My dear readers,

Questions Posed at CPBPC’s Annual Church Camp (10-15 June 2019) – Part 10

Question: If a person is not baptised (maybe not ready to be baptised yet, etc) but professes that he is a believer, are we to judge and say that he isn’t saved? Is this not between the person and God?

Reply: All believers are commanded by God to be sober and watchful as they witness and serve Christ in this sin-filled world. It is especially the duty of the church leaders to watch and protect the flock of God. Being able to discern who is and who is not a believer is one of the most effective ways to be vigilant. One of the clearest ways to determine if a person is or is not a true believer is to evaluate his doctrines. For example, if he does not believe that Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary, or that Christ is not the Son of God, or there are no miracles in the Bible, or he attacks Christ’s wisdom by saying that Christ was unhygienic when He used His saliva to heal – these are some very clear indications of the person’s state of condemnation and that he will not inherit God's kingdom.

Another way to determine is his life of sin without repentance. The following two passages of the Bible are very clear on this point. 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, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 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.” Galatians 5:19-21: “ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

The sacrament of water baptism belongs to this category as well in ascertaining a person’s confession.

The Bible teaches that the only reason a professing believer ought not to be baptized is when he is clearly not born again. If he is truly born again, then the desire to be baptized would be strong and real. He cannot wait to publicly proclaim to the world that he is a child of God and belongs to Jesus Christ. The overwhelming desire to tell the world that Jesus Christ is now his Lord and Saviour and that he will from henceforth bear a holy witness for Christ is irresistible. This desire is not from him or of man. It is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit who indwells the child of God that gives him this new desire that he never experienced before. Acts 8:36-37 reveals this truth. Immediately after the Ethiopian eunuch accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour through the ministry of Philip, he was convicted to be baptized. “ And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

The phrase “not ready to be baptized yet” is a reflection of the influence of the deadly compromise of neo-evangelicalism that has infected all of 21 ^st century Christianity. The cancer of neo-evangelicalism is a man-centered evil whereby man interprets his life of obedience to Christ in terms of his personal benefits and convenience. The often asked question is “Does water baptism save?” The reason behind such a question is: “If not, then why should I be baptized?” The evil teaching is to postpone baptism to a later date when the “professing believer” is “ready”! This readiness often involves his parents or job or girl/boy friend. God’s command in the sacrament of water baptism being the first clear evidence of the believer's newfound faith is conveniently ignored!

There is no biblical reason for a person to postpone his baptism once he is able to do so as an adult, unless he is not truly born again. If he is, the drive in him to obey God would be so great that he would want it done as soon as possible. It is a clear evidence of his onward faith and trust in Christ that he has never experienced before. He wants to tell the whole world that he is now a child of God! Anyone who does not wish to do so in order to please his parents is denying Christ. Jesus has these words of warning for anyone who reasons this way. Matthew 10:32-37: “ Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” The professing believer is denying Christ when he decides to please his parents rather than Christ! The LORD’s warning is that He will also deny him before God! This is a serious warning from the Lord of salvation Himself! All adult believers who have confessed Christ as Lord and Saviour must realize that the first command of their LORD is to obey Him by getting baptized as a believer and to not be ashamed of Him and to make a public declaration for Christ’s glory that He has saved them from their sin.

It is not man who is judging the professing believer who deliberately does not want to be baptized even when he can do so. It is Jesus Christ who judges such a person.

Question: Do we need to give tithes if we are in debt?

Reply: The doctrine of tithe and offering is very much abused and misunderstood today because of the distorted emphasis of the health-and-wealth gospel of the Charismatics. Before salvation, materialism and mammon were the most important things in a sinner’s life. He believed that the more mammon he possesses, the easier the problems of poverty in life would be resolved. He would be happy and enjoy peace of mind. Sadly he was deceived by the god of this world. Many have found that by the time they reached their goal of obtaining all the mammon that they could spend, their life is spent and they are encumbered with a new set of problems they never knew existed. They have replaced the problems of poverty with the problems that come with wealth. Having more mammon does not bring peace at all. It is a lie of the devil! To the child of God, mammon becomes the least important thing in his life that he has learned to stop seeking after. He understands the spiritual realm where the souls of men, women and children and the Bible and all things eternal and spiritual are of greater and utmost importance. To pray and fellowship with brothers and sisters-in-Christ are indispensible to him. These bring great joy and encouragement to his soul and his walk with Christ, his Saviour and Lord.

Learning to give because the believer loves his Lord is now a joy and a privilege and not a chore or a burden. 2 Corinthians 9:6-11: “ But this I say, He which
soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.” The only basis for giving is the believer’s love for his Lord. A child of God ought not to approach God empty-handed in worship. All children of God must give of their tithes and offerings. The meaning of the word “tithe” is ten percent. Offerings would be designated love gifts on top of the tithes. Both must be based upon judicious and prayerful giving.

The Old Testament people of God were charged for robbing God when they did not give. This was what God said to them in Malachi 3:7-12: “ Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.” It is a privilege and duty to give so that the work of God may continue from strength to strength. From the very birth of the local church witness, the people gave to help those who did not have. They shared liberally, constrained by the love of Christ.

Living in Singapore is living in a debt-filled society. Almost all of us are in debt one way or another (except for students) when we enter into the working world, marry or live on our own. However having debts cannot be a reason for not giving. Not being a child of God is the only reason for not giving. The unbeliever cannot give in a manner that is pleasing to God anyway. The reason is he is an enemy of God due to his sins against God and his depravity. But once he is born again, the gratitude in his heart will naturally compel him to give.

Question: What should a Christian’s opinion on censorship be?

Reply: Censorship is important in a believer’s life. A godly parent should censor whatever evil his child is exposed to. He knows that living in a sin-filled world means the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe in Christ (cf. 2 Cor 4:4). The Christian parent also knows that his child was conceived and born with a sinful nature where the lusts of the flesh and eyes and pride of life dominate him. He needs to teach his child the way of God by providing for his child a Christ-centred home environment where the Word of God is taught and obeyed. This means that all bad influences will be censored from the home. This censorship continues till the child grows into adulthood and leaves home. When the child becomes a believer the child ought to practise self-censorship whereby he will avoid sinful influences in his life. He is careful who his friends are. He avoids places and activities that will corrupt his witness for Christ.

The believer knows that if he is careless and associates with the wrong people, he will become like them in their sinful ways especially through long-term associations. The Bible says in Proverbs 22:24-25: “ Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.” If he makes friends with angry people their bad conduct will rub off on him. The child of God must make righteous judgments and stay away from such people who will make him carnal and not godly! The idea of freedom of speech and writing and the arts are all the smoke screens of the devil to promote debauchery and wantonness so that sins may abound. Children of God are commanded by God to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. In things sinful and malicious be a child, but in things spiritual and godly be men! 1 Corinthians 14:20: “ Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.” A child who does not know much does not need to experience sin to know that sins are destructive and deadly. Sin kills! But in all things spiritual and holy, with many of such experiences, be men as men have much experience of things in life. Have lots of experiences in godly things!

Censorship is very good for societies and children of God as they limit the evil that we are exposed to.