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  1925 LECTURESHIPS
  by Abilene1924
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Lectures from the 1925 Abilene Christian College annual lectureship series,
featuring addresses on biblical themes, Christian doctrine, and practical church
life from various speakers in the Churches of Christ tradition.

  Chapters: 20

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS
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    1. Preface
    2. Publisher's Announcement
    3. The Work of Abilene Christian College
    4. What Is Man?
    5. God's Love For The World
    6. The Man of Galilee
    7. Peter Beforw and After Pentecost
    8. The Indestructible Vitality of the Bible
    9. The Grandeur of the Church
   10. The Great Invitation
   11. Exalting The Church
   12. Christian Science or the Science of Christianity
   13. The Church of Tomorrow
   14. God Is Love
   15. Universal Nature of Christianity
   16. Workmen Approved of God
   17. Christ Before The Cross
   18. Christ In His Kingdom
   19. The Christian Warfare
   20. Coming To God

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  CHAPTER 1: PREFACE
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Preface

PREFACE The lectures in this volume were delivered in the auditorium of Abilene
Christian College during the last week of February in 1924 and 1925. Not all of
the lec-tures delivered during these two weeks are given here, some of those
delivering lectures not having responded with their manuscripts. These are given
to the public in the belief that the splendid sermons delivered here ought to be
read by thousands of Christians who did not have the opportunity of hearing
them. Many of those who heard them will desire to read them. May this
contribution to the literature of Christian teaching from the minds of some of
our best and most faithful laborers in the Master’s vineyard be a continued
bless- iiig to all whose lives they touch.

BATSELL BAXTER


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  CHAPTER 2: PUBLISHER'S ANNOUNCEMENT
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Publisher's Announcement PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNCEMENT This volume of Abilene
Christian College Lectures is the fourth and comprises the lectures for February
1924 and 1925. The lectures for 1919 were published in one volume, 1920 and 1921
were combined in one volume, as were also the lectures for 1922 and 1923. By
putting the lectures for two years in one volume, the reader is saved the
expense of an additional book in order to receive the full benefit of these
lectures. That these discourses are of great value is recognized by thousands
who have heard them orally or have read them on the printed page. Such carefully
prepared ad-dresses really and truly merit a permanent place in the literature
of the brotherhood of the churches of Christ. They are filled with expositions
and analyses of much benefit to younger brethren who are entering upon lines of
public service for the church, and they contain instruction on the word of God
that is of much value to those out of the church as well as those in the church.
The four books comprising the Abilene Christian Col-lege Lectures will make a
most valuable addition to all libraries. We are at this time, January, 1926, in
position to furnish complete sets or any volume to complete any broken set that
any of our readers may have. When our present supply is gone, the books will
probably not be reprinted as no plates have been made, and the books will be
scarce. The messages of hope and love contained in this vol-ume will find their
place into the homes of many thou-sands, and it is to be ardently hoped that
they will be read attentively and that they may contribute much to the extension
of the power and kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

G. IT. P. SHOW ALTER. Austin, Texas, January 1, 1926.


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  CHAPTER 3: THE WORK OF ABILENE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
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The Work of Abilene Christian College THE WORK OF ABILENE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

(Speech delivered by President-elect Batsell Baxter during Lecture Week,
February 24, 1924) THE PAST Today my mind goes back to the time, twelve years
ago when Brother and Sister Sewell came over from San Angelo where he had been
preaching and invested their lives in Abilene Christian College. At that time
the college consisted of the academy building over there, and the white cottage.
lie went to work with that fine enthusiasm and great vision which have ever
charac­terized him. She stood by him with her quiet, steady per­severance. Out
of that beginning twelve years brought a new administration building, a splendid
library, well equipped science laboratories, two good dormitories and a first
class four year college with the emphasis on the name Christian.

Connected with them in the work have been numbers of men and women who have
served and sacrificed as teachers that the institution might succeed.

Under the institution with their time, their prayers, and with their money and
financial influence, and their counsel, there has been a board of trustees that
has never wavered in their loyalty and service to the insti­tution. THE FUTURE
Today the institution is on the most stable basis it has ever been. The trustees
have taken over the debt against the school. They have assumed responsibility
for the running expenses of the school.

They have promised that the program of growth and development shall go steadily
forward. Our rating as a first class senior college has been re­newed for next
year. Our faculty for next year is one that has never been surpassed for
strength and capacity for Christian serv­ice and scholarship in any Christian
College. Every man and woman is staying with me for less than he would be paid
somewhere else. Our equipment has be.en inspected and approved by the Department
of Education and by the Association of Texas Colleges. Our diploma is good at
face value anywhere. Our department of Education is given credit for teach­ers’
certificates just as in other first class colleges.

Abilene Christian College faces the future with the assurance bom of twelve
years of uninterrupted service and growth. As I was taking the inspector to the
train a few days ago a hotel man said, “Well, are you going to raise the rating
of Abilene Christian College?” He answered, “No, it already has the highest
rating that it it possible for a college to get. It is a first class senior
college.”

We have a standard four year college. Students who remain one year with us may
get through our depart­ment of Education, a teacher’s certificate. Those who do
two years’ work get a longer certificate. Those who do three years’ work get a
longer certificate yet. Those who do four years ’ work receive a life
certificate to teach school, and also the A. B. degree. That certificate and
that degree are good at face value anywhere. That is not all. When you send your
boy or girl to school you give them up into the hands of the teachers. I want to
tell you how they feel about it: My little boy said, “Mother, how did you teach
school?” She told him, “Well, that is out of style now.” Sometimes he wants to
know about something. If he does not fully understand, the explanation, he says,
“Well, I’ll just ask my teacher, she’ll know all about it.” Growrn boys and
girls feel just about that way. You surrender your boys and girls when you give
them up to the teacher. A teacher can make a mockery of this Holy Book and of
the religion of Christ. Our teachers are all Chris­tians. They reverence the
Lord. They love his holy religion.

If that were all we would have a right to ask your support. It is worth much to
have even an ordinary standard education given by Christian men and women. But
if that were all we would not ask your support. It is not enough for teachers to
provide the example of Christian lives. They must provide definite, positive
Christian teaching. The Bible is God’s Holy Word, is the greatest textbook in
this school, and the teaching of New Testament Christianity is the greatest
obligation of every teacher here. AN IDEAL No work of any kind is worth much
without an ideal. Many of you have read the story of Ernest, in Haw­thorne’s
“Great Stone Pace.” Day after day this man looked at the image carved in the
side of the mountain. As the years passed by he watched for the coming of the
one whose face should look like the image. Slowly and surely his own countenance
was changed into the image of the stone face on the mountain. The Great Teacher
and his apostles have taught you and me to look forward to the coming of the
Lord. We are admonished to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. We
study his character as revealed in the Bible. All of us who trust and follow him
have the promise that we shall be like him when he shall appear. We shall be
transformed into his image. It is the high­est ambition of every teacher'here to
help your boys and girls to grow into the likeness of Christ. THE NECESSIITY FOR
CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS. You don’t always have to pour water on a fire to put it out.
If you can get that fire in a small room or in a house you can put it out with a
fire extinguisher. It simply pours out an atmosphere in which fire will not
—cannot burn. The modern idea of education is not always to throw water on the
fire and fervor of Chris­tian faith. The modern idea is to educate the mind and
iceep out all religious teaching. The very atmosphere provided is one in which
it is difficult for the fires of faith to burn. In too many cases the flame goes
out, and in many others it comes back home flickering. THE TWO SEAS Over in the
Land of Palestine there are two seas. The Dead Sea is a stagnant water with a
skum around its edges. The trees are of a dull drab color, as also are the birds
that live along the shores. There is little of life around it, and nothing to
cheer. Men leave it to its barrenness. It takes in all the water that comes its
way, but it does not give out any. The sea of Galilee, just a few miles north,
on the Jordan river, is a bright and sparkling water. It is surrounded by grassy
meadows dotted with grazing cattle and sheep. Its waters are broken by the swish
of the fisherman’s net, and by the keel of the fisherman’s boat. On its banks
are thrifty villages, with honest industrious people, who get their living from
its waters and from the surrounding fields. It gives all it gets. These two
seat; represent two kinds of lives—the selfish life which gives out nothing, and
the unselfish life which is spent for others. What we give we take with us when
we die; what we keep we lose. REAL DEVOTION For Abilene Christian College to
succeed every teacher, student and friend must do our best. No service is too
big; none too little. The Scripture tells of a woman who anointed the Savior’s
feet. She could not still the howling mob that would take his life. She could
not shame the cowardly governor who signed the order to let him die. But she did
what she could. Our Lord thought enough of that humble effort to have it written
down and told wherever the story of Jesus’ love is brought to men. Our Savior
and his disciples were standing one day in front of the treasury of the temple
of God. The disci­ples watched how much some of the rich cast in. It was all
fine. Each liberal gift helped to swell the treasury. A poor widow cast in two
mites. Jesus said, “She cast in more than they all because she cast in all she
had.” She was not too poor to help. In Sweetwater there lives a crippled man who
is a member of the church. We built a new church there recently. He came one
day. “I want to give you a dollar.” He insisted on doing it. It takes that kind
of loyalty to make any institution succeed.

I tell these things to stir up some of you who have plenty of the world’s goods
and to spare. These hoys of ours have lived in the “Mule Barn” for four years.
Four years ago they gave up Zellner Hall that more girls might come to school
and have a place to stay. With characteristic good humor, they called their new
home the “Mule Barn.” The rest of us called it Emergency Hall. An emergency hall
is supposed to give place in a few months to something permanent. I am ashamed
to face these patient, uncomplaining boys, and call it Emer­gency Hall any
longer. So I just call it the “Mule Barn.”

We have nearly ten thousand dollars in cash on that new dormitory we have talked
so much about. You peo­ple right here before me today could raise that to thirty
thousand and not be hurt. There are twenty men in this audience who could give a
thousand dollars by the first of June, and we could have this building ready for
our boys in September. [Work on this building began the following May. It was
ready in September.] THE INFLUENCE OF SERVICE' I once read the story of Silas
Marner. He toiled day by day. He earned his gold. He lived alone. He saved and
skimped, and skimped and saved. Every night he would count his gold and then put
it back under the brick in the hearth. People avoided him. He cared nothing for
them. His gold formed an accursed bar­rier across which the hand of friendship
could not clasp. It built a wall through which the voice of comradeship and
sympathy could not pass.

One day he came home and his gold was gone. Wreck and ruin stood out before him.
The fruit of years of toil and sacrifice and self-denial had fled in a moment. A
few weeks later, one day a little child knocked at his door for shelter. He
invested his time, his talent, his earnings in that child. Men and women learned
to re­spect and even love him. He became a happy man. I am asking you to invest
some of your money in boys and girls. It will take some of the sadness out of
your life. It will take the hardness out of your heart. It will mellow that
heart and soften it. It will make you have more love for your fellow man and
greater respect for yourself. It will give you a feeling of kinship to boys and
girls. .

It will make you forget the sordidness and selfishness of the world and give you
a vision of service to young and ambitious men and women growing into the wisdom
and favor of God. As I look into your faces this morning I see many furrowed
cheeks. Time and hard usage have placed those furrows there. I see many eyes
that are dim through many long years of anxious watching. I see many heads upon
which the autumn frost has already laid its hand. Over where you live there is a
faithful church, because for years you have fought the battles of the Lord. A
little while and you must say, “The time of my depart­ure has come.” I hope that
you can say, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course, I. have
kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge shall give me at that day, and not to me
only, but also to all them that love his appearing.” Not many miles from Abilene
lived a grand old man in a Christian community. He loved the Lord. They knew it
and we knew it. A few weeks ago the messen­ger came to summon him to the
presence of God. When he knew that the time had come to go, he sang in his
enfeebled voice the lines of that grand old song, “Am I a Soldier of the Cross?”
Then he breathed out his life with scarcely a pain. He loved to come to Abilene
and listen to the songs and prayers and talks of Lecture Week. He liked to sit
and watch our boys and girls. And when they examined his will, those who had
been trusted as his executors found that he had made a gift to Abilene Christian
College that will some day be avail­able to help. I wish we had more men like
Brother Lindsey.

Here in Abilene we are educating boys and girls to take your places. Some of
these boys are preaching the gospel. Other boys will be leaders in your
congrega­tions. The girls will become the leavening influence Christian homes.

TRUE TO THE BOOK One of the most responsible duties on earth is preach­ing the
gospel. The other most responsible duty is living so that our lives will jiot
hinder our preaching. The Lord always wanted his servants to make good
prepar­ation. Moses was filled with zeal for the Lord that amounted almost to a
fury. He went at the work in a whirl of enthusiasm. But the next day saw him
leav­ing Egypt and going out to the desert to go to school. He was already
skilled in all the learning of the Egyp­tians. But the Lord wanted him to know
about God. He kept Moses in school for forty years preparing him to lead the
Lord’s people. In the Old Testament we find the Lord rebuking the education of
the day. He says, “like people like priest.” He said also, “My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge.” What kind of knowledge? Hear him, “There is no
knowledge of God in the land.” (Ilosea 4:1).

Twenty years later Isaiah warned the people that their lack of knowledge would
bring them into captiv­ity. (Isaiah 5:13). At one time the Lord had the schools
of the prophets. These were conducted at Ramah, Bethel, Jericho and Gilgal.
There the young went to school to God’s chosen teachers. It was the prophets
wlio repeat­edly warned Israel of apostasy and turned them back to the law of
the Lord. After the captivity they had the synagogues for teaching the law of
God. Paul was ed­ucated at the feet of Gamaliel in one of these schools. After
the new dispensation we find Paul teaching daily at Ephesus in the school of
Tyrannus. Here was a school that opened its doors to the teaching of the Bible
every day. And here was an inspired apostle taking advant­age of the offer, and
the Holy Spirit endorsing and direct­ing the work. And the Scriptures dominated
the policy of that school. This arrangement continued for two years and Paul
taught the word of God in that school until the heathens stopped the work. But I
want you to notice the results. “All Asia heard the word of the Lord and
believed.” A little further on we are told that “Not a few of them that
practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight
of all. So mightily grew the word of the Lord and prevailed.” (Acts 19:10-19).

Many of you people here, and others all over Texas have grown weary of seeing
your sons and daughters go away from home to increase their capacity for
useful­ness and come back with their love for the Lord and their loyalty to the
truth shattered. You have felt the need of schools where the plea for plain,
simple, positive teaching of the Lord and his apostles would be instilled into
the hearts of boys and girls. Where the worship and service of the early church
would find an example in the practices of the church here. Some of you have
given money that these things might be possible. You have sent your sons and
daughters here that they might have an education and come back to you, not only
wise and learned in the wisdom of the world, but consecrated to the Lord and his
truth. No man has any sort of right to pervert or change in any way the ideals
of truth and love and Christian service that form the foundation on which you
have built this institution. We recognize this obligation to you. A HIGHER
OBLIGATION But I recognize another obligation. There is another reason for our
determination that this institution shall never waver.

More than nineteen hundred years ago our God sent his Son to this earth to bless
humanity. He lived amongr men in the form of a man. His perfect life left to the
generations of earth an example of holiness and un­selfish service. His words
and the words of the Holy Spirit, as revealed in this book, gave us the
wonderfully' sublime system of saving and serving men. He planted this teaching
in the face of the bitter opposition of the religions leaders of that day. He
purified it and sancti­fied it with his blood. His apostles arose to the gall,
“Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” One by one
they died by the hands of men who would not accept the religion of Jesus. They
died telling of his life and death and what it meant to the world.

I want you to go with me to the fourth chapter of Matthew, the first eleven
verses. Just after the Lord’s baptism the record says: (Read Matthew 4:1-11). I
want to illustrate what that means to us. There was an old slave in a Kentucky
home. A visitor asked him, “Don’t you know the slaves.have been freed? You don’t
have to stay here and w'ork.” He said, “I want to.” Then he told of the time
when he was mortgaged. He was put on the block and sold. The bids ran high.
Fin­ally he heard the quiet, firm voice of his master as he raised the bid. The
auctioneer said, * ‘ Sold! ’ ’ That strong young slave leaped from that
platform, and gathering his master into his arms, carried him to a carriage that
was to take him home. “Marsa, I never will leave you.” The master went away into
the other world. The ser­vant took up his abode with one of the children. “I
cannot leave. Marsa bought me back.” The human race was under the curse of
Adam’s trans­gression. Jesus came to buy humanity back. Satan bid bread, pride
and finally the whole world. “As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made
alive.” “The blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” “Ye are not
your own, ye have been bought with a price.” We belong to the Lord. Our work
belongs to the Lord.

I pledge you today that Abilene Christian Collegeshall remain true to the Lord
in the teaching in her classrooms, that this institution shall remain true to
the Lord in the lives of its teachers. Our boys and girls shall know why we
exist as a religious people. They shall be taught what we believe and why we
believe it as Christians, and where the Bible teaches it. That they shall know
what the Lord would have his people do, and why they must do something else. I
want them to be filled with the admonition to “Grow in grace and in the
knowledge of the truth.” To “Study to show themselves approved unto God, workmen
that need not be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth.” I want them to get
the vision and catch the spirit of Him who came to seek and to save the lost. We
don’t want them to seek soft and easy places. We want them to seek opportunities
to serve.


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  CHAPTER 4: WHAT IS MAN?
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What Is Man?

WHAT IS MAN? By W. P. SKAGGS.

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” (Hebrews 2:7). At no time should we
speak with more care than when speaking to the young. This is especially true
when speaking to so many young preachers who will go before the world teaching
the lessons learned here. The great question of what is man should elicit an
interest in every human heart. What is man that God should be so mindful of him?
Why should the Lord be so much more mindful of man than of other objects of his
creation ? Why should man be made the crown of God’s creatures? Or why should
man be given domin­ion over them all? This question may receive different
answers from dif­ferent peoples. Some will tell you that man is by nature a
child of Satan; that he is born under just condemnation to eternal ruin without
defense or excuse I do not at all believe such an idea. Indeed it is so
repugnant to anything that I find in the Bible that I can scarcely treat it with
due courtesy. Just imagine some preacher returning home from a long trip
preach­ing that man is a child of the wicked one and justly condemned to eternal
ruin and his own daughter just budding into womanhood, whose cheeks are tinted
with the bloom of nature more beautiful than the rose-stinted clouds of a
summer’s morning and whose bright eyes resemble the sparkling morning dew,
running to meet him and hearing him say, “A child of the devil born under just
condemnation to eternal ruin.“ No, a thousand times no. Or could you imagine
such a scene as this, a contention between God and satan. Satan is claiming the
souls of men and says to God, “Since man by sin has fallen all mankind are
sinners and be­long to me.” But you hear God make answer, “All souls are mine,
as the soul of the father so also is the soul of the son.” And then tell “which
side of this bat­tle are you daily fighting on?” None of them belong to Satan
and the only ones that he will get are the ones that will not come home to the
Father’s house. For my part, it makes me feel full an inch taller, and I am
de­termined to work harder when I think of what a grand thing it is to be a
child of God. A child of God, what a wonderful thing! A child of the Heavenly
King!

Another will answer this question by saying that man is but a product of some
lower form of life; that he has been produced by what is known as the theory of
evo­lution. I am not discussing the theory of evolution, I shall let thoge more
competent do that. However, I shall not dispute the man’s word who says he has
descended from the monkey, but would kindly suggest that we are no kinsfolk. It
seems that some men will give more time and energy to prove their origin with
the monkey than they will to learn of their divine origin; they would rather be
descendants of the babboon than to be children of God.

After God had finished all the other of his creations he then said, “Let ns make
man in our own image.” Man is in the image of God. An idol may be carved in the
image of man’s body, but not in his complete image. The cold marble statue may
be in the shape of man, but it is not completely in his image. So the monkey,
bab- boon or gorilla may be in the shape of a man but not in his image, neither
are they in the image of God. In the image of God, then, must refer as well to
the inner man as the outer man. I do not know the number of minerals, clays or
sands that go to make this old world. I do not know the number of fishes that
inhabit the seas, I do not know the number of birds that fill the air with
music, neither do I know the number of animals that roam the lands, but this I
do know, that man has domin­ion over them all, and hence is the crown of God’s
cre­ations. The botanist may describe the vegetables that beau­tify this world.
The naturalist may describe and class­ify all the birds of the air and the
fishes of the seas and animals that inhabit the land; the scientist may
specu­late upon the age of the various curiosities of the earth; but who,
without the revelations of Jehovah, can know either the origin, duty, or destiny
of man? Whence came he? That man was created in the image of God is evident from
these Scriptures: Genesis 1:26, “Let us make man in our own image.” Genesis 5:1,
“In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him.” Genesis
9:6, “For in the image of God made he man.” 1 Corinthians 11:7, “For in the
image of God made he man.” James 3:9, “And therewith curse we men who are made
after the likeness of God.” Thus man, being in the mage of God, has been endowed
with intellectual, emotional and volitional powers. It is the inner man which
completes the image and gives to man those great powers. But Mr. Russell says,
“The difference is not because man has a different kind of life from that
pos­sessed by the lower animals—they differ in shape and mental capacity.” (What
Is the Soul, p. 3). But the Bible teaches that the inner man is the spirit or
soul. Paul says, “But though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is
renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16). That this inner man is the soul or
spirit, see Job 14:22, “His soul within him shall mourn,” or Job 38:8, “There is
a spirit m man and the inspirations of the Almighty giveth him understanding.”
(Or Ephesians 3:16). This soul or spirit in man enables him to consider his
past, weigh the present and contemplate future con­duct and decide whether or
rot it is right or wrong. The brute animal cannot do this, they are devoid of
moral responsibilities. Indeed man is the only one of God’s creations that has
the power of self-cultivation. Man alone can improve himself. The bee made as
good honey a thousand years ago a today. The monkey has not improved his
language in a thousand years; the beaver builds no better houses nowr than at
the begin­ning. Man alone makes improvements to better h:s conditions in life.
But back to the inner man. The materialist tells us that the spirit in man is
the breath of life. Mr. Alagruder in his reply to Ingersol says, “The breath of
life, which includes the Spirit of God, permeating in pervad­ing the atmosphere-
it is this spirit which imparts life to man and all animated nature during this
life.” And Mr. Bussell says, “It is the wrind or breath of life, such as is
common to all living animals.” (What Is the Soul, p. 2). That the spirit is not
the breath is proven by one plain denial in the word of God, Job 34:14, “If he
gather unto himself his breath and his spirit.” Thus God makes a distinction
between the breath and the spirit. Or again, that the breath is not the spirit
we may prove by substituting breath for spirit in a few passages, viz., John
4:24, “God is a spirit [breath].” Or Acts 17:9, “Paul’s spirit [breath] was
stirred within him.” Or Romans 8:16, “The spirit [breath] itself beareth witness
with our spirits [breath] that we are the children of God.” Or we may prove that
the spirit is not breath by showing the attribute of spirit: (1) The spirit
knows (1 Corinthians 2:11), (2)The spirit worships (John 4:24), (3)It prays (1
Corinthians 14:14), (4) It sings (1 Corinthians 14:14), (5) It mourns (Job
14:22), (6) It can be saved (1 Corinthians 5:5-6), (7) It lives (Isaiah 38:16).
The spirit or inner man is not the breath but is that eternal something in man
that raises him above the brute creation and enables him to realize his divine
rela­tionship with Jehovah. This spirit came from God to man (Ecclesiastes
3:21), the wise men said, “Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward and
the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” And in Ecclesiastes
12:7 he says, “The dust returneth unto the dust as it was and the spirit
returneth unto God who gave it,” The spirit that came from God is a child of
God, the offspring of God. Paul said, “Seeing then that we are the offspring of
God.” (Acts 17:28), and again in Hebrews 12:9 he says, “We had the fathers of
our flesh who chastened us, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much rather
be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?” We then so joyfully answer
the question of what is man by saying he is a child of God. Jesus taught us to
pray, “Our Father who art in heaven.” And again, “How much more shall your
heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” When God made man
his ehild he gave him dominion over all other created things. (See Genesis 1:26,
Psalms 8:4, 1 Corinthians 15:27, Hebrews 2:8). We see this demonstrated before
our own eyes, even in our few days we have seen man pass from the use of the
grease lamp to the gas or in­candescent light; from the reap hook to the giant
header, from the old fashioned home made loom to the wonderful factories; from
the old ox wagon to the lightning ex­press, automobile and airplane; and from
months to get the news from one state to another to the wireless or radio. Man
has conquered the ocean and in the mighty steamer he plows through the deep to
carry the com­merce of the world, or he may now sink beneath the waves and cross
the ocean beneath its storm in the sub­marine. He has conquered the air and may
fly around the world in the airplane. He has conquered the ele­ments and made
them to carry his news by radio at the rate of about 160,000 miles per second.
God’s word has been verified, and God’s child has dominion over all things.

Even death itself has not been able to annihilate this spirit child of God, for
when man dies his spirit goes on still conscious of its condition. But here
again we must pay some attention to the materialist who teaches that death is a
ceasing to be, a cessation of existence. On page 154, Vol. 1, Mr. Russell says:
“When dead —when not in existence,” and on' page 159 he says, “Death, the
extinction of being.” And Mr. Hall in “Good Times Coming, says, “Death is that
which re­turns man to his original condition.” Now surely if death is a
cessation of being and Christ died, he then ceased to be, and between the cross
and the resurrection there was no Christ, and when on that third morn the grave
was conquered it was another Christ, for that first one had ceased to be. For my
part, I am not favorably impressed with the doctrine that teaches the
annihila­tion of Christ. But is death a ceasing to be? What says the Bible?
First, I would define death as a separation, or a dislocation of some form of
union. In natural death it is the separation between the soul or spirit and the
body. James says, “The body without the spirit is dead.” (James 2:26). That the
soul or spirit goes away in death is proven by these incidents in the Bible: (1)
The death of Rachel (Genesis 35:18), “And it came to pass as her soul was
departing [for she died].” And in the raising of the widow’s son (1 Kings 17:22)
Elijah prayed and said, “0 Lord my God, let this child’s soul come into him
again. And Jehovah hearkened unto the voice of Elijah, and the child’s soul came
into him again and he revived.” And in Luke 8:55 wo have the account of the
raising of Jairus’ daughter. Jesus said to her, “Maid, arise, and her spirit
returned and she arose im­mediately.” This will tell us why David said,
“Prec­ious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” (Psalms
116:15). The soul of the saint has gone home to God, but in death the soul of
the wicked goes hway from God and hence the Bible says (Ezekiel 33:11), “I have
no pleasure in the death of the wicked.” But does man cease to be when the
breath is gone from him? Samuel did not “cease to be,” for he ap­peared to Saul
and talked with him. (1 Samuel 28:8-10). Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:28, that
though man may destroy this life, but he may cut off the head, yet he cannot
touch the soul, the soul will continue with the power of conscious speech even
after the body has been decapi­tated, for in Revelation 6:9 John tells us that
he saw the souls of them that had been beheaded and he heard their cry unto God.
And in Matthew 17:1-6 we have the account of the transfiguration of Christ, and
Moses who had been dead nearly fifteen hundred years came and talked with Jesus.
And in Luke 16:19, both the rich man and Laz­arus were able to talk and be
comforted. No, thank God, death does not'end it all.

Man the child of God, made in the image of the Father and having dominion over
all created things, has conquered the earth and delving down into its bowels he
brings out the gas, oil, minerals or metals needed for his development. He has
conquered the air and may ride upon its bosom and sail around the globe. He has
conquered the ocean and rides upon its waves and car­ries the commerce of the
world, or he may dive beneath the surface and cross from shore to shore. He has
con­quered space and may talk around the world at the rate of about 160,000
miles per second. But he has not the power to conquer death. This Jesus did for
him.

We like the things that we make, e.g., aeroplane, radio, mansions, etc, we like
the things that we make, as Nebuchadnezzer said as he admired his own prowess
and skill, “Is not this great Babylon that I built?” While we like the things we
make, we love our children, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. And so God
cares for all his creatures, as it is said in Psalms 145:9, “Jehovah is good to
all, his tender mercies are over all his works.” God loves his children, though
they have fallen and have gone far away, liis love has followed them, and his
plead­ings have been following them all the time. Jesus has opened the way
across the dark stream; he has made it possible for man to pass over to the
immortal side and dwell at home with God forever. And when we have crossed over
to dwell on the other side may we not join our happy voices in singing this or
some God-given mel­ody of like import:

“All hail the power of Jesus’ name, Let angels prostrate fall.”

Man the child of God! God loves his children. “And beloved, we love God because
he first loved us.”


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  CHAPTER 5: GOD'S LOVE FOR THE WORLD
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God's Love For The World GOD’S LOVE FOR THE WORLD By S. E. TEMPLETON

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). The
title of this subject is not expressed in this text in so many words, but the
same truth is contained in this text. I feel my inability to address you on this
very wonderful subject. I shall make it my aim in this ad­dress to speak
plainly; for I remember that Paul wrote, “So also ye, unless ye utter by the
tongue speech easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for
ye will be speaking into the air.” (1 Corinthians 14:9). I grant yoil that the
primary meaning of Paul’s words is not the same that I am using this passage to
set forth, but the principle I have in mind is in this passage. To my mind John
3:16 covers all of God’s dealings with the human family since the fall in the
Garden of Eden to this present time; and also all of God’s dealings with the
human family yet to be revealed.

“GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD” When did God love the world? God said, “I will put
enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall
bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Gen. 3:15). “Now to Abraham
were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of
many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Now this I say: A
covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred and
thirty years after, doth not disannual, so as to make the promise of no effect.
For if the inherit­ance is of the law, it is no more of promise: out God hath
granted it to Abraham by promise. What then is the law? It was added because of
transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made;
and it was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is
not a mediator of one; but God is one. Is the law then against the prom­ises of
God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could make alive,
verily righteousness would have been of the law. But the Scripture shut all
things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to
them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept in ward under the law,
shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. So that the law is
become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But
now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor.- For ye are all sons of
God, through faith, in Jesus Christ. For as many of you as were baptized into
Christ did put on Christ.’’ (Galatians 3:16-27). From these two passages we
understand that God’s love now under conisderation be­gan in the garden of Eden;
that it was with Abraham in God’s promise to him; that it was ever present in
all of God’s dealings with the children of Israel, especially in God’s love
foreshadowed in all the blood offerings under the law; and through the writings
of the old prophets God’s love is noticeable in that “the seed” (Christ) is”
spoken of so often. And in all the Scriptures following these periods of time we
observe that God’s love is the chief subject even to the very close of the last
book of the New Testament. “So loved” means what? A part of the definition of
the word “so” is, “In such a degree as cannot be well expressed.” Webster). The
human mind is unable to express the degree to which God loved the world. We note
the following as an explanation: “Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom
and the knowl­edge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways
past, tracing out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his
counsellor? or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him
again ? For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him be the
glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36). “The world” means what? It does not
mean the earth, but sinful souls. The following passages will prove the last
statement: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulnes thereof.” (1 Corinthians
10:26). V‘We before laid to the charge of both Jews and Greeks, that they are
all .under sin; as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans
3:9-10). “For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy
upon all.” (Romans 11:32). “For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ
died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: for
peradventure for the good man some one would even dare to die. But God
commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8).

“THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON” How “gave?” In answer we read the
following: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sor­rows; yet we
did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for
our transgres­sions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have
gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovan hath laid on
him the iniquity of all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6). And in the tenth and eleventh verses
of this same ehap- ter of Isaiah we read, “Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him;
lie hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he
shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall
prosper in his hand. He shall sec the travail of his soul, and shall be
satisfied: by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many;
and he shall bear their iniquities.” “And as Moses lifted up the ser­pent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth
may m him have eternal life.” (Jno. 3:14,15). As an explanation of the passage
just quoted ivc read, “And Moses made a ser­pent of brass, and set it upon the
standard: and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, -when he
looked upon the serpent of brass, he lived.” (Numbers 21:9). "Gave his only
begotten Son”? Before I answer this question by God’s Word let me ask you to
drive out of your heart that “false modesty” which sometimes causes people to
think that certain plain statements in God’s word should not be publicly
mentioned. Now” Ave are i'?a||y to read, “Therefore the Lord himself will give
you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call bis
name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14). We read of the fulfillment of this prophecy in
these words, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ Avas on this wise: When his mother
Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with
child of the Holy Spirit.* And Joseph, her husband, be­ing a righteous man, and
not willing to make her a pub­lic example, was minded to put her away privily.
But when he thought on these things behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto
him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee
Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she
shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for it' is he that
shall save his people from their sins. Now all this is come to pass, that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they
shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us.”
(Matthew 1:18-23).

Jesus was not “the son of Joseph as it is falsely taught by some people of this
time. I think we can correctly say that Jesus was Joseph’s son “le­gally.” But
as proof that Jesus was not “the son of Joseph” as is falsely claimed in our
day, I quote the following Scriptures: “And Jesus himself when he began to
teach, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph”
(Luke 3:23). Luke thought it was necessary to put into parenthesis marks the
expression, “as was supposed.” By this he plainly states that Jesus was not the
son of Joseph, but only “supposed” to be. God’s own words in this matter should
be read now. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
(Matt. 17:5). Jesus said he was “the Son of God.” “But Jesus held his peace. And
the high priest said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell
us whether thou art the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said unto him, Thou hast
said.” (Matt. 26:63, 64). “He trusteth in God; let him deliver him now, if he
desireth him; for he said, I am the Son of God.” (Matt. 27:43). When had these
mocking Jews heard Jesus say, “I am the Son of God”? They had heard him say that
when he said, in answer to the high priest who said unto him, “I adjure thee by
the living God, that thou tell us whether thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God.” (Matt. 16:16). John said, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt
among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the
father), full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14). The person who teaches “the son
of Joseph doctrine” as referred to before, is a “liar” and one who denies both
God and Christ. Says one, “Are you not a little drastic in making such a
statement?” In reply I say that I do not want to be any more “drastic” than
God’s word; and that I know that I should speak in love, for Paul wrote, “Let
all that ye do be done in love.” (1 Cor. 16:14). But I tell you that all people
who are in tune with God’s love are ready to accept God’s plain words. I give
the words of God through John to prove my statements. “Who Is the liar but he
that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even he that
denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever deni­eth the Son, the same hath not
the Father: he that con- fesseth the Son hath the Father also” (1 John 2: 22,
23). This false doctrine we are now considering rejects God, Christ, the Holy
Spirit, the apostles, and both the Old and New Testaments; and it will finally
damn the soul that believes and teaches it.

“THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETII ON HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH”

What is the meaning of “whosoever believeth on him”? It is evident that the idea
is that all people who believe on Christ truly will not perish. The fol­lowing
Scriptures so teach: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and
my burden is light. ’ ’ (Matthew 11:28-30). “Now on the last day, the great day
of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst let him come unto
me and drink.” (John 7:37). “Except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in
your sins.” (John 8:24). “But we behold him who hath been made a little lower
than the angels, even Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with
glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for every
man.” (Hebrews 2:9). “Believeth on him” prohibits believing- “on” some other.
Let us under­stand that this is true from these Scriptures: “Go ye into all the
world and preach the gospel to all creation. He that believeth and is baptised
shall be saved, but he that disbelievetli shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16).
“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.”
(Romans 1:16, A. V.). “And in none other is there any salvation: for neither is
there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be
saved.” (Acts 4:12). “Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1). “I have been crucified with
Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life
which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20).

What is the meaning of “should not perish”? The words “should not” carry the
idea of the future. There is confidence expressed in “should not.” This idea of
con­fidence is made stronger by these words of Christ: “All that which the
Father giveth me shall come unto me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out.” (John 6:37). It is very evident that the word “perish” carries the
idea of destruction. Where “perish”? “But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and
abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burn­etii with fire and
brimstone; which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8). How “perish”? Answer:
“With fire and brimstone.” When “perish”? “But when the Son of man shall come in
his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his
glory: and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate
them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats; and
he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.” (Matthew
25:31-33). In verse forty-one of the same chap­ter we read, “Then shall he say
also unto them on his left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal
fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels.” Then in verse forty-six we
read, “And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into
eternal life.” Therefore we seripturally conclude that ungodly souls will
“perish” at the time of Christ’s sec­ond coming. Says one, “Wait a minute. You
have forgotten that Christ will come and receive his kingdom here on earth and
reign over it for a thousand years and then the wicked will he destroyed.’’

It would he hard to “forget” something you cannot know. But let us read a little
more of God’s word, and see what we can learn about Christ “receiving his
kingdom at his second coming.” “But each, in his own order: Christ the first
fruits; then they that are Christ’s, at his com­ing. Then cometh the end, when
he shall “deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have
abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath
put all his enemies under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:23-25). Christ evidently
has the king­dom under his authority now, else how could he “de­liver up the
kingdom to God” at his coming? Also how could he “reign” unless he has a kingdom
now over which to “reign”? But to prove beyond any doubt that Christ has the
kingdom now we read that God “delivered us out-of the power of darkness, and
translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love” (Colossians 1:13). There
is no use to give more proof that Christ has the king­dom under his authority
now, and that he is now reign­ing over the kingdom of God. It is foolish to
argue against these truths from God’s word. So we conclude that the wicked will
“perish” at the time of Christ’s second coming.

“BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE” The word “but” presents the idea of contrast. In­stead
of perishing souls through God’s love have the privilege of obtaining a much
more desirable condition. “Have” denotes that true believers will in the future
actually possess the wonderful, grand, glorious, and de­sirable state mentioned
here.

How may souls obtain “eternal life”? In answer we read that when Jesus had been
made perfect, “he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal
salvation.” (Hebrews 5:9). Now the question arises, how do people “obey him”?
“But thanks be to God, that whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient
from the heart to that form of doc­trine which was delivered you. Being then
made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness.” (Romans 6:17-18, A. Y.
and R. V.). In verses three and four of the same chapter we find just what the
“form of doc­trine” is. “Or are ye ignorant that all who were bap­tized into
Christ Jesus were baptzed into his death? We were buried therefore with him
through baptism in­to death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead
through the glory of the Father, even so we also might walk in newness of
life.'” But the obedience of souls who are to receive “eternal life” does not
stop with obeying “that form of doctrine.” Proof: “For the grace of God hath
appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that,
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we shall live soberly and righteously and
godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the
glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us,
that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for
his own possession, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:11-14). When and where have
“eter­nal life”? When Christ comes to earth again, and in “the world to come,” I
answer. Proof: “But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the
an­gels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: and before him
shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another,
as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats.” (Matthew 25:31-32). Now
verse forty-six of this same chapter states, “And these shall go away into
eternal punish­ment: but the righteous into eternal life.” Words could not be
plainer to prove that “eternal life” will be given to the righteous when Christ
comes back to earth again. But says one, “You overlook the fact that Christ will
come and the righteous dead will be raised ‘first’ to reign for a thousand years
here on this earth with Christ, then the wicked dead will be raised, after which
‘eternal life’ will be given to the righteous.”

Anything that is not an established truth cannot be a fact and there­fore cannot
be “overlooked” because it does not exist as “a fact.” But as proof of this idea
in the question just submitted this passage is given: “For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we that are
alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1
Thessalonians 4:16-17). This passage has been perverted to mean that “the dead
in Christ shall rise first” and reign with Christ a thousand years here on this
earth, and “then” the wicked dead will be raised. This passage does not have
that idea in it. The writer, Paul, no more had that idea in mind when he wrote
it than I have in mind flying to the moon. If the proper emphasis I have placed
on the passage under consideration is no­ticed it will be clear that another
idea besides the false one submitted was in the mind of Paul, the writer.
No­tice the emphasis as I have just now given it. (Reread 1 Thessalonians
4:16-17, noticing the emphasis). But let us no­tice verses thirteen, fourteen
and fifteen which make this matter still clearer: “But we would not have you
ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even
as the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring forth with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that
are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are
fallen asleep.”

Now with the proper em­phasis standing where I have placed it we see that the
thing Paul was teaching was that the righteous living at Christ’s coming will
not-precede the righteous dead, but that the righteous dead will be raised
“first” and “then” the righteous living “shall together with them be caught up
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Instead of this passage proving that
“the dead in Christ” will be raised a thousand years before the wick­ed, and
reign on this earth that long, it flatly denies it by not even suggesting it.
And especially it denies it when read in connection with Matthew 25:31-46. If a
thousand years’ reign is taught in the New Testament (and I have my doubts about
a literal reign with Christ for a thousand years on this earth being taught any-
ivhere in the New Testament), it certainly is not taught by 1 Thessalonians
4:16-17. So “eternal life” will be received by the righteous at the time of
Christ’s coming to earth again. And it will be enjoyed “in the world to come.”
Jesus so states it when he says that many blessings will be bestowed upon his
disciples in this world, “and in the world to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:30).
One more passage of Scripture will be enough on this thought under consideration
now. “ Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have the right
to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
(Revelation 22:14, A. V.). This passage is in the last book in the Bible and in
the last chapter. There­fore I verily believe that John 3:16 covers all of God’s
dealings with the human family since the fall in the Garden of Eden unto the
time when God’s people shall “enter in through the gates into the city.” So now
we understand what God’s love for the world has done, is doing, and iyill do.
How thankful all souls should be that “God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have,
eternal life!” How willing all people should be to obey every command of God
be­cause of his great love! Why not let God’s love, through Jesus Christ, now
draw you to him? What will you do with God’s love? Will you not accept it now?
Do not reject it now, for the Christ is saying to you, just now, “Come unto me.”


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  CHAPTER 6: THE MAN OF GALILEE
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The Man of Galilee THE MAN OF GALILEE By ELMER LEE NICHOLS

Happy is one who is thus privileged to speak. As a former student here, I am
presented by the familiar scenes about this school with a thousand hallowed
mem­ories inviolably dear. At this moment fancy takes wings and flies away to
the frozen seas of the past that led the poet to sing, “Hail, memory, hail in
thy exhaustless mine From age to age unnumber’d treasures shine! Thought and her
shadowy brood thy call obey, And Place and Time are subjected to thy sway!”

Happy now I am to employ the moments of this hour in the presentation of truths
and facts concerning the greatest and most sublime character that ever graced
the court of human action. To serve as an introductory message, your attention
is called to a passage from a prophet who has been called “the most brilliant
and conspicuous star in the splendid constellation of the Hebrew prophets.”
Seven centuries before the Man of Nazareth appeared Isaiah wrote, “For unto us a
child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government^ shall be upon his
shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of
peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to
establish it, and to uphold it with justice and righteous­ness from henceforth
even forever” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Isaiah gave utterances to these words in gloomy days. Hostile neighbors, the
Assyrian menace, wicked and idol­atrous kings, social evils, hollow worship and
limping faith made the atmosphere feverish. The Messianic strain of this passage
is a note of joy yi the dark days of Judah. The Bible has been wrought in
Oriental imag­ery. This is a splendid illustration, namely, “unto us a son is
given.’ ’ The birth of a daughter into the poor and common Oriental homes brings
sadness because the lot and life of girls and women are hard. On the other hand,
the birth of a son brings joy and happiness, ir­respective of the financial and
social status of that home. Happiness and joy are indicated in these words of
Isa­iah, “unto us a son is given.” Indeed ifi is true that Jesus is the only one
who can bring permanent peace, happiness and joy to the human heart. It was he,
who, setting more than one shining star in the sombre sky of life, drove the
circling gloom and shadows from the grave. This illustrious prophet and
statesman has a very unique and striking method of presenting the authority of
the coming Prince of Peace. He again resorts to Ori­ental imagery, “and the
government shall be upon his shoulder.” The bridegroom at a Palestinian wedding
would, in the course of the ceremony, remove the veil from the bride’s face and
throw it across his shoulder. This act indicated that he assumed such authority
to which he, as head of the family, w5s entitled. Hence, the authority of Jesus
was vividly set forth in the dark mists of prophecy. Into his hands the sceptre
was to be placed. His dominions were to be universal even to the remote islands
of the sea. Moving forward as a conquering king in the hearts of millions
holding sway by the supremacy of love, he is said to be “Wonderful, Counsellor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Shall I now ask, How shall
Jesus be classified? The intrepid Luther is classified as a religious reformer.
Mighty Milton and musical Tennyson are placed in the category of poets. The
venerable Harnaek is a theolo­gian. Galileo, Copernicus and Harvey are placed in
the front rank and file of scientists. James is known as a psychologist, and
Bryan as a statesman and orator. Now was Jesus a poet? a king? a statesman? a
naturalist? a historian? a psychologist? In what category shall Jesus be placed?

Jesus is the greatest character of all history. Mr. H.G. Wells, who does not
belong to the circle of his pro­fessed followers, places Jesus as the greatest
of the six foremost characters of history. The story of this sim­ple, unselfish
soul has survived the wrecking of empires, the waning of kingdoms, the crumbling
of marble thrones and the destruction of proud navies and marshalled armies. An
illustrious American once said, “The blood of Jesus doth color the stream of
time.” He is the foun­tain of Christian faith and hope. A halo of glory
en­circles the history of this Man of Galilee who said that lie came to attend
to his Father’s business. Being the greatest of historical characters, he,
therefore, is deserv­ing of a most careful, critical, and discriminating
class­ification.

First, Jesus was not a naturalist in the technical sense. He often drew
illustrations from Nature. His great les­sons of life were drawn from material
at hand. No doubt Jesus saw long caravans of dirty camels laden with bags of
grain or bottles of oil going to or coming from Phoenicia. These useful animals
would be stalking along at a very slow pace one behind another. The long necks
would be stretched forward ready to crop some thistle or thorn that might chance
to be in their path. Jesus saw such caravans wending their way across the plain.
Accordingly, he said, “It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye,
than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24).
Frequently the Master drew illustrations from the treasure-house of Na­ture, but
he did not endeavor to set forth a system of natural or of physical science. If
he had chosen to teach such he would have made no errors. His mission was to
reveal to man that which man could not discover for him­self. If Jesus had
chosen to reveal the secrets of the uni­verse, of which many have been uncovered
by adven­turous men, he would have found himself in a straggle with those who
embraced the ideas of that age. Such a struggle would have been useless to his
mission, would have militated against the better message which he had, and would
have led his enemies to stigmatize him as a pseudo-scientist. His mission was
not to teach science.

Secondly, Jesus was not a teacher of psychology. It is said that Jesus knew what
was in man. His methods of approach were perfect, and his mastery of situations
created by his enemies suggests that he might be called an applied psychologist.
Nevertheless, he did not set forth a system of psychology using technical terms
and empirical methods. The phraseology of modern psychol­ogy had no place in his
teaching. Those were d^irk days of psychology. The development of psychology is
largely modern. Allow me to say that psychology is a very dan­gerous field for
the Christians. The fickleness of psy­chology allows for all kinds of
materialistic speculation and idle theories laden with rationalistic philosophy
and the evolutionary hoax. Jesus’ mission was not to teach a system of
psychology.

Thirdly, Jesus was not a writer. The Scriptures state that he once wrote in the
sands. Some of his enemies brought a scarlet woman into his presence. Primarily,
they sought a charge against the Man of Galilee. On this occasion when the
conceited and haughty religious leaders cried for human blood he stooped and
wrote in the sands as if he were entirely oblivious of their pres­ence. Perhaps
a stroke of the hand or a gust of wind erased that which he wrote. Figuratively,
“he left footprints in the sands of time.” This is the only account of his
writing, and what he wrote no one is prepared to say. There is no hint that
Jesus ever prepared a poem. Hence, he must not be placed in the category of
poets. He wrote neither a history nor a poem. There is not even a slight
suggestion that he prepared or sketched the Mountain Sermon before he delivered
it. The Man of Galilee prepared and presented to the world no written code of
laws: he left no written material. This fact is unique among founders of
religions. The task of writing was given to others who performed it faithfully
after his earthly career was ended.

Apparently, Jesus did not make political economy a study. The atmosphere in
which Jesus lived was sur­charged with nationalism. Greek pride, Jewish
exclu­siveness and Roman avarice disputed the progress of the Master, but he
allowed no quarters for pride, narrow­ness, prejudice, cruelty and hatred. He
had neither penny nor sword nor pen to accomplish his mission. Human diplomacy
and intrigue were not employed to overthrow the fortress of sin. Jesus did not
marshal an army and map out gigantic military enterprises be­cause it was not
his method to employ physical force nor to truckle to lower tastes.

He made some slight references to historical facts of a political character but
gave no vent to political feel­ings. The nearest that Jesus came giving a lesson
on nationalism was upon the topic of paying taxes. Then he was merely teaching
the Jews that loyalty to the Roman emperor did not necessarily conflict with
their duty to God, and teaching the Romans also that their allegiance to the
Roman officials should not interfere with their moral and religious obligations
to God. Only a divine man could have escaped the pitfalls that pride, prejudice
and politics planted in his path. If the infidel argues that religious
enthusiasts only painted him that Avay, a Chris­tian may reply that it would be
a greater miracle for writers like those of the New Testament to paint him free
of the petty sins of that age than for him to have really lived as the writers
indicated. In a word, Jesus- did not enter into the political struggles of his
day.

Negatively, Jesus was neither a naturalist, nor teacher of psychology, nor a
writer, nor a teacher of national­ism. Who, then, is this mighty Man of Galilee
that breaks through the shell of rationalistic theology and stands when stripped
of human theories as the Son of God? First, Jesus was a teacher of man’s
relation to God. He spoke of prayer, judgment, forgiveness, obedi­ence and other
topics which deal with man’s relation to the Father. The Master, who was in a
peculiar way the Son of God, taught that the highest reach of human en­deavor is
sonship to God. Secondly, he was a moral re­former. He endeavored to adjust the
social relations of man. This he did, not by changing environment as some
superficial and artificial reformers have attempted, but by demanding a change
of the heart of the individual. By teaching lofty principles he purposed to
influence future generations. He spoke the final word on ethics. His life
constitutes the highest court of appeal for the noblest virtues or loftiest
ideals. Feeding the golden lamps of love, he said, “Go, sin no more.” Thank God
for such a Savior! He is the heart-broken Shepherd that invades the bleak
mountains, crowned with frowning citadels of sin, to bring home the lonesome,
lost lamb to the Father’s fold! This two-fold character of his work is pointed
out when he asserted that the two greatest commandments are to love God
unreservedly and to love humanity unselfishly. As a religious teacher and moral
reformer Jesus has neither peer nor rival. “And the government shall be upon his
shoulder.” Therein resides his authority. Jesus was not a religious genius as a
few have insisted because from his authority there is no appeal. Genius has
limit, but Jesus’ authority reaches to heaven.

Jesus organized those who submitted to his authority into a fraternal and
spiritual institution which is called the church or kingdom. Jesus expected that
this body should be a great association of souls bound together by a common
salvation and a common hope. How perverted has been his plan! Jesus’ ideal was
that his disciples might be one body to carry on his work without strife or
schisms. The work is boundless having neither racial lines nor geographical
boundaries.

“And his name shall be called Prince of Peace.”

One evening as the sun glowed from the depths of the far, far "West, our Master
and a group of his students launched out upon the bosom of the Sea of Galilee
with the intention of going to the opposite shore. Jesus had been busy during
the hours of the day. The multitude, eager to hear the wonderful words that fell
from his lips and to share in the miracles which he wrought, had surged about
him so that he had been accused by his inveterate enemies of being in league
with Beelzebub, that is, the “lord of flies,” one of the gods of the
Philis­tines; he had refuted their allegations; and in addition to this, had
spent no small amount of time in teaching in parables. Accordingly, weary with
the day’s work he fell asleep in the stern of the boat on a cushion that was
regularly a parcel of the furniture of the ship. The Sea of Galilee is
surrounded by frowning hills through which deep gorges have cut themselves.
Squalls may sweep down upon this beautiful, though small, sea, through these
gapping canyons. Upon this occasion at hand one of those terrible squalls struck
the sea. The winds howled and the waters roared. The little ship was now riding
the crest of a wave; now it was wallowing in a watery bed. Wreck at sea seemed
certain. Eager and fright­ened disciples, who had formed a personal attachment
for the Master, awoke him and asked, “Master, carcst thou not that we perish?”
He arose and rebuked the wild wind, and said to the mad sea, “Peace, be still.”
The wild blast died away with a moan and the surging waters subside with a
murmur, and there was peace! “His name shall be called Prince of Peace.”

I presume that there must be enchantment in distance. Moreover, there is a charm
about the hills of Galilee. Once when the day’s work was ended the Master
with­drew into a lonely place to pray. If I could I would like to be transported
for several moments to the place and time where and when he prayed, so that I
might lurk in the shadow of some overhanging cliff or crag to hear the prayer to
the Father, and see him, now filled with heav­en’s fire, arise and make his way
to the surface of the Sea where the heroic band of students was encountering
great difficulty in going against the wind. Darkness hov­ered over the waters.
Perhaps a flickering light from Bethsaida could be seen in the far distance.
Leaving the recesses of the mountains, he walked upon the water and would have
passed them by if they, thinking that he was a ghost, had not cried out. Jesus
said to them, “Be of good cheer; it is I,, be not afraid.”

Fierce was the wild billow; Dark was the night; Oars labored heavily; Foam
glimmered white; Mourners humbled, Peril was nigh; Then said the Son of God,
“Peace! It is I!” Ridge of the mountain wave, Lower the crest! Wail of Euchydon,
Be thou at rest! Peril can none be, Sorrow must fly, When saitli the Light of
light, “Peace! It is I!” Jesus Deliverer! Come thou to me; Soothe thou my
voyaging

Over life’s sea! Thou, when the storm of death Roars, sweeping by, Whispering, 0
Truth of Truth! “Peace! It is I!” Jesus set forth two principles which would
bring uni­versal peace provided they were faithfully observed. First, Jesus
insisted that there is an inestimable value on human life. This is a fundamental
conception of society. Sin is destructive to human life, and is, therefore, made
plain and horrible in the life of this doctrine. Secondly, Jesus saw humanity as
a universal brotherhood calling for mutual aid. This teaching was quite shocking
to the haughty pride of the narrow Jew. The whole career of the Master is a
living monument to these two principles. The account of the shepherd going after
the lost sheep, the woman searching for the lost coin, the father yearn­ing for
the return of the prodigal, the sympathetic Sa­maritan caring for the
unfortunate victim who fell among the robbers on the road to Jericho, all
illustrate the value of human life. Jesus saw wonderful possibilities in Peter,
in the Syro-Phoenician woman, in Mary Magdalene, in the Roman soldier, in the
common people. He performed miracles, not primarily to display his power as the
Son of God, but to help humanity because human life, both phys­ical and
spiritual, is worth saying. He refused to jump from the pinnacle of the temple
or to come down from the- cross because either would have been an unnecessary
dis­play of his power. He never worked a miracle to satisfy idle curiosity. He
refused to give his enemies a sign from heaven or to work a miracle in Herod’s
presence. The inspired records say that he was moved with compassion. The Master
gave special attention to the healing of physical ailments because that which
corrupts or mars physical life is an enemy to complete spiritual growth, and
destroys the powers of human life. The legalists often censured Jesus because he
healed the infirmities of men on the Sabbath. To this adverse criticism he
re­plied with the biting and convincing question, ‘‘Is man worth more than a
sheep?” Again, “What shall a man give in exchange for his life?” (Matthew
16:26.) Students of the Bible have not always recognized this principle. The
old, but almost discarded, doctrine of election, over­looked this principle.

Let us turn to a present day application. If Jesus were on earth today in
person, as in Palestine two thous­and years ago, would he have approved of
present con­ditions. It is scarcely believable that he would make an immediate
attack on institutional evils because he did not make an immediate attack on
slavery which was woven into the warp and woof of society, though he taught
general principles that undermined the foundation of such a society. It is
evident, however, that slavery, liquor traffic legalized or otherwise, white
slave trade, peddling of dope, war, and all other relationships of life and
conditions of society, which subordinate a group of God’s creatures in order to
lavish pleasure and profit upon a few are vicious enemies of the doctrine of the
high value of human life. Further, Jesus encouraged economic effort and
recognized the reward of individual merit, but an industrial system, w age or
otherwise, that impover­ishes the many for the enrichment of a few is hostile to
this doctrine. This principle does not call upon God’s people to desert the
w'age system and seek another indus­trial system, but this doctrine does call
upon God’s peopie to correct the un-Christian aspects of the present sys­tem.
First of all, Christians must engage in missionary projects because human life
is valuable. In addition to this, as far as possible the whole of human society
should be shot through and through with Christian principles.

What of the brotherhood of men? Did Jesus love all men regardless of their
allegiance to him? Christians are a brotherhood in a unique way. Jesus, in an
effort to enroll men as his disciples, overstepped all racial lines, and
associated with sinners in an earnest effort to help them. Aristocracy received
a severe blow when he de­nounced the man who desired to be called Rabbi (Matthew
23:8). The Master made the hospitable Samaritan the hero of the story of the man
who fell among robbers on the Jericho road. Unselfish love of humanity is the
sol­vent of the many evils that vex and perplex us today. This unfaltering love
of all men consists in service to their physical and spiritual needs. If the
entire world could be brought to the view that Jesus had, namely, that all men
are brothers since they have both a common Cre­ator and an offer of a common
salvation, then internation­al conflicts, industrial strife, social upheavals
and politi­cal malice would be largely, if not altogether, eliminated. I am
tempted to venture the statement that such a con­ception would be a great stride
toward the destruction of denominationalism and sectarianism. This story is said
to have occurred in an East Texas town of average size. There was a certain poor
widow who had two small children. Little Mary was a tot of eight years; she had
baby blue eyes and beautiful golden locks. Little John was smaller—just six
years old. He had dimpled chin and cheeks, dark flashing eyes and jet black
hair. One day poor mamma became ill. There was scarcely enough food to sustain
their poor bodies and sufficient clothes to keep them warm. The fuel was about
gone. Poor mamma had no medicine. She was hes­itant to call a physician when she
could make no promise to pay for his services. She sent these two little
children to the barn in the rear to gather up the eggs. Having done this, they
went forth in the bitter cold to sell the eggs. Door after door was slammed in
their cold faces with the statement, “No! we need no eggs today/’ Sud­denly
there was a sharp rap at the door of a woman who had a little property. When she
opened the door a gust of wind swept the snow in at the door. She invited these
forsaken, forgotten, foraging waifs into a warm room. She warmed them, fed them,
phoned the grocery, coal yard, doctor, druggist, and merchants to care for these
unfortunates at her expense. She then removed the eggs from the basket and
filled it with palatable foods and said “Go back and care for poor mamma; if you
need more help, let me know and I shall help again, if necessary my personal
attendance at the bedside of poor mamma can be had.” Little Mary and John passed
through the front door. The bitter north wind swept the snow into the room
again. They turned around in the doorway. The good; lady planted a kiss on the
brow of those whose hearts she had cheered for life’s fitful fever. Little Mary
looked up into the face of that good woman and with a twinkle in her baby blue
eyes said, “Are you God’s wife? Mamma has been telling us how good God is, and
you are the bestest woman. Are you God’s wife?” The good woman smiled and said,
“No, I am not God’s wife, but I am one of his children.” The woman had learned
the lesson from Jesus.

Jesus saw the men of Palestine carrying heavy burdens on tlieir shoulders and on
their backs. Their hacks and shoulders were protected by a padded jacket similar
to the leathern jackets worn by the icemen of our cities. When these who
performed the laborious tasks of life became weary they would call and one of
their fellow- laborers would come and life the burdens from their backs in order
to give them rest. Those who wore the yokes, the jackets, were common people. By
the religious leaders they were considered to be the scum of the earth. A pious
Pharisee or a learned scribe dared not associate with those who labored from the
gray of dawn to the encircling gloom of twilight. Jesus, who “walked with
kings,” but who did not “lose the common touch,” saw that their “lives were made
bitter” and that their souls were stained and sorrowed by sin. Accordingly,
using the figure of carrying burdens with yokes and plac­ing himself in the same
despised caste, he said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek
and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy,
and my. bur­den is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Today Jesus looks upon the rural districts where hon­est men labor from the
first fire of sunrise to the soft setting sun in order to solve the
meat-and-bread problem. He sees these swarthy men as they employ brain and brawn
in order to earn a livelihood. Food for family and clothing for children are
provided only by the sweat of the brow—“in tears and in blood.” No blast is too
cold nor .a day too sunny or sultry that they will not labor to provide the
simple necessities of life. They have tired bodies, aching hearts, disappointed
lives, blasted hopes, blighted characters, narrow vision, selfish purposes. To
them life is a struggle, and perhaps death a defeat. Jesus loves these men. He
says, “Come and I will give you rest.’’ Sweet rest! “And his name shall be
called Prince of Peace.’’

Jesus sees the land barons with their sweeping acres of cotton, their waving
fields of grain, their grazing herds on the hills, their spouting oil wells.
They are tearing down their old barns to build newer, more commodious buildings.
Automobiles, assuming the proportions of Pullman cars, carry these lords hither
and thither. Richer than kings and living in more luxury than feudal lords
centuries ago, these idle rich, like the rich egotist, are saying, “Soul, take
thine ease.” They are as greedy and as grasping as those whom Amos characterized
as so avaricious that they “pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the
poor.” Covetousness, like a loathe- some disease, will not abate with old age.
All the wealth of Croesus could not make happy those whose hearts are fired with
lust for gold. To such Jesus says, “Come and ye shall find rest unto your
souls.” Isaiah said, “And his name shall be called Prince of Peace. And of the
increase of peace there shall he no end.”

Today Jesus looks upon the cities teeming with thou­sands that “know not God.”.
He hears the hum and the drum of the factories and the monotonous clank of
traffic. In the poor districts the meat-and-bread problems loom up. Lives are
fed to the greedy mills of commerce. Hearts are crushed and characters are
blighted by the ravages of sin. Very little sunshine comes into the huts and
hovels of those whose lives “are made bitter,” and very little sunshine of
happiness finds lodgment in their hearts. There is not a star of hope in the sky
of life. They have never seen the rainbow of hope. They have never kindled the
fires of Christianity on the altar of their hearts. To those who are bowed down
by the loads of sin, Jesus says, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Jesus sees the teeming millions of the city as they rush madly after profit and
pleasure. Behold the ava­rice like a Sphinx! “Hate ranges hot from hell and
plants her burning feet on every brow.” The idle rich build smoking factories
and roaring furnaces. The pa­latial mansions are built from the blood and tears
of the downtrodden. The idle rich make a struggle for hap­piness but death
defeats all. Happiness is sought, harm is done, and help is needed. Sorrow is
found and woe comes. Joy and rest are found in Jesus only.

Augustine, in his classical “Confessions,” penned these words, “Thou hast formed
us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee.”

“And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace,” said Isaiah. We have entered the field of Biology and
studied the range of that science intensely. Scientists insist that it is
possible to detect the difference between a hound dog and a bird dog by the
examination of the blood. But, how we have neglected the blood of Jesus! Every
animal, ancient and modern, is subjected to a critical study in the field of
science. I ask, Are we familiar with the text-book about the Lamb of God? Are we
more in­terested in questionable pre-historic animals than we are in the Lion of
the tribe of Judah? The field of as­tronomy has been carefully explored. Stars,
sun and moon are carefully examined by means of gigantic tele­scopes. Shine on,
O Star of Bethlehem! Shine upon us, O Sun of Righteousness! Historians have been
to eager to talk of an imaginary Paleolithic or Neolithic age and not eager
enough to study the Man of Galilee. Men have been interested too much in the
dynamos that move the spindles of industry and the wheels of commerce, and not
enough in God’s dynamo, the gospel, the power to save. Adventurous men have
invaded the field of psy­chology and have spoken much about the mind of man, but
the big problem is to learn and obey the Mind of the Lord. Botany, another field
of science, classifies 80,000 or more different kinds of seed. With plants the
micro­scope is no less powerful than the telescope is with the planets. The Rose
of Sharon or the Lily of the Valley “is the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.”
History records the failures of kings of all ages as well as telling of their
achievements, but I declare that the Prince of Peace is a universal king moving
forward as conqueror and to conquer. Geology studies rocks, sands and clay. The
rocks of Mother Earth may crumble to dust, but the ”stone that was made the head
of the corner” shall never fail. The Rock of Ages stands, “As some, tall cliff,
that lifts its awful form, Swell from the vale, and midway leaves the storm;
Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread, Eternal Sunshine settles
on its head.”


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 7: PETER BEFORW AND AFTER PENTECOST
========================================================================

Peter Beforw and After Pentecost PETER, BEFORE AND AFTER PENTECOST By JOHN C.
TAYLOR.

It is recorded in the fifth chapter of Lnke that Jesus came down by the Sea of
Galilee, which is also called Tiberius and Gennesaret, and there were some
fisherman who had left their vessels and were washing their nets.

Jesus entered into a ship belonging to Simon Peter and prayed him to thrust out
a little from the land; and when He had sat down, He spoke to the multitude that
stood upon the shore. The record says when He had left speak­ing, He said to
Simon: ‘‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught.” Peter
said unto Him: “Master, we have toiled all night, and have nothing; nevertheless
at Thy word I will let down the net." They let down the net where they had
fished all night and had met with nothing but failure, and were able to get so
many fish their nets were breaking; they hailed their companions telling them to
come to their assistance. Now just here I am made to think of the disposition
that should characterize the people of God. Here is a man who had fished all
night, and considered himself an ex­pert fisherman too, but he had failed to
catch anything at all; in the early morning there came along a charac­ter with
whom he had probably a passing acquaintance, Jesus Christ, who said, “Let down
your net,” and Simon was willing to lot down his net and try again
notwith­standing the failure that had attended his efforts.

If you have tried a thing an hundred times on your own initiative and met with
failure each time, then you find the Bible, the Word of God Himself, commands
you to do that, if you go in obedience to that Word of God, He who was able to
cause these characters to meet suc­cess where they had failed before, will cause
success to attend your efforts. When Simon Peter saw the great draught of
fishes, he fell down at Jesus’ knees and said, “Depart from me; for I am a
sinful man, 0, Lord!” Jesus said unto him: “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt
catch men.” From that day on for three years Simon Peter anchored his hope in
the Son of God and believed in his heart that He was the Christ of whom the
prophets had spoken and of whom the psalmists had sung. During these three years
he walked with Christ and saw Him do many mighty works. I want you to remember
the things which were characteristic of the night preceding the morning when
Jesus called Simon—they had fished all night on the Sea of Galilee and had
caught nothing; Jesus, early in the morning after that toilsome night, came down
the coast and told them to try again; they did so and met with success. After
this Christ was able to induce them to become His followers and learn the
lessons He had come to teach the human family.

Three years passed by and Jesus the Christ attracted so much attention by the
signs and wonders wrought by Him that all the powers of earth and hell became
alarmed and the hosts of evil gathered desired to have you, that he may sift you
as wheat; But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art
con­verted, strengthen thy brethren.” Simon answered, Lord, I am ready to go
with Thee, both into prison, and to death.” Christ said, “I tell thee, Peter,
the cock shall not crow this day, before thou shalt thrice deny that thou
knowest me.” In other words Peter simply meant—“Master, when they come and
arrest you, carry you off to prison and put you in the cell; when they close the
doors and lock them, I will be with you; I will be with you when that Roman army
comes, if it does, and lays hands on you to lead you away; I will follow you on
to the cross—I will go with you into the prison-house of death.” This is Peter’s
attitude, and I believe he meant every word when he an­nounced his intention
there.

But, did his faith fail? It did. Now, some one has asked: Well, when the Master
prayed for Simon was his prayer answered? He said, “I have prayed for thee that
thy faith fail not.” Then the question is, Did his faith fail? And for me to ask
that question is to answer it in the mind of every Bible reading character.
Then, was Christ’s prayer answered? No. But bear in mind the reason it was not
answered was not because it was not a good prayer, for it was; it was not
because God was not willing to answer, for He was. Why then was it not answered?
This is the reason: Before whom the prayer was made failed to meet the implied
requirements.

Just because a good man prays for one is not proof that the petition will be
answered. Christians are commanded to pray for sinners, and God is anxious to
answer; but He will not save sinners until they meet the terms of pardon. Paul,
in Romans 10, prayed, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer for Israel is,
that they might be saved.” Has that been answered? Go to Israel today as it
stands in open rebellion against God, see them as they still reject Christ, and
ask yourselves the question. It will not be answered- until they return and
accept Christ. Jesus prayed (John 17:20) : “Neither pray I for these alone, but
for them also which shall believe on me through their words; That they all may
be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in TUee, that they also may be one in
us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” Has that been answered?
Or rather is it answered today? Let me suggest that it was a wonder­ful prayer;
it was well prayed, and God is anxious to answer; but those characters for whom
it was made have not, and are not, meeting the conditions which will bring about
an answer.

So, when Jesus prayed for Simon the reason that prayer was not answered is,
Simon failed to meet the implied requirements.

"When Christ had made this statement to the Apostle He turned away and went to
the Garden. After His prayer there, He came back to His disciples and then a
great company came, a multitude, the Bible says, and they had swords and staves.
How many are in the company with Peter? Only twelve, including their lead­er,
for be it remembered that Judas at this time had de­serted. When this company
came Simon Peter gave evi­dence of his loyalty to Christ in no uncertain way.
There were only two swords; and Simon drew one of them and made an attack,
cutting off the ear of the servant of the High Priest. You know if you credit
this man with com­mon sense and sagacity, he was bound to know that with only
two swords in his company, and only twelve men in their number they could not
run a successful attack on the enemy which was multitudinous and with swords and
staves many.

Why was he willing to make an attack under such conditions? It was his loyalty
to Christ. And, too, he had seen the Lord change water into wine; had heard the
voice of God say, “This is My son;” had seen Christ upon the sea when the Storm
King was raging, and had heard Him speak a word which caused the storm to cease
and the ship to be rocked to sleep on a quiet sea. No doubt, he thought, He,
whom I have seen perform mira­cles, will work another and determine the victory
in our behalf. When the Lord healed the servant’s ear and told Simon to put up
his sword, the multitude led Him away— Peter followed afar off.

They carried Him first to Annas, then to Caiaphas, then to Pontius. Pilate, then
to Herod, and to Pilate again. It is in the house of Caiaphas, however, that
Peter makes his denial. Pie took his seat among those who were the enemies of
the Son of God. These are some of the mis­takes made by Simon: He walked afar
off; he stood in the way of sinners; he satin the seat of the scornful. David
said in Psalms 1, “Blessed is the man that walk- eth not in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the
scornful.” Simon violated every principle there announced. No one can remain
among those who are scornful of the religion of Christ and not lift a voice in
His behalf without becoming a victim of sin. Simon violated every principle
announced by David.

After a while a maid sees Simon and says, “This man was also with him.” And he
said, “'Woman, I know Him not.” After a while, another saw him and said, “Thou
art also of them.” Simon said, “Man, I am not.” After about an hour another
confidently affirmed, “Of a truth this follow’" also was with Him; for he is a
Galileean.” Simon said, “Man, I know not what thou sayest.” While he yet spake
the cock crew, and Simon, remembered the words of the, Lord, Jesus turned and
looked at Simon and Simon turned and looked at him. In this last denial Peter
began to curse and swear, then went out and wept bitterly. Am I going to
criticize him severely? God forbid. Instead of being an objection of criticism,
he is one entitled to pity; for he knew not what to do. He went out and Avept
because of what he had done. It may be you have done thmgs in your life for
Which you afterwards hated your­self. They led his Lord aw av to Calvary .and
nailed Him to the Cross ; they placed it in its resting place and left Him
there.

I want to ask and answer some questions: What was it that caused the Jews to
reject Christ? Why was it that the world at large did not appreciate Him?

There were some things characteristic of the human family which caused them to
fail to value the greatest teacher the world had ever known. What were they? The
were not looking for the Christ who came; they were expecting some man to come
with shield of brass and a sword of steel ; flay the enemy, release them from
their bondage to the Reman world, and reestablish the temporal throne of David.
They were asking, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to
Isra­el?” (Acts 1:6).

Christ did not come that way, nor for that purpose. Instead of having a shield
of brass, he preached the shield of faith; instead of having a sword of steel,
he used the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The men of that
generation had a perverted idea regarding true greatness. They thought the man
who could draw his sword, command his army, lead them from conquest to victory
and from victory to victory in carnal warfare until he became the monarch of the
world was really the greatest man. That was why Philip of Macedon was considered
a great man; he filled the measure of their conception of greatness; Alexander
the Great did like­wise ; and when the Caesars came and caused the earth to
tremble beneath their war-like tread, they too fulfilled the conception of
greatness—of the perverted idea re­garding greatness—at that time. Christ was
rejected because he did not come up to their expectations. But where, now, is
Philip? Where is Alexander? Where are the Caesars? They are cold and lifeless
clay, stand­ing upon their crumbling pedestals in the silent halls of history.
But where is Jesus? He lives and reigns in glory, and in millions of human
hearts who are glad to own Him as Lord. When the world hungers and thirsts after
righteousness, Christ will come into His own; and when men realize what true
greatness is, Christ will be­come their Hero of the Ages. When they crucified
Christ and laid him in his tomb, Peter and the other disciples knew not what to
do. Three days and nights passed, and at the end, early in the morning—the First
Day of the week—a woman brought the news that He was not in the tomb. Peter and
John go to the sepulchre and find the message true. Peter went into the grave
first; then the record says, went in John also, “and he saw, and believed.” For
as yet, they knew not the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead”
(John 20:8-9). From this we see they did not believe, for they did not
understand that He must rise from the dead.

After his resurrection He is seen by them twice, but does not disclose anything
concerning His purpose. One day Peter said, “I go a fishing,” others say, “we
also go with thee.” This time they fished all night and caught nothing. They
were on the same sea where Jesus found them three years before and called them
to the ministry. They toiled all night again and caught nothing. In the early
morning through the mists that were lingering, not yet dispelled by the rays of
the rising sun, they saw some one coming down the coast, avIio stopped on the
shore and cried to them, saying, “Children, do you have any meat? They answered
Him, No. And He said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and
ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for
the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved, said unto
Peter. It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard it was the Lord, lie girt his
fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.”
How similar this night to the one immediately preceding their call to the
ministry three years before. When Simon came to shore, he found a fire kindled
and fish laid there­on, and bread. Jesus said unto them “Come and dine.” They
sat down and ate.

Think of the difference in the environments here and those in which Peter had
found himself a few days before. Back yonder in the house of Caiaphas he sat
among the enemies of Christ and warmed at a fire kin­dled by the hands of wicked
men. Here he sits down with Jesus and warms at a fire kindled by the hands of
his Master. When they have eaten Jesus says to Simon, “Simon, son of Jonas,
lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea Lord; thou knowest that I
love thee. He saith unto Him, Feed My lambs. This ques­tion is asked three times
as though the Lord would re­mind him, “You denied me thrice.” Being seen of them
forty days and nights after His resurrection, and speaking with them concerning
the kingdom of God, He led them out to the Mount from which He ascended, and
after telling them to tarry in Jerusalem till power came from on high, he
ascends to Glory. They went went back into the city and there remained until the
day of Pentecost came. On that day the promised Spirit descended. But says one,
“The promised spirit did not come. These men just misrep­resented the facts.
Christ does not live.” Well, if that be true, what do we have? We have men fifty
days after the death of Christ—not in some far-off country like Galilee where
most of his mighty works were done, where they might the more easily obtain a
following; but in Jerusalem—within a stone’s throw of his grave, and almost in
the shadow of the cross on which he died —telling those who killed him that God
had raised him from the dead. Some said, “These men are drunk;” but Peter,
standing up with the eleven, preached a ser­mon which made them realize that it
was the mighty work of God. What was the effect of what he said? He told them
that the one whom they had killed had been raised from the dead. Did they go to
the grave, 0 Sun of Righteousness! Historians have been too eager find the body
of Christ and bring it as proof that he was dead? They did not. Why did they
not? They could not. Why could they not? He was not there, he was risen. They
are made to believe that Jesus is the Christ, and want to know what to do to be
saved from sin. Could the attitude and sermon of this obscure man have been such
as to produce this effect had he been unaided by divine power? We know they
could not.

“But,” says one, “I do not believe the things which are said to be
characteristic of that day ever took place.” Well, if not, how do you account
for the fact that we have that sermon? Christianity is in the world. That is a
fact. How did it get here? When Christ died he left no influential men in the
world to take up and carry on his work. If Christ is still dead, and Peter did
not have the Holy Spirit and never preached a ser­mon on Pentecost, how do you
account for the rise and progress of Christianity? What mighty power enabled it
to live when Jewish hate and Roman authority bade it die? Little did Rome
realize that she had met a cause which would spread its influence to lands where
the name of Rome at that time was unknown. It was Peter who stood over the grave
of this seemingly lost cause and bade it come forth and begin its glorious march
through the ages. The world can never go back to what it was before the
Pentecost when Peter an­nounced the great message of life and salvation which
had its beginning there. While the miracles of that day are not seen now, yet
its message is still ringing down the halls of time.

“The outward hath gone, but glory and power, The Spirit surviveth the things of
the hour; Unchanged, undecaying, this Pentecost flame On the heart’s secret
altar is burning the same.”

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer and saw
a poor man at the gate who asked alms of those who entered. He asked an aim of
them. Peter said, “I do not have any silver or gold; but I will give you such as
I have,” and he healed him. The man went leaping and bounding through the
tem­ple, praising God. The people knew the man and were filled with wonder and
amazement at what was done. When Peter saw their wonder he preached a sermon in
which he tells them again that they have denied the Son of God, and calls upon
them to repent. When the priests and captains of the temple heard of it they
came together, being grieved that they taught the peo­ple. When they demanded an
explanation, Peter said: “Ye rulers of the people, and elder's of Israel, if we
this day be examined of the good, deed done to the impo­tent man, by what means
he is made whole; be it known to you all, and all the people of Israel, that by
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from
the dead, even by him doth this man stand before you whole” (Acts 4:9-10). In
his letter to those who had obtained like precious faith with him, he said: “For
we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his
majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16). He says it is not a fable. Christ had told him in the
21st chapter of John how and by what death he should glorify God. Peter
remembered that and in this connection said: “Yea, I think it meet, as long as I
am in this tab­ernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing
that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ
has showed me” (2 Peter 1:14).

Between the day that Peter denied the Lord and the day of Pentecost and the
sermon of Acts 3, 4, some wonderful change had come over him. On the one
oc­casion we see him trembling for his life in the presence of those who had his
Master arrested; and, on the other we see him walking the mountain ranges of
moral power and displaying a sublime courage before which the robed and mitred
power of the temple stood silent. This change is accounted for by the fact that
he had been “begotten again to a lively hope by the resurrec­tion of Jesus
Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3). He was now filled with the Holy Spirit.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 8: THE INDESTRUCTIBLE VITALITY OF THE BIBLE
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The Indestructible Vitality of the Bible THE INDESTRUCTIBLE VITALITY OF THE
BIBLE By W. M. DAVIS

Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall, pass away, hut my word shall not pass
away.” (Matthew 24:35). Concerning the enduring power of the Word of God, the
apostle Peter declared: “Being horn again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all
flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The
grass withereth, and the flower thereof fall- eth away; but the word of the Lord
endureth forever. ’ ’ (1 Peter 1:23-25).

How did Peter know the word of the Lord ivould live forever? It is not
reasonable to suppose that he was able to make such an accurate guess. The
greatest human wisdom was not capable of apprehending the contingencies of
approximately nineteen hundred years and making such an exact prediction
concerning the word of God. And aside from this, Peter enjoyed no distinction as
a wise man. It is true as the apostle says, that “the word of the Lord liveth
and abideth forever.” The fact that it has lived so long, and has survived so
much opposition, is satisfactory evidence that it will continue to live on and
on. But how did Peter know it would live and make the indefatigable progress
which the succeeding ages have witnessed? Since it is unreasonable to suppose
that Peter made an accurate guess, and since human wisdom was unable to
determine such a thing, we are able'to reach only one satisfactory conclusion.
This conclusion is stated by Peter when he says: “For the prophecy came not in
old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the
Holy Spirit.’’

Peter was writing a prophecy when he snid, “But the word of the Lord endureth
forever.” This prophecy no scoffer can dispute, because the Bible stands as its
ful-fillment before their eyes. A prophecy is a thing foretold, but the thing
foretold is not of a character to be discerned by human sagacity. Men-may
prophesy with reasonable safety respecting logical events, but the events of
Bible prophecy are not of a logical character. Men may tell what is going to
transpire when adequate causes are already apparent, but the events of Bible
prophecy were indicated before the causes had commenced to act. Peter did not
only say, “The word of the Lord endureth forever;” but he also said, “The word
of God liveth and abideth forever.” His statements concerning the Scriptures
would not seem so remarkable if he had not declared them of an indestructible
character. The Bible is a living book. Other old writings are extant, but they
are dead; they wield no influence on the lives of men. The Bible is wielding a
deeper and more universal influence now than it ever has. It is published in
more languages and is read by more people than any other book.

All human books are of extremely short duration when compared with the Bible.
Some of them die be-cause the things they ^state as facts are discovered to be
untrue, and others because their students fail to hold the interest of the
people; but the'Bible is not discredited in any new discovery, and interest in
it is increased by repeated readings. The Bible lives and maintains its hold on
all classes of people. It has a fascination for the most brilliant intellect as
well as for the unlearned. All human works are perishable. Peter said, “All
flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is as the flower of the grass. The
grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away; but the word of the Lord
endureth forever.” All the works of man do wither and fade as the grass. “All
the glory of man”—all his achievements in literature, arts, and sciences—pale
away into utter insignificance “as the flower of the grass.” “But the word of
the Lord endureth forever.” In my memory lives a scene of my childhood days.
There was an old house where two old people lived. The situation was beautiful.
The house was surrounded by a large orchard of splendid fruits. I have a
distinct recollection of that house as it was then. Last summer I was in that
state and was preaching in that vicinity. I went to see that house, but it was
with difficulty that I located the place where it stood. It had fallen down and
was in a state of ruin. A huge wild ; grape vine entirely covered the place
where the (house once stood, and under this vine I could see a few pieces of the
old house. That vine was very small when I first knew the house, but it had in
it the principle of life which caused it to grow. Man made the house, but God
made the vine; man’s work perishes, while God’s work abides. Will the world
outgrow the Bible? This question is one of frequent repetition. It has been
propounded because the world has outgrown so many other things. But any one is
able to observe that the world has never outgrown anything of which God is the
author. A boy may outgrow the clothing he wears, but he does not outgrow the
need of his hands and feet. Man outgrows his own works but he never outgrows the
works of God.

Man supersedes his own work in almost everything He does. In human invention one
thing is constantly sup-plementing another. While man outgrows nearly all of his
own works, and discards them when they become obsolete, we are unable to find
one work of God that man can outgrow and set aside. Do you think there is any
probability of man’s outgrowing the earth on which he lives? Will the world
outgrow the need of sunlight? God made the earth and sun, and while time shall
last they will not become obsolete. Is there any probability of a time when man
will not need food to eat, water to drink, and air to breathe? It is impossible
to discard a single thing God has adapted to human need. When the human family
has reached the point where it can do without the things that satisfy physical
needs the question of discarding the Bible may then be discussed with propriety.
Remember this, the Bible meets a human need that is as definite as hunger for
food or thirst for water. The criticism of the Bible at the present time is no
new thing; it has been bitterly assailed from the time of its birth. One who was
statistician of Bible things compiled a list of inore than a thousand books that
had been written in opposition to the Bible. The most of these books are dead,
but the Bible still lives. If men are anxious to produce proof that the Bible is
a human production, the most convincing way will be to produce one like it. The
fact that there is only one Bible is strong evidence in itself that it is not of
human origin. Those who have carefully read the books of the other religions of
the earth know that they are not to be classed with the Bible. The critics of
the Bible are usually ignorant of its contents. The objections urged against the
Holy Book do not exist in fact; they are only apparent. A thorough study of any
difficulty in ' the Bible will clear up the difficulty. At the present time
three recognized influences are converging on the Bible in an adverse way.
Science is being diverted from its useful channel in an attempt to discredit the
word of God. I do not wish to make the impression that those who defend the
Bible try to evade any reliable conclusion reached by scientific in-vestigation.
There can be no opposition between a true science and the Bible. Science has
brought many things to light that should increase man’s faith in the integrity
and reliability of the word of God. Scientific discovery of truth is good; but
scientific speculation is evil. Some men of science declare the Bible incorrect
on the ground of its untenable theory of the beginning of life; but when their
own process of reasoning is applied to their speculations, they are left in a
quandary. It is difficult to determine just what scientists themselves recognize
as science. What is scientific with one is unscientific with another. But they
are in agreement respecting a few things. If the whole body of scientists would
reject as truth all theories, excepting those that are common to all, I think,
then, the defenders of the Bible would agree with them. That three entities
constitute the beginning of all things is almost universally accepted. These are
matter, life, and mind. Science does not know what matter, life, and mind are.
They may trace matter to atoms, but what caused atoms to exist? How did matter
commence to live? What are the properties that entered into matter, and caused
it to live, and where did these properties originate ? Then how did mind
commence to exist? Can matter think? Can life think? Many things composed of
matter and life can not think. The public is deluded on the question of the
ability of science to overthrow the Bible. Real science does not contradict the
Bible.

Natural philosophy is being diverted from its useful sphere with a view to
destroying the miraculous element of the Bible. One philosophic assumption is
that there is nothing supernatural. No effort is put forth to prove this as a
necessary deduction; it is only an assumption. But what is a supernatural thing?
Is it anything above what is natural? When a man builds a house he performs a
supernatural act, for nature does not build houses. Speculative philosophy
asserts that miracles suspend natural law. This is not a logical conclusion, for
a boy may throw a stone into the space above, which is contrary to the law of
gravitation; but in this act the law of gravity is not suspended; it is only
momentarily overcome by another law. This plainly shows that a force greater
than natural law may come in and operate for a short time; but no violence is
done to the natural law. The Old Testament account of God’s causing an ax to
swim and the New Testament narrative of Jesus walking on the water are said to
be violations of the laAV of specific gravity. A child can cause a steel needle
to float on the surface of still water. One law causes the needle to sink and
another law causes it to float. Does one law violate the other? The floating of
the needle only shows that another law different from the law that causes it to
sink comes in and operates for a little while. The swimming of the ax and
Christ’s walking on the water were not necessarily suspensions of natural law.

However, if God wished to set aside one of his laws and replace it with another,
it would he easy for him to do so. A clockmaker makes a clock subject to a
definite law. The hand is to rotate over the face once in twelve hours. This is
the law of the clock; and a complex mechanism is adjusted to this law. Each
piece of the clock is con-structed with this definite action in view. If the
maker of the clock wishes, he can turn the hand over the face of the clock in
five seconds. Or if he wishes, he may stop the clock at twelve noon, and at
twelve o ’clock midnight it is only twelve noon so far as the normal action of
the clock is concerned. In neither of these instances does the cloekmaker do
violence to the clock. The clock does not go to pieces because its maker treats
it this way. So if God should want to stop his great time piece, which consists
of earth and sun, it would be an easy matter for him to do so. But students of
natural philosophy tell us if the earth were to stand still in order to create
the Old Testament phenomenon of the sun’s not going down till the battle was
over, the universe would be disrupted. This is merely an assumption, and is
predicated upon no established premises. Higher criticism has joined hands with
speculative science and false philosophy in an effort against the Bible. The
chief objection to higher criticism is its un-reasonable hypothesis. It puts
forth unsubstantiated claims with reference to some portions of the Bible. The
history and literary style of certain books of the Bible are out of harmony with
their claims. If the methods of higher criticism were employed against
literature generally, there would be little or no literature left. A test was
made on Burns’ poem entitled “To a Mountain Daisy.” There was nothing left of a
genuine character after the test was made. The vocabulary of the first part of
the poem could not be identified with Burns. The literary style of the last part
was that of another man. But Burns was the author of the poem. The Bible will
continue to live for several reasons. Those who endeavor to destroy it know not
what they do. Are men ignorant of the fact that if the Bible should be destroyed
other things of great value would he destroyed with it? The Bible has been the
inspiration of the best literature. Do men prize the writings of Dante, Milton,
and Bunyan? Without the Bible, these productions would be without meaning or
value. Eliminate the religious element from poetry, and there is little left.
The Bible has inspired the greatest music. Destroy the Bible, and the best
musical compositions are destroyed with it. The Bible has been an inspiration to
art. Some of the world’s most classic paintings are Bible scenes. The Bible has
affected much of the great architecture of the world. The greatest laws, the
best governments, and the highest civilization of the earth are founded upon the
Bible. The constitution of the United States would have to be revised if the
Bible were destroyed. The Bible is so woven into the fabric of the world that
men will not let it be destroyed. Men of wisdom will not tear the world to
pieces and make it over just to get rid of the Bible. Because of this hold the
Bible has upon the world it will live and abide forever.

Religion has its foundation in the nature of man. You can take away the Bible,
but you cannot take away that in man which calls for the Bible. Man is like the
morning glory; he has a nature that must be expressed. The morning glory has a
nature that causes it to vine. If it cannot express this nature in one way, it
will in another. It reaches out for something to which it can cling, and by
which it can rise up and Yunfold its beauty. If it finds nothing to which it can
cling and lift itself up, it will entwine itself about a stone or a clod, and
even may vine around itself. It has a nature to \ine, and tills nature cannot be
coerced or destroyed. Man has a religious nature that cannot be destroyed. He
cannot be restrained from expressing this nature. If he has not the opportunity
to express it in the right way, he will express it in some wrong way. The Bible
enables man to rise high. It is the means of lifting humanity up. Take away the
Bible and man will make one of his own. Destroy man’s knowdedge of God, and he
will worship idols. The history of all past ages is a demonstration of man’s
weakness w-ithout God and his strength with God.


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  CHAPTER 9: THE GRANDEUR OF THE CHURCH
========================================================================

The Grandeur of the Church THE GRANDEUR OF THE CHURCH By W. I. BLACK Read Psalms
48:2-3; Psalms 48:11-14; Psalms 132:13-16. Text, Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians
3:20-21. In the Scriptural lesson read, David no doubt looks down the stream of
time and sees the church in all its grandeur, beauty and holiness, and thus
describes it in glowing terms. David in this instance was a prophet, as is
attested by the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:29-31). “Men and
brethren, let us frankly speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both
dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a
prophet and knowing that God had sworn to him with an oath that of the fruit of
his loins according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit oil his throne.
He seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was
not left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption.’’ This description of
the church, found in Psalms 48:12-13, corresponds with New Testament teaching
relative to the church, for Paul says in our text, “To him be glory in the
church,” and “to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in
heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.” All
the glory that belongs to God and Christ should be rendered in the church and
upon the church rests the responsibility of making known to the world the
manifold wisdom of God. The church is the “pillar and ground of the truth.” (See
1 Timothy 3:15). When I come before you to speak on the church, “The Grandeur of
the Church,” I mean by the “Church” the same thing that Paul meant in 1 Timothy
3:15 when he said, “That you may know how you ought to behave yourself in the
house of God which is the church of God and the pillar and ground of the truth.”
I am- talking to you about the same institution that Paul had under
consideration in Acts 20:28, when he said, “Take heed unto yourselves and unto
all the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to ' feed the
church of the Lord which he has purchased with his own blood.” “The church of
the Lord.” Who is the Lord? The Lord Jesus Christ, therefore the church of
Christ. I fnean the same thing that Paul meant in Ephesians 5:25-27, “Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it,
that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
that he might present it to himself a glo-rious church not having spot or
wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” I
mean the same thing that Jesus meant in Matthew 16:18, when he said, “Upon this
rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
If he built it, whose is it? It is his, the church of Christ. I am sure that no
one who believes the Bible can object to this or call it in question. In our
investigation of this subject the first question that might present itself is
this: The church, what is it, and what is it not? If you know what a thing is
not, then you are in a better position to know what it is.

(1)It is not a meeting house. (Acts 17:24). “God that made the world and all
things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in
tempies made with hands.” God dwells in the church. (Ephesians 2:22). But since
he does not dwell in temples made with hands, therefore a temple made with hands
is not the church. (2)It is not a denomination made up of different
denominations. (See John 10:16). . “Other sheep I have which are not of this
fold.” Which fold? Turn to verses 1, 2 and 3 of this same chapter and note that
Jesus says, “Verily, verily I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door
into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a
robber, but he that entereth by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” Who is
the shepherd of the sheep? Christ. He further says, “to him the porter openeth;
and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth
them out.” John the Baptist was the “porter.” He came and opened up the door
into the old Jewish “sheepfold.” What is a door? A door is a way opened up. Some
times we take hold of that thing that swings back and forth on its hinges and
call that the door. That’s not the door, that’s the “door-shutter,” the thing
that closes up the door. So John the Baptist came and opened up the way into
that old Jewish theocracy and Christ entered by that -way and called his own
sheep by name and led them out and then said, “Other sheep I have which are not
of this fold. Them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there
shall be one fold and one shepherd.” The “other sheep” refers to the Gentiles,
and the one fold is the “one body” spoken of in Romans 12:4-5, Ephesians 4:4;
Ephesians 1:22 and Colossians 1:18. The body is the church and the church is the
body. Therefore the church is not a de-nomination made up of many denominations,
but it is one fold and one body, not many folds and many bodies. (3)It is the
“ecclesia,” the called out, the called together. Those who have been called out
of the world into “the first dominion of the kingdom” (See Micah 4:8), “And
thou, 0 tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee
shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter
of Jerusalem.” Therefore it is all of those who have been called out of the
world into the first dominion of the kingdom. It contains all the saved in all
the world.

There is an idea extant in the world that is jeopardizing the minds of the
people, erroneous in the extreme and foreign to the truth, and that is, “There
is; nothing in the church, the church doesn’t save, you can be saved out of the
church as well as in it, and therefore it doesn’t matter whether you are a
member of the church or not.” The burden of our theme tonight is to take up the
word of God and see what there is in the church; the grandeur of the church, its
glories and beauties. And while I stand before you in defense of the only
institution authorized by the God of heaven and known to the Bible, in which and
through which we are to give God glory, and do the work designed for us to do, I
want you to know that I am defending the church as God designed it as Christ
built it, and as both want it to be.

I am not defending in the least the faults and frailties, the weaknesses and
errors of human nature. Not for a moment even among those with whom I stand
identified would I think of defending any theory or practice relative to the
church and its work, unauthorized! by the God of heaven, and not revealed in the
word. With these thoughts before us, we are now ready to take up the word of God
and notice the grandeur of the church.

1. It is the product of an allwise God. (1 Timothy 3:15). “That you may know how
you ought to behave yourself in the house of God which is the church of God, the
pillar and ground of the truth.” This makes it a grand institution indeed. It
was produced by the God of heaven. It did not originate in the mind of man, but
in the mind of God.

2. It was purchased by the blood of Christ. (Acts 20:28) “Feed the church of the
Lord which He hath purpchased with his own blood.” This makes it worthy of our
consideration, because of the price paid for it. If you have something that cost
you a great price, you consider it of great value and prize it very highly. So
with the church. The greatest price that was ever paid for anything was paid for
the church. (1 Peter 1:18). “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things such as silver and gold from your vain conversation received
by tradition of your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot.”

3. Its foundation is everlasting. See. Isaiah 28:16. “Behold I lay in Zion for a
foundation a stone, a tried stone, a chief cornerstone; he that believeth on him
shall not make haste.” We all know that the stability of any building,
organ-ization or being, depends upon the foundation. Human organizations may be
built up upon sane, safe and sound principles as viewed by man, but all such are
timely, and will crumble and decay; but the church of the living God is built
upon a “living stone.” (1 Peter 2:4). “Rejected of men but chosen of God and
precious/’ an ever-lasting foundation.

4. Its head holds “all power in heaven and in earth.” See. Matthew 28:18. “All
power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” There cannot be any more power
than this “All power, in heaven and in earth.” This makes it a grand
institution. They pass away and are soon forgotten, but the head of the church,
the Lord Jesus Christ, has lived through the centuries, and will live on and
through eternity.

5. Its laws are perfect and eternal. See James 1:25. “But whoso looketh into the
perfect law of liberty and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer,
but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed” (1 Peter 4:11).
“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” I hold m my hand the
New Testament. It contains the laws that govern the church of the living God. It
is a creed that needs no revision designed for all time and all ages. Human,
creeds, disciplines and church manuals change 'as time and custom change, but no
man or set of men, no. council, synod, conference, or association has had the
authority to change in the least the law that governs the church of Christ.

6. Its territory is universal. See Mark 16:15-16. “Go into all the world and
preach the gospel to every crea-ture.” Sometimes folks say: “Brother Black, you
are too narrow, you are not broad enough.” Do you want to know how broad I am?
Listen: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Is that
broad enough? Now do you want to know how narrow' I am? The next verse tells it:
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not
shall be damned.” Is that narrow enough? That’s just as broad and just as narrow
as Jesus Christ said be, and that ought to be broad enough and narrow enough for
anybody.

7. Its members are the family of God (Ephesians 3:15). “Of whom the whole family
in heaven and earth is named.” Talk about royalty, kings and queens. I belong to
the greatest family on earth, the family of God.

8. Its name is the, highest that can be given (Acts 4:12). “No other name under
heaven or among men whereby you can be saved.” You can not be saved in the name
of Calvin, Luther, Wesley, Knox, etc. But you are saved in the name of Christ.

9. It contains all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3). “Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

10. It contains all the promises of God (2 Corinthians 1:20). “For all the
promises of God in him are yea and in him amen unto the glory of God by us.” To
be in. Christ is to be in his body and to be in his body is to be in his church
for the church is the Body (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18). With the New
Testament in my hand I say to you that there is not a spiritual blessing, there
is not a spiritual promise out of Christ for all are in him. You may enjoy
temporal blessings out of Christ the air you breathe, the sunshine, the rain and
the pro-ducts of the soil; etc., but to enjoy spiritual blessings you must be a
component part of the Body to which these promises are given.

11. It is the dwelling place of God on earth (2 Corinthians 5:19). “To wit that
God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself” (Ephesians 2:22). “In
vdiom [in Christ] ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through
the Spirit” (Psalms 132:13-14). “For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired
it for his habita¬tion. This is my rest forever, here will I dwell; for I have
desired it.” Since God dwells in Zion and as Zion the church, therefore He
dwells in the church.

12. It is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). “Know ye not that
ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.” This was
said to the church. Then we note from the above that God and the Holy Spirit
inhabit the church. My friend if you have ever been guilty of saying there is
nothing in the church, don’t ever say so again for God and the Holy Spirit are
both in it.

13. In it is the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7). “In whom we have
redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins.” As noted above to be
in Christ is to be in his body and to be in his body is to be in his church for
the church is his body.

14. In it is salvation (2 Timothy 2:10). “The salvation which is in Christ with
eternal glory” (Isaiah 46:12-13). “Hearken unto me ye stout-hearted that are far
from righteousness. I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off and
my salvation shall not tarry and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my
glory.” What is Zion? Zion is the church as stated by Paul in Hebrews 12:22-23).
“But ye are come unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God—to the general
assembly and church of the first born.” Who is the first born? Christ is the
first born (Colossians 1:18). “And He is the head of the body, the church; who
is the beginning the first born from the dead; that in all things he might have
the pre-eminence.” As salvation is in Zion and as Zion is the church, the church
of the first born or church of Christ therefore salvation is in the church of
Christ.

15. It is the union that Christ prayed for (John 17:20-21). “Neither pray I for
these alone but for all them that shall believe on me through their word; that
they all may he 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” (Galatians
3:26-27). “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, for as
many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Ephesians
3:3). “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Psalms
133:1). “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity.” From the above we learn that the church is that unity that Christ
prayed for, which unity can only be accomplished in one way and he tells us that
way, “through their word.”

16. It is the only institution that will last longer than time (Matthew 15:13).
“Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.”
Institutions and organizations of men may grow and prosper in this life but the
time will come when they will be rooted up, but the church of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the family of God will continue throughout eternity.

17. It has the only promises that will reach beyond the grave (1 Thessalonians
4:14-17). “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also
which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord
shall not prevent [or precede] them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first;'then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet- the Lord
in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Before we can be said to be
one of the dead in Christ we must first get into Christ (Revelation 14:13).
“Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yea saith the
Spirit they do rest from their labors and their works do follow them.” You may
belong to institutions here that will take your body to the graveyard and place
it away and erect a monument to your memory, but that is as far as they can go.
They cannot hold out to you one promise beyond the grave, but the church of the
living God holds out to you promises that reach beyond this life.

18. It is the only missionary society known to the Bible. Jesus said, “Go teach
all nations.” “Go preach the gospel to every creature.” This command rests today
on the church. 1 Corinthians 16:1-3 says: “As I have given orders to the
churches of Galatia, even so do ye, upon the first day of the week, let every
one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him, that there be no
gatherings when I come.” Php_4:15-16 says: “Now ye Philippians know that in the
beginning of the gospel when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated
with me as concerning giving and receiving but ye only; for even in Thessalonica
ye sent once and again unto my necessities.” In this he does not say, “No
missionary board” but that one at Philippi but “no church but you.”

19.It is the only charitable institution known to the Bible. Colossians 3:17
says: “Whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus
giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” In the name means by his authority.
No Christian is authorized to do charitable work or missionary work only in the
name of Christ, or as a Christian in the Church.

20. It is the only institution that has in it the feast, the communion of the
body of Christ and the communion of his blood. Matthew 26:29; Luke 22:29-30
says: “I appoint unto you a kingdom that you may eat and drink at my table in my
kingdom.”

21. If its laws are carried out by its members it will take all the heart, soul,
mind and strength (Mark 12:30). Then how much heart, soul, mind and strength
have we left to serve other things? In view of the above facts, what can you
hope to gain by not being a Christian? By being simply a Christian you have all
to gain and nothing to lose. Even if there is nothing in it as some claim I am
just as well off as the man or woman who is not a Christian, even better in this
life. Will you, dear friend, be simply a Christian?


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 10: THE GREAT INVITATION
========================================================================

The Great Invitation THE GREAT INVITATION By A. E. WALKER The descendants of
Jacob moved into Egypt during a great famine to be nourished by Joseph, who was
gov­ernor over all Egypt. After Joseph died, another king who knew not Joseph
arose and brought the Israelites under cruel bondage. Many years later Moses was
an exile in the land of Midian. The Lord appeared to him in the burning bush and
told him to return to Egypt and lead the posterity of Jacob out of their bondage
and to conduct them into the land of promise. Moses, follow­ing the instructions
of Jehovah, finally brought them to the Red Sea where they were baptized unto
Moses in the cloud and in the sea. A few weeks later God called Moses unto
himself on Mt. Sinai and gave him the law to govern and control these people. He
also gave him full instructions concerning the making of that magnificent
tabernacle, the like of which the world has never seen. God said to Moses: "See
that thou make everything according to the pattern shown thee in the mount." In
due time the tabernacle was erected. The glory of God rested upon it and his
presence filled it. A cloud by day, which became a pillar of fire by night,
abode upon it. When this cloud lifted and moved the standard of Judah, encamped
on the East of the tabernacle, folded their tents and moved. The standard of
Reuben, to the South,, did the same. The Levites unpinned the tabernacle and
moved it with all its furnishings. The standard of Eph­raim, on the West, folded
ther tents and fell into line. Lyng to the North was the standard of Dan which
was the last to move. The world has never known a better way to handle three
million people than the moves used in the wilderness. Even their sanitary laws
were perfect for their time. God’s way is always best, and best al­ways. Who
were these people? The Holy Spirit has answered saying: “Thou art an holy people
unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a spe­cial people
unto himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did
not set his love upon nor choose you because ye were more in number than any
people, for ye were the fewest of all people.”

“If ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my cove­nant then ye shall be a
peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine and ye
shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation.”

These chosen people of God were surrounded in that land by other nations which
were greater in number than were these special people. They were not so rich as
others, for they had been slaves for many generations past. Neither were they
worldly wise nor educated, yet they were God’s chosen people. I had rather to
have been one of them abiding in a tent, in that moving tented city, than to
have lived in the most magnificent palace of the richest king on earth. The
immortal Ruth very beautifully expressed a cor­rect estimate of this great
people when she said to one of them:

“Entreat me not to leave thee nor to return from fol­lowing after thee: for
whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people
shallbe my people and thy God, my God: where thou diest, I will die and there be
buried.”

Moses loved Hobab, the Midianite, and said unto him: “We are journeying unto the
place of which the Lord said, I will give it you. Come thou with us and we will
do thee good: for the Lord has spoken good concerning Israel. This was a great
invitation, coming from a great man. “Moses truly said unto the fathers: A
prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me:
him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall
come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be
de­stroyed from among the people."

“When the fullness of the time was come, God sent his Son, made of a woman, made
under the law, to re­deem them that were under the law. God loved Israel and
sent Moses from the land of Midian to Egypt to deliver them. God so loved the
world that he sent his Son from heaven to earth that he might redeem a race of
lost men. He came unto his own and they received him not. He was despised and
rejected of men. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He died on a Roman
cross and slept in a rich man’s tomb. On the third day of his prison
confinement, he burst asunder the bars of death and arose from the dead,
bringing life and immortality to light through the gospel. Just be­fore he took
his departure to the land of glory, he com­missioned his apostles to go into all
the world and preach the gospel to every creature and promised deliverance from
the power of darkness to all who believe the gos­pel (which is God’s power to
save-See Romans 1:16), and repent of their sins and are baptized for the
remission of their sins. Wherever on earth the gospel of Christ is heard and
obeyed by man, a new creature is made, a child is born from above into God’s
family on earth and gladly wears and bears the holy name of Christ, after whom
the whole family of God in heaven and on earth is named. But who are these
people? The Holy Spirit said: “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a
pe­culiar people, a holy nation; that ye should show forth the praises of him
who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; which in time past
was not a people but now are the people of God.”

There are many religious families in the world that do not wear the name of
Christ. Many of these fami­lies are great in number, wealth and achievements.
They have spent many millions of dollars in building orphans’ homes, hospitals
and 'higher institutions of learning. Their great missionary organizations cover
the earth. Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which
is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name
done many won­derful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew
you.” But I had rather be a follower of the Man of Galilee, though we be poor in
this world’s goods, weak in num­ber, unlearned in the wisdom of the world and
persecuted for his name, than to hold the highest position within the gift of
the strongest church in the land today.

Moses said, “Come thou and we will do thee good.” Jesus said, “Come unto me all
ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, Take my yoke upon
you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in lieart and ye shall find rest
unto your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’’ God’s people have
it within their power to bless and help all who will journey with them. There is
a dis­tinct honor conferred upon each person who becomes a Christian. The man
may reflect no honor upon the church, but the church becomes to him a city of
refuge in which he finds peace to his heart and rest to his soul. The old Roman
patriot and statesman was elected by his enemies to the office of scavenger. He
said if the office reflected no honor on him, lie would reflect honor on the
office. So Christ graciously gives his blessings to all within his church.
Christianity does not give intellectual power to man but it does sanctify and
direct these powers in the right way.

We prefer the laivyer who is a Christian to draw up our legal papers. We call
the Christian physician to prescribe for the loved one who seems near the gates
of death. And when we go under the anesthetic we are glad to know that the
surgeon who holds our life in his hands has just come from his knees in humble
prayer to Almighty God.

It means much here and now to belong to God’s royal family.

“God hath spoken good concerning Israel.” He hath also spoken good things
concerning Christians. “He will withhold no good thing from them that love him.”
He has made to them some “exceeding great and precious promises.” These promises
are not only exceedingly great, but are precious. An honest young man who made
his living by the sweat of his brow, held in his strong arms a beautiful
child—his only son. A good man with much wealth offered the young father a
fortune for his son. “No,” was the answer given, “He is precious to me.” God’s
promises are precious to his faithful children. His eyes are over the righteous
and his ears are open to their prayers. “All things work together for the good
of them that love the Lord; who are the called according to his purpose.”'

John says, “These things I write unto you that ye sin not; but if any man sin he
hath an advocate with the Father through Jesus Christ, the righteous.” Yes, he
has promised salvation from sin, salvation from the grave and eternal salvation
just over there.

Moses said, “We are journeying unto the place which the Lord said, I will give
it you.” The land of Canaan—the land of promise—was to them the most wonderful
land in all the world. We are told something of that land in a few choice words
by Moses, that matchless leader of men: “The Lord thy God bringeth thee into a
good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of
the valleys and hills: a land of wheat and barley and vines, and fig trees and
pomegranites: a land of oil, olive and honey, a land wherein thou slialt eat
bread without scarcement.”

We are journeying toward that better land, the heav­enly country, of which the
land of Canaan was only typical. In that sinless, glorious land there is a city
which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God. God has his throne in
that city and the river of life flows out from it; on either side of the river
is the tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. The streets
of the city are paved with pure gold. Its walls are jasper. Its gates are made
of pearls. I think not so much of the streets of gold; the walls of jasper; or
the gates of pearl, but more of those gen­tle spirits which dwell contentedly in
His holy presence. A sweet little girl lived in a mansion. Her mother became
sick and the child was carried to the home of a friend. The mother died. It was
thought best not to let the child see its mother in the embrace of death. After
the funeral the child was carried back home. When she passed from one room to
another calling her mother, and no mother was found, she cried to be car­ried
back to the home of the friend. The mansion meant nothing to her without the
presence of her mother in it.

Heaven will be the home of every child who has lived and died, whose heart was
never stained with sin. Men who ought to know, tell us that fully one-third of
the human family die in that innocent state of purity; hence are safe forever.
This fact alone, when rightly consid­ered, is sufficient to lead men who love
children to God. People who do not love children are going to that place where
children are unknown except as a sad memory. The hardy pioneer who has been a
long time with men only, on the outpost of civilization, weeps when he hears the
voice of a child.

What would an eternity be where its presence is never felt nor its voice heard?
The good and the pure of all ages will be in that city of God. Those who lived
from the days of righteous Abel to the days of faithful Abraham; and from
Abra­ham to the time of Christ and his apostles and from that glad day till time
shall be no more. Then shall Jesus return to earth to gather up his chosen and
take them all to his eternal home. Yes, good old Brother Faithful, whom I have
known so long and loved so well, will be there. John and Mary, friends of my
youth and com­panions in labor of my riper years, will be there. I shall see Him
who gave himself for me and won my heart and life to his delightful service, and
I shall be like him, for I shall see him as he is.' He redeemed me with his
blood and helped me in every time of need. He has been my advocate with the
Father; he is my elder brother, my high priest; my king. Blessed thought, that
if faithful to him here, he will be able to present me faultless before the
throne of his Father.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 11: EXALTING THE CHURCH
========================================================================

Exalting The Church EXALTING THE CHURCH By M. C. CUTHBERTSON In this age when it
seems that men are prone to forget God, and the things that belong to God, it
has seemed wise to me that our minds be called to the importance of the one
divine institution, religious in its nature, that God has given to the world. I
therefore plead for a thoughtful and prayerful heart from you while we at-tempt
to exalt the church, or body of Christ, in our hearts and minds.

“Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath
made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own
blood.” (Acts 20:28). Something of the greatness of the church may be gained
from a careful study of the above passage. I mean by the word “church” that one
universal body or kingdom over which Jesus Christ rules as King and Lord; which
institution exists in a local sense as a con-gregation of the body of Christ,
when assembled and working according to the divine plan, this body being the
only one that has the right to offer salvation to a lost and dying world by
divine authority; and the only body over which Jesus Christ rules as head and
lawgiver. I mean by “exalt”- to elevate, to raise on high, to glorify and extol
the church or body of Christ above all else in the world, both in our hearts and
before the people; to the end that in all that we think, do or say, Christ and
his church may receive the glory. The church cannot be exalted by a people that
do not know what it is. It mast be exalted by people that know and understand
its worth and value. There is but one way to know this, and that is to study the
word oil God with all diligence. “Give diligence to pre¬sent thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of
truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)). “Now these were more noble than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind,
examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11).
Then if you would exalt the body of Christ, you must be willing to study with
care the truth of God. You must have in your heart a true understanding of the
church, if you would fully appreciate it. Then you can¬not convey to another the
beauty and importance of the church unless you know the facts concerning the
church. The church must be elevated m your own mind, as to its importance and
its work. The church as an insti¬tution is all important; so much so, that if
there were no church, there would be no salvation for man, for the work of
preaching and saving people with the truth of God has been committed to the
church. “These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly; but
if I tarry long, that thou ma^est know how men ought to behave themselves in the
house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of
the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:14-15). “And ye shall know the. truth, and the truth
shall make you free.” (John 8:32).

We must exalt the church in our Christian work and worship. “Let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another
with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts
unto God. And whatsoever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17). To
do a thing in the name of Christ is to do what we do by the authority of Christ.

We cannot stress the above statement too much. The world is doing a great many
things of a religious nature today, but how is it doing them? Not through the
church but through man-made organizations; then not by the authority of Christ.
Let the church, not man¬made institutions, be that through which we do our work
for the cause of Christ. Indeed, we can glorify Christ only through the church,
the body of Christ, in which we are to work out our salvation. (Php_2:12).

We are a part of the body and therefore must work in order that the entire body
may be at work. “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: but each •
shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s
fellow-workers: you are God’s hus-bandry, God’s building.” (1 Corinthians
3:8-9). If we do not work as a member of the body, then we have no “own” labor
and no individual reward. “But all things are of God, who reconciled us to
himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation; towit,
that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto
them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
(2 Corinthians 5:18-19). From this we learn that God is in Christ, but we are
also in Christ, there we meet God.

We are to exalt the church in our teaching. We must point out to the world the
true position of the church and its saving power and influence over men. In
Acts, chapter two, we find the apostles teaching the people; convicting them of
sin. They cry out, “What must we do?” The answer is given, and when they have
obeyed, the Lord, not man, adds them to the church. The apostles preached the
gospel, men believed and obeyed, and the church was increased three thousand
souls. Not only was this congregation enlarged, but the Bible says, this church
had favor with all the people, hence the church was exalted.

Conversation in which we direct the minds of others to the church and its work
is but another form of teach-ing. Pure Christian people will always avail
themselves of this opportunity to exalt the body of Christ. Much of the teaching
of Christ was done in conversation. The woman at the well, and the many such
incidents, serve to show the use that we should make of opportunities of this
kind. Our state is now being dotted with splendid church meeting houses. Not
only do they appear well from the outside, but they are well arranged for real
work and development of the congregation. But how did it hap-pen that these
buildings are here? They are not here just by accident. But they are here
because brethren have decided to exalt the church with a portion of the money
that God gives to them. The local congregation can be kep£ down, kept away from
the notice and favor¬able comment of the people, through lack of money. It is
also possible for a congregation of people to become a mighty power for God and
good in the community, when brethren desire to lift the church up through good
works, good buildings and good preaching.

Financing the work is one of the greatest problems confronting the congregation.
The work of the con-gregation is limited unless the proper and Scriptural method
of financing its work is used. Men will not give as much as they can afford to
give, when they give with¬out any system, hence the apostle said: ‘‘ Upon the
first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may
prosper, that no collection be made when I conic.” (1 Corinthians 1 G:2). The
purpose of giving, that is cause for which it is to be used, may change, but
there is no good reason why the method of collec¬tion should cease.

We need to give systematically, but we need also to spend with system. It is
just as wrong to spend the Lord’s money without good judgment and wisdom as it
is not to give as we should. And much of the failure to give as we should has
been brought about by failure to spend correctly. Brethren are frequently given
a free spending hand in a congregation simply because they are known to be
honest. Certainly a man should not be entrusted with the Lord’s money who is not
honest, but that alone is not sufficient. You would not employ a preacher just
because you felt that he was honest, but he must be able to do the work that
should be done. If the money given is to exalt the church, then it must be
handled in a business-like way. It is wrong to let a dollar given to the Lord’s
work earn only one-half its worth, just as it is wrong for a child of God to do
only one-half of that which he is capable of doing. Brethren, let us exalt the
church of Jesus Christ by giv¬ing of our money freely and by spending wisely.

“And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be
burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing. Love suffereth long, and is
kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not
behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account
of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth.” (1
Corinthians 13:4-6). From this chapter we may learn many very important truths
and lessons. We learn that we may attempt to exalt the church in all the ways
that we have mentioned, and in many others also, but if we do these things
without love, they cannot exalt the church as they should. Jesus said: “If you
love me, you will keep my commandments.” Love is not just a lip service, but
love is a mighty principle that is daily expressing itself in our thoughts,
words and deeds. It is mighty in its influence over men.

If you love the church, it shall be exalted by your love, for your love in
behalf of the institution that Jesus gave his blood to purchase, will lead you
to so live and do that the world will know and see that the body of Christ is
the object of your love and affection. Love will lead you to attend every
service that health and strength will permit, in order that you may encourage
others in the Master’s work.

Love will lead you to pray daily for the work of the entire church, and also for
the congregation that you are working with, so that it may stand before the
peo¬ple as the greatest institution in the world. Love will never allow you to
get in the way of the work that God expects the congregation to do. Love will
make you cherish that work above your own life; if it does not, then you do not
love the church as Jesus did, for he “loved it and gave himself up for it; that
he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word.”
(Ephesians 5:26). Your love, then, for the church is measured not by words
alone, but also by your work and service for it. _ Finally, brethren, remember
that we need to exalt the church and body of Christ, not ourselves, or others.
The church must be held up with pure hearts and clean lives. Such lives can
preach and live the truth and so glorify the cause of Christ. This must be done
with love and firmness. The world must be taught that the church is not a
denomination or a church among churches, but that it is the one body spiritual
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as there was one ark and salvation in, not out,
of the ark, so there is one divine institution commissioned by the Lord to
preach and proclaim salvation to a lost and dying world. Help the world to see
and know the one and only hope for men, that is the Lord Jesus Christ.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 12: CHRISTIAN SCIENCE OR THE SCIENCE OF CHRISTIANITY
========================================================================

Christian Science or the Science of Christianity CHRISTIAN SCIENCE OR THE
SCIENCE OF CHRISTIANITY By JUDGE R. 0. KENLEY Ladies and Gentlemen: By this
subject I do not have reference to any cult or sect, or any discoveries claimed
by the living or dead, but the working, artful and skillful doing of the things
commanded and expected of us as Christians. As a con­crete definition of science
we may say it is the putting into practice of a theory. After having been a
practic­ing attorney for thirty years, I have observed the great difficulty, not
of the learning of the law and its theory, but the application of its
principles. A lawyer may be­come greatly skilled in the knowledge of the law,
but when he takes the bench as a judge and tries to apply or administer the law,
we find him a miserable weak­ling. Today it is nearly impossible, under our
system of jurisprudence, for a trial judge to try a hotly con­tested case where
considerable property is involved, or where the liberty or life of a man of
wealth is at stake, arid correctly apply the law to the facts at issue, so that
said case will be affirmed by our higher courts. This is due to a lack of
ability on the part of our trial judges to make proper application of the
principles of the law. It is said by the members of our supreme courts that
seventy-five per cent of all cases that are reversed for new trials by the
appellate courts of our State and Nation, is due to the inability of the trial
court to make proper application of the law, and not through a lack of knowledge
of the theory of the law. For many years I have watched with interest the
planting of the gospel and the establishing of congre­gations throughout the
country, -only to see them, in the course of a few years, go to pieces, and,
like the church of Ephesus, have their candlesticks removed. There is a cause.

After Adam was expelled from the garden of Eden, God commanded and required that
he and his posterity should till the soil and make a livelihood by the sweat of
their brows: He did not tell or command them specifically how to do this, but
left the method to man’s ingenuity, and for many years man probably tilled the
soil by hand, with crude implements, such as crooked sticks; later he harnessed
the ox and the ass and had them drawing a forked or crooked stick with which he
scratched the soil. God did not expect any people to remain in any satisfied
state or condition, and history shows that any and every nation that did not
progress, deteriorated and went back to heathenism. Within our '"Sives we have
witnessed marvelous development in the manner and methods of agriculture, until
today, with one-third of the people of the United States engaged in agricultural
pursuits, a surplus of nearly all farm prod­ucts is annually produced; whereas a
century ago, with ninety per cent of the people engaged in agricultural
pursuits, a bare sufficiency was obtained. This increase of production was
brought about through the study of the science of agriculture.

Close kin to agriculture, and which comes by its side, is the production of
meats. I can well recall the proph­ecies of my father, uttered not more than
thirty-five years ago, that long before this time beef and pork would sell for
$1.00 a pound, and that people of ordi­nary means could not afford to eat it.
His prophecy was based upon then conditions,—a five or six year old longhorn
Texas steer weighing from 400 to 600 pounds. The study and application of
science gave us the white- face, shorthorn and other improved breeds of cattle
that weigh from 500 to 1000 pounds at one and two years of age, and as a result
the price of meats has kept within the reach of the humblest citizen of. the
country. It is said that but for Luther Burbank, the Irish potato, today the
most universal and cheapest ar­ticle of food in the world, would be a luxury,
served only on the tables .of the very wealthy. Wheat, corn and cotton have
undergone similar improvements, and the fact that the many necessary articles of
food are now daily enjoyed in abundance by the people of this land, is due
wholly to science, and not to any change in God’s law with respect thereto since
he commanded Adam to till the soil. These discoveries and improve­ments were, in
every age, achieved by educated and thinking people. I do not mean by this, in
every in­stance, college people, for many men, through individ­ual study,
coupled with practical experience, have been our greatest thinkers and
scientists.

I recall when I was a boy, fifteen or sixteen years of age, most of my neighbor
boys and girls were taken out of school by their parents, with the suggestion
that they had only intended for their children to become farmers and the wives
of farmers, and most of them did, and very poor ones at that, and because of a
lack of educa­tion many of them were unable to keep pace with the progress made
in agricultural lines; so gave up and be­came common laborers for daily wage,
all because their parents were ignorant of the science of agriculture and the
need of an education to employ it. About twenty years ago the Congress of the
.United States made pro­vision for an agricultural agent, one for each county in
most parts of the country. These agents were to be paid $100 per month for their
services, their entire time to be spent among the farmers, advising them with
re­spect to the growing of better crops. One-half of the salary of these agents
was to be paid by the United States and one-half by each county where such
agents were employed. The employment of such agent was placed before the
commissioners’ court of my county, which bit­terly resented it and refused to
appropriate one dollar toward his salary, in fact, regarded this threatened
em­ployment by the United States Government as an infringement upon State
rights. About one-half dozen progressive citizens of my county, realizing the
ignor­ance of the commissioners’ court, raised the $600.00 re­quired to be paid
by the county, and accepted the farm advisor so graciously tendered by the
United States. During the first year many “farmers” of the county re­sented this
advisor’s calls and advice, declared that they did not need him to show or tell
them how to farm; that they had spent their lives at it and knew all about it,
the truth being that they did not even know how to select proper seed-corn. The
poultry business in the United States is suffering more than any other great
industry today from lack of applied science. Statistics show that a hen should
lay an average of eighty eggs per year in order to pay for her keep, and further
that the hens in Texas lay an average of only sixteen eggs per hen per year, yet
most every one has raised poultry all their lives and know all about it. M.
Johnson of Bowie, Texas, who has for years applied science to the raising of
chickens, last year had 3000 pullets which laid an average of around 200 eggs
each. He has recently completed a $50,000 residence, which is a monument to
chicken science. In producing these wonderful results, no laws of God, with
respect to the animal or vegetable kingdom, have been violated, but on the other
hand, they have been studied and fostered to the end that the natural laws of
God may not be impeded.

We often reason by or from analogy with respect to the natural or material birth
and the spiritual birth. If our reasoning is sound, why not an analogy between
the science employed with respect to things in the ma­terial or natural kingdom
and to those in the spiritual kingdom. Both sacred and profane writings tell us
that when the gospel was first preached by the apostles and others of that age,
many accepted and obeyed it. (Acts 2:38:40).

We further learn that the apostles and all early preachers, were schooled and
trained; the apostles, with the exception of Paul, by about three years’
association with Jesus; Paul, as well as the other apostles, by the baptism of
the Holy Spirit; Timothy, Titus and others by instruction from the' apostles.
Other than the apos­tles, no man has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and
thereby had all knowledge of the gospel imparted to him, but since their death,
we have had the gospel in some language or other, and from it we could learn
both the theory and science of Christianity. We are given only one means of
understanding the gospel— knowledge; but we are given two means of obtaining
knowledge: (1) Personal study, (2) Being taught by others. Both methods are
enjoined upon us in the New Testament. In reaching an understanding of God’s
plans and of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we first conceive some­thing of his
great plan or theory. With our further study, this wonderful theory or plan of
God continues to unfold itself to us, the seeming conflicts and mys­teries begin
to disappear, and harmony appears. Then, so far as it is necessary for man, we
comprehend God’s theory of creation, of existence, what is required of us, and
our destiny. Then we obey the primary commands of the New Testament and become
great theorists. We learn to quote the great commission: “Go ye into all the
world and preach the gospel. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,
but he that believeth not shall be damned.” And also quote Acts 2:38 : “Then
Peter said unto them: Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of
Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost.” The evangelist who taught us this theory probably was only
theoretical himself, and left us to quote the above Scripture and argue with our
neighbors. We are in just about as helpless a state as a rescued drowning man
would be with a pulmotor, if left to use it himself or to be used by some one
ignorant of its operation. What is our trouble? We are untrained in the science
of Christian warfare, and like untrained soldiers, we are liable to use an
offensive or defensive weapon to our own hurt or to the hurt or injury of our
comrades, instead of the enemy. We lack the science of Chris­tianity. A convert
should not be left with only a par­tial understanding of the theory of the
gospel, without first being taught—(a) The command to meet on the first day of
the week, and its purpose, (b) The Chris­tian graces as given by Peter, adding
to your faith virtue (courage), knowledge (this grace should be stressed and
emphasized), temperance (self-control), patience, godliness, brotherly kindness,
and love. The convert should be made to understand that the doing and
application of above to his individual life is Chris­tianity, and that his
theory, without the doing of above, is but a mere shell. To illustrate more
forcibly the point I am trying to make, I quote from “The School of Life,” by
William R. Alger:

“And now there is one more lesson for us to learn, the climax of all the rest;
namely, to make a personal application to ourselves of everything which we know.
Unless we master this lesson, and act on it, the other lessons are virtually
useless, and thus robbed of their essential glory. The only living end or aim of
every­thing we experience, of every truth we are taught, is the practical use we
make of it for the enrichment of the soul, the attuning of the thoughts and
passions, the exaltation of life. . . . When we do what we know, then first does
it put on vital lustre and become divinely precious.”

How shall above things be done? Crudely, as man cultivated the soil many years
ago? From the conduct of many of our breathren, you would say, “Yes,” but I say,
“No.” God has prescribed specifically certain things to be done, for example—to
sing and make mel­ody in our hearts, sing spiritual songs and psalms, hut he did
not tell us that we should do this crudely, as our fathers did years ago, but to
grow in our knowl­edge and science of singing, to the end that real melody will
be made in all hearts that hear us; in fact, we should become highly skilled in
the art of singing. Our song leaders should be men of refinement, and know how
to behave themselves in the house of the Lord, while conducting the. song
service. How many good songs have you seen ruined, and sometimes a good ser­mon
ruined, by an ignorant comment or introduction made by the song leader; the
truth being no good song, or any sermon that is going to be preached by a
preacher needs any introduction or comment from anyone; and song leaders, above
all, should learn to leave off their sermonettes.

He further directs that all things should be done in decency and order. We
should worship him in spirit and truth, that is, do the things that he has
commanded us, with due respect to his word, and with proper en­thusiasm on our
part. How shall we do them? Skill­fully and scientifically, like man has dealt
and is deal­ing with the animal and vegetable kingdom? Most cer- tanly. I
believe the apostles and early Christians recog­nized this great principle of
Christian science, and as a result, they were blessed with a great harvest of
souls. Since the Restoration movement put in motion by Camp­bell, Stone, and
others, we have been largely a bunch of theorists. Like the inhabitants of
Mesopotamia, liv­ing now as they lived in the days of Christ, and refus­ing to
apply science to material things, thereby failing to- become the light to
humanity that we should become.

God communicates with Christians through his word. God communicates with the
world through Christians' and their lives. No man or woman has become a
Chris­tian through the influence of other Christians, without the Christian
exerting such influence, making an application of the theory and practice of
Christianity to his life. In my criticism of professed Christians of this age,
you may ask to what specific thing or things do I refer I answer, to everything
we do or attempt to do in con­nection with our lives and worship as Christians.
The first and greatest sin we commit is spending our force, talents and lives
fighting and hating one another over the way and manner of doing things which
God has commanded by his word that we should do, and where the exact method of
doing such things is left to our intelligence, skill and science—e. g. (a)
Communion cup--one or individual, (b) Time of taking emblems—forenoon, afternoon
or evening, (c) Teaching the word —Bible or Sunday schools, homes, Bible
colleges; one or all. (d) Taking up collections—passing basket, or letting
members go forward and place on table, (e) Baptism—in baptistry, or in open
pond, creek or river.

All adherents to above practices recognize a common theory as to the gospel, but
notwithstanding adherence to a common theory, they have divided themselves into
warring sects over its application, many refusing fellow­ship, or giving
personal recognition to those who do not ride a like “hobby” to them. What is
the trouble? Lack of skill in the application of the theory and science of
Christianity. Congregations affected by any of the above well-known and
prevalent diseases, have eating in their very lungs as it were, tubercular
germs, and in the end will prove just as deadly, unless the sunlight of
knowledge, common sense, skill and business science is permitted to cast its
light preserving rays upon it. No congregation can properly function without the
ap­plication of business rules and methods.

There are certain business and economic rules that are common to the home, bank,
church, or to any busi­ness, and unless these rules are rightly adhered to, a.
congregation, as any other business institution, will collapse. A successful and
Scriptural congregation has a dual purpose—spiritual worship, temporal aid and
be­nevolence, or as Paul puts it, fellowship, a, great part­nership with all
humanity, for the purpose of- render­ing temporal and spiritual aid. The New
Testament prescribes not the number, but the names and qualifications and duties
of the officers of a congregation as specifically as the laws of a State or the
United States prescribes the duties of a director of a State or National bank.
These qualifications are specifically enumerated in Timothy and Titus, the qua!
ications of an elder or a bishop being named by Timothy and Titus respectively,
as follows:

TIMOTHY||||||TITUS|| 1. Without reproach. 2. Husband of one wife. 3. Temperate.
4. Sooer minded. 5. Orderly. 6. Ctiven to hospitality. 7. Apt to teach. 8. No
brawler. 9. No striker. 10. Gentle. 11. Not contentious. 12. Nc lover of money.
13. Rules own house.well 14. Not a novice 15. Good Testimony from
without||||||1.Blameless. 2.Husband of one wife. 3.Have children that believe 4.
Not self willed. 5. Not soon angry. 6. No brawler. 7. No striker. 8. Not greedy
of filthy 9. Given to hospitality. 10. Lover of good. 11. Sober imnded 12. Just.
13. Holy 14, Self-controlled 15. Sound in the faith||

Timothy and Titus each name fifteen qualifications for an elder or a bishop of a
congregation of the church of Christ, but each names five that are not named by
the other, thereby making twenty specific qualifications for an elder or a
bishop of a congregation of the church of Christ.

We also learn from Timothy the qualifications for a deacon, which are similar in
many respects to those of an elder, with the exception that one of the
quali­fications for an elder, that is, being able to teach, is not required of a
deacon. However, a deacon must be sound in the faith, and in order to be so he
must have a proper understanding of the teachings of the gospel, and above all
things must make a personal application of them. From the above Scriptures we
learn, or con­clude rather, that the duties of the elders of a congre­gation are
to look after its spiritual affairs, and the duties of the deacons are to look
after its temporal affairs. The duties of an elder or bishop do not in any way
conflict or encroach upon the duties of a dea­con—both should be learned in the
Scriptures, both skilled in the science of Christianity, but the elder more so
than a deacon, but the deacon is required to be skilled in the science of
business, but an elder or bishop is required to be able to judge of and teach
spiritual things, while a deacon is not required to be able to teach spiritual
things, yet he must be qualified to to judge of and perform temporal and
business affairs. From the requirements enjoined by Paul, in order to qualify an
elder or deacon, if possessed, would make him a good and efficient Business man,
and would qual­ify him to successfully conduct and manage any secular business.
If an elder or deacon does not attain some degree of success as a business man,
it is pretty sure that he is lacking in qualifications prescribed by Paul for an
elder or deacon. One of the qualifications of an elder or deacon 's that he must
be the head of a family, and must have successfully managed and controlled his
family If a man is reasonably successful in the busi ness of managing his home
and his family, in most in­stances you will find him a reasonably successful man
in business affairs. If he is not, there is lacking that judgment, reason and
decision that are necessary qual­ifications for a man as an officer of a church.
God bad a specific reason and purpose for prescribing the qualifications of
officers of his church. "Why so—any institution, secular or spiritual, is judged
by its officers and active advocates. Let a congregation be­come officered by
men with a low conception of .morality, and you will see the moral standard of
that congrega­tion recede. You will see it filled with adulterers, swin­dlers
and moral lepers of every type, in fact, you will see preachers of a low moral
type begin frequenting such congregations, fairly flocking to it like the
buz­zards after a carcass; but the very moment that the officers of a
congregation have a New Testament con­ception of morality, then people of low
morals and base character, whether preachers or others, will shun them until
such time as they feel the need and are willing to accept the healing balm
offered by such congrega­tions for their sickened characters.

Whenever a man in any age has neglected to observe God’s prescribed rules and
laws, man has suffered and his undertakings have come to naught, but when God’s
laws have been observed, men’s undertakings have pros­pered and advanced. The
church of Christ, since the Restoration movement commenced, may be likened to
the crippled child—takes the whole family to keep it from falling, with none to
give aid to others. This con­dition is not as God designed and as Jesus and the
apos­tles prayed. Therefore such conditions must be due to the weakness of man.
I believe the worship of God as commanded and directed by the New Testament,
would be both instructive and interesting if properly done, then why the
trouble? When a bank runs an adver­tisement in a newspaper or by folder, with a
statement of its financial condition, it takes great pride in publish­ing the
names and occupations of its directors and offi­cers, because it is well known
to the public that a bank is as strong as its directors are, morally,
financially and in ripened business experience, and no stronger. If offi­cers
are weak morally, they may embezzle deposits; financially, be unable to tide the
institution over a panic owing to financial distress; or, lacking in business
ex­perience or judgment, they may lose the deposits through bad loans. A church
or congregation of disciples of Christ, is just as strong as its elders and
deacons are, spiritually, morally, and in sound business judgment and
experience, and no stronger.

I am thoroughly convinced that the selection of el­ders and deacons, without
Scriptural qualifications and the makeshift attempt, in an unskilled and
unscientific way and manner, by them, to run a congregation, is the greatest
impediment in the world to the progress and efficiency of the church, and growth
of Christianity in this age. There is no reason why the officers of a
con­gregation should not be of such good report among the world as to their
spirituality, morality, and good busi­ness judgment, that in connection with all
advertise­ments of the church, their names could be published and its officers
pointed to with pride and admiration, not only by the members of the
congregation, but by the world as well. This would be one of the means of
reach­ing the world, through the lives of those in charge of and who represent a
congregation of the church of Christ, which, no doubt, is one of God’s ways and
meth­ods of reaching the world. How many congregations do you know of that a
regular publication of its offi­cers’ names in connection with an advertisement
of the church, would be considered, even by the members of the congregation, as
an inducement to people not mem­bers to come and listen to our teaching ? Do not
answer too loud. I spent fifteen years of my life studying and wondering if the
theory and teaching of Christianity, as believed by my father and as taught by
the church of Christ, was right. After convincing myself by careful study that
it is, I have spent the past twenty years studying and wondering why it does not
work better, and why all people do not accept it. The answer, as above stated,
is lack of Christian science.

Uncouth, unbusinesslike and unscientific ways and methods of doing things in
connection with the Lord’s business, is responsible for the course of many who
have embraced digression; my sympathies go out to them, and I daily pray that
they may return and assist in the restoration of true New Testament worship in
the church of Christ.

If members of the local congregation acknowledge this science of Christianity,
or are willing to study, learn and acquire this science, then the congregation
will like­wise grow and develop, and will soon become a great instrument of
efficiency, and so long as congregations are officered by men who are unskilled
in the science of Christianity, and tied to some old traditional way of doing
things, as taught by some good old pre-historic preacher who has been dead for
thirty years, then such congregation, instead of becoming a great light and
magnet, shining and drawing men and women to it, be­comes a cold and icy
institution of forms and ceremonies, and repulsive to its thinking members and
without at­traction to the world. The church of Christ should be the liveliest
and most active institution in the tvhole country, its members cheerful and full
of hope and Happiness, and “rejoicing in the Lord.” It should sup­ply all the
needed fraternal relations between its mem­bers, in fact, becoming a member of
such an institution should be synonomous with dropping membership in all
fraternal orders of human origin. Its members should be referred to by the world
as synonyms of morality and honesty. The fact that a person is a mem­ber of the
church of Christ should carry with it such confidence that even the world would
require no addi­tional recommendation or further security of the obli­gation of
such person. Until the name Christian car­ries with it such weight, the high
degree of honesty and uprightness intended by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus
Christ, has not been reached. The great trouble with many of our so-called
Christians is, when they obey that form of doctrine prescribed, they fail to
leave off all of the things that they put on while in the world. A man will be
loaded down with memberships in fraternal orders, which require much of his
means, time and thought. He continues them all and thinks he can he the kind of
a Christian that he should be with such weights hanging around his neck. Just as
impossible for a man to be a true and faithful husband after mar­riage, and
continue to suppor tand divide his affections and money with a half dozen
concubines. Man is not capable, after he becomes a Christian, of looking after
more than three institutions: The church, his family, and his private business
from which he derives his means of livelihood, and when he has properly
con­tributed to these three institutions, he will find that he has no time or
money left. Should a preacher attempt to preach upon the appli­cation of the
science of Christianity to our daily lives, he is denominated a sectarian or a
college preacher, and ordered to move on. Like the farmers first above
mentioned, they do not need his instructions. Many of our preachers fail to
recognize the proper organization and setting in order of congregations of the
church of Christ; in fact, many of them attempt to exercise all the func­tions
of the officers of a congregation, instead of teach­ing its officers their
respective duties, and letting them develop in the knowledge and discharge
thereof. There should be no conflict between the duties of the minister, the
duties of the elders or bishops, and the duties of the deacons. Most all trouble
in congregations can be traced to an attempt on the part of the minister or some
officer of the congregation to encroach upon the duties of the other, one or the
other failing to do and perform their respective duties. The idea is for each
and every one to learn the duties in connection with his official posi­tion, and
then discharge them, and in the event anyone ill an official position is lax in
the discharge of his duty, then the others should urge that such duty be
performed. Above all things a Christian should understand the high and exalted
position he holds as a Christian, and the officers of a congregation should
fully understand the high and and exalted position that a congregation holds in
the world, and at all times exert themselves to see that this high and exalted
position is not compromised or lowered. This calls for a high moral and
spiritual standard. This must be maintained in the congregation at all hazards.
In the language of Edwin Markham, “We have committed the golden rule to memory,
let us now commit it to life.” The great trouble with fhe churches today and the
attempted administration of the worship in connection therewith, is that we are
trying to use second century methods instead of twentieth century methods,
thereby failing to interest members and attract those of the world. There is no
more reason for a non-progressive church than there is for a digressive church.
The church of Christ is a progressive institution, intended to be functioned by
a progressive people, and when we recognize this fact and employ it in the
furtherance of our spiritual affairs in this world, then the church will spread
like fire in the dry forest, the whole world will be consumed, a mighty rush
from all quarters of the globe will be made by humanity to accept the teachings
of Christ, and Christ will then be a shining light in the world.

It is said that when ex-President Wilson was president of Princeton University,
the boys, during one of its sessions, became turbulent and unruly, rebelled
against all authority, and refused to restrain themselves. Several teachers
connected with the institution made repeated addresses and appeals to them,
attempting to reach their better side of life and make them understand the duty
they owed themselves and that great in­stitution of learning, and they would
hold up to them the lives of great men who had lived in the past, but their
appeals were in vain. At last Mr. Wilson came upon the platform one morning and
made them a ten or fifteen minute address. In this time he took up the life and
character and teachings of the lowly Man of Galilee, showed them how he
submitted to all authority, whether from his Father in heaven or from kings upon
earth. Then he called their attention to the reward that he received for such
submissiveness. He then begged them to try to imitate the life, the character
and the teachings of this one perfect man, with the assurance that neither they,
nor any other man would ever, at any time, have cause to apologize for anything
that Jesus ever taught, did, or said. That lesson is still controlling Princeton
University.


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  CHAPTER 13: THE CHURCH OF TOMORROW
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The Church of Tomorrow THE CHURCH OF TOMORROW By WILBUR H. WHITE

Exordium:

I always count myself happy indeed to enter into any­thing that enjoins itself
with the service of God. I shall endeavor to speak to you in such a manner that
I will open my heart in its fullness as to my feelings upon this lofty theme. In
discussing the needs of the church today, we find so many things locking the
wheels that we are uncer­tain as to which is the most important, but we hope to
find an effective remedy in the removal of at least some of them. Such a
discussion needs to be plain and direct, and we must approach it lovingly and in
the fear of God. We cannot subtract ourselves, as we discuss “The Church of
Tomorrow/’ from the church of today, be­cause the church of tomorrow will grow
out of the church of today.

I trust I shall have your prayers and compassion as I begin with the first
division:

I. The needs of the Church Today as Compared with Those that may arise to
Confront the Church of Tomor­row. The church of tomorrow will be great in
propor­tion to its measure of helpfulness. She must not depend upon her
pretensions but upon her performances. In other words the church of tomorrow
must demonstrate the practical application of the principles of Christianity for
which she makes such a vigorous plea. The church of today is weakened because of
many things. We must be able to demonstrate our proof texts before the eyes of a
criticising world. People believe in Medical Science because it helps and heals,
it actually produces results. Christianity can become as helpful to the soul, as
medi­cine and surgery to the body. We can prove its fruitful­ness as well as the
physician. If the church will rightful­ly use her potentialities and
possibilities she can surpass the influence of all other institutions on earth
because she has at her command the hopes that lay hold of eternity. The gospel
has more dynamic force and power when put into execution than the combined
wisdom of men. Jesus has set a divine ideal before the church, and in His
exhi­bition we find two elements: Ilis infallible authority, and his untarnished
life that was lived in harmony with the principles he advocated. The church will
never bring about results commensurate with its opportunities until it repaints
before the world this lovely picture. The church must be effective in feeding
the roots of life. This is the supreme purpose of all civilization. It is seen
in the sports upon the playground, the training in the class room, in pure
government, the ministries of art, and the operation of agriculture. The only
way we can blossom into beauty and holiness is to strengthen and feed the tap
root which is the heart. The only way to stir a community is to stir its heart.
It is really the root and not the branch that bears the fruit. We are forever
forgetting the fundamental directions of the Mas­ter, “Cleanse first that which
is within the cup.” Put love in the heart and it will shine through the eye,
speak from the lips, work through the hands, and through the feet run errands of
mercy. A heart filled with the spirit of Christ will destroy every evil in the
world.

Most of our education at present sadly lacks the spir­itual element. It trains
the young too much for a liveli­hood and not enough for life. Eesearch work in a
labora­tory is a useful employment, but as a preparation for the supreme moments
of life it is almost wholly inadequate. A year spent in this sort of activity is
not so valuable as a serious week’s meditation in God’s Word. The Word of God
can enter the doors of an open heart, raise the flood gates and send forth an
irresistible power with which there is no competition.

Many persons, unfortunately, leave no place whatever for the soul in the program
of life. They dwarf and dwindle its hopes and aspirations. A life—program that
neglects the soul is likq an engine builder who makes no provision for the steam
by which to run it. These kind of people expect to pick roses without tending
the soil or cultivating the bush. They want to trade with an hon­est market-man,
but they do nothing to encourage hon­esty and morality. They wish to live in a
community where there is a live church, where life and property will be safe,
but they propose to do nothing for the church. The world today is blind as to
the real sources of life. The popular plea of the optimist is, “wear a smile,”
but the smile that is merely “worn” is a repulsive ex­pression. A true smile is
more than skin deep. Smiling countenances do not make great hearts. We can never
make the world great by this method. Peace of soul, joy and happiness, is not
spread over society like a blanket. It comes up from innumerable roots that are
grounded in the heart. To make the world truly happy we must dig about the
heart. The thing I am trying to get before you is, how can we prepare the church
and put it to work for the salvation of the community in which it lives. The
greatest danger that is being broadcast today is, that social betterment is
divorced from spirituality. A renewed society will never be produced until we
have converted hearts, and we can never have regenerated hearts until men obey
the gospel of Christ. A new heart is more important than an increase in salary;
it is more important than for a man to make two blades of grass grow where only
one grew formerly. More grass will make cattle fat, but it will not take away
vice, dissolve heartaches or forgive sin. A consecrated heart will in­crease
salaries and diminish the number of criminals. In a measure we are now prepared
to seek:

II. The Characteristics of a True and Obedient Church, Patterned after the one
Divinely Instituted, for these are the Elements that the Church of Tomorrow
should contain.

Firstly, the ''church of the first century was pre­sented as a finality. It had
no deficiencies, no redundan­cies, and could not therefore be improved upon. Let
us go back to the fountain head and look at the church as the greatest
institution on earth. Its greatness arises from its origin, its mission, its
accomplishments, and its power to accomplish future good. For the denominations
I have no apologies to offer. They are a hindrance rather than a help to the
progress of the kingdom of God. They are a millstone about the neck of
Christianity and should therefore be drowned in the sea of oblivion. But for the
church of Christ I have the profoundest respect. For a period of fifteen years
my life has been spent in her service as a- preacher and gladly will I spend my
remaining days upon her altar.

It is not to he modeled after human sagacity, nor to he the pioduct of earthly
wisdom. “The church, the manifold wisdom of God” (Ephesians 3:10). The church
had a divine architect and was horn of God. It will still be m evidence when the
empires and kingdoms of this earth have crumbled and decayed.

Secondly, the church of tomorrow' must he the custodian and guard of the Bible.
“Holding forth the word of life.” She must take this in her hand and go forth as
a conqueror. She must learn that she is to he “The pillar and support of the
truth” (Php_2:16; 1 Timothy 3:15). God has made the church the depository of bis
truth. Jehovah has ordained that it is the business of the church to break the
“bread of life” to famishing souls.

“This Book I’d rather own Than all the gold and gems That e’er in monarch’s
coffers ghone, Than all their diadems. “Nay, were the seas one chrysolite, The
earth one golden hall, And diamonds all the stars at night, This hook is worth
them all.

Thirdly, the church of tomorrow must he an earn­est advocate of the doctrine of
Christian unity. The religious bodies of the world can’t unite on their
respec­tive peculiarities. For instance a Baptist minister can’t go into a
Methodist pulpit and preach the tenets of his church without conceding
something. A Methodist min­ister can’t enter Ids pulpit and preach on Discipline
without conceding something. Any minister in our ranks can go into any pulpit in
the land and concede nothing. He simply goes to preach the gospel.

Jesus stepped into the arena of time and said, “I will build my church.” This is
not the “community” church that we hear so much about today, for it has a world
program. Jesus died to draw “all” men unto him. In John 14:6, Jesus states that
he is the way unto the Fa­ther. He thus issues a call for mankind to follow him.
In so doing he rejected all denominationalism and*voiced a plea for the unity of
his disciples. The church of to­morrow is to plead for unity because it is the
express will of Christ, the head of the church. God’s word teaches that it is
not only a possibility but a necessity. Jesus makes it a part of his
intercessory prayer in John 17:20. “That they all may be one.” It was so
important that the salvation of the world depends upon it. John 17:21 : “That
the world may believe.” The church of tomorrow must plead for Christian unity
because it is a positive command of the apostles, the viceroys of Christ. See 1
Corinthians 1:10. “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no di­visions among
you; but that ye be perfectly joined to­gether in the same mind and in the same
judgment. “Un­ity can never be accomplished by cooperation and federa­tion for
the reason that each church insists after the meeting is over to retain their
respective peculiarities. This sort of thing is illustrated in the “Interchurch
World Movement. ” Every religious body in America was represented save the
church of Christ. In their last meeting, their leaders confessed that the move
had been a colossal failure. The reason so stated was that the funds were
appropriated to propagate the interests of the respective churches. Christ here
lays down a prin­ciple for his disciples to imitate, “That they may all he one,
as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee.” Can Christ be a member of one church
and God the member of another?

Fourthly, the church of tomorrow must possess an abundance of liberality. Church
finance is admittedly not the easiest topic to handle. It is a matter of much
concern with many churches. The very fact that diffi­culties surround it make it
all the more important that we give it a careful consideration.

Under the Mosaic Law, God required the people to tithe their income. The New
Testament does not repeat this law but it has erected a standard of giving. It
does teach the principle of the tithe in so far as individual, proportionate,
systematic giving is concerned. The -only way to reach a conclusion is to search
for the acts of inspired men and churches. In the first place, in the beginning
no two churches had the same plan. The Jerusalem plan This church practiced the
“community” of goods. If this was a model, why did not other churches adopt this
as an example? The*dis­ciples were of the opinion that the end of the world was
near and that it would be better to dispose of their prop­erty and do good. They
were not commanded to so act. Another reason for its rejection is, the church
has a con­stant need for support. We must retain part of our pos­sessions in
order to have increase. It was born of holy enthusiasm. The Philippian plan. See
Php_4:16. “For even in Thessalonica yc sent once and again unto my need.” This
was repeated giving but it was irregular. It simply was the haphazard plan. It
was a great help to Paul but it could not be depended upon. The Corinthian plan.
See 1 Corinthians 16:2. “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay
by him in store, as God has prospered him.” Here is regular giv­ing, here is
“individual” giving. Every one should know what they are going to give before
going to church. This plan left every man to judge as to how he had been
prospered. The Macedonian plan. See 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. “More­over, brethren,
we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How
that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep
poverty abounded unto the riches of their lib­erality. For to their power, I
bear record, yea, and beyond their power they are willing of themselves.” This
is an illuminating passage. They gave of their own accord. They did not have to
be urged. This stands out in contrast to bazaars, suppers, and the modern
process of begging. They gave even more than Paul expected. They gave beyond
their ability. Did those churches that stood by and permitted them to so give do
right? This was the trouble with the Corinthian church, they stood by and let
the Macedonians do what they should have done. • The final program of Paul. See
2 Corinthians 8:12-14. “For if there first be a Avilling mind, it is accepted
ac­cording to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. For I mean
not that other men be burdened and ye be eased; but by an equality.” This means
that every man will give his proportionate part. But Iioav is each man to
detennine his part? IIoav can tAvo men Avith different amounts give on an equal
basis, for Paul says there must be an. “equality.’’ Percentage, the giving of a
certain amount will answer these questions. This plan calls for a program of
service. It requires that the whole field be surveyed. It means the whole church
engaged in the task. It requires system and work. Perhaps this may be the reason
why some brethren object to it.

Fifthly, the church of tomorrow must insist that the world avail itself of the
blessings it has to offer. The church is the only institution in the world that
Is con­nected with eternity. We should measure our plans by a line that will
reach beyond the grave. An artist spent many weary months modelling a group of
figures. At last they were completed and made ready to transport to the
exhibition hall. At the last moment it was found that there was no way to get
his masterpiece out of the room in which it was created. His work was a failure
because he could not transport it. So we will meet him empty-handed unless our
wnrk is accomplished through God’s ordained institution.

There is no such thing in the New Testament as one process to be saved and
another to get into the church. The process that saves me makes me a member of
his church. The church is the medium through wThich sal­vation is to be
received. See 2 Timothy 2:10. “That they may also obtain the salvation which is
m Christ.” To be “in Christ” is to be in his body, and to he in his body is to
be in the church. Here is where salvation takes place. See Eph. 2:36. “And that
he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross.” In Colossians 1:18;
Colossians 1:24. Paul says, “the body is the church.” This being crue,
reconciliation takes place in the body or the church. “All spiritual blessings
are in Christ” (Ephesians 1:7). Then we are not to be blessed spiritually unless
we come to the place where God promises to bless. We must be made to realize
that “in Christ” we are complete in every re­spect. “Ye are complete in him”
said Paul. In every stage of our existence we have been made to realize that we
lacked something. In the early history of the Ameri­can Colonies, the Mother
country sent out Colony ships for their relief. In this vessel would be food,
ammuni­tion, clothing, etc. In time of want, they would stand on the seashore
and gaze toward the Mother country. Fin­ally, it would appear and all their
wants would be sup­plied.

Sixthly, the church of tomorrow must make Chris­tian living in the homes of its
members a reality. Theft, larceny and crime today is in plenty. There are 26
mil­lion boys and girls in America under the age of twenty- one who are
receiving no Bible teaching of any kind. The majority of these crimes are being
committed by the young. It is not so much a question of what to do with them as
it is, what will they do with the world? The pressing need of the hour is a
regeneration of the homes. Much is being said about the revolt of youth. Are the
crimes they are committing wholly due to their rebellious character? There is
more to consider than their lawless­ness. Here is an example. A short time since
a young lady of sixteen said to her father, “I don’t see why I can’t drive the
car.” The father replied, “because the law of this state forbids you as you are
under age, and I am a law-abiding citizen.” The girl answered by say­ing, “then
what do those two cases of liquor mean in the cellar?” When the parents are
lawless, gamble, dance, care nothing for the Bible or the church, how can we
expect the children to be other than lawless ? Then what ought a Christian home
to be?

It should be a powerful test of character. Many men act one way in the home and
another in public. As play actors may appear in one way on the stage and quite
another behind the scenes. Many men are honest and courteous to their customers
because it pays. At night­fall they are sour and engage in many things that are
not conducive to the best interests of the family. We must respect God in the
home as well as in the church on Sunday. It should be a place of refuge. It is
more than a place to eat, grunt and sleep. But instead we find it a place of
high carnival where pleasure and frivolities hold sway. It ought to be a place
where our minds receive ease after the trials and storms of life. It should be
the cornerstone of civilization. The hearthstones are the foundation stones of
this nation. They are more defense than jails or armies. No nation is stronger
than its homes. D. Every home should be a schoolroom of prayer and Bible study.
Many of the homes have no family altar, neither do they make God’s word the
standard. Every parent is writing the history of their children. The child has
been in school long before it goes to the public school at the age of seven. It
has had many reading lessons before this hour. Its mother’s face is its first
reading lesson. If then they are walking in your steps, in what direction are
they travelling? E. Home is a type of heaven. How glad are parents when they
learn the children are coming home. Home! No crying. No death. But home sweet
home, beautiful home, with Christ, the angels, God, the redeemed of all ages,
and our loved ones. A family reunion never to be broken. A foreigner came to
this country. He fell in love with an American girl and was married. Finally his
mother came. She was despised by the new daughter and finally had to leave. Here
she was in a strange land, unacquaint­ed with the language, and without a home.
Oh! What will it mean to you to be a stranger at the gate in that day, without a
promise of entrance, and not being ac­quainted with heaven’s blessings. In
conclusion, the church of tomorrow will sorely need men and women of conviction.
It must be a big-hearted, sacrificing, hard working family. The church of
tomor­row is as much commissioned of God as the one of today He has sent us
forth fully equipped to save and renovate the world. Brethren, will we be equal
to the task?


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  CHAPTER 14: GOD IS LOVE
========================================================================

God Is Love GOD IS LOVE By E. W. McMillan

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that
lovetli is horn of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for
God is love.” In the years that have passed there have been various definitions
of God. These definitions have been in keep­ing with the experiences of the
people defining as well as in keeping with the religions they practiced. In the
long, long ago, when less was known of heaven and God than is known today, there
lived a nation of people known as the Nation of Home. Students of his­tory
remember something of the iron power in that old Roman Empire; they recall the
boast of the Romans that their armies never returned conquored. There seemed to
be uppermost in the mind of Rome the one thought that might, or power, makes
right. That is to say, they seemed to think that whoever has the power to
conquor has the right to conquor. Rome, motivated thus, con­ceived a cold
blooded definition of God. Their defini­tion amounted to saying: “God is Power.”

Preceding the Romans, God had a people—the Nation of Israel. Their law was the
law of Moses. This law was prominent in both positive commands and
prohibi­tions. Ruled by this document, the Jews were inclined to conclude that
“God is Law.” Powerful God is, and he has laws, but neither of these terms
touches his high­est attribute.

Standing historically between Israel and the Komans, were the Greeks. Art,
possioly, was never at a higher point than it was in the Greek conception.
Hence, charmed by the works of their own hands on the one hand, and believing
themselves moved, on the other hand, by some unseen power, the Greeks said, “God
is Beauty.” Who does not see in the heavenly order and in the carpets of grass
out on the landscape an unspeak­able beauty? Will any deny that the great Maker
has left in the whole cosmic order a monument to his aes­thetic nature? And yet,
beauty is not the most potent of God's attributes. The modern development of the
radio has made it possible to send a dozen voices through a room at the same
time without conflict. By the mere turn of a key, one catches now the voice of a
lawmaker in W ashing- ton: now one hears the ringing words of the gospel
preacher near the Golden Gate, now the soft notes of the pipe organ toward the
rising sun. God, who made the law that carries these voices without a friction,
has placed the varied human talents in the wrorld, all for a common purpose.
Like the blending aromas of the vio­let and the rose, the influences of men
harmonize for the salvation, of the world. In the presence of these ever
blending forces, a modern man might say, “God is Harmony.”

We now turn from the shifting scenes and transient experiences of mere
human-guided men to a more sure revelation. What men call the powder, the law,
the beauty and the harmony of God are only the fruits of his love. In love they
were conceived and out of love they grewr. Knowing this, the Apostle John sa’d,
“God is love.” But who is this John? Is he in a position to know that what he
says is true? Was his knowledge sufficient for us to rely upon it as true?

John was a fisher by trade, and from this occupation Jesus called him. Jesus was
Immanuel—“God with us.” Being such, he portrayed the nature and attributes of
God, hence he said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” In all the good
deeds of Jesus, John was able to read the love of God. If Jesus raised to life
the only son of a widow, if be brought back the departed brother of two sisters,
if he wept at the tomb .before raising that brother, if he, because “he had
compassion on them,” fed the five thousand, his heart was good. John saw him do
all this. It was this same John who knew the sacrifices Jesus made for the world
and the persecutions he. received in return. It was this same John who, at the
cross, took from Jesus the final charge of caring for His mother. It was that
same John who saw Jesus laid carefully away in Joseph’s new tomb, then looked
into the open grave three mornings later. John it was who met with Jesus several
times after his resur­rection and beheld the escort of angels when they came to
accompany Him back to heaven. This same John it was who, after many years of
providential care had preached the gospel and drunk the joys that came
there­from, went in the Spirit to the heavenly home and saw what Jesus holds in
reserve for his people. Near the end of that varied and well guided life John
wrote as a resume of his estimate, “God is love.” And John’s estimate was that
of the Holy Spirit. But love has an object. Though unseen itself, it does not
center upon the strange, incomprehensible abstrac­tions of the universe, it
centers upon concrete things. The care of God reaches the smallest of his
creatures; it reaches even to the beautifying of the lilies and the marking of
the sparrow’s fall. But the highest object of God’s care is man. The beauties of
the landscape, the fertility of the lands, the fruits that grow therefrom, with
all the wealth of the earth, were made for man. And when we pass beyond this
life we come upon the scenes of the New Jerusalem—the streets of gold, upon
which that host “which no man could number” walked and sang the song of
redemption, and where they may live forever. These joys and the road that leads
thereto were all made for man.

Moreover, this love has an individual application. Possibly we have been
accustomed to feeling that God loved the apostles, but that the ever passing
years have placed farther away from us his love, as the atonement is more
distant in point of history. But not so. Just as the morning sun shines first
upon the children on top of the hill, but surely, in due time, reaches the
barefooted boy in the frosty valley beyond the hill, the love of God, though
centered first upon the charter members of his church, has come down to us in
the twentieth century. Surely God loves us, too, each one of us individually. As
we pass this way it does not always seem easy to harmonize some actions of God
with this most descriptive title, “God is love.” Abraham, The fact that God is
love is indisputable evidence that all His dealings with us are deeds of love.
The reatness of this love stands out in His New Testament w. In love, His hand
extends to the lost in life’s hum­ble walks and gives unto them an access to
redemption not surpassed by the rich. These have equal rights to enter the
baptismal grave and thus proclaim their faith in the death of their Savior. In
like manner, their rising from that grave declares their hope of a general
resurrection on the last morning of time. Side by side they lift high the
redeeming power of His blood by song, by prayer, and through His Supper. By
doing good they keep ever fresh the love of God incarnate in Jesus Christ His
Son. And, though diversified talents or the smile of fortune may enable one to
do more than another, what is done “is accepted according 'as a man hath not
according as he hath not.”

They did not fully see how a heart of love could demand the life of an only son
in sacrifice. The long journey from kindred people in the land about Ur led for
seventy-five years through many' a dim path, full of temptations, and culminated
in the demand that Isaac be offered in sacrifice. But “Abra­ham staggered not.”
Be it remembered that we now, too, cannot always see the end, but let us not
waver. The artist makes his picture with his brush one stroke at the time. I may
pass by near the beginning of his task and exclaim, “what a waste.” But ere long
I return and find a beautiful picture. He saw the end from the beginning, I saw
only the now. Again, the weaver works on the rough side of his carpet. He does
not see the art of his hands until the last knot of the fabric has been tied,
then he can see from the right side how much beauty he has made and the value of
every stitch. We now are working on the rough side of life; God is paint­ing a
picture through our willing resignation, we shall see the final results “on the
other side.” In this mys­terious working, God may cause much pain to attend one
that much good may come therefrom to many. Here lies the secret of Abraham’s
test, of Jacob’s afflictions, and of the death of Jesus. And here lies the
solution to the problem of human suffering.

Now that God loves us, we also have a duty and a privilege in rpturn. Either of
two companions may love the other and their home remain unhappy. Home is “home,
sweet home” only when both husband and wife love with their whole hearts.
Without such a love, a mansion can not be a home; with it, a cabin is a home.
Our Lord has called Himself the husband of His wife, the church. That lie might
win her affections and make her His wife, He proved his love on the cross. The
strong­est of love was there portrayed. And why? “That He might present the
church unto Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such
thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish.” As a final expression
of His love, God, through His Son, is now making ready a home eternal for His
people. That which in “Enoch Arden”, during Enoch’s long absence abroad, has
touched the deep within us and moved the pen of the artist to picture “Annie”
standing on the hither shore looking “far as human eyes can see” for his return
is spiritualized in the relation of Christ to His church, His bride. When ,the
announcement of His departure brought sorrow to His chosen few, how consolingly
He said: “Let not your hearts be troubled....I go to prepare a place for you.”
And, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you
may be also.” That we may keep close vigil for His return, our Master said:
“What I say unto you, I say unto all, 'Watch’.” It is not needful here that one
should quote the many passages in the writings of Paul “concerning cur
gath­ering together unto Him.” It is a "joy unspeakable and full of glory” that
we can enjoy the anticipations of His return and the final blessings thereof.
And our duty to Him in return is to keep faith. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy soul, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; and thy
neighbor as thyself.’’ Only when we do this can the will of God “be done on
earth as it is in heaven.”


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  CHAPTER 15: UNIVERSAL NATURE OF CHRISTIANITY
========================================================================

Universal Nature of Christianity UNIVERSAL NATURE OF CHRISTIANITY By JOHN T.
HINDS

It is conceded by all that the establishment of Chris­tianity in the world was
for the purpose of saving men and women. What Christianity is, its adaptability
to man’s needs and the necessity of all responsible beings accepting it are
questions of vital concern, which no one can safely ignore. The absolute demand
for its accep­tance is supported by the highest authority. Moses, the Avorld’s
greatest lawgiver, said of Christ, the author of Christianity: “A prophet shall
the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren like unto me; to him
shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak unto you. And it shall
be that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet shall be utterly
de­stroyed from among the people” (Acts 3:22-23). At his transfiguration the
voice of God said: “This is my bloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye
him.” That Christianity is universal in its demands is seen in the fact that God
does not propose to accept any half-hearted service. Jesus said ye must love God
with “all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” No half way
serving the Lord if we are to be accepted. In rebuking the congregation at
Laodicea for being luke­warm John represents Christ as saying that he would spew
them out of his mouth because they were neither cold nor hot. We must accept
Christianity and render honest service to God or be lost. There is no other
alternative. This rigid demand of Christianity must be understood, of course as
being applicable only to those responsible. The infant and the mentally
incompetent are not gospel subjects. As the gospel is not addressed to them,
they are not included in the demands for obedience. Christianity applies only to
those who have lived or will live since ics establishment and are capable of
rendering in­telligent obedience to its requirements. To all such Christianity
offers the only hope. This fact, I am sure, will be abundantly sutained by the
Scriptures to be offered in this lecture. The universal nature of Christianity
is forcefully pre­sented by the significant use of the word “all” both by Christ
and his apostles. The following examples will be sufficient as proof:

I. “All authority.” This is the claim that Christ as the founder of Christianity
made for himself when he sent his apostles as his accredited representatives.
His words are these: “All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on
earth.” The King James version says “powder,” but there is no question but that
author­ity is the better word. The fact that it is found in the Revised Version
is all the proof we need.

These words should make a profound impression on all honest hearts. It was
Christ who said them. lie had been raised from the dead and was soon to return
to his Father. He was issuing his final commission to the apostles and giving
the law by which men should be saved. Under these solemn circumstances he said,
“All authority ” is given to me. Are we willing to obey the command of God and
“hear him”? To fully appreciate this authority we must remember that it applies
to both heaven and earth. Not only so but to the full extent of both realms; for
it is said that Christ has all authority in each realm. Paul said because Christ
humbled himself in becoming obedient to the death of the cross, “God highly
exalted him, and gave unto him the name that is above every name; that in the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and
things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Php_2:9-11). In referring to Christ’s
present state Peter said: “Who is on the right hand of God, having gone into
heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him” (1 Peter
3:2). Surely if all the angelic hosts of heaven must bow to the authority of
Christ, there can be no reason why men should be excused.

Paul not only says in heaven and on earth but under the earth. In Revelation
1:18 it is said that Christ, since his resurrection has the “keys of death and
of Hades.” Since Christ’s spirit went to Hades while his body was in the tomb,
and since he now has the keys of that realm, we are safe in saying that Paul’s
expression “under the earth” refers to Hades—the state between death and the
resurrection. This makes his authority supreme in all realms except Satan’s
domain where no one can or is expected to serve him. This authority may be
rejected, of course, but only at the peril of the one who does it. A pertinent
question in this connection is this: How long will Christ be permitted to hold
this authority? Or, putting it in other words, when will he relinquish it? We
are not only told that this authority will be exer­cised while at the right hand
of God but we are also told exactly when he will give it up. In speaking of
Christ’s coming Paul said: “Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the
kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all
authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all ene­mies under his
feet. The last enemy that shall he abol­ished is death” (1 Corinthians
15:24-25). Christ reigns while at the right hand of the Father but will turn the
rule and authority back to God when he comes.

II. “All nations,” “Every creature.”

After all the Scriptures have said about the authority of Christ it seems
unnecessary to add more to prove the universal nature of Christianity. But men
are often slow to accept the plainest facts sustained by the most unmistakable
proof. The Holy Spirit through the apos­tles has made provision to meet this
human weakness by giving elaborate evidence and by mentioning the smallest
details. In the report of the commission as given by Matthew, Mark and Luke we
find that all na­tions are to be taught, the gospel is to be preached to every
creature or the whole creation, and that repent­ance and remission of sins in
his name is to be preached among all nations. This shows that every nation,
tribe and tongue in this world is required to hear and obey Christ—to become a
Christian. None are exempt except the babes and those not responsible. These
statements make the obligation individual. The commission also settles the
missionary problem. If the gospel is for all and is the power of God to save
people, then it must be preached to all, those near us Lnd those far from us. No
difference where a human being lives he is entitled to hear the gospel.
Christians, to the extent of their ability, should either send or take it to
him. For this we have the unquestioned example of the apostles and early
Christians. When a persecu­tion scattered the Jerusalem church abroad they “went
about preaching the word.” Much of Paul’s life was devoted to carrying the
gospel to other nations than his own. No individual or congregation should be
satis­fied till some provision is made for some missionary work. The universal
nature of Christianity requires it.

III. ‘‘All things commanded.” Jesus not only told the apostles to teach the
nations or preach the gospel to every creature, but to teach them “to observe
all things whatsoever I commanded you.” Of course, in requiring them to preach
the gospel to every creature it is implied that they must preach all things he
demands of sinners as conditions of salvation. This would necessarily include
the commands to believe, repent and be baptized. The story of the conversions
under their labors proves that they did preach these commands; for, the converts
all obeyed them. This is final proof that the commands of the gospel are also
uni­versal. But the expression “all things whatsoever I command­ed you” (Matthew
28:20), refers to the things he required them to teach Christians respecting
their duties. Since Christians must be faithful until death to receive the crown
of life, it is just as necessary to be taught Chris­tian duties as what to do to
become Christians. This in­volves not only the duties of faithful Christians but
backsliders as well. If all things should be taught to one Christian, then to
all Christians. So, even Christian du­ties are as universal as the membership of
the body of Christ. I shall not stop here to mention all these duties but will
say that meeting for worship on the first day of the week and “laying by in
store as the Lord has pros­pered” us are just as universal and individual as
other Christian duties. We do not worship the Lord by proxy;, we must do it
ourselves if it is done.

IV. “Always”—that is till Jesus comes again. When Jesus sent his apostles to
preach the gospel and tach all nations, he said to them: “I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world.” This language does not mean that he would
remain with them person­ally, for he has long since gone back to the Father.
Neither did he mean that they would stay on earth till the end of the world, for
they have long since passed to the beyond. He must have meant that his ap­proval
would rest upon them till they completed the work he gave them to do, and that
what they did because inspired by the Holy Spirit would be binding till the end
of the world. This harmonizes per­fectly with what he had told them before his
death when he said, “Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven.” This again proves that the gospel requirements are not only universal
for every responsible creature but it is to remain that way until the end of the
world.

Customs and fashions often change and this is all well enough, but this does not
change the nature of man nor the conditions of the gospel. When man heeded to be
saved in the first days of Christianity he needs now. Christ provided for the
needs of man’s future. Hence, the universal nature of his law.

Preachers may go to their appointments in the automo­bile, the limited train or
even the aeroplane, but the truth that saves men is just the same as when the
apos­tles walked about the hills of Galilee. Science in the fields of
electricity, medicine and surgery has accom­plished wonders and has done much to
relieve life of many burdens, but man’s nature remains the same and his
spiritual needs are unchanged.

Men often cry for a change in the church and the plan of salvation in order to
keep up with the times. They want the same liberties in divine things that God
allows in temporal things. But this would not he best. An un­changeable covenant
with unchangeable conditions is man’s only guarantee against tho devices of
Satan. If variable and left to the whims of men, soon there would be no
certainty or safety anywhere. The history of denominationalism with its human
creeds is ample evi­dence of this truth.

Just here, it will be well to ask again for emphasis, How universal is
Christianity? The sum total of what the Scriptures say on the question is that
it is for every creature in every nation until the end of the world. Hence the
law of pardon expressed in the commission, the law by which people become
Christians, will be binding till the end of the world. If there were any other
law that would save, people in some other world would have to be found to be
saved by it; for, the law in the commission is for every responsible subject in
this world as long as it stands. This may seem an exacting position, but man has
no right to judge the Lord and say his ways are not just. If he be able to save,
he surely knows how to save. His law can neither be wrong nor unjust.

V. All are invited to come. While the law demands that all obey or else have no
promise of salvation, the Lord makes the invitation just as universal as the
law. Tenderly he pleads, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. ” Almost the last thing said in the divine record is
an invitation from the spirit and the bride saying, “Come.” Then the statement
is made that “he that is athirst, let him come; he that will, let him take the
water of life freely.” Tlie only thing that will hinder people from coming is a
lack of willingness to come. Since all may come, the law that demands obedience
of all is just.

VI. All Must Face the Judgment. Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:10 says: “For we must
all be made manifest before the judgement seat of Christ; that each one may
receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it
be good or bad.” The universal nature of Christianity is here seen m the fact
that all the race must face at the judgment the Christ whose authority covers
the whole realm of intelligent responsibility. Whether good or bad no one is to
be excused from this great universal meeting. Since we are all to be present at
the judgment, all should be ready by obeying the only law that prepares for that
day.

All the Wicked Will Be Lost and All the Righteous Saved. In Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus has given a vivid picture of the judgment. He says that all the nations
shall be gath­ered before him and he will separate them as a shepherd divides
between the sheep and the goats. Those placed on the left are the wicked who
will be told to depart; those upon the right are the good who will go into
eternal life. The two classes constitute the sum total of the race. The judgment
then is just as universal as the race. Well may we ask with the apostle Paul,
mow shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation?” How can we afford to
meet the Lord when we have refused to obey his law or have “counted the blood of
the covenant wherewith we were sanctified an unholy thing?” Why be lost when a
law has been provided that will save every willing re­sponsible soul.” Why waste
the few years allotted us here when eternity with all its wealth of heavenly
bless­ings is open to all who desire to enjoy them? Let us obey and thank the
Lord for a law that is broad enough to save every one that really wants to be
saved; a law as universal as the needs of the human race.


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  CHAPTER 16: WORKMEN APPROVED OF GOD
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Workmen Approved of God WORKMEN APPROVED OF GOD By JOHN T. HINDS The passage of
Scripture that will best serve as a sug-gestion for what I have in mind to say
is Paul’s familiar exhortation to Timothy, '‘Give diligence to present thy-self
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the
word of truth.” Two things are here mentioned—the work to be done and the divine
approval if rightly done.

Work is one of the universal requirements laid upon the human race. The first
statement regarding it was made when man was placed in the garden of Eden and
told "to dress it and keep it.” Because of sin man was cast out under God’s
displeasure. At this time it was said of him: "Cursed is the ground for thy
sake; in toil shalt thou eat all the days of thy life;” and again it was said:
"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return to the ground.”
The production of thorns and thistles is nature’s way of enforcing this
primitive decree and proving that Moses has correctly reported the facts. Nature
willingly gives up her treasures only to the hands devoted to wise and
persist-ent toil. This truth is everywhere apparent. The student finds that
success is obtained at the price of unrelenting effort. The lawyer, the doctor,
the mechanic or the financier goes onward and upward by the way of hard work. No
substitute has been found that will take its place.

In the spiritual realm this truth is equally evident. Idlers succeed no better
in the Lord’s vineyard than elsewhere. Besides this we have work directly
commanded. To Christians Paul says: “Work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling.” James agrees with Paul when he says we must be “doers of the word,
and not hearers only,” else we will delude ourselves. He further tells us that a
man who is a doer of the work shall be blessed “in his doing.” Some one has well
said that success can generally be attributed to five per cent inspiration and
ninety-five perspiration. There must be something more than the pleasure of the
work itself. Some motive must stimulate us for the task. But whatever be the
motive in view we want our work approved. If we do not receive approval, we are
disappointed and consider our labor wasted.

We may have the satisfaction of our own approval. Like Paul we may have a
conscience “void of offense toward God and man.” Such honesty should
character-ize all workmen; but even then, like Paul, we may be him, he learned
his mistakes, changed his work so that he might have a better and safer approval
than his mis-guided conscience.7We may have the endorsement of men—the world in
general—and yet not be doing the right work. On this point Jesus said, “Woe unto
you, when all men shall speak well of you! for in the same manner did their
fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26). James puts the matter in the form of
a question, as follows: “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity
with God?” (James 4:4). A kindred thought is expressed by John in these words:
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15). The approval
that will always be just, and the only one that will be satisfactory finally, is
that which comes from God. Jesus settles the whole matter in one verse when he
says: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
This point is well illustrated by an incident said to have occurred at a
railroad station. The crowd was pushing and surging as if each felt that he must
be the first to pass the gateman. “Take your time, show your tickets,” said the
gateman as he let them through one by one. The gateman would not yield, and the
road’s orders must be obeyed. When all had passed out, an interested bystander
came up and said: “Pretty hard job trying to please everybody, is it not?” “I am
not trying to please everybody,” the gateman replied. “I am trying to please the
general superin-tendent; my job depends on him.”

We should work to please God and get his approval. Our salvation depends on
that. Everything else will be of little value if we fail in this. Life in its
entirety may be appropriately viewed as a structure the building of which is
left to us. A wise selection of materials and a happy way of forming them into a
complete building is what brings both joy and approval for the workman. Only
those who build upon the sayings of Christ can hope to receive divine
appro-bation in the day of accounts. It is worthy of note that just as much
labor and time may be given to our life work religiously without doing what
Christ says as by doing it, but it will not meet his sanction at last. In every
undertaking there are certain fundamental things that must be considered if we
succeed. In the matter of buildings at least four things deserve special
consideration: a safe foundation, a proper superstruc-ture, a wise plan and a
right purpose. The further dis-cussion of this subject will follow more or less
closely this outline.

I. A Safe Foundation. Regarding the necessity of a foundation Jesus said that
every one who heard and obeyed his words was like a man building a house, “who
digged and went deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock: and when a flood
arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it; because it
had been well builded.,, (Luke 6:48). A great building cannot rest upon a flimsy
foundation. Men who have achieved great things or risen to places of trust and
honor have usually come up through years of persistent and painstaking effort.
Sueh hard experience is the best school from which to graduate for the really
big things of life. The best thing in store for man is eternal life, and the
best way tn obtain it, in fact, the only way to obtain it, is to build a life
structure of which we will not be ashamed when.the Lord comes.

Two things are vital in making a safe foundation. Tested material must be used
and time enough taken to lay it well. Taking chances on either one is too risky
when the destiny of the soul is at stake. A failure here, will be disastrous and
prove the workman to have been foolish instead of wise. Since this is just as
true of the building as of the foundation, the languague of Jesus in John 14:6
is appropriate here. He says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one
cometh unto the Father, but by me.” We are “laborers together with God,” and
should understand with the Psalmist that, “Except the Lord build the house, they
labor in vain who build it.” (Psalms 127:1).

Many failures in life can be traced directly to faulty material or too little
preparation for the work. It is said that Edison made several thousand
experiments before perfecting the storage battery. When some one remarked that
it was too bad that so much labor was lost, the great inventor replied: “It was
not lost; I know a lot of things which I must not do.”

Respecting the length of time that may be spent in properly preparing for a
great task we have two out-standing examples in the Bible. One was Moses, the
other our Lord. Moses was reared in the royal Egyp¬tian family where, no doubt,
he passed the better part of the first forty years of his life. Stephen tells us
that he was instructed “in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; and he was mighty in
his words and works.” This was fine schooling. Years later he must meet the
Egyptian king face to face and make a demand so astounding that it would arouse
the bitterest opposition of that powerful people. Forty years of experience with
them was a piece of foundation work that would be invaluable when the time for
deliverance came. At the close of this period he considered himself ready for
the great task, and thought his brethren would so understand; but they did not,
and God knew that he needed more fundamental experience before attempting to
lead a people so long in bondage. Hence forty years Inore of schooling in the
wilderness of Midian. Here as he led his father-in-law’s flocks he could commune
with nature and learn the lesson of absolute dependence upon God, a lesson he
afterwards often needed sorely. After eighty years of foundation work was done
he was ready to do in the next forty the really big things God had in view all
the time.

Christ grew to manhood in an earthly home, busied about the things of a
carpenter's shop. For more than three years he was giving fundamental
instruction, pre-paring a few followers for the work before them. All this
before the inauguration of his own kingdom. If the ancient lawgiver needed
eighty years to prepare for his work, and our Lord, with his divinity, more than
thirty, we should not become impatient if most of our time m this world is
needed to lay a foundation for some special work. Neither should it seem strange
because it requires all our life to prepare for heaven.

II. A Proper Superstructure. Careful consideration must be given the kind of
build¬ing or we may find when we have finished our work that wTe have spent time
and labor with the result that we have something of no value whatever. The kind
needed depends upon the use to be made of it, and the person or thing that is to
occupy it. If a residence is desired, a certain form of arrangement must be
adhered to. If a school or store be the purpose in vieiv, a dif-ferent plan is
necessary.

Adjustment to whatever the situation demands is one of the secrets of success.
If one wishes to specialize in some particular work, a suitable course of
instruction is the proper thing. Schools of law, medicine, agriculture and arts
are established to meet any and all special needs that may arise. But all these
temporal things may be provided for and yet one’s education be sadly deficient.
Any education is incomplete that fails to take into account man’s whole nature.
Specializing is all right in its place, but the problem of human life is a
bigger and broader proposition than medicine, law or agriculture. The specialist
who knows nothing outside his own little world in which he may be an expert is
poorly prepared for the duties of life.

There are four essential parts in man’s complex nature and all of these must be
cared for if we expect to have our work approved.

1. A body of flesh which requires food, exercise and rest. Physical culture has
a vital place m the scheme of correct living. The laws of hygiene should be
known and carefully observed. Proper clothing, protection from the elements and
wholesome food contribute their part toward a healthy body. But one might be all
this and still be just a street bully, prize fighter or a college athlete. One
might be able to reach the goal with a touchdown, or knock a home run whose
grades m math¬ematics, history or philosophy might be F. Physical culture alone
cannot build a lasting structure. Champion prize fighters sooner or later get
defeated, drop out of sight and are forgotten. They have too little in. their
building and the material is worthless to the world. So of all others who care
for the needs of the body only.

2. A mind. This part of man’s nature is looked after with the most painstaking
care. Thousands of school houses and millions of dollars spent each year for
education is proof that both parents and state are mak-ing heroic efforts to
train the mind of the young. But when this is- done to the limit hoped for we
may have only an educated criminal. It has now come to pass that law enforcement
officials must match wits with criminals equally brilliant. The boy or girl with
a body and a trained mind may be a menace to society still. The noted Franks
murder case in Chicago, in which two brilliant moral perverts were tried for
de­liberately killing an innocent child just for the thrill, is unmistakable
proof that we must have more in life’s structure than just mind culture.

3. The moral nature. It is agreed on all hands be­cause social science and
ethics so teach that there is a moral feature to our nature which must be
sustained and safeguarded. The thief, liar and moral -renegrade are all
detestable to good people. By rigid and careful training we may make our
children live true to the principles of honor and morality; but in that event
they are only meeting the requirements of this world. This all ends at death.
"What preparation has been made for the future? Absolutely nothing. A strong
body, a brilliant mind and a perfect honor toward humanity may all be possessed
by the rank skeptic. What has the Christian more than others if this be all he
claims ? What has man doiie to honor his maker if he has been true only to his
fellowman?

4. The spirit. This is the part of man by which he is directly related to God.
Paul calls God the “Father of our spirits.” When our education leaves out the
proper care and development of the spirit, the only promise left is eternal
despair. The world will smile and say you are all right without spending time on
the spiritual na­ture, if otherwise educated, but God’s approval cannot be thus
received. The life of Solomon furnishes a fine example of the point just made.
He tasted about all the temporal pleasures of life, yet his final conclusion was
that all was “vanity and vexation of spirit.” His wisdom was the equal of any
and superior to most, yet he did some very foolish and hurtful things. In the
last days of life he allowed his heart to be turned from God to idols by his
unholy allianee with foreign wives, and thus laid the foundation for the
downfall of is kingdom. 'We can ac­cept his conclusion, though he failed to live
up to it, that “to fear God and keep his commandments is the whole duty of man.”

III. A "Wise Plan. A plan of some kind must be devised or no building work can
be done. The workman is not allowed to change the plans prepared by an
authorized architect. If one plans his oivn structure, he must do it according
to the law and rules which are endorsed by those com­petent to judge. The only
reliable source of information on how to build spiritually is found in the
Bible. The “blue print” on the plan of salvation is a part of the story in this
book. The penalty for making any change is that the one guilty shall be
accursed. See Galatians 1:8-10. The pattern for the Jewish tabernacle was given
to Moses while in the mount. He was warned several times to make all things
according to the pattern shown him. The church is the temple of God, established
by Christ through his inspired apostles, and a curse of destruction is
pronounced against those who would destroy it. The pen picture of an ideal life
is also found in the Bible. No one can succeed in pleasing God whose work is not
guided by this record.

IV. A Finished Work. A workman receives the coveted honor when he turns over the
finished structure to the one for whom it was built and hears him say, “Your
work is well done; I accept it in full.” In order to have God’s approval at the
proper time we must finish the work he has given us to do. Illustrating this
point, Jesus says we must count the cost lest, like the man who laid a
foundation for his tower but was not able to complete it, we may be mocked with
the words: ‘‘This man began to build but was not able to finish.” Jesus carried
out his own teaching in this matter; for, his last words before he died were
these: “It is finished.”

We can never know what the final results will be till the end is reached.
Ancient history furnishes a splen­did illustration of this point. Croesus, the
Lydian king, whose prodigious wealth perpetuated his name in the proverbial
expression “Rich as Croesus,” was once en­tertaining the Greek philosopher
Solon. After he had shown all the splendor of his kingdom, he asked Solon who
was the happiest man he had ever seen. Solon re­plied that the happiest man he
had ever seen was one Tellus, a Greek citizen, who had a virtuous wife,
obe­dient children and a pleasant home. When a war was waged against the Greeks
Tellus gave service to his country and lost his life in defense of his country’s
honor.

Croesus was disappointed at Solon’s reply, but asked who was the next happiest
man he had ever seen. Solon mentioned two brothers who possessed great bodily
strength and received public praise for their respect for and obedience to their
aged mother. Then Croesus wanted to know why Solon did not name him, since his
wealth was enormous and his kingdom glorious. To this Solon replied that he
could not name Croesus as among the happy men until he knew how his life would
end. The philosopher’s reasoning was justified; for, a son who was heir to the
throne was killed in an acci­dent, and later still Croesus lost his kingdom. A
sad ending to years of worldly glory. He began to build hut -was not able to
finish He had no doubt trusted in his riches and royal power, but did not have
God in his plans. Building for time instead of eternity will not give us God’s
approval.

Any failure is sad, but failing to finish the task and losing all we have done
is inexpressibly so. Dr. W. M. Taylor of Liverpool, England, tells this touching
incident: He was requested to break the news to a mother and children concerning
their husband and father who was lost at sea that day. In the service of his
country, the sailor had been around the world and was nearly home; so close, in
fact, that he had sent a message say­ing he would be home for dinner that day.
The meal was being prepared, the table set, the house was in order and the
mother and children happy in an­ticipation when the preacher arrived. The mother
met him at the door with the good news that her husband i\as to be home for
dinner and asked him to stay for the meal and rejoice with them. With tenderness
and tears the preacher told the story of the accident which for that homo had
turned sunshine into shadow, and smiles into weeping. The brief, sad and
expressive words of the mother were these: “So near home and yet lost.” To the
same effect but with far greater sadness will be the word “depart,” whieh at the
judgment will be spoken to those who have not “fought a good fight,” nor “kppt
the faith,” nor “finished the course.” The finishing touches of any work are the
most in­teresting and attractive. May God at last approve of our work sand say,
“"Well done!”


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 17: CHRIST BEFORE THE CROSS
========================================================================

Christ Before The Cross CHRIST BEFORE THE CROSS By JOHN T. HINDS A famous bridge
builder, Ralph Mojeski, said- ‘‘There is in every problem what may be called a
cen­tral them or principle. Unless this theme or principle is grasped clearly at
the start, every subsequent attempt to solve the details of the problem is
undertaken blindly. You may indeed happen to stumble on the solution. But a man
works to a purpose only when he thoroughly un­derstands what his job is all
about, and why he is do­ing it at all.”

There is not only a central theme or principle but a central character. Beyond
question, if we accept God as the Father of us all, Christ is the great central
char­acter of all true religion. One evidence of his great­ness and superiority
is that like his illustrious proto­type, Melchizedek, he stands alone with no
predecessor or successor in his work or position. Of the levitical priests it is
said that by reason of death they were hin­dered from continuing, but of Christ
it is said, “because he abideth forever, hath his priesthood unchangeable,” and
that “he ever liveth to make intercession” for us. The vital nature of Christ’s
work is plainly set forth in such statements as these: “For except ye believe
that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24). “I am the vine, ye are
the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit:
for apart from mb ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5). “If ye keep my commandments,
ye shall abide in my love.” (John 15:10). No further evidence is necessary to
prove that all men must honor Christ by obeying him if they have any promise of
salvation. In further explanation of the universal nature of Christ’s work we
have this from Paul: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yea and
forever.” (Hebrews 13:8). Christ has not always been in the same form, neither
have divine covenants been the same, but he has always been the same in his
oneness with the Father and the basic principles of his work have been the same.
There has never been any way to serve God and be saved except to believe and
obey his word. In whatever way Christ was related to any divine covenant to that
extent we obey or disobey him by accepting or reject­ing that covenant. In some
way, even if inexplicable to us, Christ was in the development of God’s plan for
the salvation of the world. This will appear as vre pro­ceed. It is his work
preceding his death upon the cross that you are now asked to consider. Logically
it falls under three general heads.

Christ with the Father. Just how the only begotten Son of God could be with the
Father before he was made flesh and dwelt among men is, of course, beyond human
wisdom to explain; but that does not render the fact less true. If man could
solve all the secrets of divinity, he would become God himself. Moses declared
that “The secret things belong unto Jehovah our God; but things that are
revealed belong to us and unto our children forever.” (Deuteronomy 29:29). The
question of Christ with the Father in the begin­ning is a matter plainly
asserted by the divine record John, in the opening of his gospel, says: “In the
beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The
same was in the beginning with God. ’ ’ In the first verses of his first letter
the same apostle says of the word of life, which was from the be­ginning, which
was with the Father, it was manifested unto us. The connection leaves no room to
doubt that he means the same Word referred to in his gospel. That he means
Christ is also beyond question.

John not only states the fact that Christ was with the Father in the beginning,
but also of his part in the creation itself. He says: “ All things were made
through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.” Paul
agrees with John when he refers to 'Christ and says, “for in him were all things
created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or prin­cipalities or powers all things have been
created through him, and unto him.” (Colossians 1:16). In Hebrews 1:2 Paul,
speaking of Christ, says, “through whom he made the worlds.” In verse 10 it is
said of him, “Thou Lord, in the beginning, didst lay the foundation of the
earth, and the heavens are the works of thy hands.” As Christ was in God in some
sense in the creation, the first sin was not only against God but against Christ
as well. Every sin since has in the same manner been against Christ. But if
Christ was in the creation, we are forced to accept the Mosaic account of it.
Jesus himself said: “For if ye believed Moses, ye would be­lieve me; for he
wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”
(John 5:46-47). No clearer endorsement could be given the writ­ings of Moses. If
the Mosaic account of creation were not true, it is unaccountable that Jesus did
not expose his mistake regarding the origin of man. If Jesus en­dorsed his
writings and did not know his record was a mistake, then the divinity of Jesus
was of no value, which is just as fatal to the divine origin of the Bible as it
is to the Sonship of Jesus. Any way you view it, there is no middle ground. It
is either believe what the Bible says about the origin of man or be an Atheist.
Evolution is out of the question. In fact, an evolution­ist must reject the
Bible account, and therefore must be an iniidel. When one sees the engine with
power enough to pull hundreds of tons of weight and move at the rate of fifty
miles an hour promptly respond to the engineer’s touch as he applies the power,
he knows that piece of machin­ery did not make itself. One who would so reason
would be considered a simpleton. That this world or universe of worlds is a
gigantic system working with mathemat­ical accuracy is too patent to be denied.
The seasons, the tides, the daily revolution of the earth and its yearly circle
are simple evidences of system that are clear to all. No scientific knowledge is
necessary to appreciate these proofs. The occasional appearance of an eclipse,
though at first thought an irregularity, furnishes no mean evidence of a world
system. The total eclipse occurring in this country, January 24 . 1925, is a
striking example. Ac­cording to reports, the darkness arrived at various points
only three to five seconds behind the schedule fixed by astronomers. We are
amazed at the scientific skill that can so accurately forecast such phenomenal
events. They must have some reliable data or it could not be done. If there were
,not a world system, their forecasts would be the wildest kind of guesses. As
wonderful as this scientific knowledge seems, it is less wonderful than the
system of worlds that really does these phenomenal things. Are such wonders just
a “happen so?” If there were no data upon which these marvels could he
forecasted, then we might conclude that they are only “happen so’s,” maybe just
a broken cog in the wheels of the universe. But such accuracy in figuring it all
out in advance proves that the planets in their movements, like well-timed
wheels in a machine, fit and mesh with mathematical precision. Evidently such
systems do not make themselves. Evolution does not and cannot give a
satisfactory solution to these prob­lems. As each perfectly working system
implies a sys­tematize^ the Bible story of creation alone gives the solution.

Christ in the Types of the Old World That the Jewish covenant contained many
things of a typical nature is attested by plain statements in Cod’s word. Paul
says that the law had a “shadow of the good things to come.” After describing
the Jewish tab­ernacle he declared it to be “a figure for the time pres­ent.” In
the same connection he teaches that it was a figure while the first tabernacle
was standing, that is, while the old tabernacle service was in force as the way
to worship God. But the types began earlier than that. When the Is­raelites
killed and ate the passover lamb on the night they left Egypt, they saw in it no
more than God’s way to save their first born children. It was a solemn night and
one the Jew has never forgotten, but he was only think­ing of saving his family
and escaping from a cruel bond­age. As the centuries passed his children no
doubt listened to the relating of the story with the same interest, but saw in
it no more than their ancestors who were present when the strange event
occurred. But when Paul centuries later said, “For our passover also hath been
sacrificed, even Jesus,” we see in the passover lamb, what the Jew, as a Jew,
never saw. We see and know that the lamb represented in type our Lord. The Jew
was therefore in that service honoring Christ, though he never understood it.

Before they reached Mount Sinai, the manna began to fall. They were amazed, I am
sure, at this strange provision for their temporal needs, but probably saw
nothing more in it than a divine protection from phys­ical death from
starvation. But when Jesus said he would give the true bread from heaven that
would lead to eternal life, contrasting himself, as the bread of life, with the
manna that fell in the wilderness, we know that manna meant more than those who
saw it fall understood. In coming directly from heaven without man's power it
becomes one of the most beautiful types of Christ. The Jew did not see it, but
he was eating in anticipation of the Christ to come.

Just before reaching the mount the people began to murmur for water. The Lord
instructed Moses to smite a rock and supply water for the needs of the people.
This was done and the murmuring multitudes were sat­isfied because their
immediate temporal need was met. But this was all they were able to see at the
time. But Paul again gives us the light when he says they “did all drink the
same spiritual drink: for they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them: and
the rock was Christ.” How beautiful and significent the incident— to us since we
know its typical meaning! As already stated, the tabernacle was, in its
furniture, and service, typical of the plan of salvation through Christ. Plainly
we are told that the death of Christ was “for the redemption of the
transgressions that were under the first covenant. ” (Hebrews 9:15). The Jews
then in type were serving Christ, and their ultimate salvation depends upon him,
though they only saw the shadow. We have the substance, the reality.

Paul describes the journey from Egypt to Canaan and the loss of the disobedient.
He says these things were written for our admonition. Since Christ was in the
old covenant through its types, those who disobeyed were disobedient to Christ.
Those who perverted the taber­nacle service, as did Nadab and Abihu, were
likewise dis­obedient to Christ; for he was in the types. They mixed with
idolaters—a plain violation of God’s command— which sin was described by God’s
prophets as spiritual harlotry. For this and other sins their kingdom was
divided, ten of the tribes lost their identity and the king­dom of Judah was
punished with seventy years of cap­tivity. The lesson I wish us to get is this:
If God severely punished his people who sinned in the age when they had only the
types of Christ, what will he do for us who disobey Christ after he has been
manifested in the flesh? If Nadab and Abihu, with only a typical service to
render, were struck dead for perverting the worship of God which had been
revealed, what may we expect if we tamper with the worship of the church? If to
dishonor Christ in types was so serious, it cannot be less so in the realities
of the worship which he has pre­scribed for his church. Introducing instrumental
music in the worship, and human societies in the work of the church, is
apparently a far greater perversion of worship than getting fire to burn incense
from a different place than the altar. Those who disobeyed Moses’ law died
without mercy, we are told by Paul. The examples are in the Old Testament
record. May we learn from them neither to reject Christ nor pervert his worship!

Christ in the Flesh. In order that Christ might be manifested to mankind he had
to appear in human form. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins.
Christ must be­come the sacrifice that would be effective; hence, it was
necessary that he have a body. For this reason we are told that he took the:
form of man; that he was born of woman. But we are told that he was “the
effulgence of his [God’s] glory, and the very image of his substance.” "We may
never know while in the flesh what this means, but it shows that while Jesus
dwelt in this world he was also divine—not just a man. As man was made a “little
lower than the angels” and Christ took the form of man, he was also, by virtue
of his human body, a little lower than the angels; but by reason of being the
image of God he became “so much better than the an­gels, as he hath inherited a
more excellent name than they.” A human body so that he might die for man­kind ;
the divine image so that he might save the world.

During the period of his public ministry he went about blessing suffering
humanity, giving the most un­mistakable evidences of his divinity. In his
parables and wonderful discourses he gave the world some of its most simple and
profound truths, laying down the great fundamental principle of his kingdom that
was soon to be set up.

"While Jesus came to establish a new covenant, which in the language of the
prophet Jeremiah was- not to be like the old, yet he scrupulously obeyed the
requirements of the old till his death. lie said of the law, “I came not to
destroy, but to fulfill.” But Paul in referring to the law said that Christ took
it out of the way, “nailing it to his cross. ” • Up to the time of his death he
strictly observed the law’s commands. When he cured a man of his leprosy he gave
this command: “Go show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing the
tilings which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.” (Mark 1:44). He
taught thus: “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all things therefore
whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe.” (Matthew 23:2-3). On the night
of his betrayal and arrest he had just kept the sacred Jewish passover supper
with his disciples. The law was then in force and he honored it. In fact he had
said in the sermon on the mount, “Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or
one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all bo accomplished.”
He also said that those who broke the least of his com­mandments or taught
others to do so, should be called least in the kingdom of heaven. If it were so
sinful to break the Mosaic law when in force, it cannot be less to break the law
of Christ now in force. If the Savior must obey the law then, we must obey the
gospel now. The last words of our Lord on the cross were, “It is finished.” As
Jesus expired the sun went down on the Jewish world—the last Lamb had bled with
God’s ap­proval. The divine purpose lay hidden in Joseph’s new tomb till the
third morning when through the resurrec­tion we find the full meaning of the
prophet’s words: “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” May God’s
blessings rest upon us as his approval rested upon the Lord!


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 18: CHRIST IN HIS KINGDOM
========================================================================

Christ In His Kingdom CHRIST IN HIS KINGDOM By JOHN T. HINDS That the New
Testament speaks about the kingdom of Christ is admitted by all. But when that
kingdom was established, if it has been established, and how Christ now stands
related to it, are matters about which there is much controversy. It is the
purpose of this lecture to show that the kingdom has been established and that
Christ is now king upon his throne.

After the abrogation of the old covenant by his death and the three days in the
tomb he arose from the dead, bringing life and immortality to light through the
gospel. Then a kind of preparatory period intervened during which he showed
himself to his apostles “by many proofs” and “speaking the things concerning the
kingdom of God.” The period lasted forty days. We may not know fully why this
time intervened between the ending of the old covenant and the beginning of the
new, but some plausible conjectures may be offered. This additional time may
have been needed to give just the proofs that would completely qualify his
apos-tles to meet the situation that was to confront them. To this end he met
them on several different occasions and under different circumstances; enough to
make the proof satisfaetory. By putting fifty-three days between the end of the
old covenant and the beginning of the new there was no chance left to conclude
that they were the same. This not only settles a matter of vital im-portance,
but it also fixes definitely just when the institution Christ established began.
This institution is presented in a variety of ways in the Bible. It is called
the church. This designation is accepted by all,'and is based upon the idea that
the people composing this institution are “called out” from others; hence an
assembly distinct from others in a re-ligious sense. By a figure of speech the
church is called the “temple of God.” In the same way it is called the “house of
God” or the “household of faith.” “The body” is another designation of like
character. If the same institution is in the Bible itself in different pas-sages
called church, temple, house and body, why not possible that it be called the
kingdom in the same way? Is it not reasonable to expect that it would be? I am
sure a careful examination of the Book will prove that it has been so called.

I. The Use of the Word Kingdom. There can be no logical reason why the words
church and kingdom should not refer to the same institution. It is quite true
that as words they do not mean the same thing, but that does not keep them from
referring to the same institution. The words temple, house and body do not mean
the same as words but all concede that they all are used to refer to the church.
Some feature of the church is similar to the idea contained in each of these
words; hence, by a figure of speech, the church is called by all these different
names. By the same figure the church may be called the kingdom.

All understand that the Jews had a national kingdom of a temporal character. We
also agree that Christ has a spiritual institution in existence now. That there
will be some kind of a future state of existence is accepted by all believers in
the Bible. The same word that describes the Jewish state has in several
instances also been used to describe the church and the final state A few
examples will be sufficient to illustrate this phase of the case. The Jews had a
capital city called Jerusalem. Paul in comparing the old and new covenants in
Galatians 4:26 refers to the church as “Jerusalem that is above" which he says
is “our mother.” John in Revelation 21:1-2 sees the final state as the “new
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” That the word Jerusalem in these
passages refers to the three states—the temporal, the spiritual and the
eternal—is too evident to admit of question. The Jews also had a tabernacle, a
real material building. Paul in Hebrews 8:2 says that Christ is a minister of
the “true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.” In Revelation 21:3,
where the future state is de-scribed, John hears a voice saying, “Behold, the
taber-nacle of God is with men, and he shall divell with them.” Later in their
history the Jews had a temple in place of the tabernacle. In 1 Corinthians 3:16
Paul calls the church “the temple of God.” Revelation 7:14-15 refers to the
final state of the saved and says they are before the throne of God and “serve
him day and night in his temple.” With such clear examples we know that this use
of words is logical and Scriptural. Since the church may be the kingdom, the
proof against it being the kingdom would have to be found in one or both of the
following facts: Either there is no passage in which the word kingdom refers to
the church or there must be a plain declaration that the church and kingdom are
not the same thing. There is no passage containing the latter idea, and there
are passages that show the two words are used to refer to the same thing. The
word kingdom often refers to the Jewish state. But in Colossians 1:13 we have a
passage where no kind of logical twisting can make it mean anything else than
the church. Every effort to evade the force of this plain meaning has been a
disgrace to its author. The same is also true of Revelation 1:6-9. In the first
verse John says Christ “made us to be a kingdom.” In the last verse he says he
was a partaker “in the tribulation and kingdom.” If the tribulation existed, the
kingdom did. If in one, then in the other. If John was in the kingdom, then the
kingdom was in existence at that time. If in existence then, it is still. The
final state is referred to in many passages as a kingdom. But if there were four
times as many passages where the word is so used, that would have nothing to do
with the passages where it means the church. If there were but one in which it
is so used, that would prove that the church is the kingdom.

II. Christ’s Exalted Position Proves the Kingdom Now in Existence. The following
facts relating to the exalted position that Christ now occupies will be
sufficient proof that he is all that is necessary to be considered as a ruling
king 1. He is at God’s right hand. Paul says that “when he had made purification
for sins,” he “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews
1:3). 2. In this position he is above the angels. In Hebrews 1:4 it is said that
he has “become by so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a better
name than they.” Peter says of Christ that he “is on the right hand of God,
having gone into heaven; angels and au- thorities and powers being made subject
unto him.” (1 Peter 3:22). 3. He has a name above every name. In Php_2:5 -lI
Paul briefly covers the whole field of Christ’s relation-ship to the Father. He
explains that God has “highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is
above every name,” for which reason every knee should bow and every tongue
should confess him. 4. In viewing Christ’s work from the standpoint of the
atoning sacrifice Paul calls him our high priest, the highest possible position
that could be assigned him. You are referred to Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 9:11. 5.
When the church is viewed as a temple Christ is called the foundation and the
chief cornerstone. (1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:20). 6. Likewise when the
church is represented as the body of Christ, he is called the head. (Ephesians
1:22-23). The head rules the natural body; Christ rules the spiritual body. This
is what we mean by king. While the figure is changed, the thought is
substantially the same. 7. He has the keys of death and hades. (Revelation
1:18). Keys carry the idea of authority and in this case mean that Christ has
authority over the Iladean world. 8. On the day of Pentecost Peter called him
both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36)

It would be hard to see what more could be necessary to call Christ a king and
his church a kingdom than the things here said about him in his present exalted
position. If all these figures point in the direction of a ruling sovereign, why
should we refuse to grant that he is actually one? To say the least of it, the
logic of the case certainly implies it beyond doubt.

III. When Was Christ Invested with this Supreme Authority?

Putting it in other words, the foregoing means this: When was Christ crowned or
when did he become the ruling king in fact? Christ was a prince, a king in
prospect, an heir to the throne, before he became such in fact. The question we
are now discussing is, when did he become a king in the full accepted sense of
the word? Several things have a material bearing on this question. This .point
must be settled before we can know whether Christ is in his kingdom or not.

Before exercising full kingly power one must be an-ointed and crowned. If Christ
be a ruling king now, his kingdom is spiritual, not temporal. If so, his crown
would not be a literal one but a spiritual one. This happens to be the exact
fact. Paul quotes the following language from David and applies it to Christ:
“Thy throne, 0 God, is forever and ever; and the sceptre of uprightness is the
sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity.
Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy
fellows.’’ (Hebrews 1:8-9). In 2:9 Paul says we behold him “crowned with glory
and honor.” In his first sermon to the Gentiles Peter said Christ “is Lord of
all,” and that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power.” (Acts
10:36-38). The Holy Spirit came upon Christ at his baptism, which was three and
a half years before he was crowned. Paul says in Hebrews 2:9 that it was
“Because of the suffering of death” that he was crowned with glory and honor.
The difference in the time of the crowning and the anointing is not strange. The
same thing occurred in the case of David who, as a king, was a type of Christ.
Samuel anointed David a long time before he succeeded to the throne. The
necessity of Christ’s suffering death before he became king is a position which
he himself presents in his parable of the vineyard in Matthew 21:33-43. The
vineyard represents the Jewish kingdom. The killing of the householder’s son
represents Christ’s death at the hands of the Romans but at the instigation of
the Jews. After giving the parable Jesus asked: “Did ye never read in the
Scriptures, the stone which 'the builders rejected, the same was made the head
of the corner?’r This proves that Christ could not become the head of the corner
till he had been rejected and killed. He then says: “Therefore,” that is, for
the reason that you will kill me, “The kingdom of God shall be taken away from
you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” This
passage is final on the prop-osition that Christ’s kingdom did not begin till
after his death. It does not say, of course, just when it did begin, but the
language strongly implies that the abrogation of the one meant the establishment
of the other as quickly as all necessary matters could be adjusted. Certainly it
does not indicate that centuries would first elapse. The common sense view here
implied would always be accepted if one did not have a theory to defend that
required some other interpretation of the parable. The resurrection was also
necessary before Christ could become a ruling king. In Taul’s sermon in Anti-och
of Pisidia he uses this language: “And we bring you good tidings of the promise
made unto the fathers, that God has fulfilled the same unto our children, in
that he raised up Jesus; as also it is written in the second Psalm, "Thou art my
Son, this day have I begotten thee.” (Acts 13:32-33). Since the full meaning of
this prophetic psalm must include the resurrection of Christ, and the promise
made to the fathers must also include it, we are certain that this kingdom could
not precede the resurrection. In verse 34 Paul says, “As concerning that he
raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he hath spoken
on this wise, I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.” Whatever is
meant by the sure blessings of David, it was not to be received until after the
resurrection. Paul is here quoting from Isaiah 55:3, where the prophet says the
sure mercies of David is “an everlasting covenant.” Language could hardly be
plainer or more decisive.

Peter in his Pentecost sermon said that David being a prophet, knew that God had
sworn to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, and
“foreseeing this spake of the resurrection of Christ.” (Acts 2:30-31). In verse
33 he said that Christ was at the right hand of God. This proof is also
unmistakable that Christ did not sit upon David’s throne till after his
resurrection. Since he was raised to sit on David’s throne and was then at God’s
right hand, the implication is almost as strong as an assertion that he sat on
David’s throne when he went to heaven.

Following the events as they occurred, we find that the ascension was necessary
before he sat upon his throne. To be a high priest in the true tabernacle and a
king upon a spiritual throne are undoubtedly different ways of saying
substantially the same thing. Paul says (Hebrews 8:4), “Now if he were on earth,
he would not be a pihest at all.” The reasoning of Jesus in the parable of the
pounds (Luke 19:11-27), is a direct settlement of this point. In verse 12 he
says a certain nobleman “went into a far country, to receive for him-self a
kingdom, and to return.” As this was spoken because, being near Jerusalem they
thought the kingdom was to immediately appear, it must refer to Christ’s going
to heaven and his return. According to this parable, the kingdom was to be
received in the far country and the return to occur after it was received. There
is no possible chance to avoid this conclusion, if the words of Jesus are to
have any meaning whatever. Before leaving for the far country he gave his
servants a pound each and said, “Trade ye herewith till I come.” In verse 14 we
are told that his citizens said: “We will not that this man reign over us.” When
the householder returned he settled with the servants to whom he gave the
pounds. Then as verse 27 shows he ordered those who would not allow him to reign
over them to be slain. The time they refused to let him reign over them was
while he was in a far country. This being true, his reign began when he went to
the far country.

It will be generally conceded that if Christ is on David’s throne, the kingdom
has been established. David said that God would raise up one to sit on his
throne; Peter said God had raised up Christ in fulfillment of that promise and
that he was then at the right hand of God; and James argues that the tabernacle
of David had been rebuilt. If the last point be sustained, the future kingdom
advocates will have to yield; for there is no chance to come this side of the
rebuilding of the tabernacle of David to find the beginning of the kingdom. In
Acts 15 we have the report of the council at Je-rusalem regarding the question
of requiring the Gentiles to be circumcised and to keep the law of Moses. Paul
and Barnabas told of their work among the Gentiles and Peter rehearsed how God
made choice of him.to present the gospel to the Gentiles at the house of
Cor-nelius. Then James made a speech in which he used these words: “Brethren,
hearken unto me: Simeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to
take out of them a people for his name.” This shows plainly that the Gen-tiles
had already been admitted to the chureh. This should not be forgotten. Then
James goes on to say: “And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is
written.” He next quotes the words of the prophet Amos as follows: "After these
things I will return, and I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is
fallen; and I will build age in the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: that
the residue of men may seek after the Lord and the Gentiles, upon whom thy name
is called, saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old.” (See
verses 14-17). The expression, “After these things, ” is a part of the quotation
from Amos and is not the words of James. Hence it cannot mean that after the
reception of the Gentiles into the church, which James had just mentioned, the
tabernacle would be rebuilt, but after the things which Amos had mentioned in
previous verses,In the preceding paragraph, Amos 9:7-10, the prophet refers to
their deliverance from Egypt and then calls them a sinful kingdom which he says
God will destroy from the face of the earth. But God also promised that he would
not utterly destroy the house of Jacob. Next God said: “I will sift sift the
house of Israel among the nations, like as grain is sifted in a sieve, yet shall
not the least kernel fall upon the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die
by the sword, who say, The devil shall not overtake nor meet us.” Then comes the
quo-tation made by James. No individual Jew who was wor-thy would be rejected,
but the people would go into captivity and be sifted among the nations. Their
king-dom was to be destroyed, which occurred when Christ died. After these
things the tabernacle of David would be rebuilt. If it had been rebuilt the next
day after the resurrection, all the requirements of this passage would be met.
To show that this view is the correct one it is only necessary to remember that
James was quoting a passage to prove not only that the Gentiles had already come
into the church but that according to the prophets they had a right to come in.
He quotes Amos who said that the tabernacle of David would be rebuilt that the
residue of men, or all the Gentiles, might seek the Lord. As the tabernacle of
David was to be rebuilt for the purpose of allowing all Gentiles to seek the
Lord, and the Gentiles in the person of Cornelius had already sought the Lord,
then it follows with the force of demonstration that the tabernacle was rebuilt
before the conversion of Cornelius. If this is not true, James made a mistake in
his quotation. He evidently was trying to quote a passage to prove this point.
If the passage had said that after the conversion of the Gentiles, the
tabernacle would be rebuilt, the future kingdom'theory might appear as a
certainty. But that is not what the passage says. It says the tabernacle was
rebuilt that (plainly in order that) the Gentiles might seek the Lord. But the
objector tells us that Christ is not on David’s throne now but on God’s throne.
His proof text is Revelation 3:21. But if this objection were true, which in
part it is not, it admits that Christ is upon a throne. Since all power in
heaven and on earth has been given into his hands, and he is on a throne, he is
king and ruling. But the contention that he is not on David’s throne is false in
fact. It is squarely against the argument of James just given. It is cheerfully
admitted that Christ is now on God’s throne, but it is also David’s unless the
way of speaking about the matter has changed in the New Tes-tament from what is
in the Old. In 1 Kings 2:12 it is said “that sat upon the throne of David his
father.” In 1 Chronicles 29:23 it says “he sat on the throne of Jehovah as king
instead of David his father.” In 1 Chronicles 1:1 it says Solomon was “in his
kingdom.” The throne was God’s; it was David’s because God placed him upon it;
it was Solomon’s because he, as David’s son, inherited it, but it was one and
the same throne. So it is now.'1 Christ sits upon God’s throne; he as a son of
David sits upon David’s throne; as a ruling king he sits uponhis own throne.
This must be the exact truth about the matter. Christ being with God does not
keep him from being king. He is the head of the church and it is called the
church of God and the church of Christ. At any rate he said “my church” when
promising to build it. The objector also refers to Matthew 25:31 and, He will be
upon his own throne when he comes again. But he is on his own throne
now.according to the argument just made. The whole context of .this passage
shows the throne here to be the judgment throne.

Finally, I insist that Christ is now now reigning and will not give that up,
except when He takes the saved home to Heaven and He will deliver the Kingdom to
the Father, and there we shall ever be with the Lord. I submit the
following--Hebrews 10:12-13 we have this statement, "But this man after he had
offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God;
henceforth expecting till his enemies be made the footstool of his feet.” This
passage defi-nitely fixes it that he did not sit down at God’s right hand till
he had made the one offering the everlasting atonement. Henceforth”, from that
time, he was ex-pecting, waiting, for his enemies to become his footstool.

Peter quotes David as follows: “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou upon my
right hand till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet” (Acts 2:34).
This proves that he must remain at God’s right hand till his enemies are become
his footstool. In 1 Corinthians 15:26 Paul says “The last enemy that shall be
abolished is death.” As long as mankind is subject to death Christ will re-main
in heaven. But when will death be abolished ? Revelation 20:11-15 gives a most
vivid view of the resurrection and the judgment following. It says that “the sea
gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were
in them; and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and
Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake
of fire.” Since death is not to be abolished till the final judgment, then
Christ will not come till then; for, he is to remain in heaven till his enemies
are abolished and death the last enemy will not be abolished till then. But the
matter is fixed with 1 Corinthians 15:25 where Paul saws: “For he must reign,
till he hath put all his enemies under his feet.” The period of reign is
precisely the same as the time he is to sit at the right hand of God. As death
the last enemy will be abolished at the final judgment, Christ will reign till
that time. As he reigns while overcoming his enemies and does this while sitting
at God’s right hand, then he has been reigning ever since he sat down at God’s
right hand. He did this when he went to heaven. The final conclusion of the
matter is that Christ has been reigning as king upon David’s throne since he
made the offering for sin, and will continue to reign till the final judgment.
Hence, I repeat, he is now reigning or he never will. A question may be asked:
How does Christ reign or rule? The answer is: Through his truth, just as he, the
head, governs the body which is the church. This is too simple to need more
notice. It is my sincere wish that we may not be as the citizens of the parable
who refused to “have this man rule over” them, but that we may as good stewards
so use the pounds committed to our care that we will merit our king’s approval
when he returns from heaven to reward each according to his works.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 19: THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE
========================================================================

The Christian Warfare THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE By JOHN T. HINDS Christ and his
apostles were accustomed to use as illustrations the simple everyday things with
which their hearers were fully acquainted. They did this, no doubt, because such
a method would enable the people to more easily understand what they said.
Inanimate objects, animals and the various relationships of life were made to do
service in explaining the great truths of the king­dom. When the church was
called the household of faith, or the family of God, the matter of our close
rela­tionship to God and each other wafc vividly set forth. When it was called
the temple of God, the matter of worship was the main idea. ^But when- the
Christian life is represented as a warfare and Christians as soldiers there is
brought to view the defense of the truth, the necessity of “contending”
earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

Some are very much opposed to fighting. A fighting preacher they can not endure.
In fact, they do not believe in fighting, they say, but rather they propose to
win the day simply by loving the sinner into the church and the devil out of
existence. Of course, such conten­tion is popular but clearly out of harmony
with the Bible teaching. Paul says, “Fight the good fight of faith.” When about
to close his earthly labors he said, “I have fought a good fight.” Those who do
not believe in fight­ing simply do not believe what the apostle says about the
matter. Of course, no one with the proper consideration for the rights of others
believes it a right thing to abuse people because of their teaching. But this
and a cour­teous contention for the truth are two different matters entirely. A
warfare without contention or fighting can not be. The very existence of war
implies fighting on all proper occasions. For the sake of clearness I will
divide the subject into the following sub-heads:

I. The Enemies We Must Encounter. While some are. very much opposed to fighting
along religious lines they are perfectly willing to engage in carnal warfare.
They are ready to defend their country but not ready to defend the kingdom of
Christ. It is not my purpose here to discuss the right of Christians to tak?
part in carnal warfare. My subject is the Chris­tian Warfare. However, the
language of the Master in John 18:36 is worthy of our most serious
consideration. He 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 my kingdom is not from hence.” As has been well said we have the
example of a soldier becoming a Christian, in the person of Cornelius, but not
an example of a Chris­tian becoming a soldier. The kind of enemies we have to
fight shows clearly the nature of warfare in which Christians are to be
en­gaged. The same thing is indicated by the rebuke which Christ administered to
Peter when he thought to defend his Master with the sword. The mob had just come
to the garden to arrest the Lord. When they laid hands upon him Peter drew his
sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. Then Jesus said:
“Put up again thy sword in its place: for all they that take the sword shall
perish by the sword.” If his kingdom had been a worldly one, he would have
allowed his servants to defend him with the sword, as he said; but being a
spiritual kingdom he refused to permit Peter to use it in his defense.

Paul has given us some very plain statements on this phase of the question. In 2
Corinthians 10:3-6 we find these words: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do
not war according to the flesh (for the weapons of our war­fare are not of the
flesh, but mighty before God to the .casting down of strongholds), casting down
imagina­tions, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of
God, aiid bringing every thought into cap­tivity to the obedience of Christ.”
Substantially the same thing is found in his letter to the Ephesians. He there
says: “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness,
against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians
6:12).

II. The Necessity of an Enlistment. No nation accepts the service of any one in
its army in the capacity of soldier without the regular enlistment. No
difference how much ability or courage one may have, he must enter the army in
the manner laid down by the government. This is not only the universal prac­tice
of nations but it is a matter of plain common sense. Hence, as we would expect,
Paul mentions this custom when he says: “No soldier on service entangleth him
self with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath enrolled him
as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4). There would be no occasion for Paul referring to
this custom, if the same principle did not hold in the Christian war­fare. The
use of carnal warfare as an illustration is not to endorse such warfare, but to
show that the same prin­ciples hold and are necessary to success in the
spiritual warfare. This plain fact fixes another matter for all time.
Chris­tians are represented as soldiers, the Christian life as one continuous
fight, and the church therefore must be understood as the army. This being true
no one can figlrE for the Lord outside of the church. This is equiva­lent to
saying that one must be in the church to be a Christian. This is not strange
when we remember that no one can be a soldier outside of the army. Fighting out
of the army is not legal; in fact, is criminal. Not only must soldiers be
enlisted, but the government specifies the kind of men it is willing to accept
as sol­diers, The qualifications have reference to physical fit­ness, proper age
and mental capacity. Many prospective soldiers have been rejected because they
are deficient in on or more of these points. Likewise there are qual­ifications
for those who propose for the warfare is not against flesh and blood. No
definite age limit is given because it is a matter of knowledge and not of
years. One must be old enough to understand God’s will and render intelligent
obedience to it. The conditions of entering the Christian army are mental and
moral. Jesus him­self has fixed them. Sinners must believe in him, must repent
of their sins and be baptized into him. These are definite requirements of the
New Testament which I shall not stop here to quote. All will agree that when
these have been obeyed the individual is in the church, he is a soldier in the
Christian army.

III. The Arms To Be Used. All nations try to provide their army with all the
nec­essary equipment that it is possible to obtain. No difference how capable
and courageous soldiers might be they would stand no show of gaining a victory
unless they had the implements of warfare. This all recognize as the proper and
safe course in carnal warfare. In pro­viding soldiers with armor two things are
considered: one is the soldier’s own protection, the other is ample means to
defeat the enemy. As much or more care is given to the protection of the soldier
than is given to the means of defeating the enemy. It is recognized as a fact
that a dead soldier is of no help in the army. And we may safely say that a
Christian spiritually dead is of no help to the church.. A crippled soldier is
even worse as a part of an army. The wounded soldier not only cannot fight but
he requires the help of others phys­ically sound to care for him. The
backsliding Christian not only fails to; render service to the church but his
influence is positively harmful. The real live Christian soldiers have all the
burdens to bear and have to fight to counteract the bad influence of those who
do nothing for the church.

Paul exhorts us to put on the whole armor that we may be able to stand in the
evil day, and reminds us of the fact that we are to stand against the wiles of
the devil. His list of the armojr contains the following things: The girdle of
truth, the breastplate of righteous­ness, feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace, the shield of faith with which we shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the evil one, hope as a helmet, and the sword of the Spirit,
which he declares is the word of God. It will be seen by this list that all the
armor is for the soldier’s own protection except one piece—the sword. God’s word
is all we need to use in fighting the enemy, but we need all the rest to protect
ourselves while we fight. In warfare the soldier is in constant danger of losing
his own life. Untiring vigi­lance and watchfulness are necessary if he would
escape all danger and fight safely to the end. This is no doubt the reason we
have so many warnings in the Bible against unfaithfulness. It explains the
statement of Jesus when he said: “He that enduretli to the. end the same shall
be saved.” No soldier is safe till the war ends; no Christian can be safe
without being faithful till death.

IV. Drilling is Necessary. No nation ever thinks of sending untrained soldiers
to the front to meet the enemy. Such a thing would be considered the extreme of
folly. It will be remembered that when America went into the world war it was
nec­essary to raise an army of several million men. The en­listing was a matter
of a short time, but getting the men ready for- real service at the front was
another matter. Training camps went up as if by magic; the most rigid training
was used to prepare the soldiers as quickly as possible. If the United States
had sent those boys straight to the front to meet the well-trained, seasoned
German soldiers, the American fathers and mothers would have raised such a
disturbance about it that all the world would have heard their cry. In fact, it
would have been the same as sending them out to be slaughtered.

Generals, majors, captains and lieutenants come from the ranks by way of good
service rendered. Preachers, elders, deacons and all church workers must come
from the members of the church. It is by training—taking part in the exercises
of church service—that we develop the ability and courage to do great things.
Men cannot he qualified for leaders in religious work any other way. It is just
this fact that shows the church to be so neces­sary, and proves the wisdom of
God in providing local congregations where this training can he done. Time and
experience have also shown the absolute necessity of congregational worship.
Those who wish to be success­ful Christian soldiers cannot neglect this part of
the religious life and win the victory. Soldiers must drill; the government will
not accept excuses. Christians must have part in the worship of God; God demands
it and our own salvation depends upon it.

Soldiers drill for efficiency, not for show or the enter­tainment of their
fellows. War is a desperately serious business; human lives are at stake;
nothing must be al­lowed to interfere with preparation. Fighting Satan is more
serious; eternal life is to be lost or won. We must know how to fight him, and
then do it. Men fight for their families, their property, their homes and their
country, but how few fight for the salvation of their own souls! We want our
country to be a good place to live. Do we want our families and friends to be
saved in heaven? If so, why not fight for it? Why not drill till we know how to
do it?

V. The Fighting. There are a number of things said about the fighting, and that
may be said about it. In this closing division of the subject I wish to dwell
upon HOW this fighting should be done.

1. Paul tells us plainly that the. one who pleases as a soldier must not
“entangle himself in the affairs of this life.” Anything in conflict with his
duty as a soldier must be rejected if one is to please his government. What kind
of treatment would a soldier receive, if he should say when called to duty that
his private business was such that he could not come? Or, if he should say he
did not feel inclined to come to such flimsy excuses would not be tolerated at
all by any government. Many Christians do not hesitate to shirk divine
obligations if it is the least inconvenient or their business or pleasure happen
to be in the way. Any kind of business or social relationships that will in any
way interfere with our service to God should be rejected or abandoned if we are
already in them.

2. We must contend lawfully. Paul says that if a man “contend in the games, he
is not crowned, except he have contended lawfully.” Even soldiers, though their
business is fighting, are not allowed to do as they please. Military law is
perhaps more strict than civil law. Soldiers are courtmartialed for their
disobedience of military law. The one outstanding feature for which an army is
noted is the strict requirement of obedience to constituted authority. It is far
more important to be obedient to the “Captain or our salvation” than obedient to
a superior officer in an earthly army. In the athletic games the contestant must
work according to the rules or be put out of the game. All accept this as just
and fair. Likewise all religious service must be rendered according to New
Testament teaching or else the Lord will give us no credit for it. This
eliminates putting into the service just anything that suits our fancy or
pleases the people whether authorized by the word of God or not. God's Word also
says that we are to “endure hardness as good soldiers.” The Revised Version
says: “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” We are not
only to endure hardness but we are to suffer it The Christian warfare requires
suffering; all warfare does. Suffering is no new thing in war. The soldier who
is not willing to suffer for the cause, does not love, the cause enough to be a
good soldier. In the margin of the Revised it says, “Take thy part in suffering
hardship.” This means that no one is to shirk his part in the hardships that
come. Paul again says: “ You, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus
shall suffer persecution ” (2 Timothy 3:12).

3. Suppose some American soldier when told to go over the top in France had said
to his commanding officer, “I do not feel very well, or I think it will ram, or
I am afraid the Germans will shoot at me, so I think I will not go,” what would
have been his reward? Then would he have stood with his home government? What
does Christ think of his soldiers who allow' trivial and insignificant things to
keep them away from the church service? Paul says “forsake not” the assembly.
This is a command from our Captain through one of his chosen apostles. Should
'we ignore it? Can v7e afford to dis-obey it? Surely such neglectful Christian
soldiers do not realize hovr disrespectful they are to Christ or they would act
differently.

Some years ago when Russia and Japan were in war a call came to America for a
certain per cent of the Japanese to come home and help defend their country. At
a railway station turn men were watching a number of them as they were about to
leave. Some were crying and some were laughing. One man remarked that it was too
bad that some of them had been drafted to go to the front and were crying about
it. The other man said: “You are mistaken; those laughing are going home to
fight for their country and the others are crying because they did not get to
go.” They love their country so well that they, consider it the highest honor to
risk their lives in its defense. How different are many Christian soldiers ?
Some are ready to cry if they are even asked to do anything. -Shame on the
profession of any Christian when he will not do as much for the kingdom of the
Lord as others do for their earthly kingdoms. Recently men worked untiringly
both day and night to save Floyd Collins from death in a Kentucky cave. Every
means known to the mining profession was used that could be with safety. The
effort was not abandoned till they reached the place and found his dead body.
All of this to save a physical life for a few years. All around us men are dying
every day unprepared. They are lost spiritually. What are we doing to save them
from eternal ruin?

4. In carnal warfare there are dress parade occasions. Passing in review before
superior officers or any admiring crowd is one thing; meeting a real enemy in
deadly conflict is entirely a different thing. Sham battles give a thrill, but
risking life before shot and shell tests who is a real soldier. Protracted
meetings are often a kind of dress parade occasion, when all the members are on
display. Every day fighting tells the story of those upon whom the church
depends for its success.

5. In armies there are sometimes cowards, who would rather see the cause go down
than to fight for it. So there are cowardly Christians who are so afraid they
will offend some one that they will not stand up for the gospel truth. They have
no better standing with the Lord than cowards in an earthly army have with their
officers. Then there are deserters in armies. They are men who for personal gain
will sell their cause to the enemy by joining his ranks. So there are people in
the church who, like Esau of old, are willing to sell their chance of heaven for
a mess of pottage—the praise of men. They know the truth but will not confess it
lest they be put out of the synagogue—lose the coveted position in society. Then
there are traitors in armies sometimes. They not only desert the side they
believe in but try to accomplish its ruin by helping the enemy to fight it. In
earthly armies traitors are usually shot when caught. Their names go down in
disgrace. Benedict Arnold, the arch-traitor of the American colonies, heads the
list in this country. Judas Iscariot occupies the same place relative to Jesus
Christ. Every Christian that goes to the enemy ranks and fights against the
truth is following the example of Judas.

6. After a while the battles will all be fought, the victory lost or won, and
the soldiers will be mustered out of service. To the Christian soldier this will
not be till death. We do not enter the Lord's army on proba-tion, for two, three
or five years, but for life. “Be thou faithful until death," is a command from
heaven.

7. Year by year we see the old soldiers meet for a reunion, where they again
build the camp fires, relate the stories of bravery, heroism and death. In God’s
own good time the faithful in Christ will have a reunion about the throne of
God, when they will receive an incorruptible crown and enter upon such eternal
joys as are held in reservation for the good soldiers in Christ. May you be
among that number.


========================================================================
  CHAPTER 20: COMING TO GOD
========================================================================

Coming To God COMING TO GOD By JOHN T. HINDS

It is a fundamental truth that no journey can be made without starting. It is
equally true that the destination is reached by completing the journey. To start
or travel only a part of the way is all in vain if the end be not reached. This
principle is just as true in the matter of coming to God as to any journey we
may take in this world. The expression “coming to God” may be used in dif-ferent
senses. It may refer to coming into the personal presence of God, which thing
all pious people hope for in the heavenly state. It may also refer to the coming
into a state or place which God has provided for us. When the prophet said the
dust would return to the dust ‘ ‘ and the spirit to God who gave it ’ he must
have meant the place that God has provided for disembodied spirits. Ultimately
we may come to God in both these senses. We also come to him when we come under
his favor or into his kingdom—when we become Christians. The popular notion
about going to heaven is that it does not make any difference what road you
take; or, to use a more popular expression, it does not make any difference
which church you join. This is heard both publicly and privately when the
importance of the church is up for consideration. Of course, the Bible says no
such thing nor anything that sounds like it. But this fact does not seem to
disturb those who confidently assert it to be a fact just why preachers and
others will boldly assert that for which there is not even a scrap of Scripture
is indeed strange. It seems that people who make such bold statements would feel
the necessity of at least trying to quote some passage as proof.

If it be an earthly journey we are never so careless as to say it makes no
difference. In fact, we know that we must take a road that goes to the place we
wish to reach or else we will not go to that place. Why should we reason
differently about the journey from eartn to heaven? If a man wishing to go to
some distant place should ask people he mot how to go, how would they answer
him? Suppose one would say, “If you will take a certain road, change cars at a
certain place, I think you will reach the place.” Would this be satisfactory?
Surely not. The man would probably say that he did not want to miss the
destination, was intending to make the trip but once, and could not afford to
take chances. He would likely also ask the other man if he had ever been to that
place or knew certainly that the proposed road would take linn to the place. If
he should renly that he had never been to the place and did not know the road
vmuld be certain to take him there, then the inquirer would conclude that the
information was unreliable and would seek information from some one else. This
would be his conclusion each time someone told him he thought a certain road w
ould lead to the desired place, but confessed that he had never been there and
did not know certainly that the road proposed was the right one.

Such answers could not leave him otherwise than confused. But suppose some one
should suggest that he consult the Railway Guide, a book that is official on the
question of routes, distances and destinations. He w ould be told that the Guide
was made by those who had been over the roads and that they knew exactly what
they were talking about. Would this be satisfactory? Would it be correct? No one
would question it for a moment. But suppose the inquirer wants to go to heaven
instead of some place on this earth, would indefinite and uncertain answers be
less dangerous or unsatisfactory? If some preacher should say: “Come around to
our church prayer-meeting night and I will state your case to the church and we
will all go to the Lord in prayer in your behalf. I think you will get relief
and be saved.” Should the inquirer be satisfied with this? He should ask the
preacher if he had ever been to heaven and knew therefore that the road he
proposed would lead there. If the preacher only thinks so, his advice is
entirely unreliable. The same would be true of all preachers who would give a
similar answer to this important question. If the speaker said he knew the road
he proposed would reach heaven when he did not know it, the situation would be
all the worse. But again let us suppose the inquirer is advised to get a copy of
the New Testament, with the suggestion that it has for its author Christ who has
been on earth and is now in heaven. As he knows the way, what he says in that
book on the subject is official and final. No dif-ference what any individual
thinks or supposes about the' train to a certain place, what the time card says
is official and correct. So, no difference what any one guesses or imagines
about the road to heaven, what Christ says in the New Testament is absolutely
right and final.

If there be ten or more roads leading to a place any one of them will be all
right that suits the traveler’s con-venience. If there be just two roads to the
place, then one of the two will have to be taken if the place is reached. But if
there be just one road to that place, then that road must be traveled or the
place will not be readier. This is too plain to. need more than a bare
statement. In the journey to heaven the case is- the same. If there be a number
of roads that lead to heaven, then any one of the number that, pleases will be
all right.. But if there be just one road to heaven for gospel subjects, then
that road must be traveled or heaven will be missed.

What is the fact in the matter of the way to heaven? Two or more roads or just
one? This is very definitely fixed by Christ himself. In his contrast of the
two; des-tinations and the two ways leading, to' them he says, the way leading
to life is narrow and few find it, while the way leading to destruction is broad
and many go that way. See Matthew 7:13. By no sort of juggling of words or
logical scheming can this passage be made to say there are many ways to heaven.
If language means anything, the passage teaches that there is just one way to
heaven and only few comparatively find this way. Jesus ex-presses the same
thought in different words in John 14:6 where he says: “I am the way, and the
truth, and the life; no one cometh to the Father, but by me." Our sympathies for
our friends who do not walk in this way may make us wish there were many ways so
each could have his choice, but the fact remains that Christ says there is one
way. That is final. It seems impossible to state the case plainer than he has
done. Why people will assert in the face of his words that there are many ways
to heaven and that it makes no difference which road you take is hard to
understand. For the benefit of those who are slow to accept these plain
statements I will give some additional proof of the fact that there is just one
way, one road or one church. In presenting the matter from the viewpoint of
sheep, shepherd and sheepfold Jesus said: “And other sheep I have, which are not
of this fold; them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice; and they
shall become one flock, one shepherd’’ (John 10:16).) He meant that he would
call the Gentiles who did not belong to the Jewish fold and they, both Jews and
Gentiles, would become one fold under one shepherd. This shows that both would
go the same road or belong to the same church. The simple reason for this has
already been given. There is only one way or church; hence, all must go that
way.

Paul presents the same idea when he refers to the church as the body of Christ
and says that Christ is the head of that body. As the human body is used as an
illustration we know that there is one body and one head. It would be absurd to
think of it otherwise. But Paul plainly says “There is one body” (Ephesians
4:4). In the same connection he says “ one Lord.” Since Christ is the Lord and
there is only one Christ, then there is only one Lord. But Christ is the head of
the body. Then there is only one head. If only one head, then only one body. But
again, the body is the church. Hence, the conclusion, there is only one church.
That means, of course, only one that has Christ for its head and there-fore only
one that is acceptable to God. When Paul says “one Lord” he means one true Lord.
One God means one true God. So one body means one true body. As the body is the
church, then one body means one church. Since there are many religious
institutions claiming to be churches, Paul must mean there is one true church.

Since Christ is the head of the body which is the church to be in the church is
to be under Christ the head. This can not mean anything except to be in
spiritual relationship to Christ. This means to be in Christ or to be saved. To
be out of the church is to be out of Christ. This fixes the question of morality
being enough to save. Morality can not b enough if one is required to become a
member of the church. The contrast between the broad and narrow ways is equally
decisive on this question. The moral man who thinks morality enough to save
prides himself on the fact that he is a good man, guilty of no outrageous
crimes, every ready to treat his fellowman, right, but no member of the church.
He does not like the restrictions of the narrow way nor the destiny of the broad
way. To suit him there would have to be a way midway between the broad and
narrow ways. But since the narrow way leads to life and the broad way to
destruction, there is no destination for a Avay between these two. That may be
the reason the Lord did not make a way midway between them—no place for it to
end. The moral man is in an unfortunate condition; according to himself he is
too good to be lost, and according to Christ he is not good enough to be saved.
This of necessity puts him among those who will be rejected. Those that come to
God must come through Christ.

Some folks object to the narrow way apparently for no other reason than it is
narrow. They are opposed to anything that is narrow, it seems. All kinds of
narrow-ness with them is charged to “a narrow mind”, which they are sure is the
result of prejudice and ignorance, mainly the latter. All in vain usually you
point out that the narrow way leads to life. The happy destination is lost sight
of in their opposition to narrowness. But really what is wrong with narrowness?
The question is both sensible and vital and deserves serious consideration.
Refusing to consider it is no answer.

Again, we may ask, Is a road bad simply because it is narrow? Usually the
reverse is true. If the foundation is solid and safe with a properly built road
bed. it needs to be only wide enough to take care of the traffic. They are made
as narrow as is consistent with the traffic, considered as to numbers and
weight. All that can be left off the width can go toward making the road better
and safer. It follows then that the narrow road is the better one. Why argue
against that which is really in itself better than what you want? Both scripture
and common sense are on the side of the narrow way. Why go against both of these
? Did it ever occur to you that when you speak lightly of the narrow way, you
are really ridiculing the words of Christ himself ? Do you believe he is pleased
with that kind of treatment of what he says? Had you ever thought about how
serious a matter this is ? The way to heaven must be just as narrow as the truth
which Christ uttered; it must be broad enough to include all who render
obedience to that truth, and no more so. And this regardless of who preaches or
who may be lost or saved. Nothing short of this is faithfulness to Christ. The
railroad is perhaps the best road in the world yet the rails are just a few feet
apart. The ponderous engine and the long train of cars weighing hundreds of tons
go speeding over the rails in safety as a rule. This could not be if the rails
were not of a standard width. A car can go all over the country, changing from
one road to another, because the tracks of all roads are made exactly the same
width. And the remarkable thing is that the railroad is a narrow road. Its
safety is in the fact that everything is brought to a standard.

There are a number of things that might cause a wreck of a train. If by any
chance the. dispatcher should give the wrong .order, -there would be great
danger of a wreck. If the conductor or engineer refused to obey the orders, the
danger would be just as great. 'But in addition to human weakness that might
cause trouble there are other things that might also do it. To put some kind of
obstruction on the track might easily derail the train with such loss of life
and property as wrecks produce. When the flange of the wheel gets outside the
rail, a wreck is almost sure to result. But if some spikes are drawn so the
rails will spread, the danger, is equally great. There is no way to be safe
except to have a standard track, follow orders, and keep the flange of the wheel
inside of the rails. The lesson is just the same in the matter of going to
heaven. Christ will not give us a wrong order. Preachers must deliver the
message just as it was given by Christ. Man must not refuse to obey these
orders. If we will keep our practice within the limits of God’s word, we will be
absolutely safe. The road Christ made for us is the only one that leads to
heaven. Our only chance to reach that place is to walk between the rails; that
is, do just what he says, nothing more nor less.

Some years, ago an Arkansas coal miner fired a shot of dynamite just before
leaving the mine for the day. He had only one match but his miner’s lamp was
burning. After lighting the fuse, he stepped back to what he thought was a safe
distance, but the explosion put his light out, leaving him almost three-fourths
of a mile from the shaft in total darkness. All the other miners were gone. The
thought of spending a night in the mine was not at all pleasant. He knew the
track over which the coal cars hauled the coal went to the shaft which was the
only way to light and safety above. Before losing his sense of location he
stepped between the rails. But in such darkness, one might become confused and
turn around and go in the wrong direction. To be sure of not doing this, he put
one foot on a rail and never allowed it to leave the rail for the whole
distance. Dragging one foot over a rail for such a distance was no easy task,
but was better than a night in the mine alone. The way Jesus has made for the
world is the only way that leads to heaven and eternal joys. The world is so
dark with sin that our only chance is to get in that way, stay within the
teachings he gives and keep going till the home is reached. True it requires
some effort and persistence, but that is far better than spending eternity with
the lost. To walk as Jesus directs will bring us home to God. The joys awaiting
the successful travelers will pay for all the effort it requires.


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Source: https://sermonindex.net/books/1925-lectureships/
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