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Great Questions Of The Bible

The word of God is intended to stimulate the mind of man and challenge his thinking for the purpose of helping him to grow and become as God would have him to be. One of the ways that the Bible does this is through the use of challenging and thought-provoking questions. Some of these questions are asked by God of men. Some are asked by men and some were even asked by Satan – all of which carry with them great spiritual applications in our lives and are eternally worthy of our study and consideration. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 15:28, “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer.” We would be wise to “ponder” how to answer these important questions from the Bible.

Has God Said…? (Genesis 3:1)

by Chris Simmons

One of the first important questions of the Bible was indeed asked by Satan. We read in Genesis 3:1, “Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?” Knowledge of God’s will is power. From the beginning, Satan has tried not just to keep us from paying attention to what God has said, but to also create doubt in man’s mind regarding what we have heard from God. We need to beware of those who attempt to cast doubt on what God has said. Let us consider how Satan might tempt us to doubt the word of God.

First, Satan uses the wisdom of the world to create doubt regarding the applicability of what God has said. With Adam and Eve, the worldly wisdom he used applied the lust of the flesh (the “tree was good for food”), the lust of the eyes (“it was a delight to the eyes”) and perhaps most importantly, the pride of life (“God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”). We are to be reminded that “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world” (I John 2:16). Today, we must beware of worldly wisdom that would begin to cause us to doubt what God has said. For example, worldly wisdom is influencing many to doubt what God has said about the marriage relationship and God’s divine pattern for the family. The wisdom of the world also sends the faith of some looking for another explanation (i.e., theistic evolution) for the beginning of all things other than God creating it in six days as the Bible states. The wisdom of the world always stands in contraposition to the wisdom of God (cf., I Corinthians 1:20-28) and it is Satan’s goal to have our faith rest in the wisdom of men rather than in the power of God (I Corinthians 2:5).

Second, Satan tempts us to doubt what God has said by trying to get us to doubt the relevance of God’s word in our lives. Specifically, by suggesting that the Bible is outdated and that the promise that God’s word will make us complete no longer applies (II Timothy 3:16-17). This is a slight variation of “has God said?” which instead goes, “God may have said in times past, but does it really apply anymore?” Rather, we are commanded in Jude 3 to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” God’s standard of righteousness was “once for all delivered” and should never be subject to the social evolutionary process of man.

Third, Satan tempts us by enticing man to believe that it is not possible to accurately understand God’s word. Here, this variation of “has God said?” is rendered, “has God said in such a way that we can actually understand?” Today, Satan is saying, “can we all understand what God has said” about marriage, divorce and remarriage? Or, “can we all understand what God has said” concerning the work and pattern of the church or anything regarding standards of morality and such issues as immodesty, dancing, social drinking and “such like”? Rather, we read in God’s word what Paul said in Ephesians 3:3-5, “that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit.” Truth is knowable (cf., John 8:32) and God says we can understand which is important since we are commanded to do so in Ephesians 5:17, “So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Today, Satan tempts us by enticing us to use our time for other things than “growing in the grace and knowledge of Lord” (II Peter 3:18). It is sad how many people today would have to reply to Satan’s question of “has God said?” with a response of “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure.” Of those who don’t know, many fail to display the “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6) that is needed to ever rectify their ignorant condition. So many religious people today simply do not know what God has said. But how about members of the Lord’s church? Do we know what God has said? Could it be said that we have been “diligent” to grow in our knowledge and in our ability to “handle accurately the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15)? It used to be said several generations ago that if anyone ever needed to know what the Bible says that all you had to do was ask a member of the Church of Christ. Could that still be said today?

More than ever, there is a desperate need for people to simply know what the Bible says. But are we willing to discipline ourselves and make the diligent effort to continue to grow in knowledge (II Peter 1:6)? God’s people were once destroyed because their lack of knowledge and their inability to answer the question “has God said?” (Judges 2:10; Hosea 4:6). Will the church today suffer the same fate? Or will we commit ourselves growing in our knowledge of “God and the word of His grace” (Acts 20:32) and always being ready to have an answer anytime we are asked, “has God said” (cf., I Peter 3:15)?


Why Has Your Countenance Fallen? (Genesis 4:6)

by Chris Simmons

We read in Hebrews 11:4, that of the two sons born to Adam and Eve, Abel “offered to God a better sacrifice than (his brother) Cain” and that he did so “by faith.” We know from Romans 10:17 that means that Abel heard “the word of God” (the source of all faith) and acted upon that which he heard. Cain however, rejected what God had revealed to them and offered a sacrifice according to his own will and not God’s, which God had “no regard” for. Cain then became angry and dejected that God did not accept his sacrifice and we read that “his countenance fell.” He was angry and upset and in essence hung his head in dejection. His face was the face of one who was pouting. In regard to Cain’s reaction, God simply asks, “why?” Cain is essentially asked the same question that Jonah was asked in Jonah 4:4, “do you have a good reason to be angry?”

Cain’s problem was the problem of sin. He stood unapproved by God. The solution was simple. God simply told Cain, that if he began to live life in faithful obedience, that he would feel better. “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?” (Genesis 4:7). God’s acceptance was available to both Cain and Abel. Despite his sin, God extended the opportunity for Cain to “do well.” The ball was in Cain’s court as to what he was going to do about his sin. Unfortunately, Cain, as many do today, chose to compound his first sin with another sin by murdering his brother. But let us do some self-examination in regards to God’s question to Cain, “why has your countenance fallen?” Let us also consider our response to God’s related question to Jonah, “do you have a good reason to be angry?”

As with Cain, many today allow their countenance to fall because of the problem of sin. The question is not whether we sin. The question is, when we do sin, what are we going to do about it? We read in God’s word of two men in the New Testament who took very different approaches towards dealing with their sin. First there was Judas, whose countenance fell to such an extent that he chose to eternally compound his sin of betraying the Lord by taking his own life. Then, there was Peter, who responded to his sin by “doing well” and recommitting his life to serving God and preaching the Lord Jesus Christ. Each one of us is faced with a choice when we sin to either repent of it and get back up and continue to “run the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1) or to give up and throw in the towel. Many allow their countenance to fall when other brethren confront them about their sin and exercise their responsibilities of Galatians 6:1-2. Brethren sometimes fail to see the care and love that others have for them when they approach them about sin in their life and rather react angrily and allow their countenance to fall.

For many, our countenance has fallen because we do not have our “wants” and we are not satisfied with our “needs.” We read in James 4:1-4, “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James writes of those in quarrels and conflicts because they “cannot obtain” that which they lust after yet “do not have.” The glad countenance comes from a heart that understands the difference between “wants” and “needs” and is satisfied with his “needs” being met and is thankful to God for his needs being met and anything else he is blessed with beyond that. The glad countenance practices what Paul states in Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

For others, our countenance falls because other people do not treat us the way we think, or actually should be treated. Whether brethren, family or friends, we often perceive that others are not treating us fairly or justly and we get upset and hang our heads. If we have issues, problems or conflicts with others, we must go to them directly and deal with the matter honestly and as discreetly as possible (Matthew 5:23-24; 18:15-17). Many countenances have fallen because issues, problems and conflicts have grown out of control due to brethren failing to apply the biblical principles taught in Matthew 5:23-24; 18:15-17. But even if others mistreat us and we suffer unjustly, shall we just throw in the towel and hang our heads? Shall we “rejoice… always” (Philippians 4:4) only as long as folks are being kind to us?

For many, our countenance falls and we begin to hang our head simply from growing weary of the challenges and difficulties of life. “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (II Timothy 3:12). Our faith will be tested (cf., James 1:2-4; I Peter 1:6-7). At times, the righteous will suffer for doing the right thing (I Peter 4:14-16). At other times, there are simply going to be “bad days” that are the result of our human existence (cf., Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; 9:11 “time and chance overtake them all”). Those are the facts of life under the sun for those who strive to live godly. The question is, how do we respond to such times and situations in our life? Do we hang our head, allow our countenance to fall and quit running the race to the best of our ability? Or do we keep on rejoicing and pressing forward to the prize before us (Philippians 3:13-14)?

During the challenges and trying times of my college years, my grandfather taught me an important lesson. His message to me was – no matter how difficult life may be, “keep your chin up!” Don’t ever allow your countenance to fall! His encouragement was not just good advice, it was biblical advice that is necessary for all of us who aspire to the crown of life. When we allow our countenance to fall, we are taking our eyes off Jesus, “the author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). We set ourselves up for failure when we continually allow our countenance to fall. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

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