Untitled article by L. A. Phippeny

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 5, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 52.

LIFE AND DEATH. NO. 2.

By L. A. Phippeny

BY L. A. PHIPPENY.

"And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God." Luke 9: 43.

The knowledge of God, and the assurance that he is what his word says he is, are all of faith. Faith is at once the simplest and most profound kind of reasonableness. Aside from it, men bound under sin, and following in the leadership of the great deceiver, have formulated for themselves a hundred and one different theories of the origin and end of things. Faith in God brings the substance, the solid knowledge of the truth. The purpose of the devil is to confuse the minds of men and lead them away from God; hence the very simplicity of truth, and the sure knowledge of it by faith, appeals to them as foolishness, and unworthy the efforts of strong minds and mighty intellects. But so it is, and will be as long as sin exists, working contrary to the purposes of God, that the wisdom of God will be accounted foolishness by the wisdom of the world; for it pleased God by what appears to them the foolishness of the preaching of the gospel to save them which believe. 1 Cor. 1: 21.

If redemption or salvation from sin and its effects were a thing possible for man to accomplish himself, even though all his powers were necessary to the task, there would be no need of any other power to save him. But such a thing is absolutely impossible. Men have tried it again and again through the ages, and have failed. No power in the universe but the power of God can save man from sin, for sin is death, and no other than creative power can bring the dead to life; and creative power belongs alone to God.

The power of God is his power as Creator of all things. By this power he brought the worlds into existence, and sustains them all, that they fail not. "He giveth to all life,

and breath, and all things." But creation itself is lifegiving. The principle of life in God is everlasting. It is his own life, and by it he ever liveth. It is, therefore, the basis of his almighty power as Creator. As there can be but one life principle, there can be but one possessor of life, one God, one Creator, the Father of all.

God’s purposes are righteous, and his acts are all done in righteousness and love. He is the God of truth and of light. As darkness cannot abide with light, so "in him is no darkness at all." He is the fountain of life; and as there cannot proceed from the same source sweet water and bitter, so there comes from him life only, in its purity. He is the fount of living waters, and from him springs no sin nor death. He is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. Death is a departing from life, and is therefore no-life. God is life, and it is an impossibility for him to be and not to be. Life is existence, and so the man who follows sin must pass from the sustaining and consistent power of life, and cease to be. In the very nature of the two principles, sin cannot prevail against life, but must flee from its presence as the darkness vanishes before the light.

Whatsoever things are written are for our instruction and admonition, that we may profit thereby; and so it is in regard to the abundance of testimony concerning the relation of life and death. The records of the victory of the power of life over the effects of the curse of sin are instance upon instance given to stablish our confidence and develop our faith in that power to free us from sin. Sickness and disease are results of sin; but the power of God applied to the sufferers gave health and strength. The same power that healed the physical infirmities also said, "Thy sins be forgiven thee."

But that which presents to man the strongest evidence of the power and purpose of God toward him is the act of bringing the dead to life. This is designed to show to man his own condition, his relation to sin, and his only means of salvation. As God brought again Christ from the dead, so,—in like manner, by re-creating,—he brings us from sin to walk a new man, having life.

For this special reason, that we may understand perfectly the nature of the work, the apostle prays that the Lord may give us the spirit of wisdom, that we "may know . . . what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead." Eph. 1: 18-20. That is, we know that Christ was dead, and that the creative power of life, as the mighty power of God working in him, made him alive forever more, and drove out death. Then, knowing this, by the same word, because it was so in him, we know we have this same exceeding great and mighty power to do the same work of resurrection in us. According as it worked in Christ, so—with like results—it works in us who have faith.

The Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil, and we are thus told how this work was accomplished:—

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Heb. 2: 14, 15.

He took upon him sinful flesh, and was obedient unto death because of the flesh. But he did no sin and merited no punishment, therefore it was not possible for death to hold him. For this reason the bands of death were broken; and to all who follow him a way is open from death through death to life,—a way following which they cannot fail to have the same reward that he had. He was in fullest touch with life, the power of God. So we, having seen the efficacy of the workings of life in conflict with sin, may, by believing, lay hold of the mighty power of God, which is so freely given us, and in the fullest assurance of faith know that we pass from death unto life, know that no form of death, spiritual or otherwise, can hold us.

"I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation." Rom. 1: 16. That is, it is the mighty power of life to abolish death. Not only is there in it the hope of the resurrection of the body and of all things made new at his appearing, but there is in it present saving power from sinning. It is a present gospel, for "all things are yours." Then we can truly say with Paul: "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal. 2: 20.