THE SUPREME AND CERTAIN TEST.
By Editor
THERE are many trembling, doubting, halting souls, both in the church and the world, that are longing for freedom from sin and sinning, and for the peace and rest there are in Christ Jesus. Many of these do not believe the Word of God. They are not really sure that Jesus Christ is a divine Saviour from sin and sinning; from the sinful deed and the disposition to sin. Their minds have become bewildered by the multitudinous voices of unbelievers in the church and world. The Word has seemed to them to be shaken by the self-constituted “critics.” And the questions arise oft from anguished hearts, if never framed into words, “How may I know the truth? What shall I do that I may have eternal life?” We wish to answer this heart questioning in the words of Jesus. We wish to present His sure and certain test, which thousands by experience have proved to be true. In John 7:14 is the statement that Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles “went up into the temple and taught.” There were critics of His words then as now. They even declared that He was possessed of a demon. Verse 20. They were even seeking to kill Him, because He had broken their traditions concerning the Sabbath. Jesus knew all that was in their hearts. He knew that His own mission was not to exalt Himself, but to show forth the Father. He knew that there were hearts there who really wanted to know the truth and do it. And, therefore, for them, and all other honest inquirers from that day to this, He said: “My doctrine [teaching] is not Mine, but His that sent Me. If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.” Verses 16, 17. This is an infallible test. Let us repeat it from the Revised Version: “If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it be of God.” He does not ask you, doubting soul, to do, but to will to do. Your will is your own. You have the power of choice as to moral purposes. God will not step into your sacred circle and force your will. He knows that as a sinner, separate from Him, you can not do the right, tho you will to do it. The sinner’s confession, apart from God’s power, is ever this: “For to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not; but the evil that I would not, that I do.” Rom. 7:18, 19. We need not inquire why man is so helpless. We know that he is. Apart from God he can not reach his own high ideals; he is “without strength.” And it is because man is so powerless to live the perfect life required of God and of every “good conscience,” that Jesus Christ came down from heaven and lived and taught and died and arose to eternal triumph, that man might be saved from sin here and from death forever. Do you want to know this? “If any man willeth to do His [God’s] will, he shall know.” God’s will is His holy law. Said Jesus, “I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.” Ps. 40:8. (See also Matt. 7:21, 23, where doing God’s will is opposed to iniquity, anomian, lawlessness, law-breaking; or Rom. 2:18, where it is said they that know His will are instructed out of His law.) You may not know all that the law requires. You may see but the narrowest scope of its infinite breadth; but you can, nevertheless, will to do it. You can choose it with all the heart. You can give up utterly your own way, which ever lures to disappointment, and choose God’s way in Jesus Christ. And if you do this, you shall know, for the mighty and ever-blessed word of His will, will work out in you all that it demands. Is this plain? Let us illustrate: Jesus found an impotent (powerless) man at the pool who had not walked for thirty-eight years. In his own strength he had doubtless tried to walk a thousand times, but could not. Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole.” John 5:8, 9. He chose, willed, to do God’s will, expressed by Christ, and the living Word of God made him whole. Jesus said to the palsied man, “Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed.” He came to Jesus “borne of four;” he departed bearing his own couch. He willed to do the word of Christ, and the word gave him power. Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch forth thy hand;” he willed to do it, and was made whole. Each of these men knew that Christ’s words were true. No evidence could be stronger to them. You may know as truly if you will choose God’s will. That will in your heart, if continually chosen, will cleanse away all sin, will purge every stain, will make complete every imperfection, will correct every defect. Is the sin that binds you self-worship, covetousness, profanity, lust, Sabbath-breaking, hatred? God’s will says, “Thou shalt not.” Accept it in Jesus Christ, and the word will set you free and cleanse the sin. You may say, as Satan desires you shall, “If it were only true; if I only knew,” and if, if, if, till destruction comes. God’s Word is true. You may know if you will will to do His will. The demonstration rests with you. The Lord prepares His table. He places upon it the water of life. He loads it with all the delectable and substantial viands of heaven. He calls to us poor, hungry, starving souls, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; . . . without money and without price.” We come; we look upon the loaded table. It seems to be good. He tells us that it is. Others eat with happy faces and glad hearts. They take up the invitation and bid us to the feast, but we wait and question and doubt and starve. There is but one way we may know that it is all just what God says. He urges again: “O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.” Will to do; taste His Word. Then will you indeed say: “How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” “I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love.” O doubting soul, taste, and see, and know, in your own life, your own experience, that Jesus Christ is your personal Saviour, mighty, complete, precious.