Truth by H. D. Helgesen

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 2, 1912

Truth

By H. D. Helgesen

God, the Creator of the universe, is a Spirit, and is everywhere. Heaven is a spiritual place, prepared by God for righteous souls. Its location is not known. A soul is that part of a human being which is immortal and never dies. When the body ceases to exist the righteous soul goes to heaven, the wicked soul goes to hell. Hell is a place prepared for the devil and his angels and all wicked people. Its location is not known. Satan is an evil spirit.

Christ is the Son of God. He was crucified and resurrected, and eventually returned to heaven, whence He will some day come to this earth for the purpose of reuniting the soul and body. He will at this time pass judgment on those who have lived on earth, and reward all according to the deeds done in the body, the righteous inheriting a mansion somewhere in the sky, while the wicked are doomed to everlasting torment somewhere in a fiery pit.

HE foregoing and many other equally contradictory ideas form the basis of the majority of the religious doctrines and teachings advanced in this day of modern ologies and isms.

It is really remarkable how people can live in such error for an indefinite length of time, believing with all their heart, and at the same time not knowing what they believe. How ridiculous to think that a person should receive his reward at the time of death, and then, as is generally supposed, the soul, after it has been in heaven perhaps for thousands of years, be reunited with the resurrected body and judged. It would be just as reasonable to send an accused man to the penitentiary for a term of years before giving him a trial.

Is it any wonder that we have lukewarm Christians and crumbling church organizations having "a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof"?

Incredulous and Doubting

The world of to-day is an incredulous, doubting, and skeptical world at best, and it demands something more sound, reasonable, and simple, based on positive evidence, and within their scope of comprehension.

The world is hungry for the message of truth. People have tired of listening to fanciful theories and pretty fairy tales, and are eagerly grasping at each new ray of light, hoping to find something substantial which will serve to dispel the veil or shroud of mystery which hangs over the question of eternal life.

Living the Christ life is in reality a regeneration and a putting on of the new man, and we are taught that a great change must take place. "Things once loved are now hated," etc. In some inconceivable way, however, but for reasons of which there are not a few, and which are very apparent, Christianity has become hidden or obscured in the advent of religion—religions of every conceivable description, and which will permit of laxity and looseness of morality beyond belief; religions which act as a cloak or shield for the hypocritical degenerates who are endeavoring to convince themselves that a crown of righteousness is awaiting them, and who feel safe from the reproach of their fellow men, because their names and characters are in the keeping of the church records and influence, for which they grudgingly pay whatever the poorly paid preacher can beg from them.

He Spoke with Authority

Some of Christ's most bitter enemies are quoted as saying He spoke as one having authority; which is to say, "There is no room for doubt or argument." He spoke facts; and facts are truth; and where there is truth, there must be positive, absolute, and unquestionable knowledge. That knowledge Christ possessed, and gave to all who were willing to accept.

Man, with all his God-given advantages, who should be, above all else, the one to remain true to God, and thus retain the positive knowledge, has so far departed from the true teachings of the Almighty, and given ear to the traditions of men, that the churches of to-day are separated from each other and from God by an ever-widening gulf of hypocrisy and unbelief.

Nature Remains True

As if protesting against all the discordant strife of humanity, nature remains true. The seasons follow each other the same year after year through the ages. After the winter's chilling blasts, comes the refreshing springtime; and true to their instincts, the beautiful flowers and grass peep shyly as it were from their place of retreat and slumber; and soon old mother earth, the home of man, is richly festooned with the grandeurs of the original Garden of Eden. The birds also, inspired by the beauty of the surroundings, sing the songs they were taught to sing ages ago, at the time of creation.

Amid all the resplendent glories in nature's realm, all is peaceful serenity and unity, where everything moves with that symmetry and harmony of spirit which mark the existence of truth, until man, in his dissatisfied condition of unrest and rebellion against order, unity of purpose, and all that serves to bring harmony and good-fellowship into the world, looms on the horizon as a storm or squall is sometimes seen approaching on a quiet body of water, destroying the calm and tranquil order of things, and marring the beauty of the picture.

The Crowds Ready to Follow

There are many religions in the land to-day, and new classes and factions are continually springing up; and no matter how inconsistent or radical the newly introduced ideas may be, there is always a herd of people who are ready and anxious, seemingly, to be deceived and led "as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding."

The Master said, however, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away." Truth can not perish. To-day the breach in the wall is being repaired, and God's truth in the form of the great threefold message is being heralded to the uttermost parts of the world by the remnant church, and the way being prepared for the great and final closing events, and the triumphant return of Christ, the Author of truth and life everlasting.

The crying need of the world to-day is for light. God has placed the great and solemn responsibility of satisfying and filling that need, upon His faithful commandment-keeping children. The harvest is great, and the reapers few; but by divine power, the search-light of truth is penetrating the darkened recesses of men's hearts, and illuminating their conception of God's great plan of salvation in all its beautiful simplicity.

Let us work while it is yet day. The night cometh, when no man can work.