My dear readers,

Answering Remaining Questions from Calvary Pandan Church Camp 2023 (5)

Question 1: Is the mind of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit the same thing or different things?

Answer 1: Both are God’s teaching to bless every believer’s heart. In the case of “the mind of Christ,” God wants believers to know that they have been enabled to understand and obey the Bible. 1 Corinthians 2:14-16: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” Every believer is able to think like Christ, i.e. according to Holy Scriptures. It does not mean that the mind is suddenly filled with the knowledge of the Bible. It means that every believer is now duty-bound to fill this mind, given to them by Christ, with the knowledge of Christ, i.e. the Bible.

The “indwelling of the Holy Spirit” is the Holy Spirit (the third Person in the Holy Trinity) dwelling in the believer. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the seal of the believer’s salvation. Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit the person is not born again in Christ. Romans 8:10-14: “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” When the sinner accepts Christ as Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ sees his sincerity and acceptance and baptizes him with the Holy Spirit. That is when the Holy Spirit will enter and dwell in the believer. The Spirit will help him to understand the Word of God.

The two doctrines are different, and yet they are related. With salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer, he possesses the mind of Christ and the Spirit helps him to understand the Bible. Without either, the person is not a believer and cannot understand the Bible. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, the believer cannot understand the Bible even though he has the mind of Christ. He needs the help of the Holy Spirit to do so. Without Christ's mind, he is not a believer, the Holy Spirit is not dwelling in him, and he cannot understand the Bible. One can perhaps say that the mind of Christ is the product of the Holy Spirit dwelling in the believer thus making him a spiritual person whose mind is the mind of Christ.

Question 2: Does exercising love towards parents in the Lord mean we always obey them in literally everything as long as it is not against Scripture? When do children get to exercise more independence? Is it only when they reach 18, or 21, or even only when they get married?

Answer 2: The Bible is clear that children are to obey their parents in the Lord as long as what they are told to do does not contradict the teaching of the Bible. Ephesians 6:1-3: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” The developmental growth of every child to adulthood is from dependence to independence to interdependence. Every parent must bring their children up to be independent.

When the children marry or become a close friend to someone as an adult, they become interdependent. This developmental growth cannot be bypassed. If a child is still emotionally dependent on parents (even though financially independent) and enters into a relationship, that relationship will not work. In a relationship, both parties must be emotionally and mentally independent to carry each other’s emotional well-being. If one is still dependent on parents to be emotionally stable and strong, and leaves home because of marriage, the marriage will soon fall apart as it is being held together by one party.

Some children grow up faster than others, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. There is no fixed age when the child begins to make independent decisions. Some wise parents will teach their children to make “independent” decisions by guiding and explaining to them before or after decisions are made. When parents let go and let the child make his own decisions depends on the child and the parents’ upbringing. An age limit cannot be set. Many middle-aged people are capable in their professions earning a healthy salary, but they are like children in their emotional quotient. They sulk and throw tantrums when others disagree with them. They cannot face rejection. They are like a child in a man’s body.

Our world of the computer has contributed significantly to this emotional fallout. Many cocoon themselves in the privacy of their virtual world (some do not even leave their room or house). They do not know how to relate to real people. They struggle with making conversation. They are very self-conscious and feel as if people are staring at them and talking about them. They cannot accept rejection or disagreement. They suffer from an inferiority complex. They prefer to hide. Their safe haven is their room and computer. One moment they can be having a normal conversation, and the next they clam up and sulk.

Every Christian needs to grow emotionally. That happens when they meet real people. When they learn to overcome differences and arguments growing up, they grow emotionally. Avoiding people is the best way to remain emotionally immature. Such a person cannot make independent decisions properly.

Question 3: The BP movement has an unwanted reputation, no oneness, strong in doctrine but cold, and lack love. Always fighting, separating, and separating. Now playing musical chairs. True?

Answer 3: The B-P movement has a reputation of being a no-nonsense denomination because of its public stand on fundamentalism in the 1970’s, especially during the Billy Graham Crusade when Bible-Presbyterians stood outside the stadium entrance warning people to not attend the crusade because of Billy Graham’s compromises. The B-Ps were right about Billy Graham. This militant stand of the B-P movement was well known in Singapore and the B-P churches were quite unpopular. Christ was very unpopular to the enemies of God, but not to His faithful disciples.

What is a cold and lack-of-love church like? Is it a church that does not knowingly care when someone falls? Or intentionally does not help when someone cries for help? Conversely, what is a hot and full-of-love church like? Is it a church that hugs every member when they come to church for worship every Sunday? Or a church where everyone smiles? Closeness among members can be seen during times of adversities. For example, when the Bible is attacked, how close are we in defending it as a body of Christ? When there are disagreements or personal hurts, do we forgive and reconcile, or will we tear one another apart? Closeness among believers depends on their closeness to God in Christ, which depends on their knowledge of and obedience to the Word of God. The disparaging of “strong in doctrine” is sad. Strong in doctrine must be in head and heart knowledge; love that is anchored in God’s truth, holiness, and righteousness will bring true closeness. Without truth, love becomes sentimentalism and rich in feelings only but bankrupt of God-honouring sincere actions.

That all churches have room for improvement is a universal truth. Every church is cared for by sinners saved by grace who are not perfect but who always seek holiness in their lives. “Fightings” or “disagreements” are found in every church. This is inevitable. The key to determining whether it is pleasing to God is to find out the nature of the fights. If the reason behind the fighting is sin, then it is wrong. But if the fighting or disagreement is because of the need to defend the Word of God or the Name of Christ or the biblical necessity to exercise church discipline, then such fightings are acceptable in the sight of God.

When a church is holy and doing God’s work fervently, the devil hates it and will try to destroy it from within and without. 1 Timothy 6:12: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”Jude 3: “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Let’s be on our guard to not be used by the devil.