Correspondence: Luke 9:21; 1 John 2:16; 1 Cor. 15:42-44

Narrator: Chris Genthree
 •  5 min. read  •  grade level: 5
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Ques. 68. Please explain why the Lord asked those who knew Him, not to make Him known, in Luke 9:2121And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; (Luke 9:21) and other places, when He healed their diseases and restored the blind to sight.
Also what is the meaning of Christ's answer, or why did He give the person this kind of an answer in Luke 9:5858And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. (Luke 9:58)? C. T.
Ans. In Luke 9:2121And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; (Luke 9:21) it was because the Lord was rejected as Israel's Messiah, and was going to make atonement for sin on the cross, that He said, "Tell no man that thing"; then calls Himself the Son of man.
We need to read the context in each case to understand the reason. In Mark's gospel, specially, it is as the true servant hiding Himself, and doing the Father's will. What an example this is for us.
Are we willing to lose our character before men to follow the Lord? (Verses 59, 60.)
Are we willing to lose our connections to follow the Lord? (Verse 61.)
These points test whether Christ or self is our object. Quite true, we get comforts from the Lord if we follow Him. We get a new character as His servants, and new connections in His people. We also see from Ephesians 5 and 6, and Colossians 3 and 4, that "wives" and "husbands", "children" and "parents", "servants" and "masters", are all relationships given to us from Him to carry out (through grace) for Him.
The man in John 5, who was carried by the bed for 38 years, received strength to carry the same bed for Christ.
Ques. 69
What scriptures condemn the use of tobacco as a lust of the flesh? N. R. M.
Ans. Read Rom. 6:12, 13, 19; 13:1412Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Romans 6:12‑13)
19I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. (Romans 6:19)
14But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. (Romans 13:14); Gal. 5:16, 17, 2416This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Galatians 5:16‑17)
24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (Galatians 5:24); Eph. 2:33Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:3); 2 Tim. 2:2222Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22); Titus 2:12; 3:312Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (Titus 2:12)
3For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. (Titus 3:3); 1 Peter 2:1111Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (1 Peter 2:11); 2 Peter 2:10, 1810But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. (2 Peter 2:10)
18For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. (2 Peter 2:18); 1 John 2:16, 1716For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:16‑17).
These and many other scriptures teach us that the flesh never walked in God's ways, but in self-pleasing. Man, away from God, does His own will. The Lord Jesus, as a man on earth, ever walked in obedience to His Father's will. His every thought and word and deed was obedience to His Father."By the word of Thy lips I have kept Me from the path of the destroyer." (Psa. 17:44Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. (Psalm 17:4).)
We have instructions in the Word for our whole life: Our food, our clothing-every mercy we receive, we receive from our Father, and we are to give thanks to Him for them. (1 Tim. 4:3-53Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:3‑5).) It is sanctified unto us by the Word of God and by prayer. His Word gives all to us, and we thank God as the giver. It does not belong to us till we give thanks.
Apply this to your tobacco chewing, snuffing and smoking. Does your Father give it to you? Do you return thanks to Him every time you use it, as you do for your food? Is it not a worldly lust, an unclean habit that you have acquired? It sickened you at the first, and now it holds you in its grip, and you allow it; and, alas! in many instances the children of God seek an excuse to gratify their evil nature in this way. They do not want to admit that it is sin, but all lawlessness is sin. (1 John 3:44Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4). New Trans.) It is pleasing to themselves, and pleasing ourselves is not pleasing the Lord. Nor are they working out their own salvation with fear and trembling. (Phil. 2:12, 1312Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12‑13).) They are not in this respect allowing God to work in them both to will and to do of His good pleasure. It is monstrous to say, It does not hinder the communion of those who use it. Could one in the presence of the Lord go on with it?
“Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us purify ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Cor. 7:11Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1).)
Ques. 70
When we go to be with the Lord, do we receive a glorified body immediately? L. M. P.
Ans. When a believer departs to be with Christ (Phil. 1:2323For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: (Philippians 1:23)), his spirit is with the Lord, and his body returns to dust.