Signs of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 12. (1/23/1893)

Signs of the Times

Jan 23, 1893

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 23, 1893

THE POWER AND METHODS OF THE GOSPEL.

THE commission given by our Lord to his apostles, and through them to his followers of every age, is expressed by Matthew in the following words:—

"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matt. 28:18-20.

The original word for "power"—in the Revised Version, "authority"—involves both. The authority includes the power. To this the apostle refers when he says of Christ that "God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name." Phil. 2:9. Of the fullness of the power which rests in Christ, the apostle again says:—

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by [in] him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church. . . . For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell." Col. 1:16-19.

His authority and power are both manifest all through his brief earthly mission, in opening blind eyes, unstopping deaf ears, causing the tongue of the dumb to sing, healing the sick, restoring the lame, cleansing the leper, casting out demons, speaking the dead to life, creating food for the multitude, and stilling the waves of the sea. This was the One who sent the apostles forth with the assurance that all power was his, and that he would be with them in that power to the end of the age, or till closed the gospel message. Their work was to preach, and teach, make disciples, and minister the gospel to fallen humanity. As expressed by Paul, their mission was to "preach the word" (2 Tim. 4:2); to "preach Jesus" (Acts 5:42; 11:20; 17:18); to "preach Christ crucified" (1 Cor. 1:23; 2:2). The gospel, the word of God, the mystery of God, and Christ Jesus our Lord, are all one and the same thing. Paul uses all four of the terms in Col. 1:23-26. In verse 23 he speaks of the preaching of the gospel, of which, he says, he is a minister. In verse 25 he says he is made a minister, "fully to preach the word of God" (margin, compare with Rom. 15:19). This word of God in verse 26 he declares to be the mystery in which is the riches of God's glory; and this mystery in verse 27 is declared to the Christians at Colosse to be, and hence to all, "Christ in you, the hope of glory; whom we preach."

The apostles were commissioned to preach Christ by speaking his word. They were not to preach about Christ as a great figure of history, a wondrous character, but they were to preach him as a living, personal, indwelling Saviour from sin and the power of sin here and hereafter. Christ in infinite wisdom, Christ in almighty power, Christ in boundless love, Christ the all in all—this is to preach Christ, and only those who know him can so preach him. Those who by faith receive such a message from God, receive Christ with that message, and thereby become acquainted with him. And those who drink at that fount will not seek to quench their thirst at the polluted waters of the broken cisterns of earth. Jer. 2:13, 14. Those who know his power will seek no other to propagate his gospel or aught embraced in his gospel.

The power which fitted them for their work was the Spirit of God (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4), mightier than all the armies of earth, for it was creative power. The only aggressive weapon which they bore was "the sword of the Spirit," "the word of God," and their armor of defense was that provided of God for all his people—truth, faith, righteousness, peace, salvation. Eph. 6:13-17. These weapons are "not carnal," yet were they "mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

What could do more? If the thoughts are yielded to Christ, all is yielded. It was the work of Christ, to win. He who had all the force of heaven at his command, who could have called down twelve legions of angels to scatter the mad horde which were leading him to death, never used violence. When James and John in their zeal for doing some great thing wished to call down fire upon the village of the Samaritans who had turned from Christ, Jesus rebuked them with: "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village." Luke 9:55, 56. Jesus would not avenge those who turned him away.

When Peter, in zeal for his Master, rashly drew his sword in defense of him he loved, Jesus said: "Put up again thy sword into his place; for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." "The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" Matt. 26:52; John 18:11.

To Pilate Jesus said: "My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence." John 18:36.

Paul as ambassador of that kingdom, says that, knowing the terror of the Lord at the final judgment, he persuaded men, and in Christ's stead he besought them to be reconciled to God. 2 Cor. 5:11, 20. Even to those in Christ he writes: "Not that we have dominion [lordship] over your faith, but are helpers of your joy; for by faith ye stand." 2 Cor. 1:24.

All of these and many more evidences show that, not by alliance with earthly power, not by the aid of human device or law, was the gospel to be preached to the world or supported. In no way is any relation with earthly power set forth. Christians were to pray for such government as would not hinder

them in the worship of God (1 Tim. 2:1, 2), and to every ordinance of man not contrary to the truth of God they were to submit (1 Peter 2:13; Acts 5:29). They were never to seek to influence government in any other way than in pleading with God and preaching Christ. Paul plead his case before rulers, by preaching Christ. Peter was released from prison because his brethren sought God. Christ was all in all, and as he possessed all fullness, he was sufficient.

But as soon as the church became backslidden, as soon as she departed from Christ and his gospel, she made friends with the world; or, rather, she departed from Christ by making friends with the world. Losing the authority and power of Christ, before which idol shrines had melted away, the church sought civil power, and finally won it. But the very moment she wedded herself to civil power, she rejected Christ Jesus, her lawful husband. Rejecting Christ, she of course lost the power which came from Christ, and for this power she has endeavored to provide a substitute in civil enforcement of dry, dead church dogmas, while the living, progressive, growing truth of Christ was rejected with the Master.

What was the result of this departure? Let all the foolish disputations and strifes of the first centuries answer; let the bitterness, the rancor, the foolish philosophizing, the inflow of pagan superstition, the anathemas of the "Fathers" and councils, so called of the church, answer; let the building up of creeds without number apart from God's word, the enforcement of those creeds by civil power, the putting of Christ to death anew in the persons of millions of his saints—let these reply. All these and more came as the direct result of rejecting Christ for the world. And the present age is seeing this same rejection of Christ, the same building up of creeds, the same efforts to lay hold on the civil power to enforce church dogmas, as witness the efforts to obtain Sunday laws; and inevitably will follow, yes, even now does follow, the persecution of those who do God's will as they read it in his word and see it in the life of Christ. Well did Jesus say in speaking of the persecutions to follow the proclamation of his gospel:—

"They shall put you out of the synagogues; yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THE FATHER NOR ME." John 16:2, 3.

To know Christ, to know God in Christ, to know his word and truth as it is in Christ Jesus, to have Christ formed within the hope of glory, is all that is needed. And those who have this have all. They will never seek earthly power.

Editorial.

By Editor

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable."—2 Tim. 3:16.

THE angel said to the Virgin Mary of our Saviour before he was born, "Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." Matt. 1:21. Herein is the value of Christ's salvation.

LIBERTY is the right of the other man to think for himself. That this has not been the general sentiment of the past is admitted, but nevertheless it is the true principle. The religious bigot of past and present has thus expressed by his acts his idea of liberty: "Liberty, gentlemen, is my right to think for myself, and the right of everybody else to think just as I do." This was the "liberty" granted by the papal governments of Europe during the Dark Ages. This was the "liberty" granted by the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony. This is the "liberty" which our modern National Reformers and Sunday-law people, out of the abundance of the goodness of their hearts, will give us when they come in power. But it is not the liberty of generous manhood. The nobleman of nature grants the liberty of the other man to think for himself. This is the liberty enjoined by the Christianity of Christ. "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."

CHARACTERISTIC INTERPRETATION AND SPIRIT.

IN the Christian Statesman of the 24th ult. is an article given the prominence of the editorial pages on "The Trowel and the Spear." The writer, W. J. Robinson, endeavors to draw a parallel between the work of Nehemiah in building the wall of Jerusalem and the work of those who are trying to support the pseudo sacredness of Sunday. In that work he says:—

The "spear" became as essential to the success of the work as the trowel. Not one step could be taken in the building unless the enemy be restrained. Nehemiah recognized the demands of the situation, and prepared to meet them. He went on with the building, but he defended the workmen from the enemy. He was compelled to do so or cease to build. Whether he should use the "spear" or not was not a debatable question with him. The necessities of the situation made it imperative. It was therefore as legitimate, as directly in the line of his work, as the laying of the stones.

And here is his parallel: The workmen of to-day are the ministers. The wall they are building is the spiritual Jerusalem, or the saving of souls. The platform on which the workmen build is the Sunday, called by Mr. R. "the sabbath." The enemies are the desecrators of the Sunday, who come "between the workmen and the wall." "Destroy the sabbath and the work of the gospel cannot go on," says this National Reformer. "In many portions of the land," he says, "the sabbath, in its true character, has become a thing of the past. And the work of the gospel has been forced to a cessation by that very fact."

What is the remedy he has to offer? In what way must his gospel be furthered? He answers:—

The sword for the defense of the workmen [the ministers of the gospel] to-day is the civil law which is enacted for the protection of the sabbath. And it is the only weapon which the enemy either fears or respects.

The fact is that Nehemiah was doing a civil work under the direct appointment of God, in other words, under a true theocracy, so far as the people of God were concerned, and under powers granted by the king of Persia. He was building the natural wall of a material city with material stones, material trowels, with material enemies to meet. He used the means which it was legitimate to use in that dispensation in the work he was doing as governor. But the work of the gospel is a spiritual work. It is to be accomplished by the power of the Spirit of God. (See article in this paper entitled "The Power and Methods of the Gospel.") It is to be prosecuted by the weapons not carnal but spiritual, but mighty through God. The power is to be of love, of the Spirit of Christ, and not the power of civil law.

But what a confession that "if the sabbath is destroyed, the work of the gospel cannot go on"! By this is meant the general observance of Sunday. That is, if Sunday is to be used by people generally as the other days of the week are used, the gospel must stop. What a confession! Think of Paul's saying, "Lord, I cannot go to Macedonia; the Sabbath is not observed there. I can do nothing at Rome, for the Sabbath is not observed there"! No, the old apostle never thought of such a plea. His business was to preach Christ and him crucified, and the preaching of Christ and his gospel would make Sabbath keepers. The whole of Pagan Rome could not stop the gospel. It was not dependent on man, but on the power of Christ. The plea that ministers cannot do their work, cannot preach the gospel, is a confession that their work and power are purely human, and that they require the same methods and supports as any other human work.

Much more might be said, but space at this writing will not permit. The above reader, is characteristic National Reform doctrine, but it is not the doctrine of Christ and his word. No power on earth can destroy the Sabbath of the Lord, which is the Sabbath of the child of God. No civil power can add to its obligation or holiness. It has its foundation and support in the very throne of the Infinite, the very power that is behind the gospel of Christ.

SUNDAY laws are oftentimes pressed forward as needed moral legislation, "in the interests of public morals," etc. But no legislative body has any right to legislate upon morals, as it has no power to enforce them. Moral pertains to motive; and the judgment of motive does not lie within the province of man. Two acts may be, so far as man may see, exactly similar, but one may be actuated by the basest and vilest of motives, while the other may be actuated by the utmost sincerity and generosity of heart. Man has no right to judge between the acts, because he has no power to read the motives of the heart.

CIVIL government can take cognizance of overt acts alone, and of these only in certain lines, where the life, the property, the chastity, or the reputation of the individuals of society demand it. But when it departs from this sphere, the protection of its subjects, to act as monitor and perceptor of morals, it inaugurates a system which degrades morality, brings itself into reproach, and injures the cause which it designed to help. Whatever is proper on one day of the week is proper on another. What is immoral on Sunday is immoral on Monday so far as civil government is concerned. What it is right to do Monday it is right to do on any other day of the week, so far as civil government has jurisdiction. Civil government is ordained, not to make men moral, but to see that they are civil, or, in other words, that its subjects are treated civilly.

But the Sunday-law question has another phase, namely, the religious. It is this which lies at the bottom of all the Sunday-law agitation. Many Sunday-law men have in the past tried to evade this and base legislation on the question upon different grounds, because of the prejudice in America against religious legislation. Hence Sunday laws have been called "sanitary measures," "matters pertaining to public morals," measures for the relief of the poor workingman, or in the interests of education. These are mere subterfuges in which the true reason seeks to hide and thus deceive the unwary and ignorant. The first, middle, and last reason for asking or demanding Sunday laws is religious.

The Spurious Book of Enoch

The book of Enoch, so called, is said to be that from which Jude quoted in his epistle. Did it never occur to our wise men that what Jude quotes from "Enoch the seventh from Adam," is the basis of a spurious book?

Resolutions to Open the Fair Sunday

Mr. Duborrow, of Illinois, has now three joint resolutions before the House of Representatives for the opening of the World's Fair on Sunday. The Christian Statesman says that Mr. Duborrow designs to introduce a fourth resolution that simply repeals the Sunday closing law and "says nothing more about it."

THE THREE MESSAGES OF REV. 14: 6-14.

By Elder E. W. Whitney

BY ELDER E. W. WHITNEY.

No. 4. Application and Fulfillment of the Second.

As HAS been stated, the preaching of the "hour of God's judgment come," and the second coming of Christ, by Mr. Miller and others during the few years prior to 1844, was attended by the manifest presence and power of the Spirit of God. The work was not confined to any denomination, but those who loved the appearing of their Lord and rejoiced in the glad tidings, without respect to name or belief in other points, joined in the work. Many did so in the true spirit of the message, while more did so, as was evident later when the disappointment came, through fear that what they were accepting might be true, but who at heart were false and hoped that it would prove a mistake.

When the time passed and Christ did not come as expected, the latter class turned against the former, repudiated entirely the positions which had been taken, and became most bitter in their sarcasm and ridicule, thus rejecting the message of love and mercy which God had sent to prepare a people for the coming of the Saviour. The few who had sincerely accepted the message in the love of it, though sorely disappointed in not realizing their hopes, set about more thorough examination of the prophecies, and the conclusions which they had before reached. They soon saw, as already stated, that their mistake was not in the reckoning of the prophetic periods and their consequent termination in 1844, but in the nature of the event which was to take place at that time. Going over and over again the prophetic declarations, and comparing them most carefully with chronological dates and historical facts, they were unable to detect any error in their application, yet Christ had not come, and evidently there was some mistake.

The prophecy said, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." The days certainly ended in 1844, and they could not escape the conclusion. But they had assumed, without Scripture evidence, that the earth was the sanctuary, and therefore erroneously concluded that its cleansing would be by fire at Christ's coming. They were now led to examine more closely the question of the sanctuary itself, and, as they did so, they saw that a work of preparation was yet to be accomplished in the earth in order to fit a people for the coming of Christ, and that the cleansing of the sanctuary was the closing work of Christ's ministration in the sanctuary in heaven—a work of investigative judgment—preparatory to his coming to earth to raise the dead and change the living saints.

As they studied this sanctuary question, they recognized the fact that the whole sanctuary ministration centered in the law of God, the ten commandments, contained in the ark, which was in the most holy place of the sanctuary. They saw that the ministration of Christ as our high priest in the heavenly sanctuary was a reality—the reality, in fact, of which the ministration of the priests in the earthly sanctuary which Moses pitched was but a type or shadow. They began to understand Paul's language to the Hebrews where he says: "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." Heb. 8:1, 2. (Read chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10.)

Another remarkable prophetic statement attracted their notice at this time, and directed their attention especially to the law of God, and its binding claims upon all men, as in this judgment work that law was evidently to be the rule of judgment.

"I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven." "And there followed another angel. . . . And the third angel followed them." Rev. 14:6, 8, 9.

NOTES UPON THE ILLUSTRATION.

1. THE first message begins previous to 1844, announcing the hour of judgment, but continues to the coming of Christ, proclaiming the gospel and the worship of the true God (the commandments) as the basis of the following messages. 2. Simultaneously with the opening of the first message, and as a special feature of its introduction, it is joined by the message of the angel of chapter 10, which continues to 1844 and ceases. 3. Subsequent to 1844 the truths of the first message became more fully understood and preached, though generally rejected, and as a consequence it is joined by the second message, proclaiming the fall of Babylon, which also continues to the end. 4. Later the two are joined by the third, warning against the worship of "the beast" and his image and the reception of his mark, and also continues to the end. 5. Just before the end of gospel work the three are joined by the message of chapter 18, announcing the complete fall of Babylon, and calling upon God's people to come out of her because of her sins. This in effect produces a loud, earnest, and extended giving of all three messages combined, resulting in the lighting of the earth with all truth, and the development of a company keeping all the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and fully prepared to meet Christ when he appears in the clouds of heaven.

"And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament." Rev. 11:18, 19.

This direct linking together of the "temple" (the sanctuary), the "ark," and the "testament" (the law) with the judgment of the dead, in connection with the application of the prophetic periods, and the giving of the message which they had so zealously proclaimed,—"the hour of God's judgment is come,"—threw great light upon the messages of Revelation 14, and led them to consider more fully than they had done especially the second and third.

As soon as the time passed and the fears of the false hearted were allayed, a marked spiritual declension was everywhere noticeable, evidently resulting from the rejection and utter disregard, by the majority of professed Christians, of the message of mercy which had, though only in part, so graciously been given. They now saw the application of the second message: "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication," viz., the fallen spiritual condition of the professed religious world, as indicated by the almost universal tendency on the part of nearly all classes of religionists to engage with renewed zest in every kind of worldly business and pleasure. This tendency has increased until at the present time it is impossible to distinguish the ordinary professor of religion, either in language, dress, or deportment, from the ordinary worldling. False doctrines, too, received though unwittingly from the Church of Rome, existed in the various denominations, presenting to the world, instead of the gospel of Christ, which Paul says is "yea" and "amen," an endless mass of confused and contradictory theories, fully expressed by "yea" and "nay," and symbolized by the term used in the message itself, Babylon, which literally means confusion.

This condition of worldliness and doctrinal confusion in which the professed followers of Christ were found, needed correcting before Christ should return for his church; for he prayed before he went away that "they all may be one," even as he and his Father are; and when he returns, he will surely find his true followers as perfectly united as those whom he left. For this very purpose he placed the gifts of the Spirit in the church: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Eph. 4:11-13.

So, while it is a fact that, through the working of the "mystery of iniquity," as Paul calls it (2 Thess. 2:7), or "Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots," as John calls it (Rev. 17:5), worldliness, and confusion of faith and practice corrupted the great bodies of believers in Christ to that extent that they are presented prophetically under the symbol of Babylon, yet the Lord in infinite mercy sends messages of truth calculated to help this condition and remedy the evil. This is the design of the first message, embracing as

it does the pure gospel and the worship of the true God. But as the individual rejection of light and truth always hardens the heart, and produces coldness and formality, so the general rejection of the truths of this message produced a corresponding moral decline or fall in the religious bodies of the land. Formality in a great measure took the place of true piety, and this condition has steadily grown worse, until we see Paul's picture of the last days filled out in every detail, where he speaks of a "form of godliness" being prevalent, but without the "power" of it being manifest. (Read 2 Tim. 3:1-5.)

This being the case, those who shortly after 1844 comprehended the work which was still to be done for the world, continued to present the truths of the first message, so far as they understood them, proclaiming with voice and pen and press that truly the hour of God's judgment was come—that the investigative judgment preparatory to the coming of Christ was actually taking place in heaven, and that the present generation would not pass until Christ would come personally, just as they had looked for him to come. They, however, now saw plainly from Christ's own words, as recorded in Matt. 24:36, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only," that the definite time for his coming could never be preached scripturally. The preaching of time, however, as they had done had been permitted by God for a purpose. The time itself was correct, and the mistake connected with it served to separate the false from the true, and test most severely the faith of the few who really loved God's word and truth more than all else.

Since that time, although some, claiming to be Adventists, have set various dates for Christ's coming, none who have been proclaiming these messages to the world have done so; but they have simply presented the subject in the light of Christ's own words: "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Matt. 24:33, 34.

Since the force and application of the second message were understood, the increasing evidences of moral and religious degeneracy in the popular churches of this land, and in all the world, have called for the continuous sounding of the warning it contains, in addition to the simple, plain, and powerful truths embraced in the first. Truly "Babylon is fallen." Space need not be occupied with an enumeration of facts exhibiting the utter disregard of the pure principles of the gospel of Christ, the almost universal adoption of a worldly policy, of worldly principles and worldly practices, in the so-called orthodox churches of to-day. Suffice it to say that, in the light of the Scriptures, any church, of whatever name or belief, which holds unscriptural doctrines received from the Church of Rome, or partakes of the worldly spirit and policy of that church, is in just the proportion to which it does this a part of "Babylon," and its members should give heed to the message which is now sounding, "Babylon is fallen," and thus be prepared to heed the voice which will soon be heard from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."

THE FLYING THREEFOLD MESSAGE, REV. 14: 6-12.

By R. F. Cottrell

BY THE LATE ELDER R. F. COTTRELL.

On the wings of the wind the last message is flying, Proclaiming good news to the sinful and dying; The meek of the earth are the message receiving; There is pardon and peace to the truly believing.

Fly swiftly, ye heralds of peace and salvation, To every people, and kindred, and nation. Proclaim it by word, or by well-written pages, This last thrilling warning foretold in past ages.

The time is now come. While the message is sounding, Oh, heed this last call, and partake grace abounding; And when the last notes of the message are given, Believers will then be translated to heaven.

THE CHRISTIAN'S CITIZENSHIP.

By William Covert

BY ELDER WILLIAM COVERT.

THE apostle Paul says, "Our citizenship is in heaven." Phil. 3:20, Revised Version. The commonwealth of the child of God is the kingdom of heaven. Of this dominion it is written, "The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all." Ps. 103:16.

Of course the Creator of all things is by right the ruler of all things. But Satan has disputed this right and has therefore endeavored to establish a kingdom of his own. He said, "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; . . . I will be like the Most High." Isa. 14:13, 14. These words are rebellious utterances, showing the wicked design of the great usurper. Man deceived, surrendered himself and his realm into the hands of Satan, so that now the devil claims this world as his kingdom. See Matt. 4:8, 9; Luke 4:5-7. The officials in this kingdom of darkness are the demons, Satan and his angels. The apostle exhorts:—

"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness ["wicked spirits," margin] in high places." Eph. 6:11, 12.

Fallen humanity compose the subjects of the realm, and are the citizens of this kingdom. The citizenship of all who receive Jesus as their Saviour from sin, is transferred from the dominion of Satan to the kingdom of Christ. Paul, referring to the deliverance that God hath wrought through Christ, says he "hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." Col. 1:13.

The Christian, being honored and intrusted with the citizenship of heaven, is instructed to live and act in complete harmony with the laws of heaven. He is also expected to be a coworker with Christ in persuading the subjects of Satan to ground their arms of rebellion against the government of God, and have their citizenship transferred to heaven. In his prayer for his followers, Christ said to his Father, "The world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." John 17:14, 18.

The sinner's relation to the kingdom of God is set forth in the following statement: "At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." Eph. 2:12. This is all that Satan can do for the subjects of his kingdom. He alienates them from God, from hope, and from life, makes them slaves while they live, and locks them up in the cold grave to await their final punishment when dead. But the gospel of Christ changes all this for all who accept it. "Now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Verse 13.

Jesus is the great Peacemaker. When man beholds the love of God that is shown in the gift of his Son, he is at once ready to surrender, so "He [Christ] is our peace, who hath made both one." Verse 14. The sacrifice of Christ conquers the rebel who beholds it by faith. Christ slew the enmity by himself dying, and then he came and preached peace. Verses 16, 17. By yielding, both Jew and Gentile have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Thus they become "fellow citizens with the saints of the household of God." Verse 19.

Just as soon as the sinner accepts Christ as his Saviour, his citizenship is transferred to heaven; but he himself receives a commission as an ambassador for Christ to sinners. Christ immediately sends him into the world, sends him on the same kind of mission that himself came on to this world. That is, he is sent with messages of the good news of salvation to the lost. Thus we see that sinners do not immediately leave this world for heaven by having their citizenship transferred to that place. But they do become members of the heavenly family, and are taken into the sacred union of sons and daughters of God.

Being children of God and ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ, they are placed under the especial care and protection of the strongest power in the universe. They can therefore go forth with the blessed message of eternal life to the dying sinner, without the least fear of being harmed by the emissaries of evil. Matt. 10:28; Luke 12:4, 5.

When the heart is wholly surrendered to the will and keeping of God, the thoughts will be turned toward Christ constantly, and all the while that this is so the work with and for the Master will be sweet rest and holy joy to the heart. The thought to the Christian that he is accepted of the Lord, and that all things are his, enables him to see the love of God in all the works of his hands. It is the devout child of God who can enjoy the things seen in the realms of nature with the keenest relish and the sweetest delight. Father's handiwork and Father's power and skill and love are read in every blade of grass and every bud and flower. The mighty worlds pursuing their trackless route in the highway of the stars, constantly draw from the heart sweet praise. Yet these thoughts only serve to attract us toward things dearer still. For they connect us with the world that is to come; and our meditations are of the sweet eternal ages, when sin, sickness, sorrow, pain, decay, and death are all in the past. We think of the time when our ambassage will be completed, and we at home in our Father's house, with glorified bodies; we associate ourselves by faith with the Redeemer in person, and with the angels, together with our loved ones, never again to be separated. But when we have thought of all that our finite minds can grasp, we are assured that there is an infinite amount of indescribable glory beyond. But as we have eternity itself in which to grow and receive, we wait and rest in the Lord.

Continue reading: STUDY OF THE BIBLE—ITS IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS. NO. 4.