Answer: In 1 John 1:1010If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:10) God says “All have sinned.” To say we have not sinned, proves that we make God a liar, and that His own Word is not in us.
Answer: We see in this chapter, Paul, Barnabas, Cephas and others mentioned as preachers of the gospel. We find in other portions, (as Acts 20:2929For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. (Acts 20:29); 2 Cor. 11:13-15; 213For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:13‑15) Tim. 4:3, 4; Rev. 2:2, 202I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: (Revelation 2:2)
20Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. (Revelation 2:20)), and in the gospels, wicked servants. And in the days in which we live, many more who (unless brought to God in grace) will be castaways, lost forever, though they bear the name of Christian.
The Lord will say to them, “I never knew you” (Matt. 7:22, 2322Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:22‑23)). Such men could not keep their body under, for they are not born of God, and have not the Spirit of God dwelling in them. Paul refers to such, and as illustrating in himself the truth, says.
“I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep my body under, and bring it into subjection: lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Verse 11).
That is how the Christian can keep his body under. It is applying the death of Christ to ourselves; we cannot bear fruit unto God otherwise.
The unconverted priest or preacher is the castaway. The true Christian can never be a castaway. He is saved, and is in Christ Jesus where condemnation can never come.
God will not blot out any name He has written in His book, but He will blot out the names of those who have put themselves in as false professors. It is not any ones’ service that is cast away here, it is the person himself.
Question: What do the ten virgins represent in Matthew 25? N. S. C.
Answer: The Kingdom of heaven, now since Christ was rejected and crucified, is not the Kingdom in power with the King present reigning over it, but it is the Kingdom in its mysterious form, the King being absent, sitting not on His own throne, but on the Father’s throne. It answers therefore to the present time, and in it we see the profession of the name of Christ, both in reality, and in name only.
It is a mistake to think that in Matthew 13:4444Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. (Matthew 13:44) the treasure is Israel, and the net (verses 47, 48) is the nations in the Millennium as some have taught, and that the virgins are Jewish. The Kingdom of heaven in all these parables represent the present period in different ways from Pentecost till the Lord comes. It is presented as committed to men, “Men slept,” and the enemy sowed the tares. So we see the terrible mixture that has come. Matthew 13:24-2824Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? (Matthew 13:24‑28) is its collective responsibility. And the virgins show us the division between the false and the true, between the wise and the foolish, the wise going in when the bridegroom came, and the foolish left out as not going in when the bridegroom came, and as not known to the bridegroom. The oil is in their vessels, not in their lamps, but in their vessels with their lamps would illustrate for us the Holy Spirit that dwells, in the ones who are brought to know that their sins are cleansed away by the blood of Christ.
What we know as the whole profession of the church on earth is seen here, as it will be separated when the Lord comes. The saved ones will be with the Lord; the others shall go away into judgment as in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; 2:9-127And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑9)
9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9‑12).
Question: Who are the “brethren who are in the world” in 1 Peter 5, the saved or the unsaved?
Answer: Read 1 Peter 5:99Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (1 Peter 5:9) as follows, “Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are (accomplished) in the world.” The brethren are Christians; the world is the unsaved, but both suffer in the same way.
“DEBTS ALL PAID—I AM COMING”
Some time ago I heard of an incident which struck me as an apt illustration of two wonderful facts in which every human being in this world is deeply interested: the first, that the Son of God has been here, and has paid that great debt which no sinner could pay; the second, that He is coming back, how soon, we know not.
The incident was this—A young man was engaged to be married. Just before his marriage was to take place his father died, owing large sums of money, and such was the son’s sense of honor that he postponed his marriage, resolving first to remove this stain from his father’s memory. So he left his native land and went abroad, where he worked hard to accumulate sufficient money to discharge his father’s liabilities.
In the course of time to the great delight of his home circle, and of her who had patiently waited for him, one day a telegram was received containing the words with which this paper is headed:
“Debts all paid—I am coming.”
You can imagine the joy of those who loved him as they read this short message, telling them everything was completely settled, and that the one who had accomplished all this at such cost, was coming back, and would soon be in their midst.
But to the writer these words bore a deeper meaning, for they reminded him of the mighty debt which he had once owed—a debt which he could not pay—and unless one could have been found to stand in his place, the awful penalty due to his sins would fall on him, and he must bear eternal loss.
Thank God such a one has been found—none less than the spotless Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, for speaking of Him we read, “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree” 1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24), and “For He (God) hath made Him to be sin for us, He who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)).
This truth is further brought out in the parable of the two debtors:
Then, dear reader, take this place of being a bankrupt sinner, look to Him who died on the cross for sinners, and you will be eternally saved.
But, this is not all: the One who has done this wonderful work for God’s eternal glory and for your eternal blessing, has been away from this world, and seated at God’s right hand for more than eighteen hundred years; but He is coming back, we know not when, it may be tonight—for almost the last words of His which are recorded in the last book of the Bible are, “Surely I come quickly.”
It gives great joy to the Christian to know that soon, very soon, he may see that One whom not having seen he loves, and responding to his Lord’s words can add, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”