REGENERATION VERSUS EVOLUTION.
WHAT power is to reform the world? Whence is it? Of course, we know the ideas of evolutionists of all sorts of names from away back in the dim and distant past. Their thought is that there is within the primordial germ that which has progressively evolved from the lower orders—polywog, reptile, bird, beast, simian, and man, and that from the low moral plane whereon so many men now dwell, by “the divine immanence in man,” evolving thru no one knows how many ages, the race will reach perfection. This is hopeful—for unborn generations, but small comfort to the man who needs to be evolved but has not time. The sad thing is that this evolutionary belief is coming to be the dominant idea in the minds of “Christian reformers and missionaries.” For instance, here are the words of an earnest worker among Chinese women and girls:— “Our hope lies with the future generation. We can not expect to reap the fruit of our harvest so soon. We must wait. We can not expect to make a person a ‘heart Christian’ who has for generations been reared in paganism. I know we shall succeed. Things can not stop now, the work must go on and bear fruit.” We have no desire to discount one farthing the benefits and blessings of Christian teaching and its restraining and moulding influences upon the human race. They are great, and ought indeed to render hearts more susceptible to higher spiritual life. But is this the hope of the world? Must all the heathen nations be taught the ethics of Christianity and Christian civilization after the modern methods for generations before there is hope for “heart Christians”? It was not so once. Jesus spoke to deaf ears, ears closed by generations of error and years of sin, and the heart heard and responded. He touched eyes blinded by passion and lust and greed, and the quickened soul saw Christ alone. He sent out His apostles and ministers to the great, dark lands of paganism, the people of which were steeped in centuries of senseless superstitions and moral debasement, and hearts in the prison-houses of sin responded to the words of life, and became new men and women in Christ Jesus. In the wicked city of Corinth was such a company. This was their former state: unrighteous, fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners. Such were some of them. But the Gospel of God’s grace was preached by the apostle Paul and coadjutors. The word of life was received as from God. And then the apostle said to these same people: “But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Cor. 6:9-11. What reformers need, what missionaries need, is not so much skill to teach, is not evolutionary philosophy, but the power of God. The Gospel preached as a form is pleasing but powerless. Preached as God designed it, it is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” God is Creator. Nothing is too hard for Him. And even as of old, He desires to manifest and magnify thru His church His own creative, regenerating, saving power. But that power, that life, flows out from the great fountain with mighty power to those in harmony with the will of God. God is pleading with all who profess His name, “Be ye reconciled.” Come into harmony with the great power of the universe. Submit to His perfect law, and know the power of His endless life. Sinner, there is hope for you in God. Do not despair. There is hope now. Like the utterly corrupt leper, you can come to Jesus and say, “Lord, make me clean,” and in response to your simple faith He will respond with infinite power, “I will; be thou clean,” and immediately thou shalt be clean.