Faith Manifested in Righteousness
"Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:12. APRIL 30 the centennial of Washington's inauguration is to be generally celebrated by religious services in the churches throughout the land. These services are, according to the program of the committee, to consist of "thanksgiving and praise as may seem suitable in view of what God has done for us and for our land during the century which has elapsed since George Washington took the chair of State." THERE is a difference between belief and belief. Thousands are deceived by supposing Christ is their Saviour because they have nominally accepted of him, and united with the church. Their belief is merely nominal, and, therefore, ineffectual. Paul tells us what effectual belief must be: "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." This is effectual belief, or faith. It applies the righteousness of Christ to the past life of sin, and appropriates his strength in overcoming sin. Be not deceived; true faith is manifested in righteousness; and all true righteousness is "the righteousness of God by faith." "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." Not simply the pride of living, but pride which is inwrought in the very being, a part of the life. Knowing that even a proud look is an abomination to the Lord, how can man, whose very life is pride, stand before him? Only by dying. Says the apostle: "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Why should the leper cling to his loathsomeness, when he may have the flesh of a child? Even so, why should we cling with such tenacity to that life which only makes us repulsive, when we may have the life of Christ instead? "NONE absolutely die," says the Universalist. "We all pass from one sphere of life to another, and lay off what pertains to the lower, as we pass to the higher; but we still live on, and on, and on, and advance in life attainment, according to our seeking, out of darkness and pain of spirit into light and peace and joy, as we aspire to the good, turn to the light, pursue truth, cast out the evils of our hearts, and form our characters in righteousness." This no doubt sounds very fine to those who believe it; and moreover the doctrine is absolutely essential to the existence of Universalism. But, unfortunately for those who put their trust in it, the fact is that it is absolutely without foundation in the Scriptures of truth. Satan, the great enemy of all righteousness, is the author of the doctrine that "there is no death." He encouraged Eve to sin, with the assurance, "Ye shall not surely die;" and to-day thousands unwittingly encourage rebellion against God in the same way. To such the Lord says: "Ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life." Eze. 13: 22. JACOB, the patriarch, illustrates in his life the two characters of the unregenerate and regenerate individual; and these characters are also indicated in the names he bore. At first he was the child of nature, crafty, deceptive, overreaching—Jacob the supplanter—wishing to do right, yet carried away with the propensities of the carnal heart. But after the night struggle at Peniel, he through faith in God gained the victory over the sins of his heart. God met with him, blessed him, not by taking away his troubles, but by giving him strength to bear and power to prevail. After that night he was no longer Jacob, the supplanter, but Israel, the prince of God. Would we be such? The way is plain; by faith prevail with God. "But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me." Ps. 40:17. Yes, the Lord of hosts, the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy; the one whose word brought the universe into existence, who measures the heavens with the span, calling all of the numberless worlds by name, thinks upon poor, insignificant man,—man so insignificant that in comparison with God, all the nations of them are less than nothing. How wonderful that God should think of poor man. But what does he think concerning them? Listen: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jer. 29:11. He rides upon the heavens in the help of his creatures, and yet ungrateful man often takes his blessing as a matter of course, and forgets to thank the great Giver. Yes, God thinks upon you; do you think upon God? THE Bible states that the vegetable world was brought into existence the third day of creation; and the sun, the source of light and heat to this world, the fourth day. According to the Bible account there is no difficulty to him who has faith in God's power. That power brought them into existence in one day. There would be no difficulty in their existing one day without sun; but, according to modern religio-science, these days were long, indefinite periods. Now it is a common fact that vegetation will not grow, flower, mature, and bear fruit without sun. But these scientists would have all these processes carried on without sun for unknown centuries! We prefer the word of God, simple and reasonable, when understood, though we may not comprehend the infinite power and wisdom behind it,—we prefer it to an inconsistent, hypothetical science which involves so many absurdities, and leads its devotees in darker mazes and deeper mire every step of the way.