23 17. The Alien and Prayer
17. The Alien and Prayer
INTRODUCTION This lesson would not be necessary were it not for some erroneous ideas that have been and are now being taught in reference to the alien sinner and prayer. We should ever desire the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth on every subject that comes before us for consideration. The statement, "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts," should be remembered. (Psalms 51:6.) God is with that soul that trembles at his word and remembers him in his ways. (Isaiah 64:5;Isaiah 66:2.) We should enter this study, therefore hungering for the truth on it. So often is the question asked: "Will God hear a sinner’s prayer?" As a rule, when this question is asked, the alien sinner is meant. There are, at least, four questions that should be considered in connection with this subject.
WILL GOD LISTEN TO A SINNER PRAY?
There is a sense in which we must consider ourselves sinners every day we live. Here I refer to the fact that the Bible teaches that "there is none holy as Jehovah" (1 Samuel 2:2); that "there is no man that sinneth not" (1 Kings 8:46); that there is no one who can "discern his errors" (Psalms 19:12); that "surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not" (Ecclesiastes 7:20); that "in many things we all stumble" (James 3:2); that "if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us ;" and that "if we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (1 John 1:8; 1 John 1:10). What is known as the law of works was based on God’s holiness, and it demanded sinless perfection, else damnation. (Galatians 3:10.) The only way to be justified by that law was to live without sinning in thought, word, act, and imagination from the day of accountability till death. That law was holy, spiritual, righteous, and good. (See Romans 7:12; Romans 7:14.) But, in the eyes of that law, every accountable being on earth is shown to be a sinner. (See Romans 3:19-20.) Even Jesus, while tabernacled in the fleshly body, objected to being called good (Mark 10:17-18)—not that he ever sinned, but, being in the flesh, he was a partaker of humanity and could not claim the superlative goodness that belonged only to God. Study the question, "Who can understand his errors?" and you will soon come to realize that man, at his very best, falls short, somewhere and somehow, unconsciously. But none of the Scriptures cited even intimate that we have to consciously, knowingly sin. We must consider ourselves sinners—all of our holiness and sanctification as relative and not absolute. "There is none holy as Jehovah." The active, conscious sinner God will not hear. Here there is abundant proof: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Psalms 66:18); "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Jehovah; but the prayer of the upright is his delight ;" "Jehovah is far from the wicked; but he heareth the prayer of the righteous" (Proverbs 15:8; Proverbs 15:29); "Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry, but shall not be heard" (Proverbs 21:13); "He that tumeth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination" (Proverbs 28:9).
Consider here the reasoning of the man born blind. Read the whole story. (John 9:1-34.) The Pharisees claimed that Jesus was a sinner—an active sinner—because he violated, as they thought, the Sabbath law. The blind man’s reply and his logic is worthy of our thinking. "Why, herein is the marvel, that ye know not whence he is, and yet he opened mine eyes." Note in verse 29 the Pharisees claim that they do not know from whence Christ is. They had told the blind man to give glory to God, that Jesus is a sinner. Read verses 12-30. Here are blind leaders, who are indeed bond servants of sin, bound and tied with their own prejudices. The blind man’s argument is:
God hears not sinners. (See Proverbs 15:8; Proverbs 15:29; Proverbs 28:9.) This man was a Jew. He knew, and he knew that these Pharisees knew, what the law taught. This means active sinners—those who consciously engage in sin. ( See Psalms 66:18. )
Jesus could do nothing unless God heard him. (See verse 33.) But Jesus did do something—he opened the man’s eyes. The inevitable conclusion, then, is that he cannot be a sinner—that he is from God. This argument the Pharisees could not answer; so they jeer at him, accuse him of being a sinner, and they cast him out. How mean is prejudice! And though it is cruel, its greatest cruelty is to the one who possesses it. The blind man’s statement is often quoted to prove that God will not hear an alien pray. The idea here is, God will hear no active sinner pray, let him be in the church or out of it. Whether in the church or out of it, we must cease to consciously listen to the devil if we are to expect an audience with God. We cease to be active sinners the moment we become penitent of sins and cease to consciously sin.
WILL GOD LISTEN TO AN UNBAPTIZED MAN PRAY?
God will hear anyone who will hear him, and he begins to listen the very moment we begin to listen or desire to know what his will is. "Fear not, Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand, and to humble thyself before thy God, thy words were heard: and I am come for thy words’ sake." (Daniel 10:12.) That soul has not come to know God as he indeed is who could doubt God’s listening to anyone who is trying to listen to him.
Examples of those whom he has heard. The reference to Daniel above might be answered by saying he was in covenant relationship with God; but my answer is that the Scripture there sets forth a principle that holds good for every soul. But we have examples of unbaptized people whom God heard, and this should settle the question.
Cornelius.You should begin at Acts 10:1, and read the whole chapter and down to verse 18 in chapter 11. You will learn the following facts: (a) He was an unsaved man and needed to know what to do to be saved. (See Acts 11:13-14.) The angel that came to him was a warning angel, hence made him know that he must get this needed information. (See Acts 10:22.) But God heard his prayer. (See Acts 10:30-31.)He had never been baptized, but needed to be so commanded, and this is what Peter told him to do. (See Acts 10:48.)
It is contended by some that he was not an alien, but was in covenant relationship with God under the Patriarchal Dispensation. But Paul, in Ephesians 2:11-12, says he was an alien. Turn and read it. But Cornelius wanted to hear God. Cornelius knew all about the history of Christ—his wonderful works— but did not know he had a right to the salvation he offered. Read Acts 10:34-38.
Saul. Turn to Acts 9:10-11 and you will find Christ telling Ananias that Saul is praying, and that God had sent him a vision telling him the name of the man who was to be sent to him to tell him what he must do.
There is no need of giving other examples. Here we have two examples of God’s listening to unbaptized people praying, and he listened just because they wanted to hear him. They were hungering f or the truth. You go to Acts 8:26-40 and ask the question: Why did Jesus direct Philip into the road that led to deserted Gaza? There is only one answer: A man who wanted to hear God had been up to Jerusalem to worship, and he was a praying man, and God listened to him. Go to Acts 16:15 and ask the question: Why did Christ direct Paul, Silas, and Timothy to Philippi? There is just one answer—viz., a prayer meeting was being held just out of the city, and God had been "listening in," and sent them the needed men to tell them what to do.
WILL CHRIST GIVE THE UNBAPTIZED MAN REMISSION OF SINS IN PRAYER?
There can be but one answer to this, and that is, No! And if you want the proof, we introduce:
Cornelius. Go back and read it again. The angel found him in prayer, at prayer. Did he tell him that he was in the right place, doing the right thing, and just to pray on until God gave him pardon. Certainly not. He told him that he must send for Peter and let him tell him words whereby he and his house should be saved. If Christ would not give him pardon in prayer, how can you think he will give us, while aliens, pardon in prayer? "God is no respecter of persons;" but he would be if he gives aliens pardon now in prayer and refused to do so for Cornelius and his house.
Saul. Read Acts 9:1-19; Acts 22:16. Christ had met him and talked with him. Saul had cried out: "Who art thou, Lord?" Christ had answered: "Rise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." He went into the city, and was so anxious to know what this was that he must do that he could neither eat nor drink until he found out; hence, he fasted and prayed for the three days while he was waiting for someone to come and tell him what to do. Not only is this true, but Christ let him have a vision, revealing unto him in this vision just what the man’s name was who would be sent to him to tell him. But he did not get remission until he was told what to do for the remission of sins and did it—viz.: "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name." (See Acts 22:16.)
Christ has a law of pardon to aliens. It matters not who he was, how many angels he had seen, or if he had seen Christ and talked with him, he must comply with it. That law is: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16.) Peter, who had the keys of the kingdom (Matthew 16:18-19), first gave this law to aliens on Pentecost. (Acts 2:37-38.)
SOME ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS
We must ask according to his will. "And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us." (1 John 5:14.) Our prayer must be in harmony with his will, then. It is not his will to give an alien pardon in prayer. This we have learned in the case of Cornelius and also in the case of Saul. But where is the Scripture that teaches that it is not his will to listen to any honest heart who is seeking to know what to do to be saved and praying to know?
It matters not how honest and sincere we may be, if we ask him to do something contrary to his will, he will not do it. We ask that you turn to Numbers 12:9-14. Here is as good a man as Moses forgetting for the moment God’s law as to how the unclean was to be cleansed. Miriam was his own sister. This, with the pleading words of Aaron, caused Moses to cry out: "Heal her, O God, I beseech thee." But did God heal her now? He certainly did not. He reminded Moses of the law, had her shut out of the camp seven days according to the law, then healed her.
THE ADVANTAGES THE CHILD OF GOD HAS OVER THE ALIEN The way some teach, there is no advantage in being a child of God. But John teaches there is: "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are."(lJohn 3:1.) But what is there to behold if the alien can obtain pardon as quickly as the child of God? The child of God can obtain pardon in a moment’s time. Remission of sins in prayer is a privilege of a child of God and not of an alien. An illustration: Suppose it is election day and two men are at the voting place. One is a citizen of these United States, the other is a citizen of another nation. What advantage has the citizen here over the alien? Much every way. All he has to do is to drop his vote in. Not so with the alien; he must comply with the laws of naturalization before he can vote. Remission of sins in prayer is promised only to a child of God. But God listens to aliens when they begin to listen to him and seek to know how to become citizens of his kingdom, just as we do when foreigners begin to ask how to become citizens of this nation.