Sunday Morning at the Christadelphian Ecclesia, No. 311
“Exhort one another.”—Paul.
p. 457IN our readings from the Book of Kings and the prophet Jeremiah, we have been brought face to face with certain facts which receive frequent illustration in the Scriptures of truth, namely, that God’s word by His prophets shall come to pass, and that His word must be obeyed, or the consequences of non-compliance will be serious. For instance, “There came a Man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel, and cried against the altar, in the word of the Lord, and gave a sign the same day,” and it came to pass accordingly. But he had been charged by “the word of the Lord” to “eat no bread, nor drink water in that place.” And he refused the pressing invitation of a wicked idolatrous king, but yielded when a prophet made the request, backed up by a lying statement, and, as we see, died for his disobedience How fitting to call to mind in this connection the forcible words which the apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians: “Though we or an angel from heaven should preach any gospel contrary to that which we preached unto you, let him be accursed.” And John the apostle says, “If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting,” teaching us, and warning us that no matter by what means or agency (perhaps to put us to test), a suggestion or teaching may come to us that is contrary to the word of God, our safety lies in a steady adherence to the law and the testimony, and that healthful doctrine which has been delivered unto us
In our readings from Mark, we have a brief and impressive record of incidents which crowded thickly one upon another in the closing hours of the mortal life of Jesus. The thoughtful consideration of these will bring home to us with force many of his sayings, and at the same time will make manifest that the testimony of the prophets was God-inspired. So that while on the one hand our minds are exercised and our feelings aroused because of the indignities put upon him by those who, of all others, should have gloried in his appearance among them, we find mixing with our saddened feelings, a sense of joyful assurance that we are not following cunningly devised fables when we submit ourselves in trustful affection to the separating and life-moulding influences of the “Holy Scriptures.”
We can clearly see that to be “harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners” is not the way to secure the world’s love, nor escape from the hatred and wicked devices of the serpent’s seed, yet this is the standard of character we are required to consider and endeavour to attain. And we are emboldened to do this, when we remember that the world as at present constituted is destined to pass away That to be such as the world will love, speak well of, and do well to, is to be against Christ, and to be separated from him, means in the age to come, dishonour, rejection, death. And what can it profit a man, if he even gain the world for a few short years, and miss the gladness, the activities and powers of an endless life, all of which are assured in Jesus, to all the faithful, self-denying sons and daughters of God We have been called out, and having obeyed the call, the position we occupy is one of special distinction and honour, not conferred on us by man, not self-merited, not earned by us in any way, not ours by natural birthright, but freely given to us by the Creator of all things, unto whom all things belong But are we quite sure of this? Yes John (i 12) testifies that to them that believed on His name (and we have believed on His name), “He gave the right to become children of God,” and Paul argues, “if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.” And Jesus associates those who believe and obey with himself in relation to God as “Our Father,” “Your Father.” And in the message committed to Mary after his resurrection, as recorded by John (xx 17), “Go unto my brethren and say to them, I ascend unto my Father and p. 458your Father, and my God and your God.” And it is in the power of each one, by self examination in the light of the truth, to know without mistake if this spiritual relationship exists, for Jesus has himself defined the conditions and character thereof as Mark records (iii. 35). “Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and sister and mother.”
But why are we confident that these writings which we quote, and from which we have learned these things, are of Divine Authorship (and if they are not we are undone, our faith is vain)? Well, we have many reasons, and there is an indication of the only satisfactory answer—in the historic facts we have been reading, and also in others which our present readings have recalled to our minds—for history and experience have taught us, that the wisest and ablest of Adam’s sons are utterly unable to show beforehand, the time and the events which shall come to pass in the years ahead of them. Into what human mind, by purely natural process, would a conviction have entered, that one in our nature would, at a set time, appear among men, and be and do, what none before him had ever been, nor done, not only meek and lowly in heart, but without transgression—of an unblemished character and non-self-seeking goodness, and that to such an extent, that his avowed enemies, who should labour hard to do it, could not convict him of sin. That having appeared he should go about only to do good, healing their sick, raising their dead, comforting their mourners, weeping with the weepers, preaching glad tidings to their poor, unmistakably “approved of God by miracles and wonders and signs,” who, notwithstanding all these excellencies, would be hated, despised, falsely accused, rejected, arraigned before a Pagan governor, mocked and scourged, a robber’s freedom preferred to his, and a shameful and cruel death demanded for him. Yet so it came to pass, for “Thus it is written (in the prophets and the Psalms) concerning him, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations” (Luke xxiv. 46-47).
How true the words spoken through Isaiah many years before his birth, while as yet the fulness of the time had not come: “He was oppressed, yet he humbled himself and opened not his mouth, as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before her shearers is dumb. Yea, he opened not his mouth.” “He poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors” “He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant make many righteous.”
Thus are we prepared to accept without reservation, the declaration of Peter concerning the “sure word of prophecy.” That it came not by the will of man, but that “Holy men of God spake, moved by the Holy Spirit, and that we do well if we take heed thereto, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn.”
While the subjects of prophecy have been many and varied, affecting nations, peoples and countries, all interesting, and written and preserved for our learning and instruction in righteousness; still, if one part more than another commands our attention, and demands obedient and grateful appreciation from us, we find it in those inspired utterances which reveal the reality of God’s loving purpose in relation to the Gentiles, for we being by nature Gentiles, were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, had no part nor lot in the covenants of promise, had no hope, and were without God. But these Scriptures have made known to us, that repentance unto life, and the offer of joint-heirship with Christ, was, from a certain time, and until a certain time, to be extended to the Gentiles. That God hath revealed righteousness without the law, and that He hath visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. Giving to Paul, in a special and direct manner, the knowledge of this, His will, and sending him forth to proclaim that “the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same body and partakers of His promise in the gospel (Eph. iii. 3). And this same Paul we find declaring the fact hereof to his own nation thus: “Seeing that ye put the word of God from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us. Be it known, therefore, unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles.” We need not fear, therefore, to make the Hope of Israel our hope, nor should we neglect to p. 459gird up our loins, and in the appointed ways, “work out our salvation with fear and trembling,” refusing to be turned aside to fashionable fables and fleshly fancies, but with the earnestness of settled conviction—although these are days wherein there is aversion, perversion and dishonouring of Jehovah’s word by the man-honoured great ones of the earth—contend for that form of doctrine and manner of life which has been delivered to us through the ministry of Jesus and his apostles.
This will involve our constant recognition of the facts, that having been justified freely, through the redemption that is in Jesus, that we are not any longer our own—that a spirit of boastfulness towards them that are without, is not in accordance with the law of Christ; that we are not at liberty to do as we like, not to please ourselves, not to walk after the flesh, not to be conformed to the world, not to fellowship unfruitful works of darkness, not to resist evil, not to avenge ourselves, not to return railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing, not to be and not to do a host of things, briefly summed up for us in the words, “As ye would that men should do to you, do ye likewise so to them;” “Be ye holy in all manner of conversation;” “Let your light shine,” for pure religion before God and the Father is to imitate and obey the Lord Jesus, and keep ourselves unspotted from the world.
It is to help us to keep fresh in memory these and other related truths that this weekly breaking of bread and drinking of wine has been appointed, and well it is for us (if we let ourselves be becomingly exercised therein) that the observance of this memorial, so simple, yet so full of beauty and meaning, has been required of us as a part of righteousness, for as we realise that the bread and wine before us are symbols of the body and poured out life of a sinless wearer of our nature, who offered himself without spot to God, and because of whose perfect character and obedience to death, has been exalted, a Prince and a Saviour, and that our way to the Father is through him, we cannot well fail to be impressed with the fathomless love and amazing goodness and forbearance of God; for if we come to think of it, What is man, that God should be mindful of him? or the son of man that He should visit him with His mercy, and provide for his salvation and deliverance from the disquieting vanities of a transient existence, and promise to raise him to equality with the angels, and grant him everlasting association with His beloved and exalted Son?
It behoves us to give diligence in these things if we are to make our calling and election sure for the great day, when there will be a great reversal of things. When he who stood at Pilate’s judgment-seat shall erect his own, and before him shall be gathered all who have become responsible thereto, among that number we shall be, that we may each receive in body according to that we have done—if we have sown to the flesh (which, God forbid), corruption; but if we have sown to the Spirit (which, may He strengthen us to do), life everlasting. Therefore will we give the more earnest heed unto the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip, or, as it reads in R.V., “drift away,” and so miss the mark and the prize of our high calling, not gaining the victory over the flesh and the world, and that measure of fitness for God’s use in the age to come, which it is designed that the knowledge of the truth should effect in us, and which it has effected in many. Paul’s assured confidence, in the presence of his execution, arose from the good conscience he had toward God concerning his walk in the truth. “Henceforth,” said he, “there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give to me at that day, and not only to me, but also to all them that have loved his appearing.” For this appearing we are waiting, and until that day observe this feast in remembrance of him. Therefore we take of the bread and drink of the wine with thanksgiving.
W. R.