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Chosen no: R-2811 a, from: 1901 Year. |
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Interesting Queries Answered.
IS
FAITH THE GIFT OF GOD?
Question.--I
have always considered that faith is what each individual must
personally exercise and develop, but according to Romans 12:3it would
seem that this is something we get in a measure at least from God.
Can God impart what he himself does not possess? In what way, then,
does God give us a measure of faith? God having told us a truth in
his Word, is it not entirely a matter resting with us as to whether
or not we have confidence in it--have faith in it? "Faith cometh
by hearing of the Word."
Answer.--The
word here rendered "faith" (Rom. 12:3) is from the Greek
pistis, otherwise translated fidelity, assurance. As you say, we have
much to do with our own faith and assurance and exercise a certain
amount of it before we are begotten of the spirit at all, else we
could not be justified by faith, for justification precedes our
presenting of ourselves living sacrifices and our acceptance and
begetting of the holy spirit. This much of faith is our own
evidently, but after we have received of the Lord's spirit our faith
may grow exceedingly, so that we will be able to walk by faith and
not by sight--to accept the things that are not seen, and to
sacrifice for them things that are seen and temporal. It may be said
with propriety that the attitude which permits us to receive God's
message of grace unto justification is all of God, in the sense that
all of our blessings are from above--"every good and perfect
gift." But it is especially true that faith in spiritual things
which we develop after we are begotten of the holy spirit is the
result of divine instruction; as it is written, "They shall be
all taught of God," and the faith which will enable the
consecrated ones to come off victors is not merely the natural faith
with which they started, and with which they laid hold upon the Lord
and justification, but a higher attainment of faith, the result of
being taught of God through his Word and by his providence.
In
the text under consideration our sober thinking must depend upon the
time we have been under the Lord's instruction, and the degree of
attention we have given to learning the lessons intended for the
increase of our faith. This development is in the Scriptures spoken
of as a "gift," also as a "fruit" of the spirit
of God in us, and again as God's "workmanship," for by his
truth and by his providences he is working in his children, not only
to will but also to do his good pleasure--he is working in us faith,
hope, joy, peace, love and all the graces which he approves; and if
we will be obedient to his teaching and leading he will complete the
work eventually and we shall be copies of his dear Son our Lord, and
joint-inheritors with him.
WHO
WERE THOSE SAINTS?
Question.--Who
were those "saints," mentioned in Matt. 27:52,53, who arose
and came into the holy city after the Lord's resurrection?
Answer.--(1)
The persons mentioned could not have been the ancient worthies,
perfected; because of those the Apostle declares that "they
without us [the Gospel Church] shall not be made perfect." In
other words, their resurrection will not be due to take place until
after the first resurrection of the Church has been completed.--Heb.
11:39,40.
(2)
The class mentioned cannot have been saints of the Gospel Church,
because the Church had not been selected--even the beginning of its
acceptance with God had not yet taken place, and did not occur until
the day of Pentecost, nearly fifty days later.
(3)
The record seems to imply that the earthquake which occurred at the
time of our Lord's death opened these graves--produced the awakening
mentioned; but that the awakened ones tarried and did not manifest
themselves in the city of Jerusalem until after our Lord's
resurrection.
At very most it was an awakening
similar to that which Lazarus experienced, and the daughter of
Jairus, and the son of the widow of Nain, to die again, later on. We
may be sure of this because the express declaration of 1 Cor.
15:20is: "Christ is the first-fruits of them that slept"--the
first one resurrected to perfection of being--the first one lifted
completely out of death to perfection of life. The persons mentioned
could have been no more than merely aroused from the slumber of death
temporarily, and for some purpose of which we have no knowledge. We
were at first inclined to doubt the genuineness of the passage, but
find that a portion of it at least appears in the oldest Greek MSS.
yet discovered.
SEVEN,
SIXTY-TWO AND ONE EQUAL SEVENTY.
Question.--In
Dan. 9:25,26we have different periods given--seven weeks, and
sixty-two weeks: some things are said to happen after the sixty-two
[R2811 : page 157] weeks, and again something is said about one week,
and altogether the matter seems to be confused. Please give us the
harmonizing view.
Answer.--We
must take into consideration the statement of vs. 24; viz., that the
entire period under discussion is seventy weeks (symbolical). This is
divided into three parts; viz., seven weeks, sixty-two weeks and one
week--total, seventy. The first seven weeks marked specially events
connected with the Temple; the end of the sixty-two weeks were to
mark Messiah's appearance. But we are to remember that the sixty-two
followed the seven, hence the end of the sixty-two weeks would be the
end of the sixty-nine weeks as respects the whole, and the one week
following would be the seventieth week. It was this last, or
seventieth week of years, that constituted the Jewish time of favor.
It (seven years) began with our Lord's baptism, was marked in its
middle with our Lord's crucifixion, and ended three and a half years
later, after the ripe "wheat" of the Jewish age had been
gathered into the Gospel age; and immediately at its close the Gospel
message began to be sent to the Gentiles upon equal terms with the
Jews,-- Cornelius being the first Gentile convert.
W.T.R-2811a
: page 156 - 1901