HERE'S THE DIFFERENCE

(Formerly What's the Difference?)

A Study of Important Biblical Distinctions
By
William MacDonald


 
Note: Except where otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (Authorized Version).
ASV stands for the American Standard Version.
ERV stands for the English Revised Version,
NASB stands for the New American Standard Bible.
RSV stands for the Revised Standard Version.

DIFFERING AGES

Augustine once said, "Distinguish the ages and the Scriptures harmonize." God has divided all human history into ages: "... by whom also he made the ages" (Heb. 1:2 ERV margin).  These ages may be long or short.  What distinguishes them is not their length but the way in which God deals with mankind.
    While God Himself never changes, His methods do.  He works in different ways at different times.  We sometimes speak of the way God administers His affairs with man during a particular era as a dispensation.  Technically, a dispensation does not mean an age but rather an administration, a stewardship, an order, or an economy.  But it is difficult for us to think of a dispensation without thinking of time.  For example, the history of the United States government has been divided into various administrations.  We speak of the Roosevelt administration, the Eisenhower administration, or the Kennedy administration.  We mean, of course, the manner in which the government was operated while those presidents were in office.  The important point is the policies that were followed, but we necessarily link those policies with a particular period of time.
    Therefore, in this lesson we will think of a dispensation as the way in which God deals with men during any particular period of history.  God's dispensational dealings may be compared to the way in which a home is run, When there are only a husband and wife in the home, a certain program is followed.  But when there are several young children, an entirely new set of policies is introduced.  As the children mature, the affairs of the home are handled differently again.  We see this same pattern in God's dealings with the human race (Gal. 4:1-5).
    For example, when Cain killed his brother Abel, God set a mark on him, so that anyone finding him would not put him to death (Gen. 4: 1 5), Yet after the Flood God instituted capital punishment, decreeing that "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed" (Gen. 9:6).  Why the difference? Because there had been a change in dispensations.
    Another example.  In Psalm 137:8, 9 the writer calls down severe judgment on Babylon: Yet later the Lord taught His people:     It seems obvious that language suitable for the psalmist living under Law would no longer be suitable for a Christian living under grace.
    Not all Christians are agreed on the number of dispensations or the names that should be given to them.  In fact, not all Christians accept dispensations at all.
    But we may demonstrate the existence of dispensations as follows.  First of all, there are at least two dispensations-law and grace: "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).  The fact that our Bibles are divided into Old and New Testaments indicates that a change of administration occurred.  Further proof is given by the fact that believers in this age are not required to offer animal sacrifices; this too shows that God has introduced a new order.
    But if we agree that there are two dispensations, we are forced to believe that there are three, because the Dispensation of Law was not introduced until Exodus 19, hundreds of years after Creation.  So there must have been at least one dispensation before the Law (see Rom. 5:14).  That makes three.
    And then we should be able to agree on a fourth dispensation, because the Scriptures speak of "the age to come" (Heb. 6:5 RSV).  This, of course, is the time when the Lord Jesus Christ will return to reign over the earth, otherwise known as the Millennium.
    The Apostle Paul also distinguishes between the present age and an age to come.  First he speaks of a dispensation that was committed to him in connection with the truth of the gospel and the Church (1 Cor. 9:17; Eph. 3 :2; Col. 1:25).  That is the present age.  But then he also points forward to a future age when, in Ephesians 1: 10, he refers to "the dispensation of the fulness of times." It is apparent from his description of it that it has not yet arrived.
    So we know that we are not living in the final age of the world's history.
    Dr, C. I. Scofield, editor of the Scofield Reference Bible, lists seven dispensations, as follows:
  1. Innocence (Gen. 1:28).  From Adam's creation up to his fall.
  2. Conscience or Moral Responsibility (Gen. 3:7).  From the fall to the end of the Flood.
  3. Human Government (Gen. 8:15).  From the end of the Flood to the call of Abraham.
  4. Promise (Gen. 12:1).  From the call of Abraham to the giving of the Law.
  5. Law (Exod. 19:1).  From the giving of the Law to the Day of Pentecost.
  6. Church (Acts 2:1).  From the Day of Pentecost to the Rapture.
  7. Kingdom (Rev. 20:4).  The thousand-year reign of Christ.
 In his chart, "The Course of Time from Eternity to Eternity," A. E. Booth sees seven dispensations of human history foreshadowed in the seven days of Genesis:
      While it is not important to agree on the exact details, it is quite important to see that there are different dispensations.  The distinction between law and grace is especially important.  Otherwise we will take portions of Scripture that apply to other ages and refer them to ourselves.  While all Scriptures are profitable for us (2 Tim. . 3:16), not all were written directly to us.  Passages dealing with other ages have applications for us, but their primary interpretation is for the age for which they were written.  For example, Jews living under the Law were forbidden to eat the meat of any unclean animal, that is, one that did not have a cloven hoof and did not chew the cud (Lev. 11:3).  This prohibition is not binding on Christians today (Mark 7:18, 19), but the underlying principle remains -that we should avoid moral and spiritual uncleanness.
    God promised the people of Israel that if they obeyed Him, He would make them materially prosperous (Deut. 28:1 -6).  The emphasis then was on material blessings in earthly places.  But this is not true today.  God does not promise that He will reward our obedience with financial prosperity. instead, the blessings of this dispensation are spiritual blessings in the heavenly places (Eph, 1:3).
    While there are differences among the various ages, there is one thing that never changes, and that is the gospel.  Salvation always has been, is now, and always will be by faith in the Lord.  And the basis of salvation for every age is the finished work of Christ on Calvary's Cross.  People in the Old Testament were saved by believing whatever revelation the Lord gave them.  Abraham, for example, was saved by believing God when He said that the patriarch's seed would be as numerous as the stars (Gen. 15:5, 6).  Abraham did not know much, if anything, about what would take place at Calvary centuries later.  But God knew.  And when Abraham believed the Lord, He put to Abraham's account all the value of the future work of Christ at Calvary.
    Someone has said that the Old Testament saints were saved "on credit." That is to say, they were saved on the basis of the price that the Lord Jesus would pay many years later (that is the meaning of Romans 3:25).  We are saved on the basis of the work which Christ accomplished over 1900 years ago.  But in both cases salvation is by faith in the Lord.
    We must guard against any idea that people in the Dispensation of Law were saved by keeping the Law or even by offering animal sacrifices.  The Law can only condemn; it cannot save (Rom. 3:20).  And the blood of bulls and goats cannot put away a single sin (Heb. 10,4).  No! God's way of salvation is by faith and faith alone! (See Romans 5:1.)
    Another good point to remember is this: when we speak of the present age as being the Age of Grace, we do not imply that God was not gracious in past dispensations.  We simply mean that God is now testing man under grace rather than under law.  This distinction will be explained more fully in a future lesson.
    It is also important to realize that the ages do not close with split-second precision.  Often there is an overlapping or a transition period.  We see this in the Book of Acts, for instance; it took awhile for the new Church to throw off some of the trappings of the previous dispensation.  And it is possible that there will be a period of time between the Rapture and the Tribulation during which the Man of Sin will be manifested and the Temple will be erected in Jerusalem.
    One final word.  Like all good things, the study of dispensations can be abused.  There are some Christians who carry dispensationalism to such an extreme that they accept only Paul's Prison Epistles as applicable for the Church today! As a result they do not accept baptism or the Lord's supper, since these are not found in the Prison Epistles.  They also teach that Peter's gospel message was not the same as Paul's. (See Galatians 1:8, 9 for a refutation of this.) These people ate sometimes called ultra-dispensationalists or Bullingerites (after a teacher named E. W. Bullinger).  Their extreme view of dispensations should be rejected.

TWO COMINGS OF CHRIST

To understand and enjoy the Scriptures, it is necessary to differentiate between the first and second comings of Christ.  His First Coming refers, of course, to His birth as a baby in Bethlehem's manger.  The Second Coming points forward to the time when He will return.  The first is concerned with the sufferings of Christ, the second with the glory that will follow (1 Peter 1:11).
    In this chapter we will present Christ's Second Coming in a general way, presenting only the simple fact that the Savior is coming again.  In the next chapter we will see that there are several phases to His Second Coming.
    The Old Testament prophets foresaw the coming of the Messiah, but they were confused by what they saw.  The Spirit of God revealed to them that the Christ would come in both humiliation and glory.  He would suffer, bleed, and die, but He would also triumph over all His foes.  They could not reconcile this.  What they didn't realize was that they were dealing with two distinct advents of the Messiah, with more than 1900 years between them.
    Oftentimes the two comings are merged together in the Bible with no indication of an intervening time period.  If we can learn to detect these quick transitions, it will add greatly to our pleasure and profit.  Here are some examples.
    The first twenty-one verses of Psalm 22 clearly refer to the First Advent; they depict the sufferings of the Savior on the Cross.  But there is a distinct break between verses 21 and 22.  The last ten verses of the psalm point forward to the victory and glory of the Second Advent.
We also find the two comings in Isaiah 9:6, 7:     The coming to Bethlehem is described by the words "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given..."  All the rest of the verses point forward to the time when He will return to reign in power and great glory.
    The two advents are also found in Isaiah 49:7:     The first advent is apparent in the words "to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers," but the rest of the verse points unmistakably to His second coming.
    Now notice Isaiah 52:14, 15:     Verse 14 obviously describes the Savior on the Cross; those who watched the Crucifixion were astonished at the depths of His suffering.  He was so disfigured that He was no longer recognizable as a man.  But there is a tremendous contrast in verse 15.  When the Savior comes back, men will be astonished at the brilliance of His glory.  The nations will be startled to see the lowly Stranger of Galilee returning as King of kings and Lord of lords.
    One of the best-known examples of a passage where the two advents are blended is Isaiah 61:1, 2:     When Jesus was in the synagogue in Nazareth He quoted from these verses (Luke 4:18, 19).  But notice that He stopped with the words "to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." He did not continue to the expression, "and the day of vengeance of our God." Why? Because His First Advent ushered in the acceptable year of the Lord.  His Second Advent will begin "the day of vengeance of our God."
    We have a similar illustration of the two advents in Psalm 34:15, 16:     When Peter quotes these verses in 1 Peter 3:12 he stops short of the words "to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth." All the rest of the quotation applies to the age in which we are now living, but this final expression looks forward to the Second Advent of Christ.
    The prophet Micah foretold that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Messiah (Mic. 5:2):     But then Micah quickly skipped over to Christ's Second Coming, when He will be great unto the ends of the earth (Mic. 5:4):     In Zechariah 9:9 we have an obvious prediction of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem:     But the next verse carries us forward to the Second Coming, when Christ will reign from sea to sea:     We find the two comings merged in the New Testament as well as in the Old.  Take Luke 1:31-33, for example:     The first verse was obviously fulfilled when Jesus was born (see Matt. 1:25).  But verses 32 and 33 pass over this present Church Age to the time when Christ will return to sit upon the throne of David and to rule over the earth.
    There is a veiled reference to the two advents in Luke 20:18:     In the first part of the verse, the stone (Christ) is on the earth.  During His Incarnation men fell on Him and were broken.  In the second half of the verse, the stone is coming down from above.  When Christ comes back He will scatter the disobedient as dust.
    A final and more obvious instance of the combination of the two comings is found in Hebrews 9:26, 28:     He appeared once to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself; that was His First Advent.  He will appear the second time without sin unto salvation; that is when He comes again.

 PHASES OF CHRIST'S RETURN

In the previous lesson we saw that it is necessary to differentiate between the first and second advents of Christ.  The first belongs to history; it took place almost 2000 years ago.  The second belongs to prophecy; it is still future.
    But it is necessary to realize that the Second Coming of Christ is not a single event.  Rather, it stretches over a period of time and has four stages or phases.  So in this lesson we want to distinguish these phases.
    In the original language of the New Testament the common word for "coming" means "a presence" or "a coming alongside." It denotes an arrival and a subsequent presence.  It was commonly used in connection with the arrival of a king and the visit that followed.
    Even in the English language the word "coming" is used in this way.  For instance, Christ's coming to Galilee brought healing to multitudes.  Here we do not mean simply the day He arrived in Galilee, but the whole period of time He spent in that area.
    So when we think of Christ's Second Coming we should think of a period of time rather than an isolated event.  This period of time has four stages, as follows:
 

1. The Beginning of Christ's Coming

The beginning of Christ's Coming is the Rapture, that is, the Coming of Christ for His saints.  He will come to the air, the dead in Christ will be raised, living believers will be changed, and all will go to the Father's house.  This could take place at any moment and will take place in a moment of time.     Other passages which refer to the Rapture are John 14:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; Philippians 3:20, 21; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Hebrews 9:28; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 22:7, 20.
 

2. The Course of Christ's Coming

    The second stage, the course of Christ's coming, includes the Judgment Seat of Christ, when rewards will be given to believers for faithful service.     See also Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Timothy 4:7, 8.
    Another event which should probably be included in the course of Christ's Coming is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  From its location in the Book of Revelation we know it will take place prior to Christ's glorious reign.  We include it here even if the word "coming" is not used in connection with it.     While these events are taking place in heaven the earth will be experiencing a time of tribulation.  This will be a period of approximately seven years during which God will pour out judgments of ever-increasing intensity upon the earth (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:4-28; Rev. 6-19).  The last half of the period is known as the Great Tribulation; it will witness distress and disasters of unprecedented severity (Matt. 24:15-31).
 

3. The Manifestation of Christ's Coming

    The third phase is the manifestation of Christ's coming, that is, His return to earth in power and great glory to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.  The Rapture will not be seen by the world; it will take place in a split second.  But every eye will see Christ when He comes to reign.  Therefore it is called the manifestation of His coming.  This is the third phase of His coming.     Other references to this third stage of Christ's coming are Zechariah 14:4; Malachi 4:1-3; Acts 1:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 14; Revelation 1:7; 19:11-16.
 
 

4. The Climax of Christ's Coming

    The final stage is the climax of Christ's coming, the destruction of the heavens and earth by fire.  It follows the thousand year reign of Christ on earth.  It is referred to in 2 Peter 3:4, 7-13:     In this chapter we read of scoffers who will arise in the last days, denying the probability of Christ's Return.  What aspect of His coming do they mean?
    Are they referring to the Rapture? No. They probably know nothing about the Rapture.  Are they referring to Christ's Coming to Reign? No. It is apparent that they are not.  The entire context indicates that what they are ridiculing is the final punishment of all evil doers by the Lord.  They mean a last climactic judgment of God on the earth, or what they call "the end of the world." Their argument is that they have nothing to worry about.  God hasn't intervened in history and He won't intervene in the future.  So they feel free to continue in their evil words and deeds.
    Peter answers their scoffing by pointing forward to the time, after the thousand-year reign of Christ, when the heavens and the earth as we now know them will be utterly destroyed.  This climax of Christ's coming will occur after the Millennium and at the inauguration of the Eternal State.
    "But," someone may ask, "How do you know that the first and third stages, the Rapture and Revelation, are separate events?" The answer is that they are differentiated in the Scriptures in the following ways:
 
 
The Rapture  The Revelation 
1. Christ comes to the air (1 Thess. 4:16, 17). 1. He comes to the earth (Zech. 14:4).
2. He comes for His saints (1 Thess. 4:16, 17). 2. He comes with His saints (1 Thess. 3:13; Jude 14).
3. The Rapture is a mystery, i.e., a truth unknown in Old Testament times (1 Cor. 15:51). 3. The Revelation is not a mystery; it is the subject of many Old Testament prophecies (Psa. 72; Isa. 11; Zech. 14). 
4. Christ's Coming for His saints is never said to be preceded by signs in the heavens  4. Christ's Coming with His saints will be heralded by signs in the heavens. (Matt. 24:29, 30). 
5. The Rapture is identified with the Day of Christ (1 Cor. 1:8; 2 Cor. 1:14; Phil. 1:6, 10). 5. The Revelation is identified with the Day of the Lord (2 Thess. 2:1-12, ASV). 
6. The Rapture is presented as a time of blessing ( 1 Thess. 4:18). 6. The main emphasis of the Revelation is on judgment (2 Thess. 2:8-12). 
7. The Rapture takes place in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:52). This strongly implies that it will not be witnessed by the world.  7. The Revelation will be visible worldwide (Matt. 24:27; Rev. 1:7). 
8. The Rapture seems to involve the Church primarily (John 14:1-4; 1 Cor. 15:51- 58; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). 8. The Revelation involves Israel primarily, then also the Gentile nations (Matt. 24:1-25:46). 
9. Christ comes as the Bright and Morning Star (Rev. 22:16). 9. Christ comes as the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings (Mal. 4:2).

LAW AND GRACE

Law and grace are two opposite ways in which God deals with the human race.  We can describe them as dissimilar principles under which He tests man.  Or we think of them as two covenants that He has made with His people: "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
    Under the principle of law, man receives what he earns or deserves.  Under grace he is spared from what he deserves and is enriched beyond description-all as a free gift.  The two principles are described in Romans 4:4, 5:     Grace and law are mutually exclusive; that is, they cannot be mixed......... If by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace" (Rom. 11:6).
    Law is a conditional covenant: God says, "If you obey, I will reward you, but if you disobey, I must punish you." Grace is an unconditional covenant: God says, "I will bless you freely."
    The law says Do, whereas grace says Believe.  But believing is not a condition; it is the only reasonable response of a creature to his Creator.  And it is not meritorious; no one can be proud that he has believed on the Lord.  He would be foolish not to believe on the only dependable Person in the universe.

    Under law holiness is required but no power is given to live a holy life.  Under grace holiness is taught (Tit. 2:11, 12) and the necessary power is given.  Someone has put it this way: "The Law demands strength from one who has none and curses him if he can't display it.  Grace gives strength to one who has none and blesses him in the exhibition of it."

    The Law brings a curse: "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Gal. 3: 10).  Grace brings a blessing: " Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).

    Under law boasting is encouraged, but under grace it is  ruled out.  "Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded.  On what principle? On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith" (Rom. 3:27 RSV).

    There cannot be any assurance of salvation under law: a man could never know whether he had performed enough good works or the right kind of good works.  Under grace there is full assurance because salvation is a gift; you know when you have received a gift!

    A person under law could not have true security because he could not be sure he would continue to meet the requirements.  Under grace the believer enjoys eternal security (John 10:27-29) because his salvation depends on the work of Christ.

    There is no salvation by the law.  God never intended that anyone would ever be saved on that principle.  The purpose of the Law is to show man that he is a sinner.  " By the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20) -not the knowledge of salvation.

    Salvation is by grace (Eph. 2:8,9).  It is the free, undeserved gift of God to those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their only hope for heaven.

    Under law sin is aroused (Rom. 7:8-13); under grace it is despised.  When sinful man is put under law he immediately wants to do what is forbidden.  It is not the law's fault, but the response of sin in man's nature.  Under grace, sin is despised. The memory of what our sins cost the Savior makes us turn away from them.

    Under law the work is never finished. That is why  the Sabbath, the seventh day, came at the end of a week of toil.  Grace tells us of a finished work, so we begin our week with the Lord's Day, our day of rest.
    The Law tells what man must do.  Grace reveals what God has done in Christ.
    The Law is a system of bondage (Gal. 4:1-3); grace is a system of liberty (Gal. 5:1). Men under law are servants; men under grace are sons.
    The Law says,  "Thou shalt love."  Grace says, "God so loved..."
    The Law says, "Do and thou shalt live." Grace says, "Live and thou shalt do."
    The Law says, "Try and obey." Grace says, "Trust and obey."
    Under law a wayward son was taken outside the city and stoned to death (Deut. 21:18-2 1).  Under grace the prodigal son can confess his sin and come back into the fellowship of his
father's house again (Luke 15:21-24).
    Under law the sheep die for the shepherd.  Under grace the shepherd dies for the sheep (John 10:11).
    The superiority of grace has been described as follows: grace is not looking for good men whom it may approve, for it is not grace but justice to approve goodness; but it is looking for condemned, guilty, speechless, and helpless men whom it may save, sanctify, and glorify.


 

 THREE TENSES OF SALVATION

When we first become Christians most of us can think of only one type of salvation, the salvation of our souls.  In our Bible study we automatically try to fit this meaning into every occurrence of the word.  But soon we find that it will not always fit.
    Then we come to realize that salvation is a very general word meaning deliverance, safety, or soundness.  In Philippians 1: 19, for example, Paul uses it concerning his expected release from prison:     In Philippians 2:12 salvation means something quite different; it means the solution of a problem that had broken out in the church at Philippi.  A serious case of disunity had arisen (Phil. 2:1-4; 4:2).  Paul reminds the Christians that the answer to the problem was for them all to have the humble, self-sacrificing mind of the Lord Jesus.  Then in verse 12 he says:     In other words, "I have told you the way of deliverance from the problem that vexes you.  Now work out the solution with fear and trembling.
    In three passages salvation is used to describe deliverance from drowning:     But the uses of the words "salvation" or "saved" in which we are principally interested are those which have to do with deliverance from sin.  This is the most common meaning in the New Testament.
    Here we must learn to distinguish the three tenses of salvation-past, present, and future:

Past Tense

    Here are some verses which speak primarily of salvation from the penalty of sin: Note: In these three examples the word "saved" is in the past tense.  However, there are other verses which speak of our deliverance from the penalty of sin where the verb is not in the past tense.     So you must decide by the contents of the verse rather than by the tense of the verb whether the past tense of salvation is meant.  If the subject is the once-for-all deliverance from the condemnation of sin, then you know it is the past tense of salvation.
 

Present Tense

    Although it is true that I have been saved, it is equally true that I am being saved day by day.  I have been saved from damnation; I am being saved from damage.  I have been saved from the penalty of sin; I am being saved from the power of sin.  I have been saved through the finished work of Christ on the Cross; I am being saved through His life and ministry for me at the right hand of God.  That is what is meant, for example, in Romans 5:10:     The present tense of salvation is much the same as sanctification-the process of being separated to God from sin and defilement.  It is this salvation as a continuing process that we read about in Hebrews 7:25:

Future Tense

    Finally, there is the future aspect of salvation.  When we meet the Savior face-to-face we shall be saved from sin's presence.  Our bodies will be redeemed and glorified.  The following verses describe the glorious-future consummation of our salvation.

All Three Tenses

    If you have difficulty fitting a verse into one of these classes, remember that it might be applicable to all three tenses.  Here are a couple of examples:     So in cases like these you don't have to choose, because they apply with equal force to all three phases of salvation.

JUDICIAL AND PARENTAL FORGIVENESS

Two different kinds of forgiveness are found in the Scriptures, and if we are going to be careful students of the Word, we must learn to distinguish them.  We will call them judicial and parental forgiveness (though these names themselves are not used in the Bible).
    To put it very simply, judicial forgiveness is the forgiveness of a judge and parental forgiveness is the forgiveness of a father.  The first term is taken from the courtroom and the second from the home.
     First let us go to the courtroom.  God is the Judge and sinful man is the person on trial.  Man is guilty of sinning, and the penalty is eternal death.  But the Lord Jesus appears and announces, "I will pay the penalty which man's sins deserved; I will die as a Substitute for him!" This is what the Savior did on the Cross of Calvary.  Now the Judge announces to sinful man, -if you will surrender to my Son as your Lord and Savior, I will forgive you." As soon as the man puts his faith in the Savior, he receives judicial forgiveness of all his sins.  He will never have to pay the punishment for them in hell, because Christ has. paid it all.  The forgiven sinner now enters into a new relationship: God is no longer his Judge; now He is his Father.
    So now we move into the home for an illustration of parental forgiveness.  God is the Father and the believer is the child.  In an unguarded moment, the child commits an act of sin.  Then what happens? Does God sentence the child to die for the sin? Of course not, because God is no longer the Judge, but the Father! What does happen? Well, fellowship in the family is broken.  The happy family spirit is gone.  The child has not lost his salvation, but he has lost the joy of his salvation.  Soon he may experience the discipline of his Father, designed to bring him back into fellowship.  As soon as the child confesses his sin, he receives parental forgiveness.
    Judicial forgiveness takes place once-for-all at the time of conversion; parental forgiveness takes place every time a believer confesses and forsakes his sin.  This is what Jesus taught in John 13:8-10: we need the bath of regeneration only once to deliver us from the penalty of sins, but we need many cleansings throughout our Christian lives to give us parental forgiveness.
    The difference between the two types of forgiveness may be summarized graphically as follows:
 
 
Judicial Parental 
The Person's Status Sinner 
(Romans 3:23)		 Child 
(1 John 3:2) 
Relationship of God Judge 
(Psa. 96:13)		 Father 
(Gal. 4:6) 
Result of sin Eternal death 
(Rom. 6:23)		 Broken fellowship 
(1 John 1:6)
Role of Christ Savior 
(1 Tim. 1:15) 		 High Priest and Advocate 
(Heb. 4:14-16;  1 John 2:1) 
The Person's Need Salvation 
(Acts 16.30)		 Joy of salvation 
(Psa. 51:12) 
Means of Forgiveness Faith 
(Acts 16:31)		 Confession 
(1 John 1:9) 
Kind of Forgiveness Judicial 
(Rom. 8:1)		 Parental 
(Luke 15:21,22)
Consequence Averted Hell 
(John 5:24)		 Chastening 
(1 Cor. 11:31, 32) 
Loss of reward at the Judgment Seat Of Christ 
(1 Cor. 3:15) 
Positive Result New relation-ship 
(John 1 :12)		  Renewed fellow-ship 
 (Psa. 32:5) 
Frequency Once (One bath of regeneration) 
 (John 13;10)		 Many times (many cleansings) 
(John 13:8)

 

From now on, when we come to verses that speak about the once-for-all forgiveness that is granted to us as sinners through the work of Christ, we will know  that the subject is judicial forgiveness.  The following illustrate this:

    However, there are other passages of Scripture that deal with parental forgiveness:     Notice that in two of these verses God is specifically mentioned as Father: it is the Father's forgiveness that is involved.  Notice also that our being forgiven depends on our willingness to forgive others.  That is not true of judicial forgiveness; willingness to forgive others is not a condition of salvation.  But it is true of parental forgiveness; our Father will not forgive us if we don't forgive one another.
    In Matthew 18:23-35 The Lord Jesus told the story of a slave who had been forgiven 10,000 talents by the king.  But that same slave wouldn't forgive one of his fellow-slaves 100 pence.  The king was therefore angry with him and delivered him to the jailers till he paid all his debt.  The Lord Jesus concluded the parable by saying, "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." Here again it is a matter of the Father's forgiveness.  It is sin to have an unforgiving spirit, and God cannot forgive us parentally until we confess that sin and forsake it.
    One of the thrills of Bible study is to see these basic distinctions and to be able to apply them in our daily reading.  From now on when you come to the subject of forgiveness in the Word you should be able to say, "Oh, yes, that refers to judicial forgiveness" or else "that must refer to the Father's forgiveness of His child."

KINDS OF SANCTIFICATION

The word "sanctify" means "to set apart".  There is a whole family of words-sanctify, sanctification, saint, holy, holiness, consecrate, consecration-that all have the same root meaning.  Very often sanctification means the process of separating from common or unclean uses to divine service.  But not always. If you just remember that to sanctify means to set apart, you will have a definition that fits all cases.
    In the Old Testament God sanctified the seventh day (Gen. 2:3).  The firstborn of both men and animals were sanctified to the Lord (Exod. 13:2).  The priests were told to consecrate themselves to the Lord (Exod. 19:22).  The Tabernacle and all its furniture were sanctified (Exod. 40:9).
    In the New Testament sanctification is used primarily in regard to people.  However, The Lord Jesus said that the Temple sanctifies the gold on it, and that the altar sanctifies the gift on it (Matt. 23:17, 19).  Paul taught that when we give thanks for our food, it is consecrated by the Word of God and prayer (1 Tim. 4:5).
    With regard to the sanctification of persons, God consecrated Christ and sent Him into the world (John 10:36); that is, the Father set apart His Son for the work of saving us from our sins.  The Lord Jesus consecrated Himself (John 17:19); in other words, He set Himself apart in order to intercede for His people.
    There is even a sense in which certain unbelievers are sanctified.  "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband" (1 Cor. 7:14).  This means that the unbelieving partner is set apart in a position of privilege by having a Christian spouse praying for his salvation.
    And there is a sense in which Christ should be sanctified by all believers.  "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts . (1 Pet. 3:15).  We sanctify Him by setting Him apart as undisputed Sovereign in our lives.
    In addition to the above, however, there are four other important kinds of sanctification which we should distinguish in our study of the New Testament.  These are called pre-conversion sanctification, positional sanctification, progressive sanctification, and perfect sanctification.
 
 

Pre-Conversion Sanctification

    Long before a person is born again, the Holy Spirit has been working in his life, setting him apart from the world to belong to Christ.  Paul realized that he had been set apart before he was born (Gal. 1:15).  In 2 Thessalonians 2:13, the Apostle reminds the Thessalonians that there were three steps in their salvation:     Notice that this sanctification was before they believed and were saved.
In 1 Peter 1:2, the order of events connected with salvation is linked as follows:     In eternity God chose us to belong to Himself.  In time the Holy Spirit set us apart for the Lord.  Then we obeyed the gospel.  As soon as we did, all the value of the shed blood of Christ was credited to our account.  But the point to notice here is that the sanctification Peter speaks of is a kind that takes place before a person is born again.
 

Positional Sanctification

    The moment a person is born again he becomes positionally sanctified.  This means that as far as his standing before God is concerned, he is perfectly set apart to God from the world because he is "in Christ." In a very real sense Christ is his sanctification (1 Cor. 1:30).
    Every true believer is a saint; he has been separated to the Lord.  This is his position.  Thus in 1 Corinthians 1:2 all the Christians in the local church in Corinth are described as sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.  " They weren't always very saintly.  They tolerated sin in the fellowship (1 Cor. 5:1, 2).  They went to law against one another (1 Cor. 6:1).  They had teachers who denied the Resurrection (1 Cor. 15:33, 34).  But it was still true of them that as far as their position was concerned, they were saints-sanctified in Christ Jesus.
    Now let us look at some of the passages that deal with positional sanctification.  In Acts 20:32, the expression "all them which are sanctified" means all believers.  In Acts 26:18 the Lord described His people as those "which are sanctified by faith that is in me." The Corinthians are described as having been "washed ... sanctified ... justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6: 11).  And the writer to the Hebrews reminds us that "we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb. 10:10).  "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (Heb. 10:14).
    Positional sanctification is also indicated at times by the use of the word "holy." Thus in Colossians 3:12, when Paul addresses the Christians as "holy," he is referring to their standing before God.
 
 

Progressive Sanctification

    While there are many Scriptures which say that all Christians are sanctified, there are many others which say that they should be sanctified.  If we fail to distinguish the kinds of sanctification, we can find this very confusing.
    Progressive or practical sanctification refers to what we should be in our everyday lives. We should be living lives of separation to God from sin and evil.  Saints should be becoming more saintly all the time.
    It was this aspect of sanctification that the Lord Jesus referred to in John 17:17 when He prayed for His own, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."
    The believer's cooperation is involved in this (2 Tim. 2:21).  Wherever you find exhortations concerning sanctification or holiness you can be sure that the subject is practical sanctification.  Thus Paul urged the Corinthians, " - . . let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1).  And in the same vein Peter wrote, ". . . as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation" (1 Pet. 1:15).
    One particular form of practical sanctification concerns separation from immorality.  "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour" (1 Thess. 4:3, 4).
    How does a Christian become more holy, more like the Lord Jesus? The answer is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18: "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Practical holiness comes from being occupied with the Lord.  It is a principle in life that we become like what we worship.  The more we behold Christ, the more we become like Him.  The Holy Spirit works this marvelous transformation-not all at once, but from one degree of glory to another!
 
 

Perfect Sanctification

    This aspect of sanctification is still future for the believer.  When he sees the Savior face-to-face he will be forever set apart from all sin and defilement.  He will be morally like the Lord Jesus-perfectly sanctified.
    This is what we read about in Colossians 1:22: "In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight."
    In that day the Church will have its ultimate sanctification: "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:27).
    Other passages describe our perfect sanctification without mentioning the word. John, for instance, says,". . . we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).  And Jude reminds us that our Lord will present us "faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24).
    Now it will be extremely helpful in your study of the Bible to distinguish these various aspects of sanctification.  Whenever you find words that deal with holiness, ask yourself, "Is this what happened before conversion? Is this what I am in Christ? Is this what I should be day by day? Or is this what I will be when I am ushered into the glorious presence of the Lord Jesus Christ?"

ASPECTS OF JUSTIFICATION

The New Testament teaches that we are justified by grace, by faith, by blood, by power, and by works.  This is apt to prove confusing, if not contradictory, unless we realize that in each case a different aspect of the same subject is being presented.
    First of all, what does justification mean? To justify means to reckon righteous.  It does not mean to make righteous, but to declare to be righteous.  Actually it is a legal term; it comes from the courtroom.
    We are not righteous in ourselves.  We have no righteousness.  But when we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God reckons us to be righteous on the basis of Christ's substitutionary work.  When we are "in Christ," God can righteously declare us to be righteous because full satisfaction has been made at Calvary for all our sins.  The believing sinner is clothed in all the righteousness of God.  "For he (God) hath made him (Christ) to be sin for us, (He) who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor. 5:21).
    As we mentioned at the outset, justification is said to be by grace, by faith, by blood, by power, and by works.  How can it be by all these five ways?
    First, justification is by grace.  In Romans 3:24 we read, "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." This means that man does not deserve to be justified.  He cannot merit it or earn it; he must receive it as a gift.  Grace is the term upon which God gives justification to man-completely undeserved and unbought-freely, as a gift.
    Second, justification is by faith, "Therefore, being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1).  This means that the sinner must receive justification by a definite act of trust in the Savior.  Confessing himself to be worthy only of hell, he must accept the Lord Jesus as the One who paid the penalty of his sins on the Cross.
    Grace is God stooping down to guilty man and offering justification as a free gift on the basis of Christ's redemptive work at Calvary.  Faith is repentant man reaching up and receiving the gift from God without any thought of deserving it by his character or earning it by his works.
    Justification is also by blood.  "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Rom. 5:9).  This, of course, refers to the price which had to be paid in order that I might be justified.  The sinless Savior shed His precious blood to settle the debt that my sins had accumulated.  The enormous value of my justification is seen in the staggering price that was paid to secure it.
    While there is no Scripture that says in so many words that we are justified by power, the truth is contained in Romans 4:25: "(He) was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." Here our justification is directly connected with the Resurrection of Christ.  And rightly so! If He had not risen our faith would be futile, and we would still be in our sins (1 Cor. 15:17).  So our justification is inseparably linked with the power that raised our Lord Jesus from the dead.  That is why we say that we are justified by power.
    Finally, we are justified by works.  " Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:24).  Here is where a distinct contradiction seems to appear.  The Apostle Paul teaches unmistakably that we are justified by faith alone.  But James seems to say here, "Not so.  We are justified by faith and by works." However, that is not what James is saying.  He does not teach that justification is obtained initially by doing good works.  Neither does he say that we are justified by faith plus works.  What he is saying is that we are justified by the kind of faith that results in a life of good works.
    It is futile for a man to say he has faith if he doesn't have works to back it up.  That kind of faith-that is, a faith of words only, is worthless (James 2:14-17).  True faith is invisible but can be demonstrated by works (James 2:18).  Abraham was justified by believing the Lord (Gen. 15:6), but years later he showed that his faith was genuine by being willing to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering (Gen. 22:9-14).  Rahab proved the reality of her faith by harboring the Israeli spies and helping them escape (James 2:25).  So when we speak of justification by works we mean that works are the outward manifestation that we have truly been justified by faith.  Works are not the cause; they are the effect.  They are not the root; they are the fruit.
    Putting these all together, we find that the New Testament teaches that we are justified by:     All these aspects of justification have been expressed poetically as follows:
 

POSITION AND PRACTICE

There is no key more helpful in unlocking the New Testament than an understanding of the difference between the believer's position and his practice.  If you do not see this distinction, there will be times when passages will be positively confusing and even seemingly contradictory.
    Position and practice are sometimes spoken of as standing and state; the meaning is the same.  In brief, a Christian's position is his standing in Christ-what he is in Christ.  His practice is what he is in himself-or better, what he should be.  The first has to do with doctrine, the second with duty.
    There is a difference between what a believer is in Christ and what he is in himself Grace has given the man in Christ an absolutely perfect standing before God.  He is accepted in the Beloved One (Eph. 1:6) and complete in Christ (Col. 2:10).  His sins have been forgiven and he is clothed in all the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21).  It is no presumption for him to say:     The believer's practice is something else again.  Unfortunately, it is far from perfect.  In most cases it varies from day to day.  Sometimes the believer is on the mountaintop spiritually.  At other times he may be in the valley of defeat.

    Now God's will is that our practice should increasingly correspond to our position. Out of love for the One who died for us, our everyday lives should be constantly growing in Christlikeness.  Of course, we will never reach a perfect state in this life; that will never happen until we die or until the Savior comes.  But the process should be going on; we should be becoming in practice more and more like what we are in position.

    When we see the Savior we will be automatically like Him (1 John 3:2).  This transformation will take place by divine power, without our cooperation.  But it brings more glory to God if His people are growing in the likeness of the Lord Jesus in this life.

    How can you tell whether a particular passage is speaking about our position or our practice? Well, watch for such phrases as "in Christ," "in the Beloved," or "in Him"; when you find such phrases, you can usually be sure that the writer is speaking about our position (see Eph. 1:3-14).  The best way to identify our practice is to notice when we find a verse that tells us what we ought to be or do.

    The invariable order in the New Testament is to find position first, then practice.  Several of the Epistles are structured on this order.  In Ephesians, for instance, the first three chapters describe what we are in Christ; the last three describe what we should be in daily living.  In the first three chapters we find ourselves in heavenly places in Christ; in the last three we are tackling the nitty-gritty problems of the home and the business world.

    Now let us see how helpful it is to be aware of this distinction as we study the New Testament.  Here are seven simple examples of the difference between position and practice.
 
 
 

Position

Practice

 
Example 1
For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified (Heb. 10:14).  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48). 

    The first verse says that all believers are perfect; the second says that all believers should be perfect.  This would sound like double-talk if we did not realize that the first speaks of our standing and the second of our state.
 
Example 2
How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? (Rom. 6:2).  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin (Rom. 6:11). 

    You are dead to sin-this is the position into which grace has put you.  Now be dead to sin day by day-this is what your practice should be.
 
 
Example 3 
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12).   Be ye therefore followers of  God, as dear children (Eph. 5:1). 

    As soon as a person is born again he becomes a child of God.  From then on he should be a follower of God as a beloved child.  All who are God's children are expected to bear the family likeness, that is, to be godly.
 
 
Example 4 
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Cor. 1:9).  I ... beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called (Eph. 4:1). 

    We have been called to a wonderful fellowship.  Privilege carries responsibility.  We should walk worthy of the calling.
 
 
Example 5 
To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints (Rom. 1:7).  . . . receive her in the Lord, as  becometh saints (Rom. 16:2). 

    Paul addresses the Christians in Rome as saints; they were "set apart" ones.  If they were saved, they were saints.  But saints should be saintly; this is the practical side of it, as brought out in Romans 16:2.
 
 
Example 6 
By grace are ye saved, through faith (Eph. 2:8). Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). 

    Our standing is a gift from God.  Our state is the way we should express our gratitude.  Notice that the standing always comes first, then the state.  We don't become Christians by living the Christian life.  Rather, we live the Christian life because we have become Christians.

Example 7

As a final example, we will take Colossians 3:1-5 and show how Paul alternates between position and practice.
 
 
If ye then be risen with Christ (v. 1:2)  seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God (v. lb). 
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God (v. 3).  Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth (v. 2). 
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth (v. 5a). 

    Paul is saying, in effect, "You are dead; now be dead." "You are risen; now live the resurrection life." What would otherwise be unintelligible becomes clear when we realize that the Apostle is speaking about what we are in Christ on one hand and what we should be in ourselves on the other.
    In closing let me illustrate how the distinction between standing and state helped me through a difficult period in my life.  After I was saved I used to hear people quote 2 Corinthians 5:17 when they gave their testimony:

    They would tell of the wonderful transformation that had taken place in their lives-how all the old things had passed away and all things had become new.  I would sit there and think, "I wish I could say that all the old things had passed away in my life, and that all things had become new." But it wasn't so.  I still had some of the old habits, some evil thoughts, displays of anger, and many other graveclothes from my pre-converted days.  At times I doubted my salvation.
    Then one day I noticed the phrase "in Christ," and my heart leaped with joy.  I realized that the verse was talking about my position-not my practice.  And of course "in Christ" it was all true.  In Him all the old things had indeed passed away-condemnation, the dominion of Satan, the fear of death, etc.  In Him everything was new-forgiveness, acceptance, justification, sanctification, and a host of other blessings.  From that time on the verse has held no terror for me. I love it.  And the knowledge of what I am in Christ makes me want to live for Him as the Lord of my life.
 

Question: Both standing and state are found in 1 Corinthians 5:7 and 1 Peter 2:9.  Can you identify them?


 

RELATIONSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP

This study is somewhat similar to the one on position and practice.  But the difference is important enough to devote a separate chapter to it.
    When a person is born again a new relationship is formed; he becomes a child of God.     Now there is something very final about a birth.  Did you ever think about that? Once a birth has taken place it lasts forever.  You cannot go back and undo it.  A relationship is formed that cannot be altered.  Let us say, for example, that a son has just been born to the Joneses.  No matter what happens, the child will always be a son of Mr. and Mrs. Jones, and they will always be his parents.  In later life he may dishonor his family and cause them deepest grief but the relationship still stands-Mr.  Jones is still his father, and he is still the Joneses' son.
    Now apply this to the believer.  Through the new birth a relationship is formed with God the Father.     It is a relationship that cannot be broken.  Once a son, always a son.
    But there is another side to the truth, and that side is fellowship.  Fellowship means sharing in common.  If relationship is union, then fellowship is communion.  And if relationship is a chain that cannot be broken, fellowship is a slender thread that is very easily broken.
    Sin breaks fellowship with God.  Two cannot walk together unless they are agreed (Amos 3 . :3), and God cannot walk in fellowship with His children when they sin.  "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5).  He cannot enjoy communion with those who are hiding evil in their lives.
    Fellowship remains broken as long as sin is unconfessed and unforsaken.  And broken fellowship is very serious.  For example, a decision could be made when a believer is out of touch with the Lord that could put a blight on the rest of his life.  How many backslidden Christians have chosen an unbelieving mate and ruined their lives as far as usefulness for God is concerned! Their souls have been saved but their lives have been lost.
    Broken fellowship brings the chastening of God.  While a believer is free from the eternal punishment of sins, he is not free from the consequences of sin in his life.  Why were some of the Corinthian saints sick? Because they were going to the communion table without first confessing their sins and straightening out (1 Cor. 11:29-32).  Some of them had even died.  They had been made fit for heaven through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, but they were unfit for further life and testimony here on earth.
    Broken fellowship will result in loss of reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:15).  All time spent out of fellowship with God is time wasted forever.
    So while we rejoice in the truth that our relationship with God is unbreakable, we should greatly fear anything that breaks fellowship with our Father.  Actually the knowledge that grace has brought us into such a wonderful relationship should be the strongest motive for maintaining continuous communion with the Lord.  Grace does not encourage sin; it is the most powerful deterrent to it.
    In the Old Testament, David is a classic example of a saint whose fellowship with God was broken by sin.  We read of his confession and restoration to the Lord in Psalms 32 and 51.
    In the New Testament, the prodigal son may be taken as an illustration of a returning backslider (Luke 15:11-24) (though the story is usually interpreted as the conversion of a sinner).  Fellowship was broken through the son's waywardness and rebellion.  But he was still a son, even in the far country.  As soon as he returned and began to blurt out his confession, fellowship was restored.  The father ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
    In 1 John 2:1 we read, "My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin, but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (RSV).  This is written to children, to those who have been born into the family of God.  God's ideal is that His children should not sin.  But we do sin, and God has made provision: " . . . if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father." Notice this-"we have an advocate with the Father." He is still our Father, even when we sin.  How can that be? Because relationship is a tie that can never be broken.  What happens when we sin? "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." He immediately goes to work in our lives, bringing us to the place where we are willing to confess and forsake our sins, thus enjoying the Father's fellowship once more.
    When I see the difference between relationship and fellowship it helps me understand these Scriptures.  It also makes me appreciate the eternal security I have in Christ and motivates me to live in fellowship with my Father who loves me so.

THE DAY OF THE LORD,

THE DAY OF CHRIST,

THE DAY OF GOD

By now we should have developed some appreciation of the importance of making proper distinctions as we study the Sacred Scriptures.  When we come to the study of future events, we will have a headstart in understanding them if we are able to distinguish the Day of the Lord, the Day of Christ, and the Day of God.
 
 

The Day of the Lord

    It is certainly not a day of twenty-four hours, but a period of time with certain characteristics.
    In the Old Testament "the Day of the Lord" was used to describe any time of judgment, desolation, and darkness (Isa. 2:12; Joel 2:1, 2).  It was a time when God marched forth against the enemies of Israel and punished them decisively (Zeph. 3:8-12; Joel 3:14-16; Obad. 15, 16; Zech. 12:8, 9).  It was also any occasion on which God punished His own people for their idolatry and backsliding (Joel 1:15-20; Amos 5:18; Zeph. 1:7-18).  The Day of the Lord spoke basically of judgment on sin and of victory for the cause of the Lord (Joel 2:3 1, 32).
    In the New Testament, the Day of the Lord covers approximately the same period as "the times and the seasons" (Acts 1:7; 1 Thess. 5:1).  It begins after the Rapture and includes
  1. The Tribulation or, as it is also called, the time of Jacob's trouble (Dan. 9:27; Jer. 30:7; Matt. 24:4-28; 1 Thess. 5: 1-11; 2 Thess. 2:2 ASV; Rev. 6:1-19:16).  This is the first phase of the Day of the Lord.  It will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.  It will also come deceptively, suddenly, destructively, inevitably, and inescapably.  It is a period of approximately seven years during which God will pour out His judgments on apostate Judaism, apostate Christendom, and the Gentile nations.  These judgments of ever-increasing intensity are pictured in Revelation under the symbols of seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls.  The last half of the Tribulation is known as the Great Tribulation; it will be the worst time of trouble that the world has ever experienced or will ever experience.
  2. The Coming of Christ with His saints (Mal. 4:1-3; 2 Thess. 1:7-9).  At the end of the Tribulation Period the Lord Jesus will return to earth with His mighty angels "in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel." He will destroy all His enemies before He sets up His kingdom on earth.
  3. The thousand-year reign of Christ.  This is included in the day of the Lord (Joel 3:18, cp. v. 14; Zech. 14:8, 9, cp. v. 1).  It will be a time of instant judgment for anyone who rises in rebellion against the Lord (Isa. 65:17-25).  The King will rule with a rod of iron (Rev. 19:15).
  4. The final destruction of the heavens and earth by fire (2 Pet. 3:7, 10).  At the conclusion of Christ's millennial reign, the heavens and the earth will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat.  This is the final phase of the Day of the Lord.

The Day of Christ

    Whereas the Day of the Lord is a time of judgment on a world that has rejected God's Son, the Day of Christ is a time of blessing for those who have trusted Him and who are thus members of His Church.  There are two main features of the Day of Christ.
  1. The Rapture of the saints (1 Cor. 5:5; Phil. 1:6, 10).  The dead in Christ will be raised.  Living believers will be changed.  Together they will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and to return with Him to the Father's house in heaven.
  2. The Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Cor. 1:8; 2 Cor. 1:14; Phil. 2:16).  Believers will appear before the Bema-the judgment seat-for review and reward.  It will not be a question of their salvation but of their service.  Rewards will be given for all that meets Christ's approval.  Those who have wasted their lives will suffer loss, but they themselves will be saved, though "as by fire" (1 Cor. 3:15).
    Through an unfortunate translation in the King James Version, "the Day of Christ" appears in 2 Thessalonians 2:2, whereas it should be "the Day of the Lord." Because of the intense trial which they were experiencing, the Thessalonian believers thought the judgments of the Day of the Lord had already begun.  Paul assures them that two events will precede the inauguration of the Day of the Lord-a worldwide falling away from the faith, and the revelation of the Man of Sin-the Antichrist.
    The Thessalonians would have had no reason to fear the coming of the Day of Christ.  For them that would have meant deliverance from trial forever.
 

The Day of God

    The Day of God is not to be confused with the Day of the Lord or the Day of Christ.  It is the day of God's final triumph.  It will take place after all evil has been forever put down, and after the heavens and the earth have been destroyed by fire (2 Pet. 3:12).  For all practical purposes, the Day of God is the same as the eternal state.

ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH

    We should probably enlarge this title to read The Gentile nations, Israel, and the Church.  The reason we say this is that the New Testament divides all mankind into these three categories.  For example, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:32, "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God."
    In Acts 15:14-17 these three sections of humanity are mentioned again:

The Church

Israel

The Gentile Nations

    The Apostle Paul also distinguished between     Generally speaking, Bible students do not confuse the Gentiles with either Israel or the Church; that has not been a problem.  So in this lesson we will confine ourselves to the distinction between Israel and the Church.  This is of great importance.  Unless we see that these two groups are separate and distinct, it will seriously affect our interpretation of the Bible, especially in the areas of Church truth and prophecy.
    In order to show why the subject is important, we should mention that some people teach that the Church is merely an extension or an outgrowth of Israel.  They say, "God has had a continuing Church down through the centuries.  Israel was the Church in the Old Testament, but when that people rejected the Messiah, God rejected them forever.  There is no future for Israel nationally.  The New Testament Church has now become the Israel of God, and all the promises made to Israel nationally now have a spiritual fulfillment for the Church."

    We believe that the Scriptures teach otherwise-that Israel and the Church are different in origin, character, responsibility, and destiny.
    When Israel rejected the Lord Jesus as her Messiah, God set the nation aside for a time.  Then He introduced something entirely new-the Church.  When His program with the Church is finished on earth, He will resume His dealings with Israel nationally.  So the Church has been brought in as a sort of parenthesis during the interruption of God's relations with Israel, His ancient people.
    The distinction between the Church and Israel may best be seen by the following set of contrasts.
 
 

The Church 

Israel 
1. Paul speaks of the Church as a mystery "which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Eph. 3:5).  He says that this mystery was hidden in God from the beginning of the world (Eph. 3:9) and kept secret since the world began, but that it is now made manifest by the prophetic Scriptures (Rom. 16:25, 26).  (See also Col. 1:25, 26.)  1. Israel is never spoken of as a mystery.  None of the descriptions in the opposite column are true of Israel. 
2. The Church began at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given (Acts 2).  We deduce this from the following series of facts. 

a. The Church was still future when Christ was on earth, because He said, "I will build my church" (Matt. 16:18). 
b. When Paul wrote his First Letter to the Corinthians, the Church had by then come into being.  He speaks of the believers having been baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13 NASB). 
c. We know that the promised baptism of the Spirit took place at  Pentecost.  Therefore, that was the birthday of the Church. 

 2. The nation of Israel began with the call of Abraham (Gen. 12). 
3. Christ is the Head of the Church. 3. Abraham was the head of Israel. 
4. Membership in the Church is by spiritual birth.  4. Membership in the nation was by natural birth. 
5. The Church is God's heavenly people.  The blessings of the Church are spiritual blessings in heavenly places. 

The citizenship of Christians is heavenly. 

The hope of the Church is to be with Christ in heaven. 

 5. Israel was God's chosen earthly people.  The blessings of Israel were primarily, though not exclusively, material blessings in earthly places. 
The citizenship of Israelites was earthly. 
The primary hope held before Israel was the earthly reign of Messiah in the land. (This does not deny that believing Israelites went to heaven when they died, or that they had the hope of heaven.  But that was not the emphasis that was set before them.) 
6. In the Church, believing Jews and believing Gentiles become one in Christ.  They become; fellow-heirs, fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ by the gospel.  In Christ, the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile is broken down, and both are made one (Eph. 2:13-17; Eph. 3:6).  6. None of this is true of Israel.  As far as Israel is concerned, Gentiles are "without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world" (Eph. 2:12). 
7. In the Church, all believers are priests-holy priests and royal priests.  As such they have access to the presence of God by faith at any time (1 Pet. 2:1-9; Heb. 10:19-22).  7. In Israel, the priests were chosen from the tribe of Levi and the family of Aaron.  Only the high priest could enter the presence of God, and only on one day of the year (Heb. 7:5, 11;  9:7). 
8. The Church will be taken home to heaven at the Rapture, then will return with Christ and reign with Him over the earth during the Millennium.  8. Redeemed Israel will be the earthly subjects of Christ when He reigns. 

    Many more contrasts between the Church and Israel could be listed.  In his Systematic Theology, Chafer enumerates twenty-four unmistakable distinctions.  But the ones we have given should be sufficient to show that the Church occupies a unique place in the plans and purposes of God, and that it must not be confused with Israel.
    One of the Scripture passages in which Israel and the Church are regularly confused is the Olivet Discourse, found in Matthew 23:37-25:46.  This passage concerns Israel-not the Church.  It describes conditions prior to and including the return of Christ to reign as King.  Notice that it says in 24:16, "Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains--the locale is clearly Jewish.  And in verse 20 we read, "But pray ye that your flight be not . . . on the Sabbath day." The Sabbath was never given to the Church-only to Israel.  The elect mentioned in verse 22 are God's Jewish elect.  The coming of Christ described in verse 30 is not His coming into the air for the Church, but His coming to the earth as Israel's King.
    So the Bible student should discern whether a passage is referring to Israel or the Church.  If he is reading about the Day of the Lord, he can be sure that the passage refers primarily to Israel.  If, on the other hand, he comes to references to the Day of Christ, he can be sure the Church is in view.  Thus the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11 has to do with Israel, because that is part of the Day of the Lord.  But the "last trump" of 1 Corinthians 15:52 relates to the Church, because the subject is the Rapture, and the Rapture is connected with the Day of Christ.
    In closing, we must consider two of the arguments most commonly used to attempt to prove that the Church is not distinct from Israel.

  1. In Acts 7:38 Israel is called "the church. in the wilderness." But we must realize that the word "church" simply means an assembly or company of people.  The same word is used to describe a heathen mob in Ephesus (Acts 19:32).  The New Testament Church is identified as being related to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
  2. In Galatians 6:16 Paul says, " As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God." The expression "the Israel of God" is used to assert that all believers today constitute "the Israel of God." But we believe this is a misunderstanding.  When Paul says, "Peace be on them" he is referring to all believers.  But in the words "the Israel of God" Paul singles out those believers of Jewish birth who walk according to the rule of the new creation (v. 15) and not according to the rule of the Law.

THE CHURCH AND THE KINGDOM

It will probably come as a surprise to many readers to learn that the Church is not the same as the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven.  In Christendom at large the Church and the kingdom are usually taken as synonymous.  But failure to distinguish them leads to serious problems in both doctrine and practice.
    In the last chapter we discussed the Church at some length and therefore it is not necessary to go over that material again.  It is enough to remind ourselves that the Church is a unique society, unlike any other in God's dealings with mankind.  Christ is the Head and all believers are members.  Distinctions of race. social status, and sex are abolished in Christ; all become one in Him.  The Church began at Pentecost and will be completed at the Rapture.  It is spoken of as the body and bride of Christ, and is destined to reign with Him in His Kingdom and to share His glory eternally.
    But what about the kingdom of heaven?
    The kingdom of heaven is the sphere in which God's rule is acknowledged.  The word heaven is used figuratively to denote God; this is clearly shown in Daniel 4:25, 26.  In verse 25, Daniel said that the Most High rules the kingdom of men.  In the very next verse he says that heaven rules.  Thus the kingdom of heaven announces the rule of God, which exists wherever men submit to that rule.
    There are two aspects of the kingdom of heaven.  The broadest aspect includes everyone who merely professes to acknowledge God as the Supreme Ruler.  But its inner aspect includes only people who have been genuinely converted.  We may picture this by two concentric circles, a small one inside a large one.


    The large circle is the sphere of profession; it includes the true and the false, the wheat and the tares.  The inner circle includes only those who have been born again through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
    By a comparison of all the Biblical references to the kingdom, we can trace its historical development in five distinct phases.
    First of all, the kingdom was prophesied in the Old Testament.  Daniel predicted that God would set up a kingdom that would never be destroyed and that would never yield its sovereignty to another people (Dan. 2:44).  He also foresaw the coming of Christ and His universal and everlasting dominion (Dan. 7:13, 14; see also Jer. 23:5, 6).
    Second, the kingdom was described as being at hand and present in the Person of the King.  First, John the Baptist, then The Lord Jesus, then the disciples announced that the kingdom was at hand (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 10:7).  The King had arrived to present Himself to the nation of Israel.  The Lord Jesus said..........     if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Matt. 12:28 NASB).  On another occasion He said..........  the kingdom of God is in the midst of you" (Luke 17:21 RSV).  It was present because the King had arrived on the scene. (While the last two references deal with the kingdom of God rather than the kingdom of heaven, we shall show later that the two terms are used interchangeably in the New Testament.)
    Third, the kingdom is described in an interim form.  After He was rejected by the nation of Israel, the King returned to heaven.  The kingdom exists today in the hearts of all who acknowledge His kingship while the King is absent, and the moral and ethical principles of the kingdom are applicable to us today.  This interim phase of the kingdom is described in the parables of Matthew 13.
    The fourth phase of the kingdom is its manifestation.  This is the literal, thousand-year reign of Christ on earth.  It was foreshadowed on the Mount of Transfiguration, when the Lord was seen in the glory of His coming reign (Matt. 16:28).  The Lord Jesus referred to this kingdom when He said, "Many shall come from the east and west and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 8:11).
    The fifth and final form will be the everlasting kingdom.  It is described in 2 Peter 1:11 as "the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
    The phrase "kingdom of heaven" is found only in Matthew's Gospel.  The term "kingdom of God" is found in all four Gospels.  For all practical purposes there is no difference; the same things are said about both.  For example, in Matthew 19:23 The Lord Jesus said it would be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  In Mark 10:23 and Luke 18:24 The Lord Jesus is quoted as saying the same thing with regard to the kingdom of God.  Then Matthew also quotes The Lord Jesus as saying virtually the same thing with regard to the kingdom of God (compare Matt. 19:23, 24).
    Other passages in which the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are used interchangeably are:
 

    We mentioned that the kingdom of heaven has an outward aspect and an inner reality.  The same is true of the kingdom of God.  This may be demonstrated as follows:
 
 
Kingdom of Heaven  Kingdom of God 
In its outward aspect it includes all who are genuine subjects of the King, and also those who merely profess allegiance to Him.  This is seen in the parable of the sower (Matt. 13:3-11), the parable of the grain of mustard seed (Matt. 13:31, 32), and the parable of the leaven (Matt. 13:33).  It too includes the real and the false.  This is seen in the parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-10), the parable of the grain of mustard seed (Luke 13:18, 19), and the parable of the leaven (Luke 13:20, 21). 
As to its true, inward reality, the kingdom of heaven can be entered only by those who are converted (Matt. 18:3).  As to its true, inward reality, the kingdom of God can be entered only by those who are born again (John 3:3, 5). 

    Paul was referring to its inward reality when he said that "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14:17).  He also emphasized that "the kingdom of God is not in word but in power" (1 Cor. 4:20).
    The distinction between the kingdom and the Church may be seen in the following: The kingdom began when Christ initiated His public ministry; the Church began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2).  The kingdom will continue on earth till the earth is destroyed; the Church will continue on earth only until the Rapture; then it will return with Christ at His Second Advent to reign with Him as His bride.  At the present time the people who are in the kingdom in its true, inner reality are also in the Church; this is the only respect in which the two overlap.


 

MYSTERIES OF SCRIPTURE

The New Testament presents us with a series of mysteries.  The danger is not so much to confuse them as to fail to understand them.  We will therefore devote this lesson to a short summary of the meanings of the various mysteries.
 

Definition

    A mystery is a truth which has never before. been revealed, which man could not arrive at by his own intellect, and which has now been revealed by God to men.
 

The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 13:3-50

    In Matthew 13:11 we read of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.  They are presented in this chapter in the form of seven parables.
    In the early chapters of Matthew we find the Lord Jesus presenting Himself to Israel as Messiah-King.  But in Chapter 12 the religious leaders rejected Him by accusing Him of performing miracles in the power of the Devil.  So now that the King has been rejected, the kingdom will take a different form.  That is what is found in Matthew 13.  These seven parables give a description of the kingdom in its interim form-during the time between the rejection of the King and His return to reign over the earth.  The King is absent, but His kingdom is found wherever men profess to be His subjects.  There is both profession and reality.  At the close of this interim period the true will be separated from the false and will enjoy the blessings of His millennial reign.  The false will be destroyed.
 

The Mystery of Israel's Blindness

Romans 11:25

    Because of Israel's rejection of the King, God has caused a judicial blindness to come upon the Jewish nation.  This partly explains the great difficulty which Jewish people have in accepting The Lord Jesus as their Messiah, and the relatively small number who are saved.  But this blindness is neither total nor final.  Some do see that The Lord Jesus is the One of whom the prophets spoke.  And the blindness will continue only until the "fulness of the Gentiles" has come, that is, until the Lord takes His Gentile bride home to be with Himself.  Then a believing remnant out of Israel will turn to Christ.
 

The Mystery of the Rapture

1 Corinthians 15:51, 52

    Up to this time in human history it was always believed that everyone would die sooner or later.  But now the Apostle Paul makes the startling announcement that not all believers will die.  Those who are living at the time of the Rapture will go to heaven without dying.  They will be changed-that is, they will receive glorified bodies-and they will never see death.  Those who have died in Christ will be raised and taken to heaven with the living saints.  Further details are found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
 

The Mystery of the Church

Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:5

    The Church was a truth kept secret since the world began (Rom. 16:25) but revealed to the apostles and prophets of the New Testament period (Eph. 3:5).  This mystery embraces such important features as
  1. The headship of Christ (Col. 1:18).
  2. The membership of all believers (1 Cor. 12:13).
  3. The fact that believing Gentiles share equally with believing Jews, that Christ is their hope of glory too, and that the ancient enmity between Jew and Gentile has been abolished in Christ (Eph. 3:6; Col. 1:26, 27; Eph. 2:14, 15).
  4. The Church as the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12, 13).
  5. The Church as the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:25-27,31,32).
  6. The Church as a display of the manifold wisdom of God to principalities and powers in heavenly places (Eph. 3:10).
  7. God's purpose to make Christ the Head of a redeemed universe (Eph. 1:9, 10), with the Church reigning as His bride and sharing His glory forever.
    "This mystery among the Gentiles" in Colossians 1:27 is defined as "Christ in you, the hope of glory.  " This is the same mystery as the Church; it emphasizes that Christ is the hope of glory for believing Gentiles as well as believing Jews-all now have the same standing before God in Christ.
    In Colossians 2:2 (RSV and NASB) the mystery of God is identified as Christ.  We understand this to refer to the mystical body of Christ, with Christ Himself as the Head and all believers comprising the body.
    Other passages that refer to the mystery of the Church are Ephesians 6:19 and Colossians 4:3.  There is a sense in which this mystery of the Church is the capstone of Scriptural revelation.  The Apostle Paul fulfilled the Word of God when he passed on this truth (Col. 1:25).  It was not chronologically the last part of the Bible to be written but, as far as the revelation of important new truth, it was the climax.
 

The Mystery of Iniquity

2 Thessalonians 2:7, 8

    The only reference to the "mystery of iniquity" is in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, 8. There Paul, says that "the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.  And then that lawless one will be revealed..." (NASB).  Even in the early days of the Church a spirit of lawlessness was already operating.  There were many antichrists.  But the full development of lawlessness was restrained by an unnamed Person (whom we believe to be the Holy Spirit).  When that restraining Person is removed (the Holy Spirit will be taken away as the permanent Indweller at the Rapture), then the Man of Lawlessness, the Antichrist, will stride onto the stage of history.  He will be the very embodiment of sin and lawlessness.  The world will never before have seen such a concentration of wickedness in any human being.
 

The Mystery of the Faith

1 Timothy 3:9

    The "mystery of the faith" refers to the body of Christian doctrine, or what we call the Christian faith.  It is called a mystery because so many of its truths were completely unknown in Old Testament times.
 

The Mystery of Godliness

1 Timothy 3:16

    Literally translated, 1 Timothy 3:16 reads:
      The verse does not say definitely who is the subject, but the description could only fit one person-our Lord Jesus Christ.  Up to the time that Christ came into the world, men had never seen perfect godliness in a human life.  But the Lord Jesus came and gave a practical demonstration of what an absolutely godly person is like.
    When Paul says that the mystery of godliness is great, he does not mean that it is deeply mysterious, but rather that the truth of the Person of Christ is marvelous and wonderful.
    The mystery of godliness stands in contrast to the mystery of iniquity.  The first presents a Man who perfectly embodies piety.  The second presents the living embodiment of sin.  It is the stark contrast between Christ and Antichrist.
 

The Mystery of the Seven Stars

Revelation 1:20

    This mystery is clearly defined.  The seven stars in John's vision are the angels or messengers of the seven churches of Asia.  The seven golden lampstands are the seven churches.  In the next two chapters, the Lord addresses letters to the angels of the seven churches.  These letters may be understood in three different ways.
  1. They were seven literal letters written to seven literal churches that existed in John's day.
  2. They give a chronological preview of conditions in the Church from the days of the apostles to the end of the Church era.
  3. They describe conditions which may be found in the Church worldwide at any particular time in its history.

The Mystery of God

Revelation 10:7

    When the seventh trumpet of Revelation 10 sounds, the mystery of God will be fulfilled.  The sounding of the seventh trumpet is accompanied by loud voices in heaven saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever' (Rev. 11:15 NASB).  From this we know that the seventh trumpet sounds at the close of the Great Tribulation, when Christ returns to earth to reign (Rev.  11:17).  At that time the Lord's faithful Tribulation saints will be rewarded and His enemies will be destroyed (v. 18).
    The mystery of God will then be fulfilled.  The evil which has been so persistent and apparently triumphant will be put down.  God's seeming indifference to man's wickedness and His apparent inaction will have ended.  "The mystery of God is forever finished; the glory of God shines like the sun; faith is completely justified, the murmur of doubt forever silenced"
(F. W. Grant).
 

The Mystery of Babylon

Revelation 17:5-7

    Babylon the Great is pictured in Revelation 17 as a harlot sitting on a beast with seven heads and ten horns.  She is named Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the earth.  The explanation of the mystery is given in verses 8-18.  The woman is a great city that reigns over the kings of the earth (v. 18).  The beast is an empire that in turn existed at one time, passed out of existence, will be revived, and will be destroyed (v. 8).  The seven heads are seven kings of this empire (v. 9).  The ten horns are ten kings who will be federated with this empire (v. 12).  The harlot rides on the back of the beast for awhile, but is then destroyed by it (v. 16).  The empire itself will eventually be destroyed by the Lord (v. 14).
    Our interpretation of the mystery is as follows.  The woman represents a great religious and economic system which will have its headquarters in Rome; it will be a world church with vast financial resources.  The beast represents the revived Roman Empire in a ten-kingdom form, somewhat along the geographical lines of the European Common Market.
    After supporting the world church for awhile, the ruler of the revived Roman Empire and the ten kings who are his allies will turn against the system and destroy it.  Further details concerning Babylon and her destruction are found in Revelation 18.
 
 

Conclusion

    There are four other references to mysteries in the New Testament.
    In 1 Corinthians 2:7 Paul says that he and the other apostles spoke the wisdom of God in a mystery.  Then he explains that he means truths which were hidden to previous generations but which have now been revealed through the Holy Spirit.
    He and the other apostles were "stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Cor. 4:1).  Here again the word is used in a general sense to cover all the new truth of the Christian dispensation.
    But he reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:2 that it is not enough to know all mysteries and all knowledge, If we do not have love, we are nothing.
    And finally, in 1 Corinthians 14:2 Paul explains that if a man speaks in a foreign language with no interpreter present, he benefits no one, even though he may be speaking the most profound mysteries.

SALVATION AND SERVICE

In the study of God's Word we can save ourselves a lot of error and confusion if we distinguish between passages that deal with salvation and those that are concerned with Christian life and service.
    Generally speaking, the salvation passages are not difficult to discern.  They give consistent testimony to the following facts.     The difficulty arises when we fail to recognize passages that have to do with Christian life and service rather than with salvation.  Take John 15:1-11, for example:     The subject of this paragraph is fruitbearing, that is, the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in the life of the Christian (Gal. 5:22, 23).  It was not written to sinners needing a Savior, but to saints needing Christlikeness. if you don't see this, you may come up with the conclusion that Christians may be cast into the fire of hell after all (John 15:6).  What it actually teaches is that the world takes the name and testimony of a backslidden believer and casts it in the fire.  Unsaved people have nothing but contempt for a branch that does not abide in the Vine.
    Another passage that is often misunderstood is 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.
      The subject of verse 11 is salvation; it teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only valid foundation.  But the rest of the passage deals with building on the foundation-in other words, with the service that follows salvation.  There is no suggestion that any believer will be tested by fire.  It is his works that will be tested.  The man himself will not be burned up, but his works may.  The emphasis here is not on the faith that leads to salvation but on the works that lead to reward or loss of reward.
    Or take as another example Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
      In the last verse Paul speaks of the possibility of his being disqualified in the end.  But the context does not deal with salvation, but with self-control in the Christian life.  There was no possibility of Paul's being rejected as to salvation, because he was accepted in Christ.  But failure to discipline himself might result in his becoming a castaway as far as service and reward were concerned.
    The distinction between salvation and service is the key to resolving one of the seeming contradictions of the New Testament.  In Matthew 12:30 our Lord said,
      But in Mark 9:40 He said,     At first look these verses seem to be a flat contradiction of each other.  But the difficulty disappears when we see that the first deals with salvation and the second with service.  In the first instance, the Lord Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, who were rejecting Him as the Son of God and accusing Him of performing miracles in the power of the Devil.  When it comes to the Person of Christ, anyone who is not for Him is against Him.
    The second case was concerned with a man who was serving in the Name of Christ but who was not following the disciples.  When they forbad him, Jesus said, "Forbid him not . . . for he that is not against us is for us." When it comes to service for Christ, anyone who is not against us is for us.
    These illustrations should show how helpful it is to distinguish passages that deal, with salvation and those that deal with Christian life and service.  In your Bible study, therefore, ask yourself whether the passage you are considering deals with

FUNDAMENTALS AND NONESSENTIALS

It is tremendously important to distinguish between passages that deal with matters of fundamental importance and those that are concerned with nonessentials.  When we are dealing with basic Bible doctrines or principles a certain set of principles applies.  On the other hand, when we are dealing with matters of moral indifference, an entirely different set of rules is applicable.  If we confuse the two, the results can only be catastrophic.
    Let us illustrate what we have just said.  If the passage under study deals with the deity of Christ, or His sinless humanity, or His substitutionary sacrifice, or His bodily resurrection, there is no room for difference of opinion.  These are nonnegotiable truths of the Christian faith, and no compromise is possible.
    Or think of some of the unchanging moral laws of God.  It is always wrong to commit adultery.  It is always sinful to lie and to steal.  Idolatry in any and every form is forbidden by the Scriptures.  In these and many similar areas, there can be no excusing, no palliating, no ameliorating, no softening.  We must stand unequivocally with God against these evils.
    But there are other matters in the Christian life that we speak of as matters of moral indifference because they are not right or wrong in themselves.  The principal examples given in the New Testament are:     When we come to passages dealing with these questions, we find room for a difference of opinion.  Provision is made for a certain degree of latitude.
    With regard to foods that have been offered to idols, the principal passages are 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 and 1 Corinthians 10:14-30.  The gist of the teaching there is that it is all fight to eat such foods as long as the Christian does not participate in the feast where the food is offered to idols, as long as his conscience is clear in the matter, and as long as he does not stumble some other person.  But when Paul says, "All things are lawful," we must understand that he is not speaking about all things without exception.  He is referring only to the subject at hand-matters of moral indifference.  If you don't see this, you might adopt the gross interpretation that Paul would condone immorality!
    Chapter 14 of Romans deals with the subjects of observance of days, eating meat (in contrast to vegetables only), and drinking wine.  Among the other guidelines which Paul lays down is this one: "Let everyone be fully convinced in his own mind." Now if you take this out of its context and apply it to such doctrines as the inspiration of the Bible or salvation by grace through faith, you are in serious trouble.  It is imperative to see that the principles laid down in Romans 14 deal only with matters that are not black or white in themselves.  Another statement in Romans 14 that must be understood in this same way is verse 14: "I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself . . . " (RSV).  Paul knew as well as we that certain things are unclean, but here he is only speaking of foods like pork, shrimp, or rabbit that were unclean under the Old Testament regime.
    In Titus 1, Paul devotes considerable attention to those false teachers who were trying to put the Christian believers under the Law of Moses.  In verse 15 the Apostle says:     Now it should be clear that when Paul says, "To the pure all things are pure," he is not stating a universal truth, but is referring only to such matters as meats that had been condemned as unclean by the Law of Moses.  To the Christian in this age of grace, all foods which God has provided for human consumption are pure.  The labels "Kosher" and "Non-Kosher" no longer apply.
    In the matter of Christian service there is allowance for a certain amount of accommodation to the culture and customs of the people.  Thus in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Paul tells how he identified with his audiences (without, of course, sacrificing any basic truth or compromising his loyalty to Christ).
      But when Paul says, "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some," there is no suggestion that he ever compromised the truth of the gospel or participated in any sinful activity.  Where it was possible to make a concession without sacrificing truth (as in the circumcision of Timothy, Acts 16:3), he made the concession in order to get a greater hearing for his message.  But where the truth of salvation by grace apart from law-keeping was at stake (as in the controversy over circumcising Titus, Galatians 2:1-5), Paul never budged an inch.
    The student of the Bible should learn to detect those passages that deal with non-vital matters and should realize that the principles found there must not be applied to basic truths or unchanging laws.  This will save him from coming up with applications of the Word that are grotesque and ludicrous.

DOUBLE FULFILLMENTS

When we come to the study of the prophetic Scriptures, one of the most helpful keys is to realize that some prophecies have more than one fulfillment.  It is not unusual to find a prediction that has a preliminary, partial fulfillment and then later a full, final accomplishment.  This is known as the "law of double reference."
    The classic example is Joel's prophecy concerning the pouring out of the Spirit.     When Peter quoted this passage on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-21), he said,        this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel." But he could not have meant that it was a complete fulfillment, since some of the things that Joel mentioned did not occur at Pentecost.     This means that Pentecost was an early and incomplete fulfillment of Joel's prophecy.  Its total accomplishment will take place at the Second Advent of Christ.  His coming will be preceded by the predicted signs and followed by the pouring out of His Spirit on all flesh in the millennial earth.
    We have another illustration of the "law of double reference" in the famous "virgin" passage of Isaiah 7:14:
      The prophecy obviously had an immediate meaning for King Ahaz, namely, that a child would be born and named "God with us," implying that victory was near.  Before the child would be old enough to discern good and evil the Syria-Israel alliance would be crushed, and within a few more years the child would be living on the fat of the land (v. 15).
    But the complete unfolding of the verse came with the birth of Christ.     A third example of dual fulfillment is found in Psalm 118:26a.     On the first Palm Sunday, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the crowd shouted,     But we know that this did not exhaust the prophecy, because in His later lament over Jerusalem the Lord Jesus said,     The final fulfillment will occur when the Savior returns to earth in power and glory to a people who will welcome Him as Messiah and King.
    Still another illustration of a prophecy which has two fulfillments concerns the destruction of Jerusalem.  Jesus predicted the desolation of the city in Luke 21:20-24.  His words obviously came to pass in A.D. 70, when Titus and his Roman legions sacked the city and levelled the Temple.  But Jerusalem's woes are not all past.  It is clear from Revelation 11:2 that the Gentiles will trample on the holy city for forty-two months during the Tribulation period.
Psalm 2:1, 2 is quoted in Acts 4:25, 26:     In Acts 4:27 the words are applied to the crucifixion of Christ:     That was a preliminary and partial fulfillment of the Psalmist's words.  They will have a still further fulfillment at the close of the Tribulation when world rulers will unite in a futile attempt to prevent Christ from taking the reins of universal government.
    A final example of the law of double reference can be found in prophecies dealing with the regathering of Israel (Isa. 43:5-7; Jer. 16:14, 15;  Ezek. 36:8-11; 37:21).  These prophecies had a very partial fulfillment when a remnant of the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity to Israel, as described in Ezra and Nehemiah.  But the main event is still future.  Any past regatherings have been only a trickle.  During the time of Jacob's trouble, God will bring His chosen earthly people back to Israel from all over the world (Matt. 24:31; Deut. 30:3, 4; Ezek. 36:24-32; 37:11-14).  Then and only then will the prophecies be completely and finally fulfilled.
 

To obtain a copy of this book, please write to:
Walterick Publishers
P. O. Box 2216
Kansas City, Kansas 66110

Copyright 1975 by William MacDonald

Home | E-mail