Ques. 161. What does Scripture say is our path in regard to voluntary associations or unions? M. K.
Ans. Confederations of men always have man as their object. See the first one in Gen. 11:4. The Lord broke it in pieces. (Isa. 8:9.) For us, 2 Cor. 6:14 to 7:1, gives simple and full instruction. It begins by marking out the contrast between children of God and the world. What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, light with darkness, Christ with Belial, or a believer with an unbeliever? God dwells and walks in and with His people. He is their God. "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be (to Me for) My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." With such a promise from the One who has everything at His disposal, we may well feel encouraged to obey, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Ques. 162. When Christ died upon the cross, did He bear the sins of the whole world? In Heb. 9:28 it says: "the sins of many." A. J. R.
Ans. Scripture shows us that God has been glorified in the work of the cross about the whole question of sin, so that in righteousness now He can save and cleanse the deepest-dyed sinner living on the earth. (Isa. 1:18.) "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." (1 Tim. 1:15)
We can therefore tell the unsaved of God's love to them (John 3;14-16), and say to them, "Christ died for the ungodly." "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:6-8.) Christ "died for all." (2 Cor. 5:14, 15.) He bought the whole world (Matt. 13:44;) even the blasphemer is bought (2 Peter 2:1), and He is the propitiation for the whole world; ("the sins of" are left out in the original-1 John 2:2). It is there God and guilty man can meet. We can tell the guilty ones how to know their sins forgiven. (Acts 10:43.) "Whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins." (See also Acts 13:38,39.) But it is the language of the believer that says, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities." (Isa. 53:5,6; see 1 Cor. 15:3 and 1 Peter 2:24.) Notice the words, our, we, us. Thus the believer applies the truth to himself, Ques. 163. John 10. H. C.
Ans. It is the door into the sheepfold for the Messiah. He came, fulfilling all that the Word of God foretold about Him. He was the woman's seed (Gen. 3:15); the virgin's Son (Isa. 7:14, 9: 6); born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2), etc. The scribes, rulers, and some who pretended to be the Messiah, were the thieves and robbers, who took upon themselves authority that did not belong to them. They cast the healed man out. (Chapter 9:34.) Jesus was Israel's true and good Shepherd.
Verse 3. The Porter is God working in spite of man's wickedness (Acts 2:23), so that through His death and resurrection He could lead His sheep out of the fold, that is, from under the law and ordinances. He calls His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. No Jew could get out from under the law until Christ died and rose again. He goeth before them.
In verse 7, He says, "I am the door of the sheep." He is their authority for leaving all that belongs to Judaism. He bore the curse of the law. (Gal. 3:13.) The law put Him to death, and the converted Jew, like' Paul, can say, I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ. The law has nothing to say to a dead man. But now Paul lives: "Nevertheless I live: yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." (Gal. 2:19, 20.) So now believers are outside this fold, which is Judaism.
Verse 9 is Christianity; not the fold at all "I am the door: by Me, if any man (Jew or Gentile) enter in, he shall be saved", (this is salvation, and it was not known in the fold of Judaism) "and shall go in and out", (this is liberty to "go in" to the presence of God to worship and be strengthened, and to "go out" to serve and follow Him), "and find pasture." (No pasture grew in the sheepfold.) Christ is our food. He leads us in green pastures and by the still waters. His fruit is sweet to our taste.
Verse 16. "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold" (they were Gentiles before their conversion, and were not put under the law by God), "them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one flock, and one Shepherd." The word is "flock" in the original in this last instance; a fold is an enclosure, a flock is a company. So now God has a flock, but no fold. (Acts 20:28, 29; 1 Peter 5:2, 3.)
Ques. 164. Jude 15. H. C.
Ans. This is the judgment of those who are the apostate church, or Christendom, which at the present time includes all kinds, both saved and unsaved. If a man is ungodly, he is a sinner also, but these are emphatically "ungodly sinners," rebels of deepest dye.