Are we Bible Christians?
By Chas. B. Reynolds
This is a very simple question, and each may answer, “I hope so!” and then dismiss the question. But stop! This will not do. To hope so is not sufficient. The interests at stake are too vast for the matter to be left in any doubt. Life, life, eternal life, with all its unspeakable joys, is at stake. There must be no doubt, but certainties. If we are Bible Christians, we must be living in strict accordance with all the Bible’s teachings and requirements. If we are not Bible Christians, we are not true Christians. This proposition is self-evident, but it does not the less need our most solemn thought; for what we are most willing to admit, and most firmly believe, we are most apt to disregard. Jesus declares, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven.” We are then to be judged by the obedience we yield to the will, that is, the law of the Father. We are to be judged, not by our favorite commentator, not by our pet sermonizer, not by the teaching of priest or minister, not by our own self-established standard, not by the opinions and customs of the circle in which we move, not by the church which accident, interest, or our friends, have induced us to join, but by the Bible alone. By the Bible we must live; for by the Bible we shall be judged. If we are truly Christians, we shall follow Christ. “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word [the Father’s], in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk, even as he walked.” Christ proved his love by obedience. He delighted to keep each one of God’s holy commands; denouncing him who should break ONE, even the least of the ten precepts comprising God’s holy law of love. Are we striving to walk even as he walked? Are we proving our love to God by our love to our fellow-creatures? Are our lives such that others, seeing our good works, shall glorify our Father which is in Heaven? Soon our probation will close. Oh! solemn thought! Each going down of the sun brings us one day nearer to the Judgment—to the time when we must give account for the use we have made of all the blessings with which we have been entrusted. Let us prayerfully seek grace, strength, and wisdom, to daily take up our cross and follow Jesus, so that in the glad day of his coming we may be recognized by him as “doers of the word,” and hear spoken to us, “Well and faithfully done.”