The Nature of Man by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 14, 1903

The Nature of Man

By Editor

Editorial

The Nature of Man

There is one passage of Scripture which settles the whole question of the nature of man: “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field; the grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass.” It is because men have rejected these simple truths that they ever set up the claim that man is by nature immortal. He who really believes that he is grass will know that “as for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.” How forcible and how plain is this teaching! Since all flesh is grass, a man has no more power of himself than has the blade of grass in the field. For a man to claim an eternity of existence, apart from the salvation of God, is to set himself up as God, having life in himself. But there is only one man who has life in himself, and that is the Son of man. “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” Jesus, the Son, “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Those who believe on Jesus receive him, and in receiving him they “lay hold on the life which is life indeed.” Therefore “he that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life.” All the reasonings of the theologians, all the speculations of the philosophers, and all the “manifestations” of Spiritualism can not overthrow these simple statements of the Scriptures. How much better it would be for men to receive with thanksgiving the gift of life, rather than to spend their time in the useless effort of trying to prove that they have the gift already. This is one of Satan’s ways of cheating men out of the gift. “I have set before thee life and death, . . . therefore choose life, that thou mayest live.” “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” Man is mortal. God “only hath immortality.”

An Ancient Doctrine

There is only one way of salvation, and that is through faith in the atoning work of Christ. There has never been any other way. This is the divinely appointed method of justification by faith. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Bishop Horsley in one of his charges (1790) thus refers to the history of the doctrine of justification by faith: “That man is justified by faith without the works of the law was the uniform doctrine of the first Reformers. It is a far more ancient doctrine; it was the doctrine of the whole college of apostles. It is more ancient still; it was the doctrine of the prophets: it was the religion of the patriarchs.” This is the fundamental truth of the gospel in all ages. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Let us sound the joyful message in every land.

Do It Quickly

There is a peculiar intensity manifested in all the experiences of life today. There is a strain upon the people of all classes which was not felt in any such degree a quarter of a century ago. This is a sign of the times. Some years ago this instruction was given to us also through the spirit of prophecy: “Something great and decisive is to take place, and that right early. If any delay, the character of God and his throne will be compromised. . . . Intensity is taking possession of every earthly element; and as a people who have had great light and wonderful knowledge, many of them are represented by the five sleeping virgins with their lamps, but no oil in their vessels; cold, senseless, with a feeble, waning piety. While a new life is being diffused and is springing up from beneath, and taking fast hold of all Satan’s agencies, preparatory to the last great conflict and struggle, a new light and life and power is descending from on high, and taking possession of God’s people who are not dead, as many now are, in trespasses and sins.” It is evident that the great controversy is fast coming to the climax, and that we have entered upon the last campaign of the whole struggle. We must plan and labor now with the understanding that a great work is to be done quickly, and we must learn how to lay hold of that divine power which will make this possible. We do not seem to realize to a sufficient degree that this is the Lord’s work, and that our great Leader has infinite power and resources at his command. “He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” We have come to the time when the mystery of God is to be finished, and now we can be assured that “he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” Whatever work is committed unto us now, we must do it quickly.

Homeward Bound

When Jesus was about to leave this world, he encouraged his disciples with the thought that he would make a home for his followers to which he would take them when he returned to this earth. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” We are now in a world of sin and sorrow, bearing the weight of the curse, but we are homeward bound. The difficulties are many, and the trials are severe, but we are homeward bound. The times are perilous, and we grow sick at heart as we see the havoc which sin is making in the world, but we are homeward bound. It is evident that the

most severe conflict in the whole controversy between good and evil is just before us, but we can enter upon it with courage and confidence in our Leader, for we are homeward bound. It is proper that the thought of being homeward bound should fill our hearts with holy joy. Home, Father, Elder Brother — how glorious is the prospect!

“Home, home, rest for the weary, Peace, peace, to the torn breast; Hope, hope, hope of the erring; There in thy bosom we’ll rest. Home, home, home, home,— There will the wanderers rest.”