PASTORAL CHAT
Camp Q&A
Thank God for a most blessed church camp in Penang. Thank God for the Rev Paul Cheng who ministered to us on the theme, “The God of All Comfort” (2 Cor 1:3). The messages can be heard from www.youtube.com/@truelifebpc. There was a Q&A at the end. However, due to a lack of time, the speaker was not able to answer all the questions. For the benefit of all, here are my answers to all the questions taking into consideration some of the answers already given by the speaker.
(1) How do you reconcile the Lord’s prayer “lead us not into temptation” with the incident of the pastor who prayed for trial in his church?
When the Lord taught us to pray, “And lead us not into temptation” (Matt 6:13), it is consistent with what the Apostle James said, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man”. (Jas 1:13). The Lord does not tempt us to sin or evil for that is contrary to His nature of holiness, justice, goodness and truth.
However, the Lord does allow the devil to tempt us. He does it to prove our faith, to test whether our professed faith is sincere and true or not. One example was Job. The Lord permitted Satan to tempt him. Job showed true faith, “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” (Job 1:22 cf Jas 5:10-11).
In Scripture, we are told to pray for peace, not trouble. The Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1-3 exhorted, “that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men … that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour” (cf Ps 122:5, 2 Thess 3:16). However, when God by His permissive will allows trials and trouble to come our way, we are to pray that we will not be tempted so greatly that we are unable to bear it and fall into sin or the deceit of the devil. That is why the Lord taught us to pray that we be delivered from evil. The two clauses, “lead us not” and “deliver us from”, must be read together. The first is explained by the second, ie “deliver us from evil” explains “lead us not into temptation”. This is in line with what 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor 10:13).
If we do pray for trials in life, then it must be because we want to be moulded by God to be strong in our faith. This agrees with James 1:2-4, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience [endurance]. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire [spiritually healthy and whole], wanting nothing.” What is more is that we are told to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. … Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Eph 6:10,11,18).
If by divine permission we do encounter trials, tribulations and temptations in life, we must realise that there is a divine reason for them, and the reason is for our salvation and not our destruction (Rom 8:28-39). That was why Paul was able to praise God, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” (2 Cor 1:3-4). The Lord is good and does all things well for His glory and for our good.
(2) Could you please explain the meaning of the phrase, “I do not say that he shall pray for it” in 1 John 5:16?
1 John 5:16 says, “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.”
To answer this question, we first need to know what is this sin that we should not pray for. What is this “sin unto death”? It is the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matt 12:24-32, Mark 3:22-30, Luke 12:10). This sin is the sin of the finally impenitent and incalcitrant sinners who constantly, continuously, stubbornly, persistently, and decisively reject and rebel against the gospel of Jesus Christ and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). One example is Judas Iscariot who, despite all the truth and love shown to him by the Lord Jesus, was determined in his heart to do evil, to betray Him. That was why the Lord in His high priestly prayer did not pray for Judas and those like him (John 17:6-12). There is no use to pray for the sinner who has committed the unpardonable sin because it is impossible for such a sinner to repent (Heb 6:4-6). It is foolish to cast pearls to swine (Matt 7:6). Against such, God has already meted out final judgement by abandoning him to total condemnation and destruction (Rom 1:19-32, Heb 10:26-27).
(3) How can we support a non-believer during a trial?
I believe the best support is spiritual support, and for the unbeliever it would be the gospel of Jesus Christ. When the unbeliever is converted and becomes a child of God, he will find all the physical, mental, emotional support he needs to overcome hard and difficult times. For every believer, Jesus is become our Great High Priest and knows how to take care of all our needs, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:14-16). Indeed, there is no better help than the Lord Jesus Christ.
(4) How do we best comfort someone if we notice that they are facing trials and tribulations?
If that someone is a believer, the best comfort is the Word of God and prayer. Read the Psalms for comfort for the Psalms are a balm to our troubled soul. For comfort, we can also sing or listen to the great hymns of the Christian faith which are full of God’s Word and sound doctrine. For instance, the hymns of Fanny Crosby which we sang in camp were so comforting. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” James 5:13 says, “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”
(5) 1 Kings 18:27. Was it right for Elijah to mock them?
It was right for Elijah to mock them, for these prophets of Baal and of Jezebel were openly challenging and blaspheming Jehovah, the living and true God. The prophet Elijah in mocking them was seeking to shock the Israelites into realising that Baal was no god at all and the prophets of Jezebel were all deceivers. Know that the Israelites at that time, deep in sin and deceit, were in two minds about who the living and true God was, “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” (1 Kgs 18:21). On such occasions, mockery can serve a useful and rightful purpose to shake unbelievers and doubters out of their stupidity and foolishness, to consider how “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.” (Ps 115:4-8).
(6) In 1 Kings 19:4, Elijah asked God to take away his life. Is it because he was fighting the wrong battle with the choice of the head, not from the heart (1 Kings 18)?
Elijah was not fighting the wrong battle on Mt Carmel, for God heard His prophet and answered by fire (1 Kgs 18). God authenticated His prophet by a powerful miracle. The water-drenched sacrifice was consumed by fire from above. This proved how the God of Elijah and of Israel was the omnipotent, living and true God over against the impotent, dead and dumb gods of the Zidonians and false prophets of Jezebel (1 Kgs 18).
Despite that great victory, Elijah was still very human, “a man subject to like passions as we are” (Jas 5:17) and could be easily frightened and discouraged by wicked and fierce people and by evil and threatening circumstances. Furthermore, Elijah shouldered a most heavy responsibility as God’s representative. He thought he was all alone in speaking for God and defending His Word. This feeling of loneliness got to him and made him feel so down and out (1 Kgs 19:10,14). God had to encourage him by telling him that he was not alone—there were 7000 who remained faithful to Him and did not bow their knees to Baal (1 Kgs 19:18), and later sent Elisha to minister unto him (1 Kgs 19:19-21).
(7) Is it true that the Word of God (the Bible) is 90% rebuke and reproach? If yes, how can we understand that God is still God of all comfort?
It is not true that the Bible is mostly reproach and offers only small comfort. Right at the heart of the Bible is the book of Psalms which is full of comfort. Even in the Prophets, where we find a whole lot of rebukes, there is a whole lot of comfort, for therein God reminds His people how He is a covenant-keeping God who will always keep His promises. Read Jeremiah 33. God is good and His Word is full of goodness. “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” (John 5:39-40).
(8) How can I know for sure God’s purpose for me in a particular trial? How can I ascertain that that purpose is from God? Please also share an example.
The Bible tells us that the purpose of trials in our life is to make us spiritually mature and strong. James 1:2-4 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
How can we know for sure what is God’s purpose for us in a particular trial? James 1:5 tells us how, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” We pray for it. When this is done sincerely and reverently, God will reveal the purpose or reason for the trial we are undergoing through His Word, His Spirit, His people or through the outworking of His providence (Eccl 3:11).
One example would be the Apostle Paul who suffered “a thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor 12:7). But God allowed him to suffer that affliction to keep him humble and useful, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” (2 Cor 12:7). And when he asked three times for the affliction to be removed (2 Cor 12:8), the Lord answered him clearly why the affliction must remain, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Cor 12:9-10). JK To be continued…
