A DEFINITE WORK AND MESSAGE.
By Editor
ONE of the prominent features of modern religious life and experience is uncertainty. Men do not know whether they are Christians or not. If professedly so, they do not know what they believe or why they believe. They are not at all certain as to some of the most vital doctrines of Christianity; if we may pluralize that which is ever and always only one,—the one doctrine, the one teaching of the Gospel. “Did Christ die in our stead?” “Did He give Himself to save us from our sins?” “Are we saved by His righteousness alone?” These are all simple questions, admitting of definite, Bible answers, and yet, under the influence of higher criticism, infidelity, and ignorance of the Word, a great number of professed Christians are doubting. They are uncertain as to the answers to the questions, uncertain of their own experience, uncertain, even, as regards the Bible. Surely this is a sad condition of things. If there ever was a time in earth’s history when the church of God should stand for something strong, sure, and definite, it is now in this age of unsettled purposes, of vain visions, of “swooning trance,” of voices many, calling out of the night of fog. There is one great, religious body that does thus stand, namely, Roman Catholicism. And yet her definiteness is founded on the most indefinite and uncertain basis,—human tradition. Yet in this is she definite. She has deduced from the debris of the ages doctrines and dogmas without end, but she makes them definite, and demands their definite acceptance, even tho some of them make void the very law of God. Surely, the Protestant church in these days should stand for as definite a something as does the church of tradition. It is the definiteness of Roman Catholicism and the compromising, less than half-certain attitude of Protestantism that is winning numbers for Rome to-day. There is no need of this compromising attitude on the part of Christians, notwithstanding the loud claims of evolution and geology and higher criticism, or of the “science falsely so-called.” God’s message is definite; it has always been definite. Noah preached a definite message of repentance, faith, righteousness. Moses preached a definite message, both to Israel and Pharaoh. Elijah’s message of reform was tremendously definite to backslidden Israel, “If Jehovah be God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him;” and the poor, ignorant, undecided people answered him never a word. John the Baptist preached a definite message. Christ was about to come. The way for the King must be prepared by earnest, heartfelt repentance and turning to God, and the reception of the Coming One. The message of Jesus and His apostles was no less definite, “The kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the Gospel.” “For we have not followed cunningly-devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Emphatically and clearly God has met the needs of this time with a definite message. Clearly and emphatically He portrays the fallen condition of the church and the departure from His precepts. He has given us line upon line of prophecy, which unmistakably declares that we are living in the last days. Multiplied signs on every hand, even to the scoffing and unbelief, assure us that we may know that Christ is near, “even at the door.” The King is coming at the end of all human failure to usher in the reign of righteousness and peace. Men are to repent and believe in these everlasting good tidings. “The hour of His judgment is come;” men are to bow before the great Judge in reverent worship—obedience—ere they bring upon themselves the irrevocable sentence. They are to turn from the distracting human to the up-building Divine; from the arm of flesh to the power of the Spirit of God; from the theory of life by works to the Gospel of the life through faith which works; from the tradition of men to the Word of God. The SIGNS OF THE TIMES stands for this definite, God-given message. “With malice toward none, and with charity for all,” we hope, in His grace, to give the message just as far as He will give us power and wisdom so to do. We know there is power in the message to cleave the soul out from the world, and to fashion it for the kingdom of God. We know there is power in the message to save from sin. We know that it is clear, strong, and definite for every soul who, in God’s grace, will plant his feet upon its everlasting truth. Therefore we present the glad tidings to you, and bid you, in the words of one of old: “Come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.”