Preacher Ko Lingkang

 

Church Camp Q&A (Part 1)

We thank God for the blessed church camp that we had last week, from the 15th-20th of June. As usual, after the last morning message on Friday, we had a question and answer session with our pastor Rev. Quek. Due to time constraints, he was not able to answer all the questions that were posted to him, and so in the next few Elder’s pages, we will endeavour to answer the questions one by one. The questions have been collated and arranged into a few broad categories. The first set of questions centre around the themes of calling, salvation and evangelism.

 

1. How does a minister know he is called to the full-time ministry?

In the Bible, the Lord calls each of His servants in their own unique and special manner. For example God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush (Exodus 3-4), while Ezekiel was given a magnificent vision of the glory of God (Ezekiel 1). The disciples were mostly called directly by Christ, though some like Nathanael required a bit of convincing first (John 1:45-51). We all know of Paul’s spectacular encounter on the road to Damascus, where he was blinded by a light from heaven (Acts 9).

 

The ways which God calls a person to ministry are varied and very personal. Each calling would be specifically catered to the individual to aid him on the life of service that he would be undertaking. Perhaps one can find two main things that are common to all these callings – that is the person is called by God, and that the person called will be very certain about it.

 

In this day and age, God speaks to us through His Word and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. One’s calling is often discerned through a close walk with the Lord, and a consistent study of His Word. Through various means and circumstances, Lord will be able to impress upon a person this overwhelming desire to serve the Lord full-time, and give him no peace and rest until he submit to God’s will.

 

Yet just because a person thinks he is called to the full-time ministry, it does not necessarily ensure that he really is called by the Lord. This calling will be proved over time through the faithful exercise of the spiritual gifts that the Lord would equip him with.

 

Perhaps a good book to read on this issue would be "Lectures to My Students" by Charles Spurgeon.

 

2. What happens to the new born and the babies of Christian households during rapture?

Although this is not something that we can be dogmatic about, my conviction is that all infants and children will be raptured, just as children who die before the age of accountability (of children who are unable to discern between good and evil ref. Deuteronomy 1:39) will be saved. Although it is not explicitly stated, perhaps the closet proof text one can have in the Bible of this, is 2 Samuel 12:23, where David said after the death of his infant son with Bathsheba: "But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." David’s servants were surprised by his change of demeanour after his son died, for they expected him to mourn and continue to fast and weep. However David knew that while no amount of fasting or weeping would be able to bring his son back, yet he seemed certain that he will be able to meet his son one day.

 

3. How do I reply someone who says ‘I am not elected of God’

I would ask – how is he so certain that he is not elected, and is he willing to risk eternity in hell for this belief of his? It is likely that a person who makes such a statement is one who only knows a bit of theology, but then uses it as an excuse against accepting the gospel so that he can continue to live in sin and not have to repent. I will also ask him – how is it that you are so privileged to know this, because the doctrine of election is revealed only to God’s children and never to unbelievers. Did God really reveal to you that you are not elected?

 

It would be good to explain to this person on how election is something that was determined by God from before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3-4), and not something man can determine or decide for himself. At the same time, the call of the gospel is to all who will come, for Rev 22:17 tell us "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely". By declaring that he is not elect, this person is wilfully rejecting Christ and excluding himself from the hope of the gospel, and is most certainly condemning himself to eternity in the Lake of Fire (Matt 10:32-33). The doctrine of election is to assure the believer’s salvation in Christ and not to condemn a sinner so that he can use it to reject Christ.

 

4. I have accepted Christ as my Saviour. However when I pray and do my QT, I do not sense any difference or feel like there is a response. I am not sure how I should feel of if anything is supposed to happen. Am I a Christian?

It is hard to give a reliable assessment of one’s salvation just through a statement like that. What we do know is the Bible’s assurance to us in Romans 10:9 "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved". If you have true faith in Christ and have repented of your sins, then yes, you certainly are a Christian!

 

However, the Bible also tells us that true faith will manifest fruit in the believer’s life (John 15:2, Romans 6:22, Gal 5:22), and you will show forth works in your life (James 2:14-26). That is how we know we are saved – when we see in ourselves a desire to walk with the Lord according to the Scriptures, serve Him, and live lives that are glorifying to Him.

 

Part of this new life that we have in Christ is the relationship that we establish with him, and this is achieved through prayer and our daily devotions. It is something that is cultivated over time, and is indeed a great blessing to experience. However, this ‘sense of difference’ or ‘feeling’ is something subjective and hard to define. Our daily walk with God is not something that will always evoke a dramatic emotional response. It is rather a quiet abiding presence that will give us joy and peace in our hearts. The fact that you have a desire to pray and read God’s Word is a good sign and something that you must have patience to persevere in doing. I would encourage you to speak to mature brethren in church or to read some good Christian literature to find out more about how to pray and have a good daily devotion with the Lord.

 

5. Should we distinguish between active evangelism and passive evangelism? Should a Christian practice both?

The terms ‘active’ and ‘passive’ evangelism are not common Christian lingo. I would assume ‘active evangelism’ describes how a Christian actively goes out to witness and share the gospel to the people around him, and ‘passive evangelism’ to be more a silent witness, whereby through his life and conduct he presents Christ to the people around him.

 

I would say that yes there is certainly a difference between the two, and every Christian must practice both. It is not enough to just live a good life and expect people to automatically be interested in Christ through your life. Nobody is saved by such ‘passive evangelism’. Instead, one could perhaps see ‘passive evangelism’ as the pre-requisite that one must have in order for his ‘active evangelism’ to be effective, for if he does not have a life that exemplifies Christ, how can he convince others to follow a Christ whom he does not obey? This was the case with young Joseph when he was sold as a slave to Potiphar. Potiphar saw the LORD was with Joseph implying that Joseph lived a life of holiness (passive witness) and he told others including Potiphar about the LORD to distinguish himself from other slaves and their gods (active witness). Genesis 39:2-4"And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. 4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand." [Emphasis added] If Joseph had just lived a holy life and not mentioned the name of the LORD how would Potiphar know that it was the LORD who was with Joseph?

 

6. Is homosexuality from birth? What do we say to a homosexual when they say that being a homosexual isn’t wrong, and that God loves us no matter what, that he will not punish them for loving another human with the same gender and punish them for eternity? (Because God is all about forgiveness and love?)

This is a topic that is hotly debated, especially amongst Christian and religious circles. Although there have been many studies published, there is still no conclusive evidence to suggest that homosexuality is something that one has from birth, and that people have ‘no choice’ but to be a homosexual. Rather, there have also been studies that disprove the argument that homosexuality is something inherent in people, for there have been documented proof of how twins with identical DNA can have different sexual preferences.

 

Furthermore, even if it can be shown that there is a gene that is apparently responsible for one’s homosexual tendencies, yet it does not then justify action that the Bible clearly condemns. Just as a person who has a bad temper and is naturally prone to anger cannot use this as an argument to justify a murder, neither can one who claims to have homosexual desires say that he is guiltless in indulging in an act that the Bible denounces as an abomination.

 

Instead of debating over what scientists think or what man thinks is right or wrong, our standard must come from the Word of God. A person who makes the above statement, is one who clearly does not know God and His Word well. The Bible clearly states in Leviticus 20:13 that "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them". God’s Word is an unambiguous as possible, and states that this is an offence that is punishable by death, and the perpetrators of this sin are the ones who are solely responsible for it.

 

Likewise in the New Testament, Romans 1:26-27 describes the sin of homosexuality: "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."

 

The Bible clearly states that anyone who persistently and unrepentantly continues on in such ‘vile affections’ will receive the just recompence of eternal damnation.

 

Yes it is good to love one another and the Bible continually exhorts to do so. But to have an unnatural homosexual relationship is not love at all, but sinful lust, and is an abomination to God. Just as God would punish an adulterous person, even though he claims to ‘love’ the person he is having an affair with, likewise would God punish people who claim to ‘love’ one of the same gender and have a sexual relationship with them.

 

Yes God is a God of love and forgiveness, but this forgiveness only comes to one who acknowledges his sin and repents. If he insists that what he is doing is not a sin, and demands that God accepts him for who he is, then there is no forgiveness but only judgment for him. All sin must be repented of and this includes the sin of homosexuality. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." [Emphasis added] There were homosexuals in the church in Corinth who came to know Christ and gave up their homosexual way of life. If they do not they will have no inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.

 

7. How do we share the gospel with a friend who is a homosexual?

We share the gospel with a friend who is a homosexual in the same way that we share the gospel with anyone else – to tell him that he is a sinner who needs to repent and believe in Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

For the friend who is a homosexual, he must acknowledge that he is living in sin, and if he is in a homosexual relationship then he must cease all such activity and repent. If he does so, and by faith believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, then he can be saved!