KNOWING CHRIST by W. N. Glenn

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 1, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 25.

KNOWING CHRIST.

By W. N. Glenn

"AND this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3. Eternal life is the inducement which is held out to men to persuade them to become Christians. In the text above quoted the whole truth is concisely summarized in a few words. Thus is brought to view at a glance the importance of knowing God and Christ. The idea of God as Creator and Ruler of the universe is acknowledged to a far greater extent than that of Christ as a Saviour from sin. The object of the gospel is to present Christ and his atonement for sin.

It is evident that Christ is but imperfectly known even among the masses of his professed followers. And herein lies the cause of the divisions and confusion of tongues in the ranks of what is known as the Christian church. It is safe to say that all the false doctrine in the world is the result of ignorance concerning Christ. In order to know Christ aright it is necessary to know him as he is presented in the Scriptures, and not as he is represented by tradition. Through lack of knowledge the people are in the bondage of sin, and the truth shall set them free. To what part of the Scriptures shall we go to learn of Christ? He himself said, "Search the Scriptures; . . . they testify of me." The Old Testament was all the Scriptures then in existence.

It would be impossible here to exhaust the teaching of the Old Testament with regard to Christ, but even a brief "search" would fall far short of an intelligible presentation of the subject without going to the beginning. The very first verse of the first chapter of Genesis is essential to a proper knowledge of Christ: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Do you ask, What has that to do with Christ? The apostle John answers: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." John 1:1-3. In verse 14 he tells us that "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," thus showing that Christ was the Word, which was the Creator. And to this may be added the testimony of Paul in Col. 1:16, 17, that "by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist."

From the fact that Christ was the Creator of all things, we see how he is honored in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath. Those who have not known Christ in this capacity, and as one in whom dwells "all fullness," have thought it necessary to set up another Sabbath in honor of the Saviour, and have made it a rival of the day which God himself instituted to honor the work of the Creator. Had they properly known Christ, as both Creator and Saviour, they would have recognized the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, which was blessed and hallowed at the close of creation, as specially designed to honor him and his work. There is no rivalry between the Father and Son, neither can both be honored by rival institutions. "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Christ himself said, "I and my Father are one," and Paul adds, that he "is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature," and that "it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell."

Another result of ignorance regarding Christ is to place him in antagonism to the law; but in searching the Scriptures further it appears that he was the one who spake the law on Sinai. The ten commandments were spoken audibly in the hearing of all the people; other requirements were given through Moses. In Ex. 23:20-22 it is said, "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions; for my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries."

What is brought to view in this scripture? Clearly this: There was an Angel going before the camp who had power to forgive sins, and that could have been no other than Christ. And his voice that they were to obey could have been no other than the voice that spake the law from Sinai, for that was the only time they heard any voice but that of Moses. After that we are told, "They said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die."

No doubt the reader is familiar with the history of Christ's life of humility, his cruel death, and his triumphant resurrection, as also with the fact that these were matters of prophecy fulfilled. Outside of these facts, how-

ever, there is much confusion of doctrine, and even as to the significance of these. Many hold that he made the atonement on the cross, and that his resurrection and ascension ended his work of redemption. The Scriptures, on the contrary, show that he then began his priestly work in the heavenly sanctuary, of which the earthly sanctuary was but a type.

In the eighth chapter of Hebrews Paul says: "We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law, who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle; for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the Mediator of a better covenant."

It is manifest, therefore, that Christ could not have made the atonement at the cross, for he could not have been a priest on earth. An additional reason is given for this in the fourteenth verse of the preceding chapter: "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood." Christ's priesthood is of a different nature from that of the earthly priests; their work was typical, his is real. Their atonement had to be repeated every year, because they offered only the blood of animals, which could not take away sin, while he makes but one offering, and that of his own blood.

These facts demonstrate clearly that if he had made the real atonement at the cross, "once for all," then probation must have ended there, and there would have been no more opportunity for sinners to be forgiven. As in the type all who did not humble themselves, confessing their sins, on the day of atonement, were "cut off from among the people," so it will be in the antitype; and as the real atonement comes but once, that ends all opportunity, being the closing work of the gospel of mercy. Thus is shown the necessity of knowing the truth concerning our great High Priest, and the character of his work.

In Heb. 9:24 and onward this work is further elucidated: "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others." No, he makes but one atonement, and that is the Judgment, from which there is no appeal. "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the Heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." Heb. 4:14. And those who have made no profession, let them also seek to know this great High Priest, who may be touched with a feeling of our infirmities, before the day of atonement shall close forever.

The next work that our Lord will take up will be the execution of the Judgment, when he will appear unto them that look for him, and love his appearing, to take them to himself. But to those who have not availed themselves of his mediatorial services, or sought to know him for themselves, he will appear in a different manner. They will know him then, when it is too late. "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

W. N. GLENN.