THE WILL OF GOD by W. A. Sweany

Pacific Press Publishing Company · MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA · Feb 14, 1906

THE WILL OF GOD

By W. A. Sweany

BY W. A. SWEANY

God's Perfect Way.

"AS for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried; He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him." "It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect." Ps. 18:30, 32. "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works." Ps. 145:7. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt. 5:48. "As He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15, 16.

The life of God is His law for His creatures. The description, expression, or record of His life, with requirements and provisions for their reproduction in us, constitutes the positive form and portion of the written law. This is reinforced by the negative portion or form, which forbids every act not seen in the Pattern. Again, in all His dealings with all His creatures, in every phase and manifestation of His existence,

"God Is Love."

The law of God therefore requires us to manifest love in every phase and manifestation of our being—even to dealings with our enemies. 1 John 4:7-12; Rom. 5:6-10; Luke 23:33, 34; Acts 7:59, 60; Matt. 5:38-48; Rom. 12:17-21; 13:8-10. 2 Tim. 4:16. The law requires love; therefore "love is the fulfilling of the law." Gal. 5:13-15.

But there is much truth in the trite saying, "Love is blind." The heart of the little child overflows with love for its parents and friends, but it is not intelligent love; and so, until it learns to understand and know what they want it to do, what amusing, and oftentimes destructive efforts it puts forth in trying to give expression to its love. Now just as the love of the little child must be trained into right and restrained from wrong channels by the example and teaching of its parents, so must our love for God, "which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us," be trained and restrained by the example, precept, promise, prohibition, and command of our heavenly Father.

Genuine, intelligent love is revealed and manifested in conformity and obedience to the expressed will of its object. "If ye love Me, keep My commandments." "He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, He it is that loveth Me." "If a man love Me, he will keep My words." "If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love." "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." John 14:15, 21, 23; 15:10; 1 John 5:3. Without faith (which comes by hearing His Word), it is impossible to please God. Heb. 11:6; Rom. 10:17.

God's Works and Dealings.

But thoughts, desires, wishes, and requirements may be revealed and expressed by actions as well as by words; indeed, actions often speak louder and plainer than words. So that which Jehovah desires us to do and be, may be discerned in the works of His hands and in

His dealings with His creatures. Order, system, promptness, punctuality, and endurance, as well as love, truth, faithfulness, kindness, mercy, and justice, may be thus discerned as plainly as in the written Word, which, as before shown, is but a statement or description of His works.

In the beginning the Creator walked and talked with man face to face, without a dimming veil between. No written rules were then necessary, as His oral instructions, illustrated by the ever-present Pattern and Example of His own perfect righteousness, left no room for doubt or uncertainty concerning the requirements of His will. Gen. 1:27-29; 2:8-10, 15-17. But "now we see Him not," for our iniquities have separated between us and our God, and our sins have caused Him to hide His face from us. Isa. 59:2. "Our God is a consuming fire"—to sin and sinners—dwelling in the light which no sinful, mortal man can approach, or even see, and live. Heb. 12:29; 1 Tim. 6:13-16; Ex. 33:20.

So the withdrawal of His visible presence was not prompted by anger or resentment, but was a loving, necessary precaution for man's preservation, until through the operation of the provisions of the plan of redemption, they may again "see His face," and dwell forevermore in the light and glory of His presence. Rev. 22:3, 4. And so it is that altho His visible presence, since the Fall, has necessarily been veiled by clouds and darkness (Ex. 19:9, 16; 20:21; Psa. 18:11; Deut. 4:10-13), by the smoke of the incense (Lev. 16:12, 13), and by "the veil of His flesh" in the person of the Son (Heb. 10:19, 20), He has continued, through the various gifts and manifestations of His Spirit, to make known the provisions and requirements of His will, illustrating it in His dealings with us, and in the manifold works of His hands.

Ignorance Inexcusable.

No reason, therefore, can ever be given for ignorance or transgression of God's law; only excuses are forthcoming when the transgressor is called to account. Gen. 3:1-13. But excuses are useless, and the inexorable sentence swiftly falls, the visitation of the wrath of God upon all unrighteousness. Gen. 3:14-19; Rom. 1:16-32. By His precept and practise, by His Word and works, His will is made known unto all, "for the obedience of faith;" and the power to perform it is promised and pledged to every one. Rom. 10:1-18; Col. 1:9-12; Eph. 1:15-23; Phil. 4:13. Since complete provision has been made, to save us from sin and keep us from sinning, no excuse remains for continuance therein; and those who do so, must reap the results. 1 John 2:1-6; 3:1-10; James 1:15.

It is not sufficiently understood and realized that "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness;" "and every transgression and disobedience, receives a just recompense of reward." Rom. 1:16-32; 2:1-16; Heb. 2:1-4. Throughout the long, dark, dismal, dreary, dreadful drama of disobedience and death, the penalty of transgression never has been, never can be, remitted in a single instance. In the eternal nature of things sin of every shade, grade, and degree must be, can only be, expiated in death. So fully is this true that it is impossible for Jehovah to rescue a single soul from the results of sin, save by

The Sacrifice of Himself.

And so, in the person of His Son, He came to this world and took upon Himself our nature, and bare all our sins, "in His own body on the tree," and on the tree suffered the full penalty thereof, thus making it possible for the repentant sinner to be forgiven and saved.

Sin would be expiated, the law vindicated, and its claims fully satisfied by the death of the sinner; but this would mean the utter extinction, the end of the existence, of the sinner. God loves His creatures, and wants all of them to live and not die; so He takes the sin; and suffers its penalty, thus making it possible for the penitent sinner to be released. In this way only can He "be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." Should Jehovah remit the penalty of one single sin, without full reparation and satisfaction being exacted, He would thereby admit, as truth, Satan's charge that His law is oppressive, and should not be enforced.

Moreover, since the law is holy, just, righteous, pure, true, and good, it would be wrong for God to unconditionally remit the penalty of its transgression. So the cross of Calvary constitutes the most convincing, conclusive, unanswerable, incontrovertible evidence of the righteousness, justice, and immutability of God's law. By Himself submitting to its claims, and suffering its penalty as our substitute, He proves the justice of its claims, and His love for sinners. Isaiah 53; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 3:18; Rom. 3:19-31; 5:6-10.

(To be continued.)