NO. 811: “LET US KEEP THE FEAST”

No. 811

Some Thoughts for the Memorial

“For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast.” (1 Cor. 5:7-8)

The annual observance of our Lord’s death occurs this year after six p.m., April 10. The date is determined by this method: The moon nearest the Vernal Equinox becomes new in Jerusalem on March 29 at 1:57 p.m., thus establishing 6 p.m. March 28 as Nisan 1, Bible reckoning. Counting forward to Nisan 14, we arrive at 6 p.m. April 10. Any time that evening after 6 p.m. would be proper for the celebration.

The date for the observance of the Jewish Passover should be the same as for our observance of the Memorial of Christ our Passover. The reason the dates are not the same is because the Jews often allow the condition of the moon to govern their reckoning of the date, whereas the Bible is very positive that the date should be Nisan 14, regardless of the condition of the moon on that date. We calculate the date using Jerusalem time because the Bible was written in that district. However, any errors in calculating the date, by Jews or by any others, should not be regarded as a crime or sacrilege on their part. If we should err in calculating the date, through ignorance or misun­derstanding, we believe the Lord would accept our good intentions, forgive the error, and grant His blessing.

There was only one real Passover; the annual observance of the Jewish Passover is simply a memorial for that awesome event in Egypt. The Israelites were commanded to celebrate the Passover as the first feature of the Law and as one of their greatest memorials as a nation: “And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.” (Exod. 12:24) This has been done by Jews in all parts of the world, even by renegades and agnostics. Respect for this ancient service is in their very blood, so it is one feature of the Law that has not been violated.

They were told to keep this memorial joyfully, and they concluded that nothing could cheer them better than wine. Conse­quently, four cups of wine were used during the evening, the first before any food was eaten, and the last after the meal had been completed. At the time Jesus ate the last Passover with His disciples, this custom was followed so seriously that poor Jews were provided wine from the public coffer if they could not afford it, because it was not to be just wine, but good wine, the best to be had.

Of course, in the original Passover in Egypt there is no record that wine was used. If any was used at all, we may be sure it was not done to the same degree that subsequent memorials did. That night was a very solemn night; there was no rejoicing, but instead a sober readiness for departure from Egypt the next morning. God had specifically instructed how they were to eat the lamb, with bitter herbs and unleavened bread: “And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover.” (Exod. 12:11)

All the instructions of a reasonable God must be reasonable; and while many do not now understand the reasonableness of the various features of the Passover, in “due time” they will be taught to all in a clear and under­standable manner. The Jews do now realize that some features of their Law carried great significance. For instance, their Sabbath day foreshadowed a time of rest from the labor of sin and death. They were told that those who kept the Law would live in it. The Jews did not want to die any more than the gentiles, so they speedily answered, “All these things will we do, and live!”

As we keep the Lord’s Supper as a Memorial of the antitype of the Great Passover, it is well that we keep in mind that we commemorate the greatest event of all history, the sacrificial death of the Savior of the world. And while there is extensive and elaborate observance of Passover and Easter, few people engaging in those observances appreciate their real significance. St. Paul wrote, “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.” (2 Cor. 4:4) St. Peter says that even those who are partially awake are “blind, and cannot see afar off.” (2 Pet. 1:9) They do not fully appreciate things related to this ceremony, which has been observed now in type and antitype for more than three thousand years.

CHRIST OUR PASSOVER

We are told, “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” (1 Cor. 5:7) However, instead of using the lamb and unleavened bread, we use the symbols that Jesus Himself instituted the night before He died, the unleavened bread and the wine being substi­tuted for the lamb and bread. Some may object to this course, but there is no record at all that the early Christians ever again used the lamb and bread; it was always the bread and wine!

Blessed are those whose eyes can see that Jesus was indeed “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) Blessed are those who can see that the cancellation of the world’s sin is to be effected by the payment of man’s penalty, by the application of Jesus’ sacrificial merit in due time for the sins of all mankind. Only faithful believers have as yet received of the merit of Jesus’ death. Greatly favored are those who can see that as the whole world lost divine favor and came under divine sentence of death, with its accompanying sorrow and pain, so it was necessary that a satisfaction of justice be made before this sentence, or curse, could be removed. Therefore, as the Apostles declare, “Christ died for our sins” – “the just for the unjust.” (1 Cor. 15:3; 1 Pet. 3:18) Thus He opened up a new and living way – a way of life everlasting, not only for us, but for the whole world of mankind in that glorious Kingdom.

The Scriptures refer to the Church of Christ as the “church of the firstborn;” “a kind of firstfruits of his creatures;” and “the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” (Heb. 12:23; Jas. 1:18; Rev. 14:4) These expressions imply that ultimately there will be others of God’s family who are later born; they imply after-fruits. Christian people in general seem to have overlooked these Scriptures, and have generally come to believe that only those who are designated in the Bible as the first-fruits will ever be saved – that there will be no after-fruits.

But the Passover type indicates that it was God’s purpose to save all Israelites, and that as a nation they represented all among man­kind who will ultimately come into harmony with God and be granted everlasting life in the Land of Promise. Note that there was more than one passing over: the one in which only the first-born were passed over, and another greater one at the Red Sea, when by divine power the whole nation of Israel was miraculously delivered and led across the channel of the sea specially prepared for them by the accentuation of winds and tides. These passed over dry-shod and were saved, while the hosts of Pharaoh, representing all who will eventually go into annihilation, were overwhelmed in the Sea.

The passing over at the Red Sea pictures the ultimate deliverance from the power of sin and death of every member of Adam’s race who desires to come into accord with the Lord and to render Him worship, all who will ever become a part of Israel, for not one Israelite was left behind in Egyptian bondage. Note that not one first-born Jew in Egypt died that night, and not one first-born Egyptian escaped death. The same was true in the Red Sea: not one Jew died; and not one Egyptian remained alive. Little wonder that Moses and Miriam sang their songs of victory after that phenomenal performance! (Exod. 15:1-21) And in the Kingdom only Israelites will live, as all who refuse the Kingdom blessings will die.

But the secondary passing over is not the one we are about to celebrate. We celebrate the antitype of the passing over of the first-born of Israel by the angel of death that night in Egypt. Only the first-born ones of Israel were in danger that night, though the deliverance of the entire nation depended upon the salvation, the passing over, of those first-born. And of the first-born there is no record that anyone of them died that night; they were safe so long as they remained “under the blood.”

Thus the firstborn of the human family, the true Church, were to be “passed over” during this night of the Gospel Age. Only these would be in danger of the destroying angel, but they would be safe so long as they remained under the blood of Jesus; they were all under the sprinkled blood.

In harmony with all the Scriptures, we see that the first-fruits alone were to be spared, passed over, during the present age. But the remainder of mankind who may desire to follow the great antitypical Moses in the age to follow this one will be led forth from the bondage of sin and death, typified by the bondage of the Jews while they were in Egypt. As the Jews were told to remain under the blood that night, or they too would suffer death, so the first-born of this age have also been told to remain under the blood of Jesus, or they will suffer death. Some of them have gone out from under the blood, and have suffered extinction as, for instance, Judas. “Good were it for that man if he had never been born.” (Mark 14:21) Divine mercy no longer applies to them.

In “due time” the night of sin and death will merge into the Millennial morning. Then the Christ, the antitypical Moses, will lead forth, will deliver, all the people of God – all who, when they shall come to know, will be glad to reverence, honor and obey the will of God. That “day” of deliverance will be the entire Millennial Age, at the close of which all evil and evil-doers, symbolized by the hosts of Egypt, will be utterly cut off in the Second Death – annihilation. “They shall be as though they had not been.” (Obad. 1:16) They will be cut off in the antitypical Red Sea.

Having clearly and positively identified the Passover Lamb with our Lord Jesus, the Apostle Paul informs us that we all need the blood of sprinkling, not upon our houses, but upon our hearts. (Heb. 10:22) We are to partake of the Lamb, and we must also eat of the unleavened Bread of Truth, if we would be strong and prepared for the deliverance in the morning of the new dispensation. Thus we “put on Christ” – not merely by faith, but more and more we put on His character and are transformed into His glorious image in our hearts and lives. (Gal. 3:27)

We feed on Christ as the Jews fed on the literal lamb. Instead of bitter herbs, which aided and whetted their appetites, we have bitter experiences and trials which the Lord prepares for us, and which help to wean our affections from earthly things and give us increased appetites to feed upon the Lamb and the unleavened Bread of Truth. We too are to remember: “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” (Heb. 13:14) As pilgrims and strangers, staff in hand, we are to gird ourselves for our journey to the Kingdom.

Our Lord Jesus also fully identified Himself with the Passover Lamb. On the same night of His betrayal, just preceding His crucifixion, He gathered His Apostles in the upper room, saying, “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer.” (Luke 22:15) As Jews it was necessary that they celebrate the Passover Supper on that night, the night of the anniversary of the slaying of the Passover lamb of Egypt. It was the anniversary of the saving of the typical first-borns from the typical “prince of this world,” Pharaoh. On this same date the real Passover Lamb was to be slain. But as soon as the requirements of the type had been fulfilled by the eating of the Passover Supper, our Lord Jesus instituted a new Memorial upon the old foundation: “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)

EAT THE FLESH, DRINK THE BLOOD

Jesus had previously delivered a deep lesson to the Jews: “Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove amongst themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:49-52)

Jesus then added: “I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.” (John 6:53-55)

These words of Jesus aroused dismay: “These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (John 6:59-60) To realize the full impact of Jesus’ words, we must keep in mind that the diet of the religious Jews at that time was much more rigid than it is today; they then adhered scrupulously to the ritual given them through Moses. This is forcefully revealed when we read how Peter, while in a trance, saw a great sheet lowered to the earth from Heaven. On the sheet were all manner of beasts, and he was commanded to rise, kill and eat. His answer was quick and positive: “Not so Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.” (Acts 10:9-16) The majority of Jesus’ listeners that day would have felt exactly the same way.

Thus their sensibilities were shocked when “this man” said they must eat Him if they would gain life. The very thought of it would nauseate and repel them. His comments offer no problem to us since we know that He clarified this matter on the night in which He was betrayed by offering the loaf and the cup as representing His flesh and His blood. However, it is little wonder that the disciples complained that it was a hard saying, and little wonder what happened afterward: “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” (John 6:66)

Yet Jesus, knowing that His disciples were murmuring, made no effort to explain; He made no effort at all to soothe their abhorrence at His suggested cannibalism. But this also is explained: “For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.” (John 6:64) They were probably some of those who would believe only if they saw one of the Prophets return from the dead. They were not of the leadable and teachable that Jesus was seeking to be “heirs of the Kingdom,” so it was just as well that they should leave.

As these walked away, Jesus said to those remaining, “Will ye also go away?” Although Peter, being thoroughly schooled in the Law, was undoubtedly puzzled by what Jesus had told them, he was quick to respond, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:67-69)

The lesson was too deep for those who walked away, but it is the fundamental teaching of the Gospel of Christ. Whoever cannot receive this lesson (hear this “hard saying”) cannot receive the other lessons which are built upon it. Jesus had not yet given His flesh, though He was in the process of giving it; He was drawing out its vitality, its strength, and would complete the work of His sacrifice by surrendering His all to death – even the death of the cross.

WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY EATING

We do not eat the flesh of Jesus literally – we eat it by faith; that is to say, by faith we appropriate to ourselves the merit, the efficacy which was in His flesh and which He surrendered to death on our behalf. But why was this, and what did He surrender, and how do we partake of it? We answer that Adam as the head of the race had forfeited his life through disobedience. Hence, instead of being able to propagate a race of perfect beings in harmony with God and privileged to have eternal life, his offspring were as he was: dying and unworthy of eternal life.

Under God’s arrangement, a redemptive sacrifice was necessary. Someone must take Adam’s place, suffering death for him in order to release him and to justify his race from the original sentence. No human being could be found who was perfect and who could give to Justice a ransom – for all were sinners, coming short of the glory, the perfection, which God recognizes as essential to eternal life: “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.” (Psa. 49:7) It was to meet these requirements that God made the arrangement with His Son by which the latter died, freely and gladly, for the joy set before Him, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. (Heb. 12:2; 1 Pet. 3:18)

It was our Lord’s flesh – His human nature – that was given for Adam and his race, and hence given for the life of the world, that the world of mankind might be recovered from under the sentence of death. Thus Jesus, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man and we are all redeemed, not with corruptible things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood (life) of Christ, as a lamb without spot or blemish. (Heb. 2:9; 1 Pet. 1:18-19)

Now that we see how it was necessary for Christ to be made flesh and how it was necessary for Him to give His flesh (His perfect human life) for the life of the world by going into death, how do we eat His flesh? The answer, as put in that figurative form, is beautifully simple and meaningful when we understand it. The eating of the Lord’s flesh must be an individual matter on the part of all those who would benefit by His sacrifice. To eat means to appro­priate by faith. Thus when one comes to understand the fact of the redemption and believes in it, and goes to God in prayer and by faith accepts the forgiveness of his sins and reconciliation with God, he in so doing is eating the flesh of the Son of man; he is partaking of those benefits or advantages which our Lord’s flesh or sacrifice secured.

The result of such eating by faith signifies the appropriation to one’s self of all the blessings and privileges which our Lord possessed as a perfect human being; it implies our justification on the human plane, our relationship to God as those whose sins are graciously overlooked or covered and who have joy and peace and fellowship with God through faith in the precious blood. We are to continue to eat that we may grow stronger and stronger – that we may be able to appropriate more and more the wonderful blessings and privileges, relationships and divine favors which belonged to our Lord, but which He surrendered on our behalf and on behalf of all the members of Adam’s race.

THE INVITATION TO DRINK

Those who are rightly influenced by the eating – those who are drawn nearer to the Lord and led to a full consecration of their all to Him – these additionally have received a special invitation during this Gospel Age to drink of His blood. The blood is the life in Scriptural language, and hence ordinarily the Jews were not to drink blood; to do so would make them guilty or responsible for the death of the person or creature. Thus the Jews said of our Lord, “His blood be on us.” (Matt. 27:25) That is, we assume the responsibility of His death.

The Apostle also explains that unless those who partake of the blood of Christ symbolically in the communion cup do so with the proper appreciation of its meaning, they are symbolically representing themselves as being guilty of the blood – the death – of Christ. (1 Cor. 11:27) Our Lord stated the meaning of the cup at the last Supper, saying to His disciples, “This cup is the new testament in my blood.” (1 Cor. 11:25) That is to say, the cup of the fruit of the vine represents His blood, His death; by it the New Covenant will eventually be sealed. He invited believers to partake of it with Him, not as those who caused His death, but as those who voluntarily join with Him in this self-sacrifice.

Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit given through the words of the Apostle, we may see a depth of meaning in our Lord’s words which the people whom He addressed did not comprehend. Indeed, we believe that while our Lord addressed these words to the Jews, He intended them more particularly for us to whom they have been communicated and by whom they have been more fully understood.

We rejoice in the justification we have through partaking of His flesh – His sacrificed humanity. By partaking of it we appropriate our share of human justification. We rejoice also that eventually the whole world will have the opportunity to eat of that flesh – to accept the grace of God in the cancellation of their human sins and weaknesses. They will then realize that all the blessings of the Millennium, the Restitution Times, will come to them because Christ died for their sins, because He gave them His flesh to eat.

The whole world will then eat of that Bread. As the Apostle intimates, the Church has been privileged to be a part with the Lord in the broken Loaf, as well as to be participants in the cup of ignominy and self-sacrifice which the Father poured for Him, to suffer with Him that they may also reign with Him. (2 Tim. 2:12)

“TILL HE COME”

The Jews were commanded to keep the Passover each year on the 14th day of Nisan as a memorial forever. (Exod. 12:14) Christians have also been instructed to keep the Memorial “in remembrance” of Christ our Passover each year “till he come.” (1 Cor. 11:25-26) From this statement by St. Paul some have raised the question: Should we continue to keep the Memorial if our Lord has returned? However, when we consider that both the Little Flock and the Great Company are a part of the Church of the Firstborn, and that partaking of the bread and the wine symbolizes their participation in the merit of the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world, then it should require no argument about them continuing to “show the Lord’s death till he come” – until the last one has come to their journey’s end.

But we believe the command would apply also to those faithful ones here in the end of the age who are not a part of the spirit-begotten Church of the Firstborn, because the merit of our Lamb has been tentatively imputed to all such – to the extent that the New Covenant cannot begin to operate toward the world until that embargo against Christ’s merit has been removed. While the primary participants in the Lord’s Supper were to be the Little Flock, it is also appropriate for these “Youthful Worthies” to partake. This is what Brother Johnson wrote on this subject:

“They are not privileged in the Lord’s Supper to symbolize death with Christ; for they are not dying as a part of The Christ. But they may partake of the Lord’s Supper to symbolize His death as the Lamb of God, and to symbolize their faith, tentatively appropriating justification through His death. We have two reasons for believing that it is appropriate for the Youthful Worthies to partake of the Lord’s Supper . . . : (1) Not only the firstborns, but all Israelites by divine command and approval (Exod. 12:25-27; Josh. 5:10; 2 Chron. 35:1-19) partook of the annual Passover, the type of the Lord’s Supper. This types that all ultimate believers – the Youthful Worthies, as well as all new creatures – may celebrate the Lord’s Supper. (2) The Apostles partook of the first Lord’s Supper while consecrated but in a tentatively justified condition. At that time their condition was very much the same as that of the Youthful Worthies, though they had a prospect of membership in the Body of Christ denied the Youthful Worthies.” (By Brother Paul Johnson, E-4, page 409)

And, as we partake of our Lamb “in newness of life,” so we also partake of His sufferings, each according to the class in which he finds himself. If we are rightly exercised by such experiences, we then receive “the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment” (their good character qualities – Exod. 12:35) – which they in turn lose by reason of their unjust acts against God’s faithful people.

Dear Brethren, if we will consider our trying experiences with Satan’s deluded servants as opportunities of obtaining divine Truth and grace, receiving them in the Lord’s spirit, we will thus receive the symbolic articles of gold, silver and raiment. Let us view these experiences from this standpoint and act accordingly amid them; and we will emerge from them greatly enriched spiritually. This consideration will keep us from murmuring and complaining amid such experiences and will enable us to take them joyfully. (1 Pet. 4:12‑14)

As the Israelites fled from the Egyptians after being told to be gone the morning after the tenth plague, the morning after the Passover had been eaten, the cloudy fiery pillar set a barrier between them and the pursuing Egyptians, casting a light ahead of it to lighten the path of Israel, but working a thick darkness to the Egyptians. Likewise, during this Harvest period, and especially during this Epiphany night, the Truth (the fiery pillar) has been the means of separating the faithful from the measurably faithful and from the unfaithful. That which brings about deliverance for the faithful is the very thing that entraps the unfaithful and brings them to a fall.

Much the same thought was portrayed when Moses was told to take water (typifying the Truth) from the river and pour it upon the dry land (typifying society) where it would become blood. (Exod. 4:9) The refreshing water of Harvest Truth would appear to be bloody repulsive error to those for whom it was not intended. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him.” (1 Cor. 2:14) And so the Apostle counsels all to faithfulness and growth: “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet. 3:18)

As has been our custom, we shall keep the feast in quietness and confidence, decently, orderly, quietly, without much form or cere­mony, even as did Jesus and His disciples that last night. It is our prayer that this year’s remem­brance may be profitable to all who partake in sincerity and in Truth.

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(Reprint of No. 727, March, 2018. This paper was derived from writings of Brothers Russell, Johnson, and Hoefle.)

Write to us at: epiphanybiblestudents@gmail.com

NO. 810: “TEACH US TO PRAY”

No. 810

“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1)

We are not to suppose that the disciples had never prayed when they asked the Lord to instruct them in the matter. On the contrary, we can assume that, in harmony with our Lord’s example and like the Jews in general, they were accustomed to going to God in prayer. They seemed to realize that as our Lord’s teachings differed from those of the Scribes and Pharisees on various points, so also His conception of prayer was probably different.

Several instances are recorded in which our Lord Jesus prayed in the presence and in the hearing of His disciples, refuting the claims of some that public prayer is improper. Nevertheless, our Lord’s usual method was to go to the Father privately, as He instructed His disciples to do: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matt. 6:6)

In the spirit of this injunction, our Lord withdrew from His disciples into a mountain alone for prayer, and we have several accounts of Him spending a considerable portion of the night thus in communion with the heavenly Father. If our Lord Jesus in His perfection needed to have spiritual fellowship and communion with the Father in order to carry on His assigned work, we who are imperfect have much more need to look continually to the Father for the guidance, comfort, and sustenance needed in all the trials and difficulties of life. It is in accordance with this that the Apostle exhorted: “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks.” (1 Thess. 5:17-18)

We do not understand this to mean that the Lord’s people are to be continually upon their knees, but rather that their hearts are to be constantly in an attitude of prayer, mentally and spiritually, looking to the Lord for guidance in all the affairs of life. This perpetual communion with the Lord is the attitude of the advanced Christian, to whom every day and every hour is a time of fellowship with the Lord. Whenever the cares of everyday life interfere with such communion, it is evidence that we are being overcharged with the cares of this life, and we should rectify matters by diminishing our responsibilities, etc. If this is impossible, we should counterbalance the cares of life with the more earnest and frequent turning over of our hearts to the Lord for guidance.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

It was probably on our Lord’s return to His disciples from such a season of private fellowship with God that they asked Him to teach them to pray. Had He been in the frequent habit of praying with them audibly, we may presume that they would have known to take His style of praying as a proper example for their own.

The account of our Lord’s lesson on prayer as given by Luke differs somewhat from the account given by Matthew, the latter apparently being a much more complete statement. Luke’s account begins, “When ye pray, say . . .” (Luke 11:2) We are not to understand that our Lord meant that the exact words that followed were required. Matthew’s account states the instruction more properly: “After this manner therefore pray ye.” (Matt. 6:9) In other words, our Lord was not giving the words for our prayers, but rather a general sample of style. We are inclined to think that our Lord’s followers have, to a considerable degree, neglected the style, and instead of the brief, orderly petition, all seem inclined to adopt more or less the manner which our Lord ascribed to the improper prayer – namely, vain repetitions, as though it were expected that the prayer would be accepted only if it were of certain length. We are not to suppose that our Lord spent hours in prayer, and yet used so brief a form as the one here given to the Apostles, but we may reasonably expect that the order which He here set forth would be the one which He observed, namely:

(1) “Our Father which art in heaven.” The term “Our Father” would be new to the Jews, for they were a house of servants. By using this term, the Apostles were to understand that they had become identified with the Lord Jesus and were now privileged to consider themselves sons of God. If they had heard the Lord Jesus addressing God as His father, they may have wondered whether or not they would be so privileged to address Him. This prayer would assure them that God recognized them, not as servants merely, but as sons. This is in accordance with the statement made by the Apostle John, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)

The affection of a true father for his child, being one of the most precious in the world, is used to illustrate the relationship of the Lord’s consecrated members to the Creator. It is necessary to be some time in the school of Christ as disciples, learners, before we are able properly to appreciate the meaning of this word Father as applied to God, but the more we come to know of the love of God, which passes all understanding, and the more we are enabled to draw near to Him through faith and obedience, the more precious will this term “Father” become.

(2) “Hallowed be thy name.” This expresses adoration and appreciation of divine goodness and greatness, and a corresponding reverence. In addressing the Father, our first thought is not to be a selfish one respecting ourselves or the interests of others precious to us. God is to be first in all of our thoughts, aims, and calculations. We are to pray for nothing that would not be in accordance with the honor of our heavenly Father’s name. We are to wish for nothing for ourselves, or for our dear ones, that He would not fully approve. There is perhaps no quality of heart in greater danger of being blotted out among professing Christians today than this thought of reverence for God. However much we have grown in knowledge and have gotten free from superstitions and errors, we fear that reverence has been losing ground, not only in the nominal church, but with many of the Household of Faith as well. Such loss of reverence is a distinct disadvantage, both to the Lord’s people and to the world, paving the way to various evils, and ultimately to anarchy.

Ignorance and superstition were the foundation for much of the reverence of the past. As the light of Truth has dispelled the error, only a few have received the precious Truth instead of the error, replacing the false reverence of superstition and fear with the real reverence of love. The Lord’s people will be helped in cultivating this reverence of love by following the order of prayer which our Lord Jesus laid down – considering first the will and honor of God as superior to their own and every other interest.

(3) “Thy kingdom come.” As God and His glory and honor are to be first in the minds of His children, so their next thought should be for the glorious Kingdom, which He has promised will bless the world. Our own personal interests and affairs, and our desire to have the Lord’s blessing and guidance in them, are not to outrank our appreciation of the beneficent arrangements He has so clearly promised in His Word. We are to remember that when the Kingdom comes, it will be a panacea for every ill and every trouble, not only for us, but for the whole world of mankind. We are not, therefore, to permit our own personal needs to be too prominent, but are to remember that the whole creation is groaning and travailing in pain together, waiting for this glorious Kingdom.

These thoughts of the Kingdom, its necessity, and the blessings that it will bring will keep our own consecration prominently before our minds. If the hope for the Kingdom is clearly before our minds, it will be, as the Apostle expressed it, “as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” (Heb. 6:19) This anchor of hope in the future Kingdom will enable us to pass safely, and with comparative quiet, through the trials and storms of this present evil world. While praying for the Kingdom to come, our hearts will naturally turn to our hope that we may be participators in its great work of blessing the world. Then will come the thought that the present trials and difficulties are preparing us for the Kingdom. Thus, the very offering of this prayer in its proper order will bring us a measure of relief from our trials and disappointments.

(4) “Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” This petition offered from the heart implies that the one offering it has made a full consecration of his will, his heart, to the Lord. He hopes for the Kingdom to soon come, establishing the divine will from sea to sea, and from pole to pole. Being thus in accord with the Lord’s will, and thus wishing that it might be universally in control, he will see to it that this will is ruling in his own heart – that in his own affairs God’s will is done to the best of his ability in his earthly condition, even as he hopes to have it perfected in the Kingdom. No one can intelligently and honestly offer this petition and not desire and endeavor to have the Lord’s will done in himself while on earth. A blessing comes to the one who offers this petition before he has asked any special blessing upon himself or others. The mere thought of the divine arrangement brings a blessing, a peace, a rest, a sanctification of heart.

(5) “Give us day by day our daily bread.” The thought here seems to be that of continual dependence upon the Lord, day by day, for the things needed – accepting for each day the Lord’s providential care and direction of our affairs. Daily bread should be understood in the broad sense of things that are necessary. The Lord’s people, who recognize Him as their Father, must trust Him as children, while seeking to use the various instrumentalities and opportunities within their reach. They are to provide the things necessary for themselves, yet to recognize the divine provision and care which has pre-arranged matters so as to make their present conditions and blessings attainable. Agnosticism and higher criticism in general may deny divine providence in suppling for man’s necessities, but the eye of faith sees behind these supplies the love, wisdom, and power of God in giving the things necessary in such a manner as will be for the advantage of mankind.

This petition does not warrant us in asking for particular kinds of food or comforts. We are to leave to the Lord’s providence to direct whether our careful management of life’s affairs results in material prosperity or whether we must toil unceasingly to provide barely what is sufficient. The Scriptures admonish that we are to be: “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” (Rom. 12:11) We are not to be avaricious, but as the Apostle admonishes, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Heb. 13:5)

The children of God who live in modest circumstances may really be much happier than are some who are much more prosperous in temporal matters. Their contentment with inferior conditions arises, not from less ambitious minds, but rather from their faith, hope, and love. Under the guidance of the Lord’s Word, they discern that the present life is merely a vestibule to eternity, and that the Lord is supervising the affairs of His people. The trials, persecutions, discouragements and disadvan­tages in the present time will work in them and for them the preparation of heart and the development of character which will make them fit for the Kingdom.

(6) “And forgive us our sins.” Those who come to God in prayer acceptably must approach Him with a realization of their own insufficiency and unworthiness. They must realize that they are by nature sinners, and that their flesh is both fallen and weak. As the Apostle said, “So that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Gal. 5:17) It is not the Adamic sin, but personal transgressions that are here referenced. Adamic sin, unrepented of and unforgiven, would stand as a barrier so that the supplicant would have no right to go to God in prayer at all, until he had thus repented and been forgiven through the merit of the Mediator. He would have no right whatever to call God his Father, but would still be one of the unregenerated Adamic race. Our coming to God in prayer and calling Him Father implies that we have accepted the mediation of the great Redeemer, through the merit of His sacrifice. It implies that our sins have been forgiven, and that we have been covered with the robe of Christ’s righteousness, and that the Lord is no longer dealing with us as sinners.

What sins, then, have we to confess? We reply that all should recognize that their very best efforts in the flesh necessarily come short of perfection – short of the glory of God. Although the forgiveness of sins is not here mentioned as being through the merit of our Lord Jesus Christ, yet other Scriptures clearly show us that this is the only ground for our fellowship with God: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

To petition the Lord for forgiveness of sins implies that we are at heart opposed to the sins, and that any sins committed have not been willful ones. The Lord, according to His covenant of grace with us, agrees to accept the intention of our hearts in place of the actual, full, complete, perfect obedience to the divine requirement in thought, word, and act. This petition signifies that we recognize that the robe of Christ’s righteousness granted to us has become spotted or sullied, and that we desire to be cleansed, so that we may again be without spot or wrinkle.

The Lord expresses His willingness to cancel the wrong upon its being properly repented of, but He reserves to Himself the giving of stripes, or chastisements appropriate and necessary to His child as an instruction in righteousness, and correction of weaknesses, etc. Happy are they who, with growth in grace and knowledge, find their hearts so fully in accord with the principles of the divine arrangement that they will never transgress with any measure of willfulness. But blessed also are those who, finding some measure of willfulness in their deflections from the divine rule, are pained thereby, and who, as the Apostle said, are led to discipline or correct themselves that they may the more quickly learn the lessons, and bring their bodies more completely into subjection to the new mind – “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1 Cor. 9:27) “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” (1 Cor. 11:31)

(7) “For we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us.” Matthew’s rendering expounds on this statement: “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6:14-15) As we are imperfect and cannot keep the divine law, so likewise others are imperfect. As we realize that we have received, and will still need, divine compassion and mercy with respect to our shortcomings, so the Lord teaches us that we must exercise similar benevolence toward others. Our Lord would thus develop in His consecrated people the spirit of the Father, even as He instructed us, saying: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48)

That is to be the standard. However far short of it we may come, we can have no lower standard than that; and in proportion as we are striving for that standard and realize our own weaknesses and imperfections, we should have proportionate compassion upon fellow-creatures and their shortcomings toward us. This is love, sympathy, compassion, and whoever attains this degree of love will have compassion upon others and their weaknesses, and will be ready to forgive them and glad to forgive them. Whoever does not attain this degree of love to the extent of being able to love his enemies, so as to even pray for them, that person fails to reach the mark of character which the Lord demands. He may be sure that his own shortcomings will not be overlooked, because he is lacking the one important quality of love, which covers a multitude of sins of every kind. None will gain a place in the Kingdom unless they have this forgiving quality, this quality of love.

(8) “And lead us not into temptation.” We are to remember the words of the Apostle: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” (Jas. 1:13) The prayer does not signify that we fear God will tempt us, but that we entreat Him that He may guide our steps, our cares in life, so that no temptation or trial will come upon us that would be too severe for us.

The Apostle assures us that this is the divine will, and that such a prayer would be in accordance with it. God will not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to withstand, but will with every temptation provide also a way of escape. The temptations are of the Adversary, and of our own fallen natures, through our own flesh, and through the weaknesses of others. God is not responsible for these, but He is able to so guide the way of His people that they will not be overwhelmed by these natural difficulties and weaknesses, nor by the wiles of the Adversary.

(9) “But deliver us from evil.” These words are not found in the original of Luke’s account, but corresponding words are found in Matthew’s record, which would properly read, “Deliver us from the Evil One.” There never was a time when there was greater need of this petition than now, as the Evil One is especially seeking to trap and ensnare the Lord’s people in the present time. The Scriptures inform us that God is sending “strong delusion” – that is, He is permitting the Adversary to bring strong delusions upon the world and upon the nominal church. Our Father is permitting this because the time has come for a complete separation of the wheat from the tares. He has promised, however, that those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, who are seeking to walk in His steps, will not be stumbled and will never fall, but will enter into the everlasting Kingdom. The question, then, is one of loyalty of heart to the Lord.

The trial of this day will try the work of the Lord’s people “of what sort it is.” (1 Cor. 3:13) The trial will be so severe that, if it were possible, the very elect would be deceived: “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matt. 24:24) But this will not be possible, because the Lord will give them special care. The Lord’s people will nonetheless seek assistance of the Lord about these matters and they will be preserved through His power. It is our expectation that very shortly now the forces of evil will gain much greater strength than at present. In the meantime, the Lord is staying the adverse forces so that His true people may put on the armor of God and be able to stand when the evil day comes.

The words included in Matthew’s account, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen,” are not found in the oldest Greek manuscripts, and are therefore properly omitted in the Revised Standard Version, and many other translations, as being no part of the Scriptures. The kingdom or rule of the present time is not of God. His Kingdom and power and glory are nowhere evident. We await the ushering in of the divine Kingdom and power and glory with the establishment of Messiah’s Kingdom and the overthrow of Satan’s Empire.

WHY THE DELAY?

Our Lord then gave a parable showing the importance of “importunity” – that is, persistence – when making a request. (Luke 11:5-8) In the parable, a man goes to a neighbor’s house in the middle of the night to ask to borrow three loaves of bread to feed an unexpected guest. The neighbor at first refuses the request. But, the Lord said, if the man were to persist long enough, his friend would get up and give him what he needed. Our Lord did not use this illustration to imply that God is opposed to His people’s requests and will only grant them when they become tedious to Him. He instead used it to show that if a person can be that persistent regarding some slight earthly favor he desires, the Lord’s people need to be much more persistent and earnest with respect to the divine blessings that they desire.

Our heavenly Father has promised us good things, and He delights in giving them to us, yet some of them are far off. For instance, He has allowed His dear people to pray for the Kingdom to come on earth as in heaven for nearly twenty centuries. Why has He not answered the petition sooner? Why did He suggest that we should so pray, if the answer were to be so long delayed?

We reply: The Lord had a plan, including the time for the Kingdom, already mapped out before He taught us to pray for it. That prayer of now nearly twenty centuries, going up from the hearts of His people, has brought blessings to their hearts, and has led them to appreciate and long for the Kingdom far more than if they had not thus prayed. The longing for the Kingdom has been a blessing of itself and has been an encouragement, and so we are praying today for the Kingdom to come, more earnestly perhaps than ever before, because we appreciate the need of God’s Kingdom more and more as we get down to the time when it will be ready to be given to us.

ASKING, SEEKING, KNOCKING

Our Lord’s words in the conclusion of the lesson are very soul-satisfying to those who have faith: “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Luke 11:9-10) In considering these words of the Master, we are to remember the order He had just given us in prayer. We are to ask nothing that is not hallowing and honoring to our heavenly Father’s name; we are to ask for nothing that would in any way interfere with the coming of His Kingdom, or the doing of His will on earth as in heaven. We are to ask only for what is in harmony with the divine plan, as revealed in the Word and prayed for by us, having faith that it will ultimately be fully accomplished, and that it will fully satisfy our hearts.

The asking, seeking, and knocking are to be done by us individually. We may ask the Lord for a share in the Kingdom, and may labor for it, praying His blessing upon our labors; but we may not attempt to direct the divine arrangement and to ask the Lord to especially favor others in connection with the Kingdom, however dear to us they may be. On the contrary, we are to preach the Word to such dear ones, telling them of God’s goodness and grace, and of the Kingdom and its blessings, and encourage them to make a consecration of themselves to the Lord. In connection with that consecration, we are to urge them to ask for themselves, to seek for themselves, and to know for themselves that they may receive and find and enter into the blessed favors of the Lord.

EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT

Our Lord’s words appeal to the fatherly spirit in man, reminding His hearers of how earthly fathers would delight to give good things to their children: “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?” (Luke 11:11-12) Not only will a loving father not give his child something injurious when he asks for something good, he would not give the injurious things even if he were asked for them.

How much more is our heavenly Father good, kind, benevolent, and disposed to bless His children. How much more will He give to us the right things. We have thought of this frequently when hearing some of our dear friends praying that the Lord would baptize them with fire, as He promised in the Scriptures. (Matt. 3:11) We are rejoiced to think that God, in His goodness, would not answer that prayer, would not take advantage of the misunderstanding of the matter, and answer a prayer which would be so injurious to the petitioner. What they desired was a measure of divine blessing; what they were asking for was the curse, or trouble which came upon the chaff in the end of the Jewish Age, and which is again to come upon the tares in the end of the Gospel Age.

We trust that the Lord’s people will more and more cultivate a spirit of prayer, and that in so doing they will more and more appreciate their relationship to God as children, and come to Him as to a father, with simplicity, with sincerity.

We are not at all advocating the thought, so prevalent today, of “the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.” That false doctrine finds no place in the Word of God. God does not stand as a sponsor for the human race in its current depraved condition. He was the father of Adam in his perfection, but our Lord declares the imperfections in Adam’s posterity to be of the Adversary. He said to the Pharisees of His day, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” (John 8:44)

In order to get back again into the family of God, as Adam was a son of God before he sinned, it is necessary for us to go by the appointed way – through the merit of Jesus, the merit of His sacrifice for our sins. It is from this standpoint that we come to the Father, from this standpoint that we have our fellowship, and from this standpoint that we are hoping, trusting, and believing that all things are working together for good to us, because we love God. As the Apostle said, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (Jas. 1:17)

(Based on Reprint 3351.)

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NO. 809: “WAIT ON THE LORD”

No. 809

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” (Psa. 27:14)

The expression, “Wait on the Lord,” does not imply so much a rendering of service to the Lord as it does a waiting for the Lord, patiently watching until we learn what our Lord would have us do. Each child of God should wait to be guided by Him, and not run on ahead of Him, unmindful of the Lord’s purpose for him. As the Wise Man counseled: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Prov. 3:5-6)

Having committed our ways to the Lord, we should go forward only as He leads us. If we are not clear as to His will, let us not be in too great a hurry, nor try to guide ourselves, but present the matter to the Lord in earnest prayer, asking that we may have no will or way of our own, but may be guided only as He wills. Then let us wait, watch, and follow as He seems to lead, leaving the results with Him. We are not to follow our own choice, without evidences that it is God’s will. If we have not as yet clearly ascertained the Lord’s will in the matter, we should consider the Word of the Lord, to see how His instructions seem to apply in this situation, and pray over the matter, that we may be guided properly.

From outward appearances, those who wait on the Lord do not always seem to be the most prosperous, but the Psalmist declared that we should “be of good courage” as we thus wait on God. We make no mistake when we wait on Him – we are pursuing the right course and shall have His blessing. Others may seem to be getting ahead of us at first, but we are to “wait on the Lord,” taking no step unless we feel sure that the Lord is directing and guiding.

Watch for the meaning of His providences. Study His Word and do not let your faith depart from its moorings. “Good” courage means courage of a good degree, not merely a little courage. Strong courage “shall strengthen thine heart.” The word heart here may be understood to mean the soul, the being – especially the intelligent part of us. The Lord will support us and fortify us. He will make us strong to bear all and strong to do His will as it is made known to us. They that wait on the Lord will not want for any good thing.

TRAITS NECESSARY TO SUCCESS

Courage, fortitude, and persistence in the service of the Lord are very necessary to the child of God. Such traits are needed even by the worldly, as whoever lacks these qualities of character is pretty sure to have poor success in life. Lack of courage and hope is one of the chief causes of failure in the world. Our opening text does not refer to the world, however, but to those who belong to the Lord. The precious promises of God’s Word, which are only for those who are wholly His, give us every reason for hope; we have full authority to be strong and of good courage. The children of God will have trials and experiences similar to those of the world, in addition to experiences and trials peculiar to them as followers of Christ. These do not come to us in a haphazard way, however, as they do to the world. They are instead under the direct supervision of the Lord.

Those who are new in the service of the Master might think for a time that matters should run smoothly for them, that they should not have the difficulties common to the world. They might think that now that they are God’s children, He will protect them from afflictions and mistreatment. But as they study the Lord’s Word, they soon see that this is not true; they see that they are to walk by faith, and not by sight. They learn that they are not to expect to have outward and tangible manifestations of His favor, but that they are to walk in the footsteps of the Master and suffer with Him. (1 Pet. 2:20-21; Acts 14:22) They learn that they must be obedient, and they come to see what obedience means.

They see how the Master learned obedience: “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” (Heb. 5:8) Following in the Master’s footsteps is not an easy path. If we accept His Word fully, in time we come to see that, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31) If matters do not go as we had expected, if trials come, we will say, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” (Rom. 8:28)

As we are guided by the Word of the Lord, we learn that we are to be of good courage as we pursue our onward way. There are many difficulties to be surmounted, and it requires courage to surmount them. But the courage born of faith in God and in His promises strengthens us when otherwise we might be overwhelmed. It gives us a strength to which all others are strangers.

TRUST WHERE WE CANNOT TRACE

If a child of God becomes discouraged and loses his hope and strength, it is because he has lost his hold upon the Lord’s promises to help. To lose courage is to lose faith. Loss of faith and courage makes a child of God powerless before his foes. We must trust our Father even when the meaning of His providences is veiled from our eyes, and when our efforts to serve Him seem to be hedged in.

Looking back at the Apostles and their experiences, we see the Apostle Paul was very desirous of carrying the message of the Gospel to others. Several times he tried to go into Asia, but he was not permitted to go. He began to wonder why this was, why his efforts continued to prove failures. But the Lord revealed to him that he was to go into Greece instead. In his first Epistle to the Church at Thessalonica, he wrote, “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.” (1 Thess. 2:18) But we are sure that the Lord caused the machinations of Satan to work to His own glory, and that the lesson of patience and submission proved to be a blessing to His children.

We see that in the Garden of Gethsemane our Lord had not lost faith in God, but He was fearful for a time. As He came to the closing hours of His experiences on earth, He wondered whether or not He had faithfully conformed to all the Father’s requirements. He knew that the slightest infraction of God’s Law would mean His eternal death. Had He completed His sacrifice acceptably? Would He be ushered from death into Heavenly glory by a resurrection? Then He received from the Father the assurance that He had been altogether faithful. All the trials and difficulties which the Master underwent in the laying down of His life preceded Him as a sweet incense, a precious perfume, beyond the veil, into the Most Holy as shown in the type. (Lev. 16:12-13)

A PROPER FEAR

In the type, after the Jewish high priest had crumbled the sweet incense upon the fire of the golden altar, after its fragrance had penetrated beyond the second veil and had covered the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat, he then himself passed beneath the veil. The high priest probably feared every time he raised the veil to pass under it, for had he failed in any particular to carry out his sacrificial work acceptably, he would have died as he passed under the veil. Our Lord Jesus likewise knew that His work must be acceptable in the most absolute sense, else He would forever forfeit His existence. He would become as though He had not been; He would lose all.

There was no earthly being to give our Lord encouragement in this matter. There was no one to say He had done everything perfectly, so the Master went alone to the Father for this assurance and for strength and courage. He prayed, “Not my will, but thine be done.” (Luke 22:42) The Father heard His prayer and gave Him the needed assurance and strength, and during all that night and the following day, up to the hour of His crucifixion, He was calm and courageous.

So, the Lord’s people should have a proper fear. Proper fear is good for them, but it should not proceed to the point of hindering their efforts and dissipating their courage. They should have the fear enjoined by St. Paul when he said, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” (Heb. 4:1) The Master had this proper fear. He never became discouraged, never held back from the work which the Father had given Him to do. His fear was one befitting a son, engendering watchfulness and care, a circumspection of walk and of life, that He might be wholly pleasing to the Father. All Christians should have this fear, and should watch lest they neglect some privilege or duty.

This proper fear will lead us to careful inspection of ourselves. We should ask ourselves what we believe and why we believe it. We should go over in our minds again and again the proofs of the correctness of our faith. By so doing, the Lord will strengthen us in the faith; He will strengthen our heart. If we hope in ourselves, leaning mainly upon our own strength, it will be to our advantage for the Lord to allow us to experience discouragement, that we may realize our utter helplessness, weakness, and our need to lean wholly upon the Lord, looking constantly to Him for guidance and support. If the Lord’s children learn to wait upon Him, the promise will be fulfilled to them: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isa. 40:31)

PATIENCE NEEDED

The Christian who finds himself impatient and restless evidently is lacking in faith toward the Lord; for otherwise he would be able to rest in the Lord’s gracious promises, and wait for their fulfilment. After using reasonable diligence and energy he should be content to leave the results, the times, and the seasons with the Lord. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Heb. 10:36) Our Lord instructed, “In your patience possess ye your souls.” (Luke 21:19) The Apostle James explained, “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (Jas. 1:4) Among the Lord’s people patience surely must be preceded by faith, and the degree of patience very generally measures the amount of the faith.

The will of God is in one sense of the word the standard of God – full perfection – that we should be like our Father which is in Heaven. But God remembers that we are fallen creatures, and that we cannot do perfectly. Doing God’s will does not mean that we must do the will of God in the perfect and complete sense; but rather, as the Apostle said elsewhere, ours is a reasonable service. God does not expect us to do that which is impossible.

What is this will of God? Stated in concrete form, it is the complete devotion of the will to God: “This is the will of God [concerning you], even your sanctification.” (1 Thess. 4:3) We are doing the will of God when we fully consecrate ourselves to Him, but it is His will to put us to the test. How much do we love God? How sincere are we? A soldier in an army might be loyal in time of quiet, but how would he be in time of stress? Would he desert the flag then, or would he prove himself a good soldier? He would need a great deal of patience. If he says he loves his country, his endurance and faithfulness will be tested in her time of need. He must go on picket duty; he must sometimes do menial work. He must endure wearisome marches, and many privations. All these things are required of a faithful soldier. If he is faithful, he is likely to be promoted, honored, for his faithful service.

We are likewise tested as to our loyalty. What are we willing to endure for Christ’s sake? How fully are we submitted? How deep does our submission go? Are we wholly in harmony with the will of the Lord? Is our interest merely superficial, or does it enter fully into our hearts? The question is not merely whether we make the consecration, but to what extent will we manifest patient endurance, obedience, and loyalty.

THE ESSENCE OF THE PROMISE

When, where, and what is the Promise? The promise includes all that God has in reservation for them that love Him – that love Him more than they love houses and lands, or children, or parents, or friends, or husbands or wives, or self, or any other thing. Undoubtedly the promise will be received in the resurrection.

The particular promise that the Apostle referred to above is The Promise. All our hopes and blessings are centered in the original Promise made to Abraham, when God brought him out of the land of Chaldea into the land of Canaan. God promised Abraham that in his Seed all the families of the earth would be blessed. That has been the great Promise for encouragement to the Seed, to give them patience and fortitude. This is the essence of the Promise – that those who receive the Promise shall be the Seed of Abraham to bless the world. The faithful in Christ will be associated with Him in His Kingdom – will have the honor of blessing all the families of the earth under this Kingdom. Every creature of God shall then be brought to a knowledge of His Truth, and shall have the opportunity of being restored to perfection, if they are willing, restored to all that was redeemed on Calvary.

EXAMPLES OF PATIENT ENDURANCE

St. James exhorted the Church saying, “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.” (Jas. 5:10) Those whom the Apostle addressed already knew of the sufferings of Jesus; they already knew of the faithfulness of the Apostles. Now he was calling the attention of their minds to something additional. He was urging them to look back into the past, and see that patient endurance has been characteristic of all who have lived holy lives. These examples should be lessons of encouragement to us, in addition to those we have in the living brethren around us.

There is always something to be gained in casting the mind backward. The things close at hand are too near to be seen in their proper light. It was fitting that the Apostle should call attention to those faithful ones of the past, so that we might be encouraged to note what God desires. In those who are His, He desires a willingness to endure patiently and loyally, thus manifesting true character, that which greatly pleases Him.

As we look back over the Old Testament record of the Prophets, we notice that many of them displayed this very quality referred to by the Apostle as loyalty to the Lord, a willingness to suffer afflictions for His sake, and not as experiences brought through chance upon them by the people. We see Moses – how willing he was to suffer affliction because of his faith in the Promise made to Abraham and his conviction that the Promise would come true. He preferred to suffer with the people of God rather than to live at ease in the royal family of Pharaoh, into which he had been adopted.

We see in Job another example of patient endurance of tribulation and of strong opposition for a considerable time. We see the same in Jeremiah – how much his faithfulness cost him of hardship, and how patient he was. We see the same in Daniel the Prophet – his faithfulness to the Lord, his patient endurance of whatever God permitted to come against him. It was likewise with others of the Prophets, and we read that their experiences were written for our admonition, our instruction. Although they belong to one dispensation and we to another, yet their experiences furnish us good lessons. (1 Cor. 10:6, 11)

Applying these lessons to ourselves, we can say that to whatever extent we may be privileged to speak the Word of God and to suffer persecution as a result, if we take it with patience, it will bring us a corresponding blessing and commendation from the Lord. If we were to do otherwise, it would not be taking His Word for it that all things work together for our good if we love God. (Rom. 8:28)

When Job was rich and prosperous, God tested him by taking everything from him – his family, his wealth, and his health. He even allowed his wife to turn against him. Yet in all this, Job did not turn against God. He did indeed express wonder, but he looked to the Lord in faith and trusted he would yet receive the manifestation of His favor, and learn the meaning of the experiences and afflictions. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” (Job 13:15)

After his testing was accomplished, God gave him back his children, houses, lands, and friends. This foreshadowed the blessings of Restitution, showing how the tribulations of mankind will eventually work out for good to those who will love God. If those who now suffer affliction because of their loyalty to the Lord will take those afflictions and trials joyfully, they will surely work out for their good.

DISCERNING GOD’S WILL

The Lord does not intend for us to walk by sight, thus having no difficulty in discerning His will. Therefore, He arranges matters in such a way that both our obedience and our perseverance are tested, for we are to walk by faith and not by sight. In order to do this, we should daily take everything to the Lord in prayer. We should not undertake anything without seeking to know the will of the Lord respecting the matter. “Teach me thy way, O Lord.” (Psa. 27:11)

We are not always able to discern God’s will, however, because we have no miraculous insight through which we may know what His will is in all the details of everyday life. When the matter is one about which the Scriptures give instructions, then the way is clear; for the only course which the child of God desires to follow is that of obedience. But when the matter is such as depends upon one’s own judgment, then the way is not so clear. Realizing that our judgment is not sufficient, we should not tax our minds with what we know is beyond our power to decide, but should leave the matter to the Lord.

We know if we put ourselves under the Lord’s care, He can direct our course in whatever way He chooses. So, at the beginning of the day we can say something along these lines: “Lord, here I am; I thank Thee for the privilege of another day, which I hope will be full of opportunities for serving the Truth and the brethren. I ask Thee to direct my thoughts, words and conduct, that I may serve Thee acceptably.” Then we may go forth and use our best judgment. If the Lord wants to lead us in one direction or another, that is His choice, not ours. We have solicited His guidance, and our eyes are alert to know and to do His will at any cost. In this attitude we may rest easy, knowing that God is able and willing to overrule all things for His glory and our profit.

Some have taken the approach of going to the Lord for guidance in their affairs by opening the Bible at random and considering whatever verse their thumb or finger happens to touch to be the Lord’s message to them. This method does not appeal to our judgement, although sometimes the text may seem a remarkable answer to their prayers.

Our method of seeking divine guidance should be instead to search and study the Scriptures, taking all of the verses bearing upon the subject under consideration, and trying to find the underlying principle of God’s dealings and teachings. There is surely a reason why right is right in every matter; and we should desire to know the reason. We should desire to know why God wishes a matter one way rather than another way, not because we doubt His wisdom, but so that we may enter into the spirit of His regulations.

By this method, we can have much more happiness than we otherwise could have. By following the other method, we could not know whether God or Satan or mere chance would open the Bible to a particular spot. We much prefer to follow what we believe to be the teaching of the Word of God – that is, to commit all to the Father in prayer, asking Him to guide both reason and judgment, and then go out and use that judgment and reason to the best of our ability. Even if God should permit us to use our judgment in a way that afterward appears not to have been the best, the Father may nevertheless use it to bring some great blessing or profitable lesson. By judgment, of course, we mean our understanding of the Father’s Word and of His providential leadings. Thus doing, we know that all things will work together for our good.

DOING GOD’S WILL IS OUR RULE

The Golden Rule, that one should do unto others as he would have them do unto him, is the acknowledged standard for all mankind. To make a distinction between the Golden Rule and the Christian’s rule for life will doubtless be considered by many as a distinction without a difference, but this is not true. The Golden Rule is a simple rule of justice. All should recognize it and follow it, and none can dispute it. The Golden Rule is applicable to all mankind.

The rule for Christian living, as taught by the Master and exemplified by Him, is far more exacting, however. Of course, those who become followers of Christ are subject to the Golden Rule, but they voluntarily place themselves under a far more stringent rule. Their Covenant with the Lord is that they will always stand ready to sacrifice everything, even life itself, in the doing of His will – the doing of righteousness. This is what the Apostle meant in declaring, “For even Christ pleased not himself.” (Rom 15:3) Even though His will was a perfect one, He renounced His rights, privileges, and liberties that He might serve humanity, and thus lay the foundation for carrying out the Heavenly Father’s glorious purposes for the human race.

St. Paul declared, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Rom. 12:1) This entreaty is for those who have the same mind as our Lord: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 2:5) It is a call to sacrifice, but this sacrificing is not to be done in a foolish or aimless way. We are not to sacrifice the things that are right and proper, simply that we may suffer. Right and proper things we may enjoy, except as God opens our eyes to see privileges and opportunities for self-denial which would enable us to forward His cause, and to minister grace and truth to those for whom Christ died.

The Apostle also said, “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” (Rom. 14:7) This lesson should be viewed from the standpoint of the consecrated people of God. These words could only apply to Christ and His consecrated followers. As for the world, they do live to themselves and die to themselves. That is to say, their own personal interests stand first with them. By the terms of their Covenant, God’s people are to live unto the Lord – to do His will and not their own will, to serve Him and not to serve self, to lay down their lives in fighting a good fight against sin. To these, therefore, apply the words, “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Rom. 14:8) This being true, the Christian is to have no will of his own as respects his living or his dying, or any of his affairs. Everything is to be fully committed and submitted to the Master.

JUDGE OURSELVES ONLY

The Apostle proceeded to show that we are not judges one of another, but that all judgment is vested in the Head, the Redeemer of all. Each must ultimately stand the inspection of the Head of the Church. The Apostle’s argument is that we should avoid condemning one another, and content ourselves with encouraging each other in the good way. Since it is written that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess to God, this proves that our final accounting will be to God, or to our Lord Jesus as His Representative.

Instead of judging and condemning our fellow brethren, we should be full of sympathy for them. We should realize that we do not know thoroughly their trials, their difficulties, their environments, their heredities. Our keen sense of justice, our love of righteousness, our hatred of iniquity, should find its principal exercise in self-examination. Many find it easy to excuse their own weaknesses while being critical of the shortcomings of others. The Lord warned His people against such an attitude saying, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.” (Matt. 7:2) If we could but remember that the merciful will obtain mercy, how glad we all would be to be extremely merciful to others. (Matt. 5:7; Jas. 2:13)

The Lord is not in this establishing a low standard, wishing His people to think lightly of their own weaknesses and failures and those of others. He is, on the contrary, setting up a high standard of love, sympathy, and kindness. Love is the principal thing in God’s sight. Whoever, therefore, has love and sympathy most highly developed, the Lord may well esteem as highly developed along the lines most essential in His sight, most essential for a place in His Mediatorial Kingdom.

(This paper is based on various Reprints, including 5711, 5332, 5212, and 5323.)

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ANNOUNCEMENT

The date of our Lord’s Memorial is April 10, 2025 after six p.m.

Write to us at: epiphanybiblestudents@gmail.com

NO. 808: THE BABE OF BETHLEHEM

No. 808

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12)

The birth of Jesus is a subject which will never grow old - a subject which, on the contrary, shall to all eternity be a theme of angels and of men. To be rightly understood and esteemed, His birth must be considered from the standpoint of a gift of divine love. The world was under sentence of death, but God had pitied humanity from the first. He saw the end before sin entered the world, and He would not have created man or permitted the condition which led to sin and the sentence of death, had He in His divine wisdom not foreseen and arranged in advance for human redemption. The Scriptures give us the key to the thought: “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Why were all men in expectation of Him at the time of His birth? What was to be peculiar about Him to lead Israel to expect His birth? The answer is that God had made a certain promise centuries before and the promise had not been fulfilled. This promise contained the thought that a holy child, a son, would be born, and that in some way, not explained in the promise, this child would bring the blessing the world needed: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder.” (Isa. 9:6) Therefore, every mother among the Israelites was very solicitous that she might be the mother of a son rather than a daughter, that perchance she might be the mother of this promised child. Thus, the matter went on for years until finally the child was born.

The promise behind the expectation was that which God made to Abraham when He said, “In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 28:14) From that time forward Abraham began to look for the promised Seed - the promised child. He looked first of all to his own children, and was finally informed that it would not be one of his children directly, but that through their children, at some remote date, this child should be born - the Seed of Abraham. From that time onward, all the Israelites were waiting for the birth of the child that would bring the blessing.

But why was a Messiah necessary? Why wait at all for the birth of the child? The answer to this question is that sin had come into the world; God had placed our first parents, who were holy, pure, and free from sin, in the glorious conditions of the Garden of Eden with every favorable prospect and everlasting life at their command if they continued in harmony with God. But by their disobedience they came under divine displeasure and sentence of death. This death sentence has brought in its wake aches, pains, sorrows, tears, sighing, crying, and death - all of these experiences as a result of sin.

Our heavenly Father said to our first parents that the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head, and this was the first intimation that He gave them of a deliverance. (Gen. 3:15) The “serpent” in this expression means Satan - all the powers of evil, everything adverse to humanity, everything adverse to the blessings which God had given them, and which they had lost by disobedience. But the promise was vague and they understood little about the seed of the woman and bruising the serpent’s head. It merely meant, in an allegorical way, a great victory over sin and Satan, without explaining how it would come.

Mankind continued to die; they continued to have aches and pains and sorrows; they continued going down to the tomb. They realized that what they needed was some Savior to come and deliver them from the power of sin, to deliver them from the death penalty of sin - a Savior who would be, in other words, a Life-giver. They were dying and needed new life. This is the meaning of the word Savior in the language used by our Lord and the Apostles. They were hoping and expecting that God would send a Life-giver.

It was on this account that they were so greatly concerned regarding the promise made to Abraham, the promise that they would be granted a release from sin and death, for it would be impossible to bless mankind without this release. Hence, the Scriptures tell us of God’s sympathy; that God looked down from His holy habitation and beheld our sorrow, and heard figuratively “the groaning” of humanity under this penalty of death - some with few aches and pains, and some with more aches and pains; some with few sorrows, and some with greater sorrows; but all groaning and travailing in pain. (Rom. 8:22)

But God manifested His sympathy. He looked down and beheld that there was no eye to pity and no arm to save and with His own Arm He brought salvation. (Isa. 52:10) This is what was promised to Abraham - that one would come from his posterity who would be the Savior of the world; and because this promise was made to Abraham and to his Seed, they were marked out as separate from all other nations and peoples.

To the Jewish nation alone belonged this great honor - that through them should come this salvation. Hence from that time onward the Jews spoke of themselves as God’s people, the people whom God had promised to bless, and through whom He would bring a blessing to all others. Therefore, all other people were called heathen (or nations, which is what the word means). Israel was thus separated because God’s Covenant was with them, and not with the others. But God’s Covenant with Israel was for the blessing of all; the promise was that all the families or nations of the earth would be blessed. Now we know why this wonderful babe was born.

A SAVIOR - CHRIST THE LORD

How could He be a Savior? In what way could He be different from any other babe? Why not use some other babe as the one through whom salvation should come? The answer of the Bible is that salvation could not come to mankind unless there should be satisfaction of justice on account of original sin. That must be the first con­sideration. The penalty, “Thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17), pronounced against the first man, must be met before the world could be blessed.

Why not let any man die? The answer is that all men were under the sentence of the original condemnation, and none could be a ransom-price or a substitute: “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.” (Psa. 49:7) Hence the necessity for a specially born babe, different from any other babe. In what way was this babe differently born? The Bible explains to us very distinctly that He was not begotten of an earthly father. Although Joseph was espoused to Mary, this child was not the child of Joseph. The Bible explains that this child was specially begotten by divine power, in the mother, though she was still a “virgin” when she brought forth the child.

It was prophetically, of course, that the babe of Bethlehem was called a Savior. While He was to be a Savior, The Christ, the Lord, as the babe He was none of these. He became The Christ before becoming the Savior and Lord. The word Christ signifies anointed. In the divine purpose it was arranged that Messiah should be anointed High Priest of Israel on a higher plane than Aaron - after the order of Melchizedek. (Psa. 110:4) And every priest had to be anointed to his office before he could fill it. Similarly, it was prophesied that Christ would be the great King, greater than David and Solomon, who were His types and foreshadows.

This is the Scriptural proposition; and while it may not seem clear to some, yet the Word of God stands sure. If the Redeemer was not perfect then He could not be the Savior of the world. The promised redemption implied that Jesus would be perfect; it implied that He would be as the first man was before he sinned. “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:21-22)

So, this One must be, as the Apostle declares, “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sin­ners.” (Heb. 7:26) He must be entirely distinct and separate from humanity so far as sinful features were concerned. If space permitted it would be interesting to go into the scientific features - how a perfect child could be from an imperfect mother.[1] If we can have a perfect life germ, we can have a perfect child from an imperfect mother. If a breeder of stock wishes to raise the standard of his stock, he selects a fine bull, a male goat, or a male ram, and thus he improves the entire herd. And so, if we had perfect fathers, we could soon have a perfect race. But there is no father who can produce a perfect child. Hence it was necessary in this case (and the Scriptures declare it was accomplished) that God should beget this Son by power from on high. Therefore, that which was born of the “virgin” was separate and distinct from all humanity. His life came not from an earthly father, but from His Heavenly Father.

FOR OUR SAKES HE BECAME POOR

It is written that Jesus had an existence before He became flesh; as He declared, “Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58) Again in one of His prayers He said, “Father, glorify thou me . . . with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:5) The Revelator tells us that He was “the beginning of the creation of God” (Rev. 3:14), and Paul says that all things are by Him. (1 Cor. 8:6) And so our Lord Jesus was not only the beginning, but also the active agent of the Father in all the creative work in the angelic world, in the creation of humanity, and in all things that were created.

The whole matter is summed up by the Apostle John, who said, “In the beginning was the Word.” (John 1:1) We will give a more literal translation. This expression, Word, in the Greek is Logos. The thought behind the word Logos is that in olden times a king, instead of speaking his commands directly to his people, sat behind a lattice work, and his Logos, or messenger, or word, or representative, stood before the lattice work, and gave the message of the king to the people in a loud tone of voice. The king himself was not seen by the people - the Logos was the one seen. So, this is the picture the Scriptures give us of how Jesus was the express representative of the Heavenly Father, the One through whom the Heavenly Father made Himself known - the Word, or the Logos.

So, we should properly read in the first chapter of John, “In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with the God, and the Logos was a god. The same was in the beginning with the God. By him were all things made, and without him was not anything made.” (John 1:1-3, see Diaglott translation.)

In other words, Jesus was the direct Creator of all things. He was the Divine Power, Agent, Word, Messenger, the Logos of God the Father. He did all the great work of creation; but He Himself was the first of God’s direct creation, the First-born of all creatures, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence - the first place. (Col. 1:18)

When the time came that our Heavenly Father made known His great purpose to bless the world, He gave the opportunity to the First-begotten One - begotten of the Father - to be the servant in this great work He intended to accomplish for mankind. Consequently, the Scriptures state: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2) And now He has sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He has this great reward because of His obedience, even unto death, the death of the cross.

The Apostle Paul speaks of Him as having been rich, but for our sakes becoming poor, that through His poverty we might be made rich. (2 Cor. 8:9) He tells us how He left the glory which He had with the Father and humbled Himself to the human nature. (Phil. 2:7-8) Why? Because, as already stated, it was necessary that someone become man’s Redeemer; an angel could not redeem man, neither could an animal redeem man. The divine law is “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” (Matt. 5:38) This was to teach us a great lesson: that because perfect human life was condemned to death, it would require a perfect human life to redeem it. It was therefore necessary that Jesus become “the man Christ Jesus,” in order that He “should taste death for every man.” (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 2:9)

WHAT FOLLOWED?

It followed that He Himself proved His own faithfulness. “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil. 2:8) It pleased the Father to prove Him thus, not only by death, but by the most ignominious form of death - dying as a culprit, being crucified between two thieves. What a terrible ignominy to die thus!

It would be ignominy enough for us in our imperfection, but for He who was perfect it must have been a cause of deep and poignant sorrow. Having completed the laying down of His life at the end of three and half years, He cried, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) What was finished? Not His work, for much of that lay before Him. He merely finished this part of the work. He finished laying down His life as the ransom-price.

What followed next? After His death came His resurrection, and we read that “Him God raised up the third day.” (Acts 10:40) According to the Scriptures, He was raised up from death a glorious being: “It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” (1 Cor. 15:42-44) “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9-11)

WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE?

All the families of the earth are to be blessed, as God originally promised in Eden. St. Paul also stated, “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” (Rom. 16:20) So, the next thing in order in the working out of God’s Plan will be to bruise Satan and destroy him.

This will be done when this Gospel Age ends, because this age has been reserved for the development of the Bride class. Afterward the promised Free Grace will come to all the families of the earth. Messiah’s Kingdom will come and He has promised that when He reigns all His faithful will reign with Him: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Rev. 3:21) All the Church will be associated with Him in His great Messianic Kingdom; and “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” (Psa. 72:8) “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Hab. 2:14; Rom. 14:11)

The whole earth will become as the Garden of Eden. Paradise Lost will be Paradise Restored. The divine image lost in Adam will be restored to man. Human nature will be brought to perfection. But the glorious reward to the Church will be the divine nature, to be like her Lord, to sit at His right hand, and to bless the world of mankind. Man will become not only perfect, having all that Adam had, but will have additional knowledge and character; and there is every evidence that this will be an eternal blessing.

WILL NONE BE LOST?

Yes, the Scriptures tell us that some will be lost, and that the loss they sustain will be loss of life. “And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:23) St. Peter says: “But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption.” (2 Pet. 2:12)

When? When their eyes have been opened to see the Lord and to know His glorious character; when they will have had opportunity to appreciate and enjoy His blessing. When such intentionally reject the grace of God, they will die the Second Death, from which there is no resurrection, no hope of recovery. But thank God, there shall be no knowledge of suffering for them; they will be destroyed as brute beasts.

We rejoice today in proportion as we believe in this Babe of Bethlehem; in proportion as we believe He was manifested on our behalf; in proportion as we believe He died for our sins; in proportion as we recognize Him as the glorified Savior; in proportion as we have surrendered our hearts to Him and seek to do the things well pleasing to Him, we will have the peace of God.

Our hope on behalf of mankind in general is that in God’s due time His blessing will reach all - not the same blessing as that for the Church, but as St. Peter tells us: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive [retain] until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21)

(Based on Reprint 4963.)

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THE SCOPE OF THE ANGELS’ SONG

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14)

The song which the angels sang at the birth of the Savior has been seized upon and misapplied by some who do not see the plan of God for the salvation of the world. Be­coming discouraged by the seemingly poor prospect for the world’s conversion, these have put forth a version of this passage more in harmony with their own doubts and misconcep­tions. To these the prayer which our Master taught His disciples to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,” has lost its meaning; for they see no hope of its fulfillment except in a very limited sense. Hence, they prefer to translate the latter part of the verse, “And on earth peace, among men of good will.” Were this the proper rendering, our hopes for the ultimate good of all, as far as this passage is concerned, would surely be eclipsed; for very few thus far in the history of the race have been “men of good will,” men who have unselfishly endeavored to any appreci­able degree to bring about the good of their fellows.

But we do not believe this to be the thought of the original. It is not in harmony with what we have clearly seen to be the plan of God for mankind. Such a translation eliminates the thought of God’s eventual good will toward all the world, and greatly minimizes the scope of this glorious song. It implies merely that men who have a feeling of good will are, or will be, at peace among themselves. How utterly barren of hope for all men would such an expression be! And how little the song of the angels would signify if this were its meaning!

On the contrary, this song was a prophecy of God’s purpose to bring about through the newly born child the overturning of the curse and the establishment of peace and sin­lessness among mankind, in which God and man would become at-one. It was an expression of God’s good will, His good purpose, to bring man back to the image and likeness of Himself in which Adam was created. When this shall have been accomplished, then peace will dwell in all the earth; for the causes of discord will have been eliminated.

The world of mankind came under the curse, or sentence, of death because of the sin in Eden – because our first parents disobeyed God’s righteous command. All humanity, therefore, are members of an accursed race – under penal servitude, which ends in the tomb. The race has been learning the lesson of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and its terrible effects. But God has promised to take away the curse and to bring a permanent blessing in its place. This will mean a return to His favor, to full harmony with Himself.

PROGRESSION OF GOD’S GREAT PLAN

We speak of this song as a prophecy because the peace has not yet come, nor the good will, in the sense that God’s face is not yet turned toward man. It is a declaration of what God purposes to do. He does not have good will toward the present sinful, re­bellious attitude of the race. He has never had good will toward sin. We are not to understand that God was expressing His good will toward man when He pronounced the sentence of death upon him. God’s curse indicated His ill will toward man – in other words, His displeasure because of man’s sin. He wished man to suffer ill as a just punishment for his willful disobedience. God cut him off from fellowship with Himself. He was not bound in justice to do anything more for the race. But in His infinite mercy He provided a deliverance for mankind. He foreknew man’s fall, and planned his redemption from before the foundation of the world. (1 Pet. 1:18-20)

Through all the ages since the fall of Adam God’s plan has been slowly and steadily progressing. While men have been learning in pain and tears and trouble the nature and results of sin, God has been selecting His saintly ones, His elect – first, the elect who are to be the earthly princes in His Kingdom of blessing; then, the elect who are to reign over all as kings and priests of God on the highest plane of existence. The chief of all the elect is His well-beloved Son, the Savior of the world, whose birth the angels proclaimed to the shepherds watching on the plains of Judea, some twenty centuries ago. (Isa. 42:1) When all the elect ones are chosen, the blessing of the world at large will be inaugurated. “For the earnest expectation of the creature [creation] waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God [the Church]. For the creature was made subject to vanity [futility], not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:19-21)

The coming of the Son of God to earth was only preliminary to His offering of Himself as a ransom for the forfeited life of Adam, the father of the race, in whom all his posterity fell. But even when our Lord had died as man’s ransom-price, God’s favor did not come to the world. Jesus was next raised from the dead a glorious, divine being. Then He ascended up on high, and appeared in the presence of God for those who were to be of the spiritual elect. Thus, the last became first in God’s plan. The merit of Jesus’ death was utilized first on behalf of these. It has not yet been applied for any others. The Church of Christ now has this promised peace and good will. It is granted only to those who have come into vital relationship with God through Christ – the fully consecrated ones.

The Scriptures show that after these are all selected, prepared, and glorified, the next step will be the application to all men of the merit which has been imputed to these elect, and through whom it is to go to the Worthies of old[2] and to the entire world of mankind. This spiritual class has been chosen to be members of the body of Christ, ­joint-associates with Him in the Messianic Kingdom. All of these who prove entirely faithful are to attain this exalted position. As soon as all the spiritual class have been glorified, the sins of all the world, those living and the dead as well, will be legally canceled by the application of the virtue, the merit, of the sacrificial death of Jesus. Then they will be freed from the condemnation of the sentence of death. The death penalty will be lifted. They will be turned over to The Christ, Head and Body, the Great Mediator. The curse will be removed.

The great work of the Millennial Age will then begin. It will be a work of gradual uplift during the entire thousand years of the reign of The Christ. The dead will be gradually awakened and brought to a clear knowledge of the salvation of God in Christ. All will then have the opportunity of coming into the blessed condition of peace and good will proclaimed by the angels. By degrees they will be brought, if they will, to where they will be ready to be received by the Father, to be introduced to Him. This will be the blessed experience of all who will be obedient to the rules and requirements of the Kingdom. If they prove unwilling and disobedient, after being brought to a clear understanding, they will be “cut off,” destroyed, as not worthy of further effort on God’s part for their reclamation. (Acts 3:23)

(Excerpt from Reprint 5576, with minor editing.)

We wish all our readers a blessed holiday season.

“Thanks be unto God for his un­speakable gift.” (2 Cor. 9:15)

Write to us at: epiphanybiblestudents@gmail.com

[1] See Studies in the Scriptures, Volume V, Chapter 4.

[2] We believe those consecrating after the closing of the High Calling will be accepted by God under the same conditions as the Worthies of old who consecrated before the opening of the High Calling.  See Reprint 5761.

NO. 807: THE ABIDING PRESENCE

No. 807

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Col. 3:16)

Things familiar to us on the natural plane often symbolically illustrate many of the deep spiritual things of God. Thus, for instance, the resurrection, both natural and spiritual, finds an illustration in the processes of vegetation (1 Cor. 15:35-38); and the processes of the beginning, development, and final perfecting of the spiritual sons of God find a remarkable illustration in the begetting, quickening, and birth of the natural man. (Jas. 1:18; Eph. 2:1; John 3:3)

When we read these illustrations, we cannot abandon and dishonor our God-given reason by accepting obviously absurd interpretations. Our Lord taught His disciples in parables and dark symbolic sayings, expecting them to use their common sense in either interpreting them themselves, or in judging of the correctness of any interpretation offered by others. When, on one occasion, the disciples asked for the interpretation of a parable instead of using their own reasoning powers to draw from it the implied lesson, Jesus reprovingly replied, “Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?” (Mark 4:13) He would have us think, consider, and put our God-given mental faculties to their legitimate use.

“CHRIST IN YOU”

Consider the Apostle’s statement when he spoke of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27) He used the same figure again in his letter to the Galatians, saying, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” (Gal. 4:19) Here the Apostle likened his care and labor for those begotten to the new nature by the Truth, to the physical endurance of a mother in nourishing and sustaining the germ of human life until the new human creature is formed and able to appropriate for itself the life-sustaining elements of nature. The Apostle thus sought to nourish and sustain those germs of spiritual being with his own spiritual life until, apart from his personal work and influence, they would be able to appropriate for themselves the God-given elements of spiritual life contained in the Word of Truth; until the Christ-character should be definitely formed in them.

In no other reasonable sense could the Apostle “birth” those Galatian Christians; and in no other reasonable sense could Christ be formed in them, or in us. The thought is that every true child of God must have a definite individual Christian character which is not dependent for its existence upon the spiritual life of any other Christian. He must from the Word of Truth, proclaimed and exemplified by other Christians, draw those principles of life, etc., which give him an established character, a spiritual individuality of his own. So positive and definite should be the spiritual individuality of every one, that should even the beloved brother or sister, whose spiritual life first nourished ours and brought us forward to completeness of character, fall away (which the Apostle showed us is not impossible – Heb. 6:4-6; Gal. 1:8), we would still live, being able to appropriate for ourselves the spirit of Truth.

Paul feared, with good reason, that the Galatian Christians had not yet come to this condition of established character – that the Christ-life was not yet definitely formed in them. He said, “I am afraid of you [I fear for you], lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.” (Gal. 4:11) They were already giving heed to seducing teachers and departing from the faith, showing that they were not established in the Truth, and consequently not established in the spirit of the Truth, which is the spirit of Christ, and, hence, that Christ was not yet formed in them.

Alas, how often we see among those who bear the name of Christ, that they have not yet reached that degree of development which manifests a distinct spiritual individuality! They depend largely upon the spiritual life of others, and if the others’ spiritual life declines, these dependent ones suffer a similar decline; if the others go into error, these follow, as did many of those Galatian Christians to whom Paul wrote.

How is it with us? Let us apply the question to ourselves. Is the Christian character formed in us so fully that none of these things can move us or affect our spiritual life, even though they may grieve us at heart?

The great Adversary of the Truth and the Church has thrown a cloak of mystery and superstition around the Apostle’s words by implying that in some secret way, known only to the initiated, Christ personally comes to the consecrated and uses them simply as machines, which become almost infallible because Christ is using them. Those so possessed are considered to be merely passive agents who speak, think, act, and interpret the Scriptures for Christ. 

With this idea they generally go further, and claim that Christ personally talks with them and teaches them independently of His Word; and some go so far as to claim that they have visions and special revelations from the Lord. Some speak of this presence as Christ; some as the Holy Spirit; and some speak of them interchangeably.

There is a semblance of truth in all this. We remember that Jesus said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them . . . shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him . . . and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” (John 14:21, 23) However, a more serious error could scarcely be entertained than this idea of personal infallibility because of the supposed mysterious presence of another being within.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

Notice that this promise of the abiding presence of the Father and the Son is to those who have and keep the commandments of the Lord Jesus. Those who ignore the Word of the Lord and follow their own imaginations and their own changing feelings (mistaking them for the voice of the Lord) are quite mistaken in claiming this promise. They are following a spirit other than the Spirit of Truth, and unless recovered from the snare they must inevitably plunge deeper and deeper into superstition and error.

If it is true that God talks with them and answers their questions through mental inspiration, dreams, or by audible sound, and not through His written Word, the Bible, then the Bible is to them a useless book, and time spent in its study is time wasted. Who would “search the scriptures” as the Lord directed, and as did all the Apostles, if they could merely shut their eyes, or kneel, and have God make a special revelation to them? Any sensible person would certainly prefer a special revelation on a subject, rather than to spend days and months and years examining and comparing the words of our Lord and the Apostles with those of the Prophets and the Book of Revelation.

None of God’s consecrated should be thus misled of the Adversary. Those who are thus deceived soon feel themselves honored of God above the Apostles, who judged of the mind of the Lord as read in His Word and in His providential leadings in harmony with His Word. (Acts 15:12-15) They fancy themselves infallible, and are separated from the anchor of Truth, the Bible. Satan can soon lead them rapidly into the outer darkness of the world, or into yet darker delusions.

The testimony of the Scriptures is quite contrary to this vaunting spirit. Paul exhorted us to examine ourselves, whether we be in the faith, or whether we have rejected the faith and thus become reprobates – no longer acceptable to God. (2 Cor. 13:5) Every true child of God has respect to the commandments of God: he searches the Scriptures that he may know them, and is not left in ignorance of them; and, learning them, he endeavors to keep them, and the abiding presence of the Father and the Son is with them so long as they continue to hold and keep (obey) His commandments.

But how? To illustrate: a friend accompanies another to a railway station saying, as he is about to board the train, “Remember, I will be with you all the way.” He means that his thoughts will be with his friend and that he will be concerned for his welfare, etc. In a similar, and yet in a fuller and broader sense, the Lord is ever present with His people. He is always thinking of us, looking out for our interests, guarding us in danger, providing for us in temporal and spiritual things, reading our hearts, marking every impulse of loving devotion to Him, shaping the influences around us for our discipline and refining, and hearkening to our faintest call for aid or sympathy or fellowship with Him. And not only is the Lord Jesus thus present, but the Father also. How blessed the realization of such abiding faithfulness!

Our Lord always links the progress and development of our spiritual life with our receiving and obeying the Truth. Every child of God should beware of any teaching which claims to be in advance of the Word, or claims Christ or the Holy Spirit speaks to us independently of the Word. The snare is a most dangerous one. It cultivates spiritual pride and boastfulness, and renders powerless the teachings of the sacred Scriptures because those so deluded think they have a higher teacher dwelling in them. Satan, taking advantage of the delusion, can lead them captive at his will.

These symbolic expressions of the Scriptures must be interpreted as symbols, and to force any unreasonable interpretation upon them manifests a culpable willfulness in disregarding the divinely appointed laws of our mind, and the result is self-deception. We read, “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” (1 John. 4:16) The only reasonable interpretation of this is that we dwell in the love and favor, and in the spirit or disposition of God, and that His spirit or disposition dwells in us. Thus God, by His indwelling spirit, works in us to will and to do His good pleasure. (Phil. 2:13) Let us endeavor to have and to keep His commandments, that the abiding presence of the Father and the Son may be with us, being careful to have no theories or works of our own.

(Based on Reprint 3250.)

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FAITH THE BASIS OF TRUE REST

“For we which have believed do enter into rest.” (Heb. 4:3)

St. Paul here referred to the fact that the Law provided to the Jews a physical rest for the seventh day of the week, the seventh year, and the forty-ninth and fiftieth years. He pointed out that these Sabbaths were typical of a better rest, and that all who believe in Christ enter into rest, and thus keep a continual Sabbath. They rest all the time if they abide in the Lord and in His promises; faith is necessary to rest.

God declared His purpose to have a special, holy nation, and promised Abraham that the blessing of the world would come through his Seed, who would constitute this chosen nation. Abraham believed the promise and was glad – he rested. He did not know the way by which God would bring about the blessing, but he had the promise of God, confirmed by His Oath. He did not need to know then about the Lord Jesus or the Plan of Salvation. He had full rest in fully believing God, as did those of his posterity that exercised the same faith as Abraham.

Isaac and Jacob and many of the Prophets, including the Prophet David, thus trusted God. Their writings show that they were fully in harmony with God. They realized that He had made a gracious provision for the future, and that this provision was for the world in general; yet they knew that they were to have a “better resurrection” than that of the world. They rested in their faith in these things that God had not yet accomplished.

Our Lord Jesus declared that Abraham saw His day and was glad. (John 8:56) He did not see it with his natural eye, but with the eye of faith. He saw the day when Christ, who died for all men, will uplift the human family, raising the world up out of sin and death – first exalting His Bride, and finally causing the blessing of God to extend to every creature. This is just what God promised to Abraham: “And in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 28:14) Abraham did not see God’s Plan clearly, as we see it, but he saw enough to make him rejoice.

Coming to the present age, we see that greater light and greater privilege has brought greater tests of faith in many respects. Abraham was tested when he was told to offer his son Isaac in sacrifice. He knew that the promises were to be fulfilled through this son, but he said: It is for me to be obedient; God can raise my son from the dead. This shall not hinder my faith in the outworking of God’s Plan.

We of the Gospel Age have not heard God’s voice speaking to us directly, as did Abraham; but we live in the time of a further development of the great Plan of God. He has sent His Son into the world. He was made flesh and dwelt among us, and He died, “the just for the unjust.” Unbelief would assert that if Jesus had been the Son of God He would not have died; but there was a mortgage held on the human race by justice, and their case was hopeless unless a Redeemer should be provided. The eye of faith today is able to grasp God’s purposes in a fuller way than did Abraham. Yet we do not know that our faith is any greater than his; for even if we have more trials and difficulties, we have also greater opportunities and greater light. Abraham had full faith, full confidence in God, and no one could have more than this.

The Lord’s people of the present time believe that mankind will be rescued from sin and death. Some have more knowledge than others, and more testing; some who have less capacity cannot endure so severe testing, nor can they enjoy so fully. But all can have the same rest that Abraham had – the rest of faith in God. Each in proportion to his knowledge and faith will have rest. The most learned and the most ignorant can have this rest, if only they believe God.

REST PROPORTIONATE TO FAITH

The rest we have entered into is not our ultimate rest. If we have the faith today, we may have the rest today; if we lose the faith, we also lose the rest, but a perfect, permanent rest awaits us. God has promised us certain great and precious things. He is our Creator and our Father, and will do for us the things He has promised. And according to our faith it will be unto us – much faith, much rest; little faith, little rest. Those who are in harmony with God believe His testimony.

This does not imply that all who have been of God’s children have believed all of the divine plan; for we see that this would not be possible. Some have had greater opportunity for believing; and some have had less. We who live today have much more advantage than those who lived prior to our day. Our test does not come so much from lack of knowledge; but it is rather a test of faith in God, and obedience to the light now given us. Having this great flood of light now granted at the close of this age, our faith should be very strong, and we should seek to increase it more and more by gaining all the knowledge now due. We should grow in faith, grow in grace, grow in knowledge and grow in love. We enter into a deeper and more intelligent rest if we avail ourselves of the helps which the Lord has provided for us. If we truly believe, we will manifest our belief by works in harmony therewith.

In Scriptural usage the word believe implies much more than merely to acknowledge a fact or a truth. The great Truth before us all is what the Bible calls the Gospel, the Good Tidings. The belief referred to in our text is belief in this Gospel: We who believe the Gospel do enter into rest. What is the Gospel that we believe? It includes all the features of God’s love and mercy to us as a fallen race – His proposition for eternal life through Christ, with all the blessings this involves. To the Church, the Gospel – the Good Tidings – includes also the offer to them of joint-heirship with Christ in the Kingdom.

One might have an intellectual belief in these promised blessings without entering into the rest mentioned in our text. But this form of belief is evidently not in the Apostle’s thought. To the extent that the individual recognizes those facts, accepts them and acts upon them, to that extent he enters into rest. If he believes partially, he rests partially; if he believes more, he rests more; if he believes perfectly, he has perfect rest, and will show his faith by his works. The Gospel Message is so wonderful that anyone who believes it will desire to avail himself of its blessings.

HEART CONFIDENCE ESSENTIAL

The expression of the text, “We which have believed,” implies that the belief has reached the heart, and will thus affect our course in life. And the second part of the statement, “do enter into rest,” implies that the rest is gradually coming to us because we have believed. We have first believed; and the fullness of rest is a condition to be attained gradually as our faith grows stronger, and as we learn to appreciate more fully what we have accepted.

“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness.” (Rom. 10:10) It is not merely believing with the head – it is not a mere intellectual belief. When we accept the Gospel as a fact, and enter fully into it, we begin at once to have a measure of this rest; and as we learn by our experiences how true the Lord is to all His promises to us, the rest becomes deeper and more abiding. The belief is at first a full belief in the message of God; but as we grow in grace and in the knowledge of God, our faith becomes firmer and more established, and our rest increases proportionately.

(Based on Reprint 5433.)

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“SONGS IN THE NIGHT” (Job. 35:10)

“The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” (Psa. 126:3)

We are still in the night of weeping. Sickness, sorrow, sighing and dying continue, and will continue until the glorious morning of Messiah’s Kingdom breaks. How glad we are to learn of the glorious change that will then come to earth. The Prophet David expressed this thought saying: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psa. 30:5) St. Paul expressed the same sentiment when he declared, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now . . . the earnest expectation of the creature [creation] waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:19-22)

The Sons of God in glory will, with their Lord, constitute Emmanuel’s Kingdom, and at present these Sons of God are comparatively little known or recognized among men; frequently they are considered “peculiar people,” because of their zeal for righteousness and truth, and for God. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2) They will share His glory, honor, and immortality and with Him scatter divine blessings to all the families of the earth.

A SONG OF DELIVERANCE

The 85th Psalm provides a lesson which may properly serve several applications. The first of these would be to Israel’s deliverance from the Babylonian captivity, when Cyrus gave permission that all who desired might return to Palestine. About fifty-three thousand – a small number – availed themselves of this privilege and of his assistance. The people rejoiced in this manifestation of the turning away of divine disfavor, and the return to them of God’s favor and blessing. The pardon of their transgressions as a nation was here evidenced in this privilege of returning to God’s favor.

A secondary application of the song is just before us. Israel has been in a far greater captivity in Christendom during the past eighteen centuries. She has the promise, nevertheless, of a mighty deliverance. The Cyrus who granted them liberty to return from literal Babylon was a type of the great Messiah who is about to give full liberty for the return of God’s ancient people to divine favor – to Palestine. [This was originally written in 1909.]

Israel’s sins have not yet been taken away, even as the world’s sins have not yet been taken away. The great Redeemer has, indeed, died for sin, and He is the sinner’s friend, but as yet He has only appeared in the presence of God for the Household of Faith – not for the world. He advocates for none except those who come to God and give Him their hearts and lives – those who love righteousness and hate iniquity.

The world is enslaved by sin and death, the twin monarchs who are now reigning and causing mankind to groan. We were born in this enslaved condition, as the Scriptures declare: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psa. 51:5) Our race, groaning under the weaknesses and imperfections we have thus inherited – mental, moral and physical – long for the promised deliverance from the bondage of sin and death. The majority of mankind undoubtedly feel the gall of their slavery, and will be glad to be free.

The great Deliverer is the antitypical Cyrus. Soon He will go forth to victory, and will establish His Kingdom under the whole heavens. Soon the Church class, the saints, “the elect,” will be glorified, and then the time will come for the blessing of the non-elect – for their restitution to human perfection and to a world-wide paradise, which Messiah’s power and Kingdom will introduce. “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor. 15:25-26) The grave (sheol, hades) will be no more; death will be destroyed by the resurrection of the dead, everyone “in his own order.” (1 Cor. 15:23)

Many of the Lord’s people who can see something of the blessings due at the Second Advent, and who appreciate in some measure the fact that the Lord comes again to bestow the great blessings secured by His death, fail to see this other proposition; viz., that those in their graves have as much interest in that glorious reign of Messiah as those who at that time will be less completely under the bondage of corruption – death. But as surely as Jesus died for all, they all must have the blessings and opportunities which He purchased with His own precious blood. Hence, we should expect blessings in the Millennial Age upon all those in the grave as well as upon those not in it; and of this we will find abundant proof, as we look further into the Lord’s testimony on the subject. It is because of God’s plan for their release that those in the tomb are called “prisoners of hope.” (Zech. 9:12)

The prevailing opinion is that death ends all probation, but there is no Scripture which so teaches. God does not purpose to save men on account of ignorance, but on the contrary: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:3-4) Since the masses of mankind have died in ignorance, and since there is neither “knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave” (Eccl. 9:10), God has therefore prepared for the awakening of the dead, in order to provide the opportunity for knowledge, faith, and salvation. Hence His plan is this: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all [all who are in Christ] be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s [those that are in Christ] at his coming.” (1 Cor. 15:22-23)

THE SECRET OF JOY

While the whole creation groans under its load of sin and sorrow, those of the Household of Faith may sing and rejoice, even in the midst of all the sorrows of life, even though they share the results of sin as fully or even more fully than do others. The secret of their joy is twofold: (1) They have experienced reconciliation to God; (2) They have submitted their wills to His will. They obtained this new relationship by way of faith in the Redeemer – faith in His blood of Atonement. They have consecrated themselves to God – surrendering their own wills and covenanting to do the divine will to the best of their ability. This submission of the will to God, and the realization that all their life’s affairs are in God’s keeping and under His supervision, give rest to the heart. They have a rest and peace in this surrendered condition which they never knew when they sought to gratify self-will, and ignored the right of their Creator to the homage of their hearts and the obedience of their lives.

They have joy and peace, and songs of thankfulness to God, because to them He grants a knowledge of His divine purposes, and shows them “things to come.” They see beyond the trials and tribulations of the present time and see the glories that will follow the present time of suffering. They see that the Church, the saintly ones of all denominations and of all nationalities, are prospective heirs of God – heirs of glory, honor and immortality, and associates with the Redeemer in His glorious Kingdom. This encourages and stimulates them.

They also see the outlines of the divine program for the blessing of all the families of the earth. When they thus perceive that God is interested in the whole human family, very few of whom are saints, it gives them cause for rejoicing. Seeing the provision God has made for the world of mankind, they are contented, and are glad to have God’s will done in themselves and in all the earth.

(Based on What Pastor Russell Wrote for the Overland Monthly, pages 176-178.)

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