RIGHTEOUSNESS AND ITS REWARD.
TRUE righteousness consists in perfect loyalty and conformity to the will of God. That will is expressed in His law. That law is the test not only of the righteousness of the redeemed, but also of the Redeemer. The self-styled vicegerent of Christ on earth, the pope, has not only made the claim to infallibility, but he accepts the claim made for him that he is above the law, not subject to the law, able and having authority to change the law—the very law of God. In nothing is that official shown to be against God—anti-God—as in that very blasphemous claim to a superiority over the law of God. By nothing is his claim so quickly and so certainly disproved as by the words of his own mouth in his attitude toward God's law. As far as the east is from the west, as far as the birth-hour of this universe from the ever-fleeing hour of its dissolution, is the attitude of the so-called vicegerent from the attitude of Jesus Christ upon the matter of obedience to the will and law of God: "Lo, I am come," said Christ, "in the roll of the book it is written of Me: I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart." Again He declares: "Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished." Matt. 5:18. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Verse 17. Nowhere in the Word of God is there a blessing pronounced upon any being who places himself in a position antagonistic to God's law. "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 22:14. The literal Greek of this passage reads: "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that shall be their authority to the tree of life, and by the gates they should go into the city." What, then, must be the conclusion concerning the right or authority of those who refuse to obey the commandments in the matter of coming to the tree of life? The only possible conclusion is that they have no authority, no right, to the tree of life; if it were possible for them to enter the city of God and come to that tree, not having kept the commandments, they would stand before the tree of life without the authority to be there. But even that is not possible, for the concluding clause of that text shows that it is the ones who keep the commandments that enter by the gates into the city. Loyalty to the law of God—that is God's own test of the fitness of His creatures for eternal life. Christ's own glad submission to that test should be our example in this matter of eternal importance. How did He, our Redeemer, bear the test? Let His own words answer: "If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love." John 15:10. The fact that Jesus Christ kept the commandments of God is further shown in the fact that He did enter the city of God, the capital of the universe, after His crucifixion; for we read: "He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with Me in My throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with My Father in His throne." Rev. 3:21. So He not only entered the city, but was given the post of highest honor in the gift of God the Father. He never could have taken that position if He had not proved His righteousness. The psalmist declares, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne." Ps. 97:2. Christ could not sit upon that throne whose foundation is righteousness unless He was righteous. He would not be declared by the Father righteous unless He was a keeper of the law of God. The call of God to His children is, "Harken unto Me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law." And Christ declares of Himself, "Yea, Thy law is within My heart." We can not even have an adequate comprehension of what righteousness is unless we have in our heart love for the law of God. Then, whose spirit shall we emulate—that of the One who declares that He came to this world with the law in his heart; who declares that He kept the commandments of His Father; whose righteousness (keeping of the law) made it possible for Him to be seated upon the throne of God? or the spirit of the one who has made himself an outlaw by attempting to place himself above the law; who has altered—or sought to alter—the law of God to suit his own notions, and has taught men so to do? Whose example shall we follow—that of the Law-keeper, or that of the law-breaker? Upon the law-keeper there is blessing pronounced, and he is given authority to come again to the tree of life—to enter upon the path of eternal life in the city of God. To the law-breaker God holds out no promise. "Whosoever," says Christ, "shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 5:19. "Choose you this day."