Sin Allowed to Run Its Course
By WALTER E. GILLIS
Why Was It Permitted? — The Twofold Nature of God's Law — Mercy Mingled with Sacrifice — The Ministration That Exceeds in Glory
THE most serious difficulty attending the attainment of a true knowledge of the great moral controversy now in progress in this world is not in its abstruseness, but in the superficial attention that is almost universally given to the subject. The subject is not only reasonable, but is susceptible of the minutest investigation. SIMPLICITY OF SALVATION'S PLAN
To the earnest student of the Word, prophetic history furnishes a foundation upon which he may build his faith with utmost assurance. The plan of salvation is so simply and thoroughly developed that a man, though a fool, need not err therein. It meets the needs of all classes so satisfyingly that it bears testimony to its divine authorship. On the other hand, sin bears evidence of its own destructive character. Who that has broken the commandments of God, and given thought to the matter, does not acknowledge that he has done a destructive thing — that he has done something that has weakened his moral timber, and would make him ashamed in the presence of purity and righteousness? There is no place or excuse for sin in the economy of God. REASON FOR ALLOWING SIN TO RUN ITS COURSE
However, notwithstanding the repulsive character of the sin that is prevalent in the earth, there is good reason for a just and merciful God to permit its existence for a time. It is suffered in order that intelligent beings of various orders of creation may see its course, and for themselves determine its worthlessness, and satisfy themselves of God's justice in finally destroying Satan, its author, one who, before his rebellion, stood first in the ranks of the heavenly host. Again, the entrance of sin called into action latent phases of the law of God, which, to be understood and approved, required time for development. These qualities, unknown to the sinless ones, have been denominated "ministration of condemnation" and "ministration of righteousness" by the great apostle Paul — two phrases designating the two dispensations through whose centuries God has worked for the reconciliation of man. When human life entered this planet, certain statements of fact were made by the Creator to His new subjects. Adam and Eve were made acquainted with the law of universal dominion — the Ten Commandments. They were told that in the day when they transgressed its principles, dying they should die, not because they had crossed the will of a despot, but as an inevitable consequence of conflict with the law. Living in harmony with it, the abundant life then coursing through their veins would be perpetuated.39 AFFIRMATIVE AND NEGATIVE NATURES OF THE LAW
Tangible, concrete evidences of the dual nature of the divine law were placed before them in their garden home. These evidences were the tree of life and the tree of knowledge. Of the affirmative benefits of the law, they were put in immediate possession. Continued obedience entitled them to partake of the fruit forever. With the negative principle in the law, they were told not to meddle. Their times and seasons were in the hand of their Creator; and He, in the course of perfecting their education as subjects of the universal and eternal kingdom of God, would put them in possession of everything that was necessary and just. It was not only the prerogative of the Creator to exact unfailing obedience to His laws, but it was both sensible and just. These newly created creatures, with the right of choice, were relatively in the place of the child in the home. By prohibition, education, and test, the child becomes a man or woman of firm, symmetrical character, in harmony with all right laws and customs. Where law is absolute and accurate, as that of God's vast domain, how natural and right that the new citizen should be tested and tried before being admitted to permanent citizenship! THEY COLLIDE WITH LUCIFER
The parents of our race were thus auspiciously launched on the ocean of life. But in a short time, they collided with the fallen cherub Lucifer, the enemy of God, and made wreck of their fair prospects. An attribute of God until then undiscerned by them saved them from immediate destruction. The commandment says, "Showing mercy unto thousands [of generations] of them that love Me, and keep My commandments." Adam and Eve had been decoyed into transgressing the law. In consequence, the mercy of God comes into action, and supplies a Substitute who will bear the penalty, in order that they may have an opportunity to redeem their failure. DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTER THE PURPOSE
Let us not forget the original purpose of God; namely, the development of a character, in these new subjects of the kingdom, that would perpetually guarantee their being in harmony with the laws of God. Although the situation is now reversed, the requirement continues the same. In the Garden of Eden, they had in possession the benefits of the affirmative phase of the law of God, and were required to take by faith the negative attributes, represented in the tree of knowledge. But they forfeited that which they had, and reversed their relation to the law. Henceforth they would have in possession the negative qualities in the law, and take by faith the abounding life in the law as represented in the tree of life. "The just shall live by his faith" then as now. TYPICAL CEREMONIES INAUGURATED
In order that man should fully appreciate and bear in remembrance his changed relations with the law, God inaugurated a system of typical ceremonies that presented to the observers, in object lessons, the negative qualities in the divine law, and the only avenue of escape from their condign consequences. It revealed to them that law is inflexible — transgression means death. Ezek. 18: 24; Rom. 6: 23. The substitute typified the exalted character of the only Substitute that the law could accept — the Lamb of God. In this system, all the avenues of approach to God were barred until a bleeding victim opened the way. A substitute must die for the suppliant. Truly this was rightly named the "ministration of condemnation." Only thus could the law be exalted, and the sinner brought to realize the awful nature of disobedience. For four thousand years, this sanguinary ministration of the law continued. MERCY MINGLED IN THE SACRIFICE
But remember that with the smoke of the sacrifices there ascended the sweet incense, symbolizing the mercy to be found in the Substitute that the law could accept. The formalist saw only the ceremony and the bleeding sacrifice; and for him it was written: "I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But they like Adam have transgressed the covenant." Hosea 6: 6, 7, margin. The sincere child of God saw by faith a merciful Saviour bruised for his iniquities, and raised to ascend as sweet incense to the throne of God, an eternal guarantee for those who trust in His mercy. So, while the dispensation was designed to teach to men and to angels the condemnation that is found in the transgression of God's holy law, yet there was ever present that which pointed to the efficacy of the Substitute as a propitiation for the sinner who claimed by faith the life proffered in Him. THE SUBSTITUTE APPEARS IN PERSON
Now a change has taken place. The Substitute Himself has come, and yielded up His life on Calvary's cross, as a satisfaction of the penalty that must otherwise have been visited upon every transgressor of the law of God. The legacy of life written in that promise recorded in Gen. 3: 15, has now been confirmed by the death of the Testator. Restoration of the sinner no longer rests upon a promise, but upon an accomplished fact. The justice in the law can no longer exalt itself against mercy. "The ministration of condemnation" must cease, for "mercy and truth ["Thy law is the truth"] have met together; righteousness [right doing, the demand of the law] and peace have kissed each other." Ps. 85: 10. The glorious dispensation of temple ceremonial and Shekinah, of proclamation of the law and the theocracy, is now to give place to the more glorious one of righteousness ministered by a divine-human High Priest in a temple not built with hands, eternal in the heavens. "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." Heb. 9: 24. Jesus, as our Substitute in satisfaction of the claims of the broken law, becomes to us the way of life. To Him whom to know is eternal life (John 17: 3), we have direct access. "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Heb. 4: 14-16. The "ministration of righteousness" does not only contemplate a temple and a High Priest in the heavens. The vicarious punishment suffered for the transgressed law involved a vicarious salvation for the one delivered. Paul the apostle has written distinctly about this new relationship: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Gal. 2: 20. And again: "For 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. And as another has said: "We dwell too near the lowlands of earth. Let us raise our eyes to the open door of the sanctuary above, where the light of the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus, who is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him." Christ said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14: 6); and the psalmist wrote, "Thy law is the truth" (Ps. 119: 142). So we would naturally expect to find a close relationship between these two divine forces in the redemption of man. And it is so. The new covenant, which is in reality the foundation of "the ministration of righteousness," provides, "I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people." Jer. 31: 31-33. Jesus declared the secret of this new covenant relationship to His disciples: "He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him. . . . If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him." John 14: 21, 23. DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS OF THE TRUTH
To accomplish this union, God has sent His Holy Spirit. In John 15: 26, it is denominated "the Spirit of truth." Thus we have the law "the truth," Jesus "the truth," and the Holy Spirit "the Spirit of truth." And that heavenly Presence brooding over the chaos that transgression of the law has wrought, will finally bring the redeemed to Zion, where they will again have a right to the tree of life; for they have washed away their transgression in the blood of the divine Substitute for a broken law. Rev. 22: 14.