Liberty to Believe or Not to Believe
THE absolutest and fullest freedom to believe or not to believe the Gospel of Christ is accorded by Christ Himself. "If any man hear My words," He says, "and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." John 12:47. In this is proclaimed a Gospel totally free from coercion. Love, and love only, is to be the drawing, persuading, impelling power to bring the sinner to salvation. Threats, trusts, boycotts, sneers, slights, pharisaical righteousness, and human laws, have no place whatever in the redemptive work. "I judge him not;" that is, try, condemn, punish him not. Force does not save. Majorities do not count in the processes of the Word of life. Only right decides. And one of the glorious facts of the kingdom of God now is that, tho men possessed of a spirit from beneath may resort to all these worldly and oppressive measures in their mistaken zeal to force upon others their dogmas and views, yet they can not enter that spiritual realm and can not disturb the soul in its privileges there against its will. There the soul may revel in God-given freedom from sin and all its attributes, and live above and beyond the tribulations of the flesh.