p. 6 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 49. (12/10/1896)

Earlier text: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Love

UNION WITH CHRIST.

By Ellen G. White

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.

"I AM the True Vine, and my Father is the Husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch can not bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the Vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing."

Every true believer must have a living connection with Him in whom we live, and move, and have our being. Just as the body needs the vitalizing air at all times, so the soul needs divine grace. Apart from Christ, we are helpless, without hope, and without God in the world; but truly united to him, we are a power for good.

In the parable of the vine and the branches, Christ presents the necessity and advantage of a vital union with him. And what symbol so simple, and yet so striking, could he have used to show the need of entire dependence upon him? Separated from the vine, the branch is dead and worthless. United to the vine, it receives the nourishment drawn from the roots, and thus is enabled to bear fruit. Such is the relation of the believer to Christ. On our part, we must have implicit faith in Christ as our personal Saviour. The result of this faith is seen in the fruit we bear. Christ constantly supplies us with grace, and in our turn we impart this grace to others, thereby revealing that we receive our nourishment from the True Vine. God acknowledges this union, and our petitions are accepted through Jesus Christ. One with him, as he is one with the Father, we are accepted in the Beloved. Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren, and heavenly intelligences co-operate with us in our efforts to serve him.

By the nature and abundance of the fruit it produces, the branch proves that it is a part of the vine, and by the fruit which we bear, we show whether or not we are truly united to Christ. The true branch bears rich clusters of genuine fruit, and if we are truly united to Christ, we reveal in our lives the fruits of the Holy Spirit. "Herein is my Father glorified," said Christ, "that ye bear much fruit."

The branch which does not derive its nourishment from the vine, is unable to bear fruit. Having no real, vital connection with the vine, not receiving the sap which flows through the parent stock, it is fruitless. So it is with those who are not truly united to Christ. They may claim to know him, their names may be on the church roll, but unless they are living branches of the True Vine, this is of no value. There is a union with the church that avails nothing with God. Their profession will not save them, for their want of faith, their lack of fruit, proves that they are false branches. They are hearers, and not doers, of the word of God, and their future is shown in this parable. Their separation from Christ involves a ruin as complete as that represented by the dead branch. "If a man abide not in me," said Christ, "he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."

Those who claim to know Christ, and yet indulge a jealous, fault-finding spirit, sowing seeds of dissension by word and action, reveal only too surely that they are not branches of the True Vine. "By their fruits ye shall know them." "Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."

As the husbandman prunes the branches of the fruit-bearing trees, that they may bear more fruit, so the Lord prunes those who are endeavoring to serve him. Often by pruning away the unhealthy growth of temporal and secular interests which endanger heart and character, he causes pain. But he works with no wanton hands and indifferent heart. It is in love to his children that he cuts away the growth which threatens to destroy the health and life of the soul.

The Lord permits trials to come to us in order that we may be cleansed from earthliness, from selfishness, from sharp, unchrist-like traits of character; that we may be led to look to him as the source of all strength. He suffers the deep waves of affliction to pass over our souls in order that we may have deep heart-longings to be cleansed from all defilement, and come forth from the trial purer and holier, with a deeper knowledge of him.

"As many as I love," God says, "I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent." In order that we may die to self, we are called upon to endure trial, and when the chastening hand of the Lord is laid upon us, we are not to fret and complain, not to rebel, not to worry ourselves out of the hand of Christ. We are to humble ourselves before God, pleading with him to give us rest and peace. We enter the furnace of affliction with our hearts darkened by selfishness; but if patient under the crucial test, we shall come forth reflecting the divine image, as gold tried in the fire. "No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."

Christ left his heavenly home, and came to this world, to show that only by being connected with divinity can man keep the law of God. In itself humanity is tainted and corrupted; but Christ brought moral power to man, and those who live in communion with him overcome as he overcame. We are not left in this world as orphans; Christ has united fallen man to the infinite God. He has opened a way for our prayers to ascend to God, and the fragrance of his righteousness ascends with the prayer of every repentant sinner.

Before men and before angels, by a life of perfect obedience, Christ represented the character of God. To-day he is calling upon us to unite with him, that we may partake of his divine nature, and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. "I, if I be lifted up from this earth," he said, "will draw all men unto me." His gracious invitations of mercy are going forth to all mankind. He is inviting all to come into close connection with him; and those who respond will find life and salvation. As we connect with him, unbelieving fear is swept away before living faith, and humble, grateful confidence becomes an abiding principle in the soul.

The result of a vital union with Christ should make all willing to give up everything if only we may be united with him. As the nourishment of the vine is carried to every true branch, so Christ's righteousness is imparted to every one who unites with him. "He was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." As our substitute and surety, our sins are placed to his account. His grace is given us in large measure, and this vitalizing power makes us channels of blessing to the world. "If ye abide in me," he said, "and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

The Lord is at hand. Heavenly angels wait to co-operate with God's children in sounding the message, "For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." The angels can not take our place, but they stand ready to co-operate with us in drawing souls to Christ; and they are soliciting us to work in fellowship with them. These angels survey the ground occupied by those who claim to follow Christ. They see the advantage gained by the enemy when men and women refuse to unite with Christ, and neglect their God-appointed work, and they sorrow over the souls lost in consequence of this neglect.

Those who are truly striving to honor God will be laborers together with him. Truly united to Christ, they willingly wear his yoke, and bear his burdens. They realize that they are not their own, but that Christ has purchased them at an infinite price; and their own ambitious prospects are lost sight of in their desire to work for God. To all such God can say, Child, come up higher. I have tested you, and I know that I can trust you to enter heaven's courts and not rebel. But those in whose hearts selfishness is cherished, who have no connection with Christ, can never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Shortly before his crucifixion, Christ prayed for his disciples: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." O that these words might be written with the finger of God upon every soul.

When God's children surrender all to him, when they are willing to be pruned of all selfishness and worldliness and to be united to the True Vine, when one interest predominates—to be one with Christ as he is one with the Father—then they can indeed bear witness for the truth. True branches of the living Vine, they will bear "much fruit" for him, "being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the honor and praise of God."

Jesus Saves from Sin

"Thou shalt call his name JESUS; for he shall save his people from their sins."

COME HOME.

By R. M. Offord

COME, O soul by sin tormented, Come with all thy grief and pain, Come, and with thy sin repented, Know a Father's love again.

Tho thou far from him hast wandered, Grieved his Holy Spirit sore, All thy precious substance squandered, Still abides love's boundless store.

Is his mercy past believing? Doth his grace astonish thee? Do not thus, thyself deceiving, Lose the love so full and free.

Lo, for them that love is yearning Who the darkest paths have trod; Lo, the sin-stained soul's returning Floods with joy the courts of God. —R. M. Offord, in N. Y. Observer.

CHRIST OR CREED; WHICH?

By William Warren Prescott

BY PROF. W. W. PRESCOTT.

WHEN Christ came to this world as the bearer of life and light and love from God to man, he found that the plain teachings of God's word had been obscured and even made of no effect through the teachings of those who were the leaders of the people; that religion had been made a burden upon the people; and that which God had given as a blessed means of union and communion with him had been turned into a yoke of bondage. Much of his example and teaching were directed toward changing all this. He taught the people that religion was a life and not a mere form, ceremony, or creed; and he presented the plain teaching of the Scripture as the basis of faith and the rule of all conduct, even tho it should be in open opposition to the customs and traditions of the time. He himself was the Gospel which he preached, and the Word which had already been revealed in language, now "was made flesh" and revealed in life. John 1:14. Thus Christ became the embodiment and the interpretation of all God's thought for man as set forth in the Scripture. But this brought him into continual conflict with the religious teachers of his day, who placed their own traditions above the clearest statements of the word of God.

To his disciples Christ said, "Follow me," and then he lived before them, and taught them by precept, the Scriptures which he himself had caused to be written (1 Peter 1:10, 11), "that the man of God may be perfect" (2 Tim. 3:16, 17); and when those who molded the religious sentiment of the time asked him, "Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders?" he replied; "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition, . . . making the word of God of none effect through your tradition." See Mark 7:5-13. "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" was his inquiry. Their ideas of the character of God and of religion, both in form and spirit, had become so distorted that when Jesus appeared among them, "the image of the invisible God," they persecuted him because he would not conform to their ideas of religion, and even claimed Scripture authority for putting him to death (John 19:7), yet being all the time full of zeal for their creed. The experience of Saul the Pharisee, as told by himself (Gal. 1:13, 14), shows how the true spirit of religion may be wholly disregarded in the settled determination to maintain tradition and creed.

This conflict which was waged in Christ's time and against him has been continued, in one form or another, ever since. In the Acts of the apostles we have a record of the struggle on the part of the early disciples to establish the truth of the Bible, as lived and taught by Christ, as against the most determined effort on the part of those who professed to be the people of God to maintain the traditions and creed of the church. Light was refused and the power of the Holy Ghost was resisted (Acts 7:51) in the vain effort to put man's idea of religion and man's interpretation of the Scripture in the place of "the truth as it is in Jesus." It was in vain that Paul, the Christian, said: "I continue unto this day, . . . saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come" (Acts 26:22), "believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets" (Acts 24:14), since their zeal for their creed was so much greater than their regard for what the word of God taught.

God's Work To-day.

But the conflict is not ended, and the platform upon which the Reformers stood is the platform upon which to stand to-day—an appeal to the plain teaching of the word of God. All the truth was not seen by Luther and his associates, and their teaching can be safely followed only so far as it is in harmony with the principle which they themselves laid down, the appeal to the word of God. The principle which is openly avowed by the Roman Catholic Church—"Tradition is to us more clear and safe"—has received altogether too much sanction in some Protestant Churches, and there is need that we "should earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints," and should build only "upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone."

Dr. Adolph Saphir has well said:—

If we have the Spirit's teaching in the Book instead of the Spirit's teaching by the Book, men wish to have it extracted, simplified, reduced to a system, methodized. And then, practically speaking, the creed is above the Bible.

The following statements by Dr. George F. Pentecost are also well worthy of thoughtful consideration at this time:—

The church at the time of Christ's ministry on the earth had well-nigh lost sight of the Scriptures by the accumulation of creeds, glosses, commentaries, and the like, so that they were more given to creeds and traditions and doctrines of men than they were to the word of God. We are in the same danger now. . . . It is a woful evil to substitute the authority of creeds and confessions of faith for that of the word of God, which is the only rule of faith and practice for his people, and the only writing that is of binding authority upon the conscience. . . . Whenever any one yields obedience to the creeds of men or of churches, and surrenders the God-given right of personally searching the Scriptures to find out for himself the truth, then he indeed becomes a slave. . . . Never surrender your conscience to any save God, and that on the sole authority of his word.

Let every one heed these words and follow the example of the "more noble" Bereans, who "searched the Scriptures daily." Acts 17:10, 11. All teaching is to be subjected to the test of the word, and only truth received. Isa. 8:20. "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Col. 2:8. "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." 1 John 2:6. "If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching." John 7:17, R. V. "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12. Are we ready to follow the plain instruction of the Bible, as interpreted by the example and teaching of Christ, even though it be contrary to creed and tradition? This is the test of our Christianity.

Battle Creek, Mich.

EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT.

By C. A. Wyman

BY C. A. WYMAN.

Duration of Eternal Punishment.

HAVING located the place and time of "everlasting punishment," we are now prepared to comprehend more clearly its duration.

The doctrine of "eternal torment," based upon the error of "inherent immortality," logically upholds the perpetuity of sin, for no change except in this life is offered, hence the sinful mind continuing on, augments its guilt by rebellion and blasphemy; and as all are punished "according to their works," it follows that the longer the wicked live, the more sinful they become, and the more punishment must follow. Thus justice can never be satisfied, and the arm of infinite power would be too weak to close the horrible drama of sin. But God had a clean universe once, and if the wisdom of God, the justice of God, and the word of God mean anything, he will have a clean universe again, when the wicked "shall be as tho they had not been" (Obadiah 15, 16); when "the former things shall not be remembered nor come into mind" (Isa. 65:17); when "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." Rev. 5:13. Thus in the glad "sometime" the whole universe of God will resound "with the melody of peace."

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Eze. 18:20. "The wages of sin is death." Rom. 6:23. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." 1 Cor. 15:26. "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." Rev. 20:14. "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of Hosts." Mal. 4:2, 3. "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." Ps. 37:20. "For yet a little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction." Isa. 10:25.

From the burden of a thousand testimonies the life of both wicked men and wicked angels finally ceases. The effect of the punishment is death.

As there are degrees of sinfulness, so there will be of punishment, and this "according to their works." Neither wicked men nor angels have acknowledged the goodness, mercy, nor justice of God in the time of their probation. Yet when the trying touchstone of fire shall come, the guilty conscience will be awakened, and each will see just where he turned from the "holy commandment," just where he resisted the pleading voice of God, just where he has violated his own conscience, through which alone God could reach him.

When the wisdom, justice, and mercy of God are seen in all his dealings with his creatures; when each one sees where he crossed the boundary line, refusing to yield to the truth; when he sees that God did all that infinite love and wisdom could do for his salvation, and that he with his own will and hand has rejected it all; there before that tribunal, with nothing to shield the guilty soul, the haughty "knee shall bow," and "every tongue shall confess" that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:11.

With this confession, justice is satisfied, and upon all, "according to their deeds," the complete penalty is visited, until all but Satan has yielded to confess God's justice in their utter destruction. He, the leader in the great rebellion, and the framer of the awful controversy against righteousness, is the last to yield. He, the antitypical "scapegoat," receiving the penalty of confessed sins which he has led the children of God to commit, with no one to sympathize with him in his hatred of the law of God, still cries: "I am God," in the face of the One who created him, a bright and beautiful angel, for God's glory.

At last he, too, yields the controversy; "a fire springs forth from the midst of him, and devours him," and he, too, is brought to ashes upon the earth. Eze. 28:9, 10.

Then the last voice in rebellion is hushed, the root and branches are wholly consumed, the seeds of sin are no more. The fire dies out, and the earth, purified and freed from its curse, is molded anew. The whole earth breaks forth into singing, and "blossoms as the rose," and the promised land, so long foretold, becomes the "garden of God," and his people a joy.

All have been tried, and through Christ were overcomers. Each, seeing what sin has wrought, looks upon it as does God, and never throughout eternity will the thought of sin mar the character of that ransomed throng. Thus, some in a few moments, others longer, and Satan last of all, cease to be; and "everlasting punishment" is seen to be "everlasting destruction." 2 Thess. 1:9.

History Repeated.

These same experiences were repeated in the great Reformation of the sixteenth century. The church had departed from the plain teaching of the Scripture and had placed the authority of man and the traditions of the church above the clearest statements of the word of God. The sole and infallible authority of the word of God was the primary and fundamental principle of the Reformation. Said the Reformers: "The Christians receive no other doctrines than those founded on the express words of Jesus Christ, of the apostles, and of the prophets. No man, no assembly of doctors, has any right to prescribe new ones." "This combat between the Augustine of Wittemberg (Luther) and the Dominican of Rome (Prierio) was waged on the very question that is the principle of the Reformation, namely: 'What is the sole infallible authority for Christians?'" Here is the system of the church as set forth by its most independent organs:—

The letter of the written word is dead without the spirit of interpretation, which alone reveals its hidden meaning. Now, this spirit is not given to every Christian, but to the Church—that is, to the priests. . . . We must therefore understand the sense of the Holy Scriptures as settled by the Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. . . . In order that we may comprehend the word, the Spirit of God must give understanding, said the Church; and it was right so far. But its error had been in considering the Holy Spirit as a monopoly accorded to a certain class, and supposing that it could be confined exclusively within assemblies or colleges, in a city or in a conclave.

When Luther at the Diet of Worms was asked to retract all that he had written contrary to the traditions and the creed of the church, he appealed to the authority of the Bible, and said:—

For this reason, most serene emperor, and you, most illustrious princes, and all men of every degree, I conjure you by the mercy of God, to prove from the writings of the prophets and apostles that I have erred. As soon as I am convinced of this, I will retract every error, and be the first to lay down my books and throw them into the fire.

AMERICAN CATHOLICISM.

By William N. Glenn

BY W. N. GLENN.

The Christian Work, of New York, takes an optimistic view of the Catholic controversy in America. It is sure that the Liberal element, represented by Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop Ireland, and Bishop Keane, will eventually dominate the Conservatives, represented by such men as Archbishop Corrigan and Bishop Wigger. An article on this subject in the issue of November 26, closes with this hopeful expression:—

But whatever may come to pass now, it can not be believed that the party of which Archbishop Ireland and Bishop Keane are the chief exponents can long remain in a subordinate position in the Roman Church in America. They represent the most active, intelligent and progressive element in the Church, the truly American and patriotic element, and as the years go by and foreign immigration falls away, this party must increase in numbers and influence, while the other suffers a decline. Such a result is inevitable; the Church must become Americanized in time through and through in all its policies, methods and forms of government, and not all the power that can be wielded from the Vatican will suffice to stay that onward course.

It is safe to assume, however, that no radical or permanent reformation ever can obtain within the Catholic Church. It is a great religio-political institution, whose foundation is tradition, intrigue, and coercion. Any practical deliverance from its innate tyranny must necessarily be accomplished by coming out of it altogether. Hon. Stanley Matthews well said that to admit one of Rome's dogmas was logically to admit them all. We have many instances on record of Roman priests taking an independent stand for a more liberal policy; but sooner or later they have retracted or have gone out. Under the ban of Rome eventually means disgrace in the church or excommunication from it. The prophecy foretells that all the world is to worship the beast, excepting those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. This must include all who remain in that church, and all who assent to her dogmas, whether in or out of that particular fold. All who receive and persistently adhere to the mark of Rome's authority (and she holds up the Sunday-sabbath institution in that special light) come under the condemnation of the "third angel," who says with a loud voice: "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." Rev. 14:9-11.

The next verse shows us the contrasting element: "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Then the only reform that God acknowledges is a reform that leads to the keeping of the commandments of God. In the very nature of Rome's constitution, such a reformation can not be consummated within her communion; for she has deliberately set up church authority against the Scriptures of truth. While acknowledging and maintaining that, according to the Scriptures, the seventh day is the only Sabbath, she sets the Sunday institution as the mark of her authority to move independently. She maintains, too (and logically), that all who acknowledge and observe the day so set apart by her authority, thereby assent to her authority in all religious matters, and are virtually bound to accept all her dogmas.

Therefore all professed liberalism in the Catholic Church of America is only calculated to deceive the people with the idea that Rome is changing her attitude, and becoming more in harmony with the spirit of republican government and true Christianity. This false attitude of an influential faction of the Catholic Church in the United States simply encourages the professed Protestantism of the country in its work of developing and maintaining the "image of the beast" and its worship. It is an attitude that is doing much to fasten the grip of Rome upon American institutions, and when this liberal Catholicism will have accomplished its work of deception (whether wittingly or not is no matter), the real principles of the "beast" will have so fully reflected its "image" that the latter will itself speak "as a dragon."

THEY SHALL BE WHITE AS SNOW.

"WE have some difficulty," said a scientific lecturer, who was explaining the process of paper-making, "with the iron dyes, but the most troublesome of all are the turkey-red rags. You see I have dipped this rag into my solution; its red is paler, but it is still strong. If I steep it long enough to efface the color entirely, the fiber will be destroyed; it will be useless for our manufacture. How, then, are we to dispose of our red rags? We make them into red blotting paper. Perhaps you have wondered why your writing pad is red. Now you know the reason."

I could hardly sleep that night for joy at the acquisition of so striking, tho unintentional, an illustration of the riches of grace, and the power of "the precious blood of Christ." The Spirit of God led the prophet Isaiah to write—not tho your sins be as blue as the sky, or as green as the olive leaf, or as black as night, but, "Tho your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; tho they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool"—he chose the very color which modern science, with all its appliances, finds to be indestructible.—Selected.

Hope Maketh Not Ashamed

"Hope maketh not ashamed."

The What and the How

WHEN a man really has something to say, the saying will somehow take care of itself. This is not intended to mean that the how is not important. It is important. But the what is more important; it is indispensable.

—Rev. Gross Alexander, in Homiletic Review.

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