Romans 8:29d-30

Predestined. Justified. Glorified.

Prepared by Dr. John E. Marshall

 

Romans 8:29d  (Holman)  . . .so that He would be the firstborn among

many brothers.

 

         God wants His adopted children to look like His only begotten Son. He wants believers to carry this family resemblance, the image of Christ.

         God intends to take sinners, who are ugly, and make them like Jesus, who is lovely. Jesus' face is ultimate beauty to God the Father, who wants that face reflected in millions of mirrors made from the faces of His saints.

         The Father is working at making us replicas of Christ. It is reasonable for God to do this. Jesus pictures what people were originally meant to be. God is only trying to make us what we were supposed to be in the first place.

         Look at Jesus. See what we are meant to be, and aim at it every day. Commune with Him and let His Holy Spirit conform you to Himself. This is our reason for being a Christian, our purpose as a believer. By remembering this, we avoid bitterness and rebellion when suffering. Since affliction helps make us like Jesus, we should not rebel beneath it.

          A lady expressed sorrow at the pain of a friend, who said, "It's just an answer to prayer. I've long prayed to be conformed to the image of Christ. That's the end I seek. This is the means. I would rather suffer than sin any day." Refuse nothing Jesus our pattern had to endure, including a cross.

 

Romans 8:30a And those He predestined,…

 

         In God's mind, our salvation was accomplished before the foundation of the world. He foreknew those who would be His, and predestined they would be conformed to the image of His Son. This is all because of grace.

         Every person deserved to be in Hell, separated forever from God. An individual's appreciation for God's salvation will never amount to much unless this truth is applied to one's own self. None of us deserve to be saved.

         Nevertheless, God determined that He would take some of us to Heaven in spite of our sin. God refused to let His Justice solely dominate His handling of us. He determined that Grace and mercy should be shown.

         Never mention Hell when discussing predestination. Hell is what all people deserve. Predestination is God's way of providing a means whereby some can be spared that horrible fate. The blessed doctrine of election is a comfort to the saints, and should only be discussed with regard to believers.

We rejoice in it though we cannot fully understand it. We broadcast the Sovereignty of God, and yet plead with people as if they are totally responsible for their decision. We hold both to be true. Scripture teaches sovereignty and free will. We will never in this life bridge the gap between the two. Though seemingly contradictory, we hold both with equal fervency.

         Failure to grasp both doctrines has caused much pain in the church. Clinging solely to predestination stifles the zeal in churches. It also spawned the anti-mission sentiment that has repeatedly troubled Baptists. Stressing free will too much has led to the doctrine of "losing one's salvation."

         This is one area in which the church's intellect must not be allowed to tamper with her faith. We fully understand neither doctrine, but believe both.

 

Romans 8:30b …He also called;…

 

         Salvation is a 5-link chain: foreknowledge, predestination, the call, justification, and glorification. This chain is suspended at both its ends from Heaven. The two ends are hidden from us, fastened to the two eternities.

         The only part of this golden chain of salvation that enters time is the middle link, the call. Heaven handles all else: foreknowledge, predestination, justification, and glorification. Only the middle link reaches down to us.

         The call is God's way of reaching out of eternity to apply salvation to our particular case. This call does not refer to the general call that goes forth to all people through the preaching of the Word. It rather refers to the inward call of the Holy Spirit to those God foreknew. Those who were predestined to be conformed to the image of God's Son always respond to this call.

         The fact sinners have to be issued a call at all is an indictment against us. We would never come if God Himself did not call us. Even after Jesus' death, people still won't repent on their own. The Holy Spirit has to be sent to call us from our sin. Left to our own will, none would ever receive Jesus.

 

Romans 8:30c …and those He called, He also justified;…

 

         Since Paul was considering salvation from God's point of view, he did not stop to mention the faith we must have to be justified. Paul was placing emphasis on God, and rightfully so. Is it not true in our life that the longer we contemplate our salvation, the more we dwell on God, and the less we consider ourselves? We know salvation is of God. He did it all. He chose us long before we chose Him. The Father loved the world; the Son died for the world; the Spirit woos the world. Salvation is of God. Everything must be ascribed to Him. There is no room for boasting. "He" called; "He" justified.

 

Romans 8:30d …and those He justified, He also glorified.

 

         From our perspective, glorification is a future event. From God's viewpoint it is so certain that Paul spoke of it as having already been done.

         "The tense of the last word is amazing. . .the most daring anticipation of faith that even the New Testament contains" (Denney). This exemplifies what is called the "prophetic past." A predicted event is seen as being so certain of fulfillment that it is described as if it has already occurred.

         Nothing can prevent our final glorification. Our salvation began in eternity past and will be consummated in eternity future. The five verbs Paul used to describe salvation are all in the aorist tense, which refers to an event accomplished in the past once and for all. God foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. In His mind these things are accomplished, as good as done. As far as God is concerned, the unborn elect are already glorified.

         Our ultimate glorification is assured because it was God's plan for us all along. The believer is predestined to one end: to be conformed to the image of Jesus. Therefore, every believer has to go to Heaven. Otherwise, the plan of God for our life will be thwarted, and that is impossible.

         We were made to be like Jesus, but this cannot be fully accomplished in this world. God will always have to take us to Heaven to complete the job.

He works on us here, but the final product will not appear until we are away from the world's temptations and the bad influence of our old nature.

         At the moment of our conversion, God began conforming us to Jesus' image. This process is called sanctification, and continues for the rest of our lives. Sanctification and glorification are different only in degree, not in kind. Sanctification is glorification begun, glorification is sanctification consummated. Sanctification is progressive; glorification is conclusive.

         We are becoming more like Jesus daily, but will not be totally like Him until we leave this life. Take heart, believers; we will someday be like Him. When this happens, we shall be able to do perfectly what we only do imperfectly now: bring honor to Jesus. Our purpose in going to Heaven is not essentially for our own benefit, but that we might honor Jesus forever.

         When we become like Him, we will have demonstrated how powerful Christ's cleansing power really is. Our glory will bring honor to Jesus.

         God gave Christ to us because He loves us (JN 3:16); He gives us to Christ because He loves Jesus (JN 17:6). The Son did not fail to demonstrate the Father's love; the Father will not fail to present the Son a completed bride. Believer it, dear saints. The transaction is done. Our position is secure.

 

Matthew 24:24-28 Lightning

"The elect", words found here and in verse 22, refers to God's chosen people. God cares for His own. He actually changes history for their sake.

 God is in charge of His people's destiny. Hitler can go only so far; Mao will be stopped; Lenin and terrorists will be stymied. The so-called victories of evil people will always be shorter-lived than they expected.

However bleak circumstances are, God's mercy is always nearby. We know He loves His elect, and more amazingly, He also loves His enemies. Not even the worst sinners with their worst deeds can destroy God's love.

 By saving His elect He saves all humanity. His people are the salt of the earth, keeping it from putrefying totally. They preserve it. God will not let the human race commit suicide (McGee).

Jesus' prediction in verse 24 has often been fulfilled. The fact trouble has been unrelenting through all ages proves His foreknowledge was correct.

Jesus thus showed Himself to be King as well as prophet. He not only foretold the future; He controls it. He remains sovereign in all situations.

Be comforted; God has never been surprised. Jesus is Lord. God rules. "He is the God of detailed circumstances. Nothing has ever happened that has not flowed in the channel that God has dug for it" (Barnhouse).

 

Matt. 24:25 Take note: I have told you in advance.

 

         Forewarned is forearmed. When persecution comes, we can never say, "It wasn't supposed to happen this way". None can ever say Jesus duped him or her. His foretelling persecution would happen should make us confident in His sovereignty. True faith, in the fire, will be strengthened.

         Knowing in advance that troubles will come can keep us from falling victim to them. "To fear the worst oft cures the worst" (Shakespeare). In my struggle against my pessimistic bent, I often play the "worst case scenario" game. I decide what is the worst thing that could happen; once I know I could survive that, I have more boldness in facing current circumstances.

 

Matt. 24:26   So if they tell you, "Look, he's in the wilderness!" don't go

out; "Look, he's in the inner rooms!" do not believe it.

 

After Jerusalem was destroyed, the Christians who fled the holy city could have been tempted to follow a charismatic, clandestine leader who claimed to be Messiah. Jesus warned them; next time their Deliverer came, He would not come secretly and without fanfare in a remote hidden place.

Jesus' words in our text also forecast a final day yet to come. Believers have often had to flee to wildernesses like the Pella area, and to hiding places like the caves around Jerusalem. A day is coming, though, when they will no longer need to find refuge in secluded places. Then expressing faith in Jesus will be totally open and safe, nothing hidden, held back, or feared.

 

Matt. 24:27  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far

as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

 

The phrase "comes from the east" has influenced much of our singing and teaching. We often celebrate the tradition that when Jesus returns, He will split the eastern sky. This eastern sky imagery has given us our custom of burying people with their heads to the west. By our doing this, they will, when Michael blows the trumpet, sit up and rise from their graves facing east. This will allow their first sight to be Jesus coming through the clouds.

In songs and sermons, we have encouraged our people by telling them to keep their eyes on the eastern sky. I admit I love and use the eastern sky imagery, but I also have to admit the emphasis in our text is probably not the direction of His coming. Always remember, however far east His return will be to some, it will be west to others. I think our text emphasizes the dazzling magnificence of Jesus' coming. When anticipating a lightning bolt, we don't know what direction to look, but when it happens we take notice. Believers, keep looking up. "Even so, come Lord Jesus, from any direction you like."

As the lightning!! This is how Jesus will end history. His coming will stretch from horizon to horizon. Next time Jesus comes, He will not quietly come to an obscure village like Bethlehem. His entrance will be worldwide.

His second coming to Earth will be unmistakable, undeniable, and conspicuous; no doubt about it, no need for speculation. The whole planet will know Jesus has returned. It will be visible to all. As lightning cannot be hidden or hindered from being seen, even so when Jesus comes, "Every eye will see Him" (Revelation 1:7b). Everything on Earth will grind to a screeching halt, arrested by a visitation of unstoppable, omnipotent power.

As the lightning!! Jesus' coming will be marvelous. Lightning carries its own majesty. However dark and ugly the thunderclouds appear around a bolt of lightning, the lightning shines brightly against them in bold contrast.

As the lightning!! Jesus will come out of Heaven, from the spiritual world. When Jesus ascended into a cloud, the angel foretold He "will come in the same way that you have seen Him going into heaven" (Acts 1:11b).

As the lightning!! Jesus' return will be sudden, begun and done in a nanosecond, not stretched out over a long period of time. It will be a total surprise, allowing no time for repentance. All spiritual conditions will freeze in time forever, never to be given a future chance to be changed. Lightning instantly lays everything bare; try to live a life that will survive the lightning.

 

Matt. 24:28  Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.

 

This is a difficult verse to understand. Bishop Ryle said he found at least 56 different views on it. An odd twist of Bible interpretation is; verses we most have trouble with are often passages the original readers understood best. A writer, knowing his readers knew whereof he spoke, felt no need to explain, and thus left later readers sometimes clueless as to his meaning.

For instance, Jesus said, "Wisdom is vindicated by all her children" (LK 7:35). His hearers knew what He meant; we are not as sure. Even Peter said some matters in Paul's writings "are hard to understand" (2 P 3:16b).

Let me give examples from our culture of how this could happen. We know "A stitch in time saves nine" means do something quickly; do not procrastinate. If 100 years from now, that explanation has been lost, the original phrase will no longer have any intelligible meaning to its hearers.

Another example is; "Many a little makes a mickle; many a mickle makes a muckle." We can research the meaning of a phrase like this; without this capability, few (none?) of us would know what this phrase means.

We must remember the ancient world did not have unlimited access to research as we do. Thus, meanings were easier to lose. The good news is; none of the verses hard to understand have significant bearing on the message of Scripture. Mark Twain well said, "It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me; it is the parts that I do understand."

My best guess for our current text is based on Occam's razor: the simplest possible solution is probably the correct one. I humbly submit the possibility our text was a proverb in Jesus' day referring to inevitableness.

Vultures for sure flock to a carcass. In the same way, we can be sure the events Jesus predicted in this chapter will definitely happen. They are fixed, and will happen at precisely the right moment, when God decides the time is right. Don't be too eager to predict the end; otherwise you might fall to charlatans, false messiahs; don't be lethargic or you'll be caught off guard.

 

Matt. 17:24ff

Matt. 24:17-18  (Holman) A man on the housetop must not come down

to get things out of his house. And a man in the field must

not go back to get his clothes.

 

Flat roofs in Jesus' day were like our patios, places for socializing and rest. They were also good places for walking; people could run from roof to roof. Rabbis called this "the road of the roofs". Our Master told us; in times of hard persecution, whether we are at home or in the field, refuse to get bogged down with stuff. Don't lose precious time. Flee if possible. Run!!!

Jesus' words of panic here are not ancient hieroglyphics having no application today. Terrors before Jerusalem's destruction foreshadowed horrifying things that will happen throughout history, and climax as we near Jesus' Second Coming. The fall of Jerusalem was a holocaust, but not the end. Since then we have many times seen the rise, rule, and ruin of tyrants. In this world, evil powers will never cease spreading swift, ruthless cruelty.

People in our Burmese church, and others, know by personal, excruciating experience exactly what Jesus meant by His words in our text. One of our Burmese men, when he first worked in our Victory Garden for the poor, fell to his knees, scooped up dirt in his hands, and held it near his face, letting the smell remind him of the rich soil he had once farmed.

 

Matt. 24:19-20 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those

days! Pray that your escape may not be in winter or

on a Sabbath.

 

Notice Jesus' compassion. In His day, women were looked down on, but He respected them. His ministry gave them prominence. Having to flee quickly would be especially hard on pregnant ladies, who cannot run fast or far, and on nursing mothers, who would have to see their children suffer.

Jesus' sympathetic heart knew it would be hard to travel in winter or on the Sabbath. In winter, weather is harsh. On the Sabbath, most in Israel considered it wrong to help any traveler going farther than what the legalists allowed as a Sabbath Day's Journey (Acts 1:12), about 1000 yards. Sabbath observers would impede the way of anyone fleeing. Those who were fleeing could not have bought needed items or found shelter; on the Sabbath, selling was not allowed, and city gates were often closed to outside travelers.

Jesus lovingly told us to pray about things beyond our control: It is okay to plead for the wellbeing of our families and us if facing hard times.

We are not robots devoid of feeling. In distress, it is okay to cry out to God for help. Jesus Himself asked for the cup to pass from Him if possible.

 

Matt. 24:21-22  For at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind

that hasn't taken place from the beginning of the world until now

and never will again! Unless those days were limited, no one

would survive. But those days will be limited because of the elect.

 

There will be nothing again like the destruction of Jerusalem. It ended an era, a theocracy, a covenant era. Had Rome's army gone on unrestrained, they would have destroyed all the Jews, but God would not allow it.

God loves the Jews "because of their forefathers" (RM 11:28). No nation has ever turned against the Jews, and prospered. Recent news reports indicate anti-Semitism persists in our nation. Don't go there, brothers and sisters. Say nothing demeaning about the Jews (or other ethnic groups).

I find it ironic that as Columbus left on his trip of discovery, his ship crossed the path of the last boatload of Jews fleeing the Inquisition in Spain. I wish they had known a nation across the ocean would become the safest haven for Jews since Jerusalem fell in 70 A.D. God bless America. She has many faults, as do all nations, but has also shown many praiseworthy traits.

 

Matt. 24:23-24a  If anyone tells you then, "Look, here is the Messiah!"

or, "Over here!" do not believe it! False messiahs and false

prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders. . .

 

         Our text reinforces Jesus' warning in verse 11. Counterfeit leaders are ever present, especially in crises. They appeal to people's selfish, baser instincts, urging them to protect themselves at all cost. Beware any religion that deifies self-enjoyment to the point of being unwilling to suffer for our faith.

         There are always religious imposters, but it is possible to stay true to Jesus. We can love Him to the point of having no room left in our hearts to love charlatans. Ever learn more of Jesus. By giving each day to knowing and loving Him more, we will be led astray less by false prophets. When linked confidently to Jesus, we are more secure from counterfeits and lies.

We need this level of commitment, because our foes can be capable of doing miraculous things. There is a spirit-world different from the good one. Miracles do not prove God's power, or give authority to a claim. God spoke through His Son, who spoke through His disciples; this is our authority. There is no other unfailing source of authority. We need to know this, for near the end the antichrist will show power, signs, and wonders (2 TH 2:9).

         In recent years, we USA believers often seemed determined to make it easier for false prophets to succeed. Miracles were not needed to cripple the belief systems of many in our culture. Modern religious imposters found the Achilles heel of true Christianity. They learned the deadly effectiveness of criticizing and undermining Bible authority. Once they did this, the demise of dynamic faith was inevitable. They convinced many people to substitute human reasoning and hunches for divine revelation and Bible certainties.

Some offer a totally new way of looking at life, completely without reference to God's inspired Word. Some want to keep the facade of Bible use, but then add to the Bible, or subtract unpopular passages from it.

Christian faith requires discernment. Some bedrock teachings have to be believed. Certain other teachings have to be rejected. Only a sewer is always open to anything coming its way. Believing everything is as much a danger to Christianity as is skepticism. Don't believe all you read or hear.

Our culture embraced false prophets incrementally. Societies change slowly. Decisions made 50 years ago about the Bible led to our recent woes.

         Realizing the Biblical foundation of our nation has been under-mined, false prophets of our day are enjoying a feeding frenzy. They learned to be persuasive, polished under-cutters of faith. Many of our believing students graduate high school, and enter a minefield. Caring, impressive, unbelieving teachers can, like a buzzsaw, quickly dismantle years of Godly teaching.

Jesus knew how vitally important the acceptance or rejection of Bible authority would be in determining belief and behavior. This is why He felt the need to promise the disciples He would guide them into all truth (John 16:13). The early Church quickly learned it needed this. The early fathers saw error, and felt our only hope was an appeal to something outside themselves. They sensed a need to appeal to what had been written by people who knew Jesus up close.

         When no appeal to an agreed-on outside authority can be made, each individual becomes his or her own god. Beliefs become self-determined; sin becomes self-defined. This results in some people claiming to be Christians who have never stopped their sinful behavior. Thinking holiness is not a reasonable expectation, they regularly commit sins the Bible condemns. In this way, they allow themselves to be deceived by false messiahs and false prophets.

 

A Plowboy Can Understand

Matt. 24:15a  (Holman) So when you see the abomination that causes

desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the

holy place. . .

 

         The prophet Daniel wrote about 535 B.C. Four times he predicted a disaster called the abomination of desolation (8:13; 9:27; 11:31; 12:11).

This prediction was first fulfilled in 168 B.C., when King Antiochus Epiphanes, self-named “God Manifest”, captured Jerusalem and tried to annihilate Judaism by enforcing Greek religion. He desecrated the temple by turning the priests’ living quarters into a brothel, and by building an altar to Jupiter, on which he sacrificed a pig, an ultimate blasphemy to Jews.

         In our current text, Jesus said the abomination of desolation foretold by the prophet Daniel and fulfilled by King Antiochus would happen again. In other words, Daniel’s prediction referred to more than one event. It was not exhausted in 168 B.C., nor did the Roman General Titus finally fulfill it when he destroyed the temple in 70 A.D. As we have learned, in Matthew 24 Jesus in one reference sometimes spoke of things that would happen soon, continue to occur throughout history, and happen near the end of time. As I said early in this chapter, the peaks are behind each other, not side by side.

         Antiochus and Titus foreshadow someone else who will commit another abomination of desolation. The Bible clearly teaches that as we near the end, the good will get better (Matt. 24:14), and the bad will get worse.

Paul told us; near the end a man of lawlessness will be revealed, who will exalt himself above every god, and call himself god (2 TH 2:1-12), but believers don’t despair. When Jesus comes, He will destroy this evil warlord with a breath. We sometimes give the impression Jesus and Satan will be deadlocked in a wrestling match at the end, with Jesus barely winning at the last second. No! Jesus will dispense with him as easily as we shoo a fly.

 

Matt. 24:15b   . . .(let the reader understand),. . .

 

The Gospel is a revealing, not a secret. Jesus wanted us, the common people, to know two things: His words here are vitally important, and we can understand them. This does not mean all of us will know every detail, but it does mean we can all know enough to be prepared whenever these events begin to happen, whether in the flow of history, or at the end of the age.

         In this chapter, Jesus was not trying to be cryptic, to speak in ways only the upper crust, the elite, would understand. Among Christ-followers, every Bible reader has equal opportunity to understand. In His Kingdom, there are no bluebirds and buzzards, no first class and third class citizens.

Tyndale told of his desire to translate the Bible into English, but the religious aristocracy, wanting to maintain control over the masses, opposed him. When the English Bishop John Bell said the common people would be better off if they did not read the Bible, Tyndale said, “If God spares my life, in a few years a plowboy shall know more of the Scriptures than you do.”

 

Matt. 24:16   . . .then those in Judea must flee to the mountains!

 

         When Titus besieged Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Christians remembered this command and warning from their Master. Church historian Eusebius said no Christians died in the destruction of Jerusalem. He said they fled to the town of Pella, on the other side of the Jordan, 17 miles south of the Sea of Galilee. Pella was a town of Decapolis, a predominantly Gentile territory that stayed true to Rome in 70 A.D. In the ancient world, it was common for conquerors to grant people a chance to flee during a siege. It meant fewer people in the city to fight in the end. Alexander the Great would sometimes set up lamps outside besieged city walls, granting mercy till the flame died.

         For those loyal to Judaism, this desertion of the holy city by the Christians was the ultimate act of treason. It may have been the final irreparable breaking point between the two religions. As Christians fled, others ran into the city, thinking it was too precious to God for Him to ever let it fall. The result was one of the worst mass slaughters in human history.

The Christians forsook Jerusalem. It would be hard to justify this type of desertion today, because no theocracies exist now. As citizens of earthly political homelands, we share common allegiances to hearth and home. Someone well said patriotism is love of family expanded to a larger scale.

         The issue in 70 A.D. was more religious than political. To stay in Jerusalem would have been rebellion against God. Our current text is blunt. How clear would Jesus have had to be? This was not the first time God had spoken against defending Jerusalem. Jeremiah was thrice told not to pray for the people (7:16; 11:14; 14:11). He told King Zedekiah to surrender to, not resist, the Babylonians (38:17). To oppose the Babylonians was to oppose God’s justified judgment on Israel’s sins. The same was true in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. To resist Rome would have been refusal to submit to God’s will.

         The mountains around Jerusalem abound in caves. The Maccabees hid in them during their bloody revolt that cast off King Antiochus. Robbers and criminals also often used them as hideaways. These mountain caves, and the flight to Pella, are markers that should encourage Christ-followers. We are never left without hope. The church will always find ways to survive and go on with her Kingdom work. We may have to go underground, may have to hunker down, or may have to flee, but God’s Kingdom expansion will go on.

         When we are persecuted, if a door of escape can be gone through lawfully, do so. This is what the members of our daughter Burmese church had to do. They were forced to flee their homes by the thousands. There was nothing wrong with their doing this. We are free to flee; we are not to pursue martyrdom; it must chase us. But if we cannot escape, and are called on to compromise, to not stay true to our convictions, we have to suffer if need be, as our brothers and sisters are having to do under terrorists today.

Reading. Predestination. Free will.

With the winter storms we're having, I have been catching up on my reading. I never get fully caught up--a stack of books is always by my bed.

I love to read. I agree with D. L. Moody's philosophy; when bad winter weather takes over, curl up with a good book.

Recently I read a sermon by Spurgeon on Predestination and Free Will. Yes, he preached both in the same sermon. He did that often. He thundered on the one doctrine as if the other did not exist, and then reversed the tables, highlighting the hitherto neglected doctrine as if the first doctrine did not exist. His approach has fascinated me since I was a young preacher.

Last week, a 17-year-old young man I am discipling asked about Predestination. Wow. Do I have a treat for him. I have xeroxed Spurgeon's sermon for him, and highlighted sentences I found especially helpful. I pray Spurgeon will bless him as much as he has me.

Dr. John 3:16 Marshall, Pastor

Twitter and FB john316marshall

Erwin Lutzer

Twitter and FB john316marshallOne of my heroes is retiring. Erwin Lutzer has served as the Senior Pastor at Moody Church in Chicago for 35 years.

He has been a great example for Pastors. For instance, his refutation of The DaVinci Code was masterful.

He is 73 years old, but feels he has many good years yet ahead of him. His dad died at age 106; his mom at 103.

Made me think of this Time magazine cover. We are evidently going to be raising a generation of Methuselahs. If we can win them early, and keep them on the straight and narrow, some of the littlest children among us could give maybe 70, 80, or even 90 years to the Lord's work.