p. 1 | Editorial by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 29, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 29.

Editorial

By Editor

A Clean Heart.

In that wonderful prayer of the psalmist, found in the 51st psalm, which is also the prayer of the truly penitent sinner of all ages, and which is so beautifully expressed by the artist in our illustration, is set forth the foundation work of all genuine reform among men. "A clean heart" is the necessary beginning. Without that all reform will prove evanescent and hopeless.

The Fountain of Motive and Action.

The heart is used as expressing the seat of the affections, the mainspring of motive, the fountain of thought. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness" (Mark 7: 21, 22), and every other sin in the catalog, and all these defile the man, even in the cherished thought; "for as he thinketh in his heart so is he." "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart;" and again, "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer."

Cleanse the Fountain.

It follows from the above scriptures that the only way to reform the man is to cleanse the heart; the only way to purify the stream of life and action is to cleanse the fountain. "A good tree can not bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." The fountain must be cleansed, the tree made good.

But Whose Heart?

Not the other man's, not the church's, not the nation's, but the individual's. "In me a clean heart." No man can truly pray for a clean heart in others unless he himself possesses it. He may ask their salvation from sorrow or trouble, but not from sin in its fullest, broadest, deepest sense. The primary watchword of true reform is not, "The World for Christ, The Nation for Christ, The Family for Christ, Myself for Christ;" it is the exact reverse of this. First of all it is "myself for Christ." John Knox himself was first reached by the Spirit of Christ before he could pray, "Give me Scotland or I die." The lips of Isaiah must first be touched with the cleansing coal from God's altar ere he could say, "Here am I; send me." "Moses must first look upon God before he could plead even for his own self-effacement that Israel might be saved. And so also with Paul the apostle. His own soul must know the salvation, the unselfish spirit of Jesus Christ, before he could say, "I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh!" The work of reform must begin where God by his Spirit begins it, with my heart; "then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee." See Ps. 51: 10-13.

How Changed?

Not by human power, or human wisdom, or human education; not by science or scientific evolution; not by law applied by man; not by legislative enactment; not by pledges or resolutions or penance. It is by none of these things that the heart is made clean. Some of these may seem to effect changes, but the change is not lasting. Oftentimes the change is only from one sin to another, as from degradation to pride, from gratification of lust to self-righteousness. But the soul is not thus satisfied; it has no rest; it is not clean. Temptations stir it like the troubled sea; and when God is near, it is afraid. It is not clean. How shall it be changed? The Spirit which inspired the prayer tells: "Create in me a clean heart." It must be by creation. Any power less than this will prove futile. From the chaos of doubt, and sin, and self-righteousness, and

darkness, and unrest, creative power must call forth the cosmos of a clean heart.

But by Whom?

It is only God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who can do this. "Create in me a clean heart, O God." Salvation is by God's creative power. Men talk of the works of creation and redemption, and say that the latter is greater than the former; but both are one. Redemption is but recreation. God's creation memorial, the Sabbath, is the sign of his power to sanctify and save. "Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." Eze. 20:12. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." "That ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Eph. 2:10; 4:24. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation." 2 Cor. 5:17.

In His Word.

And this power of God to create clean hearts is in the word of his Spirit. How often has he taught this? He said in the beginning, "Let there be light; and light was." Gen. 1:3. And that same "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Cor. 4:6. "For he spake, and it was; he commanded, and it stood fast." Ps. 33:9. He said to the physical leper, "Be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed." Matt. 8:3. And he speaks to the heart all full of the leprosy of sin, and declares, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." John 15:3. His words are "spirit and they are life" (John 6:63); and such will every heart prove them to be that receives them. This is God's word to every soul. "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flowers of grass," but God and his Word endure forever. This is the Gospel of God to us (1 Peter 1:24, 25); in this only is comfort to the afflicted of earth (Isa. 40:1, 6-8).

Doing His Work.

It is the bearing of this message to the world that God has given to his servants. He has not told them to reform themselves or the world by politics. On the contrary, he has taught them, and all history has demonstrated the truthfulness of the teaching, that all efforts of politics and force are utterly puerile and futile. He would cleanse all. He invites all to come; and in those who do he creates clean hearts, puts within them his Spirit, and sends them to the world with the same mighty Gospel, and the blessed assurance, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." While he puts no carnal weapon into the hands of his servants, he clothes them with a mightier armor and puts into their hands a more potent weapon, the armor of God and the sword of the Spirit. And all who are Christ's servants can say: "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God; many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust." Ps. 40:2-4. This is the work of God for all Christians—ministering Jesus Christ in word and deed and life, not condemning, not judging, not assuming to punish those who rebel against God, but lifting the fallen by the power of the Spirit of God.

Will It Prove Effectual?

Will it correct the habits of evil men? Will it reform governments? Will it prevent Sabbath-breaking? It is the only means that has done this. It will do all these in every one who receives the Gospel; and those who will not, no other power can convert. The Gospel of Jesus Christ apart from all civil law and force of arms changed the face of the earth in spite of all the opposition of the idolatrous, iron kingdom of Rome; but when she united with what was called a Christian State, she brought to herself and the State weakness, spiritual death, and destruction, and upon the world the Dark Ages. When she again turned from Caesar to God, the light of reformation broke upon the world through regenerated hearts; but when she again turned to civil power, she fell a paralytic. And now, not heeding these lessons of the Word and history, many professed teachers are leading, and hosts of professed Christians are being led, back to the Dark Ages of religious tyranny. O church of Christ, arouse! Retrace thy steps. Break alliance with the world. Leave the political pools to the men of earth. Put on the armor of God. Leave council and creed, and bear to the thirsting, famishing souls of earth the living Word of God, the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ. It will do more than all the force of all the arms of earth. It will make the desert fertilized by the water of life blossom as the rose. It will bring from the slimy pools of vice and sin the pure white lilies, fragrant with the breath of God's grace. It will elevate and purify and cleanse, whereas civil power will but restrain at best, and will make hypocrites and rebels. "Not by might nor by army, but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts."