Ques. 30. Did the Lord actually go down to the place of the imprisoned, ante-diluvian race, to preach to them (or announce) the accomplishment of salvation? J. H. J.
Ans. Read 1 Peter 3:19-22. It was the same Spirit, that quickened Christ from among the dead, that in Noah preached to the antediluvians, and it is because they did not hearken to the preaching by Noah that they are ever since in prison.
The Lord Jesus, when He died on the cross, went to His Father to whom He commended His spirit. He was absent from His body, present with His Father. The ascension of Christ is when body and spirit, united in resurrection, ascended up to the Father, a glorified Man.
Ques. 31
Will all the saints who die get a place with Christ in heaven?
Ans. All the saints who have died are counted in the first resurrection, and will reign with Christ.
1 Thess. 4:16, 17; Rom. 8:17; 1 Cor. 15:23.
Those who will be put to death in the tribulation period will also be raised. Rev. 20:4, "They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Rev. 14:13 is a promise to encourage them to be faithful unto death. This is the first resurrection, it includes all the saints who have died. "Death is swallowed up in victory" then, after that no more saints will die.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are included in 1 Cor. 15:23. Matt. 8:11 is to teach that Gentiles will be included in their blessing while the Jews called the children of the kingdom will be cast out.
Rev. 7, is a picture of blessing on the earth, there is no resurrection in that chapter.
Ques. 32
What is walking in darkness? and what is walking in the light? (1 John 1:6, 7.) M. J. B.
Ans. Walking in darkness is distance from and ignorance of God. It is the position and character of the unconverted.
Walking in the light, is our position as brought to God, who is light. We have been in His presence where our sins and our self-will have been exposed and dealt with. And since that is our position in the light, we who have been there, have like feelings, we have fellowship with one another as once guilty, but now cleansed. So it adds, "And the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all (or every) sin.”
It is not speaking here of the time of its application to us, but of its efficacy as the only thing that can cleanse away sins, we are cleansed by it.
To walk in the light as God is in it; to have fellowship one with another; and to be cleansed from all sin by the blood; are three parts of Christian position, and not behavior.
None of us walk according to the light fully, but it is our responsibility to do so.