AS THE TRUTH IS IN JESUS
By Uriah Smith
“But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus.” Eph. 4: 20, 21. In this text we have the distinct affirmation that the living voice of Christ himself is our teacher. “Ye have heard Him,” says the apostle; not, Ye have heard of Him, or about Him, as to the particulars of His life and history; but, “Ye have heard Him.” The New Testament everywhere represents Christ as still working and teaching in the world. He himself affirmed the continuance of His great work of declaring the Father, beyond the limits of His earthly life, and that not in parable and figure, but directly and plainly. He pledges himself to send the teaching Spirit of Truth, all whose showings and illuminations are showing and imparting to us the things of Christ. Every one may have, and every Christian does have, direct access for himself to the living Lord, the eternal Word. It is not necessary to take the false and dangerous road by priest, and bishop, and pope, to find Christ. Paul says to the Hebrews: “But ye are come . . . to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” Heb. 12: 22-24. Those who are in Christ receive continuous instruction from Him. “And have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus,” says the Scripture. These words indicate the conditions of the gradual progress of Christ’s schooling. His teaching is not one sudden act, but a long, loving, patient discipline. The first feeble act of faith enrolls us as disciples; then there follows through the years His teaching to observe all things whatsoever He has commanded. The theme of the teaching is Christ: “Ye have not so learned Christ.” Our lesson is not, then, about the Lord, but the living Lord himself; not the teaching of Christianity only, but the theme, as well as the teacher, is the Lord himself. The substance of the message taught by Him is the truth as it is in Jesus. The truth as it is in Jesus is the truth carried out, as in the life of Jesus. The life of Jesus was opposed to, and contradicted, everything that was false and wrong. In this respect the truth was in Jesus, and He was the truth. Jesus embodied the truth of every symbol that was anywhere given to set forth the truth. Christ said to Israel by Moses, “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken.” Deut. 18: 15. He was the “Passover” slain for us. 1 Cor. 5: 7. He was the atoning Lamb, whose blood, applied on the day of atonement, cleansed from all sin. Jesus spoke the truth, which, on account of its importance to man, is emphasized as the truth. This truth is universal and eternal, and ever new. The truth as it is in Jesus, means much. It is more than a cold, dead statement of theoretical truth. It is a truth of life and power. The expression is probably used, more frequently than in any other way, simply to express the great doctrine of human sin, and of the redemption of mankind by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if we separate these two things which God has joined together, and take each by itself, we lose all the power of the statement. For instance, if we say that man has sinned and fallen under the wrath of God, we state a great and solemn truth, indeed, but not the truth as it is in Jesus. But when we put Jesus in, it changes the whole aspect of the picture. That truth does not then appear in its coldness, bleakness, and wretchedness; but it is lighted up and made tolerable by the smiles of Him who is, in Christ, “reconciling the world unto himself.” The truth as it is in Jesus should be taken as an expression of what we believe was shown in the life of the Lord Jesus; and we should show the conception by conforming our lives to His life, and by walking in His steps. The justifying power of faith would enter largely into our conception of the truth as it is in Jesus. Christ is the foundation, Christ is the truth; and the way we build on the foundation, in the very nature of the case, determines what the result of our work will be. If we build wood, hay, stubble, we suffer loss. The complete moral revolution necessary to be wrought out in us, is not accomplished either by one supreme effort of our will or by any momentary shock of divine power; but is carried through in detail, by a laborious, and oftentimes painful, process of self-discipline. The process lasts as long as life lasts; for with the changing years there are changing forms of moral evil, which have to be resisted and put away from us. Earlier triumphs make later conflicts easier, but they do not release us from the stern necessity of battle. Self-examination is necessary. Our moral habits must be compared, one by one, with the commandments of God, and their conformity with the spirit and genius of the gospel carefully and honestly tested. And there must be self-discipline, as well as self-examination. The old man must be put off — crucified with its affections and lusts. It is often asserted that Christianity is a life, not a creed; that it is devotion to a person, not to dogmatical formulas. One of the most popular forms of expressing a fallacy, is by means of false antitheses. We have one of them in this. Christianity is indeed a life; but what kind of a life?—A life governed and molded by a creed, a creed which gives motives and energy to a life. Christianity is indeed devotion to a person; but what kind of a person?—One who was manifested through a doctrinal medium: “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2: 11. “Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matt. 1: 21. “For we have not an high priest which can not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Heb. 4: 15. Without doctrine or dogma, setting forth Christ’s existence, His nature, and His attitude of love and mercy toward mankind, He could not be recognized and loved as He has revealed himself, and as He is. Dogma or doctrine lies at the foundation of the truth as it is in Jesus. Men “must have,” says Bright, “a doctrinal Christianity, or no Christianity at all. They must have doctrine, or they must do without Christ.” In every age the battle of infidelity against Christianity has been fought on the point of doctrine; for the enemies of the Bible know that if an advantage can be gained there, the inner principles of religion, faith and holiness, will soon fall into decay. A true idea of the principles of our faith, well and temperately formulated, is due to ourselves, that we may be fortified by the obligation which open profession lays upon us. It is due to others whom we wish to draw to the truth. It is due to those who deny our faith, that we may warn them of their danger and error, and hold up the truth on which we seriously believe the salvation of their souls depends. The value of accredited forms of principles of belief can not be overestimated. They are bonds of union as to belief in the first principles of the oracles of God. What is called “The Apostles’ Creed” is concise and simple; yet as a skeleton of New Testament theology, it is full and complete. It expresses no man’s opinions; it gives no man’s explanations. It simply records the facts of our religion, without either accounting for them or deciding in what particular manner they shall be held. Account for the facts as you may, explain them as you will, draw what inferences from them you like, these are the facts, and they may be proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture.”—Fulford. To know Christ, to know the truth as it is in Jesus, to “know Him, and the power of His resurrection” (Phil. 3: 10), is the great lesson of the Christian life, which the Ephesians began to learn at their conversion, and in which the apostle was instructing them to continue till they should reach the measure of the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. Happy are we if we are learning the same lesson too. U. S.