THE TRIUMPH SURE by S.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 2, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 40.

THE TRIUMPH SURE.

By S.

The Christian Advocate, in speaking of the difficulties thrown in the way of Gospel progress by the legalized saloon, says that it is apparent that the kingdom of God can not triumph (in the earth, of course) as long as the business which ruins the bodies and souls of men continues. According to this, the most important work of the church just now is to influence the State to take steps to make all soul-destroying vices illegal, and afterward resume its work of soul-saving. If the kingdom of God can not triumph until the business of wickedness in the world is stopped by legal enactment, then it must be the business of the church to make politics its one work until that one object has been accomplished.

While we would be the last to plead for or support in any way the licensing of vice of any kind for any portion of the week, we can not admit for a moment that the business of the church now or at any time is in the arena of politics; nor admit the truth of that other statement that the kingdom of God can not triumph while the business of wickedness continues.

The kingdom of God will triumph or the Book of God is not true, nor the promise of Christ to His followers possible of fulfilment. Hear His declaration:—

“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Rev. 2:7.

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.” Rev. 3:5.

“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of My God,” etc. Rev. 3:12.

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne.” Rev. 3:21.

“He that overcometh shall inherit all things.” Rev. 21:7.

Christ’s followers are to overcome, to conquer, and the earth, sin-soaked as it is, is the place where their battles are fought and won. The battle is not one-sided—both parties are on the field. Those who win, who overcome, do so in spite of the wickedness that is all about them; because the Gospel, whose ministers they are, “is the power of God unto salvation.” Rom. 1:16. The ministers of God are not to look for a reign of legal righteousness to usher in the consummation of their work. Those who do so will be found unprepared for that consummation when it comes; for the testimony of the Lord is against the existence of such a condition of things in the earth while His work is drawing to a close. He declares through Paul that “evil men and seducers ‘shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being ‘deceived.” 2 Tim. 3:13. A reading of the chapter will show that Paul is telling conditions that would prevail in the last days; but notwithstanding the discouraging conditions, “he that endureth to the end ‘shall be saved.” Matt. 10:22.

Altho Paul saw that wickedness would increase till the end, he never for a moment lost hope that the kingdom of God would triumph; for he says:—

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.” 2 Tim. 4:7, 8.

Through the smoke of the long battle Paul saw the glittering crown of the victors, and he who has the faith of Paul will look through the few remaining days of the conflict and see what he saw. There is no provision for waiting till the State shall come to our aid, and make all wickedness illegal. The success of the kingdom of God does not hang on the tangled thread of political success; and if we have learned the teachings of Immanuel, we will not look for it nor slacken our labors in anticipation of it. God’s call now to all who profess His name is, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like ‘men, be strong.” I Cor. 16:13.

We know that wickedness will augment its forces and its work; we know that no moral regeneration can be produced in the hearts of the people by law; but we also know that out of a world of wickedness the church of God shall come forth “without spot or ‘wrinkle or any such thing;” that out of the whirlpool of destruction that is raging in the earth the people of the Most High shall come off “more ‘than conquerors through Him that loved us.” Rom. 8:37.

He who is looking for the conversion of the world, and considers that the triumph of God’s kingdom, is forced to conclude that as long as there is wickedness in the world the kingdom of God can not triumph; for wickedness is the work of unconverted men. But God does not authorize the hope that the world will be converted. More than that, He teaches that it will not be. “Many shall be purified, and ‘made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do ‘wickedly; and none of the wicked shall under-‘stand.” Dan. 12:10. “Then shall that wicked be ‘revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the ‘spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the ‘brightness of His coming.” 2 Thess. 2:8. This certainly shows that there will be wickedness in the earth at the time of Christ’s coming; that the great multitude, instead of turning to God and giving Him glory, will utterly reject Him, and be smitten by His glory when He comes. Listen also to this testimony of Inspiration:—

“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.” 2 Thess. 1:7-9.

Peace will one day reign upon the earth, and all who dwell in it will be righteous; but it will not be through the enactment of human laws. It will not be until God has cleansed the earth by the destruction of those who persist in working wickedness; until He “shall send forth His angels, and they shall ‘gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, ‘and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them ‘into a furnace of fire.” Matt. 13:41, 42. Then will peace reign, in the person of the Prince of peace, and the history of sin will be finished. “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh [conquereth] the ‘world; and this is the victory that overcometh the ‘world, even our faith.” I John 5:4. Have we been “born of God”? Then let us have faith—faith in God and the triumph of His kingdom, no matter how terrible the wickedness we may see in the earth to-day, or how great the numbers of them that know not God.