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

From: Correspondence

From: Young Christian: Volume 3, 1913

• 5 min. read • grade level: 5

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.

Luke 9:57-62⁵⁷And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. ⁵⁸And 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. ⁵⁹And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. ⁶⁰Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. ⁶¹And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. ⁶²And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:57‑62) are tests of discipleship. Are we willing to lose our comforts to follow the Lord? (Verse 58.)

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.

True discipleship puts and keeps Christ first. (John 12:26²⁶If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. (John 12:26).)

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).)

If we are believers, we are now "in Christ" (Rom. 8:1¹There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)); He is our life (Col. 3:4⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)); and the Holy Spirit dwells in us (1 Cor. 6:19¹⁹What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19).) Christ is also our pattern; our lives are to be after the pattern of His. (1 John 2:6⁶He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (1 John 2:6).) The flesh is also in us with all its evil desires; but if we walk in the Spirit, we shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. (Gal. 5:16¹⁶This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16).)

In the power of this new life, and by the Spirit, we are now to yield our members, the members of our bodies, to God, as instruments of righteousness. (Rom. 6:11-14, 19¹¹Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ¹²Let 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. ¹⁴For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:11‑14)
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)) Once these very members were the servants of sin. Now our bodies are to be for His glory.

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.