The Triumph of the Gospel.
By R. F. Cottrell
YES, the gospel will triumph. It will accomplish the object for which it was sent. See Isa. 55:11. The object of the gospel is to save them that believe. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. God sent not his Son to condemn the world. They were condemned already; and he made it possible that they might be saved. Yet the gospel is a savor of death to them who do not believe. While it is true that he that believes and obeys shall be saved, it is also true that he that believes not shall be damned. The gospel is not a failure, though it does not save those who do not believe. Some think the gospel a failure, if it does not save all. Others think it must save a majority, or it is a failure. Say they, “If Satan gets the greater number, he has succeeded and God has failed.” They should know that God does not estimate the value of men by their number, but by their worth. A bushel of wheat is worth more than ten bushels of chaff. He does not intend to lose a grain of the wheat, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The eight persons that were in Noah’s ark were of more value in the sight of God than all the millions that perished in the flood. If we would be esteemed of God, we must believe and obey him. If we do this, he will not let us be lost. After the gospel was rejected by the rulers of the Jews, it was sent to the Gentiles. The object of sending the gospel to the Gentiles was “to take out of them a people for his name.” Acts 15:14. This object will be accomplished. A great multitude of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, will be saved. Rev. 7:9. So the gospel will not prove a failure, but will triumph gloriously. But it is claimed that the gospel will certainly triumph in the last days. So it will; but what is that triumph? Will all be converted in the last days? The gospel in its purity, as preached by the apostles and primitive church, did not convert all then living. Will an adulterated gospel, as preached by sects and factions, in these days, do more? The whole world were not converted by the preaching of Noah; and the very last days—the days when the Son of man will come—will be like the days of Noah. The earth then was filled with violence; so it is now. They were warned of the coming danger; so this generation is being warned—warned of the approach of the great day of wrath. At that time, the unbelieving “knew not till the flood came and took them all away;” even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. While others ask, “Where is the promise of his coming?” we ask, “Where is the promise that the gospel must first convert the entire world, and that then his coming cannot take place in a thousand years, at least?” The text says, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come”—an end like the end of the antediluvian world. The gospel indeed shall triumph. In what shall its triumph consist? It shall accomplish the object which the Father and the Son had in view in the gift of the Son, and the voluntary offering of the Son for us. The object is plainly stated in the following text: “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:14. The people that the gospel is to benefit are a peculiar people, zealous of good works. A peculiar people must differ from all other people. If all were converted to God in any age, there would be no peculiar people. All would be alike; therefore there could be no peculiarity with those that are zealous of good works. All would be zealous of good works. Therefore the object in view in the gift of the Son—the purifying to himself of a peculiar people—will be attained, and the gospel will triumph in the purification of a part, and not in the salvation of all. The gospel will indeed triumph in the last days. The last message of probation, Rev. 14:9-12, will develop a people who will keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. The dragon will be wroth with them on this account. Rev. 12:17. They will be persecuted; an effort will be made to compel them to worship the beast, in preference to keeping the commandments of God. Rev. 13:15. This effort will fail, and they will be delivered from the persecution, and be found with the Lamb upon Mount Zion. Rev. 14:1-5. They will be guileless and without fault—a peculiar people. Hence the triumph of the gospel in the last days will be, not the conversion of all, but the perfect purification of the people of God, in the midst of the general apostasy and corruption of the last days. This is truly a great work. But the gospel will triumph in its accomplishment. The gospel will do just what it proposes to do, namely, it will save those that believe and obey it.