LIFE ETERNAL, OR NOTHING— WHICH?
By W. M. Herd
Some time ago many of us were enthusiastic over a message sent by the Lord through the Spirit of Prophecy, telling two important truths. One, as generally expressed, is that the sealing work has begun; the other, that in order to solve the mystery of faith and godliness, we should proclaim, “I know that Christ is my portion forever.” At a meeting held soon after this Testimony was received, where this latter feature was especially dwelt on, there was a prompt, enthusiastic response from nearly all present, who seemed to appreciate the power contained in this message from the heavenly sanctuary. But the last brother who spoke advanced an idea to the effect that the proclamation, “I know that Christ is my portion forever,” may truthfully be given by every one, saved or unsaved; for while Christ brings salvation to the righteous, he at the same time destroys the wicked, and thus is the ultimate portion of both classes. This idea seemed to check the enthusiasm previously shown. And wherever this idea is accepted, it can not fail to neutralize the power contained in the proclamation. This is, probably, the reason so little has been heard on this subject since that time, and I can not wonder at it; for it seems like an insult to our Father to class his utterances through the Spirit of Prophecy with the meaningless, ambiguous phrases of the Delphian oracle. When the Lord instructs us to say, “I know that Christ is my portion forever,” there is indeed the power of an endless life in it; for if Christ is my portion, all that belongs to him belongs to me; and if he is my portion forever, all that he has is mine forevermore. And how much is included in this? — He says, in John 16 : 15, “All things that the Father hath are mine.” Is death included among the attributes of God? — Nay, verily; it belongs to another being entirely. Heb. 2 : 14. No; here is what the Saviour says: “As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” Then, Christ being my portion forever, I have life in Christ forever, and all things else that pertain unto life and godliness. This proclamation can fairly be classed with that of Job: “I know that my REDEEMER liveth,” which shows Job’s confidence that the Lord would raise him to immortality. So also, those who can say, “I know that Christ is my portion forever,” can confidently expect in their individual experiences the fulfilment of the promise contained in John 6 : 54. Indeed there is reason to believe that the promise, in John 8 : 51, “If a man keep my sayings, he shall never see death,” applies with special force at this time. If this message from the Lord means anything, there is the power of an endless life in it; and I can not conceive it possible that any one who believes the Testimonies could, upon mature reflection, place any confidence in any such construction of a Testimony as that which is here exposed. No; there is no double meaning. There is life, and joy, and peace, and power in the proclamation, if we will take these good words of the Lord, and make them ours; for that is what they were given for. Then the power that is in them will be ours, and thus can be fulfilled that other part of the Testimony, which says, “The time has come when all who work in Christ’s lines will have the mark of God, in words, in spirit, in character, in their honor of Immanuel.”