Rev (Dr) Quek Suan Yew

Church Camp Questions III

1. Is there anything wrong with listening to non-Christian music that does not have sinful lyrics / music?
Answer – When the question is asked in this manner, obviously the answer is no, it is not wrong. It is not wrong to sing the national anthem. It is not wrong to listen to songs that are not sinful in any way. (Note: what constitutes sinful music has to be clearly defined. It is not as subjective as one thinks. We need to look at the associations with “rock and roll” music and the ecumenical movement like the music of the Charismatics, contemporary Christian music, and new age music, etc. Most classical music is fine. Not a few children’s songs and music are fine.) We live in a world where the common grace of God has allowed us to live in many countries in an orderly manner. God made it possible for mankind to create and build and invent things for all to enjoy and use. There are many things that believers can do in the world that are not wrong.
But the believer cannot say that all things in the world are safe and good for him. To say that all things that are of the world will hurt us is also wrong. He has to be careful. This applies to the music and songs that he listens to. For example, in the time of the OT when God gave the dietary laws to Israel, it was to regulate their lives as a reminder to them that they were God’s people and were not to live like the people of the world. What they were allowed to eat was called by God as clean. What they were not allowed to eat was called unclean. Among the clean animals and birds, only a select few were allowed by God to be used as offerings to God for sin offering and burnt offering. This demarcation teaches us that there are things that are good enough for man to consume but are not good enough for God i.e. for man to use for worship before God. Believers as Gentile witnesses today face the same issues. There are things in the world that are permitted for personal consumption but must not be used for worship. If a husband wishes to serenade his wife it is fine for him to choose an appropriate song to do so. He must not use a hymn that is meant for the worship of God to serenade his wife.
However, there are other considerations rather than just “right” or “wrong” in matters for the believer's personal consumption. Expediency is one of the major considerations crucial in the believer's life. His witness for Christ is at stake, and not what he wants or does not want. His desires must be subservient to what Christ wants for him since it is Christ’s Name and Image that he must promote and not his own. These are two passages in the Bible that teach this truth clearly. 1 Corinthians 6:12-13 “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.” 1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” What we do must help us in our witness or build up our faith or the faith of others. These are additional considerations that must be taken to heart by the believer when he decides to listen to these songs and music. God’s glory and the believer's spiritual wellbeing are two very important considerations that must be applied wisely to ensure they are not compromised.
Another consideration is the motive behind his actions. Sinful actions like fornication, adultery, stealing, and lying are wrong in themselves regardless of the person’s motive. There is no justification for these actions. But when the action is not wrong in itself, then the motive behind the action is the deciding factor. It can turn “a not wrong action” into something sinful because the motive is sinful. For example, there is nothing wrong with tracting or teaching or preaching the Word of God but when the motive is to promote self, then the action of this person is sinful because it is not done to the glory of God. This is applied to the songs we listen to as well.

2. Write down a Bible verse to help make the right decision in the following situation: A student caught his classmate cheating in the midst of an examination. What should he do?

Answer – The best guideline from God’s perfect and holy Word to guide us in our decision making is 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.” The glory of God means to do all things according to Holy Scriptures and constrained by the love of Christ. There must be no joy or hidden agenda when he tells the invigilator about the classmate’s cheating.

It is the believer’s responsibility to always do what is right. The reason is that he knows that his Heavenly Father is in control. This is a test for him to do what is right no matter what the cost might be. He might lose friends in the process, but for the honour of Christ, i.e. by doing what is right, he is honouring Christ and is also actually helping his cheating friend. He has delivered his friend’s soul by his action. Ezekiel 33:7-9 “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”

3. It appears to us that Pandan’s focus over the past few years has been holiness and righteous living as a personal witness. What has, unfortunately, also crept in, whether one realises it or not, is that salvation in Pandan has become a works-based salvation – not works as a means of salvation but works as evidence of salvation. Pandan is now a place only for the ‘good-enough’ Christian, the one who is spiritually ‘up there’. Where is the place for the struggling Christian? The suffering Christian? The confused Christian? The lost Christian? The backslidden Christian? There is none. Or if there is, it is not known. These people are just told that there is something wrong in their spiritual life or that they should check their salvation.
Jesus said in Matt 9:12-13- “But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Can something be done to bring this mercy back to Pandan?

Answer – The reason CPBPC emphasizes much on the Word of God and especially salvation is because we are living in the last days. Jesus warns us that in the last days there will be a falling away of Christianity. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” [Emphasis added] False salvation is on the increase. The reason is that the false gospel is being preached globally at a level never seen before in the history of the church mainly due to the speed of communication through the internet and the last days we are living in. There are more false believers in our age and time than in any period of church history.

CPBPC is very concerned for the salvation of all who come. As salvation is personal and begins from within the heart, it is important that everyone is reminded to check his own salvation. One of the best ways, if not the best way, is the evidence of salvation. Gentile believers like us are surrounded by idolatry and everything in our culture that originated from idolatry, coupled with the last days deception, thus reminding worshippers to check their salvation by way of the evidence of salvation such as holy living is what God wants. CPBPC is very aware of the reality of hell and the last days deception. Once a person dies and he finds that he is hell, he’ll know that he has died in sin. It would be too late for him to escape. But if he checks his soul now through the emphasis of salvation, and he repents and truly comes to know Christ, he is delivered from hell. Isn’t that mercy? Note the warning about the last days as taught by God in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Exhorting hearers to check their salvation is what the Bible teaches. CPBPC is obeying what God says in His holy and perfect Word. Furthermore, Christ warns us that on the day of judgement it will be revealed that many who confessed that they sincerely believe that they are believers on earth, including doing Christian things, are actually not. These Christian things are what the Charismatics claim to characterize their version of Christianity including prophesying, casting out demons and doing miracles. But they are not believers at all! The Bible teaches in Philippians 2:12 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Matthew 7:21-23 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” This is a frightening revelation. CPBPC knows that there are friends from Charismatic backgrounds worshiping with us and we are concerned for their salvation. If they have been given the health and wealth gospel and this is the gospel they believed in, then they do not have true salvation. What is described in Matthew 7 applies to them. Is it not mercy to warn them of their impending doom if they are not born again?

The mercy of God is always freely available to all, like an inexhaustible container waiting to be given out to anyone who would come. But mercy is given only when there is repentance. For example, if a sinner does not accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour after the gospel is shared, he will not receive the mercies of God and he will die in his sin. God will send him to hell. We cannot say that God is not merciful when He does this because God is also holy and righteous. Any version of mercy that comes at the expense of righteousness and holiness is not mercy at all. God’s mercy is based upon holiness, truth and righteousness. Mercy is not “sweeping transgressions, iniquities and sins under the carpet”. It is by genuine repentance when a person turns to God through Christ. When the sinner repents, there is definitely forgiveness. The restoration of the sinner from his sin is mercy indeed. That is why warnings against living in sin have to be preached. Holy living has to be emphasized for mercy to be applied and experienced by all, without exception.

The context of Matthew 9:12-13 is: the Pharisees rebuked that Christ ought not to eat, i.e. have fellowship, with the publicans (tax collectors) and sinners. This would make Christ spiritually unclean. Matthew 9:11-13 “And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? 12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Jesus replied them by saying that He came to save them. If He does not reach out to them, how is He going to save them?! Using the illustration of a physician and a sick person, Jesus says that only the ones who are sick would see a doctor. The sinners and publicans knew that they were spiritually sick, i.e. were in sin, and were in need of Christ as their Saviour. The Pharisees were self righteous because of their strict adherence to their oral traditions of sacrifice, i.e. a life of do’s and don’ts. Christ rebuked them in turn, hoping that they would be convicted of their self righteousness and repent of their sin and turn to Christ as their Lord and Saviour. This was what Christ meant when He said “I will have mercy and not sacrifice.” The Pharisees had to stop trying to earn salvation by their so-called good works which were grossly insufficient to save them. All they needed to do was to repent and show forth fruits of repentance by living a holy life. This is what CPBPC is also preaching.

The church is made up of struggling Christians. All of us are struggling. This is what the Bible teaches in Romans 7:22-25 “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” All believers desire to live a holy life perfectly without sinning but know that that is not possible. This tension exists in all born again believers. The desire and the practical reality is the believer's constant battle. There is no such thing as a “good enough” Christian. No one is good enough, for all are saved by grace through Christ. All believers continue to depend on God’s grace and mercies to live daily. The solution to get out of the state and condition of lethargy in our Christian life is to pray without ceasing, study the Word of God daily as our daily spiritual food, and surrender our life completely to the Lord which are what the Bible teaches in Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34 and Luke 9:23. The Lord will help us. The indwelling Holy Spirit will strengthen, guide and sustain us. We all live daily by God’s grace and lean upon Him for daily support especially when we fall. Proverbs 3:1-6 is one of the many passages of the Word of God that helps all believers to be strong in the Lord.

The hallmark of a believer’s witness is holiness (cf. Lev. 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7; 1Peter 1:15-16). He witnesses for Christ in this world where Satan is the god of this world who has blinded the minds of the people who are in the world. The system of the world is run by these “blind” people who do not know that they are doing the will of the devil. 2 Corinthians 4:3-7 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” [Emphasis added]

As the believer serves in such an environment, he will be affected by these “blind” people, by Satan and the ideas and philosophies of the world. That is why the epistles in the NT as well as the major and minor prophets warn and rebuke believers throughout the ages to be holy because their God is holy. Holiness means to get rid of sin by genuine repentance and to continue to live a life according to God’s holy and perfect Word. In this way the believer will not defile the Name of Christ. If he does not listen and he continues to defile the Name of Christ by calling himself a Christian and not living the life of a Christian, he mars the name of Christ badly and God will discipline. God disciplines because he loves the believer. Hebrews 12:6-7 “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” CPBPC loves all worshippers and so we preach what the Bible teaches as this is the way God loves too.

4. How should a Christian YFer or YAFer encourage his or her parents who are long-time Christians to be a better Christian testimony at home and work (i.e. serving in church, doing Quiet Time, not working on Sundays) WHILE honouring them still?
Answer – The key is to pray for them daily and always bear a godly witness at home, in school and in church. They need to see the transforming power of the living witness of Christ in the Christian so that they might know that they are in sin and need to repent and return back to the Lord. They have forgotten that the life of a believer is the abundant life. It is a powerful life of victory over sin and temptations. It is also a life where the mercies of God are always readily available to all who repent and return back unto the Lord. In certain situations, talking is not the best way to help someone but rather the testimony.

5. How should parents teach their young children the Bible (at home)? E.g. which chapters to begin, how to explain the more difficult (or repetitive verses, etc.)
Answer – The starting point is salvation. Use Christian books suitable to the age of the child. If you wish to use the Bible, then the gospel of John is a good book to begin with as it was specifically written for the purpose of knowing that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ. John 20:30-31 “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” You can also use a good Christian children’s devotional to read to help the children understand what the Christian life is like but be careful to discern its contents and even the format of its prayers.
The explanation of hard passages of the Bible comes with more learning and studying of God's Word. It is a life time of learning that stops only when we enter heaven. Ask the leaders of the church or write to your pastor and they will be more than willing to help you understand difficult passages of the Bible. Pray with them and for them always. Be a holy and godly example to your children, for this is the best way to teach them. Then your children will be able to see Christ in your life and not just hear about Christ from your lips.

6. Deut 19:14 says that the Israelites were not allowed to move their neighbour’s landmark because God gave the land as inheritance. So in 1 Sam 8 when Samuel said the king would take the land of the people to give as reward, was he allowed to do so according to Deut 19:14?
Answer – Deut 19:14 teaches that the Jews were forbidden to steal their neighbour’s property by shifting the landmark to gain more land for themselves. This was during the time of theocracy whereby God ruled Israel as King. When Israel asked for an earthly king like all the nations of the world, then their lives changed forever. One of the major changes was the embargo of properties by the king especially bad kings. This was true in the days of king Ahab whose wife was Jezebel. She murdered Naboth to take his property to give to her husband Ahab for him to build his summer house.

7. [Context: personal conflicts and not an attack against God’s Word]
If two people in church have been hurt but have forgiven each other,

(i) Can a person be said to be truly repentant if restitution is not made / excuses for not being able to make restitution?
(ii) In the same context stated above, are there legitimate reasons or situations whereby restitution cannot be made?

Answer – It depends on the nature of the restitution. If the restitution is monetary in nature then the debtor ought to repay even if it means a little at a time. If the restitution involves a life that has been lost then it is not possible except through some form of monetary restitution. If the person who has sinned is able to make restitution then it is important that he does so as evidence or fruit of genuine repentance.

However, when you find that the person has repented but is not able to make restitution no matter how hard he tries, then it is compassionate and right to forgive and suffer the loss. Inform the person that he does not need to make any restitution and all is forgiven. This was what God did for us in Christ (cf. Matthew 18:1-14). This has to be done judiciously and always on a case by case basis bearing in mind that the purpose is to help.