Question: Can we obtain the testimony of Hebrews 11:5? H. C. S.
Answer: In this chapter we have a great cloud of witnesses to the path of faith, each one giving us a little bit of that path to encourage us to go on. In chapter 12 we have the Lord Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. He has gone through the whole path, and we are to consider Him. He is our life, our pattern, our strength, our goal, and we cannot take one right step without Him. It is in communion with Him that we can hear Him say, “This is the way, walk ye in it,” and there only can we get guidance.
“We cannot do without Him,
We would not if we could;
He is our daily portion.
Our medicine, and our food;
He’s altogether lovely,
None can with Him compare,
He’s chief among ten thousand,
The fairest of the fair.”
Question: What events are we to look for? T. E
Answer: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). The blessed hope is the first scriptural event that is to take place (John 14:3). Then His glorious appearing when Christ will reign for a thousand years—spoken of as the millennium.
Prophecy begins to be fulfilled after the saints are caught away (1 Thess. 4; 2 Thess. 2:1). Between the blessed hope, and the appearing in glory, there are “the beginning of sorrows,” and “the great tribulation” (Matt. 24:8-21), during which time the gospel of the Kingdom is preached to both Jews and Gentiles (Matt. 10:5-23; Matt. 24:14); resulting in Romans 9:27; also Revelation 7; Israel (vs. 4-8); Gentiles (vs. 9, 14-17; also Matt. 25:32) Gentile sheep.
All those who refused the gospel of the grace of God during this day of grace, are lost, the strong delusion of Satan carries them away (2 Thess. 2:10-12). Satan is bound during the reign of Christ (Rev. 20:2), and loosed again (v. 7) to gather up the rebels against God (vs. 8, 9), then Satan and his angels are consigned to the lake of fire (v. 10). The Great White Throne is set up, and heaven and earth flee away (v. 11). The judgment of the wicked dead takes place (vs. 12-15), and then the new heavens containing all the heavenly saints and hosts; and the new earth containing all the earthly saints, and in these new heavens and new earth, righteousness dwells; this is the eternal state of blessedness wherein God is all in all (2 Peter 3:13; 1 Cor. 15:28).
All unfulfilled prophecy will be fulfilled after the Lord comes for His heavenly saints, and during the reign of Christ.
Question: Is it at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10-12) where our conduct, since we have been saved, will be judged? I have read that any wrong I may have done to my brother or sister will be revealed, not only that I will see it, but also the one I wronged (Luke 12:2, 3). Also that if I judge any known evil in my thoughts, it will not be manifested in that day. T. E.
Answer: Read carefully John 5:22, 23, 26, 27; Acts 10:42; 17:31. Every soul that has lived in this world must give account to Him. He is the judge of the living and the dead (Rom. 14:10-12; 2 Tim. 4:1). But every soul does not stand before Him at the same time, or for the same purpose.
It is plain (John 5:24) that believers shall not come into judgment, because our blessed Redeemer has borne the judgment for us. All has been settled, and by His one sacrifice, we are perfected forever (Heb. 10:14). “The Father has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: has delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love: in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
We are children of light. We have had everything out with God, and when we stand at the judgment seat we are in our glorified bodies, where no thoughts of evil can ever intrude. We do not stand there for judgment, but for manifestation of the things done in the body, whether they be good or bad. And 1 Corinthians 4:5 tells us nothing will be hid, the Lord “will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” We will thus see our whole life pass before us in survey, and thus the grace of God to us will shine out to our souls as never before. As one wrote long ago:
“When I stand with Christ in glory,
Looking over life’s finished story,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know—
Not till then, how much I owe.”
Manifestation means that nothing is hid, neither bad nor good, and the knowledge of this was to act on the Corinthians, and exercise their consciences. And then shall each one have his praise of God in all that God can approve of.
Paul the Apostle was manifested already unto God and to their consciences; it was no terror to him, but knowing the terror of the Lord, he persuaded men. Every one must give an account to the Judge.
Matthew 25:31 to 46 gives the judgment of living nations, or Gentiles. The sheep are saved, they are some of God’s earthly people. Revelation 7 is another picture of more of God’s earthly people. All the Old Testament saints, and all believers during this present period, and also the godly martyrs of the tribulation period, are God’s heavenly people.
The wicked dead, from the beginning of earth’s history till its end, will be raised and stand at Christ’s judgment seat, called, the Great White Throne judgment (Rev. 20:11-15).
Reader, are you saved or lost?
Do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior? or will you meet Him in your sins to receive the wages you have merited?
Question: We take the Lord’s Supper because the Lord said, “This do in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:24, 25); why do we not wash one another’s feet, when the Lord said, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you?” (John 13:14, 15).
Answer: In Matthew 26:26, 27, 28; Mark 14:22, 23, 24; Luke 22:19, 20, we find the narrative of the Lord instituting the Lord’s Supper; and in 1 Corinthians 11:23 to 26, we find the apostle saying. “I received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you,” so that Paul received it straight from the Lord in glory, not from the twelve, who were present when it was instituted. And in v. 26, he adds, “For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come,” thus in plain language telling us that we are to go on with this feast of remembrance as showing His death till He come.
In the feet washing we do not find an ordinance, but what is a figure of a spiritual action of Christ in glory, which neither Peter nor the disciples could at the time understand. “What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter,” —in this time: the hereafter is now come, and in the Lord laying aside His garments and girding Himself with a towel, we are to learn that He is taking for us the lowly place of a servant. He is now interceding for us on high, as our great high priest (Heb. 7:25); and if we sin, He is our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1).
The water in the basin signifies the Word of God (see John 3:5; John 15:3; Eph. 5:26). It is by the Word and Spirit that we are born of God (compare James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23), so we can see it is by the ministry of the Word, this cleansing of the feet is carried out. We are once washed in the blood of Christ (Heb. 10:14), but our feet, meaning our walk and ways, need the ministry of the Word continually, and as the Lord took this lowly place on earth, so He gives us also the privilege of ministering to each other, in leading the heart of the saints to walk with the Lord, and thus help Him in His daily ministrations to His people.
Peter said, “Thou shalt never wash my feet,” and the Lord replied, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me.” Then Simon Peter made another mistake, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head,” but this was not needed, so the Lord answered, “He that is washed (bathed all over) needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit.” Every true believer is clean every whit, because washed in the blood of Christ, so there is no such ordinance in Scripture as washing one another’s feet in literal water.
Luke 7:44; 1 Timothy 5:10 are simply the common customs of hospitality at that time in hot countries.
If we are to wash each other’s feet spiritually, as this means, we will need to pray for them, laying aside our own importance, and seek to enter into their need before God.
The ministry needed to change His disciples from walking with the Messiah on earth, to walking with Christ in glory, is also seen in John 13, for Christ was going up on high. We can think of how important chapters 13 to 17 would be to them after He had gone away.
Mary’s message that she carried to the brethren, revealed this new relationship (John 20:17). It is spiritual ministry from Christ the Lord in glory.