REDEMPTION through Christ is not some easy way to dispose of a man's past, causing him to disregard its effects. Every now and then we hear some overwise critic, some carping scoffer, say that “salvation is cheap, that a man can spend a lifetime in vileness, and then cowardly get out of the results of that life without regard to all the evil he has done; he causes others to suffer, while he goes scot-free.” It is this class of critic who also condemns the severe punishment threatened for the confirmed sinner. In other words, he thinks the way of redemption too easy, the way of transgression too hard. But judged by his own words, he has then every inducement to turn away from his own wrongdoing. However, his position is not correct.
A study of the Bible narrative shows that those who indulge in sin suffer seriously in consequence, even those who were called as God's children. We find that when they turned aside from the right, a terrible train of evil consequences followed this sinful act. Jacob would have lost his life at the hand of Esau, whom he had wronged, had he not bitterly repented of his deception and sin. The heart of Moses was torn with sorrow when he could not enter with God's people into the promised land, because he had forgotten on one occasion to honor his Leader. David lost three children and faced death himself, because of his sin which brought reproach upon God's people.
“The wages of sin is death,”—that is the decree. God knows what it deserves, and has declared this as the penalty. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” There is no exception, there is no escape. However, God gives one the choice of a death to sin through Christ, or, refusing that, he must die the death eternal. And if he accept the death of Christ as the satisfaction for his sins, it means deep, revolutionizing sorrow, and repentance that shall move the very fountains of the soul, and cause that which before he loved to be hated. He so loathes his former way that he turns from it as from the vilest and most offensive thing in the world. And this revolutionizes the man. He becomes a new creature, a changed being. But even so, tho he is saved from the eternal consequences of his sin, there are effects of that sin which follow him throughout his life. He may triumph over his sin, he may overcome every inherited and cultivated tendency to evil, and he may triumph at last and be given the victor's palm, but sin has been no benefit to him. He has felt its effects, and the reason that he has overcome is because that “where sin abounded,” grace hath much more abounded.
But sin is no trifling thing; it is the inexcusable and the unreasonable thing. It has come into a beautiful, perfect universe, and the whole intention and result of it is to wreck that universe. The preservation of all that God has created depends upon the control and eradication of sin from the universe. It is the blackest kind of an enemy, against which the most rigid precautions must be taken. Smallpox, tuberculosis, the black plague, cholera, yellow fever,—all these are nothing compared with it; and yet the best thought of the world justifies any proper precautions that are taken against the spread of these infectious diseases.
Just as truly God has taken precaution against the spread of sin. This world is in quarantine, and yet every provision is being made to save those who will turn away from the deadly disease that threatens more than the physical life.
Since sin is rebellion, it is necessary, before punishment of sin can be meted out, that every individual shall declare himself, whether he stands on the side of the rebellious cause, or on the side of preserving and maintaining the universe as God created it. This is an important matter, and every individual must have time in which to duly reflect, and consider what position he shall take. And again, if he should decide that the rebellion is unjustifiable, and that he will have no part in it, some means for him to be rescued must be provided. This way out of sin God has provided through the redemption which is in Christ.
But if a man declare himself on the side of rebellion, he is to receive the deserts of a rebel; the safety of the government depends upon it. If this were a rebellion, as sometimes occurs in the nations, where the rebellion were justifiable, it were a different matter; but this rebellion, if successful, would mean the ruin of all who would take part in it, and of all that they could reach. Only destruction and devastation would follow in their train. This is the logical working out of sin. But God, as the Arbiter of the just cause, declares, decrees, and carries out the decree that only those who choose sin shall bear the penalty of sin. He gives every man the right of his free choice, and having chosen, He does not by arbitrary power take from him that which is chosen.
And death—eternal death—awaits the one who chooses persistently the way of sin.
There is no use in crying out against it; there is no use in charging injustice upon God. It simply shows that we do not know what sin is, and do not sense its gravity and its tendency. The Word declares that when sin is full-grown, it brings forth death. It also says “the wages of sin”—that is, not to say God's wages for sin, but—“the wages of sin is death.”
Death Is Not Life
The sacrifice of Christ can never be made to cover persistent, or wilful, sin. The Word declares, “If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” Heb. 10:26. The wicked are to be punished “with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.” 2 Thess. 1:9. Christ Himself said, “Except ye repent, ye shall all . . . perish.” Luke 13:3. This is a restatement of Ps. 37:20, where we read, “The wicked shall perish.” The whole of this scripture is as follows: “But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.” This destruction is to be so complete that the Word presents it in a startling picture. It declares, “As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more.” Prov. 10:25. The statement, “So is the wicked no more,” means that there is not any future existence for them. The punishment for their sins is an end to their existence. This is plainly declared in another scripture: “For as ye have drunk upon My holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as tho they had not been.” Obadiah 16.
The doctrine that the wicked will be set aside in some place in the universe, there to continue their blasphemous cursing against God, is not only abhorrent, but contrary to the Scriptures. We read, “For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.” Ps. 37:10. Both the wicked and he who instigated sin, the devil, are to be punished with fire here upon the earth itself. “Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.” Prov. 11:31.
“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Mal. 4:1.
“And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” Rev. 20:9.
This fire in the earth that destroys all rebels against the government of God was referred to by the apostle Peter: “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:7.
He tells us that this fire melts the earth and everything in it: “Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.” Verse 12.
This is the very thing that Christ said would occur when He comes to judge the6 (134)wicked: “The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matt. 13:41, 42.
But out of the ruins and the ashes of the burned earth shall arise, by the creative power of God, the earth renewed.
“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:13.
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Matt. 5:5.
“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Matt. 13:43.
Such will be the end of persistent sin, and when this punishment upon the devil and evil men—the root and the branches—has been consummated, then, and then only, can the universal song be sung, prophesied by the revelator: “And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.”
This world and its sin will pass away, but “he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”
The Inheritance of the Righteous
By John Norton Loughborough
By J. N. Loughborough
IV. The Heirs of Promise
“When God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Heb. 6: 13-20.
THIS same apostle, when writing to the Gentiles—converted heathen—said, “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy Seed, which is Christ.” Gal. 3: 16. That Abraham understood that Christ was the Seed, is made plain by the words of Christ, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad.” John 8: 56. To the Galatians Paul said, “Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s Seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Gal. 3: 26, 29.
The Jews seemed to think that the Gentiles were excluded from salvation. They said to Christ: “Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.” “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill Me, because My word hath no place in you.” John 8: 39, 37. When Paul wrote to the Romans, He said: “For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law [that is, those who fulfil law by offering the blood of beasts], but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.” Rom. 4: 14-16. The “us” used here, included the converted Gentiles, as well as Abraham’s natural descendants. Again: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.” Rom. 8: 16, 17.
To the Ephesians—Gentiles again—he said, He—Christ—“came and preached peace to you which were afar off.” “By revelation He made known unto me the mystery: . . . which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel.” Eph. 2: 17; 3: 3-6. Here is another testimony to the Romans: “For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe; . . . that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: and the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.” Rom. 4: 9-12. Still further: “If some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive-tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive-tree; boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. . . . If thou wert cut out of the olive-tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive-tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive-tree?” Rom. 11: 17, 18, 24. Again he said: “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” Rom. 9: 6-8.
All Who Receive Him Are Sons
John spoke thus of Christ: “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, . . . nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1: 12, 13. “When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law [under its condemnation], . . . that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Gal. 4: 4-6. James said, “Harken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him?” James 2: 5.
All True Believers Are Counted
From the scriptures we have quoted, we see that the believers in Christ, who through His grace obey God’s law, thus walking in the steps of the Abrahamic faith, are counted for the seed, and as real heirs of the kingdom they will receive the fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham and his seed,—a share in the restored dominion lost by the first Adam,—for the Lord says to them in the execution of the judgment, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Matt. 25: 34. And as showed to Daniel in holy vision: “The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.” Dan. 7: 27.
The seed promised to Abraham was to be innumerable. “I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.” Gen. 13: 16. In the promise, as renewed to David, we read, “As the host of heaven can not be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David My servant.” Jer. 33: 22. And Abraham himself, when permitted at last to meet the mighty throng, is represented as saying, “Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children [apostate Israel], and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? . . . Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up Mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up My standard to the people.” Isa. 49: 21, 22.
The apostle John had a view of the mighty host of the redeemed in the city of God, and said, “I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues. . . . These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Rev. 7: 9-14. While the great consummation still lingers, there is a call for heirs, “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. . . . And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” If the reader is not already an heir, may the Lord help him to speedily obtain joint-heirship with Christ.
Salvation Cannot Be Kept to Oneself
By R. E. Speer
No SOUL can honorably claim Christ’s power in his behalf, who proposes, when he has secured it, to let the rest of mankind struggle on without the Saviour whom he believes indispensable, but whom he is content to have obtained for himself alone.— R. E. Speer.
Forward, Go Forward!
By Lola Johnson Young
By Lola Johnson Young
(Tune: "Rock Me to Sleep, Mother")
Forward, go forward, O Time, in your flight;
Bring me thus nearer the sweet home of light;
Nearer the rest on the beautiful shore;
Nearer to seeing friends loved so of yore;
Nearer to laying these pains and aches down;
Nearer to gaining the bright golden crown;
Nearer to seeing my dear Saviour's face;
And singing forever the theme of free grace.
Chorus:
Soon I will have all my tears wiped away;
Soon I'll be singing His praises for aye;
Soon I'll be laying this heavy cross down;
And seeing my Saviour, who'll give me a crown.
When I grow weary of dust and decay,
Then I'm reminded He said, "Watch and pray;"
Then to my thoughts come this comforting strain,
My Holy Spirit shall with you remain.
He'll comfort and guide you, and bring to your mind
Things I have told you, tho left far behind.
Over your journey He'll loving watch keep,
'Till you lie down, in your Saviour asleep.
If
By Maggie A. Pulver
By Maggie A. Pulver
If I truly loved my Saviour,
If my heart were cleansed from sin,
If I walked in sweet communion
Every day and hour with Him,
Would I then deride the message
That His coming now is near?
Would not I with joy prepare to
Meet the One I love so dear?
If I truly loved my Saviour,
Would not my whole being thrill
At the thought of His returning,
His sweet promise to fulfil?
Knowing that He'd take me with Him
To that glorious city bright,
Freed from every taint of sorrow
There to walk with Him in white?
If I truly loved my Saviour,
If my treasures were in heaven,
If my heart from all the follies
Of this world were truly riven,
Would not I prepare to meet Him
In a pure and heavenly dress?
Not in garments of my wearing,
But His spotless righteousness.
If I raised my voice to heaven
In the strains of sweetest song,
If I knelt each day before Him
Thrice in seeking Him—the strong,
Could I thus deceive my Saviour?
Would He think my heart sincere,
If each day I strove to banish
Every thought that He was near?
If I call Him Lord and Master,
Will that all suffice for me?
Can I trample on His precepts,
And from that great sin be free?
Can I rob Him of His birthright,
Take His portion for my own,
And escape the awful sentence,
“Thou shalt reap as thou hast sown”?
If I truly loved my Saviour,
Would not my desire be
To behold Him in His glory—
Lamb of God who died for me?
Would not I each day be striving
To obey His every word?
Would not I with joy receive each
Omen of my coming Lord?
The Gospel and the Law
1. What is the Bible definition of the gospel?
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Rom. 1: 16.
“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Cor. 1: 17, 18.
2. Since the gospel is specifically for the purpose of saving people, let it be asked, From what are they saved?
“And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matt. 1: 21.
3. Since, then, we are to be saved from “sin,” does the Bible define what sin is?
“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3: 4.
4. What does the apostle Paul say was the only means he had of knowing what sin is?
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Rom. 7: 7.
NOTE.—The apostle in this last quoted text refers to the Ten Commandment law, for he quotes from it. Then, since the gospel is for the purpose of saving us from sin, and since “sin is the transgression of the law,” also, seeing that the inspired apostle had no way of knowing sin but by the Ten Commandment law, is it not clear that the law must be presented if we make a Scriptural presentation of the gospel?
The Lesson of the Stars
By Augusta W. Heald
By Augusta W. Heald
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork.” Ps. 19:1.
GOD’S Word and His handiwork are so closely related, that it seems well nigh impossible to be deeply interested in the one, without a corresponding interest in the other.
Very many of the Creator’s works are hidden from the eyes of the average seeker; but the “spacious firmament,” and the unnumbered starry worlds, are set on high, above concealment, open to the gaze of the whole world.
Our earth, in its daily revolution, presents every part of its surface, in turn, to the sun’s rays, to the moon in its various phases, and to the myriads of starry orbs. The learned astronomer, with his powerful lenses, is able to make wonderful researches in the depths of stellar space. But not to him alone is the blessing; the humble child of God, also, may rejoice in contemplating “the stars in their courses.”
By a moderate amount of persevering effort, one may learn to trace the principal constellations, and the planets, and to find all the first magnitude stars, and many others. When two or more join in the study, it becomes very fascinating, and a source of keenest enjoyment. A good field-glass can be purchased at comparatively small cost, and it reveals beauties unseen by the naked eye.
When once we have learned to recognize the bright stars and constellations, and have followed them in their nightly advance through the season, until they finally disappear from sight below the western horizon, we have learned to love them. When, in the next year, we find a familiar star rising in the eastern sky, it is to us as the face of an old friend. We welcome it, and watch for it night after night.
As we in our humble way seek to learn something of the heavenly hosts, we are lost in wonder at the infinite power of the great Creator, who “telleth the number of the stars” . . . and “calleth them all by their names.” Ps. 147:4. We remember God’s talk with Abraham His friend,—how “He brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them, . . . SO shall thy seed be.” Gen. 15:5.
We remember the word of the “great apostle to the Gentiles,”—“If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Gal. 3:29.
From John’s vision in lonely Patmos, we learn that the hosts of the redeemed will be as the stars of heaven, and as the sand of the seashore,—a great multitude of every nation, and kindred, and people, and tongue, “which no man could number” (Rev. 7:9),—yet our God knoweth them that are His, and calleth them all by name, even as He numbers the stars of heaven.
This is one beautiful lesson of the stars, as revealed to us in the light of the Word. How truly has the poet said, “Stars teach, as well as shine”!
Making Somebody Glad
“A word kindly spoken, a smile or a tear, Tho’ seeming but trifles, full often may cheer; Each day to our lives some treasure ’twould add, To be conscious that we had made somebody glad.”
His Only Heaven
By Delwin Rees Buckner
By Delwin Rees Buckner
Be kind, O parent, to thy wayward son,
Who chooseth not to tread where thou hast trod,
Along the pathway toward the throne of God;
But, restless, rather doth prefer to run
In broad, paved boulevards, where Pleasure's sun
Hurls phantom bows that arch the tinted sod,
The which one can not capture, tho he plod
In search of them 'til life itself be done.
Thou'lt have a happy, whole eternity,
Where Heaven's blessings never cease to flow,
O, white-haired pilgrim, with thine eyes grown dim!
But this sin-blighted, sorry earth will be
The only heaven which thy boy will know,
So make his days here pleasant ones for him.
Union with Jesus
By Carrie K. Batcher
By Carrie K. Batcher
Fulness of peace, yes, and fulness of blessing,
Fulness of cleansing, no trace of alloy;
Filled with all fulness, when Christ I'm possessing,
O, 'tis an infilling, outflowing joy.
Union with Jesus, O, who can describe it?
One with the Master—to work or to wait—
Out in the fields that are white unto harvest,
Or sitting in quietude low at His feet.
None need be timid, or helpless, or hungry,
Lay hold of His strength. Lo! He bids us be strong;
First comes the emptying, then the infilling,
When hearts are all ready, He ne'er tarries long.
O, the joy of joys! O, the glory and gladness,
That thrills every heart, where He comes to abide;
There are trials and tears, but no heart-crushing sadness,
For the Lover has come, to be one with His bride.
No grieving at losses, no murmuring at crosses,
But listening and longing to go at His will;
Knowing well a life yielded will ever be shielded,
And purpose made strong to abide in Him still.
“Strong in Behalf of Him”
By T.
ONE of the most inspiring promises in all the Bible is the following from the book of Chronicles: “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” 2 Chron. 16:9.
Let us picture to the mind the greatness of that infinite One who created all the worlds, and who upholds and guides every star. And then let us consider that it is even Him whose eyes are closely scanning the whole earth to find “them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” His object in finding them is that He may “show Himself strong” in their behalf.
The Lord of Glory is searching for men and women whose hearts are true, that are “perfect toward Him,” and then He will show Himself strong toward them. These true-hearted ones may feel weak and inefficient and altogether incapable of what confronts them. Then it is that their God shows Himself in His strength in their behalf.
The great watercourses of the world are being harnessed, that they may supply electricity for light and power to all parts of the country. Mighty forces are collected in this way, and immense systems of trains and large factories are supplied with power, and city and hamlet are furnished with light. All the power in the great watercourse is behind each light, or each train, or machine. The supply is abundant, and the mechanical engineer sees to it that no more power is turned on than can be used, else the motor or the light that is backed by such reservoirs of power might be destroyed. The power is abundant. All that is required for satisfactory results is that the contact be kept up.
The sources of power in all the great universe are in the hands of our infinite Father. He wants us to know that all this power is set for the protection and service of each one of His true children. Have you never gone out on a clear night and gazed at one star and then at another and another, and as you have gazed have also thought, My Father made this world, and He made that one, and that other one, and so on? And as you have thought of the mighty power displayed, have you not felt your confidence grow strong in His ability to keep you? When His power is contemplated, how slight in comparison is the power of any possible foe that can rise up against us!
When we have thus contemplated Him in His mighty works in the creation of numberless worlds, how inspiring is the thought that the eyes of this infinite One are upon us,—that He is looking closely throughout the whole earth to find hearts turned toward Him so that He may place His might upon them! The One who so loved the world that He gave up His only-begotten Son, is earnestly watching for hearts that will turn to Him. He wishes to infold them in the power of His love and in the power of His righteousness, and to fill them with His power for service in reaching the other objects of His love. T.
A Vain Worship
WHEN the Master was here in person, He was confronted on a certain occasion by the “scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem.” They made the charge, “Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.” Matt. 15:1, 2.
The custom of certain washings before they ate had become so fixed in the minds of these scribes and Pharisees that they regarded them as of divine import. These customs of such long standing had become a part of ecclesiastical law, and those religious devotees were more zealous of their man-made observances than they were of finding just what the teaching of the Bible was upon the great theme of salvation and life. It is interesting to note the answer made by the Saviour to those bigoted ecclesiastics. His words were:
“And He answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God said, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to God; he shall not honor his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men. And He called to Him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man. Then came the disciples, and said unto Him, Knowest Thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying? But He answered and said, Every plant which My heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up.” Matt. 15:3-13.
The Master sought to show those people how they placed their tradition above the commandments of God Himself. It is an easy matter to get custom and tradition between us and a plain “Thus saith the Lord.” The tendency for the human race is to become established in habits and customs, and to follow them regardless of consequences, or of how much they may conflict with the plain teaching of the Word of God.
It will be observed that the scribes and Pharisees that the Master had to meet on that particular occasion were “from Jerusalem,” and therefore they were the most highly cultured, and, consequently, the most influential, and passed for the most devout. But the Lord taught them that the paramount thing was to understand and know9God’s Word and to observe its teaching, regardless of the customs of men, even tho their customs had been enacted into ecclesiastical law, and were maintained by the highest culture, influence, and devotion.
The Master also makes it plain that any worship that places the “commandments of men” in the stead of the Word of God is a “vain” worship. And He furthermore tells them that “every plant which My heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up.” In view of this clear statement, we should be certain that our faith, and all that we teach and observe, is founded in the plain words of Jehovah. All else will be “rooted up,” and the puny arm of the mightiest man or the mightiest set of men can not prevent it.
Principles More Than Men
PRINCIPLES are greater than men, because principles make men. A man truly estimated is not measured by feet and inches or weighed by scales, but he is measured by character. If the principles which the man approves, which are wrought into his life, are evil, they make an evil man; if the principles are good, the man becomes an exponent of the principles. It is of vital importance, therefore, to know that the principles which mold us and shape our character are true and good and great.
Holding principles paramount to mere flesh and blood, we will be neither worshipers nor haters of men. If a man is regarded as truly great, like a Paul, a Washington, a Lincoln, we will not worship the man; we will esteem the principles. We will study their origin, their application, their effect. If a man is opposed to us, if he is an evil man, we will look beyond the man to his principles. If we are true missionaries, we will hate the principles, but love the man, and endeavor to save him from the principles of evil which he holds. We will not persecute him, for we can not exterminate principles in that way.
Look to principles more than to men. In the great judgment-day, it will be the principles you hold, which have molded your character, that will determine your destiny, rather than the men you hate or love.
“Together” — “We Know”
SAYS the apostle in Rom. 8:28, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” But, says a dear soul undergoing heavy trial, how is this bitter cup for my good? Why have I lost this dear friend? And many other such like queries. We reply that singly the trial may not be for your good. If all your life were to be spent in such trial, if there were no hereafter, you would indeed be miserable. But that affliction may work out for you an eternal weight of glory if you will but learn the lesson. Humble yourselves before God, and He will exalt you in due time.
Believe God still, “He is too wise to err, too good to prove unkind.” Your trial is needed in some way. You only see the now; God sees the end. You are thinking of the present and near future; God has in mind the ages of eternity to come. The rain, cold as it seems, is as necessary as the sun to the tiny plant; so dark trials are as necessary as pleasant, sunny blessings. And as the rain is blessing as well as the sunshine, so dark trials are blessings together with the sunny places of life; for “we would not learn to walk by faith could we always walk by sight.” Leave the web of promise to the great Weaver; if it be His will, let Him mingle the dark and light, the rough and smooth. He never makes mistakes; He allows us to correct ours. When the web is finished, and we shall see it all, the dark places will be the most glorious; and while in this life we could not see that these trials alone were for our good, we shall then see that all things have worked together for our good through the perfect wisdom of God. But let us not wait till then to know; faith says now, “We know.”
The margin of the American Revised Version gives us a precious thought. It makes God working actively in our behalf: “And we know that to them that love God, God worketh all things with them for good.” And He does. As elsewhere expressed: “Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: that we should be to the praise of His glory.” Eph. 1:11. Again, in the light of these assurances, let faith say, “We know.”
A Definition of Love
“Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Rom. 13:10. This is a Bible definition of love. It certainly does not denote an abstract principle, but a living, concrete force. Fulfil is to perform, to accomplish. Then to substitute the definition for the word in the text, we have, “Love is the performing [or doing] of the law.” That this is the true interpretation is shown by another scripture: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3. Love will not only perform the letter of the law, but its spirit. It will delight to do it even as did Christ. Ps. 40:8. The Spirit of God has shed abroad in the heart the love of God (Rom. 5:5), and that love is manifested in keeping the law of love. The love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit, enables us to obey the law. “The righteousness [the spirit as well as the letter] of the law” is “fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8:4.