of men, wassmeared with the spittle of the god-less. Those eyes that beamed so fullof love were often dimmed with tears,and at last quenched in the darknessof death. Those feet, the latchet ofwhose shoes the greatest of theprophets was not worthy to unloose,were nailed to a cross.

Those hands which had fed thehungry, healed the sick, and raisedthe dead, were bound with cords, thenspiked to the tree. Those ears, soaccustomed to the adoring songs ofangels, and the affectionate acknowl-edgement of the Father, “This is Mybeloved Son, in whom I am wellpleased,” were filled with tauntingjests and jeers of men, while Heendured the agonies of death. Thatbody in which dwells “all the fullnessof the Godhead” was pierced with asoldier’s spear. In every limb, inevery nerve, He suffered.

WHis tongue alone was free, and

with it He prayed for His murderers,comforted His mother, forgave thethief who sought mercy in His dyinghour. He suffered in His body fromthe wrath of man, and God allowed it,for He suffered for sins.

HE SUFFERED IN HIS SOULFROM THE REPROACH OF MEN

He was vilified as a friend of pub-licans and sinners; maligned as aglutton and wine-bibber; reproachedas a traitor to the country, a rebel tothe king, a blasphemer of God. Hewas disowned by His brethren, andonce thought to be beside Himself.Betrayed by one disciple, denied by

The penalty of sin

17

break in pieces the golden bowl. “Being in an agony, Hissweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down tothe ground.” In those moments of deepest anguish anangel from heaven appeared to strengthen Him.

But not only in the garden did He give evidence ofthat inward woe; it was “unto death.” For that piteouswailing cry broke the silence of His speechless hours ofdarkness, as the veil is lifted showing us the deepestdepths of His sorrow as He cried, “My God, My God,why hast Thou forsaken Me?” In asking why He suffered,He tells us what He suffered. He was forsaken by God.He suffered under the wrath of God. It was then thatGod’s voice echoed throughout eternity. “Awake, Osword against My Shepherd, against the man that is Myfellow,” for it pleased Jehovah to bruise Him. And why?Solely, irrevocably, because He suffered for sins.

Great were the bodily sufferings of our Lord JesusChrist. The greatest of them man did not see, for the sunhid His face. For the three hours of His deepest agony“there was darkness over all the land,” and amidst thatdarkness no voice of His gave indication of His inwardsufferings. Eye could not see, ear could not hear; and wedare not lift the veil while God “made to meet upon Himthe iniquity of us all.”

If God could have overlooked sin, He would havespared His only, His well-beloved Son, but He sparedHim not. In the greatness of the ransom price we beholdthe certainty of sin’s judgment. In the costliness of theremedy we behold the deadliness of the disease. Deadlyare the wounds which could only be healed by the deathof the Physician. If it was so done in the green tree, whatshall be done in the dry? If God spared not His own Sonwhen charged with the sin of others, how can He spareyou when charged with your own sins?

This truth stands engraved on the Cross: “He sufferedfor sins.” We never could have known His love in all itsfullness if the Lord had not died. Nor could we know theFather’s deep affection if He had not given His Son. Thecommon mercies we enjoy all sing of love, just as theseashell, when put to our ears, whispers of the sea itself.We must behold the Man of Sorrows in His deep distress,suffering for sins not His own to behold the highest bliss.

Come in, O strong and wondrous love of Jesus, likethe sea in flood at spring tide; drown all my sorrows;wash away all my cares, lift up my earth-bound soul andlet me lie, a poor broken shell washed up by His love,having no value, but venturing only to whisper to Himthat if He will put His ear to mine, He will hear withinmy heart faint echoes of the vast waves of His own love,which have brought me where it is my delight to lie, evenat His feet forever, a sinner, forgiven, because He suf-fered for my sins.


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THE PENALTY OF SIN

Weary of earth and laden with my sin,I look at heaven and long to enter in,But there no evil thing may find a home;And yet I hear a voice that bids me ÒCome.Ó

So vile am I, how dare I hope to standIn the pure glory of that holy land?Before the whiteness of that throne appear?Yet there are hands outstretched to draw me

near.

The while I fain would tread the heavenly way,Evil is ever with me day by day;Yet on mine ears the gracious tidings fall,ÒRepent, confess, you shall be loosed from all.Ó

It is the voice of Jesus that I hear,His are the hands stretched out to draw me

near,And His the blood that can for all atone,And set me faultless there before the throne.

ÕTwas He who found me on the deathly wild,And made me heir of heaven, the FatherÕs child,And day by day, whereby my soul may live,Gives me His grace of pardonÑand will give.

O great Absolver, grant that my soul may wearThe lowliest garb of penitence and prayer,Yet in the FatherÕs courts my glorious dressShall be the garments of Thy righteousness!

Yes, Thou wilt answer for me, righteous Lord:Thine all the merits, mine the great reward;Thine the sharp thorns, and mine the golden

crown;Mine the life won, and Thine the life laid down.

Nought can I bring, dear Lord, for all I owe,Yet let my full heart what it can bestow;Like MaryÕs gift, let my devotion prove,Forgiven greatly, how I greatly love.

—Samuel John Stone

ForgivenMuch

answered to those temptations. Infact, Hebrews 4:15 tells us that thetemptations that Christ experiencedwere “without” or “apart from” sin.This doesn’t only mean that Christdidn’t sin, but that the temptationsthemselves had nothing to do withsin. Our Lord Jesus can empathizewith our non-sinful infirmities(hunger, weariness, thirst, etc.), butcertainly not with an inner struggleor desire to give in to sin!

It is not possible that our Lordexperienced inner temptation, for HeHimself made it clear that the innerdesire to sin is sin, in and of itself. Inthe Sermon on the Mount the Lordsaid that not only is adultery sin, buta desire, however fleeting, to commitadultery is sin; not only is murdersin, but a passing malicious thoughtis sin. Not only our actions but alsoour inner desires are sinful. Man maylook on the outside but the Lordlooks at the heart.

When the Father looked on theheart of the Lord Jesus He saw per-fection. Was this not the Father’s tes-timony concerning His Son? “This isMy beloved Son, in whom I am wellpleased” (Mt. 3:17). And is it not sig-nificant that the very next words are:“Then was Jesus led up of the Spiritinto the wilderness to be tempted ofthe devil”? The Father declared Hiscomplete satisfaction in His Son,then He sent His Son into the wilder-ness to be tested by the devil. TheFather declared that Christ was theSon of God and then the devil testedHim to see if it was so.

The devil began his tests with, “IfThou be the Son of God...” But inspite of the devil’s motives for thetests, we see the Father’s motivesclearly enough. The Father wasn’t“experimenting” to see if Christ wascapable of sin. The Father was

external temptations—tests or trialsthat a person is put through by others.

But there is another kind of temp-tation with which we are all toofamiliar: internal temptation. This isa desire born in our hearts to surren-der to the pressures brought to bearon us. The first kind of temptationcomes from the outside; the secondfrom the inside.

An example may help. The adver-tising world is constantly tempting usto buy various products. We may seefifty ads a day that offer us externaltemptation. But not all of those adsproduce an internal temptationbecause not all of the products actu-ally appeal to us. External temptationis constant but it can only affect us ifthere is internal temptation torespond to it.

This is where we must keep inmind the warning not to assume that,because we experience something asfallen human beings, Christ experi-enced it, too. Sadly, in our lives exter-nal temptation and internal tempta-tion are usually partners. This cancause us to automatically assume thatall temptation is internal. As soon assomeone says he was tempted, weassume he means that he felt an innerdesire to surrender to the pressure tosin. So it follows that when we readChrist was tempted, we might jumpto the conclusion that this refers tointernal temptation. But we have seenthat the Bible frequently (in fact, usu-ally) uses the word temptation in theexternal sense.

So it is with the temptation ofChrist. Our Lord was tested by thedevil and tested by the Pharisees, butthere was never anything in Him that

ll Christians agree thatthe Lord Jesus did notsin while He was onthe earth, but sooner orlater most Christians

face the question, “Could He havesinned?” This is an important ques-tion and, as we consider it, reverencereminds us that “the place whereon[we] stand is holy ground.” There isno more sacred a subject than God’sbeloved Son.

What is temptation? The issue ofwhether or not the Lord Jesus couldhave sinned goes hand-in-hand withthe issue of temptation. When theBible tells us that Christ was tempted(Heb. 4:15), what does it mean? It isat this point we encounter our firstdanger: we must be very careful thatwe do not impute to Christ the expe-riences and feelings we have as fallencreatures. Too often when consider-ing this issue men start not with theBible, but with their own personalexperiences with temptation (as fall-en men) and reason back to Christ.This is the course of disaster.

The word used of the temptationsof Christ means “to make proof of,attempt, test, tempt.” This word is fre-quently used of the Pharisees’ testingof Christ (Mt. 16:1), of Israel’s test-ing of the Lord (Heb. 3:9) and ofGod’s testing of Abraham (Heb.11:17). These are external tempta-tions—they come from outside of theperson. External temptations are thetests that others can make of us. Mostof the instances of the word for“temptation” in the Bible refer to


ChristÕs impeccabilityIt is agreed that He “did no sin” (1 Pet. 2:22).But it is also true that “in Him is no sin” (l Jn. 3:5).

D O C T R I N A L

AJAMES MARTIN

Furthermore we read in James 1:13 that “God cannot betempted [internally] with evil.” It is impossible for God tofeel any desire to sin. Since “in [Christ] dwelleth all thefullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9), it is impossi-ble for Christ to sin or be tempted (internally) to sin.Christ is not two people—a man who could sin and Godwho could not. In Christ we see deity and humanity unit-ed in one glorious Person.

Also, the Lord Jesus is a member of the Godhead andtherefore it is impossible for Him to act independently ofthe Father and the Holy Spirit. He said that “the Son cando nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do:for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Sonlikewise” (Jn. 5:19). How could anyone say that Christcould have sinned when Christ said that He can only dothose things which He sees the Father doing?

It was impossible for the Lord Jesus to sin because Heis completely holy. This is the testimony of the Father, theHoly Spirit, the seraphim, angels, men and demons.Being holy means more than simply not sinning. SinceChrist is holy He hates sin: “Thou hast loved righteous-ness, and hated iniquity” (Heb. 1:9). Sin could not possi-bly appeal to Christ in any way. When God gave the LawHe did not make up commandments at random.The com-mandments He gave flowed from His character. Howcould Christ even desire to sin when sin is the antithesisof His nature?

Acknowledging the holiness of Christ helps us toanswer another question sometimes raised: “If Adam wasunfallen and he sinned, couldn’t Christ have sinned eventhough He didn’t have a sin nature?” This question mayseem troubling at first, but not when we consider theholiness of Christ. Again we must be careful to recognizethat the humanity of the Lord Jesus was not like Adam’shumanity, even before Adam fell. Adam was innocent,not knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:5), but Christ knewthe difference between good and evil, and loathed evil(Heb. 1:9). In fact, when we examine the two passages inthe Bible that compare Adam to Christ (Rom. 5 and 1Cor. 15), we note that the focus in both those passages isnot the similarities between Adam and Christ, but the dif-ferences! Imagine our desperate plight if the humanity ofthe Lord were no greater than Adam’s unfallen humanity.He would still be able to sin today, and we would be ableto sin in eternity for “when He shall appear, we shall belike Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn 3:2).

It was impossible for the Lord Jesus to sin because Heis unchangeable. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Heb. 13:8). This tells us that since itwas impossible for Christ to sin before His incarnation,then it was impossible for Him to sin during His incarna-tion. But it cuts another way, too. If Christ could have

demonstrating to everyone that Christ is the Son of God,and that God’s delight in Him was completely justified.This is the significance of the testings of Christ: theyproved that He was who He claimed to be. Just as a jew-eler may scratch a diamond across glass to prove that itis a diamond, so the Father sent His beloved Son to betested by the Enemy in order to manifest His Son’s per-fection.

Let us then be very clear from the start: our gloriousLord knows the full extent of external temptation, for thedevil and men tested Him in every way they could devise.But Christ never experienced internal temptation, andnever will. There was never anything in Christ that couldpossibly respond to the testings and enticements of theEnemy. Is this not exactly what He said? “For the princeof this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me” (Jn.14:30). When the Enemy comes to tempt us, he finds anally within. But when the Enemy came to tempt the LordJesus, he found there was absolutely nothing in theSaviour that would respond to him.

“But He was a real man!” At this point some object,maintaining that Christ could have sinned because Hewas a real man. While defending the humanity of Christis a commendable exercise, it does not require us tobelieve that Christ could have sinned. Is Christ a real mantoday? Yes! And yet we all agree that it is impossible forHim to sin now. Furthermore, will we be real men whenwe get to glory? Yes! Yet we agree that it will be impos-sible for us to sin in glory. From this we see that the abil-ity to sin is not a necessary part of begin human.

When people argue that Christ could have sinnedbecause he was a real man, they mean Christ was a manlike us. Yet the Bible says that although Christ was and isa “real man,” He is not just like us. He is unfallen. Histemptations were “apart from sin.” He is absolutely holy.

Our understanding of what constitutes true humanityis skewed by the fact that we are fallen humans. We mustavoid the temptation to conclude that everything weexperience is a result of our humanity. We must distin-guish between what we experience as a result of beinghuman and what we experience as a result of being fall-en. Some things (e.g., thirst, weariness, etc.) we experi-ence because we’re human. Christ shared in these. Butsome things (e.g., sickness, fear, desire to sin, makingmistakes, etc.) we experience because we’re fallen.Christ shared in none of these—not because He wasn’t areal man but because He wasn’t a fallen man.

But there are other reasons why we know it wasimpossible for Christ to sin:

It was impossible for the Lord Jesus to sin because Heis God. The Bible makes it clear that God cannot sin. Forinstance, God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18).

20 UUPPLLOOOOKK • NOVEMBER1998

CHRISTÕS IMPECCABILITY

conclude that God’s entire plan of redemption was (andstill is) at risk; that both God and our redemption couldhave failed at any time. and still might. We can only haveconfidence in God and our salvation as we recognize thatour Lord is absolutely trustworthy with no possibility offailure.

4. Those who suggest it was possible for Christ to sintell us that it ought to encourage us in our temptations toremember that Christ was “just like us.” The problem isthat when we’re feeling tempted the last thing we need issomeone just like us. We’re the problem! Victory over sinin our life comes in recognizing the supremacy of Christ.Believing that Christ could have sinned weakens us.

5. Our view of Christ affects our Christian walk (2Cor. 3:18). A low view of Christ will inevitably have anegative influence on our lives, and will cheapen ourworship of Him.

6. We are all quick to defend the reputation of thosewe love, whether family or friends. Ought we not be evenmore quick to defend the reputation of the One who diedfor us? There are many good reasons for defending Hisimpeccability, but the greatest of these is love.

sinned when He walked the earth, then it is still possiblefor Him to sin since He is unchangeable! Such a thoughtis too terrible to countenance. It would mean that our sal-vation would be forever in doubt since our Saviour couldfail at anytime. Thankfully our salvation is eternallysecure since the Lord Jesus is now and always has beencompletely immune to sin.

Does this really matter? We all agree that Christ did-n’t sin, so isn’t this all just hypothetical? What possibledifference could this make to our daily lives? Let me sug-gest a few reasons why it’s important for us to stand upfor the impeccable holiness of Christ.

1. As we begin to appreciate how detestable sin is toGod—so detestable that He went to the Cross to do awaywith it—we will also begin to appreciate what an insult itis to Him to suggest that He could ever have even desiredto sin. To reconcile Christ and sin requires us to havevery little comprehension about either.

2. Believing that Christ felt the inward desire to sinallows us to feel comfortable about our lusts as long aswe don’t act on them.

3. Believing that Christ could have sinned leads us to


Ý

CHRISTÕS IMPECCABILITY

Four incidents, the most extreme of their class, serveto illustrate how Christ’s nature was impervious to sin.

PHYSICAL DEFILEMENT (Lk. 5:12-13): The “man fullof leprosy,” who sought healing from the Lord, repre-sents the worst form of that most loathsome of all phys-ical diseases, yet the Lord Jesus did not hesitate to “putforth His hand and touch him,” unafraid of anycontamination passing to Himself from the contact.From the presence of such ineffable purity, physical dis-ease must flee away.

SPIRITUAL DEFILEMENT (Mk. 5:1-20): The case ofthe demoniac of Gadara illustrates the worst form ofdemon possession encountered by the Lord. From MaryMagdalene seven demons were cast out (Mk. 16:9), butthis poor unfortunate was possessed by a legion (Mk.5:9). Yet, as ever, demons were exorcised by the word ofChrist; contact was made with spiritual evil withoutimpairment to His own holy spirit.

MORAL DEFILEMENT (Lk. 7:36-39): The surprise ofSimon the Pharisee at the Lord receiving the ministra-tions of such a notoriously unchaste woman is hardly tobe wondered at, from a natural point of view. That Onereputedly so holy should have allowed such contact was,

to him, incredible. Yet the miracleis that in submitting to the atten-tions of such a social pariah the

character of the Lord is actually adorned by the fact thatHis essential holiness suffered no hurt in the process.

CEREMONIAL DEFILEMENT (Mk. 5:26-43): Contactwith a woman with a blood hemorrhage would ordinar-ily result in the ceremonial defilement of the personconcerned (Lev. 15:19-31). Ceremonial cleansing wasessential; one not submitting to cleansing would bejudged guilty of defiling God’s sanctuary.

Although “born under the law” (Gal. 4:4, RV) andcareful, as a true Jew, to fulfill its obligations (Mt. 5:17),the Lord Jesus, unlike all others, was only voluntarilysubject to it, inasmuch as “the law was not made for therighteous man, but for the lawless and unruly, for theungodly and for sinners…” (1 Tim. 1:9-10).

Therefore by reason of His impeccable and impec-cant nature, He was actually beyond the reach of theprohibitions and judgments of the law. So, whereas thesecret touch of the unclean woman would, to all butHim, have brought defilement and the need of cleans-ing, there could be no imputation of ceremonial defile-ment to Him, of whose nature the law was but a reflec-tion. And not only was impurity in any of its formsincommunicable to His perfect nature, but power to healwent forth to the impure (Mk. 5:30). It was true Lightthat dispelled the darkness; darkness, no matter howdark, could never extinguish the Light. —A. E. Long

I M P E R V I O U S T O S I N

failing to ask counsel of the Lord. When Paul and Silas were

involved in an effective gospel cam-paign, a demon-possessed slave girlinterrupted the meetings by continu-ally crying out, “These men are theservants of the most High” (Acts16:17). Paul was grieved since themessage was right but the means ofcommunication was not. He saw in

this another ploy of the enemy toconfuse the message of salvation inthe minds of those listening, just ashe does today.

It was through deceit that a manof God in Jeroboam’s day was side-tracked in his service for the Lord byan apparently bitter and backsliddenprophet, the man of God tragicallypaying for this single act of disobedi-ence with his life (1 Ki. 13).

Elisha’s servant who ignorantlypicked some wild gourds from aharmless-looking vine during afamine is also a picture of the enemyat work (2 Ki. 4:38-41). When theservant returned to put these poison-ous gourds in the pot, the effect was

persuade Eve to violate the expresscommand of God and eat of the treeof the knowledge of good and evil—his craftiness through the serpentbeing an apt picture of his subtlety.By deceit he is able to fool the igno-rant masses through the work of falseprophets and teachers who are able totransform themselves into apostles ofChrist. Paul reminds us: “And no

wonder! For Satan himself trans-forms himself into an angel of light”(2 Cor. 11:14). Certainly much thatpasses for the Lord’s work inChristendom is nothing more than theactive work of the enemy who is ableto sow tares among the wheat (Mt.13:36-43) and mix the net of goodfish with bad (Mt. 13:47-48).

The Gibeonites are a fitting exam-ple of the enemy’s ability to deceive(Josh. 9). Through craftiness, theseenemies of Israel pretended to beambassadors from a far country andwere able to effect an alliance withJoshua and the rest of Israel, a pactwhich proved to be disastrous, andwarns us of the harmful effects of

he apostle Paul warnedthe believers at Corinth tobe spiritually alert, notbeing ignorant of thedevil’s “devices” lest he

take advantage of them (2 Cor. 2:11).Although they had been establishedin the faith, this gifted but immatureassembly was admonished to be waryof the devil’s strategies so that hewould not gain a foothold and martheir testimony for Christ. Loud andclear, Paul trumpeted the need forspiritual vigilance.

The same clarion call needs to besounded today. Believers must bereminded of the spiritual acumenrequired to recognize and resist theploys of the adversary so that they donot become moral casualties.

It is both significant and reassur-ing to know that Satan’s demise iscertain, foretold in the Scriptures. Hisdefeat was prophesied in Eden (Gen.3:15), achieved through the work ofChrist (2 Tim. 1:10), and will be con-summated in a future day when he iscast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).

Despite the fact that the Bibledeclares his defeat, believers are nev-ertheless exhorted to stand againstthe wiles of the devil to prevent himfrom further hindering the work ofthe Lord. To accomplish this, it isimperative that we understand theammunition he uses in attempting todestroy the work of God (Jn. 10:10).

One of the most effective tacticsof the devil (and perhaps the mostcommonly used) is deceit. It wasthrough deceit that he was able to


The strategy of the enemyThe first step in resisting the devil’s advances is recognizing them.

B A T T L E P L A N S

TMARK KOLCHIN

not used coals of fire from the brazen altar as prescribedby God and were struck dead for their disobedience.

We can be sure of this—God does not want half obser-vance or half obedience. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5),true believers who were also severely judged for partialobedience in the days of the early church. They pretend-ed to be telling the whole truth when they were onlytelling half (How gracious God is to us!).

Mixing truth with falsehood can never bring God’sblessing, yet how many are daily diluting the story of sal-vation from pulpits across this land, changing “thus saiththe Lord” to “thus saith me” messages. Or worse, howmany of God’s people—followers of the One who said, “IAM the Truth”—are like the priests in Ezekiel’s day(Ezek. 8), secretly diluting the work of the Lord in theirpersonal lives while mixing with the ways of the world?

God expects His Word to be wholeheartedly observed.Even the Lord Jesus was challenged in this when thedevil suggested to Him to throw Himself off the pinnacle,a clever maneuver to attempt to have the Saviour temptGod—and bypass the cross (Mt. 4:5-7). The devil care-fully crafted but compromised the quoting of Scripture.How believers need to be reminded of the words of Hosea4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

Another tactic the devil effectively employs inattempting to frustrate the work of God is dissension. Tohave “family” members fighting against one another forinexcusable reasons hinders the spiritual progress ofGod’s people. Certainly there are those instances whenaction must be taken to maintain doctrinal integrity. Atthose times saints are enjoined to “earnestly contend forthe faith” (Jude 3). But when personality differences,strife, and envy, spill over into our service for the Lordthe effect can be highly dishonoring to the Lord.

When Miriam and Aaron dissented against Moses’leadership, the charge brought against him had an air oflegitimacy: “Has the Lord indeed spoken only throughMoses? Has He not spoken through us also?” (Num.12:2). The real reason? Moses’ marriage to an Ethiopianwoman (v. 1) did not sit well with his envious and ambi-tious siblings. God settled the matter privately andbrought judgment on Miriam, the primary offendingparty. What was the fallout from this unnecessaryepisode? The entire camp was prevented from moving onuntil after Miriam was brought back into fellowship (vv.15-16). Such are the far-reaching consequences of dis-sension in the assembly!

Internal dissension however can be overcome to theglory of God, as it was in the early church. When diffi-culties arose regarding some practical matters of minis-tering to the needs of neglected widows, the dissensionthat emerged threatened to become a distraction and a

immediate and could have been fatal. The warning isclear: God’s people need to carefully watch what theypick up, especially when there is a “famine” in the land.What may look harmless, but whose source is a wildvine—that which clings to the earth—will have harmfuleffects when it is introduced into the “food” of God’speople. Flour, pre-figuring the Person of Christ (cp. Lev.2) is the proper means by which the destructive effects offalse doctrine can be remedied.

Another effective tactic of the devil is dilution—thecompromising of God’s Word and ways. When Davidwanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant back toJerusalem, he was astounded when God took harshaction by striking Uzzah dead after touching the Ark (2Sam. 6). Because David had attempted to transport it bymeans of a rolling Philistine cart instead of carrying it bythe divinely-appointed way, God halted David’s celebra-tory “progress” toward the city, requiring him to initiate

a three-month period of biblical examination and self-evaluation. This resulted in modifying his plan to agreewith God’s Word (1 Chron. 15:13-15). Once this wasaccomplished, God blessed his efforts and David pro-ceeded to Jerusalem unhindered. Without realizing,David had diluted the Word of God by failing to do Hiswork His way, and in so doing negated his own goodintentions. Since God can never bless the compromisingof His ways, whether in matters of salvation or service,we must change our ways to line up with His if we are toexpect His blessing. We can be sure that the devil will tryto steer believers to mingle God’s ways with theirs and inso doing thwart the work of the Lord.

In much the same way as David’s incident with theark, the death of Nadab and Abihu occurred because theywere guilty of offering “strange fire” at the inaugurationof the tabernacle sacrifices in the wilderness (Lev. 10:1-2). These two men, though privileged above others, had


THE STRATEGY OF THE ENEMY

“And having spoiled principalities and powers,He made a show of them

openly, triumphing over them in it.”

Colossians 2:15

diversion, twin tactics and an effective device of the devilwho surely snickers in the shadows as he throws morefuel on the fire. But properly handled, much good canarise from dissenting opinions and the multitude of per-spectives that are characteristic in any meeting of believ-ers. Regardless of the outcome however, each oneinvolved in a difficult matter has the responsibility tohonor the Lord in their actions and even more important-ly in their attitudes.

Still another strategy of the enemy and a frequentlyemployed tactic is that of discouragement. What a devas-tating tool this can be both individually and corporately!Anyone seriously involved in the work of the Lord knowshow often this intruder needs to be beaten back. WhenNehemiah was told ten times by his own brethren that thework of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem would not becompleted because the job was too big and the obstaclestoo many, he rallied the troops with some very simplewords: “Remember the Lord!” (Neh. 4:14). When we arediscouraged and see little fruit in our lives or in the localassembly, we also need to “remember the Lord!”

Elijah needed to be reminded of this after his out-standing triumph at Carmel. Like so many after a stun-ning triumph for the Lord, not long afterwards he took adisappointing tumble into the slough of despond. Godwas at work in his life and the lives of many others inIsrael—though he did not see those that had not bowedthe knee to Baal. His expectations were misplaced if hewanted to see God at work, the primary cause of hisdespair. God’s greatest work in the life is done by His stillsmall voice, not by impressive pyrotechnics.

Like Jonah, Elijah’s selfish attitude was the root causebehind his discouragement as he requested of the Lord totake his life. Thankfully, the Lord did not answer thatprayer! To have given up in a time of painful and distort-ed introspection would have been a horrible mistake, asevidenced by the respect and measure of glory that Elijahhas had in the minds of Israelites after his life of servicewas completed (Mal. 4:5; Mt. 16:14; Lk. 9:30-31).

Finally, dread is another weapon used by the enemy ofour souls to intimidate believers from wholehearted com-mitment to the Lord. The first epistle of Peter reminds usthat “your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walkethabout, seeking whom he may devour.”

Believers are exhorted to be sober, be vigilant, and toresist Satan, being steadfast in the faith (1 Pe. 5:8-9). Weare not told to run but to stand, putting on the wholearmor of God (Eph. 6:10). All the resources are availableto the believer to do so. But some fall victim to dread. InPhilippians 1:28, we are reminded to “not in any way beterrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof ofperdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.”


THE STRATEGY OF THE ENEMY

Running is notthe answer;resisting himin the faith is.

Nahash the Ammonite is a graphic picture of the devilutilizing this strategy when he came against the men ofJabesh-gilead (1 Sam. 11:1-2). Responding to theirrequest to make an alliance, Nahash made a grisly offerto put out their right eyes first, his strategy (and thedevil’s) to make God’s people loose their depth percep-tion—and be come useless warriors. Samson also discov-ered the blinding influence of sin.

Perhaps the most outstanding example of the enemy’sstrategy and the various weapons that he utilizes in battleis seen in Sennacherib’s blasphemous assault againstIsrael in the days of king Hezekiah. Interestingly, thisaccount is recorded in three separate passages (2 Ki.18–19; 2 Chron. 32; Isa. 37).

When word was received that Hezekiah had preparedfor this assault, Sennacherib sent his messengers to thepeople to deceive them by saying: “Have I now come upwithout the Lord to this place to destroy it? The Lord saidto me, Go up and destroy this place” (2 Ki. 18:25).

Sennacherib, an avowed enemy of God’s people andself-appointed “great king,” came against Israel with afalse message that the Lord was speaking through him—the tool of deceit masterfully used. The next messagedelivered said in effect; “Do not let Hezekiah deceiveyou!” (v. 29). How confusing this must have been to thepeople. Who was telling the truth anyway?

It is the same question that many hearers of falseprophets and teachers must ask themselves in our day,when bombarded with conflicting spiritual messages.Even God’s people can be perplexed if not grounded inHis Word. But notice the response “...the people heldtheir peace” (v. 36). Amid all the threats designed toinstill fear and dread in their hearts, they neither falterednor did they debate the issue, but stood firm in what theyknew to be right. In time, the true picture emerged, asSennacherib blatantly defied the Lord (2 Ki. 19:10).Victory came to Israel as Hezekiah trusted the Lord. Oneangel from the Lord slew 185,000 Assyrians in one night.

Yes, the Adversary has many tactics at his disposal andmany weapons in his arsenal. The “depths” (Rev. 2:24) ofhis strategies and the ability that he possesses to frustratethe purposes of God are indeed astounding. But the childof God is not without a defense in the Lord. Through HisWord (the Sword of the Spirit) and by His indwellingpower, we have the means by which we are able to recog-nize and resist his devices. How we need to heed thewords of the Lord Jesus: “And what I say to you, I say toall: Watch!” (Mk. 13:37). Ý

no decision of man that God does not ordain tohappen exactly as it occurs. This includes war,

political corruption, injustice, immorality,and sin. In his most important theological

work, The Institutes of Christian Religion,which formed the thinking of his followers,John Calvin wrote, “...we mean the eternaldecree of God, by which He determined with

Himself whatever He wished to happen withregard to every man.”1

Following him, the intrepid reformer Martin Luther, inhis classic work, On the Bondage of the Will, defendedthe view that God decrees all things, including the sinfulacts of man and Satan. “...We do everything by God’s willalone, and by a necessity that is laid upon us...so that allthings still happen by necessity, as it respects us...sincethen God moves and actuates all things in all things, itcannot be but that He also moves and acts in Satan and inthe wicked...(the wicked) hurried along by this impulseof divine omnipotency...Hence it arises, that the wickedman cannot but go astray and commit sin continually;inasmuch as being seized and urged by the power of God,he is not allowed to remain idle; but wills, desires, actsjust to what he is.”2

This theological perspective continues to be taught inour present day. A. W. Pink, the hyper-Calvinist authorwho died in 1952, writes, “Nothing ever comes to passexcept what He decreed.”3

The next logical step in this teaching of determinismis to declare that God is the originator of sin. After thedeath of John Calvin in 1564, Theodore Beza, professorof theology at the University of Geneva, became the lead-ing proponent of this particular error of Calvinism.Through his far-reaching influence, this error becameaccepted as orthodoxy and spread rapidly throughoutEurope. Unfortunately this doctrine, that God is thesource of sin, continues to be taught by many Calviniststo the present day. This is the inevitable conclusion of theteaching that God decrees and determines everything thatcomes to pass. If one is to be a consistent determinist, hemust believe that the God that decrees eternal salvationfor the elect, must also decree the more repulsive acts that

he origin of sin has perplexedChristians throughout history.Many have asked: Since God issupremely good, untainted by

sin, and infinitely sovereign over His uni-verse, how is it that sin entered the worldwhich God declared to be “very good”? It hasbeen suggested that God could have createdangels and man in a state of holy perfection, soit would have been impossible for them to sin. However,this would have resulted in reducing God’s noblest cre-ation to mere machine-like figures void of free choice.God desires man to respond to Him through choice.

God in His sovereignty gave to man a will to exercisefreely as an integral part of his nature. God will notoppose His own will nor violate the nature He hasdesigned for man. However, Scripture reveals that man’schoice is not always God’s will. How did sin enter theworld? It was through disobedience on the part of thefirst man and woman to God’s revealed will. We read,“By one man sin entered into the world, and sin by death”(Rom. 5:12). God did not ordain it, but allowed it.

It has been rightly said that man’s freedom of willcomes at a high price—war, crime, rebellion, and sin.God determined this freedom of choice given to man tobe worth the price. This being said, we must never inferthat the freedom of choice in man can thwart God’s ulti-mate will. This perfect will is the eternal purpose of God,founded upon His all-wise and eternal counsel, which issettled, ordained, and unalterable (Eph. 3:11).

In wrestling with this solemn question, some havesadly concluded that God Himself is the author of sin.This doctrine was set forth by overzealous followers ofJohn Calvin, seeking to validate his theology. To theircredit it must be said that John Calvin and many moder-ate Calvinists did not hold to this teaching. Nevertheless,its foundations are rooted in the writing and thinking ofCalvin. Calvin rightly believed in God’s sovereignty overHis created universe, but then took this important doc-trine an unfortunate step further. He taught that Goddecrees all things which come to pass. According to thisteaching, called Determinism, there is no event, no act,


D A R E T O T H I N K

b y D A V I D D U N L A P

THE ORIGIN OF SIN

T

“…Lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father”

1 JOHN 2:16

How then does Scripture reconcile God’s sovereigntywith the entrance of sin? We find that God certainly, byvirtue of His foreknowledge and omnipotence, has thepower to know all things and ordain all things, yet theBible teaches that He allows certain events and decreesothers, but does not decree all things.

Though Scripture plainly teaches that man can opposeboth the will and plan of God (Lk. 7:30; Mt. 23:37), mor-tal man cannot hinder or thwart God’s ultimate plan forthis world. However, individually, man can decide not tohave a part in it. The Lord Jesus Christ will come againto rapture the Church—this is His sovereign plan; butsome may choose not to have any part in it. TheScriptures repeatedly state that man can exercise a willgiven to him by God, and with that will reject the desires,blessings, and privileges that God has for him.

Psalm 32 reveals to us something more of the eternalways of God. The psalmist states, “I will instruct you inthe way that you should go: I will counsel you with Myeye upon you. Be not as a horse, or as a mule which hasno understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bitand bridle” (vv. 8-9). This verse may suggest to us thatGod in His sovereignty does not want “mule-like” fol-lowers. On the contrary, He wants those who will freelyaccept His instruction and counsel. He wants relation-ships with His people that are based on mutual affectionand love, not on coercion and force.

God could, figuratively speaking, “bridle” unbelieversand irresistibly cause their hearts and wills to do as Hepleases. However, it would result in bringing to pass “bri-dled mules” without wills of their own, the very thingGod does not desire. God desires men to believe in Himunconstrainedly through the use of the freedom of thewill which He has given to them.

Why is it that sin entered the world? It is the same rea-son that some men perish and others believe in Christunto eternal life—the decision of man to act in rebelliousdisregard to God’s will. We must set aside the notion thatsin entered the world by any desire of God; and in likemanner, the notion that God does not desire to save all,for Scripture tells us that He does. But man can and doesreject God’s will and plan for him. God in His sovereign-ty, designed man with a free will and, despite the fall andruin of sin, His divine purpose will not be frustrated. Hewill not force men to believe, but desires all men to freelycome to faith in Christ.1. John Calvin, Institutes, Vol. 2, Grand Rapids, MI, Eerdman, 1952, p. 206

2. Quoted by G.H. Lang, World Chaos, London, Paternoster, 1950, pp. 60-61

3. A.W. Pink, Gleanings from the Scriptures, Chicago, IL, Moody, 1964, p. 206

4. John Fineberg, Predestination and Free Will, Downers Grove, IL, InterVarsity

Press, 1986, p. 24

5. A.W. Pink, Gleanings from the Scriptures, Chicago, IL, Moody, 1964, p. 207

6. H.G. Mackay, Biblical Balance, Toronto, Everyday Publications, 1978, p. 55

have occurred down through the pages of world history.This, according to many Calvinist writers, must alsoinclude the entrance of sin into the world.

The earnest Christian must recoil and reject the blas-phemy of this God-dishonoring doctrine. One can hardlyimagine that Christians would publicly teach such a doc-trine, but sadly it is true. Mark the words of Calvinistprofessor Dr. John Fineberg of Trinity EvangelicalDivinity School, who writes, “I hold that all things arecausally determined...God having made the choice, Hecreated Adam as sinning.”4

This seems to imply that God not only created Adamand Eve, but that God was involved in the act of Adam’sand Eve’s sin. This quotation is not written in isolation;its author is one of many Calvinists who have taught thatsin is a result of God decreeing it in man. A. W. Pink,presses this doctrine on his readers when he asserts con-fidently, “Clearly it was the divine will that sin shouldenter this world, or it would not have done so. God hadthe power to prevent it. Nothing ever comes to passexcept what He decreed...God’s decree that sin shouldenter this world was a secret hid in Himself.”5

Is this what the Bible teaches? How did sin enter theworld? In using the Scriptures as our divine compass, wefind they clearly teach that God is not the author of sin,nor will He entice man to sin. The New Testament states,“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted ofGod: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neithertempteth He any man” (Jas. 1:13).

In another place we read, “Thou art of purer eyes thanto behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity” (Hab.1:13). The careful student of Scripture will conclude thatGod has never caused anyone ever to sin, for sin is alwaysthe result of rebellion against God. “From whence comewars and fightings among you? Come they not hence,even of your lusts that war in your members?” (Jas. 4:1).

Beyond a doubt, God is sovereign, holy, faithful, just,good, unchanging, all-powerful, unequaled, above all.Therefore, to ascribe, surmise, or to insinuate in any waythat God is the author of sin is to besmirch and malignthe surpassing greatness of His Name. In setting forth theseriousness of this error, Bible teacher Harold Mackaypassionately writes, “Does God foreknow all things?Absolutely! Does God permit all things? Yes! Did Goddecree all things? No! There is no question but that allGod’s eternal plans and purposes will be ultimately andcompletely fulfilled. But this is not to say that Goddecreed all the intervening happenings in the history ofmankind. To infer that all the crimes, corruptions, atroc-ities, tragedies, and wars that have stained the pages ofhuman history were according to God’s eternal decree istoo horrible a thought to entertain for one moment.’’ 6


Ý

THE ORIGIN OF SIN

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Once on a time a paper kiteWas mounted to a wondrous height,Where, giddy with its elevation,It thus expressed self-admiration:

“See how the crowds of gazing peopleAdmire my flight above the steeple;How would they wonder if they knewAll that a kite like me can do!

Were I but free, I’d take a flight,And pierce the clouds beyond their sight,But, ah! like a poor prisoner bound,My string confines me near the ground.

I’d brave the eagle’s towering wing,Might I but fly without a string.”It tugged and pulled, while thus it spoke,To break the string—at last it broke.

Deprived at once of all its stay,In vain it tried to soar away;Unable its own weight to bear,It fluttered downward through the air.

Unable its own course to guide,The wind soon plunged it to the tide.Ah, foolish kite, you had no wing:How could you fly without a string?

My heart replied, “O Lord, I seeHow much this kite resembles me!Forgetful that by Thee I stand,Impatient of Thy ruling hand;How oft I’ve wished to break the linesThy wisdom for my lot assigns?

How oft indulged a vain desireFor something more, or something higher,And, but for grace and love divine,A fall thus dreadful had been mine.

THE KITE & ITS STRINGby JOHN NEWTON

1998_10

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