THE GREAT SALVATION by Geo. W. Reaser

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Dec 26, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 50.

THE GREAT SALVATION

By Geo. W. Reaser

By GEO. W. REASER.

ANGELS IN THE PLAN OF SALVATION.

"If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things."

THE chief gift of God's love to man was His only-begotten Son. Having bestowed the richest, most precious gift of His infinite love, it naturally follows that, in order to insure the salvation of those for whom the Son gave His life, the Father will freely confer every needful lesser gift. He would empty heaven of every available resource for the accomplishment of the plan of redemption before He would permit it to fail. No greater proof that God is not against us, but is 'for us,' could be asked or given than has been furnished; and if the Source of all strength in the universe has pledged His power in our behalf, it is madness for any rival power to be pitted against us; therefore, when we feel condemnation for sin, let not Satan deceive us in his effort to make it appear that God is against us, nor by magnifying his strength and the power of sin as superior to the power of God.

One of the resources among the "all things" of the King of heaven, who has undertaken to save sinful men, is "an innumerable company" of messengers or angels, of whom it was written that they are "all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." Some read this encouraging promise with the idea that it applies only to those who have become "heirs of salvation;" but it also has application to, and contains a promise for, those who will yet yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit, and thereby become heirs of salvation. In fact, it is a part of the plan of God in saving men to make His angels active agents for their salvation.

Channels of His Spirit.

The agency by which the mind is drawn to God and impressed to yield, is the Holy Spirit, but the Scriptures imply that the Lord commissions angels to come and impart the Holy Spirit. Not that we would "limit the Holy One of Israel" by saying that He bestows the Spirit only by the administration of angels, but it is true that the Most High even employs human instrumentalities for conferring this gift, "through the laying on of hands," and why may He not grant the same privilege to holy angels?

Evidence of this may be found by a comparison of the thoughts of Rev. 7: 1-3 with Eph. 4: 30. In the former scripture, the angels are clearly represented as performing the sealing work upon God's people. In the latter reference we are warned against grieving "the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." Both of these agencies are represented as doing the same work—namely, that of sealing those who, through grace, have developed Christ-like characters. We are therefore justified in the conclusion that angels are delegated to administer the Holy Spirit to the children of men. May they not be called "ministering spirits" because one feature of their work is to administer the Holy Spirit?

Still further evidence of this thought may be found in the experience of our Saviour. It is written of Him that, at the end of His forty days' fast, and at the termination of Satan's temptations; and again after His having endured the agony in the Garden,—on each of which occasions His physical strength completely failing—an angel came to Him, strengthening Him. It appeals to reason that the strengthening process was the impartation of the Spirit by the angel, for it is written that we may be "strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man," and doubtless Jesus was thus strengthened.

Two Classes of Angels.

It may be well to observe that there are two classes of angels in the universe. The one class—all of whom are co-operating with the government of Heaven in putting down rebellion, and in the plan of salvation—are called God's angels; also "elect angels." The other class, joining Satan in His rebellion, are mentioned as "the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation" and are "reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day." The latter class are the "demons" of the Scriptures, and fight, permitted, under Satan, their commander, against Christ and His angels. But as the power of God is immeasurably superior to that of Satan,—for even the life and all of the power of the latter are only loaned to him of God,—and God's angels are clothed with His power, therefore no heavenly messenger can ever be overthrown or defeated by all of the hosts of Satan.

Subject to Children of God.

When the Saviour was here, as a man among men, these demons feared and trembled in His presence, crying out, "Art Thou come to torment us before the time?" Wherever He found an individual demented, or controlled by these demons, He always cast them out, thus delivering the captive from "the strong;" yea, demons are subject to the children of God, through faith in His name. Luke 10: 17.

For the encouragement of the one who may be perplexed over this question, I will say that neither class of angels can control the mind unless the mind is yielded to their control. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh to you." We have our free choice of leadership and companionship. Happy is the individual who submits to God,—who opens the door of his heart for Christ to enter by His Spirit, and who courts the companionship of heavenly angels.

Since all of the heavenly angels are at our service, in the plan of salvation, it should be a matter of much interest to us to know something of their position in heaven and of their power and sphere of action. In the early part of the book of Hebrews, nearly all of the resources of the plan of salvation are introduced, beginning with God the Father and God the Son. It is here clearly stated that the heavenly messengers are not equal in power or position with the Son, for they bow before Him in true reverence and in joyful worship, while angels are not to be worshiped by any of God's creatures, even tho they are much superior to man. When some of the holy men of God—prophets of the Most High—have beheld angels who were clothed with the glory of God,—indicative of their holiness and purity of character,—they have fallen at their feet to worship, but this reverence has always been refused by loyal angels, who direct all worship to God. Not so, however, with Satan and fallen angels; they invite worship to themselves, and thereby detract from the worship and glory of God. Satan has ever presented objects of worship to the children of men, but in the closing scenes of this world's history he will inspire men to compel their fellow men to worship a rival to God. At this same time there will be a world-wide message proclaimed with power, which will reason and plead with men to worship only the one God, the Creator. Rev. 14: 6, 7.

Heavenly angels are represented as carrying the message which calls all men to worship God; but, as the preaching of the Gospel is committed to men, we understand that the angels' part in the proclamation of this message is to inspire men for their ministry and to protect them and co-operate with them while they are thus engaged. The fallen angels inspire men "who preach any other gospel."

Following the inspiration and leadership of angels of light eventually plants the feet of believers upon the "sea of glass, before the throne of God;" while rendering obedience to the opposite class will surely lead to the blackness of despair and eternal ruin.