THE HERALD
of Christ's Kingdom
VOL.
XII. September 1, 1929 No. 17
Table of Contents
"HIM
WHOM THEM HAVE PIERCED"
"TAKE
HEED HOW YE HEAR"
THE
BOND OF PERFECTNESS
REVIEWS
AND QUESTIONS OF GENERAL INTEREST
DIVINELY
PROVIDED MINISTERS
SURRENDER
SELF-WILL -- REVEIVE GOD'S WILL
THE
COLOMBUS CONVENTION
"THE
MUSIC OF THE REST"
ENCOURAGING
LETTERS
VOL. XII. September 15, 1929 No. 18
Table of Contents
LIBERTY,
THE HERITAGE OF THE TRUE CHURCH
"WANTON
WASTE"
THE
DELAYS OF LOVE
"MEN
OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY"
REST
-- IN GRACE SUFFICIENT
VOL.
XII. September 1, 1929 No. 17
IN the preceding
issue of this journal, the article, "Signs Amongst the Jews," made reference to
"The Revision of the Trial of Jesus," quoting Dr. Max I. Reich, one of the
leaders of the Hebrew Christian Alliance of America. Refreshing our minds in this
connection, Dr. Reich went on to say that the "condemnation of Jesus was the act of.
the Sanhedrin, the official representative of the Jewish nation," and that
"there is considerable talk just now of reviving that institution." Furthermore;
"one of its first acts will have to be the re-examination of the evidence on which
the terrible verdict was made in the days of Anna and Caiaphas. Jewish Christians
particularly will have to insist on this being done."
It is of more than
usual interest now to learn that there is already a move under way by some prominent
orthodox Jews, having as their object "the organization of a Jewish society for the
promotion of the Divine Mission of Israel." And one of the principal purposes of this
society will be the "assembly of our Great Sanhedrin at the Holy City of Jerusalem,
to review the jurisdiction, judgments and decrees of the Sanhedrin acting at Jerusalem
during the power and domination of Rome, and especially to consider and review the life
and trial of Jesus of Nazareth."
A letter recently
received from one of the brethren in Denver, Colorado, calls our attention to the matter
as follows:
"Just a note
to tell you that for the past two years I have been in personal contact with Mr. Solomon
Shwayder, of this city, who is a prominent orthodox Jew. It has been my privilege to call
his attention to many of the truths of the Scriptures as they relate to the Jew at this
time and the immediate future.
"He has
voluntarily taken it upon himself to do as explained in enclosed copies of letters. His
correspondence from all parts of the world indicates a world-wide interest. The Public
Press is giving much space to the movement:"
We submit the correspondence referred
to above, which presents the details of the plan proposed
EXPLANATORY LETTER
Denver, Colorado.
U. S. A.
Purim, March 26, 1929
On behalf of the
Organization Committee, I am pleased to tender you the invitation herewith, and trust you
will be able to accept it, and participate with us in our deliberations. A letter of
explanation is appropriate at this time, and should accompany the invitation. You are
solemnly assured that this enterprise is a purely Jewish movement. Loyal Jews who are
earnestly devoted to the ideals of Judaism, have conceived and originated it, and only
Jewish people, who are firmly loyal to the principles and ideals of Judaism, will be
permitted to become identified and associated with us.
Until the entry of
the United States into the World War, the Holy City of Jerusalem could not go to the
Jews.. Had the Germanic powers prevailed, Jerusalem would have been confirmed to the
Turks. for another thousand years. Had the Allied Powers prevailed, Jerusalem would have
gone to Russia.
The tremendous
Russian Empire, far greater and more powerful than Egypt or Persia or any ancient power
that ever persecuted Israel, suddenly collapsed, and abandoned her allies in the very
midst of the bitterest battles of the World War. Majestic and Imperial Russia was utterly
annihilated in March 1917. That mighty Russian Pharaoh, Czar Nicholas, thereupon abdicated
his throne, and he and his entire family were taken prisoner, and all the Russian nobility
were promptly plunged into the deepest poverty and driven from their country to become the
menial servants of foreign people.
The Lord God of
Hosts thrust Russia out of the War, because Russia of the Czars was not fit to become
associated with the United States in a righteous enterprise; and promptly within a month
thereafter, and in April 1917, the Lord God of Hosts brought the United States into the
World War to save civilization. Thereafter, in December 1917, the Holy City of Jerusalem
was conquered, and made a safe refuge for the children of Israel.
The World War
brought about such tremendous consequences, that many years will yet be required to fully
liquidate them. One of the really great events that arose from the World War, was this
conquest of Jerusalem by Great Britain. This momentous event has radically altered the
status and has vitally affected the religious outlook of the children of Israel. The
Christian world cannot yet fully appreciate what has happened and what is now moving the
Jewish soul. For the first time in over two thousand years, the Holy City of Jerusalem has
now again, under the providence of God, become a free city, where Jewish people may dwell
in freedom and security, and where our Great Sanhedrin may again assemble and render true
and righteous judgments in the name of God, and without the fear of men.
This was not
possible at any time in any generation, either during or since the power and domination of
Rome over Jerusalem, until Great Britain was inspired to make the Holy Land free and
secure to the Jewish people in this present generation. This freedom and security accorded
to the Jewish people of this present generation involves an obligation to give a Jewish
answer to the blood accusations hurled at the Jewish people. Since the destruction of
Jerusalem by the Roman Power, and in every generation thereafter, and for nearly two
thousand years, since the forcible dispersion of the Jewish people among the Gentile
nations, violent blood accusations have been hurled against the Jewish people, holding
them all responsible and guilty, our ancestors and their descendents alike, of the trial
and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth.
And for nearly two
thousand years, the children of Israel, in all generations, have been compelled to stand
mute and silent to all these violent accusations, because the little bands of Jews,
scattered broadcast throughout the Christian world, dared not to speak and give their
answer, and defend themselves in the presence of the vast numbers of hostile Gentile
peoples that surrounded them.
And now, for the
first time since the trial and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, the present generation of
Jews has been granted the right, privilege and opportunity to give an organized and
authoritative answer to the violent accusations that have been continuously hurled at us
for these two thousand years. The Jewish people now have the liberty, freedom and security
to give the world their solemn answer at the Holy City of Jerusalem, where the tremendous
events took place, and which is the only proper place in all the world, where the Jews
could give their true and proper answer.
Let us therefore
initiate a movement, which shall have for its main purpose the review of the life and
trial of Jesus of Nazareth. To that end, a Court of Review, made up of the Great Sanhedrin
of seventy-one members, comprising the leading Rabbis, Jewish scholars, and laymen of the
world, should in due time, be assembled at Jerusalem to review the jurisdiction, judgments
and decrees of the Sanhedrin acting at Jerusalem during the power and domination of
ancient Rome, and which was the Sanhedrin that condemned Jesus.
While the trial and
crucifixion of Jesus occurred nearly two thousand years ago, the matter has always
remained to every generation thereafter, a burning issue for all Jews, down to this very
day. Two thousand years is a very long time in the sight of man, but no statute of
limitations is applicable, where men are accused of violating the laws of God, especially
when a thousand years in the sight of God is but a day.
We should therefore
cheerfully and manfully face the issues raised by the blood accusations hurled at the
heads of our ancestors and ourselves, and carefully review and consider and give a solemn
Jewish answer to the life, trial and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, that marvelous
Jewish son who sprang from the loins of Israel, and who is the most esteemed and venerated
of all men in the sight of hundreds of millions of Christian people throughout the nations
of the world. Let us also be reminded of the fact that in the very midst of the bitterest
Christian persecutions of the Jews, many of our greatest Rabbis and scholars have praised
the personality of Jesus, and have certified that the propagation of Christianity was
ordained through the providence of God, as a means of bringing our Holy Scriptures and the
knowledge of God to the Gentile nations of the world.
Let the present
generation of Jews now grasp this glorious opportunity to redeem the good name of our
ancestors and of ourselves, and for the sake of our. children, and of the good name of the
generations of Jews who are to follow us.
Let us therefore
now take the initial steps to organize and establish a Court of Review, and assemble the
Great Sanhedrin at the Holy City of Jerusalem, to review the life and trial of Jesus of
Nazareth. Let Christian scholars of every denomination be also invited to appear and
present evidence and argument. Let us diligently and honestly search for the facts, and
earnestly seek to discover the evidence, and thereupon boldly announce the truth. And if
our ancestors were guilty of any crime in this matter, or violated any law or commandment
of God, let the Great Sanhedrin fearlessly acknowledge our guilt, and crave Divine pardon.
Let a true and righteous judgment be rendered, regardless of the consequences.
Respectfully
submitted,
Solomon Shwayder,
Chairman
Organization Committee.
Following is the
letter of invitation which accompanied Mr. Shwayder's Explanatory Letter
IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN
You are invited to
attend and participate in a meeting at my home, 663 Fillmore Street, Denver, Colorado, on
the Sunday of the next Passover, 5689, C. E. April 28, 1929, at 8 p. m., which meeting is
hereby called for the purpose of discussing and deliberating upon the organization of a
Jewish Society for the promotion of the Divine Mission of Israel.
In furtherance of
that purpose, this society will in due time select a representative who shall proceed to
Jerusalem to confer with our brethren there, who will thereupon issue a Call from
Jerusalem to all Israel throughout the Nations of the World, for the assembly of our Great
Sanhedrin at the Holy City of Jerusalem, to review the jurisdiction, judgments and decrees
of the Sanhedrin acting at Jerusalem during the power and domination of Rome, and
especially to consider and review the life and trial of Jesus of Nazareth.
And the Great
Sanhedrin, after the impartial reception of all evidence appertaining thereto, and after
the consideration of the historical circumstances surrounding these events, and after
hearing every argument that may be presented by all competent Christian as well as Jewish
scholars, learned upon the subject, the Great Sanhedrin shall, after due and careful
deliberation, render a true decision and righteous judgment therein.
The Great
Sanhedrin, furthermore, shall review the decisions and judgments of our Rabbis, issued in
the centuries following the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman power, which decisions
and judgments, interpreting Divine Law, have vitally preserved the spiritual life of the
Jewish people in all generations living in the past twenty centuries, but which decisions
and judgments of our Rabbis may now need revision, in order better to provide for the
future spiritual welfare of our people.
All of which acts,
decisions and judgments, the Great Sanhedrin shall carefully review and consider in the
light of the Holy Scriptures and in the light of the recent tremendous events arising from
the World War, which have profoundly affected the life of all nations, and which have
deeply altered the vital currents of World history, And after due and careful deliberation
upon all these matters, the Great Sanhedrin shall fearlessly render true decisions and
righteous judgments therein, and thereby promote the spiritual welfare of all Israel
throughout the world.
May the Lord our
God guide and bless all acts and deliberations serving to promote these matters to a good
and righteous conclusion, Amen.
Issued at Denver,
Colorado, U.S.A.
on Purim, 5689, (C. E. March 26, 1929)
Solomon Shwayder,
Chairman Organization Committee
Following is a
further personal letter of explanation which was sent to one who apparently replied to Mr.
Shwayder's original letter and invitation to the conference:
Prof. F. C. Jean,
c/o Colorado State Teachers' College,
Greeley, Colorado.
Dear Sir
I am highly pleased
to acknowledge your letter of April 30th. Your letter is so marked with the
evidences of sincerity of a truth seeker that it deserves a candid, carefully considered
answer.
When General
Allenby, with a prayer on his lips, walked with humble devotion and great piety through
the gates of the Holy City of Jerusalem on December 11, 1917, and reclaimed the Holy Land
for Britain and Israel, he did not know that he was then also profoundly moving the soul
of the Jewish people of the entire world.
The conquest of
Jerusalem by Great Britain is the inspiration of the movement with which I happen to be
now identified. After ten years of constant conferences with representative Jewish laymen
throughout our country, I proceeded to Jerusalem last year, to have further conferences
with our brethren there, and the enterprise seems now to be launched, and will go forward.
While this matter
has been quietly discussed among large numbers of Jewish laymen; since General Allenby
electrified the world with his conquest of Jerusalem, and there is no doubt that a great
Sanhedrin will, in due time, be assembled at Jerusalem, it is nevertheless true that
details are yet in embryo, and await the ripening influence of time for any of us to know
just how matters will develop. I think it is very desirable that such should be the
situation, in a matter so pregnant with weighty conclusions.
None of us know yet
who any of the personnel of the Great Sanhedrin will be. The Organization Committee feels
that no less than three years shall be taken for the personnel to be selected. We feel
also that the Sanhedrin ought not to be dominated by men of ecclesiastical training and
thereby incur the danger of having it unduly influenced by tradition, dogma and doctrine.
So we have tentatively decided that the Sanhedrin shall be made up of twenty-three Rabbis
of great learning and piety; twenty-four scientists and scholars of outstanding
attainments; and twenty-four practical, hard-headed business men, possessed of keen
analytical minds. All of these men are of course to be Jews of outstanding honor,
integrity and righteousness, so that when their names are announced to the world, every
class of people, throughout the world, will concede that no finer, fairer, more
intellectual and righteous body of men of like number has ever been assembled together for
deliberation.
Of course, no man
can predict what the Great Sanhedrin will do after they are organized and proceed with
their work. Perhaps, as vacancies in membership occur, by death or otherwise, the
remaining members will appoint their successors and it will thereby become a self
perpetuating body, free from the accidents of passion and politics.
The present
intentions of the sponsors of the movement are to confine the investigations only to the
question of the life and trial of Jesus of Nazareth. What other angles will develop from
this investigation and what other allied and pertinent questions will be discussed, no
living man can predict. Many Jews will oppose this movement in fear, perhaps, that their
cherished traditions, dogmas and doctrines will be shattered, and will fear, perhaps, that
the Great Sanhedrin will declare that Jesus of Nazareth was, and is the promised Messiah.
On the other hand, many Christians will also feel that some of their cherished
ecclesiastical doctrines will not be approved, and many will fear, perhaps, that the Great
Sanhedrin will not approve any denominational Christianity, a Christianity about Jesus
rather than a Christianity of Jesus.
However, we feel
that there are enough open minded, truth seeking people in the world in this day and age,
both Jew and Gentile, to give such weighty support to the deliberations of the Great
Sanhedrin, that the opposition of those who cherish tradition and dogma, more than they do
light and truth, will not prevail.
It is also agreed
that before the Great Sanhedrin shall be permitted to function, each and every member
thereof shall be separately sworn by the most., solemn oath in the Jewish ritual, that
each of them has searched his conscience, and knows that he is entirely free of all bias
and prejudice, and that his mind will be kept free and open at all times, to honestly seek
and search for the truth, and will courageously render an impartial judgment, regardless
of all consequences.
After the Court has
been thus carefully organized, no less than seven years should be taken for the reception
of evidence and argument from all sources--Christian as well as Jewish; and when all
evidence and argument has been received, within this period of seven years, no less than
four years thereafter should be consumed in calm deliberation of the record of facts, and
the arguments produced in their support, before final decisions shall be made.
In view of this
outline of plans, I cannot see how any investigation could be made more thorough, more
fair, and more scientific. I think this is a fair answer to your inquiry.
For your
information, I enclose some documents, which will interest you, and you are at liberty to
show them, with this letter, to any honest, truth seeking person, who may be interested.
Very truly
yours,
Solomon Shwayder
Whatever may come
of this suggested move to reconsider the trial of Jesus, it may well he considered one of
the signs looking in the direction of the ultimate recognition of Jesus on the part of the
Jews, as the Messiah of prophecy. Verily in reading the foregoing one cannot fail to be
reminded of the wonderful ,prophetic description of the turning away of blindness from
Israel: "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they
have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall
be, in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. "--Zech.
12:10.
When the time shall
come that the fulfillment of this prophecy is realized, we may know that the Kingdom of
God will then be fully at hand, in the sense of its inauguration, in power and great
glory.
"Be ye doers of the Word, and not
hearers only,
deceiving your own selves."--Jas. 1:22.
THUS does the
Apostle James in line with other Apostolic testimony instruct the Church regarding the
importance, yea, the necessity of whole-hearted obedience to the Divine messages in order
to realize the transforming effect and power of the Truth in the life, producing the
Divine character-likeness. In this connection a portion of the sermon by the Great Teacher
as found in Matthew 7:15-29, is called to our attention for consideration.
Evidently our Lord
was most solicitous that His followers should be impressed with the importance of obeying
as well as hearing the great truths that He announced. He set forth the good results of
careful obedience in contrast with the unsatisfactory results to those who would fail to
obey. It is evidently, not evil surmising if we are on the lookout for false teachers, who
our Lord declared would come amongst His sheep to mislead them. Neither can it be evil
speaking to call the attention of the sheep to such false teachers. The Master and the
Apostles foretold and forewarned that there would be such, and we do well to heed their
warning.
But we are to
distinguish them in the manner which our Lord and the Apostles clearly indicated: however
smooth, polished, educated, gentle, they may be on the surface, we must get to know them
better than by surface indications before we may dare trust them as leaders of the
flock--we must become intimately acquainted with them, their motives, ambitions, private
life. This our Lord intimates by telling us to beware of them if they are ravenous,
greedy, selfish, even though outwardly they may have a sanctimonious air. The Apostle
speaks of these, saying that "grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing
the flock"; "And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make
merchandise of you"; "even denying the Lord that bought them."--Acts 20:29;
2 Pet. 2: 1, 3.
"Know Them by Their Fruits"
Anticipating our
query respecting how we may know the true from the false, our Lord says, "Ye shall
know them by their fruits." He illustrates this by suggesting that grapes are not to
be expected on thorn-bushes, nor figs on thistles, although it is said that there is a
thorn-bush in Palestine which grows a fruit somewhat resembling grapes, and a kind of
thistle with heads shaped like figs. Nevertheless, no one was in danger of being deceived
thereby, nor should any among the Lord's people be in doubt respecting the character and
the fruitage of the life of those who are the followers of Christ.
The thought is that
the Lord's true people are of such a kind that the fruit of their lives is nourishing and
refreshing toward all who have fellowship with them. On the other hand, there are persons
who, thistle-like, are always scattering seeds that will cause trouble-false doctrines,
evil-surmisings and errors; and there are some who, like thorn-bushes, instead of bearing
refreshing fruit, are continually reaching out to impede, to irritate, to annoy, to vex,
to poison, to injure, those with whom they come in contact. The intimation clearly is that
the Lord's people ought to have little difficulty in distinguishing between the false
teachers who would mislead them and the under-shepherds who gladly lay down their lives in
the service of the flock. The one class are continually mischief makers, underminers,
destroyers. The other class are helpers, builders, strengtheners, peacemakers.
Not content with
giving us a word-picture distinguishing between wolves and sheep, between injurious plants
and fruitful ones, our Lord next institutes another illustration still more
searching-contrasting a healthy fruit-tree with a diseased or evil one, contrasting a
healthy Christian with a perverted and misguided one. He declares that a sound tree brings
forth good fruit, but a corrupt or diseased tree brings forth undesirable, evil fruit. How
we have all witnessed this in nature-the sound apples come from good apple trees that are
in healthy condition. The knotty, wormy, unsatisfactory fruit comes from trees that are
diseased, under-nourished, uncared for, unpruned, attacked by worms, etc.
Dangers of Apostasy
In this
illustration our Lord seems to refer to the fact that those who are His disciples, sound
and proper enough to begin with, might become evil, might lose their spiritual strength
and fruitfulness--their carefulness. Lack of nourishment in the soil would expose a tree
to disease, blight. So the Christian who would add to his attainment in knowledge is
liable to decline in spirituality unless he have spiritual nourishment of the right kind.
As without pruning the tree would develop suckers, which would corrupt it and ultimately
destroy its fruitfulness, so the Christian needs the disciplines, the prunings, that he
may develop in character and the graces of the Spirit. Our Heavenly Father is the Great.
Husbandman and has promised us the proper care, yet it is not exactly with us as with the
trees; for because of our higher endowment, our godlike quality of individuality, will, we
are dealt with differently.
To a considerable
degree it is for us to determine what nourishment we will have. The Lord supplies the good
soil of Truth, the refreshing showers of grace, and the nourishment of precious promises,
but it is for each of His people to use these and thereby to grow in grace, knowledge, and
love. We cannot, then, blame the Husbandman if we come short, and be unfruitful from lack
of nourishment. None of His good promises can fail; whatever failing there may be must be
in ourselves. Likewise with the pruning--the Lord will send the chastisements, trials,
difficulties; but with our independent will it is possible for us to pass these by and
failing to use them, fail to correct the weaknesses, shortcomings, and wrong developments
of our nature. It is possible with us, notwithstanding all the development or pruning we
may receive, to set our affections on houses, lands, or earthly aims, objects or
individuals, which, like the suckers in the illustration, would draw away our vitality and
hinder our bearing acceptable fruit.
The sound tree
cannot bear poor fruit, nor the corrupted or decayed tree bring forth good fruit. While
each of the Lord's people is to examine himself before the mirror of God's Word., to
ascertain his own character, disposition, likeness or unlikeness to Divine standards,
nevertheless, in this matter of deciding about fruit, whether it be good or bad, each of
the Lord's people is called upon to exercise judgment in regard to others as well as to
himself--what are the results, the fruitage, the token of my own life, and what are the
results, fruitage, token of my brother, my neighbor.
Fruitless Branches Taken Away
Our Lord's
intimation is that these tests are specially applicable to those who would be leaders of
His flock. They should all be examples, bearers of good fruit, and these good fruits
should be looked for as a test of good, sound character--a character fully in harmony with
the Lord. True, all are imperfect, and with the best of intentions we cannot do all that
we would, but the weakest of the Lord's brethren must bear some fruits that other brethren
could discern, and these fruits should be accepted by the brethren according to the Divine
standard, namely not of the-flesh but of the spirit, the will, the intention. So, then,
every true child of God should manifest before the brethren and before the world honesty,
faithfulness of intention, a consecrated heart, mind, will, which would seek in all things
to do the will of the Father in heaven.
It is said that in
Palestine fruit trees are taxed, and hence a tree which will not bear, whose fruitage is
poor, cannot be tolerated, for it would entail a loss instead of a revenue. Similarly, the
assurance that the Lord will ultimately cast away every unfruitful one--"every branch
in the Vine that beareth not fruit He taketh away"--while every branch that beareth
fruit is purged, that it may bring forth more fruit, is a further lesson along the same
line.
Our Lord used a
fig-tree to represent the Jewish nation, and pointed out that it was not bringing forth
the desired fruitage, and that therefore it would be cut down and destroyed. The
symbolical "fire" which utterly destroyed the Jewish nation made an end of their
tree. The Jews will indeed receive a further blessing at the hand of the Lord, but, as He
declares through the Prophet, it will be "not by your Covenant." The blessing to
come to Israel and all the nations in the future will be the New Covenant. Similarly, in
the end of this Gospel Age, not only is there an individual test of the Lord's people as
respect's good and bad fruit, but Christendom as a whole, as a, system, is found
unfruitful, unsatisfactory; and when the true saints of the Lord shall have been gathered
out and glorified, the tree, the system as a whole, will go down, in the time of trouble
with which this Age shall close and the new dispensation begin. Christendom will indeed be
favored and blessed under the New Covenant of the Millennial Age, but the special
privileges and opportunities of the present time under the covenant of grace, of
sacrifice, will be forever gone.
"I Never Knew You"
Continuing His
discourse, our Lord implies eventually a great number of nominal followers devoid of His
Spirit, not bringing forth the fruitage that He desires, not members of His called and
chosen and faithful class, though outwardly, nominally, all of these. Of this class He
says there shall be many. He points down to our day, saying, "in that day"--in
the closing of this Age, in the testing time, in the time when He shall come to make up
His jewels and to glorify them as His Bride, His members, His associates in the Kingdom.
Many at that time--in our day--will profess that they know the Lord, that they are
prophesiers or teachers, that they are casting out devils, opposing sin and multitudinous
forms of evil, and that as God's special channel they are carrying on mighty works, or
that their particular activities are God-directed, etc., in His name. The Revised. Version
gives, "by Thy name," intimating that the name of Christ is used rather as a
charm, to conjure by.
How true is this
picture to the conditions of our day! How many take the Lord's name in vain, associating
it with their enterprises, which are often in direct conflict with the Master's Word and
Spirit. Why do they use His name? Simply as a talisman to conjure by, to increase their
influence, to satisfy their own minds, to make themselves believe that in doing their own
wills they are working the will of God. How true this is in respect to nearly all
religious institutions of our day! For instance, various churches and groups of brethren,
recognizing more or less clearly the Divine opposition to their sectarian spirit, and
creeds and methods and organizations--they, nevertheless, are not satisfied unless they
somehow connect the name of Christ with their institutions and arrangements.
But the testing
time is at hand--the Lord is inquiring respecting the fruit of His professing people; He
will not be deceived; yea, He will expose the bad fruit, that all may see that His
judgment is just. It will be manifest that neglect of His Word has led to degeneracy,
decay-that the suckers of worldly ambition, pride, personal honor, love of position, etc.,
have been cultivated, notwithstanding all the trying experiences which might have served
to prune these. It is being manifest that many of the prophets in spiritual Israel are
unfaithful or false prophets, whose teachings are misguiding many and, instead of
blessing, have done injury, instead of enlightening have blinded. It is being manifested
that some of them are ravening wolves in sheep's clothing, hungry with ambition for fame
and prominence and honor of men, and willing to barter the interests of the flock for
their personal aggrandizement. It is being shown that much of this conjuring in the name
of Jesus has been merely a cloak under which, deceiving and being deceived, sectarian f
fruitage, and not the love, joy, peace, and Holy Spirit, have been cultivated. The day
will declare it, will show it, will manifest it.
Still the Call, "Come Out of Her"
The gathering out
of the Bride class and the leaving of the remainder will be saying in effect, "I
never knew you, never recognized you, never authorized you"; and these unauthorized
sects will go down in the time of trouble. We are glad, however, that the multitudes who
have been deceived by false teachers will have a glorious opportunity during the
Millennial Age to come to a knowledge of the Truth and a right understanding of the
character of God as revealed in the fulfillment of His gracious Plan.
We doubt not that
there are many brethren today considerably in a state of sectarianism, in bondage to
certain leaderships and organizational control; such are substantially in a state of
"Babylon," confusion. To such, therefore, the Revelator's words apply,
"Come out of her, My people." It is surely the mission of those who have escaped
from this bondage and this confusion to render all the assistance they possibly can to all
others of the consecrated who have not attained this happy state of freedom from the
controllership by human heads. This assisting of others is to be done kindly and in the
spirit of the Lord, pointing out to them the positive and clear teaching of the Lord's
Word as it bears upon the spirit of sectarianism and intolerance that prevails among
various groups of brethren today. Any who, on the contrary, are active workers amongst the
brethren in support of the wrong spirit of dissension and strife, who are encouraging the
disposition of intolerance and sectarianism, are hinderers and enslavers of the Lord's
people, and cannot have the blessing promised at this time; but, persisting in that
attitude, must share in the great disappointment of those who refuse to be doers of the
Word and are disobedient thereto. Such the Lord terms "workers of iniquity," who
are refused entrance into the glorious inheritance of the great reward promised the
faithful. Of what solemn import are the Master's words that we earnestly strive to bring
forth the fruit of holy character and thus be meet for the inheritance of the saints in
light!
On the Rock or on the Sand
The picture or
parable of one house built upon the rock and the other built upon the sand refers not to
the Church and the world, but to two parties in the Church. None are in the parable except
"those who hear these sayings of Mine." The world hears not our Lord's message
at all. As the Apostle declares the world is both deaf and blind to spiritual things.
Those who hearken to and appreciate the Lord's sayings represent at least a professing
Church, and amongst those are some who are obedient to the Lord's Word while others are a
disobedient. The obedient are built upon the rock, the disobedient upon the sand.
Those who build
upon the rock our Lord explains to be such as not only hear His message but are obedient
thereto to the extent of their ability. Let us remember the words to which He refers--they
are the words or message of the Sermon on the Mount, which show the things which are
blessed of God in contradistinction to the things which would not have His approval. Those
who do, who strive for, who to the best of their ability obey these Divine teachings, the
message from heaven, are laying the foundations which will be permanent, which will
guarantee them against all the storms, difficulties and trials of the present life.
Those who hear the
Master's words and say, "Yea, Lord," but who do not put the Master's teachings
into practice, are not built properly upon the Rock of Truth, upon Christ. They are
building their hope, their faith, their trust upon a foundation which will not stand. When
the adversities of life come upon such their hopes will be undermined, their faith will
collapse. Thus does the Lord teach us that it is not merely to know His will, to be
doctrinally informed, but that He is looking for such character development in us as will
bring us into full harmony with His teachings, into heart harmony, and to the extent that
we are able, to obedience in all the affairs of life. The other, whose faith is built upon
knowledge without obedience, without growth in grace, will not be accepted to the Kingdom,
will not be members of the Bride class, will not be joint-heirs with God's dear Son.
"The Fire of that Day"
In this lesson our
Lord describes not only the trials and tests which come upon all Christians throughout
this Gospel Age, but especially the great test in the close of this Age-in the time of
special judgment upon the Church. Here His figure is that of rain, floods, and winds
beating upon the faith structure of His professed followers, overthrowing the faith of
those not properly constructed in accordance with His teachings, but unable to harm those
founded on the Rock of Truth. Only the true people of God will be able to stand the great
storm of "that day"--already beginning.
This is the same
storm and flood mentioned by the Lord through the Prophet Isaiah--"The hail shall
sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding places . . . when
the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then shall ye be overthrown by it. From the
time that it goeth forth it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through,
by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report [the
message, the Truth]."--Isa. 28 :17-19.
The same day of
trial is pictured under another figure by the Apostle Paul when he says, "The fire of
that day shall try every man's work of what sort it is." He pictures true believers
built upon the rock, the true foundation, but points out to us the necessity of having a
proper house, or faith, as well as a proper foundation. He pictures one faith structure
built of wood, hay, stubble, combustible materials, which will shortly be destroyed in
this day when the fire of Divine judgment shall test every doctrine and destroy every
error. He pictures also the proper building constructed of gold, silver, and precious
stones, the Divine promises, and how these will stand every test.
Doers of the Word
The lesson as a
whole is, first, that we must be on the rock foundation to have either part or lot in the
matter-to be able to stand any test; second, that of those upon the rock, trusting in
Christ, loyal to Him and His atonement work, there will be two classes-the "little
flock," faithful to the Word and upheld by it and protected, and the "great
company," not sufficiently diligent and careful respecting the Divine promises, who
will have a faith structure largely composed of error, which will be consumed. Respecting
this latter class the Apostle declares, "the same shall be saved, yet so as by
fire." This fitly describes the deliverance of the Great Company, who will "come
through great tribulation and wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the
Lamb." -- 1 Cor. 3:12, 15 ; Rev. 7:14.
Timely indeed are
the Apostle's words, "Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only." To be
honored with a knowledge of the Divine will and Plan is a great boon, a great blessing;
but it brings a great responsibility: "To whom much is given of him shall much be
required." We who have heard the voice of Him that speaketh from heaven, speaking
peace through Jesus Christ; we who, on the strength, of this message of forgiveness of
sins, have been accepted in consecration as members of the Body of Christ, we have greater
responsibility than have others. To attain the glorious things to which we have been
invited we must not merely have this honor but must make use of the privilege and show our
appreciation by obedience to the terms of the Covenant--presenting our bodies as living
sacrifices to the Divine service, in faithful obedience to righteousness, and in
endeavoring to assist others in the same course.
"And above all
these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness." -- Col. 3:14.
LOVE is of
God," says the beloved John, and we can readily understand how this is true when this
same Apostle affirms that God is love. That is, love is essentially one of the great
qualities or attributes of Jehovah that plays an important part and is a potent factor in
all the operations and outworkings of His purposes.
Any possession or
quality is of value in proportion as it is productive of benefaction and of that which is
truly good, and fruitful in those consequences and results that bring happiness and peace.
And such is love. When therefore the Apostle says that love is the bond of perfectness, he
is stating that which is in full harmony with the affirmation of Jesus, namely that love
is the fulfilling of the Divine law. Every intelligent being from the humblest to the most
exalted craves love. The dog craves his master's affection and expresses his delight in
every indication of it; a horse and even a cat will return caresses; the birds reward our
love with notes of joy; the lisping infant rewards our love with smiles and caresses. The
young desire to be loved; the middle aged in the heat and strife of life's great battle,
crave the soothing solace of loving sympathy; the aged, weary and worn with the strife of
years, are also glad to lean upon the strong arm of love. The angels in all the glory of
their higher state are profoundly happy in the sunshine of love. Our Lord Jesus delights
in it as does also our Father in heaven. We never grow tired or weary of it, nor can we
receive too much of it.
Love's Sunshine on Life's Pathway
It is not merely
weakness that craves love; but strength and glory want it too. What is this desirable
thing so universally craved by every grade of intelligent being? It is one of those things
which pen cannot describe. People may sing about it, talk about it, read about it, write
about it, and yet have but a faint idea of its reality. But stop reading and writing and
talking for a moment, and call to mind the few living illustrations of love that have
chanced to cross your pathway. In the long past years of sunny childhood can you recall
the tenderness of Mother's love that covered your dimpled cheeks with showers of kisses
that could not half express the wealth of her affection? And do you not recall the
tenderness of Father's care, who patiently toiled and sacrificed, and then delighted to
see in you the fruit of his labor? Or perhaps you have tasted the sweets of conjugal love,
and have realized in the chosen partner of your life one ready always to rejoice in your
prosperity, to share your burdens and to cheer you and urge you on to life's truest and
highest attainments.
Or in the dark hour
of sorrow and tears some tender hand has soothed your throbbing brow, some kindly ministry
has strengthened your weakness, or some timely word of cheer, of counsel and encouragement
has inspired you with new zeal for the stern conflict of life. What life has been so
barren and drear that no such gleam of sunshine has ever brightened the pathway? Such
illustrations give us some idea of what it is to be loved.
Then again consider
for a moment the joy of loving--the joy of loving your own sweet child, or the manly glory
of your noble husband, or the womanly grace of your devoted wife, or the tender sweetness
of your sainted mother, or the ripened glory of your aged father, or the blessed communion
of tried and faithful friends--the communion of saints. Then, rising above these earthly
loves, some have tasted the sweets of that Divine love that surpasseth all other loves. As
yet, however, that Divine love is manifest only to those who have faith in the Divine
promises and who walk in obedience to the Divine commandments.
St. Paul Describes Perfect Love
Now with these
illustrations of what it is to love and to be loved, let our imaginations widen the sphere
of this noble virtue, and do we not see that, when it reigns in all hearts, it will prove
to be just what the Apostle says it is--namely "the bond of perfectness," and
the greatest of all the Christian virtues? Indeed he shows that, though we might have all
the other virtues "combined, yet lacking this one, we would be as sounding brass and.
as tinkling cymbals. In fact, the putting on of the other virtues, except as prompted by
this virtue, would be mere sham and hypocrisy. Yet with this, though lacking the others to
some extent; the heart would prove itself loyal, though the flesh might be weak to perform
the dictates of love.
The Lord is saying
a great deal for this virtue when He declares that love is the fulfilling of the law; or
in other words, that if we had perfect love, we could easily and naturally keep the whole
law of God. But here is our difficulty: we cannot love perfectly. Well, the Lord knows
that we cannot, but He wants to see us endeavering to love more and more, and making
actual progress in this direction. Paul, too, shows us how love in the heart manifests
itself in the outward life. We scarcely need to be told this, .for the language of love is
natural and its impulses are spontaneous; and yet, because we are not yet perfect in love,
Paul's description makes manifest the absurdity of calling that love which is unworthy of
the name. He says, "Love suffereth long and is kind. [It is kind even to the
unthankful and the unholy, endeavoring to show them by example a more excellent way.] Love
envieth not. [It is pleased rather to see another's success.] Love vaunteth not itself, is
not puffed up. [There is no pride in love, delighting in display and vain glory: it is
rather humble and retiring.] Love both not behave itself unbecomingly [it is consistent
with its profession in all its actions]; seeketh not its own [is not on the alert for
self-interest, but more for the interest and blessing of others]; is not easily provoked
[endeavors to make due allowance for the weaknesses of others] ; thinketh no evil [is slow
to impute evil motives, and anxious to see and to foster every good intent]; rejoiceth not
in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth [has no pleasure in either hearing or telling evil
tidings, or in evil of any kind, but delights in God's truth and in its fruitage of
developed holiness
"Love covers
all things [makes due allowance for the weaknesses of the flesh]; believes all things
[believes in the conquering power of love to help the weak and erring in the struggle
against sin]; endures all things [endures the necessary reproach and trials of faith and
patience in the careful endeavor to build up and strengthen the weak]."
How Shall We Love Sinners?
The child of God
who is studiously endeavoring thus to manifest and cultivate the spirit of love will
indeed become more and more like His blessed Master. What contradiction of sinners against
Himself did He bear! How patiently He bore with the weaknesses and the short-comings of
His disciples! And how faithfully He taught them and led them to follow in His steps!
There was the perfect pattern of that self-sacrificing love which was set for our
imitation.
There are some,
who, when they look into the beautiful law of love, say, I would like to be fully actuated
by such a noble principle, but some people are so despicably mean that I cannot love them.
But are we sure we cannot love such people? Is it not rather the sins that we dislike and
which ought to be despised by every heart that is truly loyal to God and righteousness? It
is hard sometimes to distinguish between the two when inherited deformities of character
have been fostered and cultivated and even gloried in, as they often are. It is well for
us to carefully analyze the real purpose and attitude of our own hearts toward such
degraded characters. Have we the, disposition that we would gladly do them good and assist
them in' every possible way for their improvement? Would we use an opportunity if we had
it, to help them see the error and to gain the mastery over it? Do we feel that patience
and sympathy for them in their weakness and lack of development that would prompt us to
tenderly pray for them, and cause us to earnestly endeavor by a noble example to point
them to the more excellent way? If we find on examination that such is the sentiment of
our hearts, does it not appear to be the evil or sin that we hate and not the wrongdoer
himself ? The saint of God must always be out of sympathy and harmony with every form of
evil, must ever despise sin but never hate the sinner. Our love should maintain its hold
upon our fellow man until it is evident that God's infinite love and unerring wisdom have
decided the issue--that the evil and the evil-doer have become inseparable.
The Highest Type of Love
Love, however,
properly differs, both in kind and in degree, according to the worthiness of the object
upon which it centers. There is a love of admiration, a love of sympathy, and a love of
pity. The former is the highest type of love, and is properly bestowed only upon that
which is truly lovely and worthy of admiration. On this line our Heavenly Father and our
Lord Jesus claim our supreme, and most ardent affection; and all the good and noble and
true of our fellow men, in proportion as they approximate the glorious likeness of God,
may also share this love of admiration.
Then there is the
love of pity for those so steeped in ignorance and sin as to be unable even to raise their
eyes heavenward to catch the first inspiration toward a better life. Would we indeed scorn
the degraded, or add another pang to those already so bruised by the fall? Ah, no; love
pities the vilest, sympathizes with the weakest, and glories in the truest and purest and
loveliest of earth and of heaven. Thus our blessed Lord loved supremely our all-glorious
Heavenly Father; thus He loved with tenderest sympathy His devoted disciples; and thus He
loved with wondrous pity all the fallen sons and. daughters of Adam's race, even to the
extent of giving His life to redeem them. Let us emulate His example and walk in His
footsteps.
FAITH THE GIFT OF GOD
ROMANS 12:3 -- "According
as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." This Scripture by some has been
considered to appear to be in conflict with the thought elsewhere given that faith is
what each individual must personally exercise and develop through study, prayer and
fellowship with God's people, etc.; and the question is asked, Can God impart what He
Himself does, not possess? In what way or sense does God give to us a measure of faith?
God having told us a truth in His Word, is it not entirely a matter resting with us as to
whether or not we have confidence in it-have faith in. it? "Faith cometh by hearing
of the Word."
In considering this
question it is observed that the word here rendered "faith" (Rom. 12:3) is from
the Greek pistis, otherwise translated fidelity, assurance. Surely the Scriptures teach
that we have much to do with our faith and assurance; that we exercise a certain amount of
it before we are begotten of the Spirit at all, else we could not be justified by faith;
for there is a certain process of justification that must precede the presenting of
ourselves as living sacrifices, and our acceptance, and our begetting of the Holy Spirit.
This much of faith is our own evidently, but after we have received of the Lord's Spirit
our faith may grow exceedingly, so that we will be able to walk by faith and not by
sight--to accept the things that are not seen, and to sacrifice for them, things that are
seen and temporal. It may be said with propriety that the attitude which permits us to
receive God's message of grace unto justification, is all of God, in the sense that all of
our blessings are from above--"every good and perfect gift." But it is
especially true that faith in spiritual things which we develop after we are begotten of
the Holy Spirit is the result of Divine instruction; as it is written, "They shall be
all taught of God," and the faith which will enable the consecrated ones to come off
victors is not merely the natural faith with which they started, and with which they laid
hold upon the Lord and justification, but a higher attainment of faith, the result of
being taught of God through His Word and by His providence.
In the text under
consideration our sober thinking must depend upon the time we have been under the Lord's
instruction, and the degree of attention we have given to learning the lessons intended
for the increase of our faith. This development is in the Scriptures spoken of as a
"gift," also as a "fruit" of the Spirit of God in us, and again. as
God's "workmanship," for by His truth and by His providences He is working in
His children, not only to will but also to do His good pleasure-He is working in us faith,
hope, joy, peace, love, and all the graces which He approves; and if we will be obedient
to His teaching and leading, He will complete the work eventually and we shall be copies
of His dear Son our Lord, and joint-inheritors with Him.
CONCERNING THE SIXTY-NINE WEEKS
Daniel
9:25,26.--"Know, therefore, and understand, that from the going forth of the
commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven
weeks and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in
troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for
Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the
sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war
desolations are determined." In this text we have different periods given-seven
weeks, and sixty-two weeks: some things are said to happen after the sixty-two weeks, and
again something is said about one week, and altogether the matter seems to be confused.
In overcoming the
difficulty here, we must take into consideration the statement of verse 24, namely. that
the entire period under discussion is seventy weeks (symbolical). This is divided into
three parts, namely seven weeks, sixty-two weeks, and one week-total, seventy. The first
seven weeks mar marked specially events connected with the temple; the end of the
sixty-two weeks were to mark the Messiah's appearance. But we are to remember that the
sixty-two followed the seven; hence the end of the sixty-two weeks would be the end of the
sixty-nine weeks as respects the whole, and one week following would be the seventieth
week. It was this last, or seventieth week of years, that constituted the Jewish time of
favor. It (seven years) began with our Lord's baptism, was marked in its middle with our
Lord's crucifixion, and ended three and a half years later, after the ripe
"wheat" of the Jewish Age had been gathered into the Gospel Age; and immediately
at its close the Gospel message began to be sent to the Gentiles upon equal terms with the
Jews--Cornelius being the first Gentile convert.
IMMORTALITY AND ETERNAL LIFE
John
17:2.--"As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life
to as many as Thou bast given Him." The question that occurs here is, Why is nothing
said respecting immortality?
In looking for the
answer to this question we note that the context does not particularly state that the
elect Church only is referred to. Rather, the fourth verse indicates the Sin-bearer's
larger work in blessing all the families of the earth. By the Father's provision He, by
His sacrifice, obtained eternal life "for all them that obey Him"--not only for
the little flock of the present time, but also for the larger flock of the coming Age.
Additionally, we notice that the eternal life granted to the Gospel Church is only
indirectly the gift of our Lord Jesus. As immortality was the Father's gift to His Son, so
it will be the Father's gift, by and through the Son, to those who are members of His
Body-the true Church. Indeed, the Heavenly Father specially is declared to be the Father,
or Life-giver, to all who attain to spiritual conditions, either as the Chrlst, the
overcoming Church, or otherwise. The eternal life which our Lord Jesus will give more
particularly on His own account, will be eternal life to the world during the Millennial
Age--the eternal life which He gives to those of this Gospel Age, reckonedly, preparatory
to their acceptance as members of the sacrificial body, and their begetting of the Spirit
by the Father.
WILFUL SIN IN THE "BODY"
1 John 3:
6-9.--"Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth, hath not seen Him,
neither known Him. Little children, let no man deceive you he that doeth righteousness is
righteous, even as He is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the Devil; for the Devil
sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might
destroy the works of the Devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed
remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, .because he is born of God." Some reason that if
we have God's mind in us, we cannot sin, and further, that it is impossible for us to sin
in the Body (of Christ), or that if we commit sin, it would imply that we were no longer
members of His Body.
We believe the
Apostle to be teaching that the Holy Spirit of God is opposed to sin; that in proportion
as we have the mind of Christ we will not only love righteousness but also hate iniquity.
To our understanding the Apostle here refers to sin in its fullest sense, namely willful
transgression of the Divine law. Such a willful transgression would imply that we loved
the sin, and hated righteousness; and hence, that if we ever had spiritual life we had
lost it, and become spiritually dead--"plucked up by the roots."
It is necessary to
remember, however, that there are other sins not of this kind--not unto death. There are
sins in which willfulness is not complete, since they are the results of temptation, and
sins that are the results of our own weaknesses through the Adamic fall. Such weaknesses
and such stumblings under temptation belong to the flesh which is already reckoned dead
(in the consecrated Christian) and is not reckoned of God as belonging to the new
creature. Hence, such lapses from rectitude are not here designated by the Apostle as
sins, nor are they so reckoned of God who judges us not according to the flesh, but
according to the spirit.
However, as the
Scriptures elsewhere show, there are some partial sins--that is to say, they are not full
sins in the sense of being thoroughly willful and intentional transgressions of the Divine
Law--they are weaknesses of the flesh, and yet perhaps in those weaknesses of the flesh
the mind failed to be as strong and courageous as it should have been, and to some extent
yielded to the wrong-doing. Since such wrong-doing is not approved by the Christian mind
after the brunt of the trial has passed, it is not counted sin in the full sense .of the
word. . It is, however, a misdemeanor, for which a measure of stripes may be exacted
according to the degree of knowledge, and according to the opportunities for resisting the
wrong course which were left unused. From this standpoint it is evident that a full,
deliberate sin cannot be committed while we are in the Body (of Christ), possessed of the
Holy Spirit and recognized by the Head. To commit such a willful sin would involve our
having left the Head, abandoned His teachings and service and love, and hence, it would
involve our having left the Body of which He is the Head.
"THE EARTH ABIDETH"--"THE HEAVENS WAX
OLD"
Eccl. 1:4; Psa.
102:25, 26; Heb. 1:10. -- "One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh
but the earth abideth for ever." "Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the
earth; and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. They shall perish, but Thou shalt
endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt Thou change
them, and they shall be changed." "And, Thou Lord, in the beginning, hast laid
the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands."
In looking for the
harmony between these texts, we find that in both cases the word used indicates that the
physical earth is meant. We harmonize them by recognizing that the latter Scripture refers
to the changes taking place as respects earthly conditions. This is signified by the
illustration given, as a vesture (robe, coat). "Thou shalt fold them up, and they
shall be changed"; as one would re-make or re-arrange the drapery of a gown, so the
Lord will change, re-arrange, etc., the general matters pertaining to the earth. One such
change took place at the flood, so far as we know, and we anticipate that some other
change will take place in the near future, making the earth more fit than at present for
the Millennial Kingdom conditions. Additionally, we are to remember that the physical
earth is used as the basis of a symbol, and that the symbolical earth refers not to the
land, but to the people the order of society, etc. In this view also we expect a great
transformation, the turning upside down, or changing all around, by which the present
social order will be transformed into a social order more acceptable to God during the
Millennial Age. The time of this change, as the sure word of prophecy shows, is near at
hand, and when the present symbolical earth -- society -- shall melt like wax from the
fervent heat of strife and anarchy, the symbolical heavens, or ecclesiastical powers, will
also take fire, and pass away with a great noise, commotion, disturbance-both to be
superseded by the new heavens and new earth conditions (symbolical), the Church, in glory,
honor, and power, and mankind under new social conditions.
"The angel of the Lord encampeth
round about them that fear Him,
and delivereth them." -- Psa. 34:7.
VERILY a most
comforting promise of our Father's Word is this which gives assurance of specially
provided guardianship and protection over those who shall be heirs of the great salvation
which began to be spoken by our Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him.
Indeed, realizing that there are many invisible spirit forces presided over by the prince
of this world, who are far stronger than ourselves, with whom we have combat, the Lord's
people would become discouraged at once and forced to give up the good fight of faith were
it not for the wonderful comfort of the Divine promise which assures us that He that is
for us is greater than all that could be against us; and that He has commissioned
invisible, powerful spirit beings to exercise a special care and protection over His
children lest the opposite forces of evil overpower them.
The encampment of
holy angels around the, saints signifies a continued and abiding presence of the Divine
representatives, faithfully guarding all the interests of the Lord's faithful ones. The
Apostle assures us that the angels of God are ministering spirits sent forth to minister
unto and to serve those who shall be heirs of salvation, the saved ones of this Gospel
Age. All of these, because believers in Christ, because at heart faithful, because fully
consecrated to the Lord and begotten of His Spirit, are the special and happy objects of
His grace, ministered to and served by the invisible messengers. Our Lord sets forth
practically the same thought in His declaration, "Their angels do always behold [have
access] to the face of My Father." (Matt. 18:10.) The Master's words seem to imply at
least one or more angels having charge over the consecrated ones, the "very
elect." He uses a still different figure of speech in illustrating the matter, as
though He would assure us that these messengers would not be delayed in caring for our
interests, would not be hindered by more important heavenly business, but would at once
have direct access to the Divine presence and attention, so that our interests would have
all needed consideration.
Angelic Ministries of Ancient Times
The Old Testament
Scriptures are replete with records of the activities and ministries of angelic
messengers. Notable amongst these is the account of the attempt of the king of Assyria to
capture Elisha who, as a prophet of Israel, he thought was hostile to his interests. (2
Kings 6:8-23.) As soon as the king learned that Elisha was at the little town of Dothan he
sent an army, including horses and chariots, to surround the city and to make sure of
capturing the Prophet. The latter doubtless understood in advance, but working in harmony
with the Lord's arrangement he did not flee the city. He was entirely restful in mind
respecting the matter, but his servant was greatly alarmed -- he thought of the Prophet
and himself being carried prisoners to Syria to thenceforth he bondmen, etc. Elisha,
however, comforted him with assurances respecting the Divine power which encompassed them,
much greater than the power of their enemies. Then, not only as a lesson to the servant,
but also doubtless intended of the Lord as a lesson for His people all the way down
through the ages, Elisha prayed that the young man's eyes might be opened that he might
see and realize the true situation. At once the servant perceived that all around the city
the entire hill was amply protected against the surrounding hosts -- "horses and
chariots of fire" around and about Elisha and himself. We must assume that the horses
and chariots of fire were in the nature of a vision granted to the servant and to us, as
illustrative of the Divine power and protection given. Thus viewed, what the servant saw
was an active parable, a picture similar to the symbolic pictures of Revelation-serving
the intended purpose most thoroughly, most completely, and giving to the eyes of his
understanding a proper conception of the Divine power present with the Prophet. The
foregoing is of special interest to us as showing how even before the house of sons was
organized, the Lord had power and exercised it in the house of servants in a way that
illustrates to us the abundance of that power.
Gathering these
various pictures, we have as a whole before our minds something like this: Our great
all-wise, all ¡powerful Heavenly Father has numberless messengers at His command, and has
deputized and appointed many of these to care for the interests of His cause on earth --
especially to watch over and minister unto the "very elect." Nothing can by any
means, therefore, harm these, except as the Heavenly Father sees that the earthly injury
or disadvantage would prove profitable either to the- individual new creature or to the
general cause. This is in full accord with His general assurance that all things shall
work together for good to them that love Him.
"He Shall Give His Messengers Charge"
Such a use of the
heavenly messengers by no means invalidates the thought that the Lord's earthly children
are frequently used of him as ministers, servants, the one to the other. Indeed we may be
assured that the invisible messengers or servants, generally if not always, are required
to act through human instrumentalities -- preferably through the "very elect."
Of this kind of service done by the brethren one for the other under the supervision of
Divine power and. messengers, we have illustrations in the ministry of the Church; for
instance, supervised by our present Lord and His heavenly hosts, yet in the main carried
on by the members of His Body still in the flesh. Again we have illustrations of the same
in the declaration of Psa. 91 :11,12: "He shall give His messengers charge over thee
to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall boar thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy
foot against a stone." Doubtless the heavenly messengers are connected with the
interests of the Church, nevertheless the work itself is apparently, we may say surely,
done through human instrumentalities -- the Church in the flesh. The Lord all through the
Age has given His messengers, the leaders of His consecrated people, "a charge,"
a message, a word of warning, counsel, advice-an opening of the Word of Truth, an
enlightenment of their understanding-that they should bear up all the members, even down
to the "feet" class, all of the "very elect" in this time of serious
trial, testing, and stumbling, lest at any time any of these should stumble to their
injury. How manifestly this is fulfilled: The Lord's message in its various features,
bearing on every phase of Truth now due and every phase of error now being brought
forward, is God's keeping power by which, according to His guarantee, we know that nothing
shall by many means hurt the "feet" members of the true "Body of
Christ," even though they have many enemies who would do them harm.
Sò long as we are
the Lord's we may have absolute confidence respecting the results in all of life's
affairs, and this confidence in God should tend to make us more generous and kind toward
our enemies-to all those who would despitefully use us or persecute us. So far from
seeking to do them injury in return or tó speak evil of them in return, the admonition of
the Lord is, "If throe enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in
so doing thou shaft heap coals of fire on his head." "A soft answer turneth away
wrath." A return of good for evil may not at once make a friend of an enemy, but it
will at least bring blessing to our own hearts, and is much more likely to bring blessing
to the enemy than if we should return him evil for evil.
CHRISTIAN life is
too often grievously destitute of real spiritual power and is essentially carnal, and it
is the duty and privilege of every child of God to enter at once into the newness of life,
and to walk henceforth in the power of Christ's resurrection.
Hence the starting
point-instant abandonment of sin and of every known weight which prevents or hinders
progress. Whatever is wrong or believed to be wrong in God's sight cannot be indulged with
impunity. It is held up as utterly destructive of all holy living and testimony, as
unnecessary [improper?] because wrong, and as making impossible even assurance of
salvation.
Secondly, a deadly
blow is aimed at self-life in its six forms: self-dependence, self-help, self-pleasing,
self-will, self-seeking and self-glory; in other words, a new practical center is sought
for all the life to revolve about, and in this way a new step is taken in advance. Beyond
the territory of known sin there lies another almost as dangerous, where self-indulgence
is . the peculiar feature. There is a large class of pleasures, amusements, occupations,
which do not bear the hideous features of secret or open sin, but which all tend to give
supremacy to self.
Thirdly, the
surrender of the will to God in obedience. Christ must to every believer become not only
Savior but Lord. (Rom. 10:9, R.V.) "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the
Holy Spirit." (1 Cor. 12:3.) Hundreds who accept Him as Savior from sin have no real
conception of Him as the actual Master and Sovereign of the daily life.
Fourthly, the infilling of the
Spirit. Here, is perhaps the most delicate and difficult part of this teaching. But it is
not well to stop on phrases, whether we agree or not on the exact form of words, we must
agree on facts, and conspicuous among the facts is this: that thousands of professed
believers, like the Ephesian disciples in Acts
19, do not practically know whether there be a Holy Spirit or not.
Dr. Gordon
discriminates between sealing, filling, and anointing.
Fifthly, the
revelation of Jesus Christ in the -soul as an indwelling presence. -- This is the climax
of this teaching. The supreme end of the Holy Spirit's indwelling and inworking is to
manifest the personal ,Christ as consciously our possession and in possession of us.
Sixthly, beyond
these there is always a last stage of teaching-the privileges and victories implied in
this higher or deeper life, such as the rest life of faith, power over sin, passion for
souls, conscious fellowship with God, growing possession of promises, and prevailing
prayer and intercession.
Wherein Is the
Difference?
Wherein does this
differ from the teaching now common in the majority of our churches, may be asked?
(1) It makes
more of Jesus as a Savior who will save us from our sins. "The very God of peace
sanctify you wholly." "Faithful is He who calleth you, who also will do
it."
(2) It
magnifies the necessity of surrender to the will of God and breaking with the world. In
Apostolic times if a man confessed Christ he knew what it meant, for the world would break
with him; but now it is not so. Many professing Christians go on hand in hand with the
world, and their lives are barren and unfruitful in consequence.
(3) It makes much of the abiding presence of Jesus. The heart is
opened. He is asked to come in and abide, and faith rests upon His promise to do so. His
presence causes the heart to burn as did the hearts of the disciples going to Emmaus;
brings peace, as when He came over the waves to the disciples on the sea; drives out evil
as He cleansed the temple; and fills the soul with joy as when He appeared to the
disciples in the upper room.
(4) While
the object sought is freedom from sin and effectiveness in service it makes more of
receiving than doing. We must, with a childlike spirit, receive the good things God is
ready to bestow before we can be a blessing to others. "I will bless thee and thou
shalt be a blessing," the Lord said to Abraham. The disciples must first receive the
bread from Christ's hand before they could distribute to others.
Mark Guy
Pearse says: "Some years ago I was traveling in the train; seated in the carriage
alone I had the Book open at Acts 1:8. I was thinking of the 'Higher Life,' of which just
then we had heard a good deal-vexed and angry at the little headway, and still less
heartway, that I could make in the matter. There was a life of which I could conceive,
very bright and very beautiful like a star. 'Like a star indeed,' T said, half scornfully,
'a long ways off, and I have neither wings nor ladder long enough to reach it.' Then my
eye fell upon the word 'receive.' This was something very different. 'Receive,' I said,
with my difficulties silenced, and ashamed; of course I can receive. That is what the baby
can do -- receive. That needs no genius, no goodness, but only want. Any beggar can take a
sixpence if it is given to him. I looked out of the window. The showers fell, blessing
everything. But just outside the wayside station was a little cottage, and at the corner
of it the old woman had set her broken pitcher, and it was filled to the brim. 'My Lord,'
I sighed, humble and grateful, 'I bring thee my poor heart -- fill it to the brim!' 'Ye
shall receive -- stay your thoughts upon the Word until it kindle longing expectation, the
boldness that claims the promise as your own." -- Selected.
BRETHREN in
attendance at the Convention at Columbus, Ohio, July 26-28, are assured that it was a
blessed occasion and that it meant much of spiritual joy, love, peace to all. The
evidences are that all the friends more than realized their expectations in this regard.
The attendance, too, was very pleasing there were upwards of 125 to 150 present. Of these
there were quite a number who have recently been realizing afresh the joys and blessings
of Christian liberty and of freedom from the yoke of bondage. These were specially
overflowing with gratitude and thanksgiving. Indeed, there appears to be a general
awakening at the present time amongst brethren with whom we were formerly associated and
we learn of those in various parts who are earnestly looking to find their way out of the
confusion and the misunderstanding that have come in recent years. In reporting the
gathering at Columbus, we cannot do better than quote from a letter which we have just
received from one of the brethren who was present:
"It was
a glorious success and I rejoice that I had even a small part in it. The Spirit of the
Lord was there and the friends attending the convention surely were imbued with that
Spirit and they showed it. It was a matter of deep regret that I did not stay for the
entire convention . . . . I had been rather dubious about attending it, having in mind the
last convention of the I.B.S.A. that I attended. I came away from that convention resolved
that I would never attend another, because I did not learn anything that I could use to
advantage, nor was I pleased with the attitude of the brethren attending. The gist of that
convention was not love of brother for brother, but a whole-hearted devotion to the
Society and zeal for placing or rather selling books. The spirit of love was almost if not
entirely lacking. So recalling my last experience I left this city for Columbus trusting
that I would find a different spirit among the 'cast out ones.' Upon arrival at the hall I
was delightfully surprised by the warmth and love that I was greeted with, and for the
rest of that day and parts of the next I enjoyed to the utmost. The friends came to the
convention with the love of God in their hearts, and during the meetings they simply
poured it out without measure. The friends from this city could not express themselves at
our Prayer-meeting last Wednesday night concerning their experiences at the convention.
Words seemed so futile to convey the thankfulness of these friends, so they simply stated
that they would show their appreciation by working hard and making our Fifth Sunday
Convention here in this city, September 28th and 29th, a convention
long to be remembered by those attending."
The glorious
hopes of the Kingdom, the new life in Christ, the life of faith, and that which
essentially relates to Christian development and preparation for the Heavenly Bridegroom's
presence, were the substance of the discourses of the brethren at Columbus. It was
observed that the Master's words, "Be thou faithful unto death," ring clear and
strong in the ears of all who give evidence of Spirit-begetting. And it was recognized
that faithfulness unto death signifies bearing the cross to the end of life; in connection
with which the fruit of the Spirit-joy, peace, humility, long-suffering, brotherly
kindness and love, are appreciated as being most essential to enter the Kingdom, in
harmony with the Master's words, "Herein is My Father glorified that ye bear much
fruit."
The friends
gathered at Columbus testified of the Lord's goodness and keeping power in these days of
fiery trial, and signified their intention of keeping the Lord always before them. The
dear brethren of the home Class in Columbus surely fulfilled their part well in warmly
welcoming the friends and in caring for all their needs.
"In the grand oratorios of life
God writes us unexpected rests!
These break the rush, the strain, the storm, the strife,
And are our surely needful tests!
How these are kept, not reaching for the next,
Nor clinging to the former strain,
In perfect waiting, listening for the text
To make our Master's meaning plain,
Proves or disproves our individual skill.
"Some high, some low, some
intermediate sing;
Each voice is needful in its part,
Though one, in solo, rise on peerless wing
Lost in the chorus one! An art
Divinely wise, brings, here' and there, a rest,
And he -- I'd tell it o'er and o'er
Sings best, who, losing self, interprets best,
In note, or rests, throughout the score,
The Master's grand, eternal, loving will!"
Dear
Brethren
Enclosed
find renewal subscription for the "Herald." I intended to get this to you
earlier, but was delayed.
I continue to value
the "Herald" very highly, for each succeeding issue gives additional
confirmation to the. fact that we need not betake ourselves along any of the numerous
newly found by-paths leading to that which is "new" and "up-to-date,"
in order to find employment for our spiritual energies. On the contrary the more we see of
the Truth as we have had it these many years, the more we realize how little we can
absorb-how little we can accomplish in the short span of years allotted to the present
life. How little do we need something "new," when we have scarcely scratched the
surface of the mine of truth which some now seem to think is "old" and
"out-of-date." So I am still enjoying the "Herald" because of its
timely adherence to these tried and true verities.
I want to express
my appreciation of the tribute to Brother John McKechnie in the July lst issue. I was
aware of his death before reading the article, but I was glad to see this acknowledgment
of the love and esteem in which he was held by the friends.
It was my privilege
to know the brother quite intimately since a few days after his arrival in this country
from Scotland. I count it one of the outstanding privileges of my Christian experience to
have known and loved him. Many times have we discussed together the things we hold dear,
and it always proved a source of comfort and inspiration to me. Indeed at times he proved
a tower of strength to me with his words of encouragement and counsel, seasoned and
tempered, as they were, with a rich spiritual experience over a long period of years.
Humble and sweet in
disposition, he had a remarkable spiritual development-a thorough, yet reverend,
familiarity with those deep spiritual truths and principles he loved to meditate upon-a
familiarity born of intimate communion with the Heavenly Father and the Master in whose
footsteps he was following. He was always anxious to know what the Lord's will was in a
given situation, and on being convinced in this respect, it was the end of all controversy
in his mind. The implicit following in the Lord's leadings seemed to be his supreme
desire-his meat and drink.
In the midst of his
season of sickness, I had some correspondence with him. The following is an extract from
one of his letters:
"The Lord bless and increase
your desire for the things above, while showing all diligence in your daily calling and
for all home responsibilities. Why should we set our affections on things above? -- Col.
3:1-3.
Because
Our Redeemer is there 1 Pet. 3:22
Our Great High Priest is there Heb. 4:14
Our Inheritance is there 1 Pet. 1:4
Our Names are written there Luke 10:20
Our Hope is there Col. 1:5
Our Master is there Eph. 6:9
Our Home is there John 14:2, 3
And through the riches. of His grace
we are going there too. (Ver. 4.) The trials of life will then be seen in the beauty of
His Plan. 'Then shall I know.' -- I Cor. 13:12.
"'Not till the
loom is silent,
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas
And show the reason why.
"'The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skilful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver,
In the pattern He has planned.'"
The only thing the
dear brother seemed concerned about was that if the Lord should permit his sickness to
stretch out over a long painful period, he might become impatient and not as fully
submissive as he would want to be. Evidently he was spared this experience, for in spite
of his suffering his faith anchor held firmly.
As one by one we
see the Lord's saints called from our midst, does it not, each time, seem to make the
other side a bit dearer-and nearer? Will not the keenness of the partings here but
intensify tire joy of the reunion beyond the veil?
The devoted life
and loving acquiescence in the face of approaching death of Brother McKechnie form an
eloquent testimony to the conquering faith that was his. Physically he was small of
stature, but spiritually strong and robust. It is my confidence that he has made his
calling and election sure, and though removed from us, his sweet influence will remain,
for "their works do follow them."
A verse of a hymn
comes to my mind in connection with the dear brother's loyalty and submission through
sickness and pain
"O Joy that
seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee:
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be."
With much love and
assurance of a continued interest in my petitions, I am, '
Your brother in Christ,
N. S. M. -- Pa.
Dear
Brethren
I wrote you from
South Africa in reply to your kind letter which I received in Durban. . : . On reaching
Capetown I found but one sister who had been standing true to present Truth all these
years alone. I had visited her on my journey seven years ago. At Durban, however, I
received word of a sister who had come to realize the errors and follies of the I. B. S.
A. I f found her a true Christian woman and as anxious for some fellowship on truth lines
as was the sister who had been so long standing alone. From one I was put in touch with a
brother, who helped me by bringing me in touch with two others, and so on until I found
about eight who I hope will now form a small Class, which may be the means of gathering
others . . . .
I had brought quite
a lot of literature with me from Melbourne, but I ran out. I think it would be well for
you to send some of the Heralds specially printed to assist such brethren, and so I am
sending you the names . . . .
I am expecting to
travel across Canada in course of two or three months… I expect to go through
Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver. I have no personal reasons for stopping
in Montreal, Winnipeg, or Vancouver, and hardly any necessity to stop at Toronto, but if
good is likely to be done, I am only too pleased to try and serve our Lord and those who
are sincerely His and are following in His steps. With Christian love,
Yours in Christian service.
R.
E. B. N. -- Aus.
VOL.
XII. September 15, 1929 No. 18
THE BIBLE BASIS FOR
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP,
SERVICE AND UNITY
"Stand fast therefore in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,
and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." -- Gal. 5 :1.
CHANGES, events,
and circumstances in these days have caused many of God's faithful people to re-examine
and search the Scriptures more diligently than ever, if possible, to discover what are the
foundation principles of Christian liberty, fellowship, and unity. Let us, beloved, ever
come to the Scriptures, and from them learn the truth about this as well as every
important matter of faith and practice. The final test of the Christian is that of love,
and the spirit of division and sectarianism cannot be retained, if the Divine approval is
to be secured.
True liberty is the
first great blessing entered upon when one becomes a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The fetters of bondage are broken, and real liberty is begun -- freedom from the bondage
of the guilt and power of sin (Rom. 5:1; 6:12-14) ;liberty of conscience, which requires
freedom to examine both sides of a matter pertaining to our Christian life and service.
Indeed, it is a duty to so act so far as circumstances and ability permit. "He that
answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame to him." -- Prov. 18
:13.
St. Paul Warns Against Sectarianism
Christian liberty
signifies freedom from sectarianism, from bondage to sects and parties of men. The word
sect means a division, a part cut off, or cutting off from. It is not sectarianism,
however, to be separated from a sect, for such separation is necessary. .Sectarianism is
that spirit and disposition to divide and separate God's people by setting up creed
fences, or by fixing certain bounds and limits, and by applying tests of fellowship and of
church membership such as have no authorization in the Divine Word. Thus sectarianism is a
separation from the true Church, where alone there is true Christian liberty. On this
Brother Russell very aptly wrote
"The first
danger against which St. Paul warned the Church was sectarianism; and he was evidently
heeded at the time at least, for no great sects of Paulites or Apollosites developed. But,
as usual, the great enemy, thwarted in one direction, moved to the opposite extreme, and
attempted to insist upon a oneness very different from what our Lord or the Apostles ever
taught. This. attempt was to have every recognized member of the Church think exactly
alike, on every minutia of Christian doctrine. This attempt finally developed into Papacy,
where every matter of doctrine was decided by the popes and councils; and every man who
desired to be considered a Church member was obliged to accept such decisions fully, and
to profess that such decisions were his belief, his faith; whereas they were not his in
any sense but that of adoption. They were generally either blindly received or
hypocritically professed with mental reservations. This was not at all the oneness urged
by St. Paul. He urged a oneness of heart and mind, and not a thoughtless, heartless or
hypocrìtical profession. He urged a oneness such as naturally results from the proper
exercise of the liberty which we have in Christ-to search and believe the Scriptures, and
to grow in grace and in knowledge, every man being thus fully persuaded in his own mind,
and firmly rooted and grounded in the one faith as set forth in the Scriptures." --
Z. '08-116.
Essentials of Liberty, Unity and Fellowship
There are seven
things associated with the attainment and enjoyment of Christian liberty, unity, and
fellowship: Any additions to or subtractions from these will, proportionately, mar or
destroy these priceless gifts.
We will mention,
first, because it embodies all the others, that of believing in Christ and continuing in
His Word: "Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on Him, If ye continue in My
Word; then are ye My disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free." -- John 8:31,32.
The second is that
of receiving the Spirit. The Galatian Christians were in danger of becoming enslaved again
in bondage, through certain teachers who had come among them and who were teaching them
that some additional qualifications were necessary in order to enjoy the full liberty
wherewith Christ had made them free. To warn them against this false teaching and to
recover them from this error, the Apostle wrote: "O foolish Galatians, who bath
bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ bath,
been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye
the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" -- Gal. 3:1,2.
The third important
thing is that of receiving evidence of Divine Fatherhood. We quote: "For ye have not
received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption
[sonship], whereby we cry, Abba, Father." -- Rom. 8:15.
The fourth is that
of experiencing the ",one baptism." "Know ye not, that so many of us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?" -- Rom. 6 :3.
The fifth is that
of becoming members of the one Body-the Church. "For as the body is one, and bath
many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is
Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." -- 1 Cor. 12:12,13.
The sixth is that
of being begotten unto one hope. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which bath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not
away, reserved in heaven for you." -- 1 Pet. 1:3,4.
The seventh is that
of entering into the enjoyment of a like precious faith. "Simon Peter, a servant and
an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through
the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ." -- 2 Pet: 1 :1.
Maintained only through the Spirit
Christian liberty
can be maintained only by holding fast to these seven vital matters, as we read: "As
ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him; rooted and built up
in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with
thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the
tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him
dwelleth all the fullness of the Deity bodily." (Col. 2 :6-10.) And again: "Let
no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels [human
messengers] . . . and not holding the Bead."-Col. 2 :18, 19.
Those who have
experienced the blessings associated with these seven lines of thought are bound together
by the bonds of fellowship and unity. This blessed liberty, fellowship, and unity can be
maintained only by earnest endeavor, through the Spirit. "I therefore, the prisoner
of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with
all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love;
endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Eph. 4:1-3.) It
will require earnest endeavor because Satan has his counterfeit of these and is ever
seeking to lead away from the true, to the false. This blessed unity, fellowship, and
liberty will require making use of all the gifts of the Spirit possible. "Wherefore
He saith, when He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men .
. . . He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ."-Eph. 4:8-13.
These seven
foundation truths are all that is necessary to enjoy this blessed fellowship, unity, and
liberty. The Apostle mentions them altogether. "One Body, and one Spirit, even as ye
are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and
Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." -- Eph. 4:2-6.
The Apostle's words
may be summarized as follows:
(1) The Author of unity -- "One God and Father."
(2) The Center of unity --"There is one Lord."
(3) The door of unity -- "There is one baptism."
(4) The kinship of unity -- "There is one Body."
(5) The nature of unity -- "There is one Spirit."
(6) The
goal of unity -- "There is one hope of your calling."
(7) The creed of unity - "There is one faith."
What Is the One Faith?
It is very often
along the line of the last item above, that Satan seeks to destroy the precious heritage
of the Christian. How important that we should know what is the faith here referred to:
Let us carefully note the following from Brother Russell's pen:
"The one
faith, which all should hold, was a very simple one; one so simple that all, the learned
and the unlearned alike, could grasp it and comprehend it, and be 'fully persuaded in their own
minds' concerning it. It was not a dose of incongruous mysteries, inconsistent with
themselves and inharmonious with reason as well as with the Bible, to be swallowed by the
ignorant with credulity, and by the learned with hypocritical mental reservations: but it
was so simple, so clear, so reasonable, that any and every honest follower of Christ could
be fully persuaded in
his own mind regarding its truth.
"What is this
one faith? The basis of it is stated by Paul, thus: 'I delivered unto you first of all, that which
I also received [first of all -- as a foundation truth or doctrine; upon and in harmony
with which all other doctrines must be built], how that Christ died for our sins, according to the
Scriptures; and that He was buried; and that He rose again the third day, according to the
Scriptures.' (1 Cor. 15:3,4.) 'There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.' -- 1
Tim. 2:5, 6.
"This, in a
word, confesses sin and utter helplessness; it acknowledges God's loving plan for our
redemption; it owns that our Lord's death was our ransom price; and that forgiveness
(justification) and reconciliation to God, and the restitution of believers, come as a
result of faith in this Redeemer, when in due time it is made known to each and all.
"These brief
statements contain the whole Gospel, in the same sense that an acorn contains an oak tree.
Without this Gospel kernel, the true Gospel can never be possessed; hence this must be insisted on as a test of
Christian fellowship. This must be received, else the Gospel is not. received. When it is
received, the Gospel is received . . . .This true Gospel, this simple faith, easily
understood and confessed by the weakest babe in Christ, must also be, and always, and
equally, the faith of the most developed sons of God. This one faith (and not the endless
ramifications and details of faith which lead out from it) St. Paul placed as a standard
or test of all claiming the name Christian. All the consecrated who agreed on this one
standard, or foundation truth, St. Paul counted as in and of the one Church. While each
member was to grow in grace, knowledge and love, there would always be harmony and oneness
in the faith and fellowship of the Church, if all growth were kept in line and harmony
with this foundation truth.
The Mistake of the Past
"Here was a
perfect basis of union, which allowed for all the various stages of individual development
in the. truth, and which most effectually guarded against errors. For if this simple creed
were today made the standard by which all doctrines should be tested, it would speedily
lead to the discarding of every error and to the true union of the Church in the 'one
Lord, one faith, and one baptism.'
"The endeavor
to compel all men to think alike on all subjects, culminated in the great apostasy and the
development of the great Papal system; and thereby the 'Gospel,' the 'one faith,' which
Paul and the other Apostles set forth, was lost-buried under the mass of uninspired
decrees of popes and councils. The union of the early Church, based upon the simple Gospel
and bound only by love, gave place to the bondage of the Church of Rome -- a slavery of
God's children, from the degradation of which multitudes are still weak and
suffering." -- Z. '08-117, 118.
"The true
teacher's place," said Brother Russell, "and the true Bible student's place, is
outside of all human bondage, free to examine and feed upon all portions of the good Word
of God, and untrammeled to follow the Lamb whithersoever He leads." -- Vol. III, p.
145.
"Every one who
comes to realize the liberty of the sons of God and full freedom from Babylon's bondage
should expect to meet other attempts of the great Adversary to bring him into other
bondages, or to stumble him. The Lord permits these severe testings, that the class now
sought may be manifested, and prepared for His service in the Kingdom of glory." --
Vol. III, p. 188.
"The value of
the true liberty amongst the Lord's people cannot be overestimated. It becomes a part of
their very life. It was because; under a wrong conception of union, this spirit of true
liberty was crushed out of the Church shortly after the Apostles fell asleep in death that
the 'dark ages' resulted, with all their ignorance, superstition, blindness, persecution,
etc. The Reformation movement of the sixteenth century was but a re-awakening of the
spirit of liberty, . . . liberty to think inside the foundation lines of the doctrines of
Christ; liberty to believe as much or as little more, in harmony with this, as the mental
conditions and circumstances will permit, without being branded as a heretic or persecuted
by brethren, either in word or deed. . . .
"Let all who
are the Lord's people, and who have tasted of the liberty wherewith Christ makes free, see
to it that they stand fast in that liberty, and as soon as an attempt is made to restrain
it, if not sooner, let them get out completely from all the bondages of human systems,
that they may stand firmly and loyally with the Lord, our Redeemer, our Instructor, our
King." --Z. '02-170.
The only Real Unity; That of the Spirit
Christian unity is
not simply the holding together of those who see eye to eye in all the minutia of doctrine
and of particular kinds and methods of service; not the holding together simply of those
who are co-operating with one human and necessarily imperfect channel for service; and not
necessarily the making use of those gifts (teachers) who hold to one particular human
channel. Rather, the unity that should exist in the Body of Christ is especially
designated by the Apostle as a unity o f the Spirit: "Endeavoring to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Eph. 4:3.) This spirit is seen in its
perfection as we note the mind or disposition of Christ as He manifested it to the Father,
to His disciples, and to the world. In this respect we note that it was a dependent,
submissive, prayerful, and loyal spirit in its relation to His Father, and a gentle,
self-sacrificing, and cross-bearing spirit in its relation to men.
In his celebrated
work, "The History of the Reformation," D'Aubigne gives a most clear and
comprehensive exposition of what constitutes the basis and substance of Christian unity.
Note carefully the following brief statement to the point
"Just as all
the members of my body have an intimate and undefinable relation with one another, because
the same life animates them, the same head makes them move, so every Christian finds
himself really and indissolubly united to all other Christians by an identical relation
with the same Savior. This is what is called the 'communion of saints.' This communion is
not only a system, a doctrine, it is a reality, a fact which exists in the
world as certainly as the union of the members of the same body.
"There can be
really no Christian union in the Church, 'unless it proceed from the spiritual and
internal fact which I have mentioned. Our part is not to make a Christian union, but
rather to recognize it, to exhibit it, to take away the obstacles which hinder it from
having free course. Christian union must proceed first of all from unity of spirit. The
whole theory of Christian unity is found in these words of the beloved disciple:
'Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God; and every one that loveth
Him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of Him."
This writer goes on
to warn against the mistake too often made of stressing the importance of outward unity,
in form or appearance merely, when the real inward unity of spirit does not exist. We
quote:
"Farther, I
cannot conceal my fear lest mere unity of form be unavoidably not the manifestation, but
the substitute of internal union. I fear, that when much stress is laid on unity of
ecclesiastical constitution, this unity may be obtained at the expense of the internal
constitution of vital Christianity. The Romish Church is a sad and striking proof of the
danger I point out."
Some Important Characteristics
Some
characteristics of real unity are: Recognizing but one Head, Christ, as supreme authority
in the Church; making the Scriptures paramount, putting them in the first place, as the
final settlement of all matters of interest to the Church; putting what one might think to
be the very best of helps in a secondary place; making the seven basic truths mentioned in
Ephesians 4:4-6, the only essentials of Christian fellowship; giving every one full
liberty to study and increase in spiritual knowledge, and according to every one the,
privilege of expressing. in a reasonable manner his belief.
True Christian
fellowship can never be withdrawn from any of those who recognize and experience the
blessings associated with the seven basic principles laid down by St. Paul. Those who are
in fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ, are our brethren -- ours to
love, ours to serve, and ours to lay down our lives for. The fear of what man may do, or
what of misunderstanding and ostracism may come because of obeying this law of love, this
new commandment, will not deter the faithful from serving or laying down their lives for
the brethren.
"Let No Man Deceive You"
A careful review of
the history of the Church reveals that the methods of the Adversary have often been to
direct the attention of the Lord's people away from Christ, its true Head, to some human
arrangement -- either to an individual, fellow mortal, self-constituted head, or to some
human concern, man-made organization, etc. Such person or organization is set up as the
Church's spiritual teacher and guide in her life and service. As such procedure is
emphatically in violation of the Apostolic teaching, the Holy Spirit does not operate in
or teach through such teachers, and the result is that the professing Church has been
repeatedly, overrun with false teachers and teachings, subversive of the truth, and
general apostasy and departure from the faith have come in. It was in order that His
followers should be on guard against such perils that Jesus admonished, "Take heed
that no man deceive you." Those who profess to be teachers were to be proven by the
infallible word of Christ and the Apostles. The Church was admonished to "Try the
spirits," the teachings, the doctrines, etc.
"The mere
claim of any man to be a teacher," declared Brother Russell, "is no proof that
he is one by Divine appointment. That false teachers would arise in the Church, who would
pervert the truth was foretold. The Church therefore is not to blindly accept whatever any
teacher may set forth, but should prove the teachings of those whom they have reason to
believe God's messengers, by the one infallible standard, the Word of God. 'If they speak
not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.' (Isa. 8:20.) Thus
while the Church needs teachers, and cannot understand God's Word without them, yet the
Church individually -- each by himself and for himself, and himself only -- must fill the
important office of judge, to decide, according to the infallible standard, God's Word,
whether the teacher be true or false, and whether the claimed teacher is a true teacher by
Divine appointment."
Christ, the Center of Our Unity
On the subject of
Church organization and what it is that unites Christians together in Christ, we submit
the following as a most clear and Scriptural statement, well worthy of the careful and
prayerful consideration of all:
"And then as
to the 'standard' [around which we gather]: What is it? Is it a doctrine? Nay. Is it á
theological system? Nay. Is it an ecclesiastical polity? Nay. Is it a system of
ordinances, rites, or ceremonies? Nothing of the sort. God's warriors do not fight under
any such banner. What is the standard of God's militant host? Let us hear and remember. It
is Christ. This is the only standard of God and the only standard of that warrior band
which musters in this wilderness world, to wage war with the hosts of evil, and fight the
battles of the Lord. Christ is the standard for everything. To have any other would only
unfit us for that spiritual conflict to which we are called. What have we, as Christians, to do with
contending for any system of theology or church organization? Of what account, in our
estimation are ordinances, ceremonies, or ritualistic observances? Are we going to fight
under such banners as these? God forbid! Our theology is the Bible. Our church
organization is the one Body, formed by the presence of the Holy Spirit, and united to the
living and exalted Head in the heavens. To contend for anything less than these is
entirely below the mark of a true spiritual warrior.
"Alas! alas!
that so many who profess to belong to the Church of God should so forget their proper
standard, and be found fighting under another banner. We may rest assured it super-induces
weakness, falsifies the testimony, and hinders progress. If we would stand in the day of
battle, we must acknowledge no standard whatsoever but Christ and His Word, the living
Word, and the written Word. Here lies our security in the face of all our spiritual foes.
Holy Spirit Gathers Us to the Risen Christ
"It is ever
the aim of Satan, as it is the tendency of our hearts, to lead us to stop short of God's
mark in everything, and specially in the center of our unity as Christians. It is a
popular sentiment, that 'the blood of the Lamb is the union of saints,' that is, it is the
blood which forms their center of unity. Now, that it is the infinitely precious blood of
Christ which sets us individually as worshipers in the presence of God is blessedly true.
The blood, therefore, forms the Divine basis of our fellowship with God. But when we come
to speak of the center of our unity as a church, we must see that the Holy Spirit gathers
us to the Person of a risen and glorified Christ; and this grand truth gives
character-high and holy character -- to our association as Christians. If we take lower
ground than this we must inevitably form a sect or an ism. If we gather around an
ordinance, however important, or around a truth, however indisputable, we make something
less than Christ our center.
"Hence, it is
more important to ponder the practical consequences which flow out of the truth of our
being gathered to a risen and glorified Head in the heavens. If Christ were on earth, we
should be gathered to Him here; but, inasmuch as He is hidden in the heavens, the Church
takes her character from His position there. Hence, Christ could say, 'They are not of the
world, even as I am not of the world'; and again, 'For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that
they also might be sanctified through the truth.' (John 17:16, 19.) So, also in 1 Peter,
we read, 'To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of
God and precious; ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.' (Chap.
2:4,5.) If we are gathered to Christ we must be gathered to Him as He is, and where He is; and the more
the Spirit of God leads our souls into the understanding of this, the more clearly we
shall see the character of walk that becomes us. It is Christ's position which gives
character to the position of the Church, and her position should ever give character to
her walk. The more closely we adhere to Christ, and to Him alone, the stronger and the
safer we shall be. To have Him as a perfect covering for our eyes, to keep close to Him,
fast by His side, this is our grand moral safeguard."
God Has Delivered His People at Various Intervals
At various
intervals in the history of the Church of Christ, because of certain departures from
primitive simplicity of doctrine and life, it has become necessary for the Lord's people
to retrace their steps and go back to the very foundation itself. As we all know, the
Reformation in the sixteenth century marked one of these periods. The doctrine of
justification by faith in the sacrifice of Christ, which is the foundation of all true
Christian life and experience, had been lost sight of except by a few; and the testimony
of these few had been almost silenced. When God desires to restore His truth and its
liberty to His people, He usually first causes it to be discovered and worked out in the
experience of one or more individuals and then uses such person or persons to communicate
it to others. The individuals used in the days of the Reformation were such as Luther,
Zwingli, Knox, Calvin, Wesley, and others.
The great
Protestant movement which began so well and was carried forward with such sweeping
success, gradually merged into sectarianism; and instead of advancing in its work of
restoring additional truths to the Church, it culminated in another apostasy. It was the
Divine intention, however, that in these latter days all the "holy vessels"
(precious truths) must be restored to their place in the "temple"; and to this
end God caused another "earthen vessel" to pass through experiences in search
for truth, that qualified him to be the instrument for this great work -- the harvest
work. The movement, under his wise supervision, prospered as had other reform movements to
considerable proportions, and gathered around it many who were greatly blessed as they
learned of God's love for His creatures.
However, there was
not the faintest intention in the mind of this servant of God, that another sectarian
organization should grow out of his life work; for the purport and spirit of all his
messages noted foregoing clearly show that he was emphatically opposed to sectarianism. He
taught that the only ties that should bind God's faithful together were the simple bonds
of love and common interest in the cause of the Redeemer, based upon the two fundamental
propositions of faith in Christ's redeeming sacrifice and full consecration to do the will
of God. The only object of the organization (a purely business one) which had been formed
by God's servant when there were but few associated with him, was that of uniting the
efforts and powers of all to bring the precious truths to the Lord's consecrated and
declare the "good tidings" of the coming Kingdom. No thought of its being a
religious sect ever entered the minds of any in those earlier days. The blessed truths had
come through God's servant who made no claim of being anything more than one of Christ's
footstep followers whose privilege it was to be an index finger pointing the people of God
back to "the old paths."
Tests Peculiar to These Latter Days
Living as we are in
the closing days of the Church's history, of which time our Master said, God would gather
out of His Kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity, we can be assured
that He would not long tolerate a wrong-or sectarian spirit to exist among His faithful
people. And therefore, inasmuch as such conditions are permitted to come in, it is proper
to expect some providential intervention in connection with the interests of His people,
to uncover and expose to view that which would not have His approval, and make clearly
manifest to the faithful, to how great an extent the evil had taken root.
Many brethren today
who are alert and are watching unto prayer realize that a very grave situation has
developed amongst the body of Bible Students the world over since the departure of Brother
Russell, nearly thirteen years ago. The life work of our dear Brother, as many realize,
has been very largely discredited and set aside. The institution used by Brother Russell
for the dissemination of the Truth has undergone revolutionary changes, so that its
publications, purpose, and activities are altogether of a different character from those
during Brother Russell's time. Changes in the spirit, teachings, and service, have rapidly
come in, one after another. The spirit of liberty in Christ has been supplanted by a state
of bondage to a human organization. Those therefore who in true piety and godliness are
walking with their Master, hear His call to separate themselves from all such unholy
association and state of bondage. Such realize afresh. the necessity to stand fast in the
liberty wherewith Christ makes free and to throw off every yoke of bondage, whether
instigated by an individual who has exalted himself in the Church, or by a human
organization.
More than this,
such separated ones possessing the spirit of true unity and of the love of Christ realize
the leading of the Master to associate themselves together merely as brethren in the Lord
and as ecclesias after the manner manner and example of the primitive Church, instituted
by Christ and the Apostles, who recognized no other authority or headship in the Church
than that of the one who said, "One is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are
brethren." Such devout disciples of the Lord, endeavoring to get back to Apostolic
simplicity, will be exercised by the spirit of tolerance and will not try to bring each
other into bondage to one another's opinions and private interpretations regarding this or
that non-essential issue or item of the faith; but will recognize the broad basis for
Christian fellowship and unity as set forth above, namely faith in the precious blood of
Christ and consecration to the Divine will. If it was important for the disciples of the
early Church to thus adhere strictly to the counsels that were issued by the Holy Spirit
then, it is of equal importance that faithful disciples of Christ today shall heed those
same counsels. They are to preserve the purity of the faith and to be exercised unto
godliness, and undergo the transforming influence of the Spirit of Christ. Thus will they
be prepared, in the near future we trust, to hear the Master's welcome voice and share
with all the faithful of the Age in the unspeakable joys, riches, and glory of the Church
Triumphant.
(See the
Declaration on Christian Unity article on the next page)
DECLARATION ON CHRISTIAN UNITY
adopted by the
ASSOCIATED BIBLE STUDENTS OF GREATER NEW YORK
April 7, 1929
WHEREAS, we
recognize that it is the solemn duty of the Church of Jesus Christ, and of every member
thereof, to "give diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace," as admonished by the Lord's Apostle (Eph. 4:3) in conformity with the Lord's
expressed will that His disciples and followers should "all be one" (John 17:21)
; and
WHEREAS, this and
other regularly appointed gatherings of independent Bible students in this City, for
divine worship, prayer, and study, have been and are manifestations of their desire to
obey the Scriptural injunction "Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and
good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some
is" (Heb. 10:24, 25) ; nevertheless, it is desirable that this exhortation should
have a broader observance in a more comprehensive and general assembling of the Lord's
people for the mutual development of Christian love, fellowship, and service; and
WHEREAS, the
Apostle Paul in Ephesians, Chapter 4, has given to the Church as a whole a broad yet
sufficient basis for One-ness or Unity, with a statement of the infinitely valuable
objectives to be attained through such Unity; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That we,
a company of Christians and Bible students assembled this day at our regular meeting
place, do hereby affirm our acceptance of, and do extend the right hand of fellowship to,
all others who similarly accept and adhere to this Apostolic basis of Unity, defined
Scripturally as follows (without limiting the Scriptural definition to the quoted
passage):
"ONE
BODY" "For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have
not the same office; so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members
one of another." "Now hath God set the members each one of them in the body,
even as it pleased Him .... And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee; or
again the head to the feet, I have no need of you . . . God tempered the body together . .
. that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same
care one for another . . . . Now ye are the Body of Christ, and severally, members
thereof." "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.
There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no
male and female; for ye all are one in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ's then are ye
Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise." -- Rom. 12:4, 5 ; 1 Cor. 12:18, 21, 24,
25 ; Gal. 3:27-29.
"ONE
SPIRIT"---"I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that
He may be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth." "When He is come, He
shall guide you into all the truth." "We received . . . the Spirit which is of
God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." "For as
many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God . . . and if children,
then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him,
that we may be also glorified with Him." "In one Spirit were we all baptized
into one Body." The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control." -- John 14:16, 17; 16:13; 1 Cor.
2:12; Rom. 8:14, 17; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 5 :22, 23.
"ONE HOPE OF
OUR CALLING" -- "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
according to His great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that
fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through
faith, unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." "Through whom
also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in
the hope of the glory of God." "We may have a strong encouragement, who have
fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us; which we have as an anchor of the
soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil;
whither as a fore-runner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek." "Ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of Him
who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." "Whereby are given
unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the
divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." -- 1
Pet. 1:3-5; Rom. 5:2; Heb. 6:18-20; 1 Pet. 2:9; 2 Pet. 1:4.
"ONE
LORD" -- "To us there is . . . one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all
things, and we through Him." "The Father of glory . . . put all things in
subjection under His feet, and gave Him to be Head over all things to the Church, which is
His Body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all." -- 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 1:17, 22.
"ONE
FAITH" . . . Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto
the saints. For there are certain men . . . turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." "Now faith
is the assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen . . . . And without
faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto Him; for he that cometh to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that seek after Him." "The
word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word óf faith, which we
preach: because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in
thy heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." "Him that is
weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations." -- Jude 3, 4; Heb.
11:1, 6; Rom. 10:8, 9; 14 :1.
"ONE
BAPTISM" -- "Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing
them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." "I have
a baptism to be baptized with: and how am I straitened till it be accomplished."
"The cup that I drink ye shall drink; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal
shall ye be baptized." "All we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized
into His death . . . . But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
Him." -- Matt. 28:19; Luke 12:50; Mark 10:39; Rom. 6:3; 8.
"ONE GOD AND
FATHER" -- "There is no God but one. For though there be that are called gods,
whether in heaven or on earth . . . yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are
all things, and we unto Him." -- 1 Cor. 8:4-6.
Be it
further
RESOLVED, that in order to properly preserve the "liberty in
Christ" of the Church as a body, and of every member thereof individually, the
following principles should be recognized by any an every assemblage of the Lord's people:
(a) Full liberty of belief on every
item of Scriptural interpretation, other than the essential basis of Unity laid down by
the Apostle and outlined hereinbefore, should be mutually accorded by every member to
every other member.
(b) The Church should recognize no
authority of, and should be free from dictation or domination by. any individual or
organization other than her Lord and Head, Jesus Christ. "One is your Master, even
Christ; and all ye are brethren."
(c) Every member of the Church should
be at liberty to engage or not to engage in any activity in the Lord's service as may seem
good to him.
Be it
further
RESOLVED,
that this assemblage of Associated Bible Students extends to any and all brethren who
stand on the foregoing basis of Christian faith and liberty the right hand of fellowship
and a hearty welcome in our midst as brethren in the Lord.
ASSOCIATED BIBLE STUDENTS,
Brooklyn, N. Y.
"Within one city square I count
Five churches of five creeds;
The money is a large amount
They spend upon their needs;
Five heating plants must keep them warm,
Five light bills monthly paid
Five pay rolls to be met with cash,
Five organs must be played.
"All worshiping. the same great
God,
All praying in His name,
But separate because their rules
Are not all just the same;
Empty pews are found in each,
With room in each big hall,
And any one, could men agree,
Would find a seat for all.
"The money that is wasted here,
That might in good be spent;
If all the dogmas and the creeds
On just one thought were bent;
Oh speed the day when men can see
The same right point of view,
And work together, hand in hand,
As Christ would have us do."
"When He had heard therefore that
he was sick, He abode two days
still in the same place where He was." -- John 11:6.
IT is in keeping
with the general character of John's Gospel that we find him recording the death of
Lazarus, one who was a special friend of Jesus, and relating for us the unusual
circumstances surrounding his awakening. John seems to have remembered more particularly
those features of our Lord's ministry that had to do with His deep love for those who
received Him into their heart's affections. It is therefore fitting that this incident,
so, full of love and sympathy, should be included in John's intimate sketches of our
Lord's life amongst His closest friends. And like the prayer of chapter seventeen, these
revelations of His love and friendship are intended to embrace all who are led to believe
on Him through the word of John, and his fellow Apostles.
The Bethany home of
Martha and Mary seems to have been frequently visited by Jesus and His disciples. Its
location seems to have made it a convenient stopping place, as they journeyed back' and
forth. Likewise, the spirit of its three inmates gave it an atmosphere that was congenial
and sympathetic, affording rest and relaxation from the strenuous activities of other
days. Responsive characters they were, who perhaps much more than they realized, refreshed
the Master's heart during those three years of His contact with imperfect men, and
sweetened the bitterness of His last few days preceding Calvary. If a cup of cold water
given to a weary disciple is remembered in heaven, who can estimate the value of the
service these dear intimate friends gave to Jesus in the days of His ministry. He would
not have been "like unto His brethren" if He had not longed for and. appreciated
the love and sympathy of kindred spirits, and felt drawn in 'a special way to such when
His "soul was exceeding sorrowful," weighed down with the contemplation of the
approaching cross. Thus it is that we find Him drawn to Bethany but a few days before His
crucifixion, when the flesh, in natural shrinking, is trembling before the ignominy and
shame of view of such a death. In view of this John could not forget to tell us that
"Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus."
Love Moves in Mysterious Ways
From the narrative
furnished us in chapter 11, we may draw helpful lessons of the mysterious ways Divine love
sometimes moves. Here we are told of characters whom Jesus loved in a particular way, and
of hearts that responded to His love in genuine acts of service and devotion. With such a
setting we get a picture of the wonderful possibilities of that reciprocal love that flows
between Jesus and His own.
John's assurance
that all three were loved by Jesus is worthy of more than a passing observation; for we
cannot forget the very marked differences of character they displayed. Supposing the rich
young ruler of Luke 18:18 to have been Lazarus, as some believe, what a study in contrasts
we find in these three admirers of Jesus. Yet all were inscribed upon His heart as warm,
devoted friends. This teaches us much of the deep, understanding love of Jesus. The
excellent qualities of Mary's character, in sharp contrast with, some of the apparent
deficiencies of Martha's did not prevent Him from fully appreciating any admirable traits
He observed in the latter. What comfort this brings to our hearts! How like Jesus to teach
us in this way -- that the devoted Marys and business-like Marthas, the impetuous Peters
and cautious Thomases are all included in that understanding love. If all must be like
Mary or John in order to be embraced in the circle of His friends, then the multitudes
that seem to find their representative in Peter, Thomas, or Martha, must relinquish their
claim upon His special friendship. Then He must cease to be the "One altogether
lovely" to many, many devoted disciples, whoa notwithstanding inherent impetuosity or
feeble' faith, and perhaps overanxious minds, would surely plead "Lord, Thou knowest
all things; Thou knowèst that I love Thee." How precious then is this story which
reveals a Savior's love that is equal to the needs of all who love Him.
Love Permits Pain and Sorrow
Whom the Lord loves
He must discipline. To be received into close fellowship with Him is to experience the
chastening love that corrects and scourges, for without such experiences the traces of
sonship are lost. The branch must be pruned if there would be much fruit, and the fire
must burn painfully deep to bring out the pure gold He seeks. Certainly the testimony of
all suffering saints will be in accord with that of the Apostle, "No chastening for
the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the
peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Could we
find a more tangible or more comforting assurance that this statement is true, than in the
story before us? Here we have love revealed in a delay that means disappointment,
heartaches, and bereavement, when human reasoning would most expect its immediate,
operation. But what an afterward of peace, and of unfailing gratitude filled the hearts
thus prepared through the chastening experience.
Jesus had journeyed
into Perea and had been absent from Bethany for some time. During that time Lazarus had
taken sick and a messenger had been sent to Jesus with the simple message, "Lord,
behold, he whom Thou lowest is sick." In the minds of the sisters nothing more was
needed. They never doubted that He would come with all possible haste to their assistance.
He who had so often relieved others would surely be particularly solicitous for one whom
He specially loved. But "when He had heard therefore that he was sick, He abode two
days still in the same place where He was." How surprising that the Master should do
this! -purposely delaying His going to them, when love would seem to compel Him to go!
Surely anything less than an infinite love that understands the value of trials would have
led Him at once to their side.
Secrets of His Providential Love
What an opportunity
this was for Martha and Mary to question His love. In simple confidence they had sent Him
word. There was no elaborate message of entreaty, that would seem to question His
readiness to help them; neither was there, as Jesus knew, a thought of any greater
blessing hidden in His delay to answer their prayer. But Jesus delays until Lazarus dies.
One day lengthens into two and a third is added-yet He does not come. Lingering hope has
given up, and the object of the sisters' love and prayer has been laid away until the
general resurrection morn. So it must have appeared. But oh,
"Not so in haste
dear hearts,
Have faith in God and wait;
For though He tarry long,
He never comes too late."
On the fourth day
He is near enough for the sisters to go to Him, and as they do so, each in turn reminds
Him that the death of Lazarus was due to His absence. "If Thou hadst been here, my
brother had not died." By this they must have meant to say, Why did you not come to
us, when by a word from you our brother's life might have been spared, and this, our great
trial and sorrow, prevented. We had such faith in your love that we were sure you would
come, immediately you heard of our need.
How illustrative
this is! How often have the special friends of Jesus interpreted His delays in this way.
How difficult it has been for suffering saints of all ages to silence the cry within their
breasts, "How long, oh Lord, how long?"
But oh, how well we
know that eventually, when all is over, "looking back we'll praise the way" His
love has led us day by day. When the secrets of His providential and loving delays are all
explained, and He reveals the purposes of every trial, how great will be our praise! Very
remarkably was this thought brought home to one "who was in acute distress because of
a long succession of calamities, when, happening to visit a ribbon weaving factory, he was
shown a new machine for producing fabrics finer than any seen before. He examined it
carefully; but skilled mechanician though he was, he could not understand how, the work
was done. Finding that all the movements of wheels and levers and threads were controlled
by some arrangement in a central box kept closely shut, he asked to be allowed to look
inside, but was told 'the master keeps the key.' These simple words were like a flash of
heavenly light into his darkened soul. 'Here is my life,' he thought, 'full of what seems
to me inextricable confusion; what the meaning of its cross purposes may be I cannot tell;
but if in me the divinely perfect pattern is at last wrought out, I need not ask on what
principle my God is fashioning me for His glory My Master holds the key."'
He Weeps with Those Who Weep
Divine love is
revealed in numberless ways. It comes to us "while we were yet sinners," and it
continues with. us as redeemed children despite the great diversity of our characters. But
is it not manifest that some receptive hearts are capable of absorbing more of that love
than are others. As a result, these like John and Mary, find a special place in the love
of Jesus, and obtain clearer visions of His fathomless tenderness and sympathy.
Apparently there
must have been some inquiry respecting Mary in the conversation between Jesus and Martha,
for Martha returns with the message to her: "The Master is come and calleth for
thee." Perhaps this trial had been a greater test to Mary than to her sister. The
very warmth of her love, and the confidence she had in Jesus, would cause her to feel more
keenly His seeming neglect. She had not gone out to Jesus as Martha had done, but
"sat still in the house." Was it a modest hesitancy, or was it the bleeding
heart that just could not understand the delay? In any case the personal message from
Jesus thrills her with encouragement and brings her to His side. And it is here that we
meet the shortest verse in the Bible and one of the sweetest revelations of the love and
tenderness of Jesus: "Jesus wept."
But let us note --
Martha had gone to Him and He had comforted her heart with assurances of His power to
bring Lazarus back. It would seem that He had conversed with her without any special sign
of the deep. emotions of His heart. But how different now! Mary comes weeping to his feet.
"When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her,
He groaned in spirit and was troubled." The flood gates of His love and sympathy gave
way, and He wept with those that wept. To Mary those tears spoke volumes. They would be to
her the sublimest testimony that "He knows, and loves, and cares." Had Lazarus
not died, she had not seen Him weep. Had her heart not been crushed by the blow, it had
never known this revelation of His love. Her life might have been lived in the faith that
He was touched with the sorrows of others, but now she had seen and felt the reality- of
that sympathy -- a priceless experience indeed!
Would we know Him
thus? Then let us not forget the value of the trials that open the way to such revelations
of His love for us. Let us always remember that behind each "frowning providence He
hides a smiling face," and that there await us exhibitions of His grace that will yet
change our tears to songs of praise. Let us never forget that "It is under such
discipline that the soul is mellowed to a loving submission that calmly says, I can do all
things, bear all things, through. Christ who strengtheneth me. As gradually the dross of
the old nature is consumed, and the gold becomes more and more manifest, these precious
souls become ever dearer to their loving Lord. So dear are they to Him that in every
affliction He is near with His grace to sustain and His presence to cheer; and the deepest
shades of sorrow become memory's most hallowed resting places, where the Day Star shines
the brightest." "Wherefore think it not strange, concerning the fiery trial that
shall, try you." "Our tears are like telescopes to enable us to see further into
heaven. God often washes our eyes with tears so that we may see the realities of His love
with clearer vision."
Suffering for the Sake of Others
There is still
another lesson we may gather from this beautiful story. It was impossible for these three
friends of Jesus to foresee .the tremendous value of their experiences to others besides
themselves. They would place the boundaries of its influence close by the Bethany home,
and limit its meaning to themselves alone. But how high are the thoughts of Jesus above
their own. He was permitting these dear ones to suffer because of the :benefits accruing
to countless souls in after days. This is proven by His statement to His immediate
disciples when He informed them that Lazarus was dead. "I am glad for your sakes that
I was not there." The sufferings of the sisters were permitted for the sake of the
Apostles, to provide a basis for one of His greatest miracles. That miracle and its
attendant circumstances has stood out like a beacon light to cheer the hearts of many
others who have suffered throughout the Age. How unlimited the possibilities, when our
lives are in the safekeeping of one who knows the end from the beginning! "It is
probable that no one suffers nobly without in some degree ministering to the glory of God
in the well-being of others. Let those who live to suffer, who lie all day in pain, and
all night in utter weariness, take heart! In some way that passes our thought they too are
fulfilling a useful and blessed office to the entire family of man." "Oh the
depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God; how unsearchable are His
judgments, and His ways past finding out."
What a different
aspect our trials assume when seen from this viewpoint. Can it be that the trials we limit
to ourselves, and feel so personally and solely interested in, are things for which Jesus
,gives thanks, and that for the sake of others? In the great economy of God do these
trials of ours, in some wonderful, mysterious way, flow out into the eternal purposes of
God, to glorify Him and benefit others?
Such is the lesson
we learn here, and such is the comforting consolation of all His exceeding great and
precious promises, wherein we are assured that in the eternal ages to come, as we review
the days of our earthly pilgrimage, every trial will shine with a luster of eternal glory.
In that wonderful overruling power and economy of God, nothing is wasted, nothing is
superfluous.
In the marvelous
revelations that will enrapture us beyond the veil we will find a special joy in learning
of how God has overruled all our trials, small or great, not only for our own good, but
also for others-to work out for them His great eternal purposes. What a God is ours! Like
the Psalmist we find Him everywhere. And like the sisters of Lazarus, we often find Him
most clearly revealed, after He has led us through the deep waters of affliction.
"PRAY without
ceasing," enjoins St. Paul in the second link in his chain of exhortations, embodied
in his epistle to the Thessalonians. If, as he had just admonished, we are to learn how to
"rejoice evermore," in all conditions, under all circumstances, in sickness or
in health, in poverty or in wealth, everywhere and in everything, it is most necessary
that we practice the exhortation, "Pray without ceasing." Prayer is that which
opens the spring from which joy and rejoicing flow. There can be no true Christian joy
unless a living communion with God by continual prayer is begun and preserved.
Look at it as we
may, understand it though we may not, prayer has to do with the fulfilling of the promises
of God's Word to His people. The blessings of Pentecost were foretold in literal language
as well as in type and shadow. This great event in Church history is called by the Savior,
"the promise of the Father." It was so arranged in the Divine purpose that it
must come to pass, in order to fulfil one of the most important features of His great Plan
of Salvation; but when the time drew near for the fulfillment of this promise, He made
known to anxious, interested ones, just beforehand, that the time for its fulfillment was
near at hand, and as the disciples, gathered in the "upper room," prayed, the
place was shaken, the room was filled with the manifestation of God's presence and power,
and a new feature of His dealing with humanity began.
We have the same
truth illustrated in Old Testament history. God foretold of His ancient people, that
because of their disobedience and sin they would be carried away captive to Babylon; and
He made known also to one of His prophets that after seventy years had passed they would
be privileged to return again to their native land. When the due time for their
deliverance drew near, there was at least one man on earth who had not forgotten the
promise; he prayed, and the promised deliverance came.
The Merciful Privilege of Sinful Man
Much has been
written about prayer -- its nature, its object, its results, and its benefits. The
Scriptures do not define it, for it is assumed that. men know, its meaning. The
disposition to pray, to worship that which is superior, was originally implanted in man's
constitution. It begins its exercise in the little babe, as it is made conscious of its
want, its need. The moment a child realizes its hunger we have an illustration of the
first element of true prayer, which is that of deep, heart-felt longing desire. The moment
we feel our need of food, we have what constitutes this first and necessary element of
prayer. "Prayer," says one, "is hunger's appeal for food; it is thirst's
cry for living water; it is sin's yearning for forgiveness; it is death's last look for
everlasting and glorious life." One view or phase of prayer has been very well
defined in what is termed the "Shorter Catechism"; "Prayer is an offering
up of our desires to God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with
confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies."
The question is
sometimes asked, Can a sinner -- one under the Divine sentence -- pray to God. We answer
that it is the privilege of penitent sinners to pray; surely the Savior so teaches. While
it is unquestionably true that only those who have received the spirit of sonship by the
begetting of the Holy Spirit can approach God in prayer as a son to a father, yet when
Christ came into the world to reveal His Father's love for the human race, to show His
favor towards those who were weary and heavy laden with a load of guilt and sin, He
illustrated that love by a parable in which is pictured a father's welcome of a prodigal
to his house and home. While this parable seems to have been given to illustrate God's
favor toward and acceptance of a class of repentant outcasts of Israel, despised
publicans, and sinners, etc., at our Lord's First Advent, we see no objection to a general
individual application of the principle in the parable. The sinner's prayer is shown in
the prodigal's words when, far away from home, in the depth and bitterness of his sin, in
a condition of estrangement and separation from his father's house, he said: "I will
arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and
before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired
servants." The prodigal still felt that the father, whom he had long since forsaken,
had not ceased to. love him, and this had the effect of both encouraging and moving him to
return.
The parable goes on
to picture the father as seeing him when he was afar off, which shows that he had been
waiting for him to express a desire to return to his home; and the Savior, in order to
exhibit God's love for the broken-hearted, repentant sinner, represents the father as
going out to meet him, and after receiving him with open arms, prepares a feast in his
honor, and without so, much as even a reproach, receives him into his home. Does not this
teach that there is a sense in which God looks upon the fallen ones of the race as still
His offspring; at least those who, if they knew God, and if their environment did not
retard or hinder them, would return to Him? "For," says the Apostle, "ye
[Christians] were as sheep gone astray and are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop
of your souls."
It is manifestly
true then that repentant sinners may seek the throne of mercy and grace; such is in
perfect harmony with God's plan in the calling out of the world and selecting the
joint-heirs with His Son; and the first impulse a sinner has that he ought to pray, is
God's power in some way, which may not be necessary for him to know, moving him to avail
himself of his God-given privilege. God hears the heart prayer of repentant sinners.
"In His ear the publican's first cry, the Magdalene's first tear; the thief's last
word, rose with infinite and perfect acceptance, and brought down an answer, exceeding
abundant above all that they could ask or think."
"Everything to God in Prayer"
There is another
matter that is in harmony with God's arrangement concerning a Christian's privilege in
prayer that is not understood by some. We may pray for everything which we sincerely feel
that We need. Some say, I would pray for God to give me relief from this overwhelming
difficulty, or to send me some assistance to tide me over this crisis in my temporal
affairs, but I am not sure that it is His will that I ask Him for these temporal things.
We reason, however, that in approaching God in prayer it is not necessary for us to
understand what God's will is in the matter before we bring our burden to Him. In fact it
is not always our business to know what may be His good pleasure. In some of our affairs
we recognize that He has clearly revealed in advance in His Word what His will is, while
in some other matters we may not be able to read His will. But it is for God to decide
what is His will, and His will is always in harmony with what is for our good. It is our
privilege to make known to Him all our wants, both spiritual and temporal, the deepest,
the greatest, as well as the smallest. He desires me as His child "to unbosom every
want that I feel, and to leave with Him the prerogative of giving what is best, or of
withholding what is wrong, or of judging what is most expedient for me." The language
of the poet, that we should take "everything to Him in prayer," presents the
correct thought.
God is a Father to
the Christian. He, therefore, does not want us to come into His presence with a cold and
distant reserve; but rather to approach Him with filial confidence, as an affectionate
child approaches an earthly parent. He desires that we tell Him what we think is good for
us, and to leave with Him when, where, and how' He thinks best to answer our prayers. He
may not always give us what we ask, but we should be thankful that He will always give
what is best. He will surely hear and answer us. If we are laboring under a heavy burden,
it is our privilege to pray that if it be His will the burden may be removed. It will not
always, perhaps seldom, be His will that it be removed, but He will give that which is far
better, that which He gave to St. Paul-grace to bear it.
Importance of the Will Resigned to God
However, we need
always to remember that the great, never changing condition that should regulate all our
prayers, is, that we seek first and all the time the interests of the Kingdom of God. This
is one of the most precious and practical laws to be found anywhere in God's Word, to
regulate us in our prayer life. When choosing a profession in life, the question with the
Christian is not, Will this net me the greatest profit? Will this be the best to further
my temporal interests? Will this bring to me the honor and the esteem of my fellow-men?
Rather the question should be always, Will this help me to be a better ambassador of
heaven? Will this assist me most in my Christian development?
If I change my
place of residence, it is proper that I select a good site, as well as a house that will
be comfortable, where sunshine and shade are well proportioned. However, the paramount
questions are not these, but rather, Shall I be so situated that I can hear the Message of
God? Is it in a neighborhood where I can hear the Gospel proclaimed? Is it a place where I
may have the privilege of meeting with God's people -- where I may join with others in the
worship of God ?
The present life of
the Christian is filled with wants and needs; therefore he must "pray without
ceasing." The Psalmist expresses most beautifully the difference between the
Christian's condition on earth, and his condition when he reaches the heavenly state
beyond. He says, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee?" The thought here expressed is
that heaven is a place of having. He does not, however, stop with these words, but adds,
"And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee." Earth, then, is the
place of need, of want, of desire; heaven, on the other hand, is the place of having;
prayer ceases here, and is substituted there with praise.
The mature
Christian while contented here on earth is not satisfied. There is planted in his inmost
being a knowledge of imperfection, and a desire for perfection. While realizing all the
blessings of pardon, peace, acceptance with God, and heart purity, he has a deep longing
for that "better country," where sin will no more disturb him. This causes him
to feel more and more that earth is not his home. He desires a better country, that is a
heavenly. How true in the experiences of real Christians are the words of one long since
departed from these earthly scenes: "Our inmost and deepest wants and longings, our
sorrows, our griefs, and our bitterness, that rise and fall, and come and go like the
successive waves of the ocean in their rise and ebb, and roll like these across the human
heart, all tell us unmistakably, what indeed we cannot but feel, that this is not our
rest, and that there must still remain a rest for the people of God."
All Our Longings Satisfied in the Eternal State
While it is true,
there is a present rest of faith to believing, trusting ones; while there are some
longings and desires that can be satisfied on earth by deep, heart-felt, trusting prayer,
yet there are others which can never be satisfied here below. The very possession of these
longings and desires, however, may be regarded as prophetic of their realization and,
satisfaction beyond these present scenes. Even our sorrows which may be made use óf to
work our everlasting good, are but presentiments of heavenly comforts and lasting
blessings.
In view of all
these things what a wonderful privilege is prayer! One of God's trusting ones who fully
realized this observed that: "Prayer is not so much a duty that we are commanded to
fulfil as it is a blessed heaven-bought privilege, we are invited to enjoy." This
being true, the great question with us is not so much, must we pray, as it is, may we
pray. It is unfortunate that many Christians have perhaps unconsciously fallen into the
habit of thinking of prayer as a duty. It is those things that we look upon as duties,
that we naturally perform as duties. Regarding prayer as a duty, a service to be
performed, will naturally cause us to feel that when the duty is performed, we have
fulfilled our obligations and that is the end of it. Prayer is not a duty. Prayer is a
means to attain spiritual advancement and blessings. The very nature of true prayer makes
it a means, an instrument to make us better Christians, that we may diffuse the light of
God, of Christ, of heaven around us.
Again, it is a well
known fact that prayer looked upon as a duty to be performed, has led in one great church
system to its being considered as a penance, and it has there become a mere form. Prayer
itself will not expiate sin or make atonement for wrong doing. Another has observed that
"You may repeat 'Paternoster,' twelve hours without ceasing, and yet you may never
have prayed at all; and when you have prayed with all the fervor of a saint, and all the
fullness of the Apostolic description -- without ceasing -- you have never made an
atonement for a single sin, nor is it able, nor was it meant to be so. Prayer is not the
expression of a love we feel; it is not the expiation o a sin we have committed; it is not
the payment of a debt we owe; it is not in any sense the performance of a duty that
devolves upon us; it is something far better and nobler than all these. We must regard
prayer as a means, not an end; as a precious and great privilege; not as a provision for
God, but a provision for us."
Prayer Does not Alter Divine Purpose
Our Savior also
tells us that prayer is not a performance to be seen of men. Very frequently did He warn
His disciples against imitating the religious professors of His day, or of accepting their
teaching on this line. They prayed on the street corners and in the highways; their object
was to be seen of men; or in other words to let people know they were religious, that they
were followers of the great Jehovah. While they called this prayer, it was not prayer. It
is quite possible in our day to imitate unconsciously, unintentionally, the Pharisee of
our Lord's day. While it may be proper in a public place to bow our heads and give thanks
for our food, yet if there is a single thought in our mind in doing this of being
"seen of men," we are in that measure imitating the Pharisee of old.
Another fact about
prayer is that it is not in any sense or degree intended to alter the designs and purposes
of God. Some Christians make a mistake in their reasoning along this line and think that
their prayers can alter or change the Divine purpose. Others, and these are the most
numerous today, because of superficial reasonings on this subject, have gone to an
opposite extreme, and think they understand all of nature's laws, and have thus become so
wise ("in their own conceits"), that they have ceased altogether to believe that
God can answer prayer. They say, God is omniscient, and knows all things; God has His
sovereign purpose, and has decreed all' things. How then can it be possible that our
prayers can alter the fixed, unchanging purposes of heaven; or, how can He whose plans
have been marked out from everlasting, be moved to turn aside from these, no matter how
earnest or eloquent our pleadings may be?
This reasoning
fails to take into consideration that when God instituted His plans and purposes, He so
arranged them as to reward those who would diligently seek to know and serve Him. Indeed,
this is one grand feature of His great Plan. Blessed indeed are those who have discovered
this. This is one of the things the great Teacher said are hidden from the wise and
prudent according to this world, and is revealed unto babes, humble ones.
We are told that
God governs this world by second causes. If there be no rain, the earth will become dry
and parched; if there come a frost, vegetation will be affected, and fruit buds will be
destroyed. We see this law working always and everywhere. Men see just a little into what
they call nature's laws, and thinking they know it all, pronounce upon them; just as some
geologists dig down a little under the crust of the earth and then think they can tell all
about its inner contents. It is true that God works by second causes; but this does not in
any degree hinder Him from working through these to answer the prayers of those who love
and obey Him. We are finite and He is infinite. This is true in every phase or aspect of
God's knowledge, wisdom, and power. The great poet has said truly, "There are more
things in heaven and earth than thy philosophy ever dreamed of."
Answers to Prayer in Conformity with Divine Decrees
We are witnessing
new and wonderful discoveries every day discoveries which enable men to change what they
once supposed was nature's laws, and they tell us that we are only in the infancy of these
discoveries. It is not difficult now, even from the human standpoint, to see how God can
answer prayer without conflicting with or changing what men call "second
causes." The following illustration of this, given by one who lived nearly a century
ago, is more apt and forcible at the present time-.than it was when first given:
"Suppose a
chain stretching from the throne down to the very footstool. Of course each link is
dependent on the previous link, or each third cause upon the second, and each second upon
the first, and all upon the staple that fixes it to the throne of God. 'Very well,' you
answer, 'how can He do anything that you ask without dislocating the chain; removing one
link, and substituting another at your prayer; which would be disorganization and
confusion.' The solution is plain. May not the power of God be transmitted down that chain
as the electric fluid is transmitted along the wire; not injuring the medium by which it
travels and yet achieving stupendous results at the end at which it arrives? May not God,
therefore, without dislocating a single link, without ceasing to act by second cause, send
an influence through the whole series of causes that will be an answer to your prayer, and
yet in full conformity with all the fixed arrangements of His mighty and glorious
universe? And if God has decrees -- as we admit He has -- may not His decree include in
its execution our desire? And may it not be that the necessity of our desire is just as
fixed as the fact of God's everlasting unchangeable decree? But the fact is, the man that
wants does not discuss metaphysics; he prays. There is something in our hearts that tells
us, like an echo of what God has uttered in heaven, 'Seek and ye shall find; knock and it
shall be opened; ask and ye shall obtain.' The moment that a person begins to discuss the
possibilities of prayer, the philosophy of prayer, the metaphysics of prayer, that moment,
depend upon it, he does not feel his deep wants as he should, nor know what are the
blessings that can supply them. You never find a hungry child begin to discuss
metaphysical difficulties with his mother when he wants bread; and you will not find a man
who really, and in his inmost soul feels that he needs saving blessings, pause, or arrest
his petitions for a single moment in discussing how it is possible that God can answer
prayer; or how, without disturbing His fixed arrangements, He can bow His ear and listen
to our petitions. The text that upsets all objections is, that 'God will have men
everywhere to pray.' Make the experiment, 'Seek and you shall find' -- pray without
ceasing -- knock and it shall be opened -- ask, and you shall obtain."
THE benediction of
undisturbed rest is a blessing sought and eulogized wherever man is known, but experienced
by a surprisingly small fraction of the human race. Careworn souls, turning away from the
vision of weary years of trial and bereavement to friends upon whom sorrows press but
lightly, wonder at the beauties life seems to hold for them, and ask the secret of their
peacefulness, inquiring where this rest is to be found. Disappointed hearts, turning from
the futile chase for joys which kept so near, but just beyond their reach, tantalizing,
beguiling, inviting, yet receding faster than the swiftest feet could follow, come,
breathless and panting, ready at last to relinquish the long-continued pursuit. and
dropping with weariness, imploringly ask for rest. Beautiful home-circles, long unbroken
by the ravages of the destroyer, and all the more perfect by the firmness of affection's
cords, grown to be so mature, must be broken now. Hearts must bleed, tears must flow. And
now the bereaved sighing for an hour of forgetfulness, in which they may recruit their
vigor, looking away from this, the keenest sorrow they have known, with swollen eyes and
with sobs that melt the sternest heart, appeal to our sympathies and ask, "Can you
not tell us where we may find rest?"
Value of the True Rest
All classes are in
search of rest. The cry for it reverberates upon a thousand hilltops, and echoes along the
fertile valleys of the earth. It comes to us from the north; the south also is calling for
rest. They seek it in the east, nor is the west satisfied without it. Millionaires have
everything beside it; the penniless desire it above the bread they crave. Health cannot
satisfy without it! with it, sickness is powerless to disturb. Ease becomes wearisome if
rest of soul be absent; its presence makes the heaviest burdens light. Without it, we
sigh; but this soul-rest turns our sighing into singing. Bitter tears flow where it does
not abide; but with rest, tears lose their bitterness. What price is too dear to pay for
rest of soul? Cheerfully will they endure hardness for a season, if but the assurance of
its coming attend the labor òf its famished seekers. They will work till hands are brown
and callous from their toil; till brains are weary, eyes are dim, and limbs grow feeble.
They will deny themselves the comfort of the present, modify arrangements for the future,
to prepare for its enjoyment, and engage every power, to the end that this priceless boon
be made their own. . . .
"Come unto
Me," said Christ, "all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest." That means you if you are burdened. Surely you do not doubt it! You would not
say that because your burdens are peculiar, and unaccountably afflicting, that therefore
Christ is unable to fulfil His Word? Then He must mean you just as you are; and the
heavier the burden the greater is your need of relief. It signifies nothing whether the
burden be great or small. He can bear it in either case. Therefore, bring it to Him, and
having done so, leave it with Him. You must do it; the privilege is too great to be
neglected. Christ loves you and would not see you burdened thus., He commands you to do
it, and if you love Him, you will obey. Having "come" to Christ, having
"taken" His "yoke," and "learned" of Him, the unqualified
promise is, you shall find rest. Now, if you do not find rest, it will be because of some
reserve; for the promise stands unchanged. Rest is always given when the conditions are
fully met. Then plead no excuse; your case is not an exceptional one. You shall have rest
if, you will accept it. Then do so and "go in peace."
Cause of Unrest within Ourselves
The cause of unrest
among believers is not the excessive weight of burdens, not the severity of trial, for
often the fully consecrated, who enjoy the sweetest rest, are they whose material
surroundings are of the most distressing character, subjecting them to sorrows calculated
to harrow beyond expression; yet they ride on victoriously, while others with far less
reason for complaint are disturbed much of the time. The cause lies within themselves; and
consists in a partial reception only of the grace which would drive forever from their
lives such inconsistencies as are often deplored in penitence and sorrow. Neither victory
nor rest shall ever gladden our hearts by the simple absence of the ills of life, but
rather through Divine strength being brought to our assistance. And this can be done only
by the concurrence of our wills; including, and indeed, necessitating an unreserved
surrender to God. Oh, if this work be accomplished what mighty results will follow! It
will be as natural for us to rest in God as it is for us to breathe. Soul-rest will be
ours continually, and effective labor for God the outward expression. As the child, timid,
fearful, unwilling to venture when alone, becomes wonderfully brave when conscious of his
father's presence, so we, though formerly helpless, will, by the abiding presence of our
God, venture anything, everything, so long as it be in the defense of truth and in
obedience to the Father, who has promised to protect us.
And what shall be
able to disturb us while God's strength is still our own? Shall it be the remembrance of
weary years of trouble? Shall it be a death-bed scene? Shall it be painful memories of
loved ones who have failed and thus mortified or grieved us? I tell you it will not be
found in these things to molest the repose abiding in our hearts. While the surface may
sometimes show agitation, the peaceful currents of the soul will move on toward the
boundless ocean -- God Himself, whence came this wondrous grace; then the tide of His love
will come, overwhelming the little disappointments of an hour, drowning our sorrows and
washing away the stains our tears had left, and thrilling with a heavenly joy our souls,
as, standing in bewilderment, we demand, with the astonished Paul, whose words were
unequal to his, rapture, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As
it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for
the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved
us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord."
Selected.
1929 Index |