Ques. 74. Please explain John 14:12. Does that include the saints of today? L. M. P.
Ans. The Lord is teaching His disciples that His going away would be gain to them. The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, would come to abide; this would give a higher character to all they did. It would be done by the Spirit, in the power of a glorified Christ. And whatsoever they asked in His name, He would do, that the Father might be glorified in the Son. "If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it." We should ask for that which is for His and the Father's glory.
It is just as true for us now as for those He spoke to. We need to watch not to ask selfishly. And we ought to be exercised that we should not be so unbelieving.
Ques. 75. Kindly explain in THE YOUNG CHRISTIAN the following passages of Scripture: Matt. 10:34; John 3:20-21; 1 Peter 2:13-14. E. B.
Ans. Matt. 10:34, This verse and its context show that the Lord Jesus is rejected and that man's heart is enmity against God. (Rom. 8:7.) Our dearest friends on earth, if not converted, may be our bitterest enemies, because we love and desire to serve the Lord Jesus. If we are true to Him, the world will hate us. (John 15:18-16:2; 1 John 3:13.) As long as Christ is the rejected One, His followers will need to endure opposition from the world. (Read the whole passage.)
John 3:20-21 the sinful nature of man hates the light of God's presence, for it condemns his evil ways; he therefore keeps away from the light. But he that practices the truth, comes to the light; this is a man born of God. (John 3:5) He delights to be in God's presence, for all his sins have been judged and are put away by God; he is hiding nothing: his deeds are manifest as wrought in God. Christians are children of light (Eph. 5:8), and walk in the light (1 John 1:7; Eph. 2:8-9).
1 Peter 2:13-14. These verses speak of subjection to the powers that be-the laws of the land. (Rom. 13:1-7.) These are called ordinances, and are to be respected, except where they interfere with our duty to God, then we must "obey God rather than men". Thus Peter and the apostles answered when they were commanded not to teach in the name of Jesus. (Acts 5:28-29.)
A different kind of ordinances is mentioned in Col. 2:20-23. These we are not to be subject to-restrictions, such as, "Touch not, taste not, handle not", what we are to eat, or drink, or use; religious ordinances for the improvement of the flesh; pledges or vows. All these we are free from, because we have "died with Christ from the elements of the world", and, now, "risen with" Him, we are to be occupied with things above. (Col. 3:1.)