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Review and Herald, Vol. 79, No. 38.

Sabbath-School Lessons

Review and Herald

Sep 23, 1902

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 23, 1902

Sabbath-School Lessons

The Sabbath-school lessons for the fourth quarter are a continuation of the “Studies in the Gospel Message,” and will be especially interesting and important. In view of the rapid advance of Roman Catholicism in this country, the study of the following subjects is most timely: The Fourth Kingdom and the Little Horn, Modern Babylon, The Perversion of Christianity in Modern Babylon, The Kingdom of Antichrist, Changing the Law of the Kingdom of God, Taking Away the Real Presence, The Two Mysteries. The other subjects taken up are based upon the prophecies of the seventh and eighth chapters of Daniel, involving a study of the judgment, the cleansing of the sanctuary, and other prominent features of present truth. Certainly no one can afford to miss these lessons. Sabbath-school workers and church elders should make every effort to secure a full attendance at the Sabbath school, and see that each one is supplied with the Quarterly. Sabbath-school supplies should be ordered at once from your State Tract Society, or from the Review and Herald Publishing Co., Battle Creek, Mich.

Lesson Helps

The following-named books are quoted in the series of lessons prepared for the fourth quarter. In addition to D’Aubigné’s “History of the Reformation,” and the two Catholic books, “Catholic Belief” and “Doctrinal Catholic Catechism,” we have—

The Great Empires of Prophecy

This is a complete history covering the period from the establishment of the Babylonian kingdom to the fall of the Roman empire, and thoroughly treating upon the prophecies of the great empires in the book of Daniel. It is, in fact, a cyclopedia of history for the period covered; for it contains the combined testimony of nearly one hundred of the standard authorities. All the principal and important facts in history concerning Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome, and the ten divisions of the Roman empire, are arranged in convenient form in this book, and with these historical facts the Scriptural teachings are properly associated.
The book is the result of much research and hard work. It was written by Alonzo T. Jones, and is one of his best works. It ought to be in the homes of all the people. It contains 712 large pages, with colored maps made especially for it. Nicely bound in one style. Price, $2, postpaid.

Patriarchs and Prophets

This work is an excellent commentary on the principal Bible subjects from Adam to the death of David, and especially helpful in the study of the sanctuary and its services.
This is the book that is attracting so much attention at the present time among the Sunday-school people throughout the United States. The International Sunday-school Lessons for the last half of the present year are upon Old Testament topics, principal among which are the Exodus, the Law, the Giving of the Manna, the Sabbath, etc., and the fact that “Patriarchs and Prophets” treats all these subjects in an especially interesting manner, brings the book prominently before the Bible-studying element in all sections of the country.
The intelligent people of the nation appreciate the divine facts and principles revealed in this full commentary of the Scriptures it covers, and our REVIEW readers should not only have a copy for themselves, but they should do all in their power to place it in the hands of their fellow men. Its author is Mrs. E. G. White. It contains 760 large pages, illustrated. Price, from $2.25 to $4.50.

Story of Daniel the Prophet

This is a book of 295 pages, written by Elder S. N. Haskell, and is especially good for the young people to study in connection with their Sabbath-school lessons.
Interwoven with the thrilling biography of Daniel and his three companions, the Biblical and the historical facts pertaining to the four great prophetic nations are effectually recorded. The young enjoy this arrangement of the subject-matter of this volume. The cost of the book, 75 cents, is small when contrasted with its actual value.
These books can all be secured of the State Tract Societies, or of the Review and Herald Publishing Co., Battle Creek, Mich.

Publishers' Page

Conducted by the Department of Circulation of the Review and Herald Publishing Company.

The Scriptural Foundations of Science

A book written for the purpose of inspiring faith in the Bible as a guide in all scientific investigation.
The intent of the book is to answer all such questions as, “How can the Bible be a guide in science when it does not mention many of the simple facts of science?”
In this work the author has cleared away the theories of false science, and has plainly revealed the great foundation of all wisdom, God's Word, and the Author of all truth, whose created works constantly testify to the infallibility of his Word.
Beautifully bound in cloth, elaborately illustrated by special original drawings by the author. Size, 5x7x½ inches; contains 272 pages. Price, 75 cts.
Order of State Tract Society or of Review and Herald Publishing Co., Battle Creek, Mich.

Last Day Tokens

“Last Day Tokens,” by Elder J. N. Loughborough, is now ready in the German language. It presents conclusive evidence of the nearness of the day of the Lord. Authentic records, gathered from many lands, of the wonders that have appeared in the heavens, are accompanied with illustrations of the same. 117 pages. Price, 15 cts.
Order of Review and Herald, Battle Creek, Mich.

Making Home Happy

If more people would read “Making Home Happy,” there would be fewer “stopping places,” and more genuine homes. The work might well have been called “Making Home Home;” for home is no home unless it is happy. The home lies at the basis of all society. A land of well-regulated and happy homes is sure to be one of prosperity. Everything, therefore, that pertains to the preservation and improvement of the home is of vital importance. We wish that every reader of the Journal could have a copy of “Making Home Happy.” The book is published by the Review and Herald Publishing Co., Battle Creek, Mich.—The Hortley Journal.

Home and Church-School Manual

Every mother and every teacher should have a copy of this important work as early as possible. It supplies a long-felt need in the work of our home and church schools, and its coming, as it does, recommended by the General Conference Educational Committee, should inspire confidence in it. The object of this manual is to furnish a basis of organization upon which parents in the home and teachers in the school may build.
Beginning with the general principles of Christian education, and their application to the home training in the education of the children until they are of school age, it provides a course of study for church and intermediate schools, with definite instructions upon the application of these principles. It contains many hints and helps for teachers, and solves many of the practical problems in our church-school work. It is bound in two styles of binding: cloth, 50 cts.; paper covers, 25 cts., postpaid.
Place all orders with your State Tract Society.

Historical Notes

On the Tenth Chapter of Genesis, or The Peopling of the Earth

THESE notes are the result of the lessons given by A. T. Jones to the students of the Bible and history in Healdsburg College, Cal., in the winter of 1886-87. They form an excellent pamphlet of 96 pages.
The tenth chapter of Genesis is to many a mystery and a dead letter. This pamphlet will act as a beacon light, and cause the Bible reader to see in this chapter of Genesis something more than a barren list of almost meaningless names.
We certainly ought to understand the lessons contained in these so-called dry parts of the Word of God.
The pamphlet also contains chapters on The God of the Nations, The Beginnings of Kingdoms, and The Egyptian Empire. Price, only 15 cts.
Order of the Review and Herald Publishing Co.

Looking Unto Jesus

“CHRIST in Type and Antitype.” An exhaustive treatise on the subject of the sanctuary. A well-written and nicely illustrated book of over 300 pages, on the work of Christ as revealed in prophecy from the beginning, by Uriah Smith.
Prices, plain cloth, postpaid, $1; presentation edition, postpaid, $1.50.
Order of your State Tract Society.

The Transmutation of Light

By Editor

Editorial

The Transmutation of Light

SCIENTISTS use the phrase “transmutation of energy” to express “the theory that any one of the various forms of physical force may be converted into one or more of the other forms.” In contrast with this theory we wish to consider the actual experience of the transmutation of light. All light is the outward manifestation of the very being and character of God, no matter in what specific way the manifestation may be made to us. “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” Life is simply the shining of that light through the flesh. “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” When the Word, which is both light and life, became flesh and dwelt among us, the eternal Son was a beam of light direct from the throne of God, shedding light amid the darkness of the world. “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Speaking to his disciples of every age, Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” It is thus evident that those upon whom “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” has shone are to be a sort of human lens through which that light is to shine to the world, and that in shining through the lens of humanity the light is to be transmuted into good works. The purpose of this transmutation is that the world may be able to see the light. Thus it was that when Jesus “went about doing good,” then “the people which sat in darkness saw great light.” Since Jesus took his bodily presence from the earth, the same light is to shine to the world through the flesh of those who believe on him, manifesting itself in the same works which were wrought by Jesus. When the true believers are found in all parts of the earth, doing such works of faith as will reveal the indwelling of the true Light, then the earth will be lightened with the glory of the character of God, and every one will be left without excuse for refusing to accept the gospel. Let your light shine.

In This Generation

IN reply to the inquiry of the disciples, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Jesus used the experience of Jerusalem as a prophetic picture of what would come in the last days. “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand), then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.” From the record of this prophecy as given by Luke it is plain that the event to which the Saviour was referring was the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army. “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains.” It was the rejection of the truth as revealed in Jesus which caused the overthrow of Jerusalem. When the Jews crucified Christ, they sealed the doom of Jerusalem. For such a rejection of light there was no remedy, and the inevitable result was the fall of that nation. And the generation which crucified the Messiah saw the end of the Jewish nation, in A. D. 70. “The Saviour’s prophecy concerning the visitation of judgments upon Jerusalem is to have another fulfillment, of which that terrible desolation was but a faint shadow. In the fate of the chosen city we may behold the doom of a world that has rejected God’s mercy and trampled upon his law.” And as a sign was given which marked the impending destruction of Jerusalem, so there are signs given to mark the second fulfillment of this prophecy in the destruction of the world. “There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars.” The fulfillment of this prophecy in the darkening of the sun and moon on May 19, 1780, and the falling of the stars in the month of November, 1833, marks the time when the destruction of the world is near; but the direct cause of that destruction is the same now as before—the rejection of the light of truth. In the proclamation of the advent message to the world there is the revelation of such a light as has not shone upon the world since the first advent, and for the rejection of this light there will be no remedy. Then, the light was given to the Jewish nation, and its rejection resulted in the destruction of that nation. Now, this light is to be given “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,” and its rejection will result in the destruction of all the nations. Then, the Jewish nation refused the Light of the world, and crucified him; now, the world is crucifying him afresh in the rejection of the threefold advent message. The generation which crucified him then lived to see the end of that nation; the generation which is crucifying this threefold message now will live to see the end of the world. “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”

A World-Wide Testimony

BEFORE the end comes, the gospel of the kingdom must be preached “for a testimony unto all the nations.” No one will be cut off who has not heard and rejected the gospel message. The need of the hour is for witnesses who will go to all the nations to bear the testimony. It is not sufficient that the ordinary gospel message shall be given in all parts of the world, but there must be a presentation of the gospel of the coming of the King, a warning of the approach of the great day of the Lord. We are in the time of the promise, and the advent of our Lord and the end of this reign of sin may be ushered in speedily by a spirit of consecration to the work of spreading this last message. Do we believe in the coming of the Lord in this generation? If so, then let us live for the coming of the Lord in an earnest devotion to the work which will bring the coming of the Lord. “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.” Whole nations are still waiting for this message, and there are others where only a beginning has been made with it. O for a burning zeal in the hearts of the people of God which would never be satisfied until there were witnesses for this truth scattered among all the nations! “Ye churches of the living God, . . . consider how your lack of faith, ofspirituality, of divine power, is hindering the coming of the kingdom of God. . . . Were every one of you a living missionary, the message for this time would speedily be proclaimed in all countries, to every people and nation and tongue. This is the work that must be done before Christ shall come in power and great glory.”

Christ Our Passover

By Uriah Smith

ONE of the principal festivals of the Jews was called “the passover.” The name was derived from the fact that when God was about to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, they were ordered to select a lamb without blemish, and with the blood of that slain lamb strike the lintel and the door posts of the house, that when the destroying angel went through the land to cut off the firstborn of the Egyptians, he should see this sign, and pass over the houses so marked, and destroy them not. The importance of the passover in its literal application, at once becomes apparent, and also in its spiritual application. All Christians have an interest in this subject; for the apostle says that “even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” 1 Cor. 5:7.
The instruction given to the Israelites thus becomes pertinent to us. Through Moses these directions were given: “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: and if the household be too little for a lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.” Ex. 12:3, 4.
The whole subject of the passover is full of instruction, and according to the apostle these words were written for our admonition. 1 Cor. 10:11. Let us note some of the instruction of the text, which we may turn to our profit. The instruction is intensely personal. A lamb was to be taken by every man. Thus all were to have a part in this work. The passover was to be all eaten, and to be eaten by all, and to be eaten at the same time. Christ is our passover. He is our living bread. John 6:51. We are commanded to partake freely of this bread from heaven, “every man according to his eating.” This should be to us a delicious repast, and should be enjoyed by all the household; for the distribution is “a lamb for an house;” that is, one for each house. Parents, children, and servants may all be partakers of Christ. By teaching, training, praying, and setting a holy example, this blessing may be secured. Other texts promise the same wide application of the blessing: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:31.
If there were not a sufficient number in the family to make a full board at the passover feast, they were to call in their next-door neighbors. So in the gospel feast, the invitation has been graciously sent out, and a cordial welcome extended to all. And here we are to imitate the example set by the Israelites, and invite our nearest neighbors and friends. Our next neighbors have the first claim upon us, to share in the offers we have to extend. Such are apt to be most easily reached by us, and are more likely to be influenced by our solicitations than others. At any rate, there is the rule, and we are to obey it, “Beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:47. We read of Andrew, that “he first findeth his own brother Simon.” John 1:41.
If our neighbor does not come when invited, we are not responsible; but if he perishes because he was not invited, then bloodguiltiness will be upon us.
The marriage must be furnished with guests. The supper furnished at such infinite cost must not be permitted to go by, by default. “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23. The Lord said to Noah, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark.” Gen. 7:1. True religion thinks of the “house.”
“I once knew a man,” says C. H. Spurgeon, “who walked a long distance to hear what he called ‘the truth.’ Neither his wife nor any of the children attended any place of worship. When I asked him about them, he replied to me, that ‘the Lord would save his own.’ I could not help replying that the Lord would not own him as one worthy to be saved. When he demanded a warrant for this saying, I gave him this: ‘But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.’ 1 Tim. 5:8.”
A little boy once asked his mother which of the characters in the “Pilgrim’s Progress” she liked best. She replied, “Christian, of course; for he is the hero of the whole story.” Her son replied, “I don’t, mother, I like Christiana the best; for when Christian started on his pilgrimage, he started alone; but when Christiana went, she took the children with her.”
We once read of a man going to his work, one morning, when he was told that a reservoir in the river above had broken its banks, and was sweeping the valley, carrying death and destruction wherever it went. His informant did not seem much concerned about the matter; but the brave workman immediately responded, “If that is so, somebody has got to let the people know about it;” and he immediately dashed off down the valley, shouting out a frantic warning to all he could reach. By his timely efforts many lives were saved.
The last thing that was supplied to the great marriage feast was guests. The proclamation now is, “My oxen and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready.” Matt. 22:4. Soon the wedding will be furnished with guests, and the door will be shut. “Let him that heareth say, Come.” U. S.

Studies in the Gospel Message

THE visions of Daniel as recorded in the seventh and eighth chapters of the book of Daniel form the basis of the Sabbath-school lessons for the last quarter of the present year. It may therefore be an opportune time to consider what special reason there is for the study and teaching of the book of Daniel and that book which is its complement, The Revelation.
One thing is certainly clear from the ground which we have already covered in these studies, there can be no new gospel for this generation. From the time when the gospel was first preached in the garden of Eden until now, there has been but one way of salvation, and that is personal salvation through personal faith in a personal Saviour. Why, then, is it necessary that at this time so much stress should be placed upon the study and teaching of the books of Daniel and Revelation? The most satisfactory answer to this question will be found by a study of the living oracles.
The promise of his continued presence with his disciples in his representative, the Holy Spirit, was the greatest promise which Jesus could make to his disciples just before the time when he was to take his bodily presence from them. “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever. . . . I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. . . . 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.” Jesus was about to give himself as the living sacrifice for a fallen world, and “through this sacrifice the mighty influence of the Holy Spirit was given to the world.” Thus the living presence of the Father and the Son would be found in and among the people of God.
This was the full realization of that gospel of the indwelling presence which was taught in the sanctuary and its services. The Lord told Moses, “Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” This was “the tabernacle of witness,” constantly bearing witness to the purpose of God to make his dwelling with men. And this is the essential thing in Christianity. In the fulfillment of this eternal purpose,“when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem them which were under the law.” “By the incarnation of the Son of God, the purpose of heaven is fulfilled. God dwells in humanity, and through saving grace the heart of man becomes again his temple.” Any perversion of the gospel which prevents one from receiving the full benefit of this provision, and thus himself becoming “the temple of the living God,” strikes at the vital thing in Christianity.
In the worship of ancient Israel everything centered in the sanctuary and its services, and the central thing in the sanctuary was the ark of the covenant, in which was the law of God written upon the two tables of stone. Thus the law of God was the heart of the sanctuary and its services. In this “parable for the time now present” was set forth the new covenant promise, “I will put my laws into their mind, and on their heart also will I write them.” This same law which was deposited in the ark of the covenant was enshrined in humanity when the Word became flesh. This was the fulfillment of the prophecy, “Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” Jesus in the flesh was the living law revealed in and for humanity, the actual setting forth of the purpose that humanity should be the temple of the living God. By the gift of the Holy Spirit, the personal representative of Jesus, to be the indwelling presence in the hearts of believers, this experience would be extended to all who would avail themselves of the provision. Thus the temple would be restored, “Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
It is because this is the chiefest thing in Christianity that there has been preserved for us in the Scripture such a full record of the instruction concerning the building of the tabernacle and later the temple, and of all that pertained to the services carried forward therein. The subject of the sanctuary and its services is the leading subject in the gospel, and Christian experience consists in translating this instruction into the reality of life. When we recognize God’s claim upon us to be his temple, and when we accept the provision which he has made in order that this original purpose may be accomplished even though sin has laid the temple in ruins, we are co-operating with God in his plan of salvation. Thus the way is opened that God himself shall dwell in his own temple, and reveal his own glory there.
From the instruction given by the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul we learn that he foresaw a great apostasy in the church, and that there would be a most astonishing perversion of the truth taught by the great parable of the sanctuary and its services. He foretold the career of one who would actually usurp the place of God in his own temple, and thus seek to render of none effect the whole provision which has been made that fallen humanity might again be “an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Let us read the inspired statement of the case: “Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is now present; let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sitteth in the temple [“sanctuary,” margin] of God, setting himself forth as God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to naught by the manifestation of his coming; even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that are perishing; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thess. 2: 1–12.
Several things should be noted concerning this instruction:—
1. It has special reference to the coming of the Lord. “We beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2. Between the time when this was written and the day of the Lord there was to be an apostasy. “It will not be, except the falling away come first.”
3. This apostasy would result in revealing “the man of sin,” “the son of perdition.”
4. The characteristic of this man of sin would be self-exaltation, so that he would actually usurp the place of God in his temple.
5. All this disloyalty and opposition to God would be revealed under the pretense of serving God as his representative. “He sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God.”
6. This great apostasy was designated as “the mystery of lawlessness,” and it had already begun its work at the time the apostle was writing. “The mystery of lawlessness doth already work.”
7. This opposition to the kingdom of God in the earth, under the cover of a pretended zeal for its establishment, would continue unto the end, and would be overcome only by the second coming of Christ in his own person. When that which restrained should be removed, “then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to naught by the manifestation of his coming.”
8. The only defense against being swept away by this tide of apostasy, and sharing in the destruction which it will bring upon those who are caught in it, will be the belief of the truth.
It is plain that before such an apostasy could come in the church, there must be a perversion of the fundamental truth of the gospel as taught in the sanctuary and its services. The early church knew that the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon all flesh, and that he was the representative of God in the earth, and that if any man attempted to take his place, it would be putting the flesh in the place of the Spirit, man in the place of God. This would be a direct effort to shut away the presence of God from his church. And yet this was just what was prophesied of through the apostle Paul. Is there any way of locating the rise of this great apostasy and of following its development? Has the church any duty to the world with reference to it? Does the time of the coming of the Lord depend in any way upon the working of this “mystery of lawlessness”? We will consider these questions in our next study.

Weakness and Strength

By L. A. S.

FAILURE to live the Christian life is prone to seek excuse under the plea of the weakness of the flesh. Those who make this plea have a very mistaken conception of the nature of the plan of salvation. That plan would have been a total failure if it had depended for success upon the ability of even the strongest of human beings to perform the requirements of the law of God.
The law of God does not represent to men the measure of human strength which God requires. It does not measure human strength toward God, but God’s strength toward humanity.
The trouble is not with the individual’s weakness, whoever he may be. What God requires of humanity is submission, and who was ever so weak that he could not submit? All the more easily should an individual yield himself to God when he has so little strength. The trouble is that there is no one so weak that he does not have some strength to resist, and when God would take possession of the heart, he is resisted.
We are told to resist the evil one: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. All admit that the devil is powerful enough; yet God has made provision so that the weakest individual may become stronger than the devil. The only secret about it is this: “Submit yourselves therefore to God.” Id. It is not you; but God in you, who is to resist the devil, and cause him to flee.
No one can ever excuse himself from Christian duty on the plea of weakness. There can be no reason why any one should fail to live upon the high plane of Christian duty and privilege, and no cause for such failure save his own unwillingness to submit himself unto God. To submit to God, or to resist him—to accept his salvation, or to refuse it—these are the questions to be settled by each individual, through the exercise of his own will. “Whosoever will,” may take the water of life freely.
L. A. S.

Our Place as Sons

“WHEN the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” Gal. 4:4, 5.
This scripture tells us not only how we may receive the great salvation provided for us, but also the way in which it is provided, because there is such an intimate connection between the two things that they cannot be separated. The expression “the adoption of sons” does not convey the fullness of the relationship with the Father into which Christ brings us, because, when one is adopted, he does not come by that fact into any life relationship with the family. He is in the eyes of the law entitled to the privileges of a son, but there is no union of life that makes him a true member of the family into which he is received. So this expression, like every other figure, fails in the final degree, because of this difference.
We will notice first this idea of sonship, the importance of which is seen from the fact that if one can make himself a son, he can save himself; otherwise he cannot, for salvation must come by the receiving of life and entering into that relationship of life, that can come only by generation. And this text sets forth how this relationship comes to us: “God sent forth his Son.” In sending forth his Son into the flesh, God has brought that flesh into the direct relationship of sonship with himself. All men are made sons of God in Adam, for “Adam . . . was the son of God.” Luke 3:38. But in Adam we are the sons of God only by creation; he was created the son of God. Christ was not created the Son of God; he was the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father. The relationship of the human family, sonship by creation as in Adam, gives very high and exalted privileges. By being made the son of God, man was placed in a position where he could recognize and understand God. Of all the created beings on the earth, man was the only one who could recognize God as God. Yet Adam, the created son, had not the same relationship to the Father as Christ, the only begotten Son, who was born, or who simply was, the Son of God in eternal times that no human mind can fix or comprehend.
Through Christ and His mediation, not in the sense of mediation for sin, but as standing between God and all things, everything was created and sustained. So Christ, even before sin came into the world, was the Mediator between God and all things. “The Lord possessed me as the beginning of his way.” Prov. 8:22. Note that it is not in the beginning, but as the beginning. Christ is “the beginning of the creation of God.” Rev. 3:14. This does not mean that he was the first created being, nor the Beginner of creation, but that the beginning of the creation of God was when Christ was, in the days of eternity. That was not the creative act, but the beginning of the creation, which resulted in the creation of all things. In that mystery that no human mind can grasp, and which it is useless for us to try to put into words, God the Father was in the eternal ages, and the Son also was, through whom came the creation. Thus we see clearly that man in the first creation was farther from God than was Christ. Then the question, when sin entered, was whether Christ, who had always been the Mediator, the Daysman, the One who stood between God and all created things, should still continue to be the Mediator. Shall he still stand with one hand upon the throne of God, and the other upon all things, including man? If so, the hand upon man must be stretched forth to reach to where man is; it must be extended to the place to which he has fallen.
The question was decided from eternity; Christ was still to be the Mediator, and so “God sent forth his Son.” The work now to be done by the Mediator is that he shall still be the bond of union between man who has fallen, and God; and that bond must be the union of life.
So Christ was sent forth to be clothed in human flesh; the eternal Son, not the created, was born in the flesh, and dwelt among us. Thus into the very flesh that we bear was introduced “that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us.” This introduction of the eternal Son into our sinful flesh, brought us into a relationship with the Father that the first Adam did not sustain. By the power of his endless life received into our flesh, we may experience the sonship of the Eternal, and receive our place as sons. So we see that redemption means not simply that we are to be restored to the place that Adam had, but to be lifted far above it. This is the place to which God calls every one of us.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.” Note that the word “his” is in italics, and the margin has “a son.” The thought here is not so much who he was, as what he was; it is to emphasize the idea of the sonship. God spake at sundry times and in divers manners by the prophets, who because of their own limited experience could reveal only a portion of his salvation. Their message was the message of their own experience in seeing and hearing the Lord. Every prophet taught according to his own experience, and could not reveal more. But gathering up all that had been revealed through all the prophets in all times, God now has revealed the whole through the Son.
The verses following this in the first chapter of Hebrews, state that Christ is “made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son?” This scripture is brought in here to show how much Christ the Son is exalted above angels. But “he that overcometh shall receive all things as an inheritance, and I will be his God and he shall be my son.” Here the very words that are quoted to show the superiority of Christ over the angels are cited as the experience of the overcomer. This shows that the fact that “God sent forth his Son,” sent him forth from himself into human flesh, established a relationship that had never before existed between God and man. Christ being sent forth from God, will always abide in the flesh; thus the relationship will always be maintained. From the days of eternity one with the Father in essence, character, and being, Christ has now been sent forth into the flesh that we may have the same experience, and in him receive our place as sons. This brings us into a relationship more exalted and more close than the angels, for the very scripture that showsthat Christ is above angels is used of us also.
But all this simply means greater capacity for service. This is the exalted privilege of the Son, and one who holds this relationship must be willing to be used as a son, willing to serve to a greater degree than he ever could before. This redemption puts him on vantage ground with reference to ministry. In Jesus Christ man is brought near to the Father; but this is accomplished by pouring into him the life of the Son, which is a life of ministry and service, and he can keep his place as a son only by letting this life continually flow through him. It is not simply a matter of words, or of assent to a creed, or joining any body but the body of Christ. It is a life relationship with God, to be maintained only by remaining in harmony with the life. “God sent forth his Son” that we might have capacity and power for service, and grow up to the measure of the stature of a perfect man in Christ.
This means earnest, faithful service. We are delivered from the bondage of the law, that our service may be that of sons. A larger ministry is possible for us than ever before, and he who acknowledges this sees open before him such a field of service that he must give himself to ministry. So the redemption offered to us in Christ Jesus is the opportunity to serve in the place of sons. Instead of being mere weaklings and infants who must have some one to look after us, we may have the privilege of looking after others. The ministering Son came not to be ministered unto, but to minister; and when we occupy that place and keep it, we shall not be waiting to be ministered to, but shall be looking for and entering into opportunities of service to others.
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