Wholesome Words for Spiritual Guidance

The story of Lot and his wife and family, coming early in Bible history, is so tragic and solemn, and ends in such depths of depravity and shame, that we would gladly draw the veil of silence over it. But in Luke 17:28-37 the Lord Jesus revives the memory of it, projecting its warning message forward to our day and beyond, to the time of His return in judgment.

As the nephew of Abraham, the father of the faithful, Lot first appears on the page of Scripture in good company (Genesis 11:31-12:5). When Abraham left his kindred and homeland in response to the call of God, Lot went with him, and after some delay in Haran, they reached the promised land. There they shared the experiences of being strangers in a strange land.

With the increase of their herds and flocks, it became necessary for them to part company, for 'the land was not able to bear them that they might dwell together', and Abraham proposed that Lot should have first choice of the direction he would take and the place in which he would settle.

A choice that appears to be simple, can become a turning point on the highway of life, setting us on a course that will lead us far away from God. We need our Guide, for the Scripture says, "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool" (Prov.28:26). But the Lord has promised to the trusting soul, "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go" (Psalm 32:8).

Lot chose him all the plains of Jordan. As he looked out over them he saw that they were well watered everywhere, and they seemed to be like the garden of the Lord. So he moved down and dwelt among the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. From a strictly commercial point of view, his decision would have much to commend it, but the appealing features were deceptive, for the Divine comment was, "but the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly". A Christian may be living in an atmosphere of godlessness and corruption through circumstances beyond his control, and God is able to keep him from the evil. Daniel's life is an example of this. But when one is in such a place by his own choice, he has rendered himself extremely vulnerable to temptation.

It is very easy to continue on a downward course, and when we next read of Lot, he is living in Sodom. When war broke out, the king of Sodom was defeated, and Lot was taken captive with all that he possessed. Abraham set out on a swift rescue maneuver, and brought Lot and his goods and the women also, and the people safely back again. In spite of this, Lot went back to live in Sodom again.

Apparently he was married by now, with a growing family, and life in Sodom was prospering, as the Lord Jesus described it, "They did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded," all oblivious to their impending destruction.

But Peter tells us that Lot was a righteous man who was vexed by the filthy behavior of the wicked, and distressed daily by seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds. In Genesis 19:1 we find him sitting in the gate of the city, the place where the elders sat in those days, probably hoping to influence things for the better. The appearance of the angelic visitors on the eve of Divine intervention, revealed both the futility of such hopes, and the utter depravity of the men of the place in their open and unrestrained practice of homosexuality.

The Lord disclosed to Abraham His friend that He was about to destroy those cities because of their wickedness, and our hearts are moved as we listen to Abraham's noble, earnest intercession, and the amazing condescending grace of God as He grants each of his requests (ch.18:23-33). We sometimes wonder why Abraham stopped at ten, but from a careful comparison of verses 12 and 14 of chapter 19, it would seem that Lot's family circle would comprise at least ten persons if the sons-in-law were included. From his years of close association with Lot, it would be natural for Abraham to assume that surely his wife and family would share his love for what was right, but this was not so. When Lot urged his sons-in-law to get out, because the Lord would destroy the city, they thought he was mocking. To them, his credibility would be shattered by his choice to make his home and raise his family there.

The day of destruction dawned, and while Lot lingered, the angels took hold of his hand and the hand of his wife and of his two daughters, drawing them outside the city with the urgent warning, "Escape for thy life; Look not behind thee But as the judgment began to fall, Lot's wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt. Commenting on that look, Mr Wilson in his O.T. Word Studies says, "Lot's wife looked back on Sodom with a look of affection to the place, of regret to leave it, and of unbelief and distrust of its threatened destruction".

Lot was saved out of the overthrow of Sodom, but he had lost so much - his testimony for God, his wife and the greater part of his family, and all his earthly possessions. The curtain falls on a sad and fearful man living in a cave with his two surviving daughters, whose concept of chastity had been utterly corrupted by the immoral environment of Sodom.

Both the Lord Jesus and His apostles speak of the conditions that prevailed in Sodom, and its overthrow, as an example of the conditions that will prevail in the world just prior to the return of the Lord in judgment. The judgment could not fall on Sodom until Lot was taken out, and the judgment cannot fall on this world till all who belong to Christ are caught away to the Father's House (John 14:2,3). "Therefore let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober" (I Thess.5:6).

Fathers, when such choices present themselves, seek the promised wisdom of the Lord (James 1:5). Weigh the options soberly as to their effect on the testimony of the Lord, and the spiritual well-being of the family.

Mothers, beware of nourishing an appetite for the things that are seen and heard so frequently in modern entertainment, so that moral and spiritual sensibilities are no longer shocked by promiscuous behavior, or infidelity to marriage vows. The Lord Jesus says, "Remember Lot's wife".

Children, remember that the world passes away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

When Jude writes of these things he concludes with this message to us all, "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (v.20, 21). "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God and Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." (v.24, 25).

-R.M. Goatley

TRUE CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

The apostle Paul gives the true Christian perspective on life in 2 Cor.4:18, "We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal". Like him, let us weigh the worth of material advantage in the light of unseen spiritual realities which are eternal.

- Anon

GOD'S HIDDEN RULER

Every serious thinking man is at a loss to know what is going to happen throughout the world. He sees nothing but confusion, if not much worse. All eyes are turned to the different Governments. The Governments of the past, however, are no great encouragement to us to look for much from man as a ruler.

God's Purpose. The Divine purpose at the beginning was that God should rule. For this purpose He chose a nation through whom all His will should be made known, and His government reach to the ends of the earth. But that nation would not obey Him, and eventually desired a king. Hence we read, "They have rejected Me, that I should reign over them" (1 Sam, 8:7).

God gave them a king from among themselves, head and shoulders above the people, self reliant, but with no knowledge and experience of God, as David had. He was a king after the people's own heart. He failed in connection with Amalek, as all do who know not God. And then God gave them a king "after His own heart" (Acts 13:22), in the rejected and persecuted shepherd boy who had p roved God. There was nothing about him to attract the eye to him as a suitable g; even Jesse his father did not see it. But Nathan gave David God's message: "His house and kingdom and throne were established forever" (2 Sam.7: 16).

God's Pattern King. Much happened to the throne in David's time. Through his bad marriage to the king of Geshur's daughter, Absalom, the fruit of that marriage, almost brought David's reign to an end. Many of his successors departed from the Lord. Solomon's unholy marriages brought great weakness to the throne; and later the influence of the king of Zidon brought Jezebel to Samaria, and Athaliah, her daughter, as Queen to Jerusalem with the worship of Baal.

When her son, the king, was slain, Athaliah thought to destroy all David's line. No doubt she and many others thought she had done so, but God's promise to David could not be broken. The youngest son was safe in the Lord's house, where he was kept for six years under the care of the High Priest. Before he was brought forth in the seventh year, the rulers, the captains, and the guard were brought to him, and appeared with him when Athaliah was slain.

So we wait until we are taken into the Lord's House to appear with the hidden Son of Jesse, when the Government of this world will be destroyed in the person of him who will have usurped it.

There is not much more to be said about the line of David till we come to the passage in Ezekiel 19:10-14: "Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. And she had strong rods for the scepters of them that bare rule, her stature was exalted... But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; and fire consumed them. And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground. And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a scepter to rule".

Israel, with Jerusalem, the seat of Government, is plucked up and cast aside, no longer a ruler among the nations. Her rods are broken and burnt. She hath "no strong rods to be a scepter to rule".

How sad the prospect of the world would be today if that was the end. One turns with infinite satisfaction to Isaiah 11:1, "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots".

We have the sequel to this in Matt.l:17, "All the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations - from David to the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations - from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations". What a glorious unbroken genealogy we have from David to Christ, and here the genealogy comes to an end. The Stem has grown strong to rule - no need of this root to continue. David's line disappears.

We know He was not received: "Not this Man, but Barrabas" (John 18:40); "We will not have this Man to reign over us" (Luke 19:14). Therefore, "while they beheld He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9).

God's King will Reign. The intimation given by the Heavenly Messenger to Mary was one of the most significant ever given, and one the world thinks little of. The Babe is to sit on the throne of His father David forever, and His kingdom is to have no end (Luke 1:32,33).

Today He is the King's Son hid in the Lord's House. When he comes forth He shall yet occupy the Throne at Jerusalem, then "out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:3).

The Characteristics of His Rule will be:

Righteous. Isaiah 32:1.

Firm - with a Rod of Iron. Psalm 2; Rev. 2:27.

Godly - Owned by all nations. Zech. 14:16.

Amid the turmoil of earth, our hearts cry: "Come Thou Blessed Prince of Peace".

- W. Amot.

1. His Gracious Method. "I will allure her into the wilderness" (v.14). He does not say "I will drive her", but "I will allure her" into a condition where her old evil associations and habits will not have the same bewitching influence over her. Thus the first act of grace is seen in a merciful alluring. Why are we so slow to recognize and believe in this blessed work of the Holy Spirit, and to imagine that when the pleasures of material things begin to wither and die in our experience, that life has lost its value? It is always a seeming barren wilderness to the worldly-minded to be brought into a position where they have nothing left but God.

2. His Merciful Purpose. "I will speak comfortably unto her". God knows what our deep needs are and how best to meet them, for "as one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you". Oh, the bliss that dawns upon our souls when in our bewilderment, the peace of God breaks in upon our troubled hearts! His comforting words and ways bring us out of the darkness of doubt and fearfulness, into His marvelous light and restfulness. Why is it that we need so much alluring to bring us into that condition where God can give us His most precious gifts? Surely this is the blindness and stubbornness of our natural minds. Still, He "giveth us the victory".

(a) "I will give her vineyards from thence" (v.15). What! vineyards from the wilderness, where we could see nothing but barrenness and desolation? Yes, out of our experiences of weariness and seeming failure, God can make even these, fresh sources of refreshing and strength. By this we are assured that the Divine leading is never out of harmony with our Father's heart. His wisdom never contradicts His love. Therefore let us confidently and joyfully trust, even when we have been disappointed and brought low. "Where He leads I will follow", The Holy Spirit is still alluring into new and deeper experiences.

(b) "I will give her the Valley of Achor (trouble or trembling) for a door of hope". In the dark and fearsome valley of trouble He can and will open a new door into fresh hopefulness and larger liberty to every humble believer. It may be that we dread the experience of trouble, because it brings us to such a deep sense of our weakness and helplessness. Let us not imagine that we are only making spiritual progress when we are climbing. Our wonder-working God can make our valley of trouble a place to lie down in (Isa. 65:10).

(c) "I will give her the joy of her youth". "She shall sing as in the days of her youth" when, as a nation, she was delivered out of Egypt. She had restored to her the freshness of her happy, youthful days. The God of Israelis the God of our salvation, still ready to renew and restore. Every answered prayer gives occasion for a new song. Every fresh manifestation of His wisdom and power brings additional victory into our spiritual being. "Even the youths may faint, and young men utterly fail; but they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength". When God satisfies the craving of our spiritual nature with good things, the youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Psa.103:5).

(d) A new relationship. "In that day thou shalt call Me, My Husband" (v.16). Blessed day for Israel, "when their Deliverer shall come out of Zion, turning away ungodliness", and when all Israel shall be saved (Rom. 11:26). "My Husband". This is something deeper and sweeter than the more formal designation "My Lord". "My Wife" means much more to me than "My servant". What marvelous grace is here revealed! God pledging Himself to act for His people the part of a "Husband". Think of all that is involved in such a promise - taking responsibility for supplying our every need, and bringing us, and keeping us in closest fellowship with Himself. "Call Me Husband, and trust Me to be loving and faithful as long as you live". How sweet is this assurance to the weary trembling heart. "Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God".

From 'Handfuls of Purpose' by J. Smith

3. The Mode of Baptism. How should baptism be administered - by sprinkling or by immersion? All except a small minority favor the method of sprinkling, but what saith the Scripture? Let us consider the following matters:-

(1) The meaning of the word "baptism". - Greek: noun, Baptisma - verb, Baptizo. Both words are derived from the word Bapto, to dip. W.E. Vine states that this word was used among the Greeks to signify the dying of a garment, or the drawing of water by dipping one vessel into another. In both cases the thought is immersion. The usage of the word in the New Testament is also significant. It is used symbolically of the overwhelming sufferings of the Lord on the Cross (Luke 12:50), and of the sufferings of His followers in association with Him (Matt.20:22,23). In neither case is there a suggestion of a mere superficial experience such as sprinkling would indicate. On the contrary, the sufferings that came upon the Lord and His followers were deep and real. The usage of the word points to immersion as the guiding thought.

(2) The Testimony of History. There is no doubt that the primitive mode of baptism was immersion. Dr H.C.G. Moule states: "It seems to us clear that baptism was at first theoretically an entire immersion, but that also primevally the theory was allowed to be modified in practice" (Moule on Romans, page 164). He thus admits, that at first theoretically the baptismal rite was by an entire immersion.

(3) The Case of the Eunuch - Acts 8:36-39. This passage supplies the fullest particulars on baptism in the New Testament. We should note the Eunuch's question, "See, here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized?" In other words he said: "Now that I have believed the message concerning Jesus, is there any reason why I should not publically declare my faith by baptism?" The record states "they went down both into the water, both Phillip and the eunuch, and he baptized him, and when they were come up out of the water" etc. It is difficult to see how baptism by sprinkling can be read into these words. It was while they were both standing in the water (surely an unnecessary requirement if sprinkling were the procedure) that Philip baptized him, that is, he immersed him. The evidence of this passage is very strongly in favor of immersion.

(4) The Significance of Baptism. The references to baptism in Romans 6 and Colossians 2 indicate that it is symbolic of the believers association with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Change the mode to sprinkling, and this symbolic teaching is completely lost. The truth expressed by baptism requires that its mode be immersion. Thus, the meaning of the word, the testimony of history, the case of the eunuch and the significance of the ordinance, establish the New Testament teaching of the believers baptism by an entire immersion in water.

THE DOCTRINE OF BAPTISM

It is to the epistles of the New Testament that we must turn for instruction on the ordinance of baptism. The Gospels give the commands of the Lord in this matter, and the Acts show how the commands were obeyed, but the epistles explain the meaning of baptism and show the implications of the ordinance in the life of the believer.

The important passages are as follows:

(1) Romans 6: 1-11. The purpose of this fundamental Scripture is to show the present relationship of the believer to sin, in view of his justification as stated in chapters 1-5. Does justification lead to sin, or to holiness? This question is answered by Paul in verses 1-11 by the statement that the believer died to sin in the death of Christ. It is true that Christ died for us and for our sins, but it is also true that we died in Him to our sins. In Him the believer died, and in Him the believer rose. We were associated with Him in His death, and we were also associated with Him in His resurrection.

Baptism is the symbolical expression, or illustration of death, burial and resurrection. In it the believer affirms, expresses and declares his death, burial and resurrection with Christ. Nothing less than this is the meaning of baptism. Many have tried to eliminate water baptism from Romans 6, but it is clearly in the passage, and if it is observed that water baptism is the counterpart of the believers spiritual union with Christ in death, burial and resurrection, the teaching of this great chapter will be held in proper balance.

(2) I Corinthians 15:29. The important thing to notice in this verse is that it forms an essential part of the apostle's great argument for the resurrection of the body. This relates the problem in the expression - "What shall they do which are baptized for the dead?" - to the subject of resurrection. To put the matter in other words, Paul asks: "What is the use of the act of those who have been baptized in so far as the dead are concerned if there be no resurrection?" Baptism is quite useless if the dead rise not. It is a witness to the resurrection, but what can be gained by baptized if there be no future resurrection of the body? It should also be noted that Paul bases his argument for a future resurrection on the fact that Christ was raised from the dead, but if there be no resurrection, Christ is not raised, therefore, why be baptized?

-G. Maclachan

THE SON OF GOD

"Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal Word,
The Father's well-beloved Son,
Thyself Creation's Source and Lord,
Thou living, life-imparting One,
For life and pardon through Thy blood
We praise Thy Name, 0 Son of God.

"Thou Who from glory didst descend,
The Father's glory, yet Thine own,
To shameful death Thy way to wend,
That we might share Thy glorious throne,
For 'grace abounding' through Thy blood
We praise Thy Name, 0 Son of God.

"Thou uncreated Life and Light,
By Whom the heavens and earth were made,
On Calvary's tree, in death's dark night,
By Thee our ransom price was paid.
For our redemption through Thy blood
We praise Thy Name, Thou Son of God.

"Exalted high at God's right hand,
For Thy redeemed Thou soon wilt come,
Fulfilling all that grace hath planned,
Thy Father's House our destined home.
And all we owe to Thy shed blood!
Blest be Thy Name, Thou Son of God.