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Presented to
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WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES.
By R. A, TORREY, D.D.
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What the Bible Teaches
A Thorough and Comprehensive
Study of what the Bible has to Say
Concerning the Great Doctrines
of which it Treats
BY R. A. TORREY
Superintendent of the Bible Institute, Chicago
AUTHOR OF "HOW TO BRING MEN TO CHRIST," "HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE," ETC.
" 7!? the law and to the testimony ! if they speak not according to this
word, surely there is no morning for them." — Is. viii, 20 (R. V.).
" He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the
thaff to the wheat? saith the Lord."—]E.R. xxiii, 28.
**/ will hear what God the LORD will spsak."—Ps. Ixxxv, 3.
NEW YORK CHICAGO TORONTO
Fleming H. Revell Company
LONDON AND EDINBURGH
COPYRIGHT
1898
By Fleming H. Revell Company
New York: 158 Fifth Avenue
Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave.
London: 21 Paternoster Square
Edinburgh: 75 Princes Street
PREFACE.
This book represents years of study. It3 contents have
been tested again and again in the classroom — in classes
composed, in some instances, of representatives of thirty-six
denominations. However, it is not supposed for a moment
that it exhausts all the Bible has to say on the topics treated,
much less that it takes up and exhausts every topic dealt
with in the Bible. The Bible is the one inexhaustible book.
This work is simply an attempt at a careful, unbiased, sys
tematic, thorough-going, inductive study and statement of
Bible truth. The method of the book is rigidly inductive.
The material contained in the Bible is brought together,
carefully scrutinized, and then what is seen to be contained
in it stated in the most exact terms possible. Exactness of
statement is first aimed at in every instance, then clearness
of statement. Beauty and impressiveness must always yield
to precision and clearness. The scripture from which a pro
position is deduced is always given before the proposition.
The methods of modern science are applied to Bible study —
thorough analysis followed by careful synthesis. Though no
Hebrew nor Greek words appear in the work, it is based
upon a careful study of the original text as decided by the
best textual critics (especially Tischendorf and Westcott and
Hort in the New Testament, though other editors, and the
manuscripts themselves, have been considered in some in
stances). Wherever possible the text of the Authorized
Version has been given. In many instances this was im
possible, as the Revised Version is manifestly much more
exact. Had it appeared that the Revised Version would soon
obtain that general acceptance and use which it seems to
i
COPYRIGHT
1898
By Fleming H. Revell Company
New York: 158 Fifth Avenue
Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave.
London: 21 Paternoster Square
Edinburgh: 75 Princes Street
PREFACE.
This book represents years of study. Its contents have
been tested again and again in the classroom — in classes
composed, in some instances, of representatives of thirty-six
denominations. However, it is not supposed for a moment
that it exhausts all the Bible has to say on the topics treated,
much less that it takes up and exhausts every topic dealt
with in the Bible. The Bible is the one inexhaustible book.
This work is simply an attempt at a careful, unbiased, sys
tematic, thorough-going, inductive study and statement of
Bible truth. The method of the book is rigidly inductive.
The material contained in the Bible is brought together,
carefully scrutinized, and then what is seen to be contained
in it stated in the most exact terms possible. Exactness of
statement is first aimed at in every instance, then clearness
of statement. Beauty and impressiveness must always yield
to precision and clearness. The scripture from which a pro
position is deduced is always given before the proposition.
The methods of modern science are applied to Bible study —
thorough analysis followed by careful synthesis. Though no
Hebrew nor Greek words appear in the work, it is based
upon a careful study of the original text as decided by the
best textual critics (especially Tischendorf and Westcott and
Hort in the New Testament, though other editors, and the
manuscripts themselves, have been considered in some in
stances). Wherever possible the text of the Authorized
Version has been given. In many instances this was im
possible, as the Revised Version is manifestly much more
exact. Had it appeared that the Revised Version would soon
obtain that general acceptance and use which it seems to
2 PREFACE.
so richly deserve, the author would have adopted it through
out; except in those rare instances where it is manifestly in
error. In very few instances, indeed, has it been necessary to
adopt renderings differing from both the Authorized Version
and the Revised Version, and from the American Appendix
to the Revised Version.
Some of the propositions in this book may appear new
and even startling to many, but it is believed that they fairly
and exactly state the contents of the passages upon which
they are based.
It is hoped that the book will prove of interest and help,
both to those who believe in the Divine origin of the Bible
and to those who do not. One of the most satisfactory ways
of determining whether the Bible is A Divine origin or not, is
by finding out precisely what it teaches and whether there is
one deep philosophy running through the book composed
by such a multiplicity and variety of human authors. The
writer must confess that his own conviction that there was
one Author back of the many writers, and that that one
Author was God, has ever deepened as he studied.
Just the suggestion of a few ways in which this book can
be used with profit :
Its most apparent use is as a classbook in Bible Theology,
its arrangement by sections and propositions having had
such use in mind. The book can also be used in family
devotions by those who desire something more orderly, sys
tematic and thorough than the methods usually employed
in this important, but neglected, department of Christian
culture.
It is hoped that it may be helpful also in private devo
tional study of the Bible. While the book aims to be
scientific, it is not cold. Too much devotional study of the
Bible is haphazard. By the use of this book it can be made
orderly, thorough and progressive.
The author has received numerous letters from groups of
believers where there were no churches, and from other
PREFACE. $
groups in various churches, asking for a definite outline of
Bible study, and trusts that this book may be helpful in
many such cases. Why, for example, could not groups of
Christians who are shut out from ordinary church privileges
gather together and study the Bible itself with the help of this
book?
In all study of the book the scriptures given should first
be pondered carefully ; the reader should then put his own
understanding of the contents of those scriptures, in respect
of the subject in hand, into his own language before consid
ering the author's statement in the proposition. In many
instances the reader will thus be able to improve upon the
author's statement; if not, he will understand it and appre
ciate it all the more for having done a little thinking for
himself.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
BOOK I.— WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT GOD.
CHAPTER I. — GOD AS SPIRIT, - -13
God is spirit— What is spirit?— The manifestation of God in visible
form — The Angel of Jehovah.
CHAPTER II.— THE UNITY OF GOD, - 18
Jehovah our God is one Jehovah — A multiplicity of persons in the one
God — How can God be three and one at the same time?
CHAPTER III. — THE ETERNITY OF GOD, - 21
God is eternal; His existence has no beginning and no ending — God is
unchangeable — How does the unchangeable God repent — God self-existent;
not only exists from eternity, but exists from Himself.
CHAPTER IV. — THE OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD, - -23
God is everywhere — God is in some places in a sense that He is not in
other places.
CHAPTER V. — THE PERSONALITY OF GOD, - 25
God is a " living God," sees, hears, knows, feels, wills, acts ; is a person —
Personality distinguished from corporeity — God as creator, sustainer, gov
ernor of the world — God's care for and ministry to His creatures.
CHAPTER VI. — THE OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD, - - 30
God can do all things, nothing too hard for Him — Nature, men, angels,
Satan, all subject to His will and word — The exercise of God's omnipotence
limited by His own wise and holy and loving will.
CHAPTER VII. — THE OMNISCIENCE OF GOD, - 32
God knows all things — Knows everything in nature, in man, in human
history and experience — His knowledge extends to the minutest particu
lars—Knows from all eternity what shall be to all eternity — Knows from
the beginning what each individual man will do.
CHAPTER VIII. — THE HOLINESS OF GOD, • - 36
God is absolutely holy — The meaning of holy — The holiness of God
the fundamental truth of the Bible, both O. T. and N. T.— How the holi
ness of God is manifested — The need of atonement before a sinful man
can approach a holy God — The holiness of God manifested in the punish-
5
6 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
ment of the sinner — The holiness of God manifested in an infinite sacrifice
to save others from sin to holiness — Practical inferences from the holiness
of God: Must draw nigh to God with awe, the blackness of our sin as
seen in the white light of His holiness, the wonderfulness of the love of a
holy God to sinful men.
CHAPTER IX. — THE LOVE OF GOD, - - 42
God is love — What does "love" mean — Whom does God love — His love
to sinners and to saints compared — How the love of God is manifested.
CHAPTER X. — THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OR JUSTICE OF GOD, 48
God is righteous — What does righteous mean —The ordinary concep
tion of the righteousness of God unbiblical — How the righteousness of
God is manifested— The righteousness of God in its relation to the protec
tion of His people more prominent in the Bible than His righteousness in
relation to the punishment of sinners.
CHAPTER XL — THE MERCY OR LOVING-KINDNESS OF GOD, 53
"Mercy" and "loving-kindness" different translations of the same
word — Primary meaning of the word — God is plenteous in mercy — •
Toward whom the mercy of God is manifested — How the mercy of God is
manifested.
CHAPTER XII. — THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD, - - 58
God is faithful — What faithful means; etymology and usage of the
Hebrew and Greek words translated "faithful" — The extent of God's faith
fulness — How the faithfulness of God is manifested.
BOOK IL— WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT JESUS
CHRIST.
CHAPTER I. — THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST, - 68
Sixteen names clearly implying Deity used of Christ — Five or more
distinctively Divine attributes ascribed to Jesus Christ — Seven distinc
tively Divine offices predicated of Jesus Christ — Very many statements,
which in the O. T. are distinctively made of Jehovah God, taken in the
N. T. to refer to Jesus Christ — The name of Jesus Christ coupled again
and again with that of God the Father in a way in which it would be
impossible to couple the name of any finite being with that of the Deity —
Divine worship to be rendered to Jesus Christ by angels and men — The
awful guilt of rejecting the Divine Christ.
CHAPTER II. — THE SUBORDINATION OF THE SON TO THE
FATHER, - 85
The Father greater than Jesus Christ the Son— The Father begat Jesus
Christ the Son — The Son can do nothing independently of the Father —
The Son sent by and receiving all His authority from the Father — Jesus
Christ shall ultimately deliver up His kingdom to the Father — God the
Father, not Jesus Christ the Son, the ultimate goal — God the Father is
Jesus Christ's God — Jesus Christ is, and eternally shall be, subordinated to
God the Father.
TABLE OF CONTENTS. /
CHAPTER III. — THE HUMAN NATURE OF JESUS CHRIST, 89
Human names, Son of Man, etc. — Human physical nature — Human
parentage — Human limitations, physical, intellectual and moral — Subject,
to all the intellectual and moral limitations essential to human nature —
Limitations of power — Human relation to God — Human in all things; in
every respect a real man---How reconcile the Bible doctrine of the true
Deity of Jesus Christ with the Bible doctrine of the real human nature
of Christ.
CHAPTER IV. — THE CHARACTER OF JESUS CHRIST, - 97
Section I. The Holiness of Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is holy, abso
lutely holy, the Holy One — How the holiness of Jesus Christ manifests
itself — Witnesses to the holiness of Jesus Christ.
Section II. The Love of Jcsus'Christ to God the Father: The one
thing that Jesus Christ desired the world to know about Himself was that
He loved the Father — How the love of Jesus Christ to the Father mani
fested itself.
Section III. The Love of Jesus Christ to Men: Whom among men
did Jesus Christ love — His general love and His special love — How the
love of Jesus Christ to men has manifested itself, is manifesting itself, and
will manifest itself "in the ages to come."
Section IV. Jesus Christ's Love for Souls: The purpose of His coming
into the world — His watch for and pursuit of the lost — His joy over souls
saved — His grief over lost souls that refused to be saved — His sacrifice to
save souls.
Section V. The Compassion of Christ: The objects of Christ's compas
sion — The way in which the compassion of Christ was manifested.
Section VI. The Prayerfulness of Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ was a
man of prayer — When Christ prayed — Where Christ prayed — With whom
Christ prayed — In whose behalf Christ prayed — How Christ prayed — The
effect of Christ's prayers.
Section VII. The Meekness and Gentleness of Jesus Christ: What is
meekness — How the meekness of Christ was manifested.
Section VIII. The Humility of Jesus Christ: Ten ways in which the
humility of Christ manifested itself.
CHAPTER V. — THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST, - - 144
The importance of His death — The purpose of His death — For whom
Christ died — The results of Christ's death: (i) In relation to men in gen
eral, (2) In relation to believers, (3) In relation to the Devil and his angels,
(4) In relation to the material universe — The purging of the heavenly
things by the atoning blood of Christ — The immense sweep of the atone
ment.
CHAPTER VI. — THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST, - 166
The Resurrection of Christ the Gibraltar of Christian evidences and
Waterloo of Rationalism and Infidelity — The conclusive and unanswerable
proof that Jesus was raised from the dead — Admissions of Strauss, Baur,
Schenkel and Renan — The doctrinal importance of the Resurrection of
Christ — The manner of the Resurrection — The results of the Resurrection.
CHAPTER VII. — THE ASCENSION OR EXALTATION OF JESUS
CHRIST, - 187
The fact of the Ascension — The manner of the Ascension and Exalta
tion — The purpose of the Exaltation of Jesus Christ — The results of the
Exaltation.
8 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII. — THE COMING AGAIN OF JESUS CHRIST, 193
The fact of His coming again — Have the promises concerning Christ's
coming again been fulfilled, in the coming of the Holy Spirit, the destruc
tion of Jerusalem, the death of the individual believer, or any other event
or series of events that have already come to pass — The importance of the
doctrine of the coming again of Jesus Christ — The manner of Christ's
coming again — Stages or steps in the coming again of Jesus Christ — The
purpose of Christ's coming again— The results of Christ's coming again:
(i) As regards God, (2) As regards the Church, (3) As regards Israel, (4)
As regards the (Gentile) nations and unregenerate individuals, (5) As
regards human society as a -whole, (6) As regards the Anti-Christ and the
Devil, (7) As regards the physical universe — The time of Christ's coming
again — Is it pre-millennial or post-millennial — Is the world getting better?
BOOK III. —WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT THE
HOLY SPIRIT.
CHAPTER I. — THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, - 225
The importance of the doctrine — The fact of the personality of the
Holy Spirit — The use of personal pronouns in speaking of the Holy Spirit
— Personal qualities ascribed to the Holy Spirit — Personal acts ascribed to
the Holy Spirit — Personal offices predicated of the Holy Spirit — Persona!
treatment predicated of the Holy Spirit.
CHAPTER II. — THE DEITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, - - 230
Divine Attributes — Divine Works — Statements which refer to Jehovah
in the O. T. applied to the Holy Spirit in the N. T. — The way in which the
name of the Holy Spirit is coupled with that of the Father and the Son —
The Divine Name applied to the Holy Spirit.
CHAPTER III. — THE DISTINCTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
FROM THE FATHER AND FROM His SON, JESUS CHRIST, 234
A clear distinction drawn between the Holy Spirit and the Father and
the Son — The Son prays to the Father, and the Father sends a third per
son, the Spirit, in answer to the prayers of the Son — Is the doctrine of the
Trinity in the Bible?
CHAPTER IV. — THE SUBORDINATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
TO THE FATHER AND THE SON, - 236
Sent by the Father and the Son— Called "the Spirit of God," "the
Spirit of Christ," and "the Spirit of Jesus" — Speaks not from Himself —
His work to glorify Christ.
CHAPTER V. — THE NAMES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, - - 238
Significance of name "The Spirit "—"The Spirit of Jesus Christ"—
"The Holy Spirit"— "The Holy Spirit of Promise"— "The Spirit of
Truth"— "The Spirit of Life"— "The Spirit of Grace"— "The Spirit of
Glory"— "The Eternal Spirit"— The Paraclete.
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 9
CHAPTER VI. — THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, - - 245
The work of the Holy Spirit in the universe: Creation, preservation,
evolution by the Spirit's power — The work of the Holy Spirit in man in
general — The work of the Holy Spirit in the believer — Regeneration and
the indwelling Spirit — The Holy Spirit setting the believer "free from the
law of sin and death" — The Holy Spirit strengthening the believer — The
witness of the Spirit — The fruit of the Spirit— Guiding into all the truth —
Bringing to remembrance — Revealing "the deep things of God," and
interpreting His own revelation — Imparting power to impart to others the
truth taught to us — Teaching to pray — Inspiring thanksgiving — Inspiring
and guiding in acceptable worship — Calling men to work — The Holy
Spirit's practical guidance in daily life,,
CHAPTER VII. — THE BAPTISM AND FILLING WITH THE
HOLY SPIRIT, - - 269
What is the Baptism with the Holy Spirit — Results of the Baptism with
the Holy Spirit — The necessity of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit — For
whom is the Baptism with the Holy Spirit — The refilling with the Holy
Spirit — How the Baptism with the Holy Spirit may be obtained.
CHAPTER VIII. — THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN
PROPHETS AND APOSTLES, - - - 281
Differs from His work in other believers — Truth that could not be dis
covered by the unaided processes of human reasoning, revealed to prophets
and apostles in the Spirit — The revelation made to prophets independent
of their own thinking — The prophets spake from God — The Holy Spirit
the real speaker — The Holy Spirit taught the words which prophets and
apostles uttered, as well as the concept — How account for variations in
diction and style.
CHAPTER IX. — THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN JESUS
CHRIST, - ... 287
Begotten of the Holy Spirit — Lived a holy life in the power of the
Spirit — Anointed for service by the Holy Spirit— Led by the Spirit —
Taught by the Spirit — Wrought His miracles in the power of the Spirit—
Was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.
BOOK IV.— WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT MAN.
CHAPTER I. — MAN'S ORIGINAL CONDITION, ... 293
Created in the image of God, after His likeness — To what does the
image and likeness of God refer — Man's great intellectual capacity as he
came from the hands of his Maker — Created without sin.
CHAPTER II. — THE FALL, - - 296
The First Man fell— Steps in the fall— Through the one man's dUo«
bedience the many made sinners.
10 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER III. — THE PRESENT STANDING BEFORE GOD
AND CONDITION OF MEN OUTSIDE OF JTHE REDEMP
TION THAT is IN CHRIST JESUS, .... 298
No distinction, all sinners— Every mouth stopped — All under a curse —
Children of the Devil — Darkened in understanding, deceitful in heart, the
entire moral and intellectual nature corrupted by sin — Lost.
CHAPTER IV. — THE FUTURE DESTINY OF THOSE WHO
REJECT THE REDEMPTION THAT is IN CHRIST JESUS, 303
Where Christ has gone they cannot come — A resurrection to judg
ment — Eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord — The eternal
fire prepared for the Devil and his angels — The lake that burneth with
fire and brimstone — Is the fire literal — Is the lake of fire a place of
continued conscious torment, or a place of annihilation of being, or a
place of non-conscious existence — Biblical usage of "death" and "destruc
tion" — Is the condition of torment absolutely endless — Meaning of
"eternal" and of "for ever and ever" — Is there another opportunity for
those who never heard of Christ in this life — Objections considered — •
Shallow views of sin and of God's holiness and of Christ's glory and His
claims, at the bottom of weak theories of the doom of the impenitent —
What about our impenitent friends — How to preach the doctrine.
CHAPTER V. — JUSTIFICATION, - ^ - - 315
What does justify mean — How are men justified before God — The
extent of justification — The time of justification — The results of justification
CHAPTER VI. — THE NEW BIRTH, 324
What is the New Birth— The results of the New Birth— The necessity
of the New Birth — How men are begotten again,
CHAPTER VII. — ADOPTION, 336
What is Adoption — Etymology and usage of the word so translated —
The origin and ground of Adoption— Who receive the grace of Adoption —
When does Adoption occur — The proof of our Adoption — The results of
Adoption.
CHAPTER VIII. — SANCTIFICATION, 340
What does Sanctification mean — Three Biblical uses of the word
"sanctify" — How are men sanctified — When does Santification take place
The results of Sanctification.
CHAPTER IX. — REPENTANCE, 352
The importance of the subject — What is Repentance — Etymology and
usage of words so translated— How Repentance is manifested— The results
of Repentance — How Repentance is effected.
CHAPTER X. — FAITH, .... 362
Meaning of "Faith" in general— Meaning of "Faith" when used in
connection with prayer — Meaning of "Faith" when used in connection
with God — Meaning of " Faith " when used in connection with Jesuf
TABLE OF CONTENTS. II
Christ— Saving Faith — The Character of Saving Faith, or how we must
believe in order to be saved — The Contents of Saving Faith, or what we
must believe in order to be saved — How Faith is manifested — The results
of Faith — How to get Faith.
CHAPTER XI. — LOVE TO GOD, - 384
The importance of Love to God — How Love to God is manifested —
Results of Love to God under both covenants — How to get Love to God
CHAPTER XII. — LOVE TO CHRIST, - - 388
Its importance — How Love to Christ is manifested — Results of Love to
Christ — How can we attain unto Love to Christ
CHAPTER XIII. — LOVE TO MAN, - - 393
What is Love — Objects -of Christian Love — Characteristics of Christian
Love — How Love to man is manifested — The importance of Love to man
— The blessings that result from Love to man — How Love to man is
obtained.
CHAPTER XIV. — PRAYER, - 408
Who can pray so that God will hear—To whom to pray — For whom to
pray — When to pray — For what to pray — Prayers relating to God, to
ministers of the word, spiritual blessings, temporal blessings — How to
pray — Hindrances to prayer — The results of prayer.
CHAPTER XV. — THANKSGIVING, - 456
The duty of giving thanks — To whom to give thanks — Who can offer
up acceptable thanksgiving — For what to give thanks — When to give
thanks — How to give thanks.
CHAPTER XVI. — WORSHIP, - - 471
What is worship — Prayer and thanksgiving not worship — Whom to
worship — The duty of worship — God seeking worshippers — Saved to
worship — When to worship — How to worship — Four blessed results of
true worship.
CHAPTER XVII. — THE BELIEVER'S ASSURANCE, - 479
The believer in Christ may KNOW that he has eternal life — How we
may know that we have eternal life — The testimony of the Word, of the,
Spirit, of the life itself— The testimony of the Spirit, what is it— How to|
obtain Assurance.
CHAPTER XVIII. — THE FUTURE DESTINY OF BELIEVERS, 485
"He that doeth the will of God abideth forever" — Never see death —
Sleeping in Jesus — Absent from the body at home with the Lord — The
resurrection body — A body like unto the body of the glory of our Lord
Jesus Christ — Characteristics of the resurrection body — Caught up to
meet the Lord in the air — Ever with the Lord — Where shall we be —
Rest— Beholding the glory of the Lord— Like Christ— Manifested *n
12 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
glory — The glory of the Lord Jesus ours also— Sharers in God's glory and
kingdom — Enter" "thou into the joy of thy Lord' — Three crowns — Given
a kingdom — Character of the kingdom — The rewards of the overcomer —
All tears wiped away, no death, mourning, crying nor pain any more —
Unreprovable before God, a glorious church, not having spot nor wrinkle
nor any such thing — An inheritance incorruptible, undefiled and that
fadeth not away.
BOOK V.— WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT
ANGELS.
CHAPTER I. — ANGELS: THEIR NATURE, POSITION, NUMBER
AND ABODE, • 501
Their nature and position— The number of the Angels— The abode of
the Angels.
CHAPTER II. — THE WORK OF ANGELS, - - 506
Their work in behalf of the heirs of salvation — The law given through
Angels — Their presence with the Lord Jesus at His coming — The execu
tioners of God's wrath toward the wicked.
BOOK VI.— WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT THE
DEVIL, OR SATAN.
CHAPTER I. — THE DEVIL: His EXISTENCE, NATURE, POSITION
AND CHARACTER, - - 513
The Devil and demons — The existence of a personal Devil — The
position and nature of Satan — The prince of the power of the air, prince
of this world — -Satan's power — Satan's cunning — Satan's wickedness —
Satan's malignity — Satan's cowardice.
CHAPTER II. — EZEKIEL xxvin, 520
To whom does the passage refer — The Anti-Christ and Satan — Satan's
original condition — The Garden of God — The anointed cherub that
covereth — The stones of fire.
CHAPTER III. — THE ABODE AND WORK OF SATAN, - 526
Satan in heaven — Satan on earth — Satan the author of sin, sickness and
death — Satan the tempter — Satan and the word of God — Satan and his
messengers — Satan and the servants of God.
CHAPTER IV. — OUR DUTY TOWARDS SATAN AND His
DESTINY, .... 532
Our duty — Satan has no share in redemption — The eternal fire prepared
for him and his angels — Already brought to naught — Satan during the
thousand years and in eternity.
BOOK I.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT GOD.
CHAPTER L
GOD AS SPIRIT.
As the aim of this book is to ascertain and state in system
atic form what the Bible teaches, the method pursued will be
to first give the Scripture statements, and then sum up their con
tents in a proposition, following the proposition by such com
ments as may appear necessary.
I. The fact that God is Spirit.
Jno. 4: 24 — " God is (a] Spirit: and they that worship him must wor«
ship him in spirit and in truth."
FIRST PROPOSITION: God is Spirit.
QUESTION: What is spirit?
ANSWER : Luke 24 : 39 — ' ' Behold my hands and my feet, that
it is I myself: handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and
bones, as ye see me have." A spirit is incorporeal, invisible
reality. To say God is spirit is to say God is incorporeal and in
visible. (Compare Deut., 4:15-18.)
QUESTION: What does it mean, then, when it says in Gen.
1:27: " God created man in his own image f "
The answer to this question is plainly given in the following
passages:
Col. 3: 10 — "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in
knowledge after the image of him that created him."
Eph. 4: 23, 24 — "And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that
ye put on the new man, which, after God, is created in righteousness
and true holiness "
Col. i: 15 — " Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of
every creature." (Compare -T Tim. i: 17.)
The words "image" and "likeness" evidently do not refer
to visible or bodily likeness, but to intellectual and moral like
ness — likeness "in knowledge," "righteousness" and "holiness
Of truth."
14 What the Bible Teaches
II. The manifestation of Spirit in visible form,
Jno. 1:32 — "And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descend
ing from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him."
Heb. 1:7 — "And of the angels he saith, who maketh his angels
spirits and his ministers a flame of fire."
SECOND PROPOSITION: That which is spirit may manifest
itself in visible form.
III. God manifested in visible form.
Ex. 24: 9, 10 — " Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu:
and seventy of the elders of Israel; and they saw the God of Israel,
and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone,
and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness."
THIRD PROPOSITION: God has in times past manifested Him*
self in visible form.
Y. What was seen in these manifestations of God,
Jno. 1:18 — " No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten
Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared Him."
Ex. 33: 18-23 — "And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.
And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will
proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to
whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show
mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face, for there shall no
man see me and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by
me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock. And it shall come to pass,
while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock,
and I will cover thee with my hand while I pass by. And I will take
away my hand, and thou shalt set my back parts, but my face shall not
be seen."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: That which was seen in these mani
festations of God was not God Himself — God in His invisible
essence — but a manifestation of God.
QUESTION: Is there any contradiction between Ex. 24: 9, 10
(" Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy
of the elders of Israel; and they saw the God of Israel"), Is. 6:1 ("In
the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a
throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple "), and
• God as Spirit 15
/no. 1:18 ("No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten
Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared Him")?
ANSWER: None whatever. To illustrate: A man may see the
reflection of his face in a glass. It would be true for the man to
say " I saw my face," and also true to say "I never saw my face."
So men have seen a manifestation of God, and it is perfectly true to
say those men saw God. No man ever saw God as He is in His
invisible essence, and so it is perfectly true to say: "No man
hath seen God at any time."
Under this head of manifestations of God belongs "The
angel of the LORD " in O. T. Clear distinction is drawn in the
Bible in the original languages between " An angel of the Lord "
and "The angel of the Lord." The R.V. always preserves this
distinction; the A.V. does not.
Gen. 16:7-10, 13 — "And the angel of the LORD found her by a foun
tain ot water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence comest thou and whithef
wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, return to thy mistress,
and submit thyself unto her hands. And the angel of the LORD said
unto her, I will multiply fay seed exceedingly, that it shall not be num
bered for multitude. And she called the name of the Lord that sfiak&
unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked
after him that seeth me ? "
Here u the angel of the LORD " in verse 10 is clearly identi
fied with the Lord (Jehovah) in verse 13.
Gen. 21 : 17, 18— "And God heard the voice of the lad: and the angel
of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth
tiice, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where
he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand; for I will make
him a great nation. ' '
Gen. 22: n, 12 — "And the angel of theLORDcalled unto him out of
heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham : and he said, Here am I. And he
said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto
him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not with
held thy son, thine only son, from me,"
Here " the angel of the LORD " in verse 11 is identified with
6-od in verse 12<
Judges 2:1,2, R.V. — "And the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal
to Bochim, and he said, /made you to go up out of Egypt, and have
brought you unto the land which / sware unto your fathers: and j
said, /will never break my covenant with you: And ye shall make no
covenant with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down theif
altars: but ye have not hearkened to MY voice; why have ye done this? "
16 What the Bible Teaches
Here u the angel of the LORD " distinctly says "I" did what
Jehovah did. (See also Judges 6:11-14, 19-24, R.V., especially
verse 14.)
A very noteworthy passage is:
Gen. 18: i, 2, 9, 10, 13, 14. 16 — "And the LORD appeared unto him in
the plains of Mamre, and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him:
and when he saw them he ran to meet them from the tent door, and
bowed himself toward the ground. And they said unto him, Where is
Sarah, thy wife? And he said, Behold in the tent. hnAJu'satd, /will
certainly return unto thee according to the time of life, and,lo, Sarah, thy
wife, shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was
behind him. And the LORD said unto Abraham, wherefore did Sarah
laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old ? Is any
thing too hard for the LORD ? At the time appointed I will return unto
thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. And the
men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went
with them to bring them on the way."
In these verses one of the three clearly identifies himself with
the LORD or Jehovah. In the nineteenth chapter (v. 1) only
two come to Sodom. One has remained behind, two have gone
on. "Who the one was, appears as we read on.
Gen. 18: 17, 20 — And the LORD said, Shall / hide from Abraham
that thing which /do. Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a
great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed
in him.? For / know him, that he will command his children and his
household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do
justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that
which he hath spoken of him. And the LORD said, because the cry of
Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous."
Then in verse 22 we read: "Abraham stood yet before
the LORD (Jehovah)." Clearly the one of the three who remained
behind was Jehovah manifested in the form of a man. In verse
33 the story continues: "The LORD (Jehovah) went his way
as soon as he had left communing with Abraham." (See also
chapter 19: 27.)
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The angel of the Lord is dearly iden
tified with Jehovah — a visible manifestation of Jehovah.
QUESTION: Just who was this "The angel of the LORD?"
Judges 13: 18, R.V. — " And the angel of the LORD said unto him,
Wherefore asketh thou after my name, seeing it is wonderful?"
Compare Isaiah 9: 6 — " For unto us a child is born< unto us a sou
God as Spirit 17
is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his
name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
(In the Hebrew, the word for " wonderful " in the passage in
which " the angel of the LORD " gives it as his name, is practi
cally the same as the word in Isaiah, where it is given as the name
of the coming Christ.)
Mai. 3: i — " Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall pre
pare the way before me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly
come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye de-
iight in: behold he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts."
ANSWER: The angel of the Lord was the Son of G-od before
His permanent incarnation. (See also Jno. 8:56 — "Your father
Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.")
"The angel of the Lord" does not appear after birth of
Christ. The expression occurs in A,V, , but is always a mis
translation, as the R.V. shows. (See Matt. 1:20, 28:2; Luke
Z:9: Acts 8:26; 12:7, 23,)
CHAPTER II.
THE UNITY OF GOD.
L Tlie Fact of the Unity of God,
Deut. 4: 35—" Unto thee it was showed that thou mightest know
that the Lord he is God: there is none else beside him"
Deut. 6:4 — " Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is ONE Lord."
Is. 43:10 — "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my serv
ants whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and
understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither
shall there be after me."
Is. 44:6 — "Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his Re
deemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and be
sides me there is no God."
Is. 45: 5 — " I am the Lord, and there is none else; there is no God
beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me." (See,
also, vv. 14, 18.)
i Tim. 2: 5 — " For there is one God and one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus."
Mark 10: 18 — "And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me
good ? There is none good but one, that is God."
Mark 12: 29 — " And Jesus answered him, the first of all the com
mandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is ONE Lord."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Lord our God is one Lord, and
there is no God besides Him.
II. The Nature of the Divine Unity.
QUESTION: Is there a multiplicity of persons in this one
God?
ANSWER: (1) The Hebrew word translated "one" in these
passages denotes a compound unity — not a simple unity.
See Gen. 2: 24— "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
Gen. n:6 — "And the Lord said, Behold the people is one^ and
they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now
nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to
do."
The Unity of God 19
We find a similar use of the Greek word for "one " in the
New Testament.
i Cor. 3: 6-8 — " I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the
increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he
that watereth; but God, that giveth the increase. Now he that
planteth and he that watereth are one; and every man shall receive
his own reward according to his labor."
i Cor. 12: 13 — "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free: and
have been all made to drink into one Spirit."
Compare Jno. 17:22, 23 — "And the glory which thou gavest me, I
have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in
them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that
the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as
thou hast loved me."
Gal. 3:28 — " There is neither Jew or Greek, there is neither bond
or free, there is neither male or female: for ye are all one in Christ
Jesus."
(2) The Old Testament word most frequently used for God
is plural in form.
(3) God uses plural pronouns in speaking of Himself.
Gen. i: 26 — "And God said, Let its make man in our image, after
our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,
and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
Gen. 11:7 — " Go to, let its go down, and there confound their lan
guage, that they may not understand one another's speech."
Gen. 3:22 — " — And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is be
come as one of us, to know good and evil."
Is. 6:8 — " Also I heard the voice of the LORD, saying, Whom shall
I send, and who will go forth for us f Then said I, Here am I; send
me."
(4) Zech. 2: 10, 11 — "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion;
for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.
And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and
shall be my people, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou
shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee."
Here the Lord (Jehovah) speaks of Himself as sent by the
Lord (Jehovah) of Hosts.
(5) "The Angel of the Lord " is at the same time distin
guished from and identified with the Lord. (See preceding chap
ter.)
(6) Jno. 1:1 — "In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God."
2O What the Bible Teaches
(7) y/e shall see later that the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit are all clearly designated as Divine Beings and as
clearly distinguished from one another (e. g., Matt. 3:16, 17;
28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14.)
QUESTION: How can God be three and one at the same
time ?
ANSWER: He can not be three and one in the same sense.
In what sense can He be one and three ? A perfectly satisfac
tory answer to this question is manifestly impossible from the
very nature of the case: (1) Because God is Spirit, and num
bers belong primarily to the physical world, and difficulty must
arise when we attempt to conceive spiritual being in the forms of
physical thought (2) God is infinite, we are finite. He
"dwells in the light no man can approach unto. " Our attempts
at a philosophical explanation of the tri-unity of God is an attempt
to put the facts of infinite being into the forms of finite thought,
and of necessity can be, at the best, only partially successful.
This much we know — that God is essentially one, and that He
also is three. There is but one God: but this one God makes
Himself known to man as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and they
are separate personalities.
Jno. 14: 16 — "And /will pray the Father, and he shall give you an
other comforter, that he may abide with you forever."
Mark 1:10, n — "And straightway coming up out of the water, HE
saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon
him. And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my be
loved Son, in whom /am well pleased."
SUMMARY OF DOCTRINE CONTAINED IN THESE SCRIPTURES.
There is one God eternally existing and manifesting Him
self to us in three persons — Father, Son and Holy Spirit
CHAPTER III.
THE ETERNITY OF GOD,
I. God eternal.
Gen. 21:33 — "And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and
called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God."
13.40:28 — "Hast thou not known ? hast thou not heard that the
everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faint-
eth not, neither is weary ? there is no searching of his understanding.1'
Hab. i: 12 — " Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine
Holy One ? We shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for
judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correc
tion."
Ps. 90:2, 4 — "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever
thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to
everlasting, thou art God. Fora thousand years in thy sight are but
as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night."
Ps. 102: 24-27 — " I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst
of my days: Thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast
thou laid the foundations of the earth: and the heavens are the work
of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of
them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change
them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy
years shall have no end." (See also Is. 57: 15; Rom. i: 20, Greek; Gen.
i: i; John i: i.)
FIRST PROPOSITION: God is eternal. His existence had no be
ginning and will have no ending. He always was, always is
and always will be. (Compare Ex. 3: 14.) He is the I Am —
Jehovah.
II. God immutable.
Mai. 3: 6, f. h. — " For I am the LORD, I change not.'*
Jas. i: 17 — " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variable-
ness, neither shadow of turning."
i Sam. 15: 29—" And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor re
pent: for he is not a man, that he should repent." (See also Heb. 6:
17; Num. 23:19.)
22 What the Bible Teaches
SE COND PR OPOSITION: God is unchangeable. His counsel^
purpose and character are always the same.
OBJECTION: Jonah 3: 10 — "And God saw their works, that
they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil,
that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not."
It ^ here said God repented.
ANSWER: God remained the same in character, infinitely
hating sin, and in His purpose to visit sin with judgment; but as
Nineveh changed in its attitude toward sin, God necessarily
changed in His attitude toward Nineveh. If God remains the
same, if His attitude toward sin and righteousness are unchang
ing, then must His dealings with men change as they turn from
sin to repentance. His character remains ever the same; but
His dealings with men change, as they change from a position that
is hateful to His unchangeable hatred of sin, to one that is pleasing
to his unchangeable love of righteousness.
OBJECTION: Gen. 6:6 — "And it repented the LORD that
He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart."
Here it not only says that God repented of what He had done in
creating man, but u it grieved Him at His heart."
ANSWER: (1) Man's wickedness was so great and so ab
horrent that his very creation was an object of great grief to
God. This does not necessarily imply that God wished, all things
considered, that He had not created man, but only just as is said,
that He grieved that He had. Many things that we do are a
grief to us, and yet, everything considered, we do not wish that
we had not done them, (2) By God's repenting that He had
made man is meant (as the context, v. 7, clearly shows) that He
turned from His creative dealings with man to His destroying
dealings (v. 7). This was necessitated by man's sin, The
unchangeably holy God must destroy man who has become so
sunken in sin.
in. God self-existent.
John 5: 26, f. h.— "For as the Father hath life in Himself/
THIRD PROPOSITION': God has life in Himself. He is self -ex,
istent. God not only exists from eternity, but also exists
from Himself. (See also Acts 17: 24-28.)
CHAPTER IV,
THE OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD.
L God eyerywhere.
Ps. 139:7-10 — "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whithet
shall I flee from thy presence ? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art
there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the
wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even
there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me,"
Jer. 23:23, 24 — "Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a
God afar off ? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not
see him ? saith the Lord0 Do not I fill Heaven and earth ? saith the
Lord."
Acts 17: 24-28 — " God that made the world and all things therein,
seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples
made with hands. Neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though
he .needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all
things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on
all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before ap
pointed, and the bounds oi their habitation: that they should seek the
Lord, if haply they mi^ht feel after him, and find him, though he be
not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have
our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, for we are also
of his offspring." (See also Is. 57: 15.)
FIRST PROPOSITION: God is everywhere. He is in all parts of
the universe and near each individual. In Him each individual
lives and moves and has his being.
II. God not eyerywhere in the same sense.
John 14: 28 — " Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away and
come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I
said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I."
John 20: 17 — "Jesus saith unto her, touch me not; for I am not
yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them,
I ascend unto my Father% and your Father, and to my God, and your
God,'
Eph. 1:20 — "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him
24 What the Bible Teaches
from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly
places."
Rev. 21:2, 3, 10, 22, 23 — "And I, John, saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven^ prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven
saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell
with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with
them, and be their God. And he carried me away in the spirit to a
great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Je
rusalem, descending out of heaven from God. And I saw no temple
therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple ot
it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine
in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light
thereof."
Rev. 22:1, 3 — "And he showed me a pure river of water of life,
clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God arid of the Lamb.
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the
Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him,"
SECOND PROPOSITION: God is in some places in a way that
He is not in other places. (Is. 66:1 — "Thus saith the Lord,
the heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where
is the house that ye build unto me, and where is the place of
my rest ?) There is a fullness and manifestation of His pres
ence in some places that there is not in others. " Heaven " is the
place where, at the present time, the presence and glory of God is
especially and visibly manifested.
NOTE.— Mark 1:9-11 — "And it came to pass in those days, that
Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in
Jordan. And straightway coming up out of .the water, he saw the
heavens opened, and the spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And there came a voice from heaven, saying, thou art my beloved son,
in whom I am well pleased."
God the Father is especially manifested in heaven. God
the Son has been especially manifested on earth. (See also John
3: 13, the entire gospels and " the Angel of the Lord "in O. T.)
God the Son is no win heaven. (Acts 7: 56; Eph. 1: 20 and many
other passages.) God the Holy Spirit is manifested everywhere,
(a) In nature (Gen. 1:2; Ps. 104:30); (b) In all believers (John
U:16, 17; Rom. 8:9); (c) With unbelievers (John 16:7-11).
Through the Spirit, the Father and the Son dwell in the believer
(John 14: 17, 19, 20, 23.) (See also Matt. 28: 19, 20.)
CHAPTER V,
THE PERSONALITY OF GOD.
We have seen that God is omnipresent. This conception ot
God must be balanced by the conception of God as a person or we
run into Pantheism, i. e., the conception that God is not only
everywhere and in everything, but that God is everything and
everything is God; that God has no existence separate from
His creatures.
I. God a living God.
Jer. 10: 10-16 — "But the LORD is the true God, he is the living
God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth shall tremble,
and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye
say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth,
even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world
by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discre
tion. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in
the heavens, and he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the
earth. He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind
out of his treasures. Everyman is brutish in his knowledge: every
founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is
falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, and the
work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. The
portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things;
and Israel is the rod ol his inheritance: the LORD of Hosts is his
name."
(Note the context vv. 3-9, especially 5, 8, 9.) God is here
distinguished from idols, which are things, not persons, " speak
not" "cannot go," "cannot do good, neither is it in them to do
evil;" but Jehovah is wiser than "all the wise men," is "the
living God," "an everlasting King " a being who hath "wrath
and indignation " separate from His creatures — "at His wrath the
earth trembleth and the nations are not able to abide his indigna
tion."
Acts 14: 1,5— " And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We
26 What the Bible Teaches
also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye
should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made
heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein."
1 Thess. 1:9 — "For they themselves shew of us what manner of
entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to
serve the living and true God."
2 Chron. 16:9-—" For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro through*
out the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them
whose heart is perfect toward him."
Ps. 94:9, lo—" He that planted the ear, shall he not hear ? He that
formed the eye, shall he not see ? He that chastiseth the heathen,
shall not he correct ? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he
know ?" (and numerous other passages).
FIRST PROPOSITION: God is a living God. He hears, sees,
knows, feels, wills, acts, is a person. He is to be distinguished
from idols, which are things, not persons. He is to be dis
tinguished from the works of His hands which he formed.
NOTE. — Personality is characterized by knowledge, feeling and
will. Some confuse personality with corporeity.
IL God's relation to the affairs of men,
Josh. 3: 10 — "And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the
living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from
before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the
Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites."
Daniel 6: 20-22, 26, 27 — "And when he came to the den he cried
with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to
Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou
servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions ? Then said
Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever. My God hath sent His
angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me:
forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before
thee, O king, have I done no hurt. * * * I make a decree that in
every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God
of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, and his king
dom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even
unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he speaketh signs and
wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the
power of the lions."
i Tim. 4:10 — " For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach,
because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, spe
cially of those that believe."
Heb. 10: 28-31 — " He that despised Moses' law died without mercy
under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment, sup*
The Personality of God 27
pose ye, shall he be thought worthy/ who hath trodden under foot
the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, where
with he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the
Spirit of grace ? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance be-
longeth unto me, I will recompense saith the Lord. And again, the
Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God."
SECOND PROPOSITION: God has a present, personal interest
and an active hand in the affairs of men. He makes a path
for His people and leads them. lie delivers, saves and punishes.
The God of the Bible is not only to be distinguished from
the God of the Pantheist, who has no existence separate from His
creation, but also from the God of the Deist, who has created
the world and put into it all the necessary powers of self-action
and development, and set it going, and left it to goof itself. God
is personally and actively present in the affairs of the universe.
III. God as Creator.
Gen. i : i — "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
Jno. i: 1-3 — " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not
anything made that was made."
THIRD PROPOSITION: God is the Creator of all existing things.
IV. God's present relation to the world He has created.
Ps. 104:27-30 — "These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give
them their meat in due season. That thou givest them they gather:
thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. Thou hidest thy
face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and
return to the dust. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created:
and thou renewest the face of the earth."
Is. 45: 5-7 — " I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no
God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me. That
they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that
there is none beside me, I am the LORD, and there is none else. I
form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil:
I the LORD do all these things."
Ps. 75: 6, 7 — " For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor
from the west, nor from the south. But God is the Judge: he putteth
down one, and setteth up another."
28 What the Bible Teaches
FOURTH PROPOSITION: God sustains, governs and cares for
the world He has created. He shapes the whole present history
of the world.
V. The extent of God's care and government.
(1) Matt. 6:26, 28-30 — " Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not,
neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly
Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they ? And why
take ye thought for raiment ? Consider the lilies of the field, how they
grow; they toil not neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you,
that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is,
and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe
you, O ye of little faith ? "
Matt. 10:29,30 — "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing ? and
one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But
the very hairs of your head are all numbered."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: God s care and government extend to
all His creatures.
(2) Gen. 39: 21 — " But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him
mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison."
Dan. 1:9 — "Now God had 'brought Daniel into favor and tender
love with the prince of the eunuchs."
i Kings, 19 : 5-7 — " And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree,
behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
And he looked, and behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and
a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink and laid him
down again. And the angel of the LORD came again the second time,
and touched him, and said, Arise and eat ; because the journey is
too great for thee."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: God's care and ministry and govern
ment extend to the individual.
(3) Matt. 10:29, 30— "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?
and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."
SE YE NTH PR OPOS1 TION: God's care and ministry and gov
ernment extend to the minutest matters.
(4) Ps. 76: io—" Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee : the
remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain."
Gen. 50:20 — "But as for you, ,ye thought evil against me; but
The Personality of Uod 29
God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to sav«
much people alive." (And Rom. 9: 17, 19.)
Acts 2 : 22, 23 — "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of
Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders
and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves
also know. Him, being delivered by the determinate counse I and fore
knowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified
and slain."
Job. i : 12 — "And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold all that he
hath is in thy power ; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So
Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord."
Job 2: 6— "And the Lord said unto Satan, behold, he is in thy
hand; but save his life."
Luke 22: 3 — " And Satan entered into Judas who was called Isca-
riot, being one of the number of the twelve."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: God's control and government extend
to the wicked devices and doings of evil men, and of Satan,
and He makes even these work out His own glory and His
people's good.
(Compare Rom. 8:28 — "And we know that all things work to
gether for good to them that love God, to them who are the called ac
cording to His purpose.")
CHAPTER VL
OMNIPOTENCE,
1. ihe fact that God is omnipotent,
Job 42: 2 — "I know that Thou canst do everything, and that nc
thought can be withholden from Thee."
Gen. 18: 14 — " Is anything too hard for the Lord ?"
Matt. 19: 26 — " But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With
men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."
FIRST PROPOSITION: God can do all things, nothing is too hard
for him, all things are possible 'with Him. God is omnipotent.
(i) Gen. 1:3 — "And -God said, Let there be light: and there was
light.
Ps. 33: 6-9 — " By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made;
and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth
the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in
storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants
of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done;
he commanded, and it stood fast."
Ps. 107: 25-29 — " For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy
wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the
heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted be
cause of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken
man, and are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the Lord in
their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He mak-
eth the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still."
Nah. i: 3-6 — "The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and
will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirl
wind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He
rebuketh the sea: ^nd maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers:
Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon Ian
fiisheth. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the
*arth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell
therein. Who can stand before his indignation ? And who can abide
vi the fierceness of his anger ? His fury is poured out like fire, and
the rocks are thrown down by him."
Omnipotence 31
All nature is absolutely subject to God's will and word.
(2) Jas. 4:12-15 — "There is one lawgiver, who is able to save
and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another ? Go to now, ye
that say. To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city and continue
there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain. Whereas ye know not
what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life ? It is even a
vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this,
or that."
All men are absolutely subject to His will and word.
NOTE. — Happy is the man who voluntarily subjects himself to God's
will and word.
(3) Heb. 1:13, 14 — "But to which of the angels said he at any
time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool ?
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who
shall be heirs of salvation ? "
Angels are subject to His will and word.
(4) Job. i: 12— " And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold all that
he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.
So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord."
Job 2:6 -" And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine
hand; but save his life."
Satan is absolutely subject to His will and word.
n. The exercise of God's omnipotence limited by His will.
Is. 59: i, 2—" Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it can
not save; neither his ear hoavy, that it cannot hear. But your in
iquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have
hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The exercise of God's omnipotence
is limited by His own wise and holy and loving will. God can
do anything, but will do only what infinite wisdom and holiness
and love dictate.
QUESTION: Why doesn't God destroy Satan ?
ANSWER: It would not be wise to destroy him yet. By his
malevolence he is working out part of God's benevolent plans.
CHAPTER VE
OMNISCIENCE,
I. The fact that God is omniscient.
i Jno. 3: 20 — " For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than
our heart, 2C&& knoweth all things."
Job 37: 16 — "Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the
wondrous works of him which '^perfect in knowledge f "
Ps. 147: 5 — "Great is the Lord, and of great power: his under
standing is infinite."
FIRST PROPOSITION: God « knoweth all things." He is
" perfect in knowledge." " His understanding is infinite"
Literally, " of his understanding there is no number"
(See Marg.)
II. What God knows.
(1) Prov. 15: 3, R.V. — " The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch upon the evil and the good."
FIRST PROPOSITION: He sees all that occurs in every place
and keeps watch upon the evil and the good.
(2) Ps. 147:4 — " He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth
them all by their names."
Matt. 10: 29 — " Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing ? and one
of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father."
SECOND PROPOSITION: He knows everything in nature,
every star and every sparrow"
(3) Ps. 33: 13-15 — " The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth
all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon
all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; he
considereth all their works."
Prov. 5: 21 — "For the ways of man are before the eyes of the
Lord, and he pondereth all his goings."
Omniscience 33
THIRD PROPOSITION: « He beholdeth all the sons of men "
and ^ consider eth all their works.''1 '•''The ways of men are
before" His eyes, and " He pondereth (or maketh level) all his
goings"
(4) Ps. 139:2, 3 — "Thou knowest my downsitting and mine up
rising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my
path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: He knows all man's deeds and ex.
periences.
(5) Ps. 139: 4 — " For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O
Lord, thou knowest it altogether."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: He knoweth altogether all man's words.
(6) Ex. 3: 7 — " And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction
of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason
of their task-masters; for I know their sorrows."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: He knows all man's sorrows.
It seems sometimes as if He did not. It must have seemed
BO sometimes to Israel in Egypt, but He did, and in time
proved it.
(7) Ps. 139: i, 2 — " O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest
my thought afar off."
i Chron. 28: 9 — "And thov Solomon my son, know thou the God
of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing
mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the
imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of
thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: He " understandeth all the imagi
nations of the thoughts." He understands our thoughts afar
off.
(8) Matt. 10:29, 3° — "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing ?
and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But
the very hairs of your head are all numbered."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: God's knowledge extends to minutest
particulars.
(9) Acts 15: 18 — "Known unto God are all his works from the begin
ning of the world. " (See R. V.)
34 What the Bible Teaches
Is. 46:9, 10 — " Remember the former things of old: for I am God,
and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me. Declar
ing the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things
that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do
all my pleasure."
NINTH PROPOSITION: God knows from all eternity what
shall be to all eternity.
(Compare i Pet. 1:20, R.V. — "Christ: who was foreknown indeed
before the foundation of the world, but was manifested at the end of
the times." Mark 13:32.)
(10) Matt. 20: 17-19 — "And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the
twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them: Behold we go
up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief
priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death.
And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to
crucify him; and the third day he shall rise again."
Ex. 3: 19, R.V. — "And I know that the king of Egypt will not give
you leave to go, no, not by a mighty hand."
Acts 3: 17, 18 — "And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance
ye did it as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before
had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer,
he hath so fulfilled."
2 Kings 7: i, 2 — "Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD*
Thus saith the LORD, To-morrow about this time shall a measure of
fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel,
in the gate of Samaria. Then a lord on whom the king leaned an
swered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make win
dows in heaven, might this thing be ? And he said, Behold, thou shali
see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof."
Ps. 41:9 — "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,
which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me."
Gal. i: 15, 16 — " But when it pleased God, who separated me from
my mother's womb, and called me by his grace to reveal his Son
in me, that I might preach him among the heathen ; immediately I
conferred not with flesh and blood."
i Pet. 1:2 — "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you and peace be
multiplied "
TENTH PROPOSITION: God knows from the beginning what
each individual man will do.
(n) Eph. 1:9, 12 — " Having made known unto us the mystery of his
will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in him-
te/f. That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather
Omniscience 35
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and
which are on earth ; even in him. In whom also we have obtained
an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. That we
should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ."
Eph. 3:4-9, R. V. — "Whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my
understanding in the mystery of Christ ; which in other generations
was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been re
vealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to-v/it, that
the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and
fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,
whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of that grace of
God which was given me according to the working of his power. Unto
me, who am less than the least of all saints, was his grace given, to
preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ: and to
make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which from
all ages hath been hid in God, who created all things."
Col. i: 25, 26 — " Whereof I was made a minister, according to the
dispensation of God, which was given to me for you, to fulfill the
word of God. Even the mystery which hath been hid from all
ages and generations."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: The whole plan of the ages and
each man's part in it has been known to God from all eter
nity.
There are no afterthoughts with God. Well may we exclaim:
" O, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God ! how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past
finding out ! " (Rom, 11 : 33.)
CHAPTER VIE
THE HOLINESS OF GOD.
I. The fact of God's Holiness.
Is. 6:3 — " And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy;
is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory."
Josh. 24: 19 — "And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve
the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not for
give your transgressions nor your sins."
Ps. 22: 3 — " But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of
Israel."
Ps. 99: 5, 9 — " Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his foot
stool; for he is holy. Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy
hill; for the LORD our God is holy."
Is. 5: 16 — " But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and
God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness."
Jno. 17: ii — "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in
the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own
name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one, as we
are."
i Pet. i: 15, 16 — " But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye
holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written, be ye holy;
for I am holy."
FIRST PROPOSITION: God is holy. Absolutely holy.
God is called the Holy One of Israel about thirty times in
Isaiah, and is so called also in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and else
where. In the New Testament God the Son is spoken of as the
holy one. (1 Jno. 2: 20.) The third person of the Trinity is con
stantly spoken of as the Holy Spirit. Holiness is the essential
moral nature of God.
Is. 57: 15 — " For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth
eternity, ivhose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with
him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of
the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (The name
stands for the character and being.)
The Holiness of God 37
II. What does Holy mean I
Lev. 11:43-45 — "Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with
any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves
unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby. For I am the
Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be
holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner
of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the Lord
that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall
therefore be holy, for I am holy."
Deut. 23: 14 — " For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy
camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; there
fore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and
turn away from thee." (Note the context of this verse.)
SE COND PR OPOSITION: Holy means free from all defilement,
pure. u God is holy" means, " God is absolutely pure."
i Jno. 1:5 — "This then is the message which we have heard of
him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darknes\
at all."
NOTE. — The entire Mosaic system of washings; divisions of the tab
ernacle; divisions of the people into ordinary Israelites, Levites, Priests
and High Priests, who were permitted different degrees of approach to
God, under strictly denned conditions; the insisting upon sacrifice as a
necessary medium of approach to God; God's directions to Moses in Ex.
3: 5, to Joshua in Josh. 5: 15, the punishment of Uzziah in 2 Chron. 26:
16-26; the strict orders to Israel in regard to approaching Sinai when
Jehovah came down upon it; the doom of Korah, Dathan and Abiram in
Num. 16: 1-33; and the destruction of Nadab and Abihu in Lev. 10: 1-3:
all these were intended to teach, emphasize and burn into the minds and
hearts of the Israelites the fundamental truth that God is Holy, unap
proachably holy. The truth that God is Holy is the fundamental truth
of the Bible, of the Old Testament and the New Testament, of the Jewish
Religion and the Christian Religion.
HI. How the Holiness of God is manifested.
(i) Hab. i: 13 — "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and
canst not look upon iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that
deal treacherously, and boldest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth
the man that is more righteous than he ? "
Gen. 6: 5, 6 — "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great
in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of the heart
was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had
made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."
38 What the Bible Teaches
Deut. 25: 16— "For all that do such things, and all that do unright
eously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God."
Prov. 15:9, 26 "The way of the wicked is an abomination
unto the Lord. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the
Lord."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Holiness of God manifests itself
in a hatred of sin.
(2) Prov. 15: 9 " But heloveth him that followeth after right-
eousness."
Lev. 19: 2 — " Speak unto all the congregation of the children of
Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God
am holy."
Lev. 20: 26 — "And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am
holy, and I have severed you from other people, that ye should be
mine."
FO UR TH PR OPOSITION: Tfi « holiness of God manifests itself
in delight in righteousness and holiness.
(3) Job. 34: 10 — "Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of under
standing: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and frt>m
the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The Holiness of God manifests itself
in His never doing wickedness or iniquity.
(4) Is. 59: i, 2 — " Behold the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it
cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your in
iquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have
hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The Holi?iess of God is manifested in
the separation of the sinner from Himself.
Herein lieth the need of atonement before the sinner can ap
proach God. This appears in the following passages:
Eph. 2: 13 — " But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far
off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."
Heb. 10: 9 — "Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He
taketh away the first that he may establish the second. By the which
will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all."
Jno. 14: 6 — "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the
life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me."
The Holiness of God 39
All approach to God is on the ground of sited blood. The
atonement has its deepest demand in the holiness of God. Any
doctrine of the atonement that sees its need only in the necessity
that man be influenced by a mighty motive, or in the necessities
of governmental expediency, does not go to the root of things.
The first and fundamental reason why "without shedding of blood
there is no remission " is because God is Holy and sin must be
covered before there can be fellowship between God and the
pinner.
(5) Ex. 34: 6, 7— "And the LORD passed by before him, and pro
claimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suf
fering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Keeping mercy for thou
sands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no
means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and fourth
generation."
Gen. 6: 5-7—" And God saw that the wickedness of man was great
in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had
made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the
LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of
the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping things, and the fowls
of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them."
Ps. 5:4-6 — " Forthou art not a God that hath pleasure in wicked
ness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in
thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy
them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful
man."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The holiness of God manifests
itself in the punishment of the sinner.
God does not punish the sinner merely because the sinner's
good makes it necessary. God is Holy. God hates sin. His
holiness and hatred of sin, like every attribute of His, is liv
ing and active and must manifest itself. His holy wrath at
sin must strike. (See Is. 53:6 — " All we like sheep have
gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and
the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. " See also
R.V. Marg. The literal translation of the Hebrew for "hath
laid upon " is "caused to strike upon.")
Any view of the punishment of sin that leaves out the
thought of its being an expression of God's holy hatred of sin,
40 What the Bible Teaches
is not only unbiblical, but shallow and dishonoring to God,
God is holy, infinitely holy, and infinitely hates sin. We get
glimpses at times of what God's hatred of sin must be, in our
own burning indignation at some enormous iniquity, but Gotf
is infinitely holy and God's wrath at the smallest sin is infi«
nitely greater than ours at the greatest enormity. God is love,
it is true, but this love is not of the sentimental sort that
sends costly bouquets and tender missives to moral monsters,
as some of our Universalist theologians would have us think.
"Our God is a consuming fire." (Heb. 12:29.) God's love to
sinners will never be appreciated until seen in the light of His
blazing wrath at sin.
(6) Jno. 3: 16 — "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."
i Pet. 3: 18— "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just
for the uujust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in
the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."
EIGHTH PR 0 POSITION: The holiness of God manifests itself
in His making an infinite sacrifice to save others from sin unto
holiness. The death of Christ is not merely a manifestation of
the love of God but of His Iioliness as well.
IV, Practical inferences from the doctrine that God is Holy*
(i) Heb. 12:28,29 — "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which
can not be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God
acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a con
suming fire."
Ex. 3:4, 5 — "And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see,
God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses,
Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither:
put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou stand-
est is holy ground."
Is. 6: 1-3 — " In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the LORD
sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the tem
ple. Above it stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with
twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and
with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy,
holy, holy is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.'1
We must draw nigh to God with awe. Even the holy ser
aphim covered their faces and their feet in His
They have four wings for worship and but two for service
The Holiness of God 41
(2) Is. 6:5, 6 — "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone be
cause I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his
hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar."
The pure light of God's holiness reveals the blackness of our
sin.
(Compare Job 42: 5, 6 — " I have heard of thee by the hearing of the
ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and
repent in dust and ashes.")
If any man think well of himself, he has never met God.
Nothing will demolish self-righteousness like one real sight of
God. In dealing with self-righteous persons get them into
the holy presence of God if you can.
(3) Heb. 9:22 — "And almost all things are by the law purged
with blood; and without shedding of blood there is no remission."
There is no forgiveness without atonement. Sin must be
covered from the holy gaze of God, and nothing will cover it
but blood.
(4) Rom. 5:8 — "But God commendeth his love toward us, in
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
The wonderfulness of God's love! It would be no wonder if
an unholy God could love unholy men; but that the God
whose name is Holy, the Infinitely Holy God, could love be
ings so utterly sinful as we are, that is the wonder of the eter
nities. There are many deep mysteries in the Bible, but no
other so profound as this.
CHAPTER IX,
THE LOVE OF GOD,
I. The fact that God is Love.
i Jno. 4: 8, 16 — " He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God h
love. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.
Cod is love; and he that dweileth in love dwelleth in God, and God in
him."
FIRST PROPOSITION: God is love. Not merely God loves,
but God is looe. Love is the very essence of His moral nature.
He is the source of all love.
i Jno. 4: 7 — " Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God;
and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." -
QUESTION: What is love ?
ANSWER:
i Jno. 3: 16, 17, R.V. — " Hereby know we love, because he laid
down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the breth
ren. But whoso has this world's goods and beholdeth his brother in
need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love ol
God abide in him ? "
Matt. 5:44, 45 — "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless
them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for
them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. That ye may be
the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh the sun
to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and
on the unjust."
Love is a desire for and delight in the welfare of the one
loved.
II. Whom does God Lore ?
(i) Matt. 3: 17 — " And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am weft pleased."
Matt. 17: 5 — "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud over
shadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."
Luke 20: I3-V Then said the Lord of the vineyard, What shall I
do ? I will send my beloved Son: it may be they will reverence him
when they see him."
The Love of God 43
SECOND PROPOSITION: God loves His Son. God's Son
is the original and eternal Object of His love.
Jno. 17: 24 — "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given
me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which
thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the
world."
If God is eternal love, that love must have an eternal ob
ject. There must, then, because of a necessity in the Divine Be
ing Himself, be a multiplicity of persons in the Godhead. The
eternal object of the Divine Love is the Eternal Son.
(2) Jno. 16:27 — "For the Father himself loveth you, because ye
have loved me ', and have believed fast I came out from God."
Jno. 14:21, 23 — "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth
them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of
my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Je
sus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my
words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and
make our abode with him."
THIRD PROPOSITION: God loves those who are united to the
Son by faith and love.
God loves, as we shall shortly see, all men, but He has an
altogether peculiar love for those who are in Christ.
Jno. 17: 23 — " I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made
perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me,
and hast loved th tin, as thou hast loved me."
God has precisely the same love to those who are in Christ
that He has to Christ Himself. Of course there is a love of God
to those who are now in Christ which is antecedent to their love
to Christ. (1 Jno. 4:19 — "We love Him, because He first loved
us.")
(3) Jno. 3: 16— " 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."
1 Tim. 2:4 — "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto
the knowledge of the truth."
2 Pet. 3: 9— "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some
men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that
any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
44 What the Bible Teaches
FOURTH PROPOSITION: God loves the world— the whole hu,
man race and each individual in it.
(4) Rom. 5:6-8 — " For when we were yet without strength, in due
time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man
will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to
die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Eph. 2:4, 5 — " But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love
wherewith he loved us, even when ive were dead in sins, hath quick
ened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved)."
Ez. 33: ii — " Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have
no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from
his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will
ye die, O house of Israel ? "
FIFTH PROPOSITION: God loves the sinner, the ungodly, those
dead in sins.
God has not the same love for the unregenerate sinner that
He has for the one in Christ. (Jno. 14: 21, -23; Jno. 17: 23; Rom.
8:30-39.) But God has a peculiar interest in lost ones. (Luke
15:7-10 — UI say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in Heaven
over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine
just persons which need no repentance. Likewise, I say unto
you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one
sinner that repenteth.") This can be understood by a father's love
for a true son and a wayward son.
111. How does the Lore of God manifest itself !
(i) Is. 48: 14, 20, 21 — "All ye assemble yourselves, and hear; which
among them hath declared these things ? The LORD hath loved him:
he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chal
deans. Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a
voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the
earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob. And they
thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the wa
ters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the
waters gushed out."
Deut, 32:-9-i2 — " For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the
lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the
waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed -him, he
kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest,
fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them,
The Love of God 4$
beareth them on her wings: So the LORD alone did lead him, and there
was no strange God with him."
Deut. 33: 3, 12- — " Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy
hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy
words. And of Benjamin he said, the beloved of the LORD shall dwell
in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and
he shall dwell between his shoulders."
FIRST PROPOSITION: God's love manifests itself in minister
ing to the need and joy of those He loves, and protecting them
from all evil.
(2) Heb. 12:6-11 — " For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening,
God dealeth with you as with sons: for what son is he whom the father
chasteneth not ? But if ye be without chastening, whereof all are par
takers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had
fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence:
shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits,
and live ? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own
pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his
holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous,
but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of
righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."
BE COND PR 0 POSITION: God's love manifests itself in chasten
ing and scourging His loved ones for their profit, that out of this
chastening the peaceable fruit of righteousness may come.
(3) Is. 63: 9 — " In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel
of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed
them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Gods love manifests itself in His
being Himself afflicted when His loved ones are afflicted, even
when that affliction comes from His own hand.
(4) Is. 49: 15, 16 — "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she
should not have compassion on the son of her womb ? Yea, they may
forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee on
the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Gods love is manifested in His never
forgetting those He loves. He seems to forget, but He never
does.
(5) i Jno. 4:9, 10 — *' In this was manifested the love of God toward
us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world> that
46 What the Bible Teaches
we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our
sins."
Jno. 3: 16 — " For God so loved the world that he gave his only be-
gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Gods love has manifested itself by
His making the greatest sacrifice in His power for those He loves
— the sacrifice of His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Sacrifice is the measure of love. The sacrifice of Christ is
the measure of God's love. (Compare Gen. 22:12 — "And he
said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything
unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou
hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me "}
(6) Is. 38: 17 — " Behold, for peace I have great bitterness: but thou
hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou
hast cast all my sins behind thy back."
Is. 55: 7—" Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have
mercy upon him ; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Gods love manifests itself in His for
giving sins.
(7) Eph. 2: 4, R.V. — " But God, being rich in mercy, for his great
love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead through our tres
passes, quickened us together with Christ (by grace have ye been
saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the
heavenly places, in Christ Jesus: that in -the ages to come he might
show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ
Jesus: for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: God s love manifests itself . (1} In
His imparting life to those dead in tres2iasses and sins. (2) In
His raising them, up ivith Christ. (8) In His making them sit
with Christ in the heavenly places. (4) In His showing to us
in the ages to come the exceeding riches of His grace in kt'idness
toward us through Christ Jesus.
God has only begun to do for us. The fullness of His love
is not yet manifested. It is just beginning to unfold itself.
* ' Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear
The Love of God 47
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 Jno. 3:2.)
(8) i Jno. 3: i, R.V. — " Behold what manner of love the Father
hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God: and
such we are. For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it
knew him not."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Gods love manifests itself in His
granting us that "ive should be called children of God."
(g) Zep. 3: 17 — " The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;
he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love,
he will joy over thee with singing."
NINTH PROPOSITION: Gods love manifests itself in His
rejoicing over His saved people with joy and singing.
Compare Luke 15:23, 24 — "And bring hither the fatted calf, and
kill it; and let us eat and be merry. For this, my son, was dead, and
is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be
merry."
CHAPTER X,
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS, OR JUSTICE OF GOD,
PRELIMINARY NOTE : The words "Righteous" and "Just,"
also "Righteousness" and "Justice," in the English Bible
represent the same Hebrew and Greek T-vords in the Old and New
Testaments.
I. The Fact that God is Righteous.
Ezr. 9: 15 — " O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous."
Ps. 116: 5 — " Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is
merciful."
Ps. 145: 17 — " The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all
his works."
Jer. 12: i — " Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee."
Jno. 17: 25 — " O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee,
but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me."
FIRST PROPOSITION: God is righteous, or just.
II. What is it to be righteous, or just I
Ez. 18: 5 — " But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and
right."
Zeph. 3: 5 — "The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do
iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth
not; but the unjust knoweth no shame."
To be just, or righteous, is to have that character that leads
one to always do that which is right.
The Hebrew word, according to its etymology, means "right '
or " straight." The etymology of the English word " righteous"
is the same. The etymology of the Greek word is "custom" or
"usage" — that which conforms to custom.
The Righteousness or Justice of God is that attribute that
leads Him always to do right. It is not to be limited, as it so
often is in modern theological usage, to His punitive justice.
This, as we shall shortly see, is only one manifestation of the
The Righteousness, or Justice of God 49
Justice, or Righteousness of God, and not the one that is most
prominent in Biblical usage.
Holiness seems to have more reference to God's character as
He is in Himself; Righteousness to His character as manifested
in his dealings with others.
III. How the Righteousness, or Justice of God is manifested.
(1) Ps. ii : 4-7— "The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne
is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
The LoRDtrieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth vio
lence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and
brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their
cup. For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance
doth behold the upright."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Righteousness of God is mani
fested in His loving righteousness and hating iniquity.
(2) Ex, 9: 23-27 — "And Moses stretched forth his rod toward
heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along
upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such
as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a na
tion. And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that
was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of
the field, and brake every tree of the field. Only in the land of
Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. And
Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I
have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are
wicked."
2 Chron. 12: 5, 6 — "Then came Shemaiah the prophet of Reho-
boam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to
Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the
LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the
hand of Shishak. Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king
humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous."
Dan. 9:12, 14— "And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake
against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us
a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as
hath been done upon Jerusalem. Therefore hath the LORD watched
upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is right
eous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice."
Rev. 16: 5, 6 — "And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art
righteous, O Lord, which art and wast, and shall be, because thou
hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and
prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are
worthy."
JO What the Bible Teaches
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Righteousness of God is mani*
fested in his visiting upon sinners the punishment due to their
sins.
(3) 2 Tim. 4: 8—" Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his ap
pearing."
1 Kings 8: 32 — "Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy
servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head;
and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteous
ness."
Ps. 7:9-11 — "O, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end;
but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and
reins. My defense is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.
God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every
day."
Heb. 6: 10 — " For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and
labor of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have
ministered to the saints, and do minister."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Righteousness of God is mani
fested in His bestowing upon the righteous the reward due their
faithfulness.
(4) Ps. 98: 1-3 — "O, sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath
done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath got
ten him the victory. The LORD hath made known his salvation:
his righteousness hath he openly showed in the sight of the heathen.
He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of
Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God."
Ps. 103:6 — " The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for
all that are oppressed."
Ps. 129: 1-4 — " Many times have they afflicted me from my
youth, may Israel now say: Many a time have they afflicted me
from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me. The
plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows. The
LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked."
2 Thess. i: 6, 7 — " Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recom
pense tribulation to them that trouble you. And to you who are
troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from
heaven with his mighty angels."
The Righteousness, or Justice of God 51
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Righteousness of God is mani.
fested in His protecting and delivering His people from all their
adversaries.
In modern theological discussions we hear more of the Jus
tice, or Righteousness of God in its relation to the punishment of
sinners, but in the Bible we read of it more in relation to the
protection of His people. In modern usage it is more frequently
held up as an attribute of God at which sinners should tremble;
in the Bible it is constantly dwelt upon as an attribute of God at
which His people should rejoice and be confident. See, for ex
ample:
Ps. 96: 11-13 — " Lfit the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and
all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice, before
the LORD: for he cometh,y^r Jie conicth to judge the earth: he shall
judge the world with righteousness ^ and the people with his truth."
Jer. 9:24 — " But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he under-
standeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise loving-
kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth: for in these things
I delight, saith the LORD." Ps. 116: 5, 6 — "Gracious is the LORD,
and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The LORD preserveth the
simple: I was brought low, and he helped me." Ps. 145:5, 15-19 —
"The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that are
bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them
their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the
desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways,
and holy in all his works. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call
upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire
of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save
them." Rev. 15:3 — " And they sing the song of Moses, the servant
of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are
thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou
King of Saints."
Even the righteousness of God in the punishment of the sin
ner is sometimes spoken of in relation to its connection with the
deliverance or avenging of His people. As in:
2 Thess. i: 6, 7 — " Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recom
pense tribulation to them that trouble you. And to you who are
troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from
heaven with his mighty angels."
Rev. 19:1, 2 — "And after these things I heard a great voice of
much people in heaven, saying-, Alleluia; Salvation and glory, and
honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous
52 What the Bible Teaches
are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did cor
rupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his
servants at her hand."
Rev. 16: 4-6— " And the third angel poured out his vial upon the
rivers and fountains of water; and they became blood. And 1 heard
the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art,
and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have
shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them
blood to drink; for they are worthy."
Here it is the vindication and avenging of His people, rather
khan the suffering of the wicked, that is the prominent thought.
(5) Neh. 9: 7, 8 — " Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose
Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and
gavest him the name of Abraham, and foundest his heart faith
ful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of
the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and
the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and
hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The Righteousness of God is man
ifested in His keeping His promises.
(6) Rom. 3: 25 — " Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation,
through faith, in his blood, to declare his righteousness, because of
the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of
God; for the showing, I say, of his righteousness at the present
season: that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him that
hath faith in Jesus."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The Righteousness of God is man-
ifested. (1) In His providing a propitiation when sin was for
given. (2} In His justifying him that hath faith in the sub
stitute.
(7) i Jno. i: 9 — " If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The Righteousness of God u
manifested in the forgiveness of the sins of the believer when they
are confessed.
CHAPTER XL
THE MERCY, OR LOVING^KINDNESS OF GOD,
PRELIMINARY NOTE: The same Hebrew word is translated
sometimes "mercy" and sometimes "loving-kindness." These
two words, therefore, mean precisely the same thing. The Hebrew
word should have been translated uniformly the one or the other.
The word "mercy" in our English translation of the Old Testa
ment is in a few instances a translation of another Hebrew word.
This latter word corresponds to the Greek word always translated
"compassion " in the New Testament. It covers essentially the
same thought as the other word; in fact, in the quotation in Rom.
9: 15 — "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have
compassion," it is translated by the Greek word for mercy. The
primary meaning of the word most frequently used is ' ' kindness, ' '
especially kindness exercised toward the suffering or sinning. It
is so translated thirty-nine times in the Authorized Version. In
thirty-one of these instances it is used of the kindness of man
toward man, in the remaining eight of the kindness of God toward
man.
I. The fact that God is Merciful.
Ps. 103:8 — "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger,
and plenteous in mercy."
Deut. 4: 31 — " (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God); he will not
forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy
fathers which he sware unto them."
Ps. 62: 12 — "Also unto thee, O LORD, belongeth mercy."
Ps. 145: 8 — " The LORD is gracious and full of compassion; slow to
anger, and of great mercy."
Ps. 86: 15— " But thou, O LORD, art a God full of compassion, and
gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth."
PROPOSITION: God is merciful, plenteous in mercy.
$4 What the Bible Teaches
II. Toward whom is the mercy of God manifested I
(i) Rom. 9:15, 18 — "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will
have compassion. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have
mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."
FIRST PROPOSITION: God's mercy is manifested toward
wfiom He will. lie is absolutely sovereign in the exercise of His
mercy,
But it should be remembered that while God is absolutely
sovereign in the exercise of His mercy, while no one can dictate
upon whom He shall have mercy, in point of fact He wills to have
mercy on all upon whom He can have mercy. (See 2 Pet. 3: 9 —
" The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men
count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that
any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." )
(2) Deut. 7:9 — "Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is
God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them
that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations."
Ex. 20: 6 — " And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love
me, and keep my commandments."
Ps.MO3: n, 17 — "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so
great is his mercy toward them that fear him. But the mercy of the
LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and
his righteousness unto children's children."
2 Chron. 6: 14 — "And said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no God
like Thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and
showest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before Thee with all their
hearts."
SECOND PROPOSITION: God's mercy is manifested toward
those who fear or love Him : His servants, who walk before Him
with all their hearts,
" The fear of the LORD ' ' and " the love of God " as used in
the Bible are nearly synonymous. ( Compare Prov. 8 : 13 ; 1 6 : 6 with
1 Jno. 5:3) They look at the same practical attitude toward
God from different points of view.
(3) Prov. 28:13 — "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but
whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."
The Mercy, or Loving-Kindness of God 55
THIRD PROPOSITION': The mercy of God is manifested
toward every one who confesses and forsakes his sins.
(4) Ps. 32: 10 — "Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he that
trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The mercy of God is manifested
toward the one who trusteth in the Lord — "Mercy shall compass
him about."
(5) Ps. 86:5 — "For Thou, LORD, art good, and ready to forgive;
and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The mercy of God is manifested
toward all them that call upon Him. (See also Rom. 10:12,
13 — « For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek;
for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be
saved."
(6) Is. 49:13 — "Sing, O Heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and
break forth in singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted
His people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The mercy of God is manifested
toward His afflicted people.
III. How is the mercy of God manifested ?
(i) Ex. 34:7 — "Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity
and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;
visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, and upon the
children's children, unto the third and fourth generation."
Is. 55:7 — "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts; and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have
mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."
Jonah 4: 2 — "And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray Thee,
O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country ?
therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that Thou art a
gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and
repentest Thee of the evil."
Jer. 3: 12 — "Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,
Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause
mine anger to fall upon you: for I arn merciful, saith the LORD, and I
will not keep anger forever."
Mic. 7: 18 — "Who is a God like unto thce, that pardoaeth iniquity,
56 What the Bible Teaches
and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage ? He
retaineth not His anger forever because He delighteth in mercy."
Ps. 51: i — " Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-
kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out
my transgressions."
Num. 14:18, 19, 20 — "The LORD is longsuffering, and of great
mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing
the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto
the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity
of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou
hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. And the LORD
said, I have pardoned according to thy word."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The mercy of God is manifested in Ms
pardoning sin when confessed and forsaken.
This manifestation of God's mercy lies at the basis of many
other manifestations. Nevertheless, it is not true, according to
Biblical usage, that " mercy is exercised only when there is
guilt."
(2) Neh. 9: 16-18, 26, 27, 30, 31 — "But they and our fathers dealt
proudly, and hardened their necks and hearkened not to thy command
ments. And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders
that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their
rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art
a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of
great kindness and forsookest them not. Yea, when they had made
them a molten calf, and said, this is thy God that brought thee up
out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations." (See also inter
vening verses.) "Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled
against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs and slew thy prophets
which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought
great provocations. Therefore, thou deliverest them into the hand
of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble,
when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and ac
cording to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved
them out of the hand of the enemies. Yet many years didst thou for
bear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets:
yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand
of the people of the lands. Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake
thou didst not utterly consume them nor forsake them; for thou art a
gracious and merciful God."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The mercy of God is manifested in
his bearing long with sinners even when they harden their necks
The Mercy, or Loving-Kindness 01 God $7
and persist in sin. — (Of. 2 Pet., 3: 9. — " The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some men count slackness ; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance.")
(3) Ps. 6: 1-4 — "O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither
chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O LORD,
for I am weak: O LORD, heal me, for my bones are vexed. My soul is
also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long ? Return, O LORD,
deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake."
Phil. 2:27 — "For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God
had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should
have sorrow upon sorrow."
Ex. 15: 13 — "Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which
thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto
thy holy habitation."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The mercy of God is manifested in
His delivering from sickness, sorrow and oppression.
(4) Ps. 21 : 7 "For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the
mercy of the most high he shall not be moved."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The mercy of God is manifested in
His maintaining the security of those who trust Him.
(5) PS- 59- 16— "But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing
aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and
refuge in the day of my trouble."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The mercy of God is manifested in
His acting as a defense and refuge in the day of trouble.
CHAPTER XII.
THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD,
I. The fact that God is faithful,
Deut. 7: 9 — " Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God,
the faithful God which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that
love and keep his commandments to a thousand generations."
Deut. 32: 4, R.V. — "The rock, his work is perfect;
For all his ways are judgment:
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
Just and right is he."
Is. 49: 7 — "Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and
his Holy One to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation ab-
horreth, to a servant of rulers, kings shall see and arise, princes also
shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful and the Holy One
of Israel, and he shall choose thee."
i Cor. i: 9 — " God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fel
lowship of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord."
i Cor. 10: 13 — "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is
common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also
make away to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
1 Thess. 5: 24 — "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will
do it."
2 Thess. 3: 3 — "But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you
and keep you from evil."
i Jno. i: 9 — " If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to for
give us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
FIRST PROPOSITION: God is faithful.
H. What does " faithful » mean 1
(1) THE ETYMOLOGY. — The Hebrew root from which the words
translated "faithful " and "faithfulness " in the Old Testament
are derived means to prop or stay or support. The intransitive
use of the word signifies to stay oneself or be supported: hence
the word ' { faithful, " as applied to a person, means such an one as
The Faithfulness of God 59
one may safely lean upon. The Greek word used in the New
Testament means trustworthy or to be relied upon, but this
Greek word is the same used in theLXX for the Hebrew word
mentioned above, and of course gets its meaning from this usage.
(2) USAGE. — Ps. 119:86. ' 'All thy commandments are faith
ful." Prov. 14: 5. — "A faithful witness will not lie: but a
false witness will utter lies."
Matt. 24: 45, 46 — "Who then is a faithful and wise servant,
whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give
them meat in due season ? Blessed is that servant, whom his
Lord when he cometh shall find so doing." Matt. 25: 21, 23 —
"His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful
servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will mȣe
thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
Lord. His Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful
servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make
thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
Lord."
1 Tim. 1 : 15 — "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of wil ac
ceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;
of whom I am chief." Eev. 21: 5 — "And he that sat upon
the throne said, Behold I make all things new. And he said
unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful."
The Biblical usage of the word conforms to its etymology.
The thought will come out more fully and definitely as we come
to see how the faithfulness of God is manifested. Therefore,
the proposition God is faithful means God is a being upon whom
we can absolutely rely or stay ourselves.
III. The extent of God's faithfulness.
(1) Lam. 3: 23 — '* They are new every morning: great is thy faith
fulness."
FIRST PROPOSITION: God' s faithfulness is great.
(2) Ps. 36: 5, R.V. — "Thy loving kindness, O LORD, is in the heav«
ens; thy faithfulness reacheth unto the s4des."
60 What the Bible Teaches
SECOND PROPOSITION: God' s faithfulness reacheth unto th*
skies. (Note context, v. 6. Compare Ps. 89 : 2 — " For I have said,
Mercy shall be built up forever: thy faithfulness shalt thou es
tablish in the very heavens.")
(3) Ps. 33:4, R.V. — " For the word of the LORD is right; and all
His work is done in faithfulness."
{THIRD PROPOSITION: All God's work is done in faithful
ness.
IV. How the faithfulness of God is manifested.
(1) Heb. 10:23, 36, 37 — "Let us hold fast the profession of our
faith without wavering (for he is faithful that promised). For we
have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye
might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall
come will come, and will not tarry."
Deut. 7: 9 — "Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God,
the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that
love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations."
Cf. i Kg: 8, 23, 24, 56 — "And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is
no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest
covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all
their heart: Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that
thou promisedst him: thou speakest also with thy mouth, and hast
fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. Blessed be the LORD,
that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he
promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which
he promised by the hand of Moses, his servant."
Ps. 89:33, 34 — "Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly
take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will
I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips."
Ps. 119: 89, 90 — "Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in Heaven.
Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the
earth, and it abideth."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Gods faithfulness is manifested in
His keeping His promise and covenant. His fulfilling every
word that goes out of His mouth regardless of what man does.
(2) i Pet. 4: 19 — "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the
will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as
unto a faithful Creator."
Ps. 89; 20-26 — " I have found David my servant; with my holy oil
The Faithfulness of God 61
have I anointed him: with whom my hand shall be established:
mine arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not exact upon
him: nor the son of wickedness afflict him. And I will beat down his
foes before his face and plague them that hate him. But my faithful
ness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn
be exalted. I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in
the rivers. He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and
the rock of my salvation."
This might well be called " The Faithfulness Psalm." (See
v. 1, etc.)
SECOND PROPOSITION: God's faithfulness is manifested
in the unfailing defense and deliverance of His servants in
times of trial, testing and conflict.
(3) Lam. 3:22-23 — " It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not con
sumed, because his compassion fail not. They are new every morn
ing; great is thy faithfulness."
(Cf. Jer. 51:5 — " For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of
his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin
against the Holy One of Israel.")
THIRD PROPOSITION: Gods faithfulness is manifested in
His standing by His people and saving them even when they are
unfaithful to him.
Cf. 2 Tim. 2: 13, R. V.— "If we are faithless, he abideth faithful:
for he cannot deny himself."
i Sam., 12, 20-22 — " And Samuel said unto the people, Fearnot: ye
have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the
LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; And turn ye not aside:
for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor de
liver; for they are vain. For the LORD will not forsake his people for
his great name's sake: because it has pleased the LORD to make you
his people."
Our security is in His faithfulness, not in our own.
(4) i Cor. 10: 13 — "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make a
way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: God's faithfulness is manifested
in His not suffering His children to be tempted above that which
they are able, but with the temptation making also a way to ea-
cape, that they may be able to bear it.
62 What the Bible Teaches
(5) 2 Thess. 3: 3, R.V.— "But the Lord is faithful, who shall estate
lishyou, and guard you from the evil one."
i Cor. i: 8, 9 — "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye
may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faith
ful, by whom ye are called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ
our Lord."
i Thess. 5:23, 24, R.V.— " And the God of peace himself sanctify you
wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire,
without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is
he that calleth you, who will also do it."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The faithfulness of God is manifested
in confirming and establishing those ichom He has called, guard
ing them from the evil one, sanctifying them wholly and preserving
them entire — spirit, soul and body — without blame at the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ. The confidence of God' s children in
regard to their future is not in their faithfulness, but in His.
Cf. Jno. 10: 28, 29 — "And I give unto them eternal life; and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all ; and no man is
able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."
(6) Ps. 119: 75 — " I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right,
and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: God's faithfulness is manifested in
His chastening His children when they go astray.
Cf. Heb. 12:6 — "For whom the LORD loveth he chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."
(7) i Jno. i: 9 — "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: God's faithfulness is manifested
in His forgiving His children when they confess their sins.
Our confidence that God will forgive our sins when confessed
rests upon two known facts about God, viz: God is righteous and
God is faithful. To doubt that your sin is forgiven when you
have confessed it is to question His righteousness and His faith-
fulness as well as His veracity. It is not humility, but presump
tion.
(8) Ps. 143: i, 2—" Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my sup
plications; in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
And enter not into judgment with thy servant : for in thy sight shall
no man living be justified."
The Faithfulness of God 63
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: God's Faithfulness is manifested
in His answering the prayers of His children.
The Righteousness, Mercy and Faithfulness of God run
along nearly parallel lines, and they are all pledged to the deliv
erance, defense and complete and eternal salvation of God's pec*
pie.
BOOK II.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT
JESUS CHRIST.
CHAPTER 1
HIS DIVINITY.
I. Divine Names.
(1) Luke 22: 70 — "Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of
God ? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am."
u THE SON OF GOD." This name is given to CHRIST forty
times. Besides this the synonymous expressions, "His Son,"
"My Son," are of frequent occurrence. That this name, as used
of CHRIST, is a distinctly divine name appears from Jno. 5: 18 —
11 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because He not
only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His
Father, making himself equal with God,"
(2) Jno. i: 18— "No man hath seen God at any time; the only
begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared
him."
' ( THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. " This occurs five times. It is evi
dent that the statement that JESUS CHRIST is the Son of God only
in the same sense that all men are sons of God is not true. Com
pare Mark 12: 6 — "Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved,
he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my
son." Here JESUS Himself, having spoken of all the prophets as
servants of God, speaks of Himself as "one," a beloved " Son."
(3) Rev. i: 17 — "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.
And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am
the first and the last."
"THE FIRST AND THE LAST." Compare Is. 41:4 — "Who
hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the be
ginning ? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he."
.Is. 44: 6 — " Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his re
deemer the LORD of Hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and
beside me there is no God." In these latter passages it is
"Jehovah" "Jehovah of hosts" who is "the first and the last."
(4.) Rev. 22: 12, 13, 16— "And, behold, I come quickly; and my
reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
68 What the Bible Teaches
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the
last. I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these
things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and
the bright and morning star."
First. — "THE ALPHA AND OMEGA."
Second. — "THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING."
Cf. Rev. 1:8, R. V. — " I am the Alpha and the Omega saith
the Lord God, which is and which was and which is to come, the
Almighty." Here it is the Lord God who is the Alpha and
Omega.
(5) Acts 3: 14 — "But he denied the Holy One and the just, and
desired a murderer to be granted unto you."
" THE HOLY ONE." — In Hosea 11: 9 — ( "I will not execute
the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Eph-
raim: for I am God and not man; the Holy One in the midst of
thee: and I will not enter into the city" ), and many other pas^
sages; it is God who is " the Holy One."
(6) Mai. 3: i — " Behold I will send my messenger, and he shall pre
pare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly
come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye de
light in: behold he shall come, saith the LORD of Hosts."
Luke 2: ii — " For unto you is born this day in the city of David a
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
Acts 9: 17— " And Ananias went his way, and entered into the
house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord,
even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath
sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the
Holy Ghost." (Cf. Jno. 20:28; Heb. 1:10.)
" THE LORD." This name or title is used of JESUS several
hundred times. The word translated "Lord" is used in the New
Testament in speaking of men nine times; e. g., Acts 16: 30; Eph.
4:1; Jno. 12: 21, but not at all in the way in which it is used of
CHRIST. He is spoken of as lit/ie Lord "just as God is. Cf.
'Acts 4: 2(3— "The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were
gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ,"
with 4: 33 — "And with great power gave the apostles witness of
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was given
them all."
Note also Matt. 22: 43-45,— "He saith unto them, How,
then, doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said
unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine
His Divinity 69
enemies thy footstool. If David called him Lord, how is he his
son ? " Phil. 2: 11 — "And that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." Eph.
4:5 — " One Lord, one faith, one baptism."
If any one doubts the attitude of the apostles of JESUS to
ward Him as divine they would do well to read one after another
the passages which speak of him as Lord.
(7) Acts 10:36— "The word which God sent unto the children of
Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all}."
" LORD OF ALL."
(8) i Cor. 2'. 8 — " Which none of the princes of this world knew:
for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of
glory."
1 ' THE LORD OF GLORY. "
In Ps. 24: 8-10— " Who is this King of Glory ? The LORD
strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your
heads, O ye gates: even lift them up, ye everlasting doors: and
the king of glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory ?
The LORD of hosts, he is the King of Glory." It is the LORD of
Hosts who is the King of Glory.
(9) Is. 9:6— (a) "\VONDERFUL." (Cf, Judges 13: 18, R.V. "And
the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore askest thou
after my name, seeing it is wonderful ? ") (b) " MIGHTY GOD." (c)
" FATHER OF ETERNITY." (See R.V., Marg.)
(10) Heb. 1:8— " But unto the son he saith, Thy throne, O God,
is forever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy
kingdom."
"GOD."
In Jno 20:28 — "And Thomas answered and said unto him,
My Lord and my God." Thomas calls Jesus "my God," and is
gently rebuked for not believing it before.
(u) Matt. 1:23 — "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall
bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which be
ing interpreted is, God with us. "
" GOD WITH us."
(12) Tit. 2: 13, R.V. — "Looking for the blessed hope and appear
ing of the glory of our great God and Savior JESUS CHRIST."
«* OUR GREAT GOD."
(13) Rom. 9: 5 — "Whose are the fathers, and of whom as con
cerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever,
Amen."
"Goo BLESSED FOREVER."
70 What the Bible Teaches
PROPOSITION: Sixteen names dearly implying Deity art
used of Christ in the Bible, some of them over and over
again, the total number of passages reaching far into the hun
dreds.
II. Diiine attributes.
(1) OMNIPOTENCE.
(a) Luke 4:39— "And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever:
and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them."
JESUS has power over disease, it is subject to his word.
(£) Luke 7: 14, 15 — "And he came and touched the bier: and
they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto
thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And
he delivered him to his mother."
Luke 8: 54, 55 — *' And he put them all out, and took her by the
hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again,
and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat."
Jno. 5: 25 — " Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and
now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and
they that hear shall live."
The Son of God has power over death; it is subject to His
word.
(c) Matt. 8: 26, 27 — " And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful,
O ye of little faith ? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the
sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What
manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him ?"
JESUS has power over the winds and sea; they are subject to
His word.
(d) Matt. 8: 16 — "When the even was come, they brought unto
him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits
with his word, and healed all that were sick."
Luke 4: 35, 36, 41 — "And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy
peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in
the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were all
amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this 1
for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and
they come out. And devils also came out of many, crying out, and
saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them, suf
fered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ."
JESUS the CHRIST, the Son of God, has power over demons;
they are subject to His word.
(e) Eph. i: 20-23 — " Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised
him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly
His Divinity 71
places. Far above all principality, and power, and might, and domin
ion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in
that which is to come. And hath put all things under his feet, and
gave him to be the head over all things to the church. Which is his
body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."
CHRIST is far above all principality, and power, and might,
ftnd dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this
world, but also in that which is to come; all things are in subjec
tion (R. V.) under His feet. All the hierarchies of the angelic
world are under Him.
(/) Heb. 1:3 — "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the
express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of
his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the
right hand of the majesty on high."
The Son of God upholds all things by the word of His power.
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is
omnipotent.
(2) OMNISCIENCE.
(ci) Jno. 4:16-19— " Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband,
and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband.
Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou
hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy hus
band; in that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto him. Sir, I
perceive that thou art a prophet."
JESUS knew men's lives, even their secret history.
(b) Mark 2:8 — "And immediately when Jesus perceived in his
spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them,
Why reason ye these things in your hearts ? "
Luke 5:22 — "But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he an
swering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts ? "
Jno. 2: 24, 25 — " But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, be
cause he knew all men. And needed not that any should testify of
man: for he knew what was in man. " (See also Acts i : 24.)
JESUS knew the secret thoughts of menj He knew all men;
He knew what was in man.
In 2 Chron. 6: 30 — [ "Then hear thou from heaven, thy dwell
ing-place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto
all his ways whose heart thou knowest (for thou only knowest
the hearts of the children of men). Jer. 17: 9, 10 — "The heart
is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can
know it ? I, the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to
72 What the Bible Teaches
give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit
of his doings"] we ire told that God "only knoweth the
hearts of the children of men.'*
(c) Jno. 6: 64 — " But there are some of you that believe not. For
Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and
who should betray him."
JESUS knew from the beginning that Judas would betray
Him. Not only men's present thoughts but their future choices
were known to Him.
(d) Jno. 1:48 — " Nathanael saith unto'him, Whence knowest thou
me ? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called
thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee."
JESUS knew what men were doing at a distance.
(e) Luke 22: 10-12 — " And he said unto them, Behold when ye are
entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of
water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall
say unto the good man of the house, The Master saith unto thee,
Where is the guest chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my
disciples ? And he shall show you a large upper room furnished:
there make ready."
Jno. 13: i — " Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus
knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world
unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he
loved them unto the end."
Luke 5:4-6 — "Now when he had left speaking, he said unto
Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a
draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled
all night and have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy word I will let
down tho net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great
multitude of fishes: and their net brake."
JESUS knew the future regarding not only God's acts, but
regarding the minute specific acts of men, and even regarding
the fishes of the sea.
NOTE. — Many, if not all, of these items of knowledg-e up to this
pfttut could, if they stood alone, be accounted for by saying that the
Omniscient God revealed these specific things to JESUS.
(f) Jno. 21: 17 — " He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of
Jonas, lovest thou me ? Peter was grieved because he said unto him
the third time, Lovest thou me ? And he said unto Him, Lord, thou
knowest all things ; Thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto
him, Feed my sheep."
16: 30 — "Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest
not that any man should ask thee : by this we believe that thou earnest
forth from God."
His Divinity 73
Col. 2: 3 — "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowl«
edge."
Jesus knew all things; in Him are hid all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge.
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is omniscient.
NOTE. — There was, as we shall see when we come to study the
humanity of CHRIST, a voluntary veiling and abnegation of the exercise of
His inherent Divine Omniscience. (Compare Mark n: 12-14: Phil.
2:70
(3) OMNIPRESENCE.
(a) Matt. 18: 20 — " For where two or three are gathered together
in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
JESUS CHRIST is present in every place where two or three
are gathered together in His name.
(b) Matt. 28:20 — "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you : and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world. Amen."
JESUS CHRIST is present with every one who goes forth into
any part of the world to make disciples, etc.
(c) Jno. 3: 13 — "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but
he that came down from heaven, even the son of man which is in
heaven."
The Son of Man was in heaven while He was here on earth.
NOTE. — The reading here is doubtful. It is found in this way in
the Alexandrian MS., and almost all versions. The closing words are
omitted in the Sinaitic and other important MSS. It is accepted by
most of the best editors; e. g,> Tischendorf and Tregelles, but it is re
jected by Westcott and Hort.
(d) Jno. 14:20— "At that day ye shall know that I am in my
Father, and ye in me, and I in you."
2 Cor. 13:5 — "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith;
prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that JESUS
CHRIST is in you, except ye be reprobates ? "
JESUS CHRIST is in each believer.
(e) Eph. i : 23— " Which is his body, the fulness of him that filletb
all in all."
JESUS CHRIST filleth all in all.
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is Omnipresent.
(4) ETERNITY.
Jno. i: i—" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God."
74 What the Bible Teaches
Mic. 5:2 — "But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be littla
among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth
unto me that is to be ruler in Israel ; \vhose goings forth have been
from of old,_/)w;/ everlasting."
Col. i: 17 — " And he is before all things, and by him all things con
sist."
Is. 9: 6 — " For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given ; and
the government shall be upon his shoulder : and his name shall be
called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace."
Jno. 17: 5 — "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own
self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." (See
also Jno. 6: 62.)
Jno. 8: 58 — "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Before Abraham was, I am."
i Jno. i: i — "That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked
upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life. "
Heb. 13:8 — N" Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and
forever."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Son of Godwasfromall eternity.
(5) IMMUTABILITY.
Heb. 13:8 — "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and
forever."
Heb. i: 12 — " And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they
shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is unchangeable. He
not on?,y always is but ahoays is the same.
(C.) Phil. 2: 6—" Who being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God. "
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ before His incarnation
was in the form of God.
NOTE. — The Greek word translated "form," means "the form by
which a person or thing strikes the vision; the external appearance."
(Thayer, Greek-Eng. Lexicon of the N. T.)
(7) Col. 2: 9.—" For in him dwelleth all the f mness of the God
head bodily."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION; In Christ dwelleth all the fulness
of the God- head in a bodily way.
His Divinity 75
GENERAL PROPOSITION: Five or more distinctively Divine
Attributes are ascribed to Jesus Christ and all the fulness of the
God-head is said to dwell in Him-
in. Divine Offices.
(1) CREATION.
Heb. i: 10 — "And them, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the
foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thy hands."
Jno. 1:3. " All things were made byhim; and without him was not
anything made that was made."
Col. i: 16 — "For by him were all things created that are in heaven,
and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones,
or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by
him, and for him."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Son of God, ttie Eternal Word,
the Lord, is Creator of all created
(2) PRESERVATION.
Heb. i: 3 — "Who, being the brightness of his glory, and the ex
press image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of
his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the
right hand of the Majesty on high."
SECOND PROPOSITION; The Son of God is the Preserver of
all things.
(3) THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN.
Mark 2: 5-10 — " When Jesus saw their 'faith, he said unto the sick
of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of
the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth
this man thus speak blasphemies ? Who can forgive sins but God
only ? And immediately when jEsus'perceived in his spirit that they
so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye
these things in your hearts ? Whether is it easier to say to the sick
of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up
thy bed, and walk ? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath
power on earth to forgive sins (he saith to the sick of the palsy)."
Luke 7: 48 — " And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ had power on earth to
forgive sins.
NOTE. — He taught that sins were sins against Himself. (See Luke 7:
;6 What the Bible Teaches
40-47 — "And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat ta
say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain cred
itor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the
other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them
both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most ? Simon an
swered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he
said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned unto the wom
an, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman ? I entered into thine
house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she has washed my feet
with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me
no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss
my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath
anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore, I say unto thee, Her sins,
which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is
forgiven, the same loveth little."
He speaks of both Simon and the woman, as sinners, being
debtors to himself.
(Compare Ps. 51:4 — "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and
done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou
speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. ")
(4) RAISING OF THE DEAD.
Jno. 6: 39} 44 — "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me,
that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should
raise it up at the last day. No man can come to me, except the Father
which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last
day."
FOURTH PROPOSITION; It is Jesus Christ who raises the
dead.
QUESTION: Did not Elijah and Elisha raise the dead?
No. God raised the dead in answer to their prayer, but JESUS
CHRIST will raise the dead by his own word. During his humilia
tion it was by prayer that CHRIST raised the dead. (Jno.
11:41 — "Then they took away the stone from the place where
the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.")
(5) TRANSFORMATION OF BODIES.
Phil. 3: 21, R.V. — "Who shall fashion anew the body of our humil
iation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according
to the working whereby he is able to subject all things unto himself."
His Divinity 77
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ shall fashion anew the
body of our humiliation into the likeness of His glorious body.
(G) JUDGMENT.
2 Tim. 4: i, R.V. — " I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ
Jesus, who shall judge the quick and the dead, and by his appearing
and his kingdom."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Christ Jesus shall judge the quick and
the dead.
NOTE. — JESUS Himself emphasized the Divine character of this
office. John 5: 22, 23 — " For the Father judgethno man, but hath com
mitted all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honor the Son
even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honor-
eth not the Father which hath sent Him."
(7) THE BESTOWAL OF ETERNAL LIFE.
Jno. 10:28 — "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."
Jno. 17: 2 — "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he
should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is the giver of
Eternal Life.
GENERAL PROPOSITION : Seven distinctly Divine Offices
are predicated of Jesus Christ.
IT. Statements which in the Old Testament are made distinctly of
Jehovah, Gotl, taken in the New Testament to refer to Jesus Christ.
(i) Ps. 102:24-27 — "I said, O my God, take me not away in the
midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. Of old
hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the
work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea,
all of them shall wax old like a garment; as vesture shalt thou change
them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy
years shall have no end."
In Heb. 1: 10-12 — "And thou, Lord, in the beginning hast
laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of
Thy hands. They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they aU
shall wax old as doth a garment. And as a vesture shalt thou
78 What the Bible Teaches
fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same,
and thy years shall not fail" — this statement is interpreted as
referring to JESUS CHRIST.
(2) Is. 40: 3, 4—' ' The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Pre
pare ye the way of the LORD (Jehovah), make straight in the desert the
highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every moun
tain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough places plain."
In Matt. 3:3; Luke 1: 68, 69, 76— "Blessed be the Lord God
of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people. And
hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his ser
vant David. And thou, child shall be called the prophet of the
highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare
his ways" — JESUS is the Lord before whose face the messenger
goes.
(3) Jer. 11:20 — "But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously,
that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them:
for unto thee have I revealed my cause."
Jer. 17: 10 — "I, the LORD, search the heart, I try the reins, even
to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit
of his doings."
In Rev. 2: 23 — "And I will kill her children with death; and
all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the
reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according
to your works" — it is JESUS who does what is distinctly said of
Jehovah in the Old Testament passage.
(4) Is. 60: 19 — ' ' The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither
for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall
be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory." (See also
Zech. 2: 5.)
This is said of Jesus in Luke 2: 32 — "A light to lighten the
Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."
(5) Is. 6: i, 3, 10— "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also
the LORD sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and his train filled
the temple. And one cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, holy is
the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. Make the heart
of this people fat, and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand
with their heart, and convert and be healed." (Compare Jno. 12:
37-41 — " But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet
they believed not on him. That the saying of Esaias the prophet
might be fulfilled which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report?
His Divinity 79
and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore
they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath
blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts; that they should not see
with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I should heal them. These things said Esaias when he saw his
glory, and spake of him."}
In the Old Testament passage it was when he saw the glory of
Jehovah of hosts that Isaiah spoke these things, but in the New
Testament John says it was when Isaiah saw the glory of JESUS
CHRIST that he said this. The inference is simple.
(6) Is. 8: 13, 14 — "Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself: and let him
be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanc
tuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both
the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jeru
salem." (Compare i Pel. 2:7, 8 — " Unto you therefore which believe
he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which
the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, even to them which
stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were
appointed.")
In the Old Testament Jehovah is the stone of stumbling, etc.
tn the New Testament it is JESUS CHRIST.
(7) Is. 8: 12, 13—" Say ye not, a confederacy, to all them to whom
this people shall say, a confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be
afraid. Sanctify the LORD of hosts Himself; and let him be your fear,
and let him be your dread." (Compare i Pet. 3: 14 — " But and if ye
should suffer for righteousness' sake, blessed are ye: and fear not their
fear neither be troubled; but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord:
being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a rea
son concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear.")
(8) Num. 21 : 6, 7 — "And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the
people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for
we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the
LORD, that he take away the serpents from us, and Moses prayed for
the people."
(Compare i Cor. 10: 9 — "Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of
them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.")
(9) Ps. 23: i — "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."
Is. 40: 10, ii — " Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand,
and his arm shall rule for him: behold his reward is with him, and his
work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall
gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall
gently lead those that are with young." (Compare Jno. 10: n — " I am
the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.")
go What the Bible Teaches
In the Old Testament Jehovah is the good shepherd; in the
New Testament JESUS.
(10) Ezek. 34: IT, 12, 18 — " For thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I,
even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd
seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are
scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all
places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture,
but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture ?
and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue
with your feet ? " (Compare Luke 19:10 — " For the Son of Man is come
to seek and to save that which was lost."
In the O. T. Jehovah, in thb N. T. JESUS « seeks and saves
the lost."
(11) Lord in the Old Testament always refers to GOD ex
cept where the context clearly indicates otherwise: Lord in the
New Testament always refers to JESUS CHRIST except where the
context clearly indicates otherwise.
PROPOSITION: Very many statements which in the Old
Testament are made distinctly of Jehovah, God, are taken in
the New Testament to refer to Jesus Christ; i. e., 'in New Testa
ment thought and doctrine Jesus Christ occupies the place that
Jehovah occupies in Old Testament thought and doctrine.
V. The way in which the name of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Sou
are coupled together.
2 Cor. 13: 14 — "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love
of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.
Amen."
Matt. 28:19 — "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost."
i Thess. 3:11 — " Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord
Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you."
i Cor. 12: 4-6 — " Now there are diversities of gifts, but of the same
spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same
Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God,
which workethall in all."
Tit. 3:4, 5 — "But after that the kindness and love of God our
Saviour toward man appeared. Not by works of righteousness which
we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing
His Divinity 8 1
of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." (Compare Tit. 2:
13 — " Looking for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.")
Rom. 1:7 — "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be
saints: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. " (Many instances of this sort in all the Pauline Epis
tles.)
Jas. i: i — " James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting."
Jno. 14: 23— " Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me,
he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and We will
come unto him, and make our abode with him."
" WE," GOD AND I.
2 Pet. i: i — " Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the
righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Compare
R. V.)
Col. 2:2 — "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit to
gether in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understand
ing, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father,
and of Christ." (See R.V.)
Jno. 17: 3 — " And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
Jno. 14: i — "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, be
lieve also in me." (Compare Jer. 17:5-7 — "Thus saith the LORD;
cursed be the man that trusteth in man, andmaketh flesh his arm, and
whose heart departeth from the LORD. Blessed is the man that trusteth
in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.")
Rev. 7: 10 — " And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our
God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."
Rev. 5: 13 — "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the
earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are
in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be
unto him that 'sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for evei
and ever." (Compare Jno. 5:23 — "That all men should honor the
Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son
honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.")
PROPOSITION: The name of Jesus Christ is coupled with
that of God the Father in numerous passages in a way in
which it would be impossible to couple the name of any finite
being with that of the Deity.
VI. Dirine Worship to foe given to Jesus Christ.
(i) Matt 28: 9 — "And is they went to tell his disciples, behold
82 What the Bible Teaches
Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the
feet, and ivors 'hipped him."
Luke 24: 52 — " And they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem
with great joy."
Matt. 14:33 — u Then they that were in the ship came and wor
shipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God." (Compare
Acts. 10:25, 26 — " And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him
and fell down at his feet and worshipped him. But Peter took him
up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.''''}
Rev. 22: 8, 9 — "And I John saw these things and heard them. And
when I had heard and seen I fell down to worship before the feet of
the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me,
See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren,
the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: wor
ship God. ' '
Matt. 4: 9, 10 — "And saith unto him, All these things will I give
thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him,
Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord
thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. "
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ accepted without hesita
tion a worship which good men and angels declined with fear
(horror).
QUESTION: Is not the verb translated " worship" in tnese
passages, sometimes used of reverence paid to men in high posi
tion?
ANSWER: Yes, but not in this way by worshipers of Je
hovah, as is seen by the way in which both Peter and the angel
drew back when such worship was offered to them.
(2) i Cor. i: 2 — " Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to
them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all
that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both
theirs and ours."
2 Cor. 12: 8, 9— "For this thing / besought the LORD thrice, that it
might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient
for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly,
therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power oj
Chris tm&y rest upon me."
Acts. 7: 59 — "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord > and
saying, Lo? d Jesus receive my spirit."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Prayer is to be made to Christ.
(3) Ps. 45: ii — "So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is
thy LORD; and worship thou him"
His Divinity 83
Jno. 5: 23 — "That all men should honor the son, even as they honor
the father. He that honoreth not the son honoreth not the father
which hath sent him." (Compare Rev. 5: 8, 9, 12, 13 — "And when he
had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell
down before the lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials
full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a
new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the
seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy
blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.
Saying, with aloud voice, Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory,
and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven and on the
earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea and all that are
in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power,
be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever
and ever.")
THIRD PROPOSITION: It is God the Father's will that ah
men pay the same divine honor to the son as to himself.
(4) Heb. i: 6 — " And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten
into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.'"
Phil. 2:10, ii — "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." (Compare Is. 45; 21-23. Where
it is unto Jehovah that every knee is to bow, etc- ")
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Son of God, Jesus, is to be
worshipped as God by angels and men.
GENERAL PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is a person to be
worshipped by angels and men, even as God the Father is wor
shipped,
SUMMARY: By the use of numerous Divine names, by the
ascription of all the distinctively Divine attributes, by the predica
tion of several Divine offices, by referring statements which in the
Old Testament distinctly name Jehovah God as their subject to
JESUS CHRIST in the New Testament, by coupling the name of
JESUS CHRIST with that of God the Father in a way in which it
would be impossible to couple that of any finite being with that
of the Deity, and by the elear teaching that- JESUS CHRIST should
$4 What the Bible Teaches
be worshipped, even as God the Father is worshipped — in all these
unmistakable ways, God in His word distinctly proclaims that
Jesus Christ is a Divine Being, is God.
NOTE: Whoever refuses to accept JESUS as his Divine Savior
and LORD is guilty of the enormous sin of rejecting God. A man often
thinks he is good because he never stole or never murdered or never
cheated. " Of what great sin am I guilty ? " he complacently asks. *' You
are guilty of the awful, damning sin of rejecting God," we reply. But
suppose one questions or denies His divinity. That does not change the
fact nor lessen his guilt. Questioning or denying a fact never changes it.
Suppose that one denies the goodness of a man who is in fact the soul of
honor. It would not alter the fact but simply make the questioner guilty
of awful slander. So denying the fact of the Deity of JESUS CHRIST does
not make it any less a fact, but it does make the denier guilty of awf oi
blasphemous slander.
CHAPTER II.
THE SUBORDINATION OF THE SON TO THE FATHER.
I. Jno. 14:28 — " Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and
come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I
said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I."
FIRST PROPOSITI ON : God the Father is greater than Jesus
Christ the Son.
II. Heb. i: 5 — "For unto which of the angels said he at any time,
Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee ? And again, I will
be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son ?
Jno. 3: 1 6— " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only be
gotten Son that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life."
SECOND PROPOSITION : God the Father begat Jesus
Christ the Son.
QUESTION: Does this begetting refer to the origin of the
Eternal "Word or to the origin of the incarnate JESUS ?
ANSWER: Ps. 2:7 — "I will declare the decree: the Lord
hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten
Thee." (See context vv. 1, 2, 6, 8.) Luke 1: 35— "And the
angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come
upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be
called the Son of God."
III. Jno. 6: 57, R.V.— " As the living Father sent me, and I live
because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because
of me."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ lives because of the
Father.
IV. Jno. 5: 19— "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily,
86 What the Bible Teaches
verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he
seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth
the Son likewise."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Son can do nothing independ.
ently of the Father.
V. Jno. 6: 29 — "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the
work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
Jno. 8:29, 42—" And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath
not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
* * * Jesus said unto them: If God were your Father, ye would love
me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of my
self, but he sent me."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was sent by the Father.
VI. Jno. 10: 18 — "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of
myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received of my Father."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ received commandment
from the Father, was under his authority and directions.
VII. Jno. 13:3 — "Jesus knowing that the Father had given all
things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to
God."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ received His own
authority from the Father.
VIII. Jno. 8: 26, 40 — " I have many things to say and to judge of
you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things
which I have heard of him. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that
hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not
Abraham."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ received His message
from the Father.
IX. Jno. 5:36, R.V. — " But the witness which I have is greater
than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to
accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of me, that the
Father hath sent me."
Jno. 14: 10 — " Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the
The Subordination of the Son to the Father 87
Father in me: the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself:
but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."
NINTH PROPOSITION: The Father gave to Jesus Christ His
works to accomplish, and it was the indwelling Father who did 'the
works.
X. Luke 22: 29 — " And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Fa
ther hath appointed unto me."
TENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ's kingdom was ap-
pointed unto Him by the Father.
XI. i Cor. 15: 24— "Then cometh the end, when he shall have de
livered up the kingdom to God, even the Father," etc.
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ shall ultimately
deliver up the kingdom to the Father.
XII. i Cor. 15:27, 28, R.V. — "For, he put all things in subjec
tion under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjec
tion, it is evident that he excepted who did subject all things unto
him. And when all things have been subjected to him, then shall
the son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things
unto him, that God may be all in all."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ Himself shall be
subjected unto the Father that God may be all in all.
XIII. i Cor. 11:3 — *' But I would have you know, that the head
of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and
the head of Christ is God."
THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION: God the Father is head of
Christ as Christ is the head of every man, and as the man is
head of the woman.
XIV. Heb. 7:25, R.V.—" Wherefore also he is able to save to
the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he
ever liveth to make intercession for them."
FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION: Men draw near unto God
through Christ. God, not Christ, is the ultimate goal. He is
the way unto the Father. (Jno. 14: 6 — " Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father but by me ")
88 What the Bible Teaches
XV. Jno. 20: 17 — "Jesus saith unto her, I ascend unto . .
my God."
FIFTEENTH PR OPOSITION: God the Father is Jesus Christ1 8
God.
GENERAL PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is, and eternally
shall be, subordinate to God the Father. In God the Father we
have the source of Deity ; in Jesus Christ, Deity in its outflow.
But in the stream is all the perfection of the fountain. (See Col.
2:9). God the Father is the source of glory; Jesus Christ the
Son is the effulgence (shining forth or off-flash} of His glory.
(Heb. 1:3, R V. — "Who being the effulgence of His glory.")
All the passages quoted have reference to the incarnate
CHEIST and not to the pre-existent Word.
CHAPTER III,
THE HUMAN NATURE OF JESUS CHRIST,
I, Human names,
(1) i Tim. 2: 5 — " For there is one God, and one mediator between
God and man, the man Christ Jesus."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Christ Jesus is called man even after
His ascension.
(2) Luke 19: 10 — '* For the Son of man is come to seek and to save
that which was lost."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus u called the Son of Man
(11 times). Stephen spoke of Him as the Son of Man even
when he saw Him in the glory standing on the right hand of
God. (Acts 7: 55.)
II, Human physical nature,
(i) Jno. i: 14 — " And the word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the
Father), full of grace and truth."
Heb. 2: 14 — "Forasmuch, then, as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same ; that
through death he might destroy him that had the power of death,
that is, the devil."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Eternal Word was made flesh,
partook of flesh and blood. Jesus Christ had a true human
body.
NOTE i. — The denial of the reality of CHRIST'S body is the mark of
the spirit of anti- Christ.
i Jno. 4: 2, 3 — " Hereby know ye the spait of God : every spirit
that confesseth kthat Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in
90 What the Bible Teaches
the flesh is not of God : and this is that spirit of anti-Christ, whereof
ye have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the
world."
NOTE 2. — The indwelling divine glory sometimes shone through
and transfigured the veil of flesh. (Matt. 17:2.)
(2) Luke 24:39 — " Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I my
self: handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see
me have."
Jno. 20: 27 — " Then sayeth he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger,
and behold my hands ; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into
my side : and be not faithless, but believing."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ had a true human
body after his resurrection.
(3) Acts 7: 55, 56 — " But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked
up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus
standing on the right hand of God, and said, behold, I see the heavens
opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."
Rev. 5:6 — " And I beheld, and lo ! in the midst of the throne arid of
the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb as it had
been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven
spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."
Matt. 26:64 — "Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: neverthe
less I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on
the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ still has a human body
in the glory. He shall come again on the clouds of heaven as
"the Son of Man."
NOTE.— Our bodies at His coming shall be transformed into the
likeness of His own. (Phil. 3; 21.)
III. Human parentage.
(i) Luke 2:7 — "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and
wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because
there was no room for them in the inn."
Acts 2: 30 — "Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God
had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, accord
ing to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne."
Acts 13: 23 — " Of this man's seed hath God according to his prom
ise raised unto Israel a saviour, Jesus."
Rom. i: 3 — "Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which
was made of the seed of David according to the flesh."
The Human Nature of Jesus Christ 91
Gal. 4:4 — " But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent
forth his Son, made of a woman^ made under the law."
Heb. 7: 14 — " For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda;
of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood."
FIRST PROPOSITION; Jesus Christ had a human parentage
and human ancestry. lie was Mary's son and David s seed.
Mary was as truly the mother of JESUS CHRIST as God was
His Father.
IV. Human limitations.
(1) PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS.
(a) Jno. 4:6 — " Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, be
ing wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about
the sixth hour."
JESUS CHRIST was weary. Compare Is. 40:28 — "Hast
thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlast
ing God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth
not, neither is weary ? there is no searching of his understanding,"
(b) Matt. 8:24— "And behold there arose a great tempest in the
eea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was
asleep."
JESUS CHRIST slept. Compare Ps. 121: 4, 5 — "Behold he that
keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is
thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand."
(c) Matt. 21:18 — "Now in the morning as he returned into the
city, he hungered."
JESUS CHRIST hungered.
(d) Jno. 19:28 — "After rthis, Jesus knowing that all things were
now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I
thirst."
JESUS CHRIST thirsted.
(e) Luke 22: 44 — " And being in an agony he prayed more earnest
ly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to
the ground."
JESUS CHRIST suffered physical agony.
(f) i Cor. 15: 3 — "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I
also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scrip,
tures."
JESUS CHRIST died.
92 What the Bible Teaches
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was subject to weariness,
hunger, thirst, agony and death — to the physical limitations of
human nature.
(2) INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL LIMITATIONS.
(a) Luke 2: 52, R.V. — "And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stat
ure, and in favor with God and man."
JESUS CHRIST advanced in wisdom and stature and in favor
with God and man. He was subject to human conditions of phys
ical, mental and moral growth.
(d) Mark n: 13 — "And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he
came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it,
he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet."
13:32 — " But of that day and that hour knoweth no man; no, not
the angels which are in Heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The knowledge of Jesus Christ was
subject to limitations. (Compare Luke 2:52.)
NOTE i. — His knowledge was self-limited. (Phil. 2: 5, R.V.
tied himself ." Must not press this verse too far. The context shows an
emptying of glory rather than of attributes.)
NOTE 2. — Jno. 3:34 — "For he whom God hath sent speaketh the
words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him." As a
teacher JESUS was divinely and fully inspired so that he spoke ' ' the words
of God."
NOTE 3. — The indwelling Divine Nature often burst through the
veil of flesh (see passages under Chapter I), but as a man he was a real
man in his mental make-up.
(b) Heb. 4: 15 — " For we have not an high priest which cannot be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points
lempted\\kQ as we are, yet without sin."
Heb. 2: 1 8 — "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he
is able to succor them that are tempted."
(Comp. Jas. 1:13 — " Let no man say when he is tempted, I am
tempted of God: for God can not be tempted with evil, neither tempteth
he any man. ")
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was tempted. He was
subject to the essential moral limitations of human nature.
NOTE I. — A carnal nature is not an essential part of human na
ture. It does not belong to human nature as God made it. It is what
has become part of human nature by sin.
The Human Nature of Jesus Christ 93
NOTE 2. — Heb. 2:14 — " Forasmuch then as the children are par
takers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same:
that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death,
that is, the devil. "
Phil. 2: 5-8— " Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not rob
bery to be equal with God. But made himself Q{ no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of
men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
JESUS CHRIST in His moral limitations was self-limited.
He voluntarily placed himself underneath the essential moral lim
itations that man is under in order to redeem man. Wondrous
love !
NOTE 3. — He was tempted "without sin,"
GENERAL PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was subject to the in
tellectual and moral limitations essential to human nature.
(3) LIMITATIONS OF POWER.
(a) Mark 1:35 — " And in the morning, rising up a great while be
fore day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there
frayed."
John 6:15— "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would
come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again
into a mountain himself alone." (Comp. Matt. 14: 23 — "And when he
had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart
\.Qpray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.")
Luke 22: 41-45 — " And he was withdrawn from them about a
stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if thou
be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but
thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven,
strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly:
and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the
ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his dis
ciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow."
Heb. 5: 7 — " Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up
ptayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that
was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared. "
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed (25 times men
tioned}. He obtained power for work and for moral victory as
other men do, by prayer. He was subject to human condition*
for obtaining what He desired.
94 What the Bible Teaches
(d) Acts 10:38 — " How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with thi
Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing
all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ obtained power for
His divine works not by His inherent Divinity but by the anoint
ing of the Holy Spirit. He was subject to the same conditions
of power as other men.
(c) Jno. 14: 12 — "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth
on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than
these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
THIRD PROPOSITION": Jesus Christ was subject to limitations
in the exercise of power during the days of His humiliation.
GENERAL PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was subject to human
conditions for the obtaining of power and human limitations in
its exercise. This was during the days of His humiliation.
IT. Human Relation to God.
Jno. 20: 17 — "Jesus saith unto her, touch me not; for I am not yet
ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I
ascend unto my Father and your Father; and to my God and your
God."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ called the Father "My
God."
JESUS CHRIST bore the relation of man to God the Father.
V. Human in all things.
Heb. 2: 17, R.V. — " Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be
made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful
high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the
sins of the people."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was made "in all
things ' ' like unto His brethren, subject to all the physical^ mental
wid moral conditions of existence essential to human nature.
The Human Nature of Jesus Christ 95
GENERAL PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was in every respect a
real man. He became so voluntarily to redeem man. (Phil. 2: 5-8 ,•
2 Cor. 8:9.) He partook of human nature that we might be
come partakers of the Divine nature. 2 Pet. 1: 4 — ''Whereby
are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that
by these ye might be partakers of the Divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
QUESTION: How shall we reconcile the Bible doctrine of
the true Deity of JESUS CHRIST with the Bible doctrine of the real
human nature of CHRIST ?
ANSWER: That is not our main business. Our first business
is to find out what the various passages mean in their natural
grammatical interpretation. Then if we can reconcile them,
well; if not, believe them both and leave the reconciliation to in
creasing knowledge. It is a thoroughly vicious principle of inter
pretation that we must interpret every passage in the Bible so
that we can readily reconcile it with every other passage. This
gives rise to a one-sided theology. One man becomes a one-sided
Calvinist and another a one-sided Arminian, and so on through
the whole gamut of doctrine. Our business is to find out the
plainly intended sense of the passage in hand as determined by
usage of words, grammatical construction and context. Re
member that in many cases two truths that seemed utterly irrec*
oncilable or perfectly contradictory to us once are now, with in-
creased knowledge, seen to beautifully harmonize. Truths that
still' seem to us to be contradictory perfectly harmonize in the in
finite wisdom of God, and will some day, when we approach more
nearly to God's omniscience, perfectly harmonize in our minds.
How fearlessly the Bible puts the Deity and manhood of JESUS
CHRIST in closest juxtaposition.
Matt. 8:24-26 — "And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the
sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was
asleep. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little
faith ? Then he arose, and rebuked the 'winds and the sea; and there
•was a great calm ."
Luke 3: 21, 22 — "Now when all the people were baptized, it came to
pass iha.t Jesus also being baptized^ and praying, the heaven was
opened. And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove
upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my
beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."
96 What the Bible Teaches
Jno. 11:38, 43, 44 — "Jesus, therefore, again groaning in himsel}
cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. And
when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come
forth. And he that was dead came fortli, bound hand and foot with
grave-clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus
saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go."
Luke 9: 28, 29, 35 — "And it came to pass about an eight days after
these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a
mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance
was altered, and his raiment was white and glistening. And there
came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear
him."
Matt. 16:16, 17, 21 — "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou
art 'the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered
and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and
blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in
heaven. From that time forth began JESUS to show unto his disciples,
how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the
elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again
the third day."
Heb. 1:6 — "And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into
the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him."
(Compare Heb. 2:18— "For in that he himself hath suffered being
tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.")
Heb. 4: 14, 15 — " Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that
is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our
profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities: but was in all points tempted like
as we are, yet without sin."
CHAPTER IV,
THE CHARACTER OF JESUS CHRIST.
I. The Holiness of Jesus Christ.
(1) THE FACT OF CHRIST'S HOLINESS.
Acts 4: 27, 30—" For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom
thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles,
and the people of Israel, were gathered together. By stretching forth
thine hand to heal; and what signs and wonders may be done by the
name ot the holy child Jesus."
Mark 1:24 — " Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee,
thou Jesus of Nazareth ? Art thou come to destroy us ? I know thee
who thou art, the Holy One of God"
Luke 4:34—" Saying. Let us alone; what have we to do with thee,
thou Jesus of Nazareth ? Art thou come to destroy us ? I know thee
who thou art; the Holy One of God"
Acts 3: 14 — " But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired
a murderer to be granted unto you. "
i Jno. 2: 20— "For ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye
. know all things."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is Holy, absolutely Holy.
He is "The Holy One"
NOTE.— In the Old Testament it is Jehovah God who is called the
Holy One. Jehovah is called "The Holy One of Israel" about thirty
times in Isaiah. (Compare Lecture on the Holiness of God.)
(2) WHAT DOES HOLY MEAN ?
Lev. 11:43-45— "Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with
any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves
unclean with them, tJiat ye should be defiled thereby. For I am the
LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves and ye shall
be holy; for I am holy; neither shall ye defile yourselves with any man
ner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the
LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God :
ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy."
Deut. 23: 14 — " For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy
camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; there-
98 What the Bible Teaches
fore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and
turn away from thee." (Study context.)
Holy means free from defilement. To say that CHRIST is ab
solutely holy, is to say that He is absolutely pure. (Compare
1 Jno. 3:3 — "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth
himself, even as he is pure.")
Note the many ways in which the Bible brings out this abso
lute purity of CHRIST:
Heb. 7:26, R. V. — "For such a high priest became us holy, guile
less^ undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the
heavens."
Heb. 9: 14, R. V. — "How much more shall the blood of Christ,
who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto
God, cleanse your conscience from dead \vorks to serve the living
God?"
i Pet. i: 19 — " But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot."
1 Jno. 3:5 — "And ye know that he was manifested to take away
our sins; and in him is no sin."
2 Cor. 5:21—" For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
Heb. 4: 15 — " For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like
as we are, yet without sin ."
i Jno. 3: 3 — "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth
himself, even as he is pure "
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Bible multiplies expressions and
figures to produce an adequate conception of the absolute holi
ness or moral purity of Christ. Nothing in nature with which
to compare it except light.
i Jno. i : 5 — " This then is the message which we have heard of him,
and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at
all." (Compare Jno. 8: 12— "Then spake Jesus jagain unto them, say
ing, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk
in darkness, but shall have the light of life.")
The dazzling white light that glorified the face and garments
of JESUS on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17; 2j Luke 9: 29)
was the outshining of the moral purity within.
(3) How THE HOLINESS or JESUS CHRIST MANIFESTED ITSELF.
(a) Heb. i : 9 — " Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity;
The Character of Jesus Christ 99
therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of glad
ness above thy fellows."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Holiness of Jesus Christ mani
fested itself in a love of righteousness and hatred of iniquity,
It is not enough to love righteousness; iniquity must be hated
as well. On the other hand it is not enough to hate iniquity;
righteousness must be loved as well. There are those who pro
fess to love righteousness, but they do not seem to hate iniquity.
They are strong in applauding right, but not equally strong in
denouncing evil. There are also those who profess to hate sin,
but they do not seem to love righteousness. They are strong in
denouncing evil, but not equally strong in applauding right.
JESUS CHRIST'S holiness was full-orbed as well as spotless; he loved
righteousness and hated iniquity.
(b] i Pet. 2:22 — "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his
mouth.''
Jno. 8: 29—" And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not
left me alone; for I do always those things that please him."
Matt. 17:5 — "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud over
shadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."
(Compare Jno. 12:49 — "For I have not spoken of myself; but the
Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say,
and what I should speak.")
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Holiness of Jesus Christ mani
fested itself in deed and word; NEGATIVELY, in His never doing sin
or speaking falsehood; POSITIVELY, in His always doing what
was pleasing to God and always speaking the things which pleased
God.
The holiness of JESUS manifested itself not merely negatively
in not doing nor speaking wrong, but positively also in speaking-
all that God desired, all that was right to do or speak. A full
manifestation of holiness does not consist merely in doing nothing
wrong, but in doing all that is right.
(c) Heb. 4: 15—" For we have not a high priest which cannot be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin."
ioo What the Bible Teaches
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Holiness of Jesus manifested itself
in constant and never-failing victory over temptation. It'was not
merely the negative innocence that results from being shielded from
contact with evil, but the positive holiness that meets evil and over
comes it.
(d) The entire Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), especially Matt. 5:
48 — " Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven
is perfect."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Holiness of Jesus Christ mani
fested itself in demanding absolute perfection of His disciples and
refusing any compromise with evil.
(<?) Matt. 23: 13 — " But woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypo
crites ! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye
neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to
go in."
Matt. 16: 23 — " But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind
me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savorest not the
things that be of God, but those that be of men."
Jno. 4: 17, 18— "The woman answered and said, I have no husband.
JESUS said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For
thou hast had five husbands; and he who thou now [hast is not thy
husband: in that saidst thou truly."
Matt. 23: 3S — "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can y0
escape the damnation of hell 1"
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The Holiness of Jesus Christ mani
fested itself in the stern and scathing rebuke of sinners.
(/) i Pet. 2: 24— "Who in his own self bare our sins in his own
body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto right
eousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."
1 Pet. 3: 18 — " For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just
for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in
the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."
2 Cor. 5: 21 — " For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (Cf.
Jno. 10:17, 18 — " Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay
down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me,
but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and I have
power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Fa
ther.")
The Character of Jesus Christ lor
Phil. 2: 6-8 — "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not rob
bery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of
men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
Gal. 3: 13— "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us: For it is written, cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The Holiness of Jesus Christ mani
fested itself in His making the greatest sacrifice in His power to
save others from the sin He hated and to the righteousness lie
loved.
This was the crowning manifestation of His holiness. He
so hated sin and loved righteousness that He was not only willing
to die rather than sin Himself, but even to give up His Divine
glory, and be made in fashion as a man, and die the death of a
malefactor, and be rejected of man and separated from God, that
others might not sin. He was willing to make any sacrifice to do
away with sin.
(g) Matt. 25: 31, 32, 41 — "When the Son of man shall come in his
glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne
of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep
from the goats: Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, De
part from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels."
2 Thess. 1:7-9 — "And to you who are troubled rest with us,
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels, inflaming fire taking vengenance on them that know now God,
and they that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who
shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of
the Lord, and from the glory of his power."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The Holiness of Jesus Christ will
manifest itself in the awful, irrevocable punishment of those who
refuse to be separated from their sin.
He died to separate men whom He loves from sin which He
hates. If men refuse this separation, He leaves them to their
self-chosen partnership and the doom which it involves. Men
talk much of the holiness of God and love of JESUS, but JESUS is
102 What the Bible Teaches
just as holy as God, and God is just as loving as JESUS. (Jno. 3:
16; Eph. 2: 4, 5.) In this as in all else JESUS and the Father art*
one. (Jno. 10: 30.)
Let us remember that first of all our Saviour is Holy.
Until we have an adequate conception of His Holiness we can
have no adequate conception of His love.
(4) WITNESSES TO THE HOLINESS OF JESUS CHRIST.
(a] Acts 3: 14 — " But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and
desired a murderer to be granted unto you." — Peter.
(b] 1)00.3:5 — "And ye know that he was manifested to take
away our sins; and in him is no sin." — John.
(c] 2 Cor. 5:21 — "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who
knew no sin; that we might he made the righteousness of God in
him." — Paul.
(d] Acts 4: 27 — "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom
thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles,
and the People of Israel, were gathered together.'* — The whole
Apostolic Company in Concert.
(e] Acts 22:14 — "And he said, the God of our Fathers hath
chosen thee, that thou shouldst know his will, and see that Just One,
and shouldst hear the voice of his mouth." — Ananias.
(/) Luke 23:41 — " And we indeed justly; for we receive the due
reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss." — The
Dying Thief.
(g) Luke 23: 47 — " Now when the centurion saw what was done,
he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man." — The
Roman Centurion.
(h) Matt. 27: 19 — '* When he was set down on the judgment seat,
his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just
man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of
him."— Pilate's Wife.
(i) Jno. 18: 38— " Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And
wfien he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith
unto them, I find no fault in him at all."
Jno. 19:4,6 — "Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto
them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find
no fault in him. When the chief priests therefore and officers saw
^un, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith
unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in
him." — Pilate, himself, three times.
(/) Matt. 27:3, 4 — "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he
saw that he was condemned repented himself, and brought again the
thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have
ginned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood."—; Judas Iscariot.
The Character of Jesus Christ 103
(£) Mark i: 23, 24 — "And there was in their synagogue a man with
an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, Let us alone; what have
we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth ? Art thou come to destroy
us ? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God." — The Unclean
Spirit.
(/) Jno. 8: 46 — "Which of you convinceth me of sin ? And if I say
the truth, why do ye not believe me ? "
Jno. 14: 30 — "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the
prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." — Jesus himself.
(m) Jno. 16: 8, 10 — "And when helis come, he will reprove the
world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of righteousness,
because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more." — The Holy
Spirit,
(n] Heb. i: 8, 9— "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God,
is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy
kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; there
fore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness
above thy fellows."
Matt. 17: 5 — "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud over
shadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." — <^od
the Father.
II. The Love of Jesus Christ to God the Father.
(1) THE FACT OF His LOVE.
Jno. 14: 31 — " But that the world may know that I love the Father;
and as the Father giveth me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let
us go hence."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ loved the Father.
The one thing that JESUS desired the world to know about
Him was that He loved the Father. If the secret of His life was
asked, it was this: "I love the Father." If we wish to know
what love to God means in its purity and its fulness we have to
look at JESUS CHRIST.
(2) How THE LOVE OP JESUS CHRIST TO THE FATHER MANI
FESTED ITSELF.
(a) Jno. 14: 21 — "But that the world may know that I love the
Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do."
Jno. 15: 10 — " If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my
love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in
hit love."
104 What the Bible Teaches
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to tto
Father manifested itself in His doing as the Father gave Him
commandment. (Compare 1 Jno. v: 3 f 1-2.)
NOTE i. — Jno. 6: 38 — " For I came down from heaven, not to do my
own will, but the will of him that sent me."
His obedience to the Father's will faltered not at forsaking
the glory of heaven for the shame of earth.
NOTE 2. — Phil. 2: 8 — "And being found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross."
His obedience to his Father's will faltered not at death,
even the death of the cross.
Comp. Jno. 10:15, 17, 1 8— "As the Father knoweth me, even so
know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. Therefore
doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take
it again. No man taketh it from rne, but I lay it down of myself. I
have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This
commandment have I received of my Father."
His death was in the highest sense voluntary. It was the
goal toward which JESUS deliberately walked.
Luke 9: 51 — "And it came to pass, when the time was come that he
should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem."
But it was not only on that last journey that "He stead
fastly set His face to go to Jerusalem;" but when He first took
upon Him the nature of man, He had steadfastly set His face to
go to Calvary. The Jews stood beside the tomb of Lazarus and
saw JESUS weeping and said " Behold how He loved Him" (Jno.
11:3G) — loved Lazarus. We stand beside the cross and behold
JESUS bleeding and we cry " Behold how He loved Him" — loved
God.
(b) Jno. 8: 55, R.V. — " And ye have not known him: but I know him;
and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be like unto you, a liar:
but I know him, and keep his word."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to the
Father manifested itself in His keeping; i. e., attending to
carefully, or guarding, the Father's word.
To keep God's word means more than to obey His command
ments. A man may obey commandments without hearty love to
The Character of Jesus Christ 105
them, but we guard that which we regard as a precious treasure.
This JESUS did. The Father's word was His most precious
treasure. He guarded it as other men do their gold and jewels.
This esteem for His Father's word was a peculiar mark of His
love to the Father. The Destructive Critics profess to love God.
How little of it they show in this way They are ready to give
away God's word to the first plausible sophist that advances a high-
Bounding argument for surrendering some precious portion of
the Word of God.
(c) Matt. 26: 39, 42 — " And he went a little further, and fell on his
face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup
pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. He went
away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this
cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to the Father
manifested itself in unwavering submission to t/ie Father's will,
even when that will might require that from which the soul shrank
in heart-breaking anguish.
(d) Ps. 40: 8 — " I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law
is within my heart."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to the
Father manifested itself in positive delight in doing the Father's
will. The connection shows that the Father' s will here was His
own sacrificial death.
NOTE i.— Luke 2:49— "And he said unto them, How is it that ye
sought me ? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?"
This delight in the Father's will manifested itself even in the boyhood of
JESUS.
NOTE 2. — Jno. 4:34, R. V. — "Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to
do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work." The doing
of the Father's will, and accomplishing his work was JESUS CHRIST'S meat,
;t was more to him than His necessary food. (See context.)
(e) Jno. 8: 29, R. V. — " And he that sent me is with me; he hath
not left me alone; for I do always the things that are pleasing to him."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The love of Jesus Christ to the Father
manifested ti*4&f *n His always doing the things which were
to the Fat/ter
106 What the Bible Teaches
This is more than obedience to express commandments. A
son may do whatever a father bids him, but a more loyal and
loving son will not wait to be bidden, but study to find out
what is pleasing to his father and anticipate the expression of
his will. To know what was pleasing to the Father was JESUS
CHRIST'S constant study; to do these things was his unvarying
practice.
(/) Jno. 5: 30 — "I can of -mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I
judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but
the will of the Father which hath sent me."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to the Father
manifested itself in His seeking the Father's will.
The accomplishment of His Father's will wras the one object
of His pursuit. As other men hunt for gold, or pleasure, or
honor, or the accomplishment of their own will, He sought for the
accomplishment of His Father's will.
(<br) Jno- 5: 34» 4T> R-V. — " But the witness which I receive is not
from man: howbeit I say these things, that ye may be saved. I
receive not glory from men." (Compare v. 44.)
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to the
Father manifested itself in His seeking and accepting testimony
and glory from the Father alone.
(h) Jno. 17: 4 — " I have finished the work which thou gavest me
to do."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to the
Father manifested itself in His finishing the work the Father
gave Him to do.
NOTE. — When was that work finished? (Jno. 19:30 — " When
Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he
bowed his head and gave up the ghost.") On the cross. It was love to
God before love to man that brought Jesus to Calvary. We speak ot
God the Father loving men in Christ, which is true, but it is also true
that Christ's sacrifice for men finds its final reason and original source in
obedience to the will of the Father, who was the object of His Supreme
love.
(/) Jno. 7:18 — ** He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory:
but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no
unrighteousness is in him."
The Character of Jesus Christ 107
Jno. 17:4 — "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the
work which thou gavest me to do."
Jno. 17:1— "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to
heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy
Son also may glorify thee."
NINTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to the Father
manifested itself in His seeking the glory of the Father alone.
The Father's glory was JESUS CHRIST'S first and great ambi
tion, the consuming passion of His life. It was for the Father's
glory He planned, prayed, acted, suffered and died. JESUS taught
that the first and great commandment is "Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with
all thy mind." (Matt. 22: 37, 38.) His own life is the supreme
manifestation of this law which He taught.
III. The Lore of Jesus Christ to men.
(1) WHOM AMONG MEN DID JESUS LOVE ?
(a) Eph. 5:25 — " Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also
loved the churchy and gave himself for it."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ loved the Church.
The Church is loved by CHRIST in a particular sense and a
peculiar way. While a philanthropist may love all mankind and
yet, if he is a true man, will in a peculiar way love his own wife
as he loves no other woman, so CHRIST has a peculiar love for the
Church, His bride. We must be on our guard, in studying the
various passages in the Bible which speak about the love of
CHRIST, to note whether they refer to His love in general, i. e.,
His love to all mankind, or His love in particular; i. e.y His love
to the Church, which is His body and His bride.
(b} Eph. 5: 2 — "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and
hath given himself for us as offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweet smelling savour."
Gal. 2:20 — "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me."
108 What the Bible Teaches
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ loves individual be
lievers. Jesus Christ not only loves His church as a whole, but
He loves each individual who believes in Him.
(c) Jno. 13: i — " Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus
knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world
unto the Father, having loved Jits own which were in the world, he
loved them unto the end."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ "loved His own" which
were in the world. Not all men were " His own" when He was
here upon earth, neither are all His own to-day.
QUESTION: Who are His own?
Jno. 17:2, 9, 12 — "As thou hast given him power over all flesh,
that he should give eternal life to as many as tJiou hast given him. I
pray for thorn: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast
given vie; for they are thine. While I was with them in the world, I
kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and
none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might
be fulfilled."
JESUS CHRIST'S own are those whom God the Father has
given unto Him. The proof that anyone belongs to this elect
company is that he comes to CHRIST. Jno. 6:37 — "All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I
will in no wise cast out."
This highly favored company given unto CHRIST by the
Father, and who come to CHRIST, are objects of CHRIST'S special
love. To them He ministers in a special way (see context Jno.
13:1), and them He guards so that not one of them perishes.
(Jno. 17: 12, R. V. — " While I was with them, I kept them in thy
name which thou hast given me: and I guarded them, and not one
of them perished, but the son of perdition; that the scriptures
might be fulfilled;" 18:9— "That the word might be fulfilled
which he spake. Of those whom thou hast given me 1 lost not
one."}
(d) Jno. 14:21 — " He that hath my commandments, and keepeth
them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of
my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ loves him that hath
His commandments and keepeth them.
The Character of Jesus Christ 109
CHRIST has an altogether special love for His obedient dis
ciples; to them He manifests Himself as not unto the world.
NOTE i. — Jno. 15:10 — "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall
abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments and
abide in his love." Those who keep his commandments abide in his
love. This does not mean, as sometimes interpreted, "abide in the
consciousness of his love." It means rather what it says. There is a
love of CHRIST out of which one steps by disobedience.
NOTE 2. — Mark 3:35 — " For whosoever shall do the will of God, the
same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." Whosoever does the
will of God stands in the relation of closest kinship to Christ. Such
an one is to Him his brother and sister and mother. A man may love
all men and yet he has a peculiar love to his own brother and his own
sister, and above all, to his own mother. Toward whosoever does the
will of God, JESUS CHRIST has that love which combines all three in one.
NOTE 3.— Jno. 15:9 — "As the Father hath loved me, so have I
loved you: continue ye in my love." (See also v. 10.) JESUS CHRIST'S
love to those who keep His commandments is just the same as His
Father's love to Him.
(e] Matt. 9: 13 — " But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will
have mercy; and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance."
Luke 19: io—" For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that
which was lost."
Rom. 5:6, 8 — "For when we were yet without strength, in due
time Christ died for the ungodly. But God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ loves sinners, the lost, the
ungodly.
JESUS CHRIST loves the vilest sinner as truly as He loves the
purest saint, but He does not love the vilest sinner in the same
way that He loves the purest saint. His love to the sinner is
one thing; His love to the obedient disciple quite another.
Toward the one He has pity, in the other He takes pleasure.
There is an attraction in both cases. In the one case it is the
attraction of need appealing to compassion; in the other case it
is the attraction of beauty appealing to appreciation and delight.
CHRIST pities the sinner, He delights in the saint. He loves
them both. In the parable of the lost sheep we see that the at-
traction of need is the greater.
(/) Luke 23:34 — "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; forthey
know not what they do,"
110 What the Bible Teaches
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ loved His enemies.
(g) Jno. 19:25-27 — "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his
mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary
Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple
standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold
thy son ! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother ! And
from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home."
i Cor. 15:7 — "After that he was seen of James." (Comp. Jno. 7 :5
— " For neither did his brethren believe in him.")
Jesus seems to have shown himself to no unsaved man after
his resurrection, except his brother.
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ loved His c<an kin
dred. Jesus Christ had a peculiar interest in and love for those
who were His kindred according to the flesh. Christianity does
not ignore but sanctifies natural ties.
(//) Mark 10:13-16 — "And they brought young children to him,
that he should touch them; and his disciples rebuked those that
brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and
said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid
them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily, I say unto you,
Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child he
shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his
hands upon them, and blessed them."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ loved children. Chil
dren had an especial attraction for Jesus Christ, and were the
objects of his especial solicitude and care.
Matt. 18:3, 6, 10— "And said, Verily, I say unto you, except ye be
converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the
kingdom of heaven. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones
which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were
hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the
sea. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say
unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my
Father which is in heaven."
The man or woman who has not an especial love for children
is not Christlike.
(z) Jno. 11:5 — "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and
Lazarus." (Mark 10:21).
Jno. 19: 26 — " When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the discifiU
standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman,
thy son ! "
The Character of Jesus Christ III
NINTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ loved especial individuals
in an especial way.
While JESUS CHRIST loves all men with infinite love, while he
has a peculiar love to His Church as His bride and His body, while
He has an individual love to each member of His body, while He
has a still more especial love to all those who have His command
ments and keep them and do His Father's will, yet, the more open
any heart is to Him by faith and love, the more is that person the
object of His especial delight.
(2) How THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST TO MEN MANIFESTS
ITSELF.
(a) a Cor. 8: 9, R.V. — "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor> that
ye through his poverty might become rich."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The love of Jesus Christ to men mani
fested itself in His becoming poor that we might become rich.
How great the riches He renounced and how great the pov
erty He assumed is seen in Phil. 2: 6-8 — " Who being in the form
of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made
Himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross.''1 How great the riches we obtain
through His becoming poor we see in Rom. 8: 16, 17: "The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we
may be also glorified together."
(b) Eph. 5: 2 — "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us,
and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweet smelling savour."
Gal. 2: 20 — "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me."
i Jno. 3: 16 — " Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he
laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the
brethren."
112 What the Bible Teaches
Jno. 15: 13 — " Greater love hath no man than this, that a man laj
down his life for his friends."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The love of Jesus Christ for us
manifested itself in His giving Himself, laying clown His life
for us.
His was a self-sacrificing love. The death of CHRIST was
not the only sacrifice He made, but the crowning one. His whole
life was a sacrifice, from the manger to the cross. His becoming
man at all was a sacrifice of immeasurable greatness and meaning.
(Phil. 2:6, 7.)
(c) Luke 7: 48 — " And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus to the vilest sinner
ivas manifested in His forgiving them when they repented and be-
lieved on Him.
(d) Rev. i: 5 — "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful wit
ness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of
the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his
own blood."
FO UR Til PR OPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to us mani
fests itself in His washing (or loosing, R. F.) us from our sins in
His own blood.
(<?) Luke 15:4, 5,6, 7 — " What man of you, having a hundred sheep,
if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilder
ness and go after that which is lost, until he find it ? And when he
hath found it he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he
cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying
unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was
lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sin
ner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons, which
need no repentance."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to His lost
sheep manifests itself (a) in His going after them until He finds
them; (b) in His rejoicing over the lost one found; (c) in His
laying the lost one found on His own shoulders; (d) in His bringina
it safely home.
The Character of Jesus Christ 113
(/) Jno. 10:4 — "When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth
before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice."
Is. 40. ii — " He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather
the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently
lead those that are with young."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to His flock
manifests itself in His tender care for each member of the flock.
(g) Matt. 8: 17 — "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our
sicknesses."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ for
men was manifested in Himself taking our infirmities and bear
ing our sicknesses
(h) Matt. 14:14 — "And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multi
tude; and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed
their sick."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ for men
was manifested in His having compassion upon them and deliver
ing them from their sicknesses.
(i) Matt. 15:32 — "Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and
said, I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with
me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them
away fasting, lest they faint in the way."
NINTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to men loas
manifested in His having compassion upon them and supplying
their physical needs.
(Compare Heb. 13:8, R. V. — "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
and to-day, yea and forever.")
(/) Rev. 3: 19, R. V. — "As many as I love, I reprove and chasten:
be zealous therefore, and repent."
TENTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to men is
manifested in His reproving them in order to bring them to
repentance.
(K) Jno. 14: 18, R. V — " I will not leave you desolate: I come unto
you."
114 What the Bible Teaches
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to Hii
disciples is manifested in His not leaving them desolate. He
Himself comes to them.
(!) Jno. 11:33-36: "When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and
the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit,
and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him ? They say unto
him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold
how he loved him ! "
TWELFTH PR OPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ was mO^
ifested in weeping over the sorrow of His loved ones.
NOTE. — He knew that this sorrow was but for a moment, that \\
was founded upon a misapprehension, that in a few moments it would
be changed for exceeding joy; but it was real, and as it was theirs it
was His also.
(m) Jno. 14:1 — "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God,
believe also in me.'r
THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to
His disciples was manifested in his comforting them in their
sorroio and anxiety.
This is the purpose of the entire fourteenth chapter. Note
vv. 1 and 27 — "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in
God, believe also in me;" 27 — " Peace I leave with you, my
peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
(«) Jno. 14:27 — "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you," etc.
Jno. 15:11 — " These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy
might remain in you and that your joy might be full.1*
FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION: The love of Jesus Christ to
His disciples was manifested in His leaving them His own peac&
and His own joy.
(o) Mark 3: 5, R.V. — "And when he had looked roundabout on
them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their heart, he
saith unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth:
and his hand was restored."
The Character of Jesus Christ 115
FIFTEENTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to
men was manifested in His grieving over the hardening of their
hearts.
The hardening of their hearts, as shown by the context, was
shameful and outrageous. It aroused Christ's anger. But it
also moved Him to grief. Would that we had that feeling toward
even the most outrageous sin that our anger would be mixed
with tears.
(p] Luke 22: 32 — " But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail
not: and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren."
Jno. 17: 15 — " I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the
world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil."
Luke 23:34 — "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they
know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots."
SIXTEENTH PROPOSITION: The love of Jesus Christ toward
His disciples and toward His enemies was manifested in His
praying for them.
This is a most important manifestation of love.
(g) Luke 24: 38, 39, 40 — "And he said unto them, Why are ye
troubled ? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts ? Behold my
hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me and see; for a
spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he
had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet."
Jno. 26: 24-29 — " But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus,
was not with them when Jesus came, the other disciples therefore said
unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I
shall see in his hands the prints of the nails, and put my finger into the
print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with
them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst,
and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither
thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust
it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas
answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto
him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed
are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
SEVENTEENTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ
toward skeptics was manifested in patient dealing with unreason
able, inexcusable and stubborn doubts.
Ii6 What the Bible Teaches
(r) Mark 16: 7 — " But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that
he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said
unto you."
EIGHTEENTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ
toward a weak disciple was manifested by patient and tender
dealing with his lapse into grievous siti and apostacy,
(s) Rom. 8:37 — "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquer
ors through him that loved us."
NINETEENTH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to
those u'ho believe in Him is manifested in His giving them over
whelming victory in all their conflicts.
(t] Jno. 19: 26, 27 — "When JESUS therefore saw his mother, and
the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother,
Woman, Behold thy son ! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy
mother ! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own
home."
TWENTIETH PROPOSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ ivas
manifested (a) in His forgetting His own awful agony in His
sympathy for the sorrows of others ; (b) by intrusting His own
loork to the one He loved. It was to the disciple He loved that He
intrusted His own most sacred charge.
(u] Jno. 13: 1-5, R.V. — "Now, before the feast of the passover,
Jesus knowing that his hour was come that he should depart out of
this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the
world, he loved them unto the end. And during supper, the devil hav
ing already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray
him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands,
and that he came forth from God, and goeth unto God, riseth from
supper, and laying aside his garments; and he took a towel, and girded
himself. Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the
disciples' feet, and wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded."
TWENTY-FIRST PR 0 POSITION: The Love of Jesus Christ to
men manifested itself in His performing the lowliest and most
menial service for them.
The Character of Jesus Christ 117
It is easy to perform the most menial services for those we
love. A mother can perform the most humiliating and repulsive
service for the babe she loves. (Yet wealthy mothers usually em
ploy a hireling to do it.) What but love, wondrous love, could en
able the only begotten of God, in the full consciousness u that the
Father had given all things into His hands, and that He came
forth from God, and goeth unto God," to arise from the table and
with His own hands do this menial service for His disciples? And
Judas was there, too, and the devil had already put it into his
heart to betray Jesus. (Vv. 2, 10, 11, R.V.)
(v) Jno. 15:15 — "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the
servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth; but I have called you
friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made
known unto you."
TWENTY-SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ's love to
His friends manifests itself by His making known unto them all
things that the Father makes known unto Him.
When you discover some great truth, what do you wish to
do with it ? Do you not wish to hurry away to your most-loved
ones and make it known to them? So Jesus, in the fulness of His
love to us, hastens to make known unto us all that the Father
makes known unto Him.
(TV) Jno. 10:3— "To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear
his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them
out."
TWENTY-THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus' love to His own
sheep is manifested in His calling them by name.
This looks like a very small matter, but in that fact lies part
of its significance. It is a tender illustration of the Savior's love
for His own. There was also something peculiar in the way in
which He called His own by name. (Compare Jno. 20: 16.)
(x) Jno. 17:12 — "While I was with them in the world, I kept
them in thy name: those that thou gavest me, I have kept and none of
them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scriptures might be ful
filled."
Jno. 18:8, 9, R.V. —"Jesus answered, I told you that I am he: if
therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: that the word might be
fulfilled which he spake. Of those whom thou hast given me I lost
not one."
Il8 What the Bible Teaches
Rom. 8:35-39 — "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ!
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword ? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the
day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all
these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor prin
cipalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our LORD."
TWENTY-FOURTH PROPOSITION: The love of Jesus Christ
to His own manifests itself in His keeping them so that not one
of them is lost.
(y) Acts 9: 5—" Andhe said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord
said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick
against the pricks."
Matt. 25: 37-40, 41-45 — "Then shall the righteous answer him,
Lord, when saw we thee a hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave
thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked,
and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came
unto thee? And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I
say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto
them on the left hand, Depart from me, -ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was a hungered, and ye
gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a
stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick,
and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer
him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee a hungered, or athirst, or a
stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto
thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye did it not utito one of the least of these, ye did it not
tome."
TWENTY-FIFTH PROPOSITION: The love of Jesus Christ to
His disciples manifests itself in His so thoroughly identifying
Himself with them that He regards all that is done unto the least
of them as done unto Himself.
(z) Eph. 5: 31, 32 — " For this cause shall a man leave his father and
mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one
flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the
church."
The Character of Jesus Christ 119
TWENTY-SIXTH PROPOSITION: The love of Jesus Christ to
the church was manifested in His leaving the Father to cleave
unto the church, so that they two shall be one flesh. This is, in-
deed, a great mystery.
(a a} Jno. 14:21-23 — "He that hath my commandments, and
keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be
loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to
him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou
wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered
and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my
Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode
with him."
TWENTY-SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The love of Jesus
Christ to those who keep His commandments is manifested in
His manifesting Himself unto them and making His abode with
them.
(bb] Jno. 14:2 — "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."
TWENTY-EIGHTH PROPOSITION: The love of Jesus Christ
to His disciples has been manifested in His going to prepare a
place for us.
(cc) Jno. 14:3 — "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto myself: that where I am, there ye
may be also."
TWENTY-NINTH PROPOSITION: The love of Jesus Christ
to His disciples will manifest itself in His conning again for us
to receive us unto Himself, that we may be no more separated
one from the other.
(Compare i Thess. 4: 16, 17 — " For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with
the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in
the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord.")
NOTE i. — He comes Himself: " I come again." He sends no mere
messenger.
120 What the Bible Teaches
NOTE 2. — It is to receive us "unto Himself.'1'1 Not merely into
heaven. It is as if He longed for us, longed to press us to His very soul,
His very self " unto himself." Wo long for Him, but not as He longs for
us. Heaven is a lonely place to Him without us. Earth ought to be a
lonely place to us without Him. Godet's comment on these words is
worth repeating. " He presses him to His heart, so to speak, while bear
ing him away. There is an infinite tenderness in these last words. It is
for Himself that He seems to rejoice in and look to this moment which
will put an end to all separation." (Godet's John, Vol. 2, p. 270, Am. Ed.)
(dd) Eph. 5:25-27 — "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ
also loved the church, and gave himself for it: That he might sanc
tify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish."
THIRTIETH PROPOSITION: The love of Jesus Christ to the
church manifested itself in the past by His giving Himself for
it; manifests itself in the present in His sanctifying and cleans
ing it with the washing of water by the word; will manifest itself
in the future by His presenting it to Himself ' ' a glorious church
not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing," but " holy and
without blemish."
IV. —Jesus Christ's Love for Souls.
(1) Luke 19 : 10 — "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save
that which was lost."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Son of man came to seek and to
save the lost.
This was the great object of His earthly mission. Not to
receive honor nor to accumulate wealth nor to gain a kingdom.
He left behind greater glories than the world contained. To
save the lost. Lost men were of more value and preciousness in
His sight than all earth's wealth and glory. A single soul was
of priceless value. The whole material universe had not the value
in His sight of a single soul. Each soul had this value in His
sight. Not only the soul of the philosopher and the saint, but
the soul of the savage and of the outcast,
(2) Jno. 4: 6, 7, io—-"Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus there
fore being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was
about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw
The Character of Jesus Christ 121
water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. . . Jesus answered and
said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that
saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked him, and ho
would have given thee living water."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was ever on the watch
for opportunities to save perishing souls.
We see this again in Jno. 9:35 — "Jesus heard that they
had cast him out; and when he had found him he said unto him,
Dost thou believe on the Son of God? " And in Mark, 2:4, 5 —
"And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press,
they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken
it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy,
Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.''1 " He made use of His miracles as
stepping-stones to reach the soul. " (Stalker: " Imago Chris ti " ; p.
231.) So ought we to use every act of kindness which we are
able to perform for men.
(3) Luke 15 : 4 — " What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if
he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilder
ness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it ? "
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ went after lost souls.
He not only watched for and welcomed opportunities when
they came in His way, He sought opportunities. He not only re
ceived the lost when they came to Him, He went after them.
A true love for souls will always reveal itself in a going out in
search of them.
(4) Jno. 4: 32-34 — " But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that
ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any
man brought him aught to eat ? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to
do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ found His joy and
satisfaction in saving lost souls.
In this work He forgot weariness, hunger, thirst. In it He
found joy and refreshment for His body. Mark 3: 20, 21 — " And
the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so
much as eat bread, and when his friends heard of it they went out
122 What the Bible Teaches
to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself." Jesus se
lost himself in His work that He neglected the ordinary needs of
his body in its prosecution and His friends said, "He is beside
himself."
(5) Luke 15: 5-7 — " And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his
shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together
his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I
have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you that likewise joy
shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over
ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ rejoiced with great joy
over lost souls found.
As a shepherd rejoices over the sheep that had gone astray
when he finds it; as the woman rejoices over the coin lost from her
marriage necklace when it is found again; as the gold-hunter re
joices over the great nugget of gold that he digs from the rock;
as the merchantman seeking goodly pearls rejoices over the one
pearl of great price — so and infinitely more Jesus rejoices over a
lost soul found.
(6) Jno. 5: 40 — "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have
life."
Luke 19: 41, 42 — "And when he was come near, he beheld the city,
and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in
this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! but now they
are hid from thine eyes."
Matt. 23: 37 — "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the proph
ets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I
have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chick
ens under her wings, and ye would not ! "
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ grieved with great grief
over lost souls that refused to be saved.
No woman ever grieved over her stolen jewels, no mother over
a lost child, as Jesus over lost men who refused to be saved. No
words can picture the agony that shot through the heart of Jesus
Christ when men refused to come to him that they might have life.
(7) Jno. 10: ii— " I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd
giveth his life for the sheep."
Matt, ao: 28 — " Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered
unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."
The Character of Jesus Christ 123
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ gladly laid down His
life to save souls.
V. The Compassion of Jesus Christ.
(1) THE OBJECTS OF CHRIST'S COMPASSION.
(a) Mark 6: 34 — " And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people,
and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as
sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many
things."
Matt. 9: 36, R.V — " But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved
with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered,
as sheep not having a shepherd."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ had compassion on the
multitude who were distressed and scattered abroad as sheep not
having a shepherd.
What if Jesus were in Chicago ? How does He feel toward
the hundreds of millions in China? Contrast the Pharisees:
Jno. 7: 48, 49 — " Hath any of the rulers believed on him, or of
the Pharisees ? But this multitude which knoweth not the law
are accursed." Which are we more like, Christ or the Pharisees ?
(b) Mark 8: 2 — "I have compassion on the multitude, because
they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ had compassion on the
hungry multitude.
Not only the spiritual destitution of men, but their physical
need as well appealed to the compassion of Jesus Christ.
(c) Matt. 14:14 — " And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multi
tude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed
their sick."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ had compassion on the
multitude in general.
Whenever Jesus saw a crowd of men He was moved with
compassion. His compassion on the multitude is mentioned five
times. A crowd of men is a pitiful sight. It represents so much
of sorrow, so much of pain, so much of sin. What is your feeling
124 What the Bible Teaches
when you look out upon a crowd ? Judging by the context of
this passage, the sick seem to have especially drawn out His
compassion.
(d] Matt. 20: 34 — "So Jesus had compassion on them, and
touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight,
and they followed him."
iFOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ had compassion on the
blind.
(e) Mark. 9: 22, 25 — " And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire,
and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything,
have compassion on us, and help us. When Jesus saw that the peo
ple came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto
him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and
enter no more into him."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ had compassion on the
demonized, the victims of the power of unclean spirits.
In the last case mentioned there was much in the man that
was repulsive and hateful, but Jesus beheld him with compassion.
(/) Mark, i: 40, 41 — " And there came a leper to him, beseeching
him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, if thou wilt,
thou canst make me clean. And Jesus moved with compassion, put
forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou
clean."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ had compassion on the
leper.
The world, even the religious world of that day, met the
/eper with repulsion and disgust and scorn. Christ met him.
with compassion. The world drew away from him, Christ drew
toward him.
(g) Luke 7: 12, 13 — "Now when he came nigh to the gate of the
city, behold there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his
mother, and she was a widow, and much people of the city was with
her. And when the LORD saw her, he had compassion on her, and
said unto her, Weep not,"
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ had compassion
upon the one bereaved of a loved one.
The Character of Jesus Christ 125
This is the only recorded case in which Jesus met a funeral
procession, and we see what His feeling was toward the mourner.
What is your feeling toward mourners? What is your feeling
when you meet a funeral procession ?
(h) Luke 15:20— "And he arose and came to his father. But
when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compas
sion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." (Compare vv. i,
2 — "Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to
hear him, and the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man
receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.")
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ had compassion on
the sinful, the lost, the spiritually dead.
(i) Mark 3: 5— "And when he had looked round about on them
with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith
unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out:
and his hand was restored whole as the other."
PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ had compassion on all
men afflicted by any form of misfortune, or wretchedness, or
degradation.
Jesus Christ did not go about his work from a cold sense of
duty, but His own heart drew Him out towards those He helped
and saved. His deeds of mercy cost Him something more than
the sacrifice of leisure and the expenditure of effort and power.
They cost him heartaches. He made other men's sorrows His
own sorrows, other men's agony His own agony, other men's sin
and shame His own sin and shame. He could not look upon mis
ery, pain, death or sin without heart pangs. (Jno. 11:33 —
"When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also
weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit and was
troubled. ") Herein lay one great secret of His power. It is the
misery that we make our own that we can comfort; it is the want
that we make our own that we can fully satisfy; it is the sin we
make our own that we can save another from. (2 Cor. 5: 21 —
" For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him.") Real
power to help men is a very expensive thing, but anyone can
have it who is willing to pay the price. But the one who is not
126 What the Bible Teaches
willing to give up lightness of heart, and take instead burden oi
heart over the world's sin and sorrow and shame, may as well
give up the thought of being a helper, much less a savior of men.
Men can not be saved by burning words. No! only by bleeding
hearts.
(2.) THE WAY IN WHICH THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST WAS
MANIFESTED.
(a) Luke 10:33, 34> 35> 3^ — " But a certain Samaritan, as he jour
neyed, came where he was; and when he saw him he had compassion
on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and
wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and
took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out
two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care
of him: and whatsoever thou spendeth more, when I come again, I
will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou was neigh
bor unto him that fell among the thieves ? "
The good Samaritan in the last analysis is a picture of Jesus
Christ.
FIRST PROPOSITION: The compassion of Jesus Christ was
not manifested in mere feelings or words, but in action, in self-
sacrificing and persistent and thoroughgoing ministration to the,
needs of the one upon whom He had compassion.
(b) Mark 6: 34—" And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people,
and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as
sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many
things."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The compassion of Jesus Christ
toward the uns hep herded was manifested in His patiently teach
ing them when He himself was weary and sore at heart.
He taught before he fed. Why ? This manifestation of
compassion there is abundant opportunity for us all to imitate.
Get an unshepherded child of the street, if you can do no more.
(c) Matt. 14:14 — " And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multi
tude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed
their sick."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The compassion of Jesus Christ
toward the unshepherded was manifested in His healing the sick.
The Character of Jesus Christ 127
(d) Matt. 15:32 — "Then Jesus called his disciples unto him and
said, I have compassion, because they continue with me now three
days, and have nothing to eat." (See following verses.)
FO UR TH PR 0 POSIT ION: The compassion of Jesus Christ was
manifested in feeding the hungry.
(e) Matt. 20:32-34 — "And Jesus stood still, and called them, and
said, What will ye that I shall do unto you ? They say unto him,
Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on
them, and touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received
sight, and they followed him."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The compassion of Jesus Christ was
manifested; (a) In standing still when on most important and
urgent business to listen to the cry of two blind beggars, (b) In
opening the eyes of the blind.
(/) Mark 5: 8 — " For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou
unclean spirit."
Mark 9: 25 — "When Jesus saw that the people came running to
gether, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and
deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into
him."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The compassion of Jesus Christ was
manifested in casting unclean spirits out of men.
(g) Mark 1:41 — "And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth
his hand, and touched him, andsaith unto him, I will: be thou clean."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The compassion of Jesus Christ
was manifested: (a) In putting forth His hand and touching the
leper. (For years that leper had not felt the touch of a clean
and loving hand. That is what many a moral leper needs to
day, the touch of a clean and loving hand.) (b) In healing
the leper.
(h) Luke 7: 12, 13, 14 — " Now when he came nigh to the gate of
the city, behold there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his
mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city were with
her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and
said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and
they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto
thee, Arise."
128 What the Bible Teaches
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: The compassion of Jesus Christ wcu
manifest : (a) In bidding the sorrowing to no longer weep.
(b) In restoring the departed to the one bereft.
(z) Luke 7: 48, 50 — " And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
Jno. 6: 37 — " All that the father giveth me shall come to me; and
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
NINTH PROPOSITION: The compassion of Jesus Christ was
manifest in welcoming and pardoning the sinner and bidding
her go in peace,
In all this let us remember, Heb. 13:8 — "Jesus Christ the
same yesterday, and to-day and forever," and 1 Jno. 2: 6 — "He
that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even
as he walked."
VI. The Prayerfulness of Jesus Christ.
(1) THE FACT or His PRAYERFULNESS.
Heb. 5: 7 — "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up
prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that
was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ in the days of His
flesh offered up prayers and supplications. He wa-s a man oj
prayer.
The words " prayer" and "pray " are used at least twenty-
live times in connection with Him, and there are many instances
in which the fact of His praying is mentioned where the
words do not occur. His praying is mentioned by each of the
four evangelists. The iife of Christ had many marked charac
teristics, but nothing is more marked than His prayerfulness.
The extent to which He was a man of prayer will appear more
clearly when we consider the next point.
(2) WHEN CHRIST PRAYED.
(a) Luke 6: 12 — "And it came to pass in those days, that he went
out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to
God."
The Character of Jesus Christ 129
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed in the night — in
some instances continuing all night in prayer.
Why in the night ? That ho might be alone and have un
disturbed communion with God.
(6) Mark i: 35: "And in the morning, rising up a great while be
fore day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there
prayed."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ rose very early in the
morning, a great while before day, to pray.
This was apparently partly that he might have solitude for
communion with God and partly as a preparation for the day s
work.
(c) Luke 3: 21, 22: "Now when all the people were baptized, it
came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven
was opened. And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a
dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art
my beloved Son: in thee I am well pleased."
Mark i: 35, 38: " And in the morning, rising up a great while be
fore day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there
prayed. And he said unto them, let us go into the next towns, that I
may preach there also: for therefore came I forth."
Luke 6: 12, 13 — " And it came to pass in those days, that he went
out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he
chose twelve, whom also he named apostles."
Luke 9: 18, 21, 22 — " And it came to pass, as he was alone praying,
his disciples were with him; and he asked them saying, Whom say the
people that I am ? And he straightly charged them, and commanded
them to tell no man that thing; saying, The Son of man must suffer
many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes,
and be slain and be raised the third day."
THIRD PROPOSITION; Jesus Christ prayed before Ills bap
tism with the Holy Spirit and entrance upon His public ministry ;
before entering upon an evangelistic tour, before choosing the
tioelve, before announcing to the twelve His approaching death ; i.
e. , before important ster>s in His life. He prepared for the im
portant events of life by especial seasons of prayer.
(d) Matt. 14: 23 — "And when he had sent the multitudes away, he
went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was
come, he was there alone."
130 What the Bible Teaches
Jno. 6: 15 — "-When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come
and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a
mountain himself alone."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed after the great
achievements and important crises of His life.
Why? (a) To recruit His strength. Christ's miracles cost
Him something, an expenditure and loss of power. (Cf. Mark 5:
30.) (b) To guard against temptations to pride, or satisfaction,
or contentment, with the work already achieved. Jesus Christ
was truly human, subject to the same temptations we are, and
He met them with the same weapons we must — the Word of God
and prayer. It is more common for most of us to pray before
the great events of life than after them, but the latter is as
important as the former. If we would pray after the great
achievements of life we might go on to greater. As it is we are
often either puffed up or exhausted by them, and we proceed no
further.
(e) Matt. 14: 19 — " And he commanded the multitude to sit down
on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking
up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disci
ples, and the disciples to the multitude."
Luke 24:30 — "And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he
took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesiis Christ prayed before He ate.
He prayed in connection with the simplest, commonest event
of every-day life. So characteristic was Christ's manner of pray
ing in connection with His meals that He was known by this act
to the disciples who had failed to discover who He was up to that
point. (Luke 24: 30, 31) It is in connection with little things
that many of us most forget to pray. Every step of Christ's life
seems to have been accompanied with prayer.
(/) Luke 5: 15, 16 — "But so much the more went there a fame
abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be
healed by him of their infirmities. And he withdrew himself into the
wilderness, and prayed."
SIXTH PROPOSITION; Jesus Christ, when life was unusually
busy, withdrew into a solitary place to pray.
The Character of Jesus Christ 131
Some men are so busy, that they can find no time to pray.
Apparently, the busier Christ's life was the more he prayed.
Sometimes He had no time to eat (Mark 3: 20). Sometimes He had
not time for needed rest and sleep (Mark 6:31, 33, 46), but He
always took time to pray, and the more the work crowded the
more He prayed. Martin Luther, Adam Clarke and many
another mighty man of God has learned this secret from Christ.
Many another mighty man of God has lost his power because he
did not learn this secret, and he has allowed increasing work to
crowd out prayer.
(g) Mark 6: 31, 33, 34, 35, 46 — " And he said unto them, Come ye
yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile: for there were
many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran
afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together
unto him. And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was
moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not
having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. And
when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and
said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed. . . And
when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed when weary.
The night vigil in Mark 6 : 46, was after a day when he had
been so busy he could not eat and when he had taken the disci
ples aside to rest awhile. But the needed and desired rest had
been immediately broken in upon by the multitude who outran
Him, and the entire day had been spent in teaching and healing
the sick and feeding the multitude. That weary day was followed,
not by sleep, but by a night of prayer. There is a better way to re
cuperate exhausted energies than by sleep. Ofttimes when we
are so tired we cannot sleep, and waste time tossing to and fro
upon our beds, if we would arise and pour out our hearts to God
we ^ould get far more rest and go back to bed to sleep.
Ji) Matt. 26:36 — "Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place
called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I
go and pray yonder."
Luke 22 : 39-41 — "And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to
the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when
he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into
temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast,
and kneeled down and prayad."
132 What the Bible Teaches
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed before great
temptations.
He prepared for the temptations He saw drawing near by
prayer, so He always came off victorious. The disciples, despite
His warning, slept while He prayed; so He stood and they fell.
The calm majesty of His bearing amid the awful onslaughts of
Pilate's judgment hall and of Calvary was the outcome of the
struggle, agony and victory of Gethsemane.
(/) Luke 23: 34, 46— "Then said Jesus, Father forgive them;
for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and
cast lots. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said,
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he
gave up the ghost."
NINTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed in the last mo
ments of His life.
His last utterance was a prayer. His life had been a life of
prayer, and with prayer it came to a fitting close.
(3) WHERE JESUS CHRIST PRAYED.
(a) Matt. 14 : 23— "And when he had sent the multitudes away,
he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was
come, he was there alone."
Mark 6 : 46 — "And when he had sent them away, he departed into
the mountain to pray."
Luke 6 : 12 — "And it came to pass in those days, that he went into
a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."
Jno. 6: 15— "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would
come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again
into a mountain himself alone."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ went out into a mountain
apart to pray.
Each of the four evangelists makes mention of His going into
the mountain to pray, and it is said in Luke 22:39, <* as his
custom was." Stalker says: "When he arrived in a town, His
first thought was which was the shortest way to the mountain,
just as ordinary travelers inquire where are the most noted sights
and which is the best hotel." (<' Imago Christi," p. 131.) He went
The Character of Jesus Christ 133
to the mountain because of its solitude, and because it brought
Him near to God.
(b) Mark 1:35—" And in the morning, rising up a great while be
fore day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there
prayed."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ went out into solitary
places to pray.
There is doubtless a sense in which we can find a solitary place
in our crowded streets, but it is well to follow Christ's example
literally, and get away from the sight and sound of men, and get
alone with God. If you have never known what it is to kneel
down in the woods where no human voice could be heard, or be
neath a tree in the silent starlight or moonlight, and look up with
open eyes toward the face of God and talk to Him, you have
missed a blessing that cannot be described, but that every child
of God should know.
(4) WITH WHOM CHRIST PRAYED.
(a) Matt. 14: 23—" And when he had sent the multitudes away, he
went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was
come he was there alone."
FIRST PR 0 POSITION: Jesus Christ prayed alone— by Himself.
(b) Luke 9:28— " And it came to pass an eight days after these
sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a moun
tain to pray."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed with a chosen
few.
(c) Luke 9: 18 — "And it came to pass, as he was alone praying,
his disciples were with him; and he asked them saying, Whom say the
people that I am ? "
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed with the whole
apostolic company. They were his family and this was family
prayer.
(d) Matt. 14: 19 — ' ' And he commanded the multitude to sit down on
the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up
to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples,
and the disciples to the multitude."
134 What the Bible Teaches
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed in the midst oj
a great multitude,
Those who would contend from Matt. 6:6— " 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," that we
must confine our prayers to our closets can find no support in
Christ's example. He Himself prayed in public.
(5) IN WHOSE BEHALF JESUS CHRIST PRAYED.
(a) Jno. 12: 28— "Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a
voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it
again."
FIRST PROPOSITION; Jesus Christ prayed in Gods behalf,
for Gods glory.
He had a supreme regard for God's interest in His prayers.
In the prayer He taught His disciples the first petition was that
God's name might be hallowed. (Matt. 6:9.)
(b) Jno. 17: i—" These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to
heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come: glorify thy Son, that thy
Son also may glorify thee."
Heb. 5: 7—" Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up
prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that
was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared,"
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed in His own be
half
It was not in any sense a selfish prayer, though it was for
self. He prayed the Father to glorify Him in order that He in
turn might glorify the Father. He prayed for deliverance from
premature death that He might finish the work the Father had
given Him to do. There is nothing more unselfish in the world
than a true prayer for oneself.
(f) Jno. 14: 16, 17 — " And I will pray the Father, and he shall give
you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the
spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him
not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you,
and shall be in you."
The Character of Jesus Christ 135
Jno. 17: 9, 20 — "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for
them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. Neither pray I for
these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their
word."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed in behalf of all
His own. Christ' s own, those given to Him by the Father are
the objects of His prayer in a sense no others are. It is for
them He now intercedes as High Priest and Advocate.
Heb. 7: 25 — " Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost
that come unto God by /«';#, seeing he ever liveth to make interces
sion for them."
Rom. 8: 34 — "Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died,
yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us."
i Jno. 2: i — ' My little children, these things write I unto you, that
ye sin not. And if any man sin, ive have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous."
(d) Luke 22: 31, 32 — "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold,
Satan hath desired to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I
have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art con
verted, strengthen thy brethren,"
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed for Peter, for
an individual disciple.
Christ does not merely pray for believers in a mass, he
prays for individual believers.
i Jno. 2: i — " My little children, these things write I unto you, that
ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous."
(e) Luke 23: 34 — "Then said Jesus, Father forgive them; for they
know not what they do. And they parted his raiment and cast lots."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed for His enemies.
(6) How JESUS CHRIST PRAYED.
(a) Jno. 17:1 — " These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes
to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come: glorify thy Son, that
thy Son may glorify thee."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed with Gods glory
first in view. (Compare Jas. 4:3, R. V. j Matt. 6: 9.)
136 What the Bible Teaches
(b] Matt. 26: 42 — " He went away again the second time and prayed,
saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except 1
drink it, thy will be done."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed in perfect sub-
mission to the Father' s
This did not introduce any element of uncertainty into his
prayers when the will of God was clearly revealed and known.
Compare Jno. 11:41, 42 — "Then they took away the stone from
the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes
and said, Father, I thank thec that thou hast heard me. And I
know that thou hearest me always: but because of the people
which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast
sent me."
(c) Luke 22: 41 — "And he was withdrawn from them about a
stone's cast, and kneeled down and prayed."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed on His knees.
(d) Matt. 26:39 — "And he went a little further, and fell on his
face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup
pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed on His face
before God,
If the sinless Son of God got upon his knees and upon his
face before the Father, what shall we do ?
(e) Matt. 14:19 — "And he commanded the multitude to sit down
on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking
up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his dis
ciples, and the disciples to the multitude."
Jno. 17:1 — " These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to
heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy
Son also may glorify thee."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed with open, up
turned eyes.
"We do well often to close our eyes that we may shut the
world out, but there are times when it is well to look right up
with open eyes into the face of God as Jesus did.
The Character of Jesus Christ 137
(_/") Luke 22:44 — " And being in agony he prayed more earnestly:
and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the
ground."
SIXTH PROPOSITION : Jesus Christ prayed earnestly.
The literal force of the world translated " earnestly " is
'< stretched-out-ly." The thought is of the soul stretched out in
intensity of desire.
(g) Heb. 5:7 — "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered
up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him
that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he
feared."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed " with strong
crying and tears. ' '
The word translated "crying" is a very strong word, mean
ing "outcry " or ''clamor." The force of it is increased by the
qualifying adjective "strong." He prayed "with mi-ghty out
cry." There are some who speak of it as an attainment of su
perior faith to always be very calm in prayer, and " just take " in
childlike confidence what they ask. They have cither gotten be
yond their Master, or else do not know what Holy Ghost earnest
ness means. It is to be suspected that sometimes their calm
comes not from the Holy Ghost, but from indifference. The Holy
Ghost makes intercession " with groanings which cannot be ut
tered." (Bom. 8: 26.) Be careful not to confuse the laziness of
indifference with " the rest of faith." Any rest of faith that does
not leave room for mighty conflicts in prayer and deed is not
Christlike. A "groaning" and "tears" and "outcry" that are
simulated, or the product of fleshly working of oneself up, are
worse yet.
(//) Luke 6: 12 — " And it came to pass in those days, that he went
into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed with a large
outlay of time — " all night.''1
The time element in prayer is of vast importance. By the
use of modern machinery a man can do more in a minute than he
138 What the Bible Teaches
could once do in hours. No machinery has ever been invented by
which the work of prayer can be expedited.
(z) Matt. 26: 44 — " And he left them, and went away again, and
prayed the third time, saying the same words."
NINTH PROPOSITION; Jesus Christ prayed importunately—
three times for the same thing.
In the face of what is recorded of Christ it will not do to
say that the failure to take what you ask the first time you pray
necessarily indicates a weakness of faith.
(/) Jno. 11:41, 42 — "Then they took away the stone from the
place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and
said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I know that
thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I
said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me."
TENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ prayed: (a) With
thanksgiving. (Compare Phil. 4:6.) In this case the thanks
giving was for an answer yet to be and that only faith could
see. (b) Believingly. He believed that He had received the
petition, He asked of the Father though there was as yet no
visible proof of it.
(Compare i Jno. 5:14, 15 — "And this is the confidence that we
have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth
us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that
we have the petitions that we desired of Him." And Mark n: 24,
R.V. — "All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have
received them ," etc.}.
(7) THE EFFECT OF CHRIST'S PRAYERS.
(a) Jno. n: 41, 42 — "Then they took away the stone from the
place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I know that thou
hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it,
that they may believe that thou hast sent me." (Compare i Jno. 5:
15 — " And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know
that we have the petitions that we desired of him.")
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Father always heard Christ's
prayers and therefore He always received what He asked.
The Character of Jesus Christ 139
Jesus Christ accomplished things by prayer which even He
could accomplish in no other way. Thus He saved Peter when
warnings and teachings failed. Thus He overcame temptation,
wrought miracles, escaped death and glorified God, finishing the
work the Father gave Him to do.
VII. The meekness of Jesus Christ
(1) THE FACT OF His MEEKNESS.
Matt, n: 29 — "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
2 Cor. 10: i — "Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness
and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but
being absent am bold toward you."
Matt. 21 : 5 — "Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold thy king
cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of
an ass."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was meek.
QUESTION: What is meekness ?
1 Cor. 4: 21 — " What will ye ? shall I come unto you with a rod, or
in love, and in the spirit of meekness ? "
2 Cor 10: i — "Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness
and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but be«
ing absent am bold toward you."
Gal. 6: i — "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are
spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering
thyself, lestthou also be tempted."
2 Tim. 2: 24, 25 — "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but
be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient; In meekness instruct
ing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them
repentance to the acknowledging of the truth."
Tit. 3: 2 — " To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle,
showing all meekness unto all men."
ANSWER: Meekness is that attitude of mind that is op
posed to harshness and contentiousness, and that shows itselt
in gentleness and tenderness in dealing with others. The
thought of "meekness" as "patient submissiveness under in
justice and injury," does not seem to be the prominent thought
in the Bible usage of the word. The thought rather of gentle
ness in dealing with and correcting the errors of others seems to
be the predominant thought.
140 What the Bible Teaches
(2) How THE MEEKNESS OF CHRIST WAS MANIFESTED.
(a) Matt. 12: 20—" A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking
flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The meekness of Jesus Christ was
manifested in his not breaking the bruised reed or quenching the
smoking flax.
He dealt tenderly with the broken, and cherished the fire
that was well-nigh gone out.
(£) Luke 7:38, 48, 50 — "And stood at his feet behind him weep
ing, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the
hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the
ointment. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And he said
to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The meekness of Jesus Christ was
manifested in His gently telling the outrageous but penitent sin-
ner that her sins were forgiven and to go in peace.
(c] Mark 5:33, 34 — "But the woman fearing and trembling, know
ing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told
him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath
made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The meekness of Jesus was manifested
in His tenderly saying to the poor afflicted one who had tried to
steal the blessing unseen by any: "Daughter, thy faith hath
made thee whole; go in peace and be whole of thy plague"
(d} Jno. 20:29 — "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou
hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen,
and yet have believed."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The meekness of Jesus was mani.
fested in the gentleness with which He rebuked the stubborn un
belief of doubting Thomas.
(e) Jno. 21 : 15-17 — " So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Si
mon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these ?
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord: thou knowest that I love thee. He
saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second
time, Simon j son of Jonas, lovest thou me ? He saith unto him, Yea,
The Character of Jesus Christ 141
Lord: thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my
sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest
thou me ? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time,
Lovest thou me ? And he said unto him, thou knowest all things; thou
knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The meekness of Jesus Christ was
manifested in the tenderness with which He rebuked Peter's self-
confidence and subsequent unfaithfulness and thrice-repeated
and flagrant denial of his Lord,
(f) Jno. 13: 21, 27—" When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in
spirit, and testified and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one
of you shall betray me. And after the sop Satan entered into him.
Then Jesus said unto him, That thou doest, do quickly."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The meeekness of Jesus Christ was man
ifested in His gentle, tender and pleading reproof of Judas
Iscariot, His betrayer.
(g) Luke 23: 34 — " Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they
know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The meekness of Jesus Christ was
manifested in His praying for His murderers.
VIII.— The Humility of Jesus Christ.
(1) THE FACT OF His HUMILITY.
Matt, n: 29 — " Take rny yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was lowly in heart.
(2) How THE HUMILITY OF JESUS CHRIST WAS MANIFESTED.
(a) Jno. 8: 50 — " And I seek not mine own glory."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The humility of Jesus Christ was
manifested in His not seeking His own glory.
(b) Is. 42: 2 — " He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to
be heard in the street."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The humility of Jesus Christ was
manifested in His avoiding notoriety and praise.
142 What the Bible Teaches
Many professed followers of Jesus Christ court notoriety.
He shunned it. He strictly charged those whom He had bene-
fitted not to make it known. He kept no advertising bureau.
(c] Matt. 9: 10 — "And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the
house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with
him and his disciples."
Luke 15: i, 2 — "Then drew near unto him all the publicans and
sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured,
saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The humility of Jesus Christ was
manifested in His associating with the despised and outcast,
(d] Is. 50:5, 6 — "The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I
was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the
. smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not
my face from shame and spitting."
Heb. 12: 3 — " For consider him that endured such contradiction of
sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The humility of Jesus Christ was
manifested in patient submission to outrageous injury and in
justice.
(e] Is. 53:7, R.V. — "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; yet, he opened not his
mouth."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The humility of Jesus Christ was
manifested in silence under outrageous injury and injustice.
(/) i Pet. 2:23 — "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again;
when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him
that judgeth righteously."
Matt. 26: 60-63 — " But found none: yea, though many false wit
nesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false wit
nesses. And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple
of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and
said unto him, Answerest thou nothing ? What is it which these wit
ness against thee ? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest
answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God that
thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the son of God."
Luke 23: 8-10 — "And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding
glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had
The Character of Jesus Christ 143
heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle
done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he
answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes itood and
vehemently accused him."
SIXTH PROPOSITION; The humility of Jesus Christ mani
fested itself in silence under false accusations.
Jesus did not defend His own good name. He left that to
God. He < ' committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously, "
and He hath given Him " the name that is above every name."
(Phil. 2: 9.)
(g) Matt. 20: 28 — " Even as the Son of man came not to be min
istered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The humility of Jesus Christ was
manifested in His coming to minister and not to be ministered
unto.
(A) Jno. 13: 4, 5 — " He riseth from supper, and laid aside his gar
ments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poured
water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe
them with the towel wherewith he was girded."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: The humility of Jesus Christ was
manifested in His performing the most humble and menial and
rive services for others.
(i) Phil. 2: 6, 7 — "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness
of men."
NINTH PROPOSITION: The humility of Jesus Christ was
manifested in His choosing the lowliest place, of service as a
slave, instead of the loftiest place of glory as God.
(/) Phil. 2: 8 — "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
TENTH PROPOSITION: The humility of Jesus Christ was
manifested in His being < ' obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross."
(It is in this connection that Paul charges us : « ' Have this
mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus. ' ')
CHAPTER V,
THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST,
I, The Importance of Christ's Death.
FIRST PROPOSITION: The death of Jesus Christ is mentioned
directly more than one hundred and seventy -five times in the New
Testament. Besides this there are very many prophetic and typ
ical references to the death of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament.
(2) Heb. 2: 14 — " Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; thai
through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that
is, the devil."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ became a partaker of
flesh and blood in order that He might die.
The incarnation was for the purpose of the death. Jesus
Christ's death was not a mere incident of His human life, it was
the supreme purpose of it. He became man in order that He
might die as man and for man.
(3) Matt. 20:28 — "Even as the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for
many."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ came into the world that
He might die as a ransom.
(4) Luke g: 30, 31 — " And behold there talked with him two men,
which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of
his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem."
FOURTH PROPOSITION. The death of Jesus Christ was the
subject that Moses and Elias talked with Him about when they
appeared in glory.
(5) i Pet. i :n — "Searching what, or what manner of time the
Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should
follow."
The Death of Jesus Christ 145
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The prophesied death of Christ was a
subject of deep interest and earnest inquiry to the Old Testament
prophets.
(6) i Pet i: 12—" Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto them
selves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now
reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you
with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels
desire to look into."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The death of Jesus Christ was a sub
ject of deep interest and earnest inquiry to t/ie angels.
(7) Rev. 5:8-12— "And when he had taken the book, the four
beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having
every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are
the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art
worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast
slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God
kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and
I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the
beasts, and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand
times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud
voice, Worthy is the Lamb thatiuas slain to receive power, and riches,
and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The death of Jesus Christ is the
central theme of heaven's sony.
(8) i Cor. 15: i, 3, 4 — " Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the
gospel which I Breached unto you, which also ye have received, and
wherein ye stand; For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that Christ died tor our sins according to the Scriptures;
and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day accord
ing to the Scriptures."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: The death of Jesus Christ is one of
the two fundamental truths of the Gospel.
(Compare i Cor. n: 26 — "For as often as ye eat this bread, and
drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come." i Cor. 2:
g — " For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus
Christ, and him crucified")
The importance of Jesus Christ's death will come out further
as we consider the purpose and results of His death. The
146 What the Bible Teaches
modern preaching that lays the principal emphasis upon the llw
and example of Jesus Christ is thoroughly un scriptural.
II. The purpose of Jesus Christ's death, or Why did Jesus Christ die I
(1) Is. 53:5 — "But he was wounded (Hebrew 'pierced'; sam&
Hebrew word is so translated in R.V. of Is. 51: 9) for our transgres
sions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace
was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
Is. 53: 8, n, 12: — "-He was taken from prison and from judgment: and
who shall declare his generation ? for he was cut off out of the land of
the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. He
shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowl
edge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their
iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he
shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his
soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he
bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
i Pet. 3: 18 — " For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just
for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."
Rom. 4: 25 — "Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised
again for our justification."
i Cor. 15: 3 — "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I
also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures."
i Pet. 2: 24 — "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on
the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:
by whose stripes ye are healed."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died because of the sins
of others — i. e., (a) It icas sin that made His death necessary.
(b) It was not His own sin, but that of others that He bore in
His death. His death was vicarious — i. e. , A just one who de~
served to live, dying in the place of unjust men who deserved to
die.
(2) Matt. 20: 28 — " Even as the Son of man came not to be minis
tered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ gave His life as a ran.
som — i. e. , His death was the price paid to redeem others from
death.
(3) Is- 53 '• I0» R.V. — "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he
hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for
sin (Heb. ' a guilt- offering '), he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his
days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."
The Death of Jesus Christ 147
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ' s soul was made a guilt-
offering for sin — i. e., It was on the ground of His death thai
pardon is granted to sinners. (See Lev. 6:6, 7, R.V.)
Compare Heb. 9: 22 — " And almost all things are by the law purged
with blood: and without shedding of blood is no remission." And Heb.
g: 28 — " So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto
them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin
unto salvation. " (Cf. Is. 53:12.)
(4) i Jno. 4: 10 — "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that
he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (The
definition in Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament
of the word translated "propitiation" is, a "means of appeasing.")
Rom. 3: 25 — " Whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through
faith, by his blood, to show his righteousness, because of the passing
over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God." (The
word here translated "propitiation" means practically the same as
that used above — " an expiatory sacrifice,")
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is the propitiation for
our sins. God set Him forth to be a propitiation by His blood
— i. e. , He, through the shedding of His blood, or death, is that
by which the wrath of God against us as sinners is appeased.
God is holy and must hate sin. His holiness and hatred of
sin must manifest itself. His wrath at sin must strike some
where, on the sinner himself or upon a lawful substitute. Is. 53:
6 — "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every
one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity
of us all." (See R.V. Marg. The Hebrew literally translated,
"made to strike upon.") And Is. 53:8, R.V. Am. App. — "By
oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his gen.
eration, who among them considered that he was cut off out of
the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to
whom the stroke was due." " The stroke due" to others fell upon
Him and He was consequently "cutoff out of the land of the
living." The death of Christ has its first cause in the demands
of God's holiness.
(5) Gal. 3: 10, 13—" For as many as are of the works of the law
are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that con-
tinueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do
them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made
a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on
a tree."
148 What the Bible Teaches
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died to redeem us from
the curse of the law by bearing that curse Himself.
(6) i Cor. 5: 7 — ''For even Christ our passover is sacrificed :?or ns."
(Compare Ex. 12: 13, 23 — "And the blood shall be to you for a token
upon the houses where ye arc: and when I see the blood, I will pass
over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I
smite the land of Egypt. For the LORD will pass through to smite the
Egyptians; and when lie secth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two
side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the
destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.")
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died as our passover
sacrifice — i, e., that His shed blood might serve as a ground upon
which God ivould pass over and spare us.
(7) Gal. 4: 4, 5 — " But when the fulness of the time was come, God
sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of
sons."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died to redeem them
that were under the laio that ice mig/it receive the adoption of
sons — i. e. , that the death of Christ miyht serve as a ground
upon which men might be delivered from the claims of the law
and be made sons.
(8) Gal. i: 4—" Who gave himself for our sins, that he might de
liver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and
our Father."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died to deliver us from
this present evil world or age.
We were in bondage to this age by sin and the law. By the
death of Jesus Christ we were delivered from this age to become
citizens of heaven and sons of God. (Phil. 3: 20.) (Compare Gal.
4:3-5, 7, 8, 9:5,1.)
(9) i Pet. 3: 18 — " For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the
just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death
in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."
NINTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died to bring us to God.
His death puts out of the way the impassable gulf that
yawns between a holy God and sinful man.
The Death of Jesus Christ 149
(io) Jno. 12'. 24 — " Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of
wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it
bringeth forth much fruit."
TENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died that He might
bring forth much fruit. From His death sprang up the new
race of Sons of God.
(n) Rom. 14:9, R.V. — "For to this end Christ died, and lived
again, that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died and lived
again that He might be the Lord of both the dead and living.
III. For whom Christ died.
(1) Rom. 8: 32— " He that spared not his own Son, but delivered
him vcpforusall, how shall he not with him also freely give us all
things?"
Eph. 5: 2 — " And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and
hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-
smelling savour."
Tit. 2; 14— " Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from
all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good
works."
1 Cor. 5: 7 — " Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a
new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is
sacrificed for us."
2 Cor. 5: 21 — "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died ''for us " — i. e., for
believers in Jesus Christ.
We shall see that Jesus Christ died for all men, but His
death was especially for those who should appropriate to them
selves by faith the blessings which that death secured. (1 Tim.
4: 10 — " For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because
we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially
of those that believe." This is the truth contained in the old doc
trine of a limited atonement.
(2) Eph. 5: 25-7— " Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ
also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify
and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or
any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
150 What the Bible Teaches
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ gave himself for tJit
church.
While Christ died for all, He had His bride, whom He would
redeem for Himself, especially in view, and His death avails es
pecially for Her.
(3) Gal. 2:20 — "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ gave Himsdf for individ
ual believers ; not merely for the church as a body, but for each in
dividual in the body, so that each believer can say, ' < He loved me
and gave himself for me."
(4) Rom. 14: 15 — "But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat,
now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, fof
whom Christ died."
i Cor. 8: n — "And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother
perish, for whom Christ died ? "
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died for the weak
brother.
Not only for the strong, enlightened, mature Christian, but
for the weakest member of the household of faith as well. If we
would bear this in mind would we not be more patient with and
considerate toward the weak Christian who does not come on as
rapidly as we wish? He is a weak brother, it is true, but he is
" the weak brother for whom Christ died "
(5) Matt. 20: 28 — " Even as the Son of man came not to be minis
tered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died for many. It was
no small company for whom Christ died.
(6) Rev. 5:9, R.V.— "Worthy art thou to take the book, and to
open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto
God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and
nation."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died jor men of every
tribe, and tongue, and people •, and nation.
The Death of Jesus Christ 1 5 1
Here is the foundation warrant for world- wide missions, and
here is the urgent call to press the work. ' ' Let me go and find
in the heart of Africa the men of that tribe for whom Christ
died."
(7) Jno. i: 29 — "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him,
and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of
the world ! "
SEVENTH PROPOSITION; Jesus Christ died for the whole
world.
On the ground of Christ's death G-od can deal with the whole
world in mercy. The death of Christ is sufficient for the whole
world; it is fully efficient only for believers. We shall see that it
is in part efficient for all mankind. ( 1 Jno. 2:2; 1 Cor. 15:22.)
Jesus Christ was in an especial sense the head of the church ( Eph.
1 : 22) and died as its head and for it. But He is also in another
sense the head of the race — the second Adam — and died as the
head of the race and for all men. ( 1 Cor. 15: 22, 45.)
(8) i Tim. 2: 6 — " Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testi
fied in due time."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ gave Himself a ransom
for all.
He died for all. The ransom price is paid for all. Provi
sion is made for all. Mercy can be preached to all. The sin ac
counts of all men are all settled. All men are potentially forgiven ;
all they need to do is to accept by faith and thus make their
own the pardon purchased.
(9) Heb. 2:9 — "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower
than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and
honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
NINTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ tasted death for every
man.
He died for every man. Not only for all men as a race, but
for each individual man in the race. On the ground of Christ's
death God can deal in mercy with each individual and offer him
salvation on the ground of Christ's death.
1 52 What the Bible Teaches
(10) i Pet. 3:18 — "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the
just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death
in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."
TENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died for the unjust.
(u) Rom. 5:8 — "But God commendeth his love toward us, in
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died for sinners.
(12) Rom. 5:6 — " For when we were yet without strength, indue
cime Christ died for the ungodly."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ died for the un
godly.
IV. The Results of Christ's Death.
(1) IN RELATION TO MEN IN GENERAL.
(a) Jno. 12:32, 33: " And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will
draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should
die."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Through the death of Jesus Christ all
men are drawn unto Him.
The death of Christ is the world's great magnet drawing all
men unto Him. There are many who will resist that drawing to
their own ruin. (Jno. 5: 40.) But the crucified Christ draws all
men.
(b) i Jno. 2: 2 — "And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not
for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
SECOND PROPOSITION: By the death of Jesus Christ a
propitiation is provided for the world.
A basis is provided upon which God can deal in mercy with
the world. All God's dealings in mercy with any man are on
the ground of Christ's death. Only on the ground of Christ's
death could God deal in mercy with any man.
QUESTION: How, then, did God deal in mercy with those
before Christ's time ?
ANSWER: Rev. 13: 8 — " And all that dwell upon the earth
shall worship Him, whose names are not written in the Book of
Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. ' ' The
The Death of Jesus Christ 153
fleath of Christ was in God's sight an eternal fact. He planned it
from the beginning.
NOTE.— The propitiation of Christ bears a different relation to the
believer from that which it bears to the world in general, i Jno. 2:2,
R.V — " He is the propitiation for OUR SINS; and not for ours only, but
also for the whole world" (but not "the sins of" the whole world). The
propitiation avails for all, but it fully avails only for us. (Compare i
Tim 4: 10— " For therefore we both labor and surfer reproach, be
cause we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men,
specially of those that believe." Rom. 3:25— "Whom God hath set
forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the for
bearance of God.")
(c) Jno. 1:29— "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto
him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin
of the world! "
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ bij His death took away
the sin of the world.
His death took the sin of the world out of the way so that a
clear way to God and pardon and life was opened for all.
(d) Rom. 5:18, R.V— "So then as through one trespass the
judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one
act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of
life."
i Cor. 15: 21, 22 — " 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."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Through the death of Jesus Christ
all men obtain resurrection from the dead.
To what it shall be a resurrection, whether unto life or unto
condemnation, shame and everlasting contempt (Jno. 5:28,29;
Ban. 12:2), depends entirely upon what attitude the individual
takes towards Christ.
(2) THE RESULTS OP CHRIST'S DEATH IN RELATION TO THE
BELIEVER.
(a) Is. 53: 10, R.V. — " Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he
hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for
sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of
the LORD shall prosper in his hand."
154 What the Bible Teaches
FIRST PROPOSITION: Through Christ's soul being made a
guilt-offering for sin — i. e., through His death, He sees His
seed, He begets a spiritual progeny.
The new race of sons of God springs from Christ's death.
(Compare Jno. 12:24.) (In this spiritual progeny that springs
from His death Jesus sees of the travail of His soul and is satis
fied. Is. 53: 11.)
(b) Heb. 9: 26 — "For then must he often have suffered since the
foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."
SECOND PROPOSITION: By the sacrifice of Himself Jesus
Christ has put away sin, or rather rendered sin void, or mdlified
sin. (The context shows it is the sin of the believer that is
in question.)
(c) Gal. 3: 13 — "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the
law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one
that haugeth on a tree."
THIRD PROPOSITION: By the death of Jesus Christ the be*
lieuer is redeemed from the curse of the law.
The penalty of the broken law has been paid by Jesus Christ,
and the broken law has no longer any claim for satisfaction upon
the believer.
(d) Col. 2: 14, R.V. — " Having blotted out the bond written in or
dinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath
taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: By His death upon the cross Jesus
Christ has " blotted out," and "taken out of the way" and
"nailed to the cross," "the bond written in ordinances that was
against us," (i. e., the law).
Not only has the curse which the law imposes upon the
breaker of it been settled, but the law itself has been done away
with by the death of Christ. (Compare 2 Cor. 3: 7, 11, R.V.)
Christ has settled all the claims of the law, fulfilled it, and
done away with it.
(Compare Rom. 7: 1-4, 6, R.V.) "Or are ye ignorant, brethren (for
I speak to men that know the law), how that the law hath dominion
over a man for so long time as he liveth ? For the woman that hath a
The Death of Jesus Christ 155
husband is bound by law while he liveth; but if the husband die, she
is discharged from the law of the husband. So then if, while the
husband liveth, she be joined to another man, she shall be called an
adulteress: but if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she
is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man. Wherefore, my
brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of
Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was
raised from the dead, that ye might bring forth fruit unto God. But
now we have been discharged from law, having died to that wherein
we were holden; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in
the oldness of the letter."
(<?) Eph. 2: 14-16 — "For he is our peace, who hath made both
one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of command
ments contained in ordinances;for to make in himself of twain one new
man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in
one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: By the death of Jesus Christ the
separation between Jew and Gentile is done away.
It is the law that separates Jew and Gentile. This Jesus
abolished in his flesh, and now in Christ Jesus there is neither
Jew nor Greek, &c., but all are one man in Christ Jesus. (Gal.
3:28, R.V.) The blood of Christ is the cement of all nations
making them one.
(/) Gal. 4:3-5 — "Even so we, when we were children, were in
bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of
the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made
under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might
receive the adoption of sons." (Compare Ch. 3: 13 — "Christ hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law, beJrg made a curse for us: for
it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.")
SIXTH PROPOSITION: By the death of Christ Jewish be
lievers are redeemed from subjection to the law to receive the
adoption of sons.
(£•) Eph. 2: 11-13, T9 — " Whereiore remember, that ye being in
time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that
which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at
that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no
hope, and without. God in the world: But now, in Christ Jesus, ye
who some time were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow
citizens with the saints, and of the household of God."
t$6 What the Bible Teaches
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: By the death of Christ Gentile be>
lievers, who were afar off, aliens from the commonwealth oj
Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope
and without God in the world, are made nigh, fellow-citizens
with the saints and of the household of God.
(/i] Rom. 5: 10 — "For if, when we were enemies, we were recon
ciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled,
we shall be saved by his life."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: By the death of God's Son believers
who were once sinners are reconciled to God.
That is, the enmity between God and the sinner is done
away. It is already done away. Christ has made peace through
the blood of the cross. He hath reconciled believers in the body
of His flesh through death.
(Col. 1:20-22 — " And having made peace through the blood of his
cross, by him to reconcile all tilings unto himself; by him, I say,
whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you that
were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to
present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.")
(/) Eph. i: 7— " In whom ive have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.")
NINTH PROPOSITION: Through the blood of Jesus Christ
believers HAVE redemption, the forgiveness of their sins.
Forgiveness is not something which believers are to secure,
it is something the blood has secured and which our faith has
appropriated.
(/) i Jno. i: 7 — " But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light
we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
TENTH PROPOSITION: The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth
(is continually cleansing} those who walk in the ligltt, from all
sin.
QUESTION: Does this mean cleanseth from the guilt that sin
brings upon the sinner, or does it mean cleanseth from the very
presence of sin itself?
Lev. 16: 30 — " For on that day shall the priest make an atonement
for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before
the Lord,"
The Death of Jesus Christ 1 57
Lev. 17: ii— "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have
given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls:
for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."
Lev. 14:19, 31 — "And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and
make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his unclean-
ness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering: Even such as he is
able to get, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offer
ing, with the meat offering: and the priest shall make an atonement
for him that is to be cleansed before the Lord."
Jer. 33:8— "And I will cleanse them from all their iniquities,
whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their in
iquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have trans
gressed against me."
Ps. 51: 7—" Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me
and I shall be whiter than snow."
Rev. i: 5— "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,
and the first-begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the
earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his
own blood."
Rev. 7: 14— " And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he
said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and
have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb."
Heb. 9: 22, 23 — " And almost all things are by the law purged with
blood; and without shedding of blood there is no remission. It was
therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should
be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better
sacrifices than these."
Eph. i: 7 — " In whom we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."
Rom. 3: 25 — " Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remis
sion of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God."
Rom. 5: 9— " Much more then, being TLQ\V justified by his blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through him."
Matt. 26: 28—" For this is my blood of the new testament, which is
shed for many/0r the remission of sins."
ANSWER: From these passages it is evident, that in Bible
usage, cleansing by blood is cleansing from guilt. Through the
shed biood of Christ, all who walk in the light are cleansed con
tinuously — every hour and minute — from all the guilt of sin.
There is absolutely no sin upon them; there may still be sin in
them. It is not the blood, but the living Christ, and the Holy
Spirit, who deal with that.
1 58 What the Bible Teaches
(/£) Rom. 5: g — "Much more then, being now justified by hh
blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: By (or in} the blood of Christ
believers are justified.
QUESTION: What is the difference between forgiveness and
justification ?
ANSWER: Forgiveness is negative — the putting away of sin:
Justification is positive — the reckoning positively righteous. By
reason of Christ's death there is an interchange of positions be
tween Christ and the believer. In death Christ takes our place
of condemnation before God, and we take His place of acceptance
before God. (2 Cor. 5: 21 — " For he hath made him to be sin for
us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him.")
(7) Rom. 8:33, 34 — " Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's
elect ? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth ? It is
Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the
right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
TWELFTH PR 0 POSIT I ON: Because of Christ' s death none can
lay anything to the charge of, or condemn, the elect (or the be
liever in Christ}.
There is absolutely no condemnation to them who are in
Christ Jesus — the death of Christ has settled that forever.
Rom. 8: i, 3, R.V. — " There is now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus. For that the law could not do, in that it was weak
through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and as an offering for sin, condemned sin in the flesh."
(7/2) Acts 20: 28 — "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all
the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to
feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."
i Cor. 6: 20 — "Forye are boMghtwiih aprice: therefore glorify God
in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
Rev. 5:9, 10, R.V. — "And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy
art, thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast
slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe,
and tongue, and people, and nation, and madest them to be unto God
a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon the earth."
THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION: By the death of Jesus Christ
the whole church, and each believer, were purchased unto God and
are now Mis own property.
The Death of Jesus Christ 1 59
We belong to God. Neither the Devil, nor the world, nor
ourselves have any claims upon us. God will take care of His
own property.
(Compare i Pet. 2:9, R.V — "But ye are an elect race, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people forGod 'sown possession, that ye may
shew forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into
his marvellous light.")
(n) Heb. 10: 10 — "By the which will we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION; Through the offering of the
body of Christ believers in Him are sanctified.
Every believer in Christ is sanctified. The sacrifice of Christ
sets Him apart for God. The blood of Christ separates the be
liever from the world. (Compare Ex. 11:7 with Ex. 12: 13.)
We are to live out in our walk this separation between us and
the world, which already exists by virtue of Christ's death.
(0} Heb. 10:14 — " For by one offering he hath perfected for evet
them that are sanctified."
FIFTEENTH PROPOSITION: By one offering— i. e. , the offer
ing of His own life — Jesus Christ has perfected us forever.
Believers have been made forever perfect by the death of Christ.
QUESTION: In what sense have believers been made forever
perfect?
ANSWER: Verses 1, 2 — "For the law having a shadow of
good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can
never with those sacrifices, which they offered year by year con
tinually, make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they
not have ceased to be offered, Because that the worship
pers once purged should have had no more conscience of
sins?" Perfect in their standing before God, not perfect in their
state. By the death of Christ the believer is forever cleansed
from guilt. He need have no more conscience of sins. The blood
removes all sense of guilt. His sins are put away by the one all-
sufficient sacrifice.
(/) Heb. 9: 14 — " How much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge1
your conscierce from dead works to serve the living God? '
160 What the Bible Teaches
SIXTEENTH PROPOSITION: The blood of Christ cleanses the
conscience of the believer from dead works to serve the living God.
Not only does the blood of Christ relieve the conscience of
the believer from the burden of guilt, but also from the burden of
his self-efforts to atone for sin and please God — "dead works."
Sin is seen entirely settled by the perfect sacrifice, and now the
believer, with a conscience free from guilt, and also from the
burden of his own imperfect works, enters into the service of the
living God in the liberty and power of sonship.
(Compare Rom. 8: 15 — " For ye have not received the spirit of bond
age again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry, Abba, Father.")
There are many to-day who call themselves Christians who
have not permitted the blood of Christ to cleanse their conscience
from "dead works." They are constantly under the burden of
doing something to atone for sin and to commend them to God.
We have nothing to do, it is all clone, the blood of Christ has for
ever commended us to God.
(2 Cor. 5: 21 — " For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew
no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Rom.
3: 21, 22 — " But now the righteousness of God without tJie law is mani
fest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteous
ness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all
them that believe; for there is no difference.")
There are three classes of men. (1.) Those who are not
burdened by sin, but love it. (2.) Those who are burdened by
sin, and seek to get rid of the burden by self-efforts, by doing
something to atone for it and commend them to God — "dead
works." No peace can be found along this line, nor real love to
and service of God. (3.) Those who believe in Christ and His
atoning blood, and see their sin settled forever by his death, and
so have a conscience cleansed from both guilt and "dead works."
Their hearts are filled with love to God, and they serve the living
God in the freedom of the love born of a faith in the cleansing
O
and perfecting blood.
(q] Heb. 10:19, 20 — "Having, therelofe, brethren, boldness to
enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way,
which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his
flesh."
The Death of Jesus Christ 161
SEVENTEENTH PROPOSITION: By the blood of Christ—
because of His death — the believer has boldness to enter into the
lioly place, into the very presence of God.
God is holy ? Yes. And I am a sinner ? Yes; but by the
wondrous offering of Christ, "once for all," I am perfected; and
on the ground of that blood, so precious to God, I can march
boldly into the very presence of God. Oh, wondrous blood !
(r) Rev. 22: 14, R.V. — "Blessed are they that wash their robes,
that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and may enter
in by the gates into the city." (Compare 7: 14 — " And I say unto him,
my Lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which
come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
EIGHTEENTH PROPOSITION: Because of the cleansing
power of the shed blood those who have washed their robes in it
have the right to come to the tree of life and to enter in by the
portals into the city.
(Compare Gen. 3: 22-24— "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man
is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put
forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever:
Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden,
to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man:
and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flam
ing sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."
(s) i Thess. 5: io—" Who died for us, that, whether we wake or
sleep, we should live together with him."
NINETEENTH PROPOSITION: Because of the death of Christ
believers shall live together with Him.
(/) Rev. 7: 14, 15 — "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest, And
he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and
have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him
day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall
dwell among them."
T WE NT IE Til PR 0 POSIT ION: Because of the cleansing power of
His blood those who wash their robes and make them white in it
shall be before the throne of God.
Christ on the cross opens the way for others before the
throne.
162 What the Bible Teaches
NOTE. — These seem to be the tribulation believers. (See R.V.)
We shall be on the throne, not before it. Rev. 3: 21 — "To him that
overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also
overcome, and am set down with my Father in his throne."
(?/) Hcb. 9: 15, R.V. — " And for 1 his cause he is the mediator of a
new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of
the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have
been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance."
TWENTY-FIRST PROPOSITION: Because of Christ's death
for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first
covenant, they that have been called receive the promise of the
eternal inheritance.
(v) Rom. 6: 3, 6, 8, R.V. — " Or are ye ignorant that all who were
baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death ? Knowing
this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin
might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to
sin; But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
him."
Gal. 2: 20, R.V. — "I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live; and
yet no longer I, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live
in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave himself up for me."
Gal. 6: 14—" But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and
I unto the world."
2 Cor. 5:14, R.V. — "For the love of Christ constraineth us; be
cause we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died "
TWENTY-SECOND PROPOSITION: In the death of Christ
we died; in His crucifixion ice were crucified; when He was
nailed to the cross ' ' the old man ' ' was nailed to the cross. This
is our real position because of His death.
Christian living consists in living this out in life. As I was
crucified I should see self on the cross in the place of the curse
( as a cursed thing ) and no longer try to live, but let Christ live
in me. As the old man was crucified I should reckon myself dead
unto sin but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. (Eom. 6: 11, R.V.) How
few of us see ourselves where the death of Christ put us. This
is the great reason why the risen Christ cannot live the fulness
of His resurrection life in us. We must be dead with Christ be*
fore we can live with Him.
The Death of Jesus Christ 163
(w) i Pet. 2: 21 — " For even hereunto were ye called: because
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should fol
low his steps."
Matt. 16: 24 — " Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow
me."
TWENTY-THIRD PROPOSITION: By the death of Christ an
example is left us that we should follow His ste%)s,
This was evidently not the main purpose of His death, as so
many make it to-day, but an incidental result.
( See also i Pet. i : 18, 19 — " Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain con
versation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the pre
cious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.")
(x) Rom. 8: 32 — " He that spared not his own Son, but delivered
him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all
things ?"
TWENTY-FOURTH PROPOSITION: In the death of His Son
God has given to the believer a guarantee that He will freely give
us all things.
(y) Heb. 2: 14, 15, R.V. — "Since then the children are sharers in
flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same;
that through death he might bring to naught him that had the power
of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver all them who through
fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
TWENTY-FIFTH PROPOSITION: By His death Jesus Christ
has delivered all them who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage.
(This might come under the Purpose of Christ's death.)
(3) THE RESULTS OF CHRIST'S DEATH IN RELATION TO THE
DEVIL AND THE POWERS OF DARKNESS.
(a) Jno. 12:31 — "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the
prince of this world be cast out." (See context vv. 27, 28, 32, 33.)
FIRST PROPOSITION: Through Christ's death the casting out
of the prince of this world is secured.
Since Christ's death Satan is a usurper whose ultimate
dethronement is secured.
1 64 What the Bible Teaches
(b) Heb. 2: 14, R.V.— " Since then the children are sharers in flesh
and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same; that
through death he might bring to naught him that had the power of
death, that is, the devil."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Through the death of Christ, the
Devil is brought to naught or rendered ineffective.
The death of Christ was death to Satan's power. He could
no longer wield the power of death over those who appropriated
to themselves the virtue of Christ's death.
(c] Col. 2:14, 15 — "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances
that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the
way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and
powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them
in it."
THIRD PROPOSITION: In the death of Christ on the cross
God triumphed over the principalities and the powers, and
exposed them to open disgrace.
As to what these principalities and powers are, see Eph. 6 :
12, R.Y. — "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but
against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-
rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness
in the heavenly places." It was in the cross of Christ that God
fought the decisive battle, and won the decisive victory over the
Devil. The moment of Satan's seeming victory was the moment
of his overwhelming defeat. He is now a conquered foe. In the
cross God celebrated a triumph over him. The whole meaning of
this conflict and this victory at the cross will be, I believe, a
subject for contemplation and wonder at the manifold wisdom
of God in the eternal world.
(4) THE RESULTS OF CHRIST'S DEATH IN RELATION TO THE
MATERIAL UNIVERSE.
Col. 1:19, 20 — " For it pleased the Father that in him should all
fulness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of his cross,
by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether
they be things in earth, or things in heaven."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Through the death of Christ the whole
Material Universe — ' ' all tilings, whether they be things in earth,
or things in heaven" — is reconciled unto God.
The Death of Jesus Christ 165
The Material Universe has fallen away from God in connec
tion with sin (Rom. 8: 20, R. V. ; Gen. 3: 18). Not earth only, but
heaven has been invaded and polluted by sin. (Eph. G: 12, R. V. ;
Heb. 9:23, 24.) Through the death of Christ this pollution is
put away. Just as the blood of the Old Testament sacrifice was
taken into the most holy place, the type of heaven, Christ has
taken the blood of the better sacrifice into heaven itself and
cleansed it. "All things * * * whether they be things inearth
or things in heaven" are now reconciled to God. u The creation
itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into
the liberty of the glory of the children of God." (Rom. 8:21.)
""We look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
righteousness." (2 Pet. 3: 13.) The atonement of Christ has an
immense sweep — far beyond the reach of our human philosophies.
"We have just begun to understand what that blood that was
spilled on Calvary means. Sin is a far more awful, ruinous and
far-reaching evil than we have been wont to think, but the blood
of Christ has a power and efficiency, the fulness of which only
eternity will disclose.
CHAPTER VI,
THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.
!• The Fact of the Resurrection.
(i) 2 Tim. 2:8— "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed ol
David was raised from the dead, according to my gospel."
i Cor. 15:4 — " And that he was buried, and that he rose again the
third day according to the scriptures." (Many other passages.)
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.
The Resurrection of Christ is in many respects the most
important fact of Christian history. It is the Gibraltar of Chris
tian Evidences, the Waterloo of Infidelity and Rationalism. If the
scriptural assertions of Christ's Resurrection can be established
as historic certainties, the claims and doctrines of Christianity
rest upon an impregnable foundation.
There are three lines of argument for the truthfulness of the
Biblical statements:
First. — THE EXTERNAL PROOFS OF THE AUTHENTICITY AND
TRUTHFULNESS OF THE GOSPEL NARRATIVES.
Into this argument we need not enter at this time. The
others are perfectly sufficient without it.
Second. — THE INTERNAL PROOFS OF TRUTHFULNESS.
We have four accounts of the Resurrection. Suppose we
had no external means of knowing by whom they were written;
that we had nothing but the accounts themselves from which to
decide as to their truthfulness or untruthfulness.
(«) By a careful comparison of the four accounts we see that
they are four separate and independent accounts. This is evi
dent from the apparent discrepancies in the four accounts. There
is a real harmony between the accounts, but it can be discovered
only by minute and careful study. On the surface there is dis
crepancy and apparent contradiction. It is just such a harmony
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ 167
as would not exist in four accounts prepared in collusion. In that
case, on the surface there would appear agreement. Whatever
contradiction there might be would be discovered only by careful
study. But the fact is that the discrepancy is on the surface; the
real harmony has only been discovered by careful and prolonged
study. It is just such a harmony as would exist between four inde
pendent, honest witnesses, each relating the events from his own
point of view. The four accounts supplement one another, a
third account sometimes reconciling apparent discrepancies of
two. These four accounts must be either true or fabrications. If
fabrications they must have been made up either independently
or in collusion. They cannot have been made up independently;
the agreements are too marked and too many. They cannot have
been made up in collusion; the apparent discrepancies are too
numerous and too noticeable. They were, therefore, not made up
at all. They are a true relation of facts.
(b) The next thing we notice about these accounts is that
they bear striking indications of having been written or spoken
by eye-witnesses. The account of an eye-witness is readily dis*
tinguished from that of one who is merely retailing what others
have told him. Any careful student of the Gospel records of the
Resurrection will readily detect many marks of the eye-witness.
(c) The third thing we note is their artlessness, straightfor
wardness and simplicity. It sometimes happens, when a witness
is on the stand, that the story he tells is so artless, straightfor
ward, simple and natural; there is such an utter absence of any
attempt at coloring or effect; that it carries conviction independ
ently of any knowledge we may have of the witness. As we listen
to this witness we say at once, "This man is telling the truth."
The weight of this kind of evidence is greatly increased, and
reaches practical certainty, if we have several independent wit
nesses of this sort, all bearing testimony to the same essential
facts, but with varieties of detail, one omitting what another
tells. This is the exact case with the four Gospel narrators of the
Resurrection. While the stories have to do with the supernat
ural, the stories themselves are most natural. The Gospel authors
do not seem to have reflected at all upon the meaning or bearing
of many of the facts they relate. They simply tell right out
what they saw in all simplicity and straightforwardness, leaving
168 What the Bible Teaches
the philosophizing to others. Furness, the Unitarian scholat
(quoted in Abbot on Matt., p. 331, and also Furness, " The Power
of the Spirit"), says: "Nothing can exceed in artlessness and
simplicity the four accounts of the first appearance of Jesus after
his crucifixion. If these qualities are not discernible here we
must despair of ever being able to discern them anywhere."
Suppose we had four accounts of the battle of Monmouth, and
upon examination we found that they were manifestly independ
ent accounts — we found striking indications that they were from
eye-witnesses; we found them all marked by that artlessness,
simplicity and. straightforwardness that carry conviction; we
found that they agreed substantially in their account of the battle — •
even though we had no knowledge of the authorship or date of
these accounts, would we not, in the absence of any other account,
say, " Here is a true account of the battle of Monmouth? "
(d) The unintentional evidence of words, phrases and acci
dental details. It often happens when a witness is on the stand
that the unintentional evidence he bears by words, phrases and
accidental details is more effective than his direct testimony,
because it is not the testimony of the witness, but the testimony
of the truth to itself. The Gospel stories abound in this sort of
evidence.
(2) Luke 24:16 — "But their eyes were holden that they should
not know him."
Here and elsewhere we are told that Jesus was not recog
nized at once by His disciples when He appeared to them after
His resurrection. There was no point to be gained by their tell
ing the story in this way. They give no satisfactory explanation
of the fact. "We are left to study it out for ourselves. Why,
then, do they tell it this way ? Because this is the way it oc
curred and they are not making up a story, but telling what oc
curred. If they had been making up a story, they would never
have made it up this way.
(3) i Cor. 15: 5-8 — " And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the
twelve: After that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at
once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, bu,t some are
fallen asleep. After this he was seen of James; then of all the apos
tles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due
time."
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ 169
Here, as everywhere else, Jesus is represented as appearing
only to His disciples, with the single exception of His brother.
Why is it so represented ? Because it so happened. If a story
had been made up years after, Jesus would certainly have been
represented as appearing to and confounding some, at least, of
His enemies.
(4) Represented as appearing only occasionally.
(5) Jno. 20: 17 — "Jesus said unto her, Touch me not; for I am not
yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them,
I ascend to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your
God."
There is no explanation of these words "touch me not."
It has been the puzzle of centuries for the commentators to ex
plain them. Why is it told this way ? Because this is the way
it occurred.
(6) Jno. 19:34 — "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his
side, and forthwith came there out blood and water."
Why is this told ? Modern physiologists tell us that the
physical explanation of this is that Jesus suffered from extrava
sation of the blood, or, in popular language, " a broken heart,"
and that other facts recorded (as e. y., the dying cry) prove the
same thing. But John knew nothing of modern physiology.
Why does he insert a detail that it takes centuries to explain ?
Because he is recording events as they occurred and as he saw
them.
(7) Jno. 20:24, 25 — " But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didy-
mus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples there
fore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them,
Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger
into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not
believe."
This is most true to life. It is in perfect harmony with what
is told of Thomas elsewhere, but to make it up would require a
literary art that immeasurably exceeded the possibilities of the
author.
(8) Jno. 20:4-6 — " So they ran both together: and the other dis
ciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he
stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he
not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the
sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie*"
170 What the Bible Teaches
This is again in striking keeping with what we know of the
men. John, the younger, outruns Peter, but hesitatingly, rev
erently, stops outside and first looks in. But impetuous, older
Peter, lumbers on as best he can behind, but when once he reaches
the tomb, never waits a moment outside, but plunges in. Who
was the literary artist who had the skill to make this up, if it did
not happen just so ?
(g) Jno. 21:7 — "Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith
unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was
the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and
did cast himself into the sea."
Here, again, we have the unmistakable marks of truth.
John, the man of quick perception, is the first to recognize his
Lord. Peter, the man of impetuous and unthinking devotion,
so soon as he is told who it is, tumbles into the water and swims
ashore to meet him. Was this made up ?
(10) Jno. 20 : 15 — "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest
thou ? whom seekest thou ? She supposing him to be the gardener,
saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou
hast laid him, and I will take him away."
Here is surely a touch that surpasses the art of any man
of that day or any day. Mary, with a woman's love, forgets a
woman's weakness and cries, "Tell me where thou hast laid him,
and /will take him away." Of course she lacked the strength
to do it, but woman's love never stops at impossibilities. Was
this made up ?
(n) Mark 16:7 — "But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter
that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he
said unto you."
"And Peter," Why "And Peter"? No explanation is
•vouchsafed, but reflection shows it was the utterance of love
toward a despondent and despairing disciple who had thrice de
nied his Lord and would not think himself included in a general
invitation. Was this made up ?
(12) Jno. 20: 27-29 — "Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy
finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it
into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas said
unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, be
cause thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that
have not seen and yet have believed.'*
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ 171
The action of Thomas here is too natural and the rebuke of
Jesus too characteristic to be attributed to the art of some master
of fiction.
(13) Jno. 21 : 21, 22 — " Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and
what shall this man do ? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry
till I come, what is that to thee ? follow thou me."
This, too, is a characteristic rebuke on Jesus' part.
(Compare Luke 13:23,24 — "Then said one unto him, Lord, are
there few that be saved ? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in
at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and
shall not be able.")
Jesus never answered questions of speculative curiosity but
always pointed the questioner to his own immediate duty.
(14) Jno. 21:15-17 — "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to
Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou rne more than these ?
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He
saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith unto him again the second
time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me ? He saith unto him, Yea,
Lord: thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my
sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest
thou me ? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time^
Lovest thou me ? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all
things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my
sheep."
There is no explanation of why Jesus asked three times or
why Peter was grieved because Jesus did ask three times. We
must read this in the light of the thrice-repeated, threefold de
nial to understand it. But the author does not tell us so. He
surely would if he had been making this up with this fact in
view. He is simply reporting what actually occurred.
(15) Appropriateness of the way in which Jesus revealed Him
self to different persons after His resurrection —
To MARY:
Jno. 20: 16 — "Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and
saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master."
What a delicate touch of nature ! Up to this point Mary
had not recognized her Lord, but in that one word, "Mary,"
uttered as no other but He had ever uttered it, she knew Him
and fell at His feet and tried to clasp them, crying "Rabboni."
Was that made up ?
172 What the Bible Teaches
To THE Two:
Luke 24: 30, 31 — " And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with
he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And theif
eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their
sight."
Knew Him in the breaking of bread. Why ? The evangelist
ventures no explanation. But we easily read between the lines
that there was a something so characteristic in the way he re
turned thanks at meals, so real and so different from the way in
which they had ever seen any other do it, that they knew Him at
once by that. Is that made up ?
To THOMAS:
Jno, 20: 25-28 — "The other disciples therefore said unto him, We
have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his
hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the
nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after
eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them:
then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and
said, Peace be unto you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach hither thy
finger and behold rny hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it
into my side; and be not faithless, but believing."
To JOHN AND PETER:
Jno. 21 : 5-7 — " Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any
meat ? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the
net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast there
fore and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the
Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his
fisher's coat unto him (for he was naked), and did cast himself into the
sea."
To Thomas, the man of sense, He makes Himself known by
sensible proof. To John and Peter as at the first by a mirac
ulous draught of fishes.
(16) Jno. 20:7— "And the napkin that was about his head, not
lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by
itself."
How strange that this little detail is added to the story with
absolutely no attempt of saying why. But how deeply signifi
cant this little unexplained detail is. In that supreme moment
when the breath of God passes over and through that cold and
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ 173
silent clay, and Jesus rises triumphant over death and Satan,
there is no excitement upon His part, but with that same majestic
self-composure and serenity that marked His whole life, absolutely
without human haste or flurry or disorder, He even rolls up the
napkin that was about His head and lays it away in an orderly
manner by itself. Was that made up ?
These are little things, but it is from that very fact that they
gain much of their significance. It is in just such little things
that a fiction would disclose itself. Fiction betrays its difference
from fact in the minute. But the more microscopically we ex
amine the Gospel Narrative the more we become impressed with
its truthfulness. The artlessness and naturalness of the nar
rative surpass all art.
Third. — THE CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
There are certain unquestionable facts of history that
demand the Resurrection of Christ to account for them.
(1) Beyond a question the foundation truth preached in the
early years of the Church's history was the Resurrection.
(«) Why should the Apostles use this as the corner-stone of
their creed if not well attested and firmly believed ?
(b) If Jesus had not risen there would have been some evi
dence He had not. But the Apostles went up and down the very
city where He had been crucified, and proclaimed right to the face
of His slayers that He had been raised and no one could produce
evidence to the contrary. The best they could do was to say that
the guards went to sleep and the disciples stole the body. But if
they had stolen the body they would have known it, and the
great moral transformation in the disciples would remain unac«
counted for.
(2) The change in the day of rest. Changed by no express
decree but by general consent. In the Bible days we find the dis
ciples meeting on the first day.
Acts 20: 7 — "And upon the first day of the week, when the dis
ciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready
to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight."
i Cor. 16: 2 — " Now the first day of the week let every one of you
lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no
gatherings when I come."
174 What the Bible Teaches
(3) The change in the disciples. From blank and utter
despair to a courage nothing could shake, (e. g., Peter. Acts 4:
19, 20; 5: 29. James the Lord's brother.) Such a sudden
and radical change demands an explanation. Nothing short of
the fact of the Resurrection will explain it.
These unquestionable facts are so impressive and so conclu
sive that infidel and Jewish scholars admit that the Apostles BE
LIEVED that Jesus rose from the dead. Baur admits this. Even
Strauss says: " Only this much need be acknowledged — that the
Apostles firmly believed that Jesus had arisen." Schenkel says:
"It is an indisputable fact that in the early morning of the first
day of the week following the crucifixion, the grave of Jesus was
found empty. * It is a second fact that the disciples and
other members of the apostolic communion were convinced that
Jesus was seen after the crucifixion." These admissions are fatal
to the rationalists who make them.
The question at once arises , Whence this conviction and
belief ? Renan attempts an answer by saying: "The passion of
a hallucinated woman (Mary) gives to the world a resurrected
God." (Renan, "Life of Jesus," p. 357.) But we answer: "The
passion of a hallucinated woman" is not equal to this task.
There was a Matthew and Thomas in the apostolic company to be
convinced, and a Paul outside to be converted. It takes more
than the passionate hallucination of a woman to convince a Jew
taxgatherer, a stubborn unbeliever, and a fierce and conscien
tious enemy.
Strauss tries to account for it by inquiring whether the ap
pearances may not have been visionary. We answer: "There
was no subjective starting-point for such visions in the Apostles,
and furthermore eleven men do not have the same visions at the
same time, much less five hundred." (1 Cor. 15: 6.)
A third attempt at an explanation is that Jesus was not
really dead. To sustain this view appeal is made to the short
time He hung on the cross, and that history tells of one in the
time of Josephus taken down from the cross and nursed back to
life. In reply, we say: First — Remember the events that pre
ceded the crucifixion and the physical condition in which they
left Jesus. Remember, too, the water and the blood — the broker?
heart. /Second — His enemies would and did take all necessary
Th« Resurrection of Jesus Christ 175
precaution!. (Jno. 19: 34.) Third — If Jesus had been merely
resuscitated he would have been so weak, such an utter physical
wreck — as was the man cited in proof — that His reappearance
would have been measured at its real value. Fourth — The
Apostles would have known how they brought Him back to life,
and the main fact to account for, the change in them, would
remain unaccounted for. Fifth — Still, the moral difficulty is
greatest of all. If it was merely a case of resuscitation, then
Jesus tried to palm himself off as one risen from the dead when
He knew He was nothing of the sort. He was an arch impostor,
and the whole Christian system rests on a fraud. It is impossible
to believe that such a system of religion as that of Jesus Christ,
embodying such exalted precepts and principles of truth, purity
and love "originated in a deliberately planned fraud." No one
whose own heart is not cankered by fraud and trickery can be
lieve Jesus an impostor and His religion founded upon fraud.
We have eliminated all other possible suppositions ; we have but
one left: Jesus really was raised from the dead the third day. The
desperate straits to which those who attempt to deny it are
driven are in themselves proof of the fact. Furthermore, if the
Apostles really, firmly believed, as is admitted, that Jesus arose
from the dead, they had some facts upon which they founded their
belief. These are the facts they would have related in recount
ing the story and not have made up a story out of imaginary in
cidents. But, if the facts were as recounted in the Gospels, there
is no possible escaping the conclusion that Jesus actually arose.
We have, then, several independent lines of argument point
ing to the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Taken separately
they satisfactorily prove the fact. Taken together they consti
tute an argument that makes doubt of the resurrection of Christ
impossible to a candid man.
There is really but one weighty objection to the doctrine that
Christ arose from the dead — i. e., "That there is no conclusive
evidence that any other ever arose." To this a sufficient answer
would be: Even if it were certain that no other ever arose, the
life of Jesus was unique, His nature was unique, His mission was
unique, His history was unique, and it is not to be wondered at,
but to be expected, that the issue of His life should also be
unique.
176 What the Bible Teaches
II. The Importance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
FIRST PROPOSITION: T/ie Resurrection of Jesus Christ it
mentioned directly 104 or more times in the New Testament
(Under word" raised," 37; " raise,"! ;" rise," 10; "risen, "21;
«rose,"6; "rising,"!; "life,"l; "alive," 2; "liveth," 6;
"brought again," 1; "quickened," 3; "begotten," 1; "resur
rection," 11.)
(2) Acts 1:21, 22 — "Wherefore of these men which have com-
panied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among
us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto the same day that he was
taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a 'witness with us of his
resmrection."
Acts 2: 24, 29-32 — "Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the
pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of
it. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the Patriarch
David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us
unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had
sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to
the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne: He seeing
this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not
left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God
raised -lip, whereof we all are witnesses."
Acts 4: 33 — "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all."
Acts 17: 18 — "Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of
the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler
say? otiier some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: be
cause he preached -unto tliem Jesus > and the resurrection ."
Acts 23: 6 — " But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sad-
ducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and
brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and res
urrection of the dead I am called in question."
i Cor. 15: 15 — " Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; be
cause we have testified of God that he raised lip Christ: whom he
raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
was the most prominent and cardinal point in the apostolic testi
mony.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ had a prominence in the
apostolic teaching that it has not in modern preaching.
(3) i Cor, 15: i, 3, 4—-" Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have receiveds and
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ 177
wherein ye stand: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I
also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scrip
tures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is
one of t JIG two fundamental trut/is of the Gospel.
Gospel preachers nowadays preach the gospel of the Crucifix
ion, the Apostles preached the gospel of the Resurrection as well.
(2 Tim. 2:8 — " Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David
was raised from the dead, according to my gospel.") The Cruci
fixion loses its meaning without the Resurrection. Without the
Resurrection the death of Christ was only the heroic death of a
noble martyr; with the Resurrection it is the atoning death of
the Son of God. It shows that death to be of sufficient value to
cover all our sins, for it was the sacrifice of the Son of God. In
it we have an all-sufficient ground for knowing that the blackest
fin is atoned for. My sin may be as high as the highest moun-
iain, but the sacrifice that covers it is as high as the highest
Leaven; my guilt maybe as deep as the ocean, but the atonement
^hat swallows it up is as deep as eternity.
(4) i Cor. 15:14, 17— "And if Christ be not risen, then is our
preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. And if Christ be not
raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: .Disprove the Resurrection of Jesus
Christ and Christian faith is vain.
(The two Greek words used in passages quoted above mean
" empty " and "forceless.")
On the other hand, as we shall shortly see (under " Results
of the Resurrection"), if Jesus Christ did rise, Christian preaching
and Christian faith rest upon a solid and unassailable foundation
of fact.
(5) Rom. 10:9, 10 — " That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The doctrine of the Resurrection of
Jesus Christ has power to save anyone who believes it with the
heart.
178 What the Bible Teaches
(6) Phil. 3:8-10—" Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but
dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him not having mine own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith
of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may
know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his
sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: To know the power of Christ's Resur*
rection is one of the highest ambitions of the intelligent believer,
to attain which he sacrifices all things and counts them but
refuse.
The importance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ will
come out still further when we come to study the " Results of His
Resurrection."
III. The Manner of tke Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
(i) Acts 2: 24, 32 — "Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the
pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of
it. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses."
Acts 10:40 — •" Him God raised up the third day, and showed him
Openly."
Acts 13:30 — " But God raised him from the dead.'*
Rom. 10:9 — " That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved."
Col. 2: 12 — " Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are raised
with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised
him from the dead."
Eph. 1:19, 20 — "And what is the exceeding greatness of his
power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty
power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead,
and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places."
FIRST PROPOSITION: God raised up Jesus Christ from the
dead by the working of the strength of His might.
It was not so much that Jesus Christ arose as that G-od
raised Him. It was God who put forth the might, it was God
who loosed the pains of death. He was raised by an act of power
from without and not by the fulness of life within. He laid
down His life to the fullest extent, He was in the fullest sense
dead, and it took the strength of God's might to raise Him.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ 179
(2) Jno. 20: 27 — " Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy fin
ger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it
into my side; and be not faithless, but believing."
Acts 10:40, 41 — "Him God raised up the third day, and showed
him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of
God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the
dead."
Luke 24:39 — "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself;
handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me
have."
Luke 24: 15, 18 — "And it came to pass, that, while they communed
together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
And one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him,
Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things
which are come to pass there in these days ? "
Jno. 20: 14, 15 — -"And when she had thus said, she turned herself
back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus
saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She,
supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have
borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him
away."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ, after His resurrection,
ate and dratik, had hands, feet, flesh and bones, and all the
appearance of a man.
(3) Jno. 21:4, 12 — "But when the morning was now come, Jesus
stood on the shore; but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus
saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask
him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ's resurrection appearance
was so different from His earthly appearance as not to be clearly
recognizable by His intimate friends.
(4) Jno. 20: 19, 26— " Then the same day at evening, being the first
day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were
assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and
saith unto them, Peace be unto you."
Luke 24: 31 — "And their eyes were opened, and they knew him;
and he vanished out of their sight."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ's resurrection body was
of such a character that He could appear in a room where the
doors were shut and could vanish from the sight of men. It was
not subject to some of the limitations under which ordinary
earthly bodies exist and act
180 What the Bible Teaches
(5) Phil. 3: 21 — " Who shall change our vile body, that it may be
fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby
he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." (Compare i Cor:
15, 42-49, 50: — " So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in
corruption, it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonor, 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. There is a natural body,
and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written: The first man
Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening
spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is
natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the
earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the
earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly,
such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the im
age of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now
this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom
of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.")
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ had a transformed body,
incorruptible ?, ylorious, mighty , spiritual, heavenly, not FLESH
AND BLOOD (" flesh an d bones " is not "flesh and blood").
IT. The Results of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
(i) i Pet. i: 21, R.V — "Who through him are believers in God
who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith
and hope might be in God."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Through Jesus Christ men became be
lievers in God who raised Him from the dead. By the resurrec
tion of Jesus Christ a solid foundation is laid for our faith in
God.
Men have been looking constantly for proofs of the existence
and character of God. There is the argument from the marks of
creative intelligence and design in the material universe, the
argument from the evidence of an intelligent guiding hand in
human history, the ontological argument, etc., but the resurrec
tion of Jesus Christ points with unerring certainty to the exist
ence, power and holiness of the G-orl who raised Him. On the
other hand, if Christ be not raised our faith is vain. (1 Cor. 15:
17 — "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet-
in your sins.") My belief in the God of the Bible is not a felici
tous fancy, it is a fixed faith resting upon an incontrovertibly
firm fact.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ 181
(2) i Pet. 1:3, 4, R.V.— " Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again
unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not
away, reserved in heaven for you."
SECOND PROPOSITION: By the Resurrection of Jesus Christ,
believers are begotten again unto a living hope, unto an inherit
ance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven,
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the truth which, made
living in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, results in the " new birth
unto a living hope, and an incorruptible, etc., inheritance."
(Compare Rom. 10: 9.) Through our believing in a Risen and
Living Christ, Christ begins to live in us. The Resurrection oi
Christ also forms a firm foundation of fact upon which to build
our hope for the future.
(3) Rom. 1:4 — "And declared to be the Son of God with power,
according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."
THIRD PROPOSITION: By Ills Resurrection Jesus Christ is
declared (or openly appointed or designated) to be the Son of
God with power.
The claim that Jesus made was that, while even the greatest
and best of the prophets were only servants, He was a Son, a be
loved and only one of the Father. That while other faithful mes
sengers were only servants in the kingdom of God, it belonged to
Himself as His own inheritance. (Mark 12: G, 7.) That He was
one with the Father, and that men should honor Him ' ' even as
they honor the Father." (Jno. 10: 30; Jno. 5: 23, R.V.) By
raising Christ from the dead God set His seal to this claim.
Others, it is true, have been raised from the dead by God's
power, but they made no such claim as this prior to their death.
But Jesus made this extraordinary claim; was put to death for
making it; previous to His death claimed that God would raise
Him again the third day. God did so, and thus affirmed the claim
of Jesus Christ, and announced to all ages in a way more con
vincing and satisfying than an audible voice from heaven, "Jesus
Christ is my Son and all men must honor the Son even as they
honor me." The admission of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
leads logically to the admission of His deity.
1 82 What the Bible Teaches
(4) Acts 17: 31—" Because he hath appointed a day, in the which
he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath
ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he
hath raised him from the dead."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: By the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
God "has given assurance unto all men" that "lie will judge
the world in righteousness by "Jesus Christ."
Jesus Christ claimed that God would judge the world by
Him. (Jno. 5: 22, 27-29.) By raising Christ from the dead God
has set His seal to that claim. If men ask me how I know there
Is a judgment day coming when Christ shall judge the world in
righteousness, I reply because I know Jesus Christ arose. The
sure fact of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the past, points
unerringly forward to the sure coming of judgment in the future.
Belief in a judgment day is no guess of theologians, it is a posi
tive faith founded upon a proved fact.
(5) Rom. 4: 25 — "Who was delivered for our offenses, and was
raised again for our justification. "
FIFTH PROPOSITION: By the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
believers in Him are justified — i. e., declared righteous.
(a) Christ gave His life a propitiation for believers. He
" was delivered up for our transgressions." The Resurrection
settles it beyond a perad venture that God has accepted the
propitiation. The Resurrection is God's declaration of His ac
ceptance of the propitiation, and is, therefore, the declaration of
our justification. When another agrees to settle for my responsi
bilities, I always wish to know whether the settlement is ac
cepted. By the Resurrection, God declares that He has accepted
and is satisfied with the settlement Christ has made. I am thus
declared righteous in God's sight. If we are ever troubled with
doubts as to whether God has accepted the offering Christ made,
we have only to look at the empty tomb and the Risen Lord.
(6) When Christ arose He arose as our representative:
He died as our representative, He arose as our representative,
He ascended as our representative, He is seated as our repre
sentative. (Eph. 2:5, 6.) As one risen, ascended, seated, He is
declared to be God's chosen and accepted one, and we are de
clared chosen, accepted, righteous in Him.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ 183
(6) Rom. 7: 4, R.V. — " Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made
dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined
to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might
bring forth fruit unto God."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: It is through being joined to the Risen
Christ that the believer brings forth fruit unto God.
The only living or doing or accomplishing in the Christ
ian life that is acceptable to God is through union with the
Risen Christ. Through union with the crucified Christ we get
our pardon, our cleansing from guilt, our justification, our perfect
standing before God. Through union with the Risen Christ we
get power for life and fruit. One reason why there is so little of
life and fruit in many professedly Christian lives is because there
is so little knowledge of the Risen and Living Christ. Paul tells
us that we were raised with Christ through faith in the working
of God, who raised Him from the dead. (Col. 2: 12.) We are
raised with Him to walk in newness of life. (Rom. 6:4.) This
is the truth which baptism symbolizes. (Rom. 6:3, 4.) The full
power of Christ's resurrection we shall not know until we attain
unto the resurrection from the dead. (Phil. 3: 10, 11.) "He
that raised up Jesus from the dead shall also quicken our mortal
bodies by His spirit which dwelleth in you." (Rom. 8: 11.) But
" the power of this resurrection " in our moral and spiritual lives,
begetting "newness of life," and "fruit unto God," we may
know even now, through being "joined to him who was raised
from the dead." Are you "joined to another, even to him who
was raised from the dead ? " Here lies the secret of holy living,
" newness of life," victory over sin, fruit unto God.
(7) Rom. 5: 9, 10 — " Much more then, being justified by his blood,
we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were
enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much
more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Through the life of Jesus Christ
believers shall be saved.
NOTE i. — The life here spoken of evidently does not refer to the
example of Christ, but to His life, which is the outcome of His Resurrec
tion. ( Compare Jno. 14: 19 — " Yet a little while, and the world seeth me
us more; but ye see me: because I live, y,e sjiall live ajso." )
j 84 What the Bible Teaches
NOTE 2. — The salvation here spoken of evidently does not refer td
salvation from the guilt of sin — i. e. , pardon and justification. That
has been spoken of in the preceding verse as already secured "by his
blood." It is a salvation in the future — "-shall be saved by his life." By
a comparison with the previous verse it is evidently salvation from the
coming wrath. The life of Christ that is the outcome of the Resurrec
tion secures this for us. This life will have its perfect manifestation in
the coming of the Lord. ( Col. 3: 4, R.V. ; 2 Thess. 1:9, 10.)
( 8 ) Rom. 8: 34—" Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that
died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of
God, who also maketh intercession for us."
Heb. 7: 25 — " Wherefore he is able also to save them to the utter
most that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make inter
cession for them."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Through the Resurrection of Jesus
Christ ice have an ever-living hi gh priest at ike right hand of
God to continually make intercession for us, and who is therefore
able to save to the uttermost (or " unto all -completeness''' ).
Salvation is begun by the atoning death of Jesus Christ; it
is continued by the Resurrection and Intercession of Christ. We
have not only a Saviour who died and so made atonement for sin,
but also a Saviour who rose and carried the blood into the holy of
holies — God's own presence — and presents it there, and who ever
lives and pleads our case in every new failure.
i Jno. 2: i — " My little children, these things write I unto you, that
ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous." (Compare Luke 22: 31,32 — " And the
Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that
he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith
fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.")
Jno. ii : 42 — "And I know that thou nearest me always."
Herein lie our abiding security and our assurance of the
ultimate perfect completeness of Christ's work for us and in us.
Note the believer's triumphant challenge in Rom. 8: 33,
34: "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect ? It
is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ
that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the
right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
(9) Eph. i: 18-20 — "The eyes of your understanding being en
lightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what
the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ 185
exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to
the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he
raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the
heavenly places."
NINTH PROPOSITION: In the Resurrection of Jesus Christ we
have an illustration and proof of the exceeding greatness of God' s
power to us-ward.
If we would understand and know what God can do in and
for us, we have simply to look at and meditate upon the Resur
rection, of Jesus Christ, looking unto God to give us "a spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him." (Eph. 1: 17.)
(10) i Thess. 4: 14 — "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose
again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with
him."
2 Cor. 4: 14 — " Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus
shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you."
TENTH PROPOSITION: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ d
the guarantee of our own resurrection.
We know that God will raise us up because He raised Him
up. "We are so united to Christ by faith that if He rose we must.
If the spirit of Him who raised up Christ from the dead dwell in
us also, He that raised up Christ from the dead will also quicken
onr mortal bodies by His spirit that dwelleth in us. (Rom. 8: 11.)
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ has robbed death of its terrors
for the believer. (1 Cor. 15: 55-57.)
(n) Acts 13: 32, 33 — "And we declare unto you glad tidings, how
A< that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled
the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again;
as it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art my Son, this day
have I begotten thee."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
is the fulfillment of the promise made to the Fathers.
QUESTION: What was the promise made to the Fathers of
vyhich the Resurrection of Christ is the fulfillment ?
ANSWER: Acts 3: 25 — " Ye are the children of the prophets
and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto
Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be
blessed." (Compare Gen. 22: 18} 26: 4; 12: 3} Gal, 3: 16; Gen,
1 86 What the Bible Teaches
3: 15.) The Risen Jesus Christ is the seed in which all nationg
shall be blessed in His turning them away from their iniquities.
Acts 3: 26 — "Unto you first God, having raised up his son Jesus,
sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his in
iquities."
Furthermore, " Resurrection " is the substance of the prom
ise made to the Fathers. (Acts 26: 6-8. Compare 23: 6.) And
Jesus the resurrected one, and first fruits of them that sleep, is
the fulfillment of this promise. The Resurrection of Jesus
Christ is the guarantee of the fulfillment of all the promises of
God: First, because it declares Him to be the Son of God with
power, and thus that the promises of the Bible all of which He en
dorses (Luke 24: 44) are the sure words of God. Second, be
cause it reveals God's ability to keep His word and also His
mighty power to us-ward. He that keeps His word in raising
the dead can surely fulfill all His promises. (Compare Acts 13:
38, 39, — "therefore.") If we wish to know that all the promises
of God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus, we have only to look to
that most marvelous fulfillment of GocVs word and promise that
has already taken place — the Resurrection — and see in that the
guarantee of the fulfillment of all. If you are ever tempted to
think any promise of the Word too large and that you must dis
count it, remember that Christ is risen and that therein you have
a proof and illustration of the "exceeding greatness of his powe*
to us-ward who believe.'*
CHAPTER VII.
THE ASCENSION OR EXALTATION OF JESUS CHRIST.
I. The Fact of tlie Ascension or Exaltation of Jesus Christ.
(i) Eph. 4:8 — "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on
high he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men."
Acts i: 9 — '*' And when he had spoken these things, while they be
held, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight."
Luke 24: 51 — "And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was
parted from them, and carried up into heaven."
Heb. 10: 12 — " But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for
sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ has ascended up on high,
been received into Heaven, has sat down at the right hand of God.
The Ascension or Exaltation of Jesus Christ is definitely
spoken of thirty-three or more times in the New Testament.
II. The Manner of the Ascension or Exaltation of Jesus Christ.
(1) Luke 24: 51 — " And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he
was parted from them, and carried up into heaven."
Acts i: 9—" And when he had spoken these things, while they be
held, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was carried up into
Heaven while the disciples were looking and received out of their
sight.
(2) Jno. 17: 5 — "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine
own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ has been glorified with
the Father Himself with the glory which He had with Him be
fore the world was.
(3) Heb. 7: 26 — " For such a high priest became us, who is holy,
harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the
heavens."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ has been made higher
than the heavens. (Compare Heb. 4 : 14 , R, V. , " passed through
the heavens." Eph. 4: 10, R.V.)
1 88 What the Bible Teaches
(4) Eph. i: 20 — "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him
from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly
places."
Col. 3: i — "If ye then be raised with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is now seated on the
right hand of God.
QUESTION: Is this to be taken literally of location, or figura
tively of power ?
ANSWER: Acts 7: 55, 56 — "But he, being full of the Holy
Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of
God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Be
hold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on
the right hand of God." Though God is in a sense everywhere,
there is a place where He peculiarly manifests Himself and His
glory — a place where He can be said to dwell in a sense in which
He dwells nowhere else. Jesus Christ is at His right hand in that
place.
(5) Eph. 1:21 — "Far above all principalities, and power, and
might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this
world, but also in that which is to come."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ has been exalted far
above all principalities (R.V. "rule") and power (R. V. "au
thority ") and might (R.V. " power ") and dominion, and every
name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that
which is to come. (Compare Eph. 6: 12, A.V. and R.V. and
Greek. The R.V. is not consistent in its translation of words
in these two passages.)
(6) Acts 5:31 — "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be
a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgive
ness of sins."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: God the Father exalted Jesus Christ
with His right hand. (Compare Eph. 1: 19, 20.)
in. The Purpose of the Exaltation of Jesus Christ.
(i) Jno. 17: i — "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes
to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that
thy Son also may glorify thee."
The Ascension or Exaltation of Jesus Christ 189
FIRST PROPOSITION. Jesus Christ was glorified in order that
He might glorify the Father.
(2) Acts 5: 31 — " Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be
a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel, and forgive
ness of sins."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was exalted that He
might be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel
and forgiveness of sins.
It is the " Ascended" or " Exalted" Christ that now rules
the believer and saves him and gives repentance and forgiveness
of sins.
(3) Heb. 6: 20 — "Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even
Jesus, made a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec."
THIRD PR OPOSITION: Jesus Christ was exalted to enter heaven
as a forerunner for us.
He has gone ahead to prepare the way and open the gates
by His atoning blood and priestly intercession.
(4) Jno. 14 2 — "In my father's house are many mansions: if it
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ has ascended into
heaven to prepare heaven itself as an abode for us.
QUESTION: How ?
ANSWER: Heb. 9: 21-24 — " Moreover he sprinkled with
blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and
without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore
necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be
puriiied with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better
sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy
places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but
into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. "
Heaven itself must be sprinkled with blood to be fitted to be the
abode of blood-sprinkled sinners.
(5) Heb. 9:24 — "For Christ is not entered into the holy places
made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven
Uself . now to appear in the presence of God for us."
i QO What the Bible Teaches
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ ascended and entered
heaven now to appear before the face of God for us — i. e. , to act
as high priest on our behalf; to present the blood of atonement
and make intercession for us.
This is illustrated by the Old Testament high priest who was
only the type of Him that was to come.
(6) Heb. 10: 12, 13 — " But this man, after he had offered one sac
rifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; from hence
forth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool."
Acts 2: 34, 35 — " For David is not ascended into the heavens: but
he saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right
hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool."
Acts 3: 20, 21 — "And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was
preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of
restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all
his holy prophets since the world began."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and
sat down on the right hand of God to await the complete subjec
tion of His enemies and the restitution of all things. When that
time comes lie will come forth and His enemies be quickly sub
dued before him. ( See Chapter on the ' ' Second Coming of
Christ")
(7) Eph. 4: 10, R.V. — " He that descended is the same also that
ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ ascended far above
all the heavens that He might Jill all things.
IT. The Results of the Exaltation of Jesus Christ.
(1) Eph. 1:18-20 — "The eyes of your understanding being en
lightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what
the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. And what is the
exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to
the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when
he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the
heavenly places."
FIRST PROPOSITION: In the Exaltation of Jesus Christ, as
in His Resurrection, the exceeding greatness of God's power to
us-ward is seen.
(2) Heb. 4: 14-^6, R.V. — "Having then a great high priest, who
hath passed through the heavens, J«sus the Son of God, let us b»W
The Ascension or Exaltation of Jesus Christ 191
fast our confession. For we have not a high priest that cannot be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in
all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore
draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive
mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Through the Exaltation of Jesus
Christ we have a great high priest who has passed through the
heavens and we can holdfast our confession and draw near with
boldness unto the throne of grace.
If we have any hesitation or fear in our approach to God, all
we need to do is to remember our ascended Saviour, our great
high priest in the presence of God, at the very " right hand of
the throne, the Majesty in the heavens." (Heb. 8:1.)
(3) Acts 2: 33 — " Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted,
and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he
hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Because of His Exaltation Jesus
Christ has received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit
and poured Him forth upon His believing and obedient dis'
ciples.
It is the ascended Christ who baptizeth with the Holy
Spirit (Jno. 7 : 39 ; 1 6 : 7 ; Acts 1:5.)
(4) Jno. 14: 12 — " Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth
on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than
these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Because of the Exaltation of Jesus
Christ those who believe on Him will do greater works than He
Himself wrought during the days of His humiliation.
(5) Heb. 2:9— "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower
than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and
honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Because of His Exaltation Jesus
Christ is seen clothed with glory and honor.
(6) Heb. i: 3, 4 — " Who being the brightness of his glory, and the
express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of
his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the
right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the
angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than
they."
192 What the Bible Teaches
SIXTH PROPOSITION: By His Exaltation Jesus Christ is
made better than (exalted above) the angels.
(7) Phil. 2: 9, R.V—" Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and
gave unto him the name which is above every name."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: By His Exaltation Jesus Christ
has been given the name which is above every name.
(8) i Pet. 3:22 — "Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right
hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject
unto him."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: By the Exaltation of Jesus Christ
angels and authorities and powers have been made subject unto
Him.
(9) Eph. 1:22, R.V. — "And he put all things in subjection undei
his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church."
NINTH PROPOSITION: By the Exaltation of Jesus Christ:
(a) All things have been put in subjection under His feet, (b)
He has been made head over all things to the church.
(10) Phil. 2: 9-11 — " 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 con
fess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
(See R.V.)
TENTH PROPOSITION: Because of the Exaltation of Jesus
Christ, in the name of Jesus every knee shall ultimately bow and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of
God the Father.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE COMING AGAIN OF JESUS CHRIST.
L The Fact of His Coining Again.
Jno. 14: 3 — "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be
also."
Heb. 9: 28 — " So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many;
and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time with
out sin unto salvation."
Phil. 3: 20, 21 — " For our conversation is in heaven; from whence
also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change
our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, ac
cording to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things
unto himself."
i Thess. 4:16,17 — "For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord."
Acts 3: 19, 20 R.V. — "Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that
your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of re
freshing from the presence of the Lord; and that he may send the
C/fcm/who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus: whom the heaven
must receive until the times of restoration of all things whereof God
spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the
world began."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again.
NOTE i. — This coming again of Christ is not at the death of the
believer, (a) He does not come again at death "with a shout," etc. (b)
Those who are alive and remain are not caught up, etc. , at the death of
individual believers. (Jno. 14: 3, and i Thess. 4: 16, 17, manifestly refer
to the same event. They are exactly parallel in the three facts stated:
i. The " I will come again " of Jesus, equals " The Lord Himself shall
descend from heaven" of Paul. 2. The " Receive you unto myself" of
Jesus, equals the " Shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord " of
Paul. 3. The " That where I am, there ye maybe also" of Jesus,
equals the " So shall we ever be with the Lord " of Paul. Paul's words
are manifestly an inspired commentary on those of Jesus, and the refer*
194 What the Bible Teaches
ence of the words of Jesus to His coming at death is thus made impossi«
ble.) (c) Jno. 21: 22 — "Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I
come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me," shows how utterly im
possible it is to make Christ's coming refer to death. " If I will that he
tarry," evidently means, " If I will that he remain alive." Now put
Christ's coming at the believer's death and you get this nonsense: "If I
will that he remain alive until he die, what is that to thee ? "
NOTE 2. — The "coming again" in the verses given above is not the
coming of Christ at the coming of the Holy Spirit. That is, in a very
real and important sense, a coming of Christ. This appears from Jno. 14:
15-18, 21-23 — " If ye love me keep my commandments. And I will pray
Ihe Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide
wvith you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot re
ceive, because it seeth him not. neither knoweth him: but ye know him;
for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you com
fortless: I will come to you. He that hath my commandments, andkeepeth
them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my
Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith
unto him, not Iscariot, Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto
us, and not unto the world ? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man
love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we
will come unto him, and make our abode with him." But this corning
of Christ is not that which is referred to in the passages under considera
tion, (a.) All of these promises but one (Jno. 14: 3) were made after the
coming of the Holy Spirit and pointed to a coming still future. (&.)
Jesus does not receive us unto Himself to be with Him at the coming
of the Holy Spirit. At the coming of the Holy Spirit He comes to be
with us (Jno. 14: 18, 21, 23), at His coming again mentioned in Jno. 14: 3;
i Thess. 4: 16, 17, etc., He takes us to be with Him. (c.) He does not
at His coming in the Spirit "fashion anew the body of our humiliation,
that it may be conformed to the body of His glory." (Phil. 3: 20, 21.)
(d.) There is no trump of the archangel, no shout, no resurrection, no
rapture in the clouds, at this coming of the Christ. In other words, this
coming in scarcely any particular conforms to the plain and explicit state
ments of Christ and the Apostles concerning His coming again.
NOTE 3. — The ' 'coming again" mentioned in the verses above was not
at the Destruction of Jerusalem. The Destruction of Jerusalem was in a
sense the precursor, prophecy and type of the Judgment at the end of the
Age, and therefore in Matt. 24 and Mark 13 the two events are described
in connection with each other. But God's judgment on Jerusalem is
manifestly not the event referred to in the texts given above, (a.) On
that occasion those who sleep in Jesus were not raised, living believers
were not caught up to meet the Lord in the air, the bodies of believers
were not transformed, (b.) Years after the Destruction of Jerusalem we
find John still looking forward to the Lord's coming. (Rev. 22: 20.) See
also, Jno. 21 : 32, 23— " Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ 195
come, what is that to thee ? follow thou me. Then went this saying
abroad among the brethren that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus
said not unto him, He shall not die; but if I will that he tarry till I come,
what is that to thee ? " These words were written years after the Destruc
tion of Jerusalem. Not any one of these events, nor all of them together,
nor any other event that has yet occurred fulfills the very plain, explicit
and definite predictions of Christ and the Apostles regarding Christ's
coming again. The Coming Again of Jesus Christ, so frequently men
tioned in the New Testament as the great hope of the Church, is still in
the future.
II. The Importance of the Doctrine of the Coming Again of Jesus Christ.
FIRST PROPOSITION; The Second Coming of Christ is said
to be mentioned 318 times in the 260 chapters of the New Testa
ment and "it occupies one in every twenty -jive verses" from
Matthew to Revelation.
SECOND PROPOSITION: By far the greater number of the
predictions concerning Christ in the Old Testament are connected
with His Second Coming.
(3) i Thess. 4: 18— ''Wherefore comfort one another with these
words." (See context.)
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Coming Again of Jesus Christ is
the doctrine with whicli God bids us to comfort sorrowing saints.
This is true also of the Old Testament. (Compare Is. 40: 1,
9, 10 — "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. O
Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high moun
tain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice
with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of
Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord GOD will come with
strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him; behold, his reward is
with him, and his work before him."
(4) Tit. 2: 13 — "Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
2 Pet. 3: n, 13, R.V. — "Seeing that these things are thus all to be
dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and
godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of
God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat ? "
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Coming Again of Jesus Christ
and the events connected therewith are the blessed hope and eager
desire of the true believer.
196 What the Bible Teaches
The last prayer in the Bible is "Even so, come Lord Jesus."
(Rev. 22: 20.)
(5) 2 Pet. 3:3, 4, R. V. — " Knowing this first, that in the last days
mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts, and
saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that
the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the begin
ning of the creation."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The Coming Again of Jesus Christ is
a doctrine in hick is the particular object of the hatred and ridi
cule of mockers who walk after their own lusts.
A worldly church and worldly Christians also hate this
doctrine.
(6) Matt. 24: 44-46 — " Therefore be ye also ready; -for in such an
hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful
and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household,
to give them meat in due season ? Blessed is that servant, whom his
Lord when he cometh shall find so doing."
Luke 21 134-36 — "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time
your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness and
cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a
snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole
earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be ac
counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and
to stand before the Son of man."
i Jno. 2: 28 — "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when
he shall appear, ye may have confidence, and not be ashamed before
him at his coining."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The fact of the Coming Again of
Jesus Christ is the great Bible argument for a life of watch
fulness, fidelity, wisdom, activity, simplicity, self-restraint,
prayer and abiding in Christ. (See also Matt. 25. Entire
Chapter. )
(7) Luke 12: 35, 36 — "Let your loins be girded about, and your
lamps burning; and be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their
Lord, when he shall return from the marriage feast, that when he
cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION; The Coming Again of Jesus
Christ is the one event for ichich the disciples of Christ should
be looking.
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ 197
rn verse 37 an especial blessing is promised upon those
whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching. (Compare
Heb. 9:28 — "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of
many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second
time without sin unto salvation.")
III. The Manner of Christ's Coming Again.
(i) i Thess. 4: 16, 17 — " For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord."
Matt. 25: 31, 32 — "When the Son of man shall come in his glory,
and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of
his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep
from the goats."
2 Thess. 2:7, 8 — "For the mystery in iniquity doth already work:
only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume
with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of
his coming."
Zech. 14:4, 5—" And his feet shall stand in that day upon the
mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount
of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward
the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the moun
tain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And
ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the moun
tains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from
before the earthquake' in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the
LORD my God shall come, and all the saints withthee."
It is evident from a comparison of the above passages that
the Coming Again of Jesus Christ has various steps or stages:
(a) FIRST STAGE: In the air whither His believing people
are caught up to meet Him.
(b) SECOND STAGE: To the earth. In this latter stage His
saints come with Him.
i Thess. 3: 13 — "To the end he may establish your hearts unblam
able in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints."
Col. 3:4, R.V. — "When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested,
then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory."
What the Bible Teaches
i Thess. 4: 14 — "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."
In the air Christ comes for His own; to the earth He comes
with them. For anything we know a considerable interval may
take place between these two stages of the Lord's coming. Luke
21:36 — ("Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be
accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to
pass, and to stand before the Son of man.") and 2 Thess. 2: 7, 8 —
("For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only ho who
now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way") — seem to
hint that the whole period of the great tribulation intervenes be
tween the coming of Jesus in the air for His earthly saints and
His coming to the earth with His saints. There are not, however,
two comings, but two stages in the one coming. Bearing in mind
the distinction between these two will help to solve many of the
seeming discrepancies between different texts of the Bible on this
subject.
(c) THIRD STAGE: A succession of events follows His com
ing to the earth.
(2) Acts i: ii — "Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand
ye gazing up into heaven ? this same Jesus, which is taken up from
you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go
into heaven."
Heb. 9: 28 — " So Christ v/as once offered to bear the sins of many;
and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time with
out sin unto salvation." ("Shall appear," literally " shall be seen.")
Rev. i: 7 — "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see
him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth
shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ shall come again bodily
and visibly.
(3) Matt. 24:26, 27 — "Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Be
hold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret
chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east,
and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of
man be."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again with
great publicity.
(Compare Rev. i: 7 — " Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye
shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the
earth shall wail because of him. Even so. Amen.")
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ 199
These u inner chamber" Christs and "obscure corner"
Christs are a humbug long since predicted and exploded. Even at
His coming for His saints there seems to be a large measure of pub
licity about it. (1 Thess. 4:16, 17— ''For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch
angel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall
rise first. ") The doctrine of a secret rapture of believers does
not seem to have much support in Scripture.
(4) Matt. 24: 30 — "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of
man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and
they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with
power and great glory."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Son of man is coming in the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
"In the clouds."
Compare Ex. 19: 9 — " And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, 7 come
unto theg in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with
thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the
people unto the LORD."
Ex. 34: 5 — "And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with
him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD."
Ps. 97: i, 2 — "The LORD reignethjlet the earth rejoice; letthemul-
titude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about
him; righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne."
Matt. 17: 5 — "While he yet spake, behold a bright cloud over
shadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."
Ps. 104: 3 — " Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters;
who maketh the clouds HIS chat lot: who walketh upon the wings of the
wind."
Is. 19: i — "The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon
a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall
be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the
midst of it."
From these passages it appears that it was Jehovah who
came in the clouds; therefore, to say that Jesus is coming in the
clouds is to say that He is coming as a Divine one or in Divine
glory.
(5) Matt. 16: 27 — " For the Son of man shall come in the glory of
his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man accord-
iflg to hit works,"
too What the Bible Teaches
Mark 8: 38 — "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and oi
my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall
the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father
with the holy angels."
2 Thess. i: 7, R.V. — "And to you that are afflicted rest with us, at
the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his
power in flaming fire."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming m the glory
of His Father with the holy angels.
(6) Rev. 16:15 — "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that
watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they
see his shame."
i Thess. 5: 2, 3 — " But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye
have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly
that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ shall come as a thief-—
unannounced, without warning, unexpectedly, suddenly.
The world will be taken up with its usual occupations.
Matt. 24: 37-39 — " But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the
coming of the Sou of man be. For as in the days that were before the
flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,
until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the
flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the
Son of man be."
The attempt to lay out a complete and fully defined chart of
events leading up to the Lord's coming, loses sight of this clearly
revealed fact about His coming. Our part is to see to it that
that day does not come upon us as a snare.
Luke 21 '.34, 35 — "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time
your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and
cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a
snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole
earth."
IV. The Purposes of Christ's Coming Again.
(i) Jno. 14: 3 — " And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be
also."
i Thess. 4: 16, 17 — "For the Lord himself, shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we wK~~>
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ 201
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the
Lord."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again to receive
His own unto Himself; that where lie is, there they may be also.
It is primarily love to His own that draws Jesus Christ to
this earth again. He so loves us that He cannot get on without us.
(Compare Jno. 17: 24 — "Father, I will that they also, whom thou
hast given me, be where I am; that they may behold my glory, which
thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the
world.")
(2) Phil. 3: 20, 21, R.V. — "For our citizenship is in heaven; from
whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall
fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to
the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able
even to subject all things unto himself."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again to
fasfiion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be con
formed to the body of His glory.
(3) Matt. 25: 19 — " After a long time the Lord of those servants
cometh, and reckoneth with them."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again to reckon
with His servants.
(4) Matt. 16: 27, R.V. — "For the Son of man shall come in the
glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto
every man according to his deeds."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again to ren
der unto every man according to his deeds.
It is not at death, but at the coming of the Lord that we re
ceive our full reward.
2 Tim. 4: 8 — " Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of right
eousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that
day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. "
i Pet. 5:4, R.V. — "And when the chief Shepherd shall be mani
fested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away."
(5) 2 Thess. i: 10, R.V. — "When he shall come to be glorified in
his saints, and to be marveled at in all them that believed (because out
testimony unto you was believed) in that day."
202 What the Bible Teaches
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again to bl
glorified in His saints and to be marveled at in all them that be
lieve.
(6) Matt. 25: 10 — "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom
came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage:
and the door was shut."
Rev. 19: 7-9 — " Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him:
for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself
ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine
linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto
the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, these are
the true sayings of God."
SIXTH PROPOSITION : Jesus Christ is coming again to be
united in marriage with His betrothed bride, the Church (Com
pare Eph. 5:23-32), and to celebrate the marriage supper.
(7) Luke 19: 12, 15 — " He said therefore, A certain nobleman went
into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the
kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to
whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every
man had gained by trading."
Matt. 25: 31 — "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and
all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his
glory "
Jer. 23:5, 6 — "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will
raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and
prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his
days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this
is his name whereby he shall be called, TPIE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUS
NESS."
Ps. 2: 6 — "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion."
Zech. 14:9— "And the LORD shall be king gver all the earth: in
that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one."
Rev. 19: 12, 15, 16 — " His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his
head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man
knew, but he himself. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword,
that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them
with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness
and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his
thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD of LORDS."
Rev. 20:4 — "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ 203
had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
his mark upon their foreheads, or in then hands; and they lived and
reigned with Christ a thousand years."
Rev. ii : 15 — " And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great
voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the
kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever
and ever."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again to
reign as a king.
(8) Zech. 14: 1-4 — "Behold the day of the LORD cometh, and thy
spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all
nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and
the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall
go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut
off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those
nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall
stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem
on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof
toward the east and toward the west and there shall be a very great
valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and
half of it toward the south."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again to de
liver Israel in the day when his trials and sufferings shall culmi
nate.
(9) Zech. 8: 3, 7, 8 — "Then saith the LORD, I am returned unto
Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be
called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, The holy
mountain. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold I will save my peo
ple from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring
them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall
be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness."
NINTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again to gather
together the outcasts of Israel from the East country and the West
country into Jerusalem.
(10) Rom. 1 1 : 26 — * ' And so all Israel shall be saved : as it is written,
There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away
ungodliness from Jacob."
TENTH PR OPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again to deliver
Israel and turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
204 What the Bible Teaches
(n) Mai. 3: 1-3—" Behold I will send my messenger, and he shaU
prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall sud«
denly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom
ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But
who may abide the day of his coming ? and who shall stand when he
appeareth ? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he
shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons
of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto
the LORD an offering in righteousness."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again as
a refiner and purifier of silver.
(12) 2 Tim. 4: i — "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing
and his kingdom."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again to
judge the living and the dead.
(a] Matt. 25: 31, 32 — " But when the Son of man shall come in his
glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of
his glory: and before him shall be gathered all the nations."
Jesus Christ is coming again to judge all the nations. The
nations here spoken of are the nations living on the earth at the
coming of the Lord.
(b] Rev. 20: n, 12 — "And I saw a great white throne, and him that
sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and
there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another
book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged
out of those things which were written in the books, according to their
works."
Jesus Christ is coming again to judge the dead. One thou
sand years separate these two judgments. (Rev. 20: 7-11.)
(13) Jude 14, 15, R.V. — "And to these also Enoch, the seventh from
Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands
of his holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the
ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly
wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken
against him."
THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again
to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all
their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought,
and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken
against Him.
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ 205
(14) Is. 26: 2i—" For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to
punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also
shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain."
FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming to
punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.
(15) 2 Thess. i: 7-9, R.V. — " And to you who are afflicted rest with
us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of
his power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not
God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus."
FIFTEENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again to
render vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(16) 2 Thess. 2: 8, R.V. — "And then shall be revealed the lawless
one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth,
and bring to naught by the manifestation of his coming."
SIXTEENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming again to
slay the lawless one with the breath of his mouth and to bring
him to naught by the manifestation of His coming.
(17) Is. ii : i, 2, 4, 5, 9 — " And there shall come forth a rod out of
the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots; And the
Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and under
standing, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and
of the fear of the LORD; But with righteousness shall he judge the
poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall
smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his
lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of
his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. They shall not hurt
nor*lestroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."
SEVENTEENTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ is coming
again to establish a universal reign of righteousness and godli
ness upon earth.
The coming of Christ is the true solution of all social problems.
V. The Results of Christ's Coming Again.
NOTE. — The Results of Christ's coming again naturally run paral
lel to the purpose of His coming again. But some passages are better
classified under the Purpose and others under the Results.
206 What the Bible Teaches
(1) AS REGARDS GrOD.
(a) Is. 40:5 — "And the glory of God shall be revealed, and all
flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."
(Note context vv. 3, 9-11.)
FIRST PROPOSITION: In the Coming Again of Jesus Christ
the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it
together.
(2) AS REGARDS THE CHURCH.
(a) i Thess. 4: 16 — "For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first."
FIRST PROPOSITION: At the coming of Jesus Christ the
dead in Christ shall rise.
(b) Phil. 3:20, 21 — "For our conversation is in heaven; from
whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall
change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious
body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all
things unto himself."
SECOND PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of Jesus Christ
the bodies of believers shall be transformed into the likeness of
the body of His glory.
(Compare Rom. 8 : 23 — " And not only they, but ourselves also, which
have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves, groan within
ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our
body." Then the work of regeneration is completed.)
(c) i Thess. 4: 17 — "Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
THIRD PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of Jesus Christ
all believers — those still living and those who had fallen asleep
but are now raised — shall be caught up together to meet the Lord
in the air to be forever with Him. (Compare Jno. 14: 3.)
(d) i Jno. 3: 2 — " 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 ap
pear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of Jesus
Christ believers shall be made like Him because they shall see
as %& is.
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ aof
Beholding Christ transforms into the image of Christ. (2
Cor. 3: 18, R.V.) But now we see through a glass darkly and the
reflection is imperfect. Then we shall see Him face to face in
His undimmed glory and shall perfectly reflect it.
(e) Col. 3: 4, R.V. — "When Christ, who is our life, shall be mani
fested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: When Christ comes again and is
manifested, then shall believers be manifested with Him in glory.
(/) 2 Tim. 4: 8 — " Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his ap
pearing."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of the Lord
those who love His appearing shall receive a crown of righteous
ness.
(g) i Pet. 5: 4, R.V. — "And when the chief shepherd shall be
manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of Jesus
Christ faithful shepherds of the flock (see context as to what
constitutes faithfulness) shall receive a crown of glory that
fadeth not away.
(K) Rev. 20: 4 — "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that
were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and
which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had re
ceived his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived
and reigned with Christ a thousand years."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of Jesus
Christ His people shall live and reign with Him.
NOTE. — This verse seems to refer primarily to the tribulation
saints, but by implication to all believers. Certainly the bride must
reign with her husband.
(3) AS REGARDS ISRAEL.
(a) Is. 25: 9 — "And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our
God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD;
we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Because of the Coming Again of Jesus
Christ there shall be great joy among His people.
208 What the Bible Teaches
This can hardly be limited to Israel, but the context seems
to imply that the primary reference is to them.
(b} Is. n: u, 12 — "And it shall come to pass in that day, that
the LORD shall set his hand again the second time to recover the rem
nant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt,
and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar,
and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set
up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Is
rael, and gather together the dispersed of Judahfrom the four corners
of the earth."
Ezek. 36: 24, R.V. — " For I will take you from among the nations,
and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your
own land."
Ezek. 37: 21 — " And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD: Be
hold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations,
whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring
them into their own land."
Zeph. 3: 19, 20 — " Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict
thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven
out; and will get them praise and fame in every land where they have
been put to shame. At that time I will bring you again, even at the
time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise
among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before
your eyes, saith the LORD."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Because of the Coming Again of
Jesus Christ the children of Israel shall be gathered together
from among the nations, from the four corners of the earth, and
brought into their own land.
(c) Ezek. 37: 19, 22, 24 (See context) — " Say unto them, Thus saith
the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the
hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them
with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and
they shall be one in my hand. And I will make them one nation in
the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to
them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be
divided into two kingdoms any more at all. And David my servant
shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they
shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do
them."
THIRD PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of Jesus Christ
divided Israel — Ephraim and Judah — shall be reunited into one
nation under the one king David — Jesus.
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ 209
(d) Jer. 23: 5, 6 — "Behold the days come, saith the LORD, that I
will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a king shall reign and
prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his
days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is
his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Because of the Coming Again of
Jesus Christ Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely.
(Compare Rom. n: 26 — " And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is
written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn
away ungodliness from Jacob.")
(e) Ezek. 37: 23 — "Neither shall they defile themselves any more
with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their
transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places,
wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my
people, and I will be their God."
Ezek. 36: 25-27, 29 (Note context)— " Then will I sprinkle clean wa
ter upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthincss, and from
all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you,
and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I
will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes,
and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. I will also save you
from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will in
crease it, and lay no famine upon you."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Because of the Coming Again of
Jesus Christ Israel shall be cleansed from all their jilihiness and
from all their idols, a new heart will be given them and a new
spirit put within them, the stony heart shall be taken away from
them and they given a heart of flesh. God will put His Spirit
within them and cause them to walk in his statutes and they
shall keep His judgments and do them.
(Compare Jer. 31: 31-34 — " Behold, the days come, saith the LORD,
that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the
house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with
their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them
out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although
I was a husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the
covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days,
saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in
their hearts; and will be their God and they shall be my people. And
they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his
brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the
210 What the Bible Teaches
least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will for
give their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.")
(/) Ezek. 36: 37, 38 — "Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this
be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase
them with men like a flock. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem
in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of
men: and they shall know that I am the LORD."
Jer. 31:27 — "Behold the days come, saith the LORD, that I will
sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed cf man,
and with the seed of beast."
Ezek. 36: 33-37 — " Thus saith the Lord GOD; in the day that I shall
have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell
in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land
shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.
And they shall say, this land that was desolate is become like the
garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are
become fenced, and are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left
round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places
and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will
do it. Thus saith the LORD God; I will yet for this be inquired of by
the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like
a flock. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn
feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they
shall know that I am the LORD."
Zech. 8: 3-5 — "Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and
will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a
city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, The holy moun
tain. Thus saith the LORD of hosts: There shall yet old men and old
women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in
his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys
and girls playing in the streets thereof."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Because of the Coming Again of Jesus
Christ and the events that grow out of that coming Israel shall
be wondrously multiplied, and the waste, desolate and ruined cities
shall be rebuilt, and the desolate land made like the garden of
Eden. Jerusalem shall be called ' ' the City of Truth, ' ' and shall
be filled with peace, prosperity and gladness.
(g) Zech. 8: 23 — "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it
shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of
the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, say
ing, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you."
Is. 49: 22, 23 — "Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up my
hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they
shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ 211
upon their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and
their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with
their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou
shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that
wait for me."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION; Because of the Coming Again of
Jesus Christ Israel shall be greatly exalted above the nations.
(h) Is. 66: 19 (Note context) — "And I will set a sign among them,
and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to
Tarshish. Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to
the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my
glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of Jesus
Christ Israel shall go forth as preachers of the glory of Jehovah
to the nations.
(4) As REGARDS THE NATIONS AND UNREGENERATE INDIVID
UALS.
(a) Matt. 24: 30 — '* And then shall appear the sign of the Son of
man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and
they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with
power and great glory."
Rev. 1:7, R.V. — "Behold he cometh with the clouds; and every
eye shall see him, and they which pierced him; and all the tribes of the
earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen."
FIRST PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of Jesus Christ
all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over Him.
The gladdest day of all for His people, the saddest day of all
for those who are not His people
(b) Matt 25:31, 32 — "When the Son of man shall come in his
glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the
throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations. "
SECOND PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of Jesus
Christ all the nations shall be gathered before Him for judg
ment, and He shall separate them one from another, as a shep
herd divideth his sheep from his goats, dec.
(c) Acts 15: 16, 17 — "After this I will return, and will build again
the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again
the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might
a 12 What the Bible Teaches
seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name ia
called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things."
Zech. 8:20-23, R.V.— "Thus saith the LORD of hosts: It shall
yet come to pass, that there shall come peoples, and the inhabitants of
many cities: and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, say
ing, let us go speedily to intreat tlie favor of the LORD, and to seek the
LORD of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many peoples and strong nations
shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to intreat the
favor of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts: In those days it
shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of all the lan
guages of the nations, shall even take hold of the skirt of him that is a
Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with
you."
Is. 2: 2, 3 — "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the
mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall
flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us
go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out
of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from
Jerusalem."
THIRD PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of Jesus Christ
the residue of men and all the Gentiles (nations] upon whom His
name is called will seek after the Lord. Peoples shall come and
the inhabitants of many cities. Yea, many peoples and strong
nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem, and
to intreat the favor of the Lord.
QUESTION: How can this be if immediately upon His coming
the nations are gathered before Him, judged, separated and as
signed to their eternal destiny ?
ANSWER. — It is not said that immediately upon His coming
the nations will be gathered, etc. Our difficulties arise from the
fact that we assume what the Bible never asserts nor implies; viz.,
that these things are all crowded into a day or a few days or a
year. These events are connected with and result from His
coming, but they take time for their development. I doubt if the
prophecies are intended to give us a definite and detailed history
in their order of all the events connected with the Lord's coming.
The great important facts necessary to keep us watching and to
cheer our hearts and fire us for our work are given in outline.
But always remember that, while prophecy is exactly and literally
true in every word, prophecy is not history.
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ 213
(d) Ps. 2:9 (See context vv. 6, 8.)— "Thou shalt break them with
a rod of iron: thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of Jesus
Christ and His glorious reign, rebels against Him will be shat
tered.
(e) 2 Thess. i: 7-9, R.V.— " And to you that are afflicted rest with
us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of
his power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not
God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: who
shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the
Lord and from the glory of his might."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of Jesus Christ
those who know not God and those who obey not the Gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ shall suffer punishment, even eternal de
struction from the face of the Lord and from the Glory of His
might.
(As to what "destruction" means, compare Rev. 17:11,
with 20: 10, and Rev. 19: 20. See also, chapter on the future des
tiny of those who reject the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.)
(/) Zech. 14: 16 — " And it shall come to pass, that every one that
is left of all the nations which come against Jerusalem, shall even go
up from year to year to worship the king, the LORD of hosts, and to
keep the feast of tabernacles."
Is. 49: 7—" Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his
Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nations
abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes
also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy
One of Israel, and he shall choose thee."
Rev. 15:4— "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy
name ? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship
before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest."
Ps. 2: 8 — "Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine in
heritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."
Ps. 72: 8-1 1 — " He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and
from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the
wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings
of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down be
fore him: all nations shall serve him."
SIXTH PROPOSITION. At the Coming Again of Jesus Christ
every one that is left of the nations, and kings and princes shall
worship and serve Jesus Christ.
What the Bible Teaches
(g) Zech. 9: 10 — "And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and
the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he
shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from
sea even to sea, and from the river even unto the ends of the earth."
Rev. n: 15, R.V. — " And the seventh angel sounded; and there fol
lowed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world
is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall
reign for ever and ever."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: At the Coming Again of Jesus
Christ the kingdom of this world shall become the kingdom of
our Lord and of His Christ : and He shall reign forever and
ever.
(h) Is. 2:4 (See context v. 2) — "And he shall judge among the
nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their
swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation
shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war
any more."
Mic. 4: 3, 4 — " And he shall judge among many people and rebuke
strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plough
shares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But
they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and
none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath
spoken it."
Ps. 72: 7, 16 — "In his days shall the 'righteous flourish; and abun
dance of peace so long as the moon endureth. There shall be a hand
ful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit
thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish
like grass of the earth."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION; At the Coming Again of Jesus
Christ war shall cease, peace and plenty shall reign, and the
righteous shall flourish.
(5) THE RESULTS OF CHRIST'S COMING AS REGARDS HUMAN
SOCIETY AS A WHOLE.
(a) Is. 11:9 — "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy
mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD,
as the waters cover the sea."
FIRST PROPOSITION. The earth shall be full of the knowl
edge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
The day of Christ's Coming Again and reign will indeed be
the golden age and well may we cry, "Amen; come Lord
Jesus."
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ 215
(6) THE RESULTS or CHRIST'S COMING AGAIN AS REGARDS
THE ANTI-CHRIST AND THE DEVIL.
(a) 2Thess. 2: 8, R.V.— " And then shall be revealed the lawless
one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth,
and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Anti- Christ shall be slain (or put
out of the way. Compare Rev. 19 20.) by the breath of His
mouth and brought to naught by the manifestation of His com-
ing.
(b) Rev. 20: 1-3, R.V. — "And I saw an angel coming down out of
heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and
Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the
abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the
nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this
he must be loosed for a little time."
Rev. 20: 10, R.V. — "And the devil that deceived them was cast into
the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false
prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night forever and ever."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Devil shall be chained and cast
into the abyss for a thousand years, and then after a little space
of liberty be cast into the lake of fire where he shall be tormented
day and night forever and ever.
(7) THE RESULTS OF CHRIST'S COMING AGAIN AS REGARDS THE
PHYSICAL UNIVERSE.
(a) Rom. 8: 19-21, R.V. — " For the earnest expectation of the
creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. For the crea
tion was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him
who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered
from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the
children of God."
Is. 55: 13 (See context). — " Instead of the thorn shall come up the
fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it
shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not
be cut off."
Is. 65:25 — "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the
lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's
meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith
the LORD."
Is. 32: 15 — "Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and
the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for
2i6 What the Bible Teaches
Is. 35:1, R.V. — "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be
glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose." (Context
vv. 2, 4.)
FIRST PROPOSITION: In connection with Christ's Coming
Again — the creation itself shall be delivered from the corruption
to which it is now subject into the liberty of the glory of the
children of God. Thorns, briers and carnage shall be no more.
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad, and the desert
shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.
(b) 2 Pet. 3: 12, 13 — " Looking for and hasting unto the coming of
the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat ? Nevertheless we,
according to his promise, looking for new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness."
Rev. 21: i — "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first
heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more
sea."
SECOND PROPOSITION: There shall be a new heaven and a
new earth. (Compare Rev. 21: 2-27.)
As the result of Christ's coming there will be a new and
glorious man, in a new and glorious body, in a new and glorious
society, in a new and glorious universe.
"Amen Come Lord Jesus."
VI. The time of the Coming Again of Jesns Christ.
(i) Matt. 24: 36, 42 — "But of that day and hour knoweth no man,
no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Watch therefore;
for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."
Mark 13: 32 — " But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no,
not the angels which are in heaven, neither the son, but the Father."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The exact time of the Coming Again of
Jesus Christ is not revealed to us.
NOTE. — Calculations from the data given in Daniel by which some
try to fix the exact date of Christ's return are utterly unreliable. They
attempt the impossible. The statements were not intended to give us a
clue to the exact date of Christ's return. It is a part of God's purpose
and method in dealing with men to keep them in uncertainty on this
point. The prophecies of Daniel were extant in the day when Christ
uttered Mark 13: 32 — " But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no,
not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."
And He doubtless understood the lessons those prophecies were intended
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ 2 1 7
to teach, but He distinctly declares that even He did not know the day
or the hour of His coming again. Any teacher who attempts to fix the
date of Christ's return is at once discredited, and it is entirely unneces
sary to wade through his calculations. God does not desire us to know
just when His Son shall return. Acts i: 7 — "And he said unto them, It
is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which tJie Father hath
Putin his own power." Let us leave the times where God has put them,
"in his own power." He does desire that we shall be always ready for
that return.
(2) Matt. 24:44: — "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an
hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Coming Again of Jesus Christ
will be at such a time as even His disciples think not. Even the
faithful and wise servant will be taken unawares, but lie will be
found doing His Master 'swill, (vv. 45, 46.)
(3) Luke 17: 26-30 — "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it
be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they
married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe en
tered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Like
wise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they
bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that
Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and
destroyed them all. Even so shall it be in the day when the Son of
man is revealed."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The time when the Son of man is
revealed will be a time when the world is absorbed in its usual
occupations.
(4) 2 Thess. 2: 2-4 — " That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be
troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as
that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any
means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away
first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who
opposeth and exalted himself above all that fe called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing
himself that he is God."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The day of the Lord will not come
until after the revelation of the tnan of sin.
Of course the day of the Lord is the time of the Lord's
coming to the earth. This is preceded by His coming in the air
to receive His bride, the Church, unto Himself. (1 Thess. 4: 16,
17.) There is nothing to show that quite an interim may not
21 8 What the Bible Teaches
occur between this coming of Christ for His saints in the air and
His coming with His saints to the earth. There are indications
that there must be such an interval, (a) Christ has much to do
with His people before He comes to deal with the world. (b) It
is distinctly taught that there is now a restraining power that
hinders the manifestation of the man of sin. (2 Thess. 2, vv. 6,
7, R.V.) It is natural to presume that this restraining power
has something to do with the Church.
(5) i Tim. 4: i — "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils."
2 Ti. 3: 1-5, R.V. — " But know this, that in the last days grievous
times shall come. For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money,
boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control,
fierce, no lovers of good, traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding a form of godliness, but
having denied the power thereof: from these also turn away."
Luke 18: 8 — " I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Never*
theless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth ? "
FIFTH PR OPOSITION: The last days, and the time of the Com
ing Again of the Son of man, will be a time of apostasy, grievous
times, and faith will be hard to find.
2 Tim. 3: 1-5, gives a very accurate picture of our own time.
But we should bear in mind that earnest men of God and students
of the Bible have often thought in times past that the coming of
the Lord was very near. So it was and they were not mistaken,
as were those who thought it was so far away that they let it have
no effect over their lives. The multiplying iniquities of our day,
the apostasy of many professed Christians, preachers and pro
fessors of theology into damning error and unbelief, the increase
of lawlessness on the part of great corporations on the one hand
and the oppressed poor on the other — these are all signs of His
coming, which may be very near at hand. Men's hearts are
" fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are
coming on the world." (Luke 21: 26, R.V.) But when we see
these things begin to come to pass we should then look up and
lift up our heads because our redemption draweth nigh. (Luke
21: 28.)
(6) Mark 13: 34, 35, 36 — " For the Son of man is as a man taking a
far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants,
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ 219
and t© every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
Watch ye therefore: for we know not when the master of the house
cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at th« cockcrowing, or in the morn
ing: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping."
Luke 12: 35, 36 — " Let your loins be girded about, and your lights
burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord,
when he will return from the wedding: that when he cometh and
knocketh, they may open unto him immediately."
Matt. 25: 13 — " Watch therefore; for ye know neither the day nor
the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."
Matt. 24:42, 44 — "Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour
your Lord doth come. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an
hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."
SIXTH PROPOSITION': We are repeatedly exhorted to be watch
ing, looking and ready for our Lord's return. It must, therefore,
be an event that, as far as we know, may occur at any moment.
There is no event predicted in Scripture, or series of events,
that must occur before Jesus comes to receive His own unto Himself.
There are events that must occur before He comes to the earth with
His saints. (2 Thess. 2. ) He may come for us as far as ice know at
any moment, and it stands us in hand to be always ready, for in such
an hour as we think not the Son of man cometh. (Matt. 24: 44.)
QUESTIONS: First. Is not the world to be converted before
Jesus Christ comes ?
ANSWER: —
Rev. i: 7— "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall
see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth
shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."
Matt. 25: 31, 32 — "When the Son of man shall come in his glory,
and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of
his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from
the goats."
2 Thess. 2: 2-4, 8 — "That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be
troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as
that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means:
for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and
that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and
exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so
that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he
is God. And then shall that Wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord
shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming."
Luke 18: 8 — " I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Never
theless, when the Son of man cometh. shall be find faith on the earth ? "
22O What the Bible Teaches
Luke 21 : 35 — " For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell
on the face of the whole earth."
2 Tim. 3: 1-5 — " This know also, that in the last days perilous times
shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incon
tinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-
minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of
godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
These passages show us a world anything but converted at
the coming of Christ. 2 Thess. 1: 7-10 — ["And to you who are
troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from
heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance
on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of
his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and
to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony
among you was believed) in that day,"] shows us two classes — .
converted and unconverted — at the revelation 'of Jesus Christ
from heaven.
Second. How shall we explain Matt. 24:14 — "And this
gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a
witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come ? "
ANSWER: (1) This verse tells us that the gospel is to be
preached "for a testimony" (R.V.) unto all the nations, not that
all the nations will be converted. (2) In a sense, in a scriptural
sense too, this has already been done. (Rom. 10: 18 — "But I say,
Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the
earth, and their works unto the ends of the world " Col. 1:23,
(R.V.) — "If so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and
stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which
ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven;
whereof I Paul was made a minister. ") (3) It shall be preached
before the em;? come," but the coming of Jesus Christ to receive
His own is not the end but the beginning of the end.
Third. How shall we explain 2 Thess. 2:1-4 — "Now we
beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon
shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word,
nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand
The Coming Again of Jesus Christ 221
Let no man deceive you by any means : for that day shall not
come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin
be revealed, the son of perdition ; who opposeth and exalteth him
self above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he
as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that
he is God."
ANSWER: It is true that the man of sin must be revealed
before ^ *• the day of the Lord is present." (R.V.) But the day
of the Lord is not the coming of Christ to receive His Church but
that which follows it. How closely it follows it, it is difficult to
say. The Thcssalonians were troubled by the doctrine that the
Day of the Lord was, not at hand, as Authorized Version reads,
but already begun. This Paul shows them could not be, for "the
man of sin," who was to be especially dealt with in the Day of the
Lord, had not yet been revealed. There is reason to think, as
already said, that the taking away of the Church must precede
this revelation of the man of sin.
NOTE.— There is a quite widely accepted theory that "the man of
sin " has already been revealed in the Pope. But he does not fill out the
picture. In the Pope there is a preparing for the man of sin.
Fourth. Will the Church pass through the great tribulation?
ANSWER: It is clear from the Bible that the Church will
pass through tribulation (Acts 14: 22; and other passages), but
that does not prove at all that the Church will pass through ' « the
great tribulation," when God deals with a Christ-rejecting world.
There is much to indicate that the Church will be sheltered during
this period. (Luke 21 : 36. See also the whole book of Revelation
where all after Ch. 4:1, has to do with the time after " the Rap
ture of the Church. " )
Fifth. Is the world getting better ?
ANSWER: 1 Jno. 5: 19, R. V. — "We know that we are
of God, and the whole world lieth in the evil one." In Biblical
usage "the world" is the body of men and women that rejects
Christ and lies in the wicked one. The Devil is its God ( 2 Cor.
4:4.), and of course it is necessarily growing worse. But if we
mean by " the world " — as men usually mean when they ask this
question — the entire mass of men, Christians and non-Christians,
then it is to be said that there are two developments going on
side by side, the development of the kingdom of God and the de-
222 What the Bible Teaches
velopment of the kingdom of Satan, to be brought to a crisis
when the Anti-Christ is developed at the head of the one and the
Christ appears at the head of the other. This crisis will end in
the complete victory of Christ and the kingdom of God. In the
meantime, on the one hand God is gathering out of the world a
people for His name (Acts 15: 14), and His people are growing
in the knowledge and likeness of himself, and the world is of ne
cessity to a certain extent influenced by them. On the other
hand, there is a development of "the mystery of lawlessness >r
(2 Thess. 2: 7, R.V.), resulting in increasing error and apostasy
in the professing Church as well as out of it, and in growing im
morality, and especially the development of anarchy or "lawless^
ness " among all classes of society.
BOOK III.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT
THE HOLY SPIRIT.
CHAPTER L
THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
I. The Importance of the Doctrine,
1. It is of the highest importance from the standpoint of
worship that we decide whether the Holy Spirit is a divine person
worthy to receive our adoration, our faith and our love, or simply
an influence emanating from God, or a power that God imparts to
us. If the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person and we know it not,
we are robbing a Divine Being of the love and adoration which are
his due.
2. It is of the highest practical importance that we decide
whether the Holy Spirit is a power that we in our weakness and
ignorance are somehow to get hold of and use, or whether the
Holy Spirit is a personal being infinitely wise, infinitely holy, in
finitely tender, who is to get hold of and use us. The one con
ception is heathenish, the other Christian. The one conception
leads to self-humiliation, self-emptying and self-renunciation; the
other conception leads to self-exaltation.
3. It is of the highest experimental importance that we
know the Holy Spirit as a person. Many can testify to the bless
ing that came into their lives when they came to know the Holy
Spirit not merely as a gracious influence (emanating, it is true,
from God), but as an ever-present loving-friend and helper.
II. The Fact of the Personality of the Holy Spirit,
1. THE USE OF PERSONAL PRONOUNS.
Jno. 15: 26 — "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send
unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth
from the Father, HE shall testify of me."
Jno. 16: 7, 8, 13, 14 — " Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expe
dient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will
not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send HIM unto you. And
when he is come, HE will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness,
and of judgment."
226 What the Bible Teaches
"Howbeit when He, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you
into all truth: for he will not speak of HIMSELF; but whatsoever he shall
hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. HE
shall glorify rne: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto
you."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Various pronouns that clearly imply
personality are repeatedly used of the Holy Spirit.
The use of these pronouns is the more remarkable from the
fact that in the Greek language the word for Spirit is a neuter
noun, and, according to Greek usage, the pronouns that refer to
it should be neuter, and yet in numerous instances a masculine
pronoun is used, thus bringing out very strikingly how the Bible
idea of the personality of the Holy Spirit dominates grammatical
construction. There are instances, of course, where the natural
grammatical usage is followed and a neuter pronoun used. (Rom •
8: 16, 26.) But in many instances this construction is set aside
and the masculine personal pronoun used to refer to the neuter
noun.
2. PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS ASCRIRED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.
(1) i Cor. 2: 10, ii — " For God hath revealed them unto us by his
Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
r or what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man
which is in him ? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the
Spirit of God."
Knowledge is ascribed to the Holy Spirit.
(2) i Cor. 12: ii — " But all these worketh that one and the self
same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."
Will is ascribed to the Spirit.
(3) Rom. 8: 27 — " And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what
is in the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the
saints according to the will of God."
Mind is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. The word here translated
mind is a comprehensive word including the ideas of thought,
feeling and purpose. (Compare Rom. 8: 7 — "Because the carnal
mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of
God, neither indeed can be.")
(4) Rom. 15:30 — "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord
Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive to
gether with me in your prayers to God for me."
The Personality of the Holy Spirit 227
Love is ascribed to the Holy Spirit.
(5) Neh. 9: 20 — "Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct
them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest
them water for their thirst."
Intelligence and goodness are ascribed to the Holy Spirit.
N"ote that this passage is from the Old Testament, where the
truth of the personality of the Holy Spirit is not as fully de
veloped as in the New Testament.
(6) Eph. 4: 30 — "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby
ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
Grief is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
thinks, feels, purposes, knows, wills, loves, grieves.
SECOND PROPOSITION: Many characteristics that only a
person can possess are ascribed to the Holy Sjririt.
3. PERSONAL ACTS ASCRIBED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.
(1) i Cor. 2: 10 — " But God hath revealed them unto us b)'his Spirit:
for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."
The Holy Spirit searcheth the deep things of God.
(2) Rev. 2: 7 — " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spiri*
saith unto the churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat o:
the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."
The Holy Spirit speaks.
(3) Gal. 4: 6 — " And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the;
Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
The Holy Spirit crieth out.
(4) Rom. 8: 26, R.V. — "And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth
our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit
himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which can not be
uttered."
The Holy Spirit maketh intercession.
(5) Jno. 15:26 — "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will
send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which pro-
ceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me."
The Holy Spirit gives testimony.
(6) Jno. 14: 26—" But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto
you." (Compare Jno. 16: 12-14: — "I have yet many things to say
unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit
228 What the Bible Teaches
of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak
of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he
will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall re
ceive of mine, and shall show it unto you." Nell. 9: 20 — " Thou gavest
also thy good Spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna
from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.")
The Holy Spirit teaches all the truth.
(7) Rom. 8: 14 — "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God."
The Holy Spirit leads or directs men what to do.
(8) Acts 16: 6, 7 — " Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia
and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to
preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they as
sayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not."
The Holy Spirit commands men.
(9) Acts 13: 2—" As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the
Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work where-
unto I have called them."
Acts 20: 28 — "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the
flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed
the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."
The Holy Spirit calls men to work and appoints them to
office.
(10) Jno. 15: 26 — " But when the Comforter is come, whom I will
send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which pro-
ceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me."
The Holy Spirit goes forth upon the mission to which He is
sent.
THIRD PROPOSITION: Many acts that only a person can
perform are ascribed to the Holy Spirit.
4. PERSONAL OFFICE.
(i) Jno. 14: 16, 17 — " And I will pray the Father, and he shall give
you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the
Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him
not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you,
and shall be in you."
It is the office of the Holy Spirit to be " another Comforter "
(or paraclete) to take the place of the absent Saviour. Is it possi
ble that Jesus Christ could use such language in speaking of an
impersonal influence or power ? (Of Jno. 16: 7.)
The Personality of the Holy Spirit 229
FOURTH PROPOSITION: An Office is predicated of the Holy
Spirit that could only be predicated of a person.
5. PERSONAL TREATMENT.
(1) Is. 63: 10, R.V. — " But they rebelled, and grieved his holy
spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and himself fought
against them."
The Holy Spirit is rebelled against and grieved. (Compare
Eph. 4: 30.)
(2) Heb. 10: 29 — "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye,
shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son oi
God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he is
sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of
grace."
The Holy Spirit is "done despite unto" (" treated with con
tumely" — "Thayer's Greek-Eng. Lex. of the N. T.")
(3) Acts 5: 3 — "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled
thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the
price of the land ? "
The Holy Spirit is lied to.
(4) Matt. 12: 31, 32 — "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of
sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy
against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whoso -
ever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him;
but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be for
given him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."
The Holy Spirit is blasphemed against.
FIFTH PROPOSITION: A treatment is predicated of the Holy
Spirit that could only be predicated of a person.
GENERAL PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit is a person.
Theoretically we may believe this. Do we in our real thought
of Him, or in our practical attitude toward Him, treat Him as a
person ? Do we regard Him as indeed as real a person as Jesus
Christ — as loving, wise and strong, as worthy of our confidence
and love and surrender, as He ? He came to be to the disciples,
and to us, what Christ had been to them during the days of His
personal companionship with them. (Jno. 14: 10, 17.) Do we
know " the communion or fellowship" of the Holy Ghost ? " (2
Cor. 13: 14.)
CHAPTER II
THE DEITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,.
I. Divine Attributes.
(1) Heb. 9: 14 — " How much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge
your conscience from dead works to serve the living God ? "
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit is eternal
(2) Ps. 139: 7-10 — "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit ? or whither
shall I flee from thy presence ? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art
there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the
wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit is omnipresent.
(3) Luke i: 35 — " And the angel answered and said unto her, The
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall
overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born
of thee shall be called the Son of God."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit is omnipotent.
(4) i Cor. 2: 10, ii — " For God hath revealed them unto us by his
Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man
which is in him ? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the
Spirit of God."
Jno. 14: 26 — " But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom
the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and
bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto
you."
Jno. 16: 12, 13 — " I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye
can not bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,
he vi'ti\. guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you
things to come."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit is Omniscient.
The Deity of the Holy Spirit 231
GENERAL PROPOSITION: Each of the four distinctly Divine
Attributes is ascribed to the Holy Spirit
II. Divine Works.
(1) Job. 33:4 — "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath
of the Almighty hath given me life."
Ps. 104:30 — " Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and
thou renewest the face of the earth."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Creation is ascribed to the Holy Spirit.
(2) Jno. 6: 63 — " It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth
nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are
life."
Rom. 8: n— " But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the
dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also
quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."
Gen. 2:7 — "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul.
SECOND PROPOSITION: The imputation of life is ascribed
to the Holy Spirit.
(3) 2 Pet. i: 21, R.V. — " For no prophecy ever came by the will of
man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Ghost."
2 Sam 23: 2, 3 — " The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word
was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spake
to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of
God,"
THIRD PROPOSITION: The authorship of Divine prophecies
is ascribed to the Holy Spirit.
GENERAL PROPOSITION: Three distinctively divine works
are ascribed to the Holy Spirit.
III. Statements which refer to the Lord or JehoTah in the Old Testament
applied to the Holy Spirit in the Mew Testament.
(i) Is. 6: 8-10 — "Also I heard the voice of the LORD, saying,
whom shall I send, and who will go for us ? Then said I, Here
am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, hear ye
indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy,
and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes and hear with
their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be
healed." (Compare Acts 28:25-27: "And when they agreed not
232 What the Bible Teaches
among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one
word. Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our
fathers, saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear,
and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull
of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with
their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts
and should be converted, and I should heal them."
This same passage is applied to Jesus Christ. May it be that
in the threefold ' ' Holy " of the seraphic cry in Is. 6 : 3, ( ' 'And one
cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of
hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory,") we have a hint of
the tri-personality of the Jehovah of Hosts and hence the pro
priety of the threefold application of the vision ?
(2) Ex. 16: 7 — " And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of
the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD; and
what are we, that ye murmur against us ?" Compare Heb. 3:7-9 —
"Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, To-day if ye will hear his voice,
harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation
in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and
saw my works forty years." (Compare Ps. 95:8-11.)
GENERAL PROPOSITION: Statements which in the Old Tes
tament distinctly name the Lord, God, or Jeltovah, as their sub
ject are applied to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. That
is, the Holy Spirit occupies the position of Deity in the New Tes
tament thought.
IT. The way in which the Name of the Holy Spirit is coupled with that of
God.
(1) i Cor. 12: 4-6 — "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the
same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the
same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same
God which worketh all in all."
(2) Matt. 28: 19 — " Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost."
(3) 2 Cor. 13, 14 — "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.
Amen."
GENERAL PROPOSITION: The name of the Holy Spirit is
coupled with that of God in a way that it would be impossible for
a reverent and thoughtful mind to couple the name of any finite
being with that of the Deity.
The Deity of the Holy Spirit 233
V» The Divine Mame.
i. Acts 5: 3, 4 — " But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled
thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price
of the land ? While it remained, was it not thine own ? and after it
was sold, was it not in thine own power ? why hast thou conceived this
thing in thine heart ? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God"
GENERAL PROPOSITION: The Holy S}ririt is called God.
SUMMARY. By the ascription of all the distinctively Divine
attributes, and several distinctively Divine operations, by refer
ring statements which in the Old Testament distinctly name Je
hovah, the Lord, or God, as their subject to the Holy Spirit in
the New Testament, by coupling the name of the Holy Spirit with
that of God in a way that it would be impossible to couple that of
any finite being with that of the Deity, by calling the Holy Spirit
" God," in all these unmistakable ways, God in His word distinctly
proclaims that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person.
CHAPTER HI.
THE DISTINCTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM THE FATHER
AND FROM HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST,
(1) Luke 3: 21, 22 — "Now when all the people were baptized, it
came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven
was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a
dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art
my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."
FIRST PROPOSITION: A dear distinction is drawn between
Jesus Christ) who was on the earth, the Father who spoke to him
from heaven, and the Holy Spirit who descended in a bodily form
as a Dove, upon Him.
(2) Matt. 28: 19 — " Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost."
SECOND PROPOSITION: A clear distinction is drawn between
' ' the name of the Father " and i « of the Son " and * ' of the Holy
Ghost."
(3) Jno. 14: 16 — "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you
another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever."
THIRD PROPOSITION: A clear distinction is drawn between
the Son who prays and the Father to whom He prays, and the
1 ' Another Comforter ' ' who is given in answer to the prayer.
(4) Jno. 16: 7 — ' ' Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is expedient for
you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come
unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you."
2 OUR Til PROPOSITION: A clear distinction is drawn between
Jesus ic ho goes away and the Holy Spirit, who comes to take
His place.
(5) Acts 2: 33 — " Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted,
and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he
hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear."
The Distinction of the Holy Spirit 233
FIFTH PROPOSITION. A clear distinction is drawn between the
Son exalted to the right hand of the Father, and the Father
Himself, and the Holy Ghost, whom the Son receives from the
Father and sheds upon the church.
GENERAL PROPOSITION: Again and again the Bible draws
the clearest possible distinction between the Holy Spirit and the
Father and the Son. They are separate personalities, having
mutual relations to one another, acting upon one another, speak
ing of or to one another, applying the pronouns of the second
and third persons to one another.
It has been said that the doctrine of the Trinity is not taught
in the Bible, and it is true that it is not directly taught; but the
doctrine of the Trinity is the putting together of truths that are
taught. It is clearly taught in the Bible that there is but one
God. It is also clearly taught that there are three Divine Per
sons — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
CHAPTER IV,
THE SUBORDINATION OF THE SPIRIT TO THE FATHER
AND THE SON,
(1) Jno. 14:26 — "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things,
and bring all tilings to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said
unto you."
Jno. 15: 26 — " But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send
unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth
from the Father, he shall testify of me."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father
and also by the Son.
Elsewhere we are taught that Jesus Christ was sent by the
Father. (Jno. 6: 29; 8: 29, 42.)
(2) Rom. 8: 9 — "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if
so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not
the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
SE COND PR OPOSITION: The Holy Spirit is called < < the Spirit
of God" and " the Spirit of Christ."
(Compare Acts 16: 7, R.V. — "And when they were come over
against Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia; and the spiiit oj
Jesus suffered them not.")
(3) Jno. 16: 13, R.V.— " Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth,
is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak
from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he
speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come."
THIRD PR OPOSITION: The Holy Spirit speaks not from Him
self but speaks the things which He hears.
In a similar way Jesus said of Himself * ' my teaching is not
mine, but His that sent Me." (Jno. 7: 16; 8: 26, 40.)
(4) Jno. 16 : 14— ' ' He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine,
and shall show it unto you."
The Subordination of the Spirit 237
FOURTH PROPOSITION: It is the work of the Holy Spirit to
glorify Christ.
In a similar way Christ sought not His own glory but the
glory of Him that sent Him. (Jno. 7: 18.)
GENERAL PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit in His present
work is subordinated to the Father and to the Son.
NOTE. — We shall see later that in his earthly life Jesus lived and
taught and worked in the power of the Holy Spirit.
CHAPTER V,
THE NAMES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,
(i) i Cor. 2: 10, R.V. — "But unto us God revealed them through
the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things
of God."
" THE SPIRIT."
The word means "breath," or "wind." Both thoughts are
in the word as applied to the Holy Spirit. In Jno. 20: 22 ("And
when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them,
Receive ye the Holy Ghost,") and Gen. 2:7 ("And the LORD
God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Com
pare Ps. 104: 30 — "Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are
created: and thou renewest the face of the earth,") and Job
33: 4 (" The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the
Almighty hath given me life,") we have the idea of the Spirit as
the breath of Christ and of God.
In Jno. 3: 6-8 ("That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I
said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where
it listeth, and thou nearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell
whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is
born of the Spirit,") we have the idea of the Spirit as the wind.
The full significance of this name as applied to the Holy Spirit it
may be beyond us to fathom, but this much seems clear:
1. That the Spirit is the outbreathing of God, His life go
ing forth to quicken. Possibly we should notice the fact that
the breath is itself the vital principle, and some have thought that
the Spirit is therefore the inmost life of God.
2. The Spirit, like the wind, is (a) Sovereign. "Bloweth
where it listeth." (Jno. 3:8.) (Compare 1 Cor. 12: 11 — "But
all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to
every man severally as he will. ") (b) Invisible. 1 « Thou hearest the
The Names of the Holy Spirit 239
sound thereof." (Jno. 3:8.) (c) Inscrutable. " Thou knowest not
whence it cometh and whither it goeth. " (Jno. 3:8.) (d) Indispens
able. Without air in motion there is no life. (Jno. 3: 5 — "Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born of
water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.")
(e) Lifegiving. Ezek. 37:8, 9, 10— "And when I beheld, lo, the
sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered
them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto
me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the
wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath,
and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I proph
esied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and
they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great
army." (Compare Jno. 3:5.)
NOTE. — Much at least of the difficulty in Jno. 3: 5 would disappear
if we would remember that "spirit" means "wind" and translate literally
"Except a man be born of water and wind, he cannot enter into the
Kingdom of God" (i. <?., except a man be born of the cleansing and
quickening power of the Spirit or of the cleansing word — Compare Jno.
X5: 3> Eph. 5:26, Jas. i: 18, i Pet. i: 23 — and the quickening power of
the Holy Spirit).
(/.) Irresistible. (Compare Acts i: 8 — " Rut ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses
unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto
the uttermost part of the earth," and Acts 6: 10 — "And they were
not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.") A
man filled with the Holy Ghost is transformed into a cyclone.
(2) i Cor. 3: 16 — " Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you 1 "
"THE SPIRIT OF GOD."
The same ess'ential thought as the former, but His Divine
origin, character and power emphasized.
(3) Is. 11:2 — "And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the
spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD." (Compare
Is. 63: 14.)
"THE SPIRIT OP JEHOVAH."
(4) Is. 61: i — " The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because
the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he
hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound."
240 What the Bible Teaches
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD," or rather "Lord Jehovah.*1
This is still more emphatic.
(5) 2 Cor. 3: 3 — " Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be
the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with
the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables
of the heart."
" THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD."
(6) Rom. 8: g — " But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit if so
be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
"THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST."
This name brings out the relation of the Spirit to Christ as
well as to the Father. (Compare Acts. 2 : 33 — ' ' Therefore being by
the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father
the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye
now see and hear.")
(7) Gal. 4: 6 — "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the
Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
"THE SPIRIT OF His SON."
This name is given to the Holy Spirit in especial connection
with His testifying to the sonship of the believer. It is "the
Spirit of His Son" who testifies to our sonship.
(8) Phil, i: 19—" For I know that this shall turn to my salvation
through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ."
"TiiE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST."
The Spirit is not merely the spirit of the eternal word, but
the spirit of the word incarnate, Jesus Christ. It is the man
Jesus exalted to the right hand of the Father who receives and
sends the Spirit.
(Acts 2: 32, 33— " This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all
are witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted,
and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he
hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear."
(9) Acts. 16:7, R.V. — " And when they were come over against
Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: and the Spirit of Jesus suf
fered them not." (Compare v. 6 — "And they went through the
region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden of the Holy
Ghost to speak the word in Asia.")
The Names of the Holy Spirit 241
"THE SPIRIT OF JESUS."
The thought of the relation of the Spirit to the man Jesus
is still more clear here.
(10) Luke n: 13 — " If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him ? " (and many places).
"THE HOLY SPIRIT."
This name emphasizes the essential moral character of the
Spirit. He is Holy in Himself. He imparts holiness to others.
(Compare 1 Pet. 1:2.) Oh, if we only realized more deeply and
constantly that He is the HOLY Spirit. Well may we, as the
seraphim, bow in His presence and cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy."
Yet how thoughtlessly many talk about Him and pray for Him.
We pray for Him to come into our churches and our hearts, but
what will He find there?
(n) Is. 4: 4 — "When the LORD shall have washed away the filth of
the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem
from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of
burning."
" THE SPIRIT OF BURNING."
This name emphasizes His searching, refining, dross-consum
ing, illuminating, energizing work.
(12) Rom. i: 4 — "And declared to be the Son of God with power,
according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."
"THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS."
This possibly emphasizes the Holiness of the Spirit even
more than "the Holy Spirit."
(13) Eph. i: 13, R.V. — " In whom ye also, having heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom, having also believed,
ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise."
"THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE."
This refers to His being the great promise of the Father
and the Son. (Compare Acts 1:4, 5 — "And, being assembled
together with them, commanded them that they should not depart
from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which,
saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water;
but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days
hence. "
242 What the Bible Teaches
(Acts 2: 33— " Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted,
and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost> he
hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.")
(14) Jno. 14: 17 — "Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot
receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know
him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
Jno. 15: 26 — " But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send
unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth
from the Father, he shall testify of me."
Jno. 16: 13 — " Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will
guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatso
ever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things
to come."
" THE SPIRIT OP TRUTH."
(1) His essence is truth (Compare 1 Jno. 5: 7, R.V. —
1 'And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is
the truth ") and (2) It is His work to communicate truth.
(Compare Jno. 14: 26; 16: 13.) All truth is from Him.
(15) Rom. 8: 2 — " For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
"THE SPIRIT OF LIFE."
(16) Is. u: 2 — "And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and
might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. "
(1) " THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING."
(2) " THE SPIRIT OF COUNSEL AND MIGHT."
(3) " THE SPIRIT OF KNOWLEDGE AND OF THE FEAR OF THE
LORD."
All these suggestive names refer to the gracious work of the
Spirit in " the servant of the Lord." (See context.)
(17) Heb. i: 9 — "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated
iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil
of gladness above thy fellows."
"THE OIL OF GLADNESS."
A most beautiful and suggestive name of Him whose fruit is
first "love, ' then "joy." (Gal. 5: 22.)
(18) Heb. 10: 29 — "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose
ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son
of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was
sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit oj
grace?"
The Names of the Holy Spirit 243
"THE SPIRIT OF GRACE."
This name brings out the fact that it is the Holy Spirit's
work to administer and to apply the grace of God. Not only is
He gracious, but He is making ours, experimentally, the multi
fold grace of God.
(19) i Pet. 4: 14 — " If ye be reproached for the name of Christ,
happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on
their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified."
" THE SPIRIT OF GLORY."
This name is intended to teach not only that He is glorious
Himself, but that He imparts the glory of God to us.
(Compare v. 13 — "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of
Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be
glad also with exceeding joy," and Rom. 8: 16, 17 — "The Spirit him
self beareth witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God:
and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
together.")
The Holy Spirit is the administrator of glory as well as
grace, or rather of a grace that culminates in glory.
(Compare Eph. 3: 16-19 — "That he would grant you, according to
the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in
the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye,
being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with
all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, ana height; and
to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be
filled with all the fulness of God.")
(20) Heb. 9: 14 — " How much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge
your conscience from dead works to serve the living God ? "
"THE ETERNAL SPIRIT."
(21) Jno. 14:26 — "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto
you."
Jno. 15: 26 — "But when the Comforter 'is come, whom I will send
unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth
from the Father, he shall testify of me." (See also Jno. 16: 7.)
"THE COMFORTER."
The word translated "Comforter" means far more than that.
It means literally < ' one called to another's side, " the idea being
244 What the Bible Teaches
one at hand to take another's part. It is the same word translated
" advocate" in 1 Jno. 2: 1. ("My little children, these things
write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have
an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.") The
thought is that the Holy Spirit is one who is called to our sidet
one who is ever ready "to stand by us," to take our part. It is
a wonderfully tender name for this Holy One. When we think of
the Holy Spirit He seems so far away, but when we think of the
'Paracletos, or in plain English, our " standbyer, " or our ^part-
taker," how near He is! In what numerous ways He stands by us
will appear when we come to consider His work. But let us get
this thought firmly fixed now, that the Holy Spirit is one called to
our side to take our part.
11 Ever present, truest friend,
Ever near thine aid to lend."
CHAPTER VI,
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
I. The Work of the Spirit in the Universe.
(1) Ps. 33: 6 — " By the word of the LORD were the heavens made)
and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth"
Job 33: 4—" The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the
Almighty hath given me life."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Creation of the material universe
and man is effected through the agency of the Holy Spirit .
NOTE.— In Col. i: 16, R.V. (" For in him were all things created,
in the heavens and upon .the earth, things visible and things invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have
been created through him and unto him;") all things are said to have
been created in the Son, and in Heb. i: 2 ("Hath in those last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the worlds") God is said to have made the worlds
(or ages) through Him. In the first passage given above the word as well
as the Spirit is mentioned in connection with creation. (Compare Gen.
i: 2, 3.) The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all active in the creative
work. The Father works through His Word and His Spirit.
(2) Ps. 104: 29, 30— " Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou
takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Thou
sendcst forth thy spirit ', they are created: and thou renewest the face of
the earth."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The maintenance of living creatures
is through the agency of the Holy Spirit.
(3) Gen. i: 2, 3 — "And the earth was without form and void; and
darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God
moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light:
and there was light."
Gen. 2: 7— "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man be
came a living soul."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The development of the present order
of things from the early chaotic, undeveloped state, is effected
through the agency of the Holy Spirit,
246 What the Bible Teaches
NOTE i. — Seemingly, each new and higher impartation of the Spirit
of God brings forth a higher order of being — inert matter, motion, light,
vegetable life, animal life, man (the new man), Jesus Christ. This is
Biblical development, as distinguished from the godless evolution so
popular to-day. This, however, is only hinted at in the Bible.
NOTE 2. — The Word of God is even more plainly active in each
stage of progress in creation. " God said" occurs ten times in Gen. i.
II, The Work of the Spirit in Man in general.
i. Jno. 15: 26, 27 — " But when the Comforter is come, whom I will
send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which pro-
ceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear
witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning."
Acts 5: 30-32 — "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye
slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right
hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel,
and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and
so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey
him."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit bears witness to the
truth regarding Jesus Christ.
NOTE i. — At first sight this testimony would seem to be confined
to the believer, for Jno. 15: 26 ("But when the Comforter is come, whom
I will send unto you from the Father, even the- Spirit of truth, which pro-
ceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me ") says, ' ' Whom I will send
unto you" (/. e., of course, believers), but in the next chapter, verses 7, 8
("Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away:
for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I
depart, I will send -him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove
the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment "), where the Holy
Spirit's work in the world is distinctly described, it says, "I will send
him unto you" The truth seems clearly to be that the Spirit works on
the world through the believers to whom He is sent. If we as believers
realized the utter dependence of the world upon us for the Spirit's gracious
work, would we not be more careful to see that the Spirit found in us an
unobstructed channel ? How slowly the world comes to know Jesus be
cause of the unfaithfulness of the church.
NOTE 2. — Jno. 14: 17 — " Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world
cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye
know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." All truth is
from the Spirit — He is "the Spirit of truth " but it is His especial work
to bear witness to Him who is the truth — Jesus Christ. (Jno. 14: 6.)
NOTE 3. — It is only through the testimony of the Holy Spirit that
men ever come to a true knowledge of Christ. (Cf. i Cor. 12: 3.) If you
wish men to get a true view of Jesus Christ — such a view of Him that
The Work of the Holy Spirit 247
they may believe and be saved — you must seek for them the testimony of
the Holy Spirit. Neither your testimony, nor even that of the Word
alone, will effect this— though it is your testimony or that of the word
which the Holy Spirit uses. But unless your testimony and that of the
word is taken up by the Holy Spirit and He Himself testifies, they will
not believe. This explains why it is that one who has been long in
darkness concerning Jesus Christ so quickly comes to see the truth when
he surrenders his will to God and seeks light from Him. (Compare Jno.
7: 17, and Acts 5: 32.) It explains also why it is that when you have
shown a man the truth about Christ over and over again and he has seen
nothing, suddenly it all bursts upon him, and he sees and believes. The
Spirit has borne His witness to Christ. It was not merely Peter's words
about Christ that convinced the Jews of the truth concerning Christ on
the Day of Pentecost. It was the Spirit Himself bearing witness. If you
wish men to see the truth about Christ, do not depend upon your own
powers of expression and persuasion, but cast yourself upon the Holy
Spirit and seek for them His testimony and see to it that they put them
selves in a place where the Spirit can testify. This is the cure for both
ignorance and skepticism concerning Christ. (Cf. Jno. 7: 17.)
NOTE 4. — The testimony of the Holy Spirit to Christ is different
from His testimony to our sonship. That we will consider later.
(2) Jno. 16: 8-u, R.V. — "And he, when he is come, will convict
the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of
sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to
the Father, and ye behold me no more; of judgment, because the
prince of this world hath been judged."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit convicts the world
of sin and of righteousness and of judgment.
He convicts the world of its sin in not believing on Christ.
(Compare Acts 2: 36, 37— " Therefore let all the house of Israel
know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have
crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they
were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter and to the rest of
the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do ? " )
He convicts (that is convinces with a convincing that is
self-condemning ) the world of Christ's righteousness attested by
His going to the Father, the coming of the Spirit being in itself a
proof that Christ has gone to the Father.
( Compare Acts 2: 33 — "Therefore being by the right hand of God
exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy
Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.")
He convicts the world of judgment, because the ruler of this
world has been judged. He was judged at the cross.
248 What the Bible Teaches
(Compare Col. 2: 15 — "And having spoiled principalities and
powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it."
Jno. 12: 31 — " Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince
of this world be cast out." Heb. 2:14 — " Forasmuch then as the
children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took
part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had
the power of death, that is, the devil."
It is ours to preach the word and look to the Holy Spirit to
produce conviction. (Acts 2: 4, 37.) Ofttimes the reason why
we fail to produce conviction is because we are trying to do it our
selves. Let us not forget on the other hand that it is through ut
the Spirit produces conviction. (Jno. 16: 7, 8.)
III. The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Believer.
(i) Tit. 3:5, R. V. — " Not by works done in righteousness, which we
did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the wash
ing of regeneration and renewing- of the Holy Ghost."
Jno. 3: 3-5— "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily,
I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he can not see the
kingdom of God. Nicodemus saitli unto him, How can a man be
born again when he is old ? Can lie enter the second time into his
mother's womb, and be born ? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit ', he can not
enter into the kingdom of God."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit makes anew or regen
erates the believer. ( Compare Rom. 12: 2; 2 Cor. 5: 17.)
Regeneration is the Holy Spirit's work. Regeneration is
the impartation of life, spiritual life, to the one "dead in tres
passes and sins." ( Eph. 2:1.) It is the Holy Spirit who im
parts this life.
(Jno. 6: 63 — " It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth
nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they
are life." )
NOTE i.— In 2 Cor. 3: 6, we are told that the letter killeth, but the
Spirit giveth life. This is sometimes interpreted to mean that the literal
interpretation of the Scripture killeth, but that the interpretation that
gives the spirit of the passage giveth life. It means nothing of the kind,
as the context shows. This is a favorite perversion of Scripture with
those who do not like to take the Bible as meaning just what it says. Still
another false interpretation is that the letter means the old covenant, the
law; the spirit, the new covenant, the Gospel. But this is not the thought.
The contrast, as is seen from v. 3, is between the mere written word written
with ink, and the living word written in the heart ' ' with the Spirit of the liv-
The Work of the Holy Spirit 249
ing God." This much is true in the second interpretation, that the law was
"the ministration of death" ( v. 7), because unaccompanied by the
Spirit's power, and the gospel is a ministration of life, because it is a min
istration of the Spirit. But the Gospel is a ministration of the Spirit and
of life only when the Gospel is preached " not in persuasive words of wis
dom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" ( i Cor. 2: 4); or
as Paul puts it in another place ( i Thess. 1:5) when the Gospel comes
" not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost." The
mere letter of the Gospel will merely condemn and kill unless accom
panied by the Spirit's power. The ministry of many an orthodox preacher
and teacher is a ministry of death. It is true the word of the Gospel is the in
strument God uses in regeneration (Compare Jas. i: 18; i Pet. 1:23; i Cor.
4: 15), but it is not the bare word, but the word made a living thing in the
heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. No amount of preaching, no mat
ter how orthodox it may be, no amount of mere study of the Word, will re
generate unless the Holy Spirit works. It is He and He alone that makes
a man a new creature. This He is ever ready to do when the conditions
are supplied. But we are utterly dependent upon Him. Just as we are
utterly dependent upon the work of Christ for us in justification, so we
are utterly dependent upon the work of the Holy Spirit in us for regener
ation. Regeneration is the impartation of a new nature — God's nature.
(2 Pet. 1:4.) It is the Holy Spirit who imparts this to us, makes us par
takers of the divine nature. ( Compare Luke i: 35.) It is done through
the Word. ( 2 Pet. 1:4, and i Cor. 4: 15.) To put it in a word: The
human heart is the soil, the preacher or teacher is the sower, the word of
God is the seed, the Spirit of God quickens the seed, and the Divine na
ture is the result.
NOTE 2. — The Spirit of God dwells in the one thus born of the
Spirit, (i Cor. 3: 16 — " Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you ? ") Some say that it is not the in
dividual believer, but the church who is thus indwelt by the Spirit of
God. But i Cor. 6: 19 ("What! know ye not that your body is the tem
ple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye
are not your own?") shows that Paul conceives of the individual be
liever as the temple of the indwelling Spirit. In the indwelling of the
Spirit we have an advance upon the work of regeneration. That is a
momentary act, the impartation of life, the implantation of a new nature.
But in the indwelling Spirit is an abiding presence. (Jno. 14: 17.) The
Holy Spirit dwells in everyone who belongs to Christ. (Rom. 8: 9 — " But
ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his.") The Corinthian believers were very imperfect believers, but Paul
told them that they were temples of the Holy Spirit even when dealing
with them concerning gross immorality. (See i Cor. 6: 15-19.) The
Holy Spirit dwells in every child of God. In some, however, He dwells
way back in the hidden sanctuary of their spirit and is not allowed to
250 What the Bible Teaches
take possession as He desires of the whole man — spirit, soul and body.
Some, therefore, are not distinctly conscious of His indwelling, but He is
there. What a solemn but glorious thought. If we are children of
God we are not so much to pray that the Spirit may come and dwell in
us; for He does that already. We are rather to recognize His presence,
His gracious and glorious indwelling, and give Him complete control of
the house He already inhabits, and strive to so live as not to grieve this
Holy one, this Divine guest. We shall see later that it is right to pray
for " the filling " or "baptism " with the Spirit. What a thought it gives
of the hallowedness of life and of the sacredness of the body, to think of
the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. How carefully we ought to walk so
as not to grieve Him. How considerately we ought to treat these bodies,
and how sensitively we ought to shun everything that will defile them.
NOTE 3. — This indwelling Spirit is a source of everlasting satisfac
tion and life. Jno. 4: 14 — "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I
shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall
be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (From
a comparison with Jno. 7: 37-39, it is plain that the water here spoken of
is the Holy Spirit.) The one who drinks of this water "shall never
thirst " or literally shall not thirst unto eternity. He has a fountain
within. No need now to go outside for satisfaction. He is independent
of environment for life and joy. Why then do so many professed Chris
tians feel compelled to run into the world for their satisfaction ?
(2) Rom. 8: 2 — " For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit sets the believer in
Christ free from the law of sin and death.
What the law of sin and death is we see in the preceding
chapter. (Rom. 7: 9-24.) Paul had been aroused by the law
of God to see what was holy and just and good. He delighted
in this law after the inward man (Rom. 7: 22) and strove to keep
it. But he found that there was not only this "holy and just
and good " law without him, but he found there was another law
in his members warring against the law of his mind. This law
of sin and death was, that when he would do good evil was pres
ent. (7: 21.) "To will is present to me, but to do that which is
good is not." (V. 18, R.V.) In this wretched position of approv
ing of the law in his mind, but in servitude to the law of sin and
death in his actions, Paul found himself until he discovered in
Christ Jesus a third law, " the law of the Spirit of life." This law
get him free from the law of sin and death so that now he not
only could "will" but also "do," and the pighteousness of the
The Work of the Holy Spirit 25!
law was fulfilled in him who walked not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit. (Rom. 8:3.) It is the work of the Holy Spirit when
we give up trying to live right in our own strength — i. e. , in the
energy of the flesh — and surrender to the Holy Spirit to live after
Him and walk in his blessed power, to set us free from this awf u1
law of sin and death.
There are many professed Christians to-day living in Rom.
7: 9-24. Some even go so far as to reason that this is the nor
mal Christian life. But Paul tells us distinctly in v. 9 that this
was "when the commandment came," and again in v. 14 that
this was his experience as "carnal, sold under sin," but in Rom.
8: 9 he tells us how not to be in the flesh but in the Spirit. In
the eighth chapter of Romans we have the picture of the true
Christian life, the life that is possible to and that God expects
from every one of His children — the life where not merely the
commandment comes, but the Spirit comes and works obedience
and victory. Life not in the flesh but in the Spirit, where we
not only see the beauty of the law, but where the Spirit imparts
power to keep it. (Rom. 8:4.) We still have " the flesh," but
we do not live after it; we "through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the body." (Rom. 8: 13.) We walk after the
Spirit and do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. (Gal. 5: 16.) We
"have crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts thereof."
(Gal, 5: 24, R.V.) It is thus our privilege in the Spirit's power
to get daily, hourly, constant victory over the flesh and over
sin. But this victory is not in ourselves, not in any strength of
our own. Left to ourselves, deserted of the Spirit of God, we
would be as helpless as ever. It is still true that in us, that is, in
our flesh, dwelleth no good thing. (Rom. 7: 18.) It is all in the
Spirit's power. The Spirit's power may be in such fulness, that
one is not conscious even of the presence of the flesh — it seems
dead and gone — but it is only kept in the place of death by the
Holy Spirit's power. If we try to take one step in our own
strength we fail. We must live in the Spirit and walk in the
Spirit if we would have victory. (Gal. 5: 16, 25.)
NOTE. — In Jno. 8:32, it is the truth that sets us free and gives
victory over sin, and in Ps. 119: n, the indwelling word. In this, as in
everything else, what in one place is attributed to the Spirit is elsewher*
atir-Uwited to the word.
252 What the Bible Teaches
(3) Eph. 3: 16, R.V. — " That he would grant you, according to the
riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through
his Spirit in the inward man."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit strengthens the be*
liever with power in the inward man.
The result of this strengthening is seen in vv. 17-19:
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end
vthat ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strong to ap
prehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and
height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passeth
knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God."
This work of the Holy Spirit is very closely akin to that mentioned
in the preceding section. It is a carrying out of the former work
to completion. Here the power of the Spirit manifests itself not
merely in giving us victory over sin, but (a) in Christ's dwelling (a
strong word meaning permanently settling) in our hearts, and
(b) in our being rooted and grounded in love and (c) in our being
made strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth
and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ
which passeth knowledge. It all ultimates in our being (d)
" filled unto all the fulness of God."
(4) Rom. 8; 14 — " For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they
are the sons of God."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit leads us into a holy
life — a life as sons of God, a godlike life.
Not merely does the Holy Spirit give us power to live a holy
Mfe, a life well pleasing to God when we have discovered what
that life is ; He takes us as it were by the hand and leads us into
that life. Our whole part is simply to surrender ourselves utterly
to Him to lead and mold us. Those who do this are not merely
God's offspring which all men are (Acts 17: 28), neither are we
merely God's children. "These are sons of God."
(5) Rom. 8: 16, R.V.— "The Spirit himself beareth witness with
our spirit, that we are children of God."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit bears witness togeth
er with the spirit of the believer that he is a child of God.
The Work of the Holy Spirit 253
Note that Paul does not say that the Spirit bears witness to
our spirit but with it — " together with our spirit," is the exact
force of the words used. That is, there are two who bear witness
to our sonship; first our spirit bears witness that we are children
of God; second, the Holy Spirit bears witness together with our
spirit that we are children of God.
How does the Holy Spirit bear His testimony to this fact?|
Gal. 4. 6 — "And because ye are sons, God has sent forth the
Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
It is only when "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Oesus
has made me free from the law of sin and death (v. 2), ana so
" the righteousness of the law is fulfilled " in me " who walk not
after the flesh but after the Spirit" (v. 4), and I " through the
Spirit of God do mortify the deeds of the body" (v. 13), and when
I am surrendered to the Spirit's leading (v. 14) — it is then and
only then that I can expect (v. 16) to be realized in my experi
ence, and to have the clear assurance of sonship that comes from
the Spirit of God testifying together with my spirit that I am a
child of God. There are many seeking this testimony of the Holy
Spirit in the wrong place — i. e., as a condition of their surrender
ing wholly to God and confessing the crucified and risen one as
their Saviour and Lord.
(6) Gal. 5:22, 23 — " But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace»
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:
against such there is notlaw0"
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit brings forth fruit in
the believer in Christlike graces of character.
(Compare Rom. 14: 17 — " For the kingdom of God is not meat and
drink; but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."
Rom. 15: 13 — " Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy
Ghost." Rom. 5: 5— "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the
love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is
given unto us.")
All real beauty of character, all real Christlikeness in us, is
the Holy Spirit's work, it is His fruit. He bears it, not we.
Notice these graces are not said to be the fruits of the Spirit,
they are the fruit. There is a unity of origin running through
all the multiplicity of manifestation. It is a beautiful life that
254 What the Bible Teaches
is set forth in these verses. Every word is worthy of earnest
study and profound meditation. "Love," '.'joy," "peace," "long-
suffering," "kindness," "goodness," "faith," "meekness," "self-
control." Is not this the life we all long for, the Christ-life? It
is not natural to us, and it is not attainable by any effort of
the flesh or nature. The life that is natural to us is set forth in
the three preceding verses (19-21). But when the indwelling
Spirit is given full control in the one He inhabits, when we are
brought to realize the utter badness of the flesh and give up in
hopeless despair of ever attaining to anything in its power —
when, in other words, we come to the end of self and just give
over the whole work of making us what we ought to be to the
indwelling Holy Spirit, then, and only then, holy graces of char
acter are His fruit. Do you wish these graces in your character
and life? Renounce self utterly and all its striving after holi
ness, and let the Holy Spirit, who dwells in you, take full control
and bear His own glorious fruit. (We get the same essential
truth from another point of view in G-al. 2: 20, R.V., Am.
App.)
Settle it clearly and forever that the flesh can never bear this
fruit, that you can never attain these things by your own effort,
that they are " the fruit of the Spirit." We hear a good deal in
these days about " ethical culture," which usually means a culti
vation of the flesh, until it bears the fruit of the Spirit. It can
not be done until thorns can be made to bear figs, and a bram
ble bush grapes. (Luke 6:44; Matt, 12:33.)
We hear also a good deal about "character-building." That
is all very well if you let the Holy Spirit do the building, and then
it is not so much building as fruit-bearing. (See, however, 2
Pet. 1:5-7.)
We hear also about cultivating graces of character, but we
must always bear in mind that the way to cultivate true graces of
character is by submitting ourselves utterly to the Spirit to do
His work. "This is sanctification of the Spirit." (1 Pet. 1: 2; 2
Thess. 2: 13.)
There is a sense, however, in which cultivating graces of
character is right. We look at Jesus Christ to see what we ought
to be, then we look to the Holy Spirit to make us this that we ought
to be.
The Work of the Holy Spirit 255
(7) Jno. 16:13, R.V.— "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from
himself: but «hat things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak:
and he s^al1 declare unto you the things that are to come."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Sjririt guides the be-
liever into all the truth.
This promise was made in the first instance to the Apostles, but
the Apostles themselves applied it to all believers. (1 Jno. 2 : 20, 27. )
It is the privilege of each of us to be "taught of God." Each
believer is independent of human teachers — "ye need not
that any man teach you. " This does not mean, of course, that
we may not learn much from others who are taught of the Holy
Spirit. If John had thought that he would never have written this
epistle to teach others. The man who is most fully taught of
God, is the very one who will be most ready to listen to what
God has taught others. Much less does it mean that when we
are taught of the Spirit we are independent of the Word of God.
For the Word is the very place to which the Spirit leads His
pupils and the instrument through which He instructs them.
(Eph. 6:17; Jno. 6:63; Eph. 5:18, 19; Compare Col. 3:16.) But
while we may learn much from men we are not dependent upon
them. We have a Divine teacher, the Holy Spirit.
We shall never truly know the truth until we are thus
taught. No amount of mere human teaching, no matter who our
teachers may be, will give us a correct apprehension of the truth,
not even a diligent study of the Word either in the English or
original languages will give us a real understanding of the truth.
We must be taught of the Holy Spirit. And we may be thus taught,
each of us. The one who is thus taught will understand the
truth of God better, even if he does not know a word of Greek or
Hebrew, than the one who knows Greek and Hebrew and all
the cognate languages, and is not taught of the Spirit.
The Spirit will guide the one He teaches into all the truth.
Not in a day, nor in a week, nor in a year, but step by step. There
are two especial lines of the Spirit's teaching mentioned. («) < ' He
shall declare unto you the things that are to come." Many say
we can know nothing of the future, that all our thoughts on that
subject are guesswork. Anyone taught by the Spirit knows bet-
2 $6 What the Bible Teaches
ter than that, (b) "He shall glorify me (i. e., Christ), for he
shall take of mine, and shall declare it unto you." This is the
Holy Spirit's especial line with the believer as with the unbeliever,
to declare unto them the things of Christ and glorify Him.
Many fear to emphasize the truth about the Holy Spirit lest
Christ be disparaged, but no one magnifies Christ as the Holy
Spirit does. We shall never understand Christ nor see His glory
until the Holy Spirit interprets Him to us. The mere listening
to sermons and lectures, the mere study of the Word even, will
never give you to see "the things of Christ." The Holy Spirit
must show you, and He is willing to do it. He is longing to do
it. I suppose the Holy Spirit's most intense desire is to reveal Jesus
Christ to men. Let Him do it. Christ is so different when the
Spirit glorifies Him by taking of the things of Christ and showing
them unto us.
(8) Jno. 14: 26 — " But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom
the Father will send in rny name, he will teach you all things, and
bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto
you."
Here again we have the teaching of the Holy Spirit, but we
have something besides.
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit brings to remem
brance the words of Christ,
This promise was made primarily to the Apostles, and is the
guarantee of the accuracy of their report of what Jesus said; but
the Holy Spirit does a similar work with each believer who ex
pects it of Him, and looks to Him to do it. He brings to mind
the teachings of Christ and the Word, just when we need them
for either the necessities of our life or of our service. How many
of us could tell of occasions when we were in great distress of
soul, or great questioning as to duty, or great extremity as to
what to say to one whom we were trying to lead to Christ or to
help, and just the Scripture we needed — some passage we had
not thought of for a long time and perhaps never in this connec
tion — was brought to mind. It was the Holy Spirit who did this,
and He is ready to do it even more when we expect it from Him.
Is it without significance that in the verse following this blessed
promise, Jesus says : ' * Peace I leave with you, my peace I give
The Work of the Holy Spirit 257
unto you?" If we will just look to the Holy Spirit to bring to
mind Scripture just when we need it and just the Scripture we
need, we will indeed have Christ's peace.
(9) i Cor. 2:9-14 — '* But as it is writtten, Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which
God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed
them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the
deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man,
save the spirit of man which is in him ? even so the things of God
knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not
the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might
know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also
we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which
the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for
they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned."
NINTH PROPOSITION: In these verses we have a twofold work
of the Spirit, (a) The Holy Spirit reveals to us the deep things of
God which are hidden from and foolishness to the natural man.
(It is primarily to the Apostles, that He does this, but we can
not limit this work of the Spirit to them. ) (b) The Holy Spirit
imparts power to discern, know and appreciate what he has
taught.
Not only is the Holy Spirit the Author of Revelation — the
written word of God — He is also the interpreter of what He has
revealed. How much more interesting and helpful any deep book
becomes when we have the author of the book right at hand to
interpret it to us. This is what we always may have when we
study the Bible. The author, the Holy Spirit, is right at hand
to interpret. To understand the book we must look to Him and
the darkest places become clear. "We need to pray often with
the Psalmist: "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold won
drous things out of thy law." (Ps. 119:18.) It is not enough
that we have the objective revelation in the written word, we must
have the (subjective) inward illumination of the Holy Spirit to
enable us to comprehend it. It is a great mistake to try to com.
prehend a spiritual revelation with the natural understanding.
It is the foolish attempt to do this that has landed so many in
the bog of * ' the higher criticism. " A man with no aesthetic sense
258 What the Bible Teaches
might as well expect to appreciate the Sistine Madonna because
he is not color-blind, as an imspiritual man to understand the
Bible simply because he understands the laws of grammar and
the vocabulary of the languages in which the Bible was written.
I would as soon think of setting a man to teach art because he
understood paints, as to set him to teach the Bible because he
understood Greek and Hebrew. We all need not only to recog
nize the utter insufficiency and worthlessness before God of our
own righteousness, which is the lesson of opening chapters of the
Epistle to the Romans, but also the utter insufficiency and worth
lessness in the tilings of God of our own wisdom, which is the
lesson of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, especially the first
to the third chapters. (See, e. </., 1 Cor. 1: 19-21, 26, 27.)
Tho Jews had a revelation by the Spirit but they failed to
depend upon Him to interpret it to them, so they went astray.
The whole evangelical church recognizes the utter insufficiency
of man's righteousness, theoretically at least. Now it needs to
be taught and made to feel the utter insufficiency of man's wis
dom. That is perhaps the lesson that this nineteenth century of
overweening intellectual conceit needs most of any.
To understand God's word we must empty ourselves utterly
of our own wisdom, and rest in utter dependence upon the Spirit
of God to interpret it to us. (Matt. 11 : 25 — " At that time Jesus
answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and pru
dent, and hast revealed them unto babes.")
When we have put away our own righteousness, then, and
only then, we get the righteousness of God. (Phil. 3:4-7, 9 —
* ' Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other
man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I
more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the
tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the
law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touch
ing the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what
things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. * * *
And be found in him, not having mine own r ighteousness, which
is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith." Rom. 10: 3 — "For
they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to
The Work of the Holy Spirit 259
establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God.")
When we put away our own wisdom — then, and only then,
we get the wisdom of God. (1 Cor. 3: 18 — "Let no man deceive
himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world,
let him become a fool, that he may be wise." Matt. 11: 25 — " At
that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the
wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." See also
1 Cor. 1:25-28.)
When we put away our own strength, then, and then only,
we get the strength of God. (Is. 40:29 — "He giveth power to
the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."
2 Cor. 12: 9 — "And he said unto mo, My grace is sufficient for
thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly
therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me." 1 Cor. 1:27. 28 — " But God hath
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and
God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the
things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and
things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which
are not, to bring to nought things that are.")
Emptying must precede filling. Self-poured-out that God
may be poured in.
We must daily be taught by the Spirit to understand the
word. I cannot depend to-day on the fact that the Spirit taught
me yesterday. Each new contact with the Word must be in the
power of the Spirit. That the Holy Spirit once illumined our
mind to grasp a certain passage is not enough. He must do so
each time we confront that passage. Andrew Murray has put
this truth well. He says: " Each time you come to the Word in
study, in hearing a sermon or reading a religious book, there
ought to be, as distinct as your intercourse with the external
means, a definite act of self-abnegation, denying your own wis
dom and yielding yourself in faith to the Divine teacher." ("The
Spirit of Christ," p. 221.)
(10) i Cor. 2: 1-5 — "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came
not with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the tes
timony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you,
260 What the Bible Teaches
save Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness,
and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and preaching
was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration
of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the
wisdom of men, but in the power of God."
i Thess. i: 5 — "For our Gospel came not unto you in word only,
but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance: as
ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake."
Acts i: 8— "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost
is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusa
lem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of
the earth."
TENTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit enables the believer
to communicate to others in povier the truth lie Himself has been
tv^'ght.
We not only need the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth in the
first place, and the Holy Spirit in the second place to interpret
to us as individuals the truth He has revealed, but, in the third
place also we need the Holy Spirit to enable us to effectually
communicate to others tho truth He Himself has interpreted to
us. We need Him all along1 the lino. One great cause of real
o o
failure in the ministry even when there is seeming success, and
not only in the ministry, but in all forms of service by Christian
men and women, is from the attempt to teach by " enticing words
of man's wisdom" — i. e., by the arts of human logic, rhetoric and
eloquence — what the Holy Spirit has taught us. What is needed
is Holy Ghost power " demonstration of the Spirit and of power."
There are three causes of failure in preaching:
First. Some other message is taught than the message
which the Holy Spirit has revealed in the "Word — men preach
science, art, philosophy, sociology, history, experience, etc., and
not the simple word of God as found in the Holy Spirit's Book,
the Bible.
Second. The Spirit- taught message, the Bible, is studied
and sought to be comprehended by the natural understanding —
i. e., without the Spirit's illumination. That, alas ! is too com
mon even in institutions where men are being trained for the
ministry.
Third. The Spirit-given message, the Word, the Bible,
studied and comprehended under the Holy Ghost illumination, is
The Work of the Holy Spirit 261
given out to others with " enticing words of man's wisdom," and
not "in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."
We need, we are absolutely dependent upon, the Spirit all
along the line. He must teach us how to speak as well as what
to speak. His must be the power as well as the message.
(n) Jude 20: — "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your
most holy faith, pray in gin the Holy Ghost"
Eph. 6: 18 — " Praying always with all prayer and supplication in
the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplicatior
for all saints."
Rom. 8: 26, 27, R. V.
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit helps, (juides
and gives power to the believer in, prayer.
The disciples did not know how to pray as they ought, so
they came to Jesus and said: "Lord, teach us to pray." (Luke
11: 1.) "We know not how to pray as we ought," but we have
another paraclete right at hand to help. (Jno. 14: 1C, 17.) — "The
Spirit helpeth our infirmity." (Rom. 8: 26, R.V.) He teaches
us to pray. True prayer is prayer in the Spirit — i. e., the prayer
the Spirit inspires and directs. When we come into God's pres
ence we should recognize our infirmity, our ignorance of what we
should pray for, or how we should do it, and in the consciousness
of our utter inability to pray aright, look up to the Holy Spirit,
and cast ourselves utterly upon Him, to direct our prayers, to
lead out our desires and guide our utterance of them. Rushing
heedlessly into God's presence and asking the first thing that
comes into our mind, or that some thoughtless one asks us to pray
for, is not praying " in the Holy Spirit," and is not true prayer.
We must wait for the Holy Spirit, and surrender ourselves to the
Holy Spirit. The prayer that God the Holy Spirit inspires is the
prayer that God the Father answers.
NOTE i. — Rom. 8: 26, 27, R.V.—" And in like manner the Spirit also
helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but
the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which can
not be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the
mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints accord
ing to the will of God." The longings which the Holy Spirit begets in
our hearts are often too deep for utterance, too deep apparently for clear
and definite comprehension on the part of the believer himself in whom
the Holy Spirit is working. God Himself must "search the heart" to
know "what is the mind of the Spirit" in these unuttered and unutter-
262 What the Bible Teaches
able longings. But God does know what is the mind of the Spirit, He
does know what those Spirit-given longings mean, even if we do not, and
these longings are "according (to the will of) God," and He grants them,
so it comes to pass that "He is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask
or think, according to the power that worketh in us." (Eph. 3: 20.)
NOTE 2. — i Cor. 14: 15 — "What is it then ? I will pray with the
Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the
Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." There are other
times when the Spirit's leadings are so clear that we "pray with the
Spirit . . . and with the understanding also."
(12) Eph. 5: 18-20, R.V — " And be not drunken with wine, wherein
is riot, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking one to another in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your
heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit inspires the be
liever to and guides him in praise and thanksgiving.
Not only does He teach us to pray, He also teaches us to
render thanks. One of the most prominent characteristics of
" the spirit-filled life " is thanksgiving. (Compare Acts 2: 4, 11.)
True thanksgiving is "to God, even the Father," through or "in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," in the Holy Spirit The
Same is true of prayer, (Compare Eph. 2: 18, R.V.)
(13) Phil. 3: 3, R.V. — " For we are the circumcision, who worship
by the Spirit of Godt and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence
in the flesh,"
THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit inspires
worship on the part of the believer.
Prayer is not worship, thanksgiving is not worship. Wor
ship is a definite act of the creature in relation to God. Worship
is bowing before God in adoring acknowledgment and contempla
tion of Himself. Someone has said: "In our prayers we are
taken up with our needs, in our thanksgiving we are taken up
with our blessings, in our worship we are taken up with Himself."
There is no true and acceptable worship except that which
the Holy Spirit prompts and directs. "Such doth the Father
seek to be His worshippers." (Jno. 4: 23, R.V.) The Flesh seeks
to enter every sphere of life. It has its worship as well as its
lusts. The worship which the flesh worships is an abomination
The Work of the Holy Spirit 263
unto God. (Herein we see the folly of any attempt at a Parlia
ment of Religions, where the representatives of different religions
attempt to worship together.)
Not all earnest and honest worship is worship in the Spirit.
A man may be very honest and very earnest in his worship, and
still not have submitted himself to the guidance of the Holy Spirit
in the matter, and so his worship is in the flesh. Even when
there is great loyalty to the letter of the Word, worship may not
be "in the Spirit" — i. e., inspired and directed by Him. To
worship aright we must " have no confidence in the flesh," we
must recognize the utter inability of the flesh — i. e., our natural
self, as contrasted to the Divine Spirit that dwells in and should
mold everything in the believer — to worship acceptably; we must
realize also the danger there is that the flesh, self, intrude itself
into our worship. In utter self-distrust and self-abnegation we
must cast ourselves upon the Holy Spirit to lead us aright in
our worship.
Just as we must renounce any merit in ourselves and cast
ourselves utterly upon Christ and His work for us for justifica
tion, just so must we renounce any capacity for good in ourselves,
and cast ourselves utterly upon the Holy Spirit and His work in
us, in holy living, knowing, praying, thanking and worshipping,
and all else that we are to do.
(14) Acts 13: 2, 4 — "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted,
the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work
whereunto-I have called them. So they, being sent forth by the Holy
Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus."
FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit calls men
and sends them forth to definite lines of work.
The Holy Spirit not only calls men in a general way into
Christian work, but selects the specific work and points it out.
"Shall I go to China, to Africa, to India?" many a one is
asking, and many another ought to ask. You cannot rightly
settle that question for yourselves, neither can any other man
settle it rightly for you. Not every Christian man is called to
China or Africa, or any other foreign field, or to the foreign field
at all. God alone knows whether He wishes you in any of these
places. He is willing to show you.
264 What the Bible Teaches
How does the Holy Spirit call? The passage before us doea
not tell us. It is presumably purposely silent on this point, lest,
perhaps, we think that He must always call in precisely the same
way. There is nothing to indicate that He spoke by an audible
voice, much less that He made His will known in any of the fan
tastic ways in which some profess to discern His leading — as e. g.,
by twitchings of the body, opening of the Bible at random and
putting the finger on a passage that may be construed into some
entirely different meaning than that the inspired writer intended
by it But the important point is, He made His will clearly
known and He is willing to make His will clearly known to us
to-day.
The great need in Christian work to-day is men and women
whom the Holy Spirit calls and sends forth. We have plenty of
men and women whom men have called and sent forth, or who
have called themselves. (There are many to-day who object stren
uously to being sent forth by men, by any organization of any
kind, who are, what is immeasurably worse than that, sent forth by
self, not by God.)
How shall we receive the Holy Spirit's call? By desiring it,
seeking it, waiting upon the Lord for it, and expecting it. "As
they ministered to the Lord and fasted, " the record reads. Many a
man is saying in self- justification for staying out of the ministry,
and staying at home from the foreign field, " I have never had a
call." How do you know that? Have you been listening for it?
God speaks often in a 1 1 still small voice. " Only the listening ear can
catch it. Have you definitely offered yourself to God to send you
where He will? While no man ought to go to China or Africa un
less he is clearly and definitely called, he ought to definitely offer
himself to God for this work, to be ready for a call and to be
listening sharply that he may hear it when it comes. No edu
cated Christian man or woman has a right to rest easy out of the
foreign field unless he has definitely offered himself to God for
that work, and is clear no call from God has come. A man needs
no more definite call to Africa than to Boston, or New York, or
Chicago.
(15) Acts 8: 27-29 — "And he arose and went: and, behold, a man
of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the
Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come
The Work of the Holy Spirit 265
to Jerusalem for to worship, was returning, and sitting in his chariot
read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near,
and join thyself to this chariot."
Acts 16: 6, 7 — "Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and
the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach
the word in Asia, after they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go
into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not."
FIFTEENTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit guides in the
details of daily life and service, as to icfiere to go and where not
to go ; ivhat to do and what not to do.
It is possible for us to have the unerring guidance of the
Holy Spirit at every turn of life. For example, in personal work
it is manifestly not God's intention that we speak to every one we
meet. There are some to whom we ought not to speak. Time
spent on them would be taken from work more to God's glory.
Doubtless Philip met many as he journeyed toward Gaza before
he met the one of whom the Spirit said: "Go near., and join thy
self to this chariot." So is He ready to guide us also. So also in
all the affairs of life, business, study, everything, we can have
God's wisdom. There is no promise more plain and explicit than
Jas. 1:5 — "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; arid it shall be
given him."
How shall we gain this wisdom?
Jas. 1:5-7 — "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like
a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man
think that he shall receive anything of the Lord."
Here are really five steps:
First. That we "lack wisdom." We must be conscious of
and fully admit our own inability to decide wisely. Not only the
sinfulness, but the wisdom of the flesh must be renounced.
Second. We must really desire to know God's way, and be
willing to do God's will. That is implied in th? asking
if the asking is sincere. This is a point of fundamental impor
tance. Here we find the reason why men ofttimes do not
know God's will and have the Spirit's guidance. They are not
really willing to do whatever the Spirit leads. It is " the meek "
266 What the Bible Teaches
whom He guides in judgment and " the meek " to whom "He will
teach his way." (Ps. 25: 9.) It is he that "willeth to do his
will" who shall know, etc. (Jno. 7: 17, R.V.)
Third. We must "ask," definitely ask guidance.
Fourth. We must confidently expect guidance. "Let him
ask in faith, nothing doubting." (Vv. 6, 7, R.V.)
Fifth. We must follow step by step as the guidance comes.
Just how it will come no one can tell, but it will come. It may
come with only a step made clear at a time. That is all we need
to know — the next step. Many are in darkness about guidance
because they do not know what God will have them do next week,
or next month, or next year. Do you know the next step? That
is enough. Take it and He will show you the next. (Num. 9: 17-
23 — {< And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then
after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where
the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed,
and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched; as long as the
cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents. And
when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then
the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed
not. And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the
tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode
in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD
they journeyed. And so it was, when the cloud abode from even
unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morn
ing, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that
the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. At the commandment
of the LORD they rested in their tents, and at the commandment
of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at
the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.")
GOD'S GUIDANCE is CLEAR GUIDANCE. (1 Jno. 1:5 — " God is
light, and in him is no darkness at all.")
Many are tortured by leadings they fear may be from God,
but of which they are not sure. You have a right, as God's chil
dren, to be sure. Go to God. Say, " Here I am, heavenly Father, I
am willing to do thy will, but make it clear. If this is thy will
I will do it, but make it clear if it is so." He will do so; if it is
His will, and you are willing to do itj and you need not, and
The Work of the Holy Spirit 267
Dught not to do that thing until He does make it clear. We have
no right to dictate to God how He shall give His guidance: by
shutting up every other way, or by a sign, or by letting us put
our finger on a text. It is ours to seek and expect wisdom, but
it is not ours to dictate how it shall be given. (1 Cor. 12: 11 —
"But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing
to every man severally as he will. ' ')
Two things are evident from what has been said thus far
about the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer:
First. How utterly dependent we are upon the Holy Spirit
at every turn of Christian life and service.
Second. How perfect is the provision for life and service
that God has made and what the fulness of privilege that is open
to the humblest believer through the Holy Spirit's work. It is
not so much what we are by nature, either intellectually, mor
ally, spiritually, or even physically, that is important, but what
the Holy Spirit can do for us, and what we will let Him do. The
Holy Spirit often takes the one who gives the least natural prom
ise and uses him beyond those who give the greatest natural
promise. Christian life is not to be lived in the realm of natural
temperament, and Christian work is not to be done in the power
of natural endowment, but Christian life is to be lived in the
realm of the Spirit, and Christian work is to be done in the power
of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is willing and eagerly desirous
to do for each of us His whole work. He will do for each of us
all that we let Him do.
(16) Rom. 8: n — "But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from
the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."
SIXTEENTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit quickens the
mortal body of the believer.
This, as the context shows, refers to the future Resurrection
of the body. This is the Spirit's work. The glorified body is
from Him. It is a spiritual body. We now have the first fruits
of the Spirit, but are waiting for the full harvest, the redemption
of the body. (Rom, 8:23 — "And not only they, but ourselves
also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the re
demption of our body.")
268 What the Bible Teaches
NOTE. — There is a sense in which the Holy Spirit even now quick
ens our bodies. Matt. 12: 28 — " But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of
God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you." Acts 10: 38 — " How
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power:
who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the
devil: for God was with him." James 5: 14 — " Is any sick among you: lef
him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anoint
ing him with oil in the name of the Lord." God by His Holy Spirit does
impart new health and vigor to these mortal bodies in the present life.
Compare Ps. 104:29, 30 — " Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou
takest away their breath, they die, and are returned to the dust. Thou
sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of
the earth."
CHAPTER VI L
THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT,
I, What the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is.
(i) Acts i: 5 — " For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be
baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Compare 2:4, 38
—"And they were v\\ filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak
with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Then Peter
said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost"
4: 8—" Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye
rulers of the people, and leaders of Israel."
10:44-^6 — " While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell
on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision
which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because
that on the Gentiles also was poiired out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God."
Compare n: 15-17 — " And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell
in them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of
the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye
shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave
them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus
Christ, what was I, that I could withstand God ?"
19: 2-6 — "He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost
since ye believed ? And they said unto him, We have not so much as
heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them,
Unto what then were ye baptized ? And they said, Unto John's bap
tism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of re
pentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him
which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they
heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And
when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on
them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied."
Heb. 2:4 — "God also bearing them witness, both with signs and
wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, ac
cording to his own will."
i Cor. 12:4, ii, 13 — "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the
same Spirit. . . . But all these worketh that one and the self-
2/0 What the Bible Teaches
same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. . . . For
by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews
or gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to
drink into one Spirit."
Luke 24: 49 — " And behold I send the promise of my Father upon
you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with
power from on high."
FIRST PROPOSITION: A number of suggestive phrases^
' ' Baptized with the Holy Spirit, " " Filled with the Holy
Ghost," "The Holy Ghost fell on them," "The gift of the
Holy Ghost was poured out, " " Receive the Holy Ghost, ' '
" The Holy Ghost came on them," "Gifts of the Holy Ghost,"
"I send the promise of my Father upon you," "Endued with
power from on high, ' ' are used in the New Testament to de
scribe one and the same experience.
(2) Acts 19: 2, R.V. — " And he said unto them, Did ye receive the
Holy Ghost when ye believed ? And they said unto him, Nay, we did
not so much as hear whether the Holy Ghost was given."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The baptism with the Holy Spirit is
a definite experience of which one may and ought to know whether
he has received it or not.
(Compare Acts 8: 15, 16 — "Who, when they were come down,
prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: for as yet
he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name
of the Lord Jesus." Gal. 3: 2 — "This only would I learn of you, Re
ceived ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of
faith ?")
(3) Acts i : 5 — " For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be
baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."
Here was a company of regenerated men pronounced so by
Christ Himself. (Compare Jno. 15: 3 — "Now are ye clean
through the word which I have spoken unto you," and Jno. 13:
10 — " Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to
wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not
all.") And yet the baptism with the Spirit lay for them some
days in the future.
Acts 8: 12 — " But when they believed Philip preaching the things
concerning the kingdom of God, and the -name of Jesus Christ, they
were baptized, both men aud women."
In this company of baptized believers there were certainly
same regenerated people, but we read in vv. 15: 16:
The Baptism with the Holy Spirit 271
"Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they
might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none oj
them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." )
Regenerated but not baptized with the Holy Ghost. We see
the same thing in Acts 19: 1, 2:
"And it came to pass, that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul
having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus; and finding
certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost
since ye believed ? and they said unto him, we have not so much as
heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." Compare v. 6—" And
when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on
them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is
an operation of the Holy Spirit distinct from and subsequent and
additional to His regenerating work.
A man may be regenerated by the Holy Spirit and still not
be baptized with the Holy Spirit. In regeneration there is an
impartation of life, and the one who receives it is saved; in the
Baptism with the Holy Spirit there is an impartation of power
and the one who receives it is fitted for service.
EVERY TRUE BELIEVER HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Rom. 8: 9 — " But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be
that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (See also, i Cor. 6: 19.)
But not every believer has the Baptism with the Holy Spirit,
though every believer, as we shall see, may have. The Baptism
with the Holy Spirit may be received immediately after the new
birth — as e. g., in the household of Cornelius. In a normal state
of the church every believer would have the Baptism with the
Holy Spirit, as in the Church at Corinth. (1 Cor. 12: 13 — " For
by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be
Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all
made to drink into one Spirit." )
In such a normal state of the church the Baptism with the
Holy Spirit would be received immediately upon repentance and
baptism into the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.
(Acts 2: 38.) But the doctrine of the Baptism with the Holy
Spirit has been so allowed to drop out of sight, and the church
has had so little expectancy along this line for its young children,
272 What the Bible Teaches
that a large portion of the church is in the position of the churches
in Samaria and Ephesus, where someone has to come and call the
attention of the mass of believers to their privilege in the Risen
Christ and claim it for them.
(4) Acts i: 5, 8 — " For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall
be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. But ye shall
receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye
shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth."
Luke 24:49 — "And behold I send the promise of my Father upon
you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with
power from on high."
Acts. 2: 4 — " And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and be
gan to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance."
Acts. 9: 17, 20 — "And Ananias went his way, and entered into
the house; and putting his hands on him said. Brother Saul, the Lord,
even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath
sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the
Holy Ghost. And straight-way he preached Christie the synagogues,
that he is the Son of God."
i Cor. 12: 4-14 — " Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same
Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same
Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God
which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given
to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit
the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same
Spirit: To another faith by the same Spirit: to another the gifts of
healing by the same Spirit: to another the working of miracles; to an
other prophecy, to another discerning of Spirits; to another divers
kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these
worketh out that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man
severally as he will. For as tke body is one, and hath many members,
and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so
also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and
have been all made to drink into one Spirit."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Baptism with the Holy Spirit
is an experience connected with and primarily for the purpose of
service.
The Baptism with the Spirit is not primarily intended to
make believers happy nor holy, but to make them useful. In ev
ery passage in the Bible in which the results of the Baptism with
the Holy Spirit are mentioned they are related to testimony and
The Baptism with the Holy Spirit 273
service. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit has no direct reference
to cleansing from sin. It has to do with gifts for service rather
than with graces of character. The steps by which one ordinarily
receives the Baptism with the Holy Spirit are of such a character,
and the Baptism with the Holy Spirit makes God so real that this
Baptism is in most cases accompanied by a great moral uplift, or
even a radical transformation, but the Baptism with the Holy
Spirit is not in itself either an eradication of the carnal nature or
cleansing from an impure heart. It is the impartation of super
natural power or gifts in service, and sometimes one may have
rare gifts by the Spirit's power and few graces. (Compare 1 Cor.
13: i_3 — "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of
angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or
a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and
understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have
all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity,
I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the
poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not
charity, it pronteth me nothing." And Matt. 7: 22, 23 — « Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have wre not prophesied
in Thy name, and in Thy name have cast out devils, and in Thy
name done many wonderful works ? And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity. ")
It is indeed the work of the Holy Spirit to cleanse Irom sin,
and to empower one for and lead one into a life of victory over
the world, the flesh and the Devil, but this is not the Baptism
with the Holy Spirit. It is, however, more fundamental and im
portant. It is well to remember also that Jesus promised a two
fold baptism, "with the Holy Ghost and with fire." This can
not be interpreted to mean two contrasted baptisms, one of bless
ing and the other of judgment. The Greek does not permit of
this interpretation. It is one twofold baptism. Many seem to
get only part of it, " the Holy Wind," but the "fire" is for us
too, if we claim it. And fire searches, refines, consumes, illumi
nates, makes to glow, energizes, spreads. "Fire" is what many
need to-day, and it is for us.
II. Results of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit,
(i) i Cor. 12: 4-10 — "Now there are diversities Q{ gifts, but the
same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the
274 What the Bible Teaches
same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same
God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is
given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit
the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same
Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of
healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to an
other prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers
kinds of tongues: to another the interpretation of tongues."
FIRST PR OPOSITION: The specific manifestations of the Bap.
tism with the Iloly Spirit are not precisely the same in all per-
sons.
"There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." The
gifts vary with the different lines of service to which God has
called different persons. The church is a body, and different
parts of the body have different functions, and the Spirit imparts
to the one who is baptized with the Spirit those gifts which fit
him for the work to which the Spirit has called him. For exam-
ample, many in the early church who were baptized with the
Holy Spirit spake with tongues (Acts 10: 46; 19: 6), but not
all. (1. Cor. 12: 27-30.) So to-day the Holy Spirit imparts to
some gifts as an evangelist, to others as pastors and teachers.
To others as "helps, governments," etc.
(2) i Cor. 12: 7 — "For the manifestation of the Spirit is given to
every man to profit withal."
SECOND PROPOSITION: There will be some gift to every one
baptized with the Holy Spirit.
(3) i Cor. 12: ii, R.V.— " But all these worketh the one and the
same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit divides to each one
severally as He will. The Holy Spirit is absolutely sovereign in
deciding how — in what special gift, operation or power — the
Baptism icith the Holy Spirit shall manifest itself.
It is not for us to pick out some place of service and then
ask the Holy Spirit to qualify us for that service; it is not for us
to select some gift and then ask the Holy Spirit to impart to us
that gift. It is for us to simply put ourselves entirely at the
disposal of the Holy Spirit to send us where He will, to select for
TO what kind of service He will, and to impart what gift He will.
The Baptism with the Holy Spirit 275
He is absolutely sovereign, and our position is that of uncondi.
tional surrender to Him. I am glad that this is so: that He, in His
infinite wisdom and love, is to select the field, service and gifts
and not I, in my shortsightedness and folly. It is because of a
failure to recognize this absolute sovereignty of the Spirit that
many fail of the blessing and meet with disappointment. They
are trying to select the gift and so get none. Of course, it is
scriptural, while recognizing and rejoicing in the sovereignty of
the Holy Spirit, to "covet earnestly the best gifts." (1 Cor.
12: 31.)
(4) Acts i: 5, 8 — " For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall
be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. For ye shall
receive power^ after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye
shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Baptism with the Holy Spirit
always imparts power in service.
The power may be of one kind in one person and of another
kind in another person, but there will always be power — and the
very power of God at that. As sure as anyone who reads these
pages, who has not already received the Baptism with the Holy
Spirit, seeks it in God's way, there will come into his service a
power that was never there before — power for the very work
God has for you to do. The results of that power may not be
manifest at once in conversions. (Acts 7:55-60.)
(5) Acts. 4:29, 31 — "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings:
and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy
word. . . . And when they had prayed, the place was shaken
where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with
the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The Baptism with the Holy Spirit im
parts boldness in testimony and service.
The Baptism with the Spirit converts cowards into heroes.
(Compare Acts 4: 8-12.)
(6) Acts 2:4, 7, 8, ii— "And they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to
another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans ? And how
276 What the Bible Teaches
hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born ? Cretes
and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful
•works 0/God."
Acts 4: 31, 33, 8-10 — "And when they had prayed, the place was
shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the.
Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. . . . Then Peter, filled
with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and
elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done
to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; be it known
unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the
dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole."
Acts 9: 17, 20 — "And Ananias went his way, and entered into the
house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord,
even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath
sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the
Holy Ghost. . . . And straightway he preached Christ in the
synagogues, that he is the Son of God."
Acts 10: 44-46 — " While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost
fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circum
cision which believed were astonished, as many as carne with Peter,
because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy
Ghost, for they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God"
Eph. 5: 18, 19 — "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but
be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the
Lord."
SIXTH PROPOSITION; The Baptism with the Holy Spirit
causes one to be occupied with God and Christ and spiritual
things.
The man who is filled with the Holy Ghost will not be sing
ing sentimental ballads, nor comic ditties, nor operatic airs while
the power of the Holy Ghost is upon him. If the Holy Ghost
should come upon one while listening to the most innocent of the
world's songs he would not enjoy it. He would long to hear some
thing about Christ.
GENERAL PROPOSITION: The Baptism with the Holy Spirit
is the Spirit of God coming upon the believer, filling his mind
with a real apprehension of truth, and taking possession of his
faculties, imparting to him gifts not otherwise his, but which
qualify Mm for the service to which God has called him.
The Baptism with the Holy Spirit 277
III. The Necessity of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
(1) Luke 24: 48, 49 — " And ye are witnesses of these things. And
behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye (sit ye
down) in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on
high."
Acts i: 4, 5, 8 — "And, being assembled together with them, com
manded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait
for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
. . . But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in
all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ commanded the disciples
not to enter upon the work to which He had Himself called them
until baptized with the Holy Ghost.
NOTE i. — They were rarely fitted for the work by experience, and
by association with Himself, and by long training at His own hands, but
the further preparation of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit was so aU
essential that they must not move without it.
NOTE 2.— There was apparently imperative need that something
be done at once. The whole world was perishing and they alone kne\v
the saving truth. Nevertheless Jesus strictly charged them "wait."
What a testimony to the all importance of " the Baptism with the Holy
Spirit" as a preparation for work that shall be acceptable to Christ.
(2) Acts 10: 38 — " How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing
all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." (Com
pare Luke 3:22 and Luke 4: i, 14, 17, 18— " And the Holy Ghost
descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came
from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well
pleased. . . . And J esus being fit II of the Holy Ghost returned from Jor
dan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. . . . And
Jesus returned in the poivcr of the Spirit into Galilee: and there
went out a fame of him through all the region round about. . . .
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias.
And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it
was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath
anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to
heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captive, and re
covering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ Himself, though the
only begotten Son of God, did not enter upon His ministry until
the Spirit of God had come upon Him, and He had thus been
tl anointed with the Holy Ghost and power."
2/8 What the Bible Teaches
(3) Acts 8: 14-16 — " Now when the apostles which were at Jerusa«
lem heard that Samaria had received the word of God they sent unto
them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed J of
them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: for as yet he was fallen
upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus."
Acts ig: i, 2 — "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at
Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus;
and finding certain disciples, he said unto them, Have ye received the
Holy Ghost since ye believed ? And they said unto him, We have not
so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost."
THIRD PROPOSITION: When the apostles found believers in
Christ they at once demanded whether they Jiad received the Holy
Ghost, and, if not, they at once saw to it that they did.
GENERAL PROPOSITION: The Baptism with the Holy Spirit
is absolutely necessary in every Christian for the service that
Christ demands and expects of him.
IY. Possibility of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, or for whom is the
Baptism with the Holy Spirit]
Acts 2: 38, 39 — "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be bap
tized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is
unto yoit, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as
many as the Lord our God shall call."
(The promise of these verses is ' ' the Baptism with the Holy
Spirit" or "gift of the Holy Spirit." Compare Acts 1: 4; 2: 33,
and also context.)
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Baptism with the Holy Spirit was
not merely for the apostles, nor merely for those of the apostolic
aye, but for lt all that are afar off\ even as many as the Lord our
God shall call" as well, i. e., it is for every believer in every age of
the Church's history. If any believer in any age does not have
the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, it is solely because he does not
claim his privilege in Christ.
V. The Refilling with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2: 4 — "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utter
ance."
The Baptism with the Holy Spirit 279
Acts 4: 8, 31— "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto
them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel. . . And when they
had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together;
and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word
of God with boldness."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The same disciple (Peter) is said to
have been ' ' filled with the Holy Spirit ' ' on three different occa
sions.
It is not enough that one be filled with the Holy Spirit once.
We need a new filling of the Holy Spirit for each new emergency
of Christian service.
YI. The Conditions upon which the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is given.
(1) Acts 2: 38, R. V. — ''•Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Acts 10: 44 — " While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost
fell on all tli em "which heard the word." Compare Acts 15: 8, 9 — "And
God which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the
Holy Ghost even as he did unto us, and put no difference between us
and them, purifying their hearts by faith.'"
Gal. 3: 2 — " Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by
the hearing of faith " ?
FIRST PROPOSITION: The fundamental conditions upon
which the gift (or Baptism with the Holy Spirit) is bestowed
are: Repentance, faith in Jesus Christ as an all-sufficient
Saviour (apart from works of the law), and baptism in the
natne of Jesus Christ unto the remission of sins.
(2) Acts 19: 2, 6, R.V. — " He said unto them, Did ye receive the
Holy Ghost when ye believed ? And they said unto him, Nay, we did
not so much as hear whether the Holy Ghost was given." (Compare
v. 6.)
SECOND PROPOSITION: For those who believe on Jesus
Christ the experimental reception of the Baptism with the
Holy Spirit is sometimes conditioned on the believer's knowing
that there is such a blessing and that it is for him now.
(3) Acts 5: 32 (last part) — ' ' The Holy Ghost, whom God hath given
to them that obey /tim."
THIRD PROPOSITION: God gives the Holy Ghost to them
that obey Him.
280 What the Bible Teaches
Obedience means absolute surrender. This is really involved
in true repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. It is one of the
most fundamental conditions of entering into this blessing. It is
the point at which thousands fail of it to-day.
(4) Acts 8: 15, 16 — "Who, when they were come down, prayed for
them that they might receive the Holy Ghost; for as yet he was fallen
on none of them," etc. (See, also, v. 17.)
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Baptism with the Holy Spirit
is given to those who have already believed on Christ and been
baptized with water (v. 12) in answer to definite prayer. (Com
pare Luke 11 : 13.) But there may be much earnest praying and
still the Holy Spirit not come because the prayer is not in faith.
(Jas. 1: 6, 7.) The faith that receives this, as every other bless-
ing at once, is the faith that counts it as its own, (Mark, 11:
24, R.V. ; 1 Jno. 5: 14, 15.)*
*This whole subject is discussed at length in the author's book entitled " The Bap
tism with the Holy Spirit."
CHAPTER VIII,
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PROPHETS AND
APOSTLES,
I. The Distinctive Character of the Work of the Holy Spirit in Prophets
and Apostles.
(i) i Cor. 12: 4, 8-n, 28, 29— "Now, there are diversities of gifts,
but the same Spirit. . . . For to one is given by the Spirit the
word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by
the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another
prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of
tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these
worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man sev
erally as he will. . . . And God hath set some in the church,
first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles,
then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are
all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of
miracles ? "
FIRST PROPOSITION: The toork of the Holy Spirit in
Apostles and Prophets differs from His work in other believers.
He imparts to Apostles and Prophets an especial gift for an
especial purpose.
The doctrine which is becoming so common and so popu
lar in our day, that the work of the Holy Spirit in preachers and
teachers and in ordinary believers, illuminating them and guid
ing them into the truth and into the understanding of the Word
of God, is the same in kind and differs only in degree from the
work of the Holy Spirit in Prophets and Apostles, is thoroughly
unscriptural and untrue. It overlooks the clearly stated and
carefully elucidated fact that while there is " the same Spirit,"
'"there are diversities of gifts," " diversities of ministrations,"
"diversities of workings " (1 Cor. 12: 4-6, R.V.), and that not all
are prophets or apostles. (1 Cor. 12: 29.)
282 What the Bible Teaches
NOTE. — Those who desire to minimize the difference between the
work of the Holy Spirit in Apostles and Prophets, and his work in other
men, often refer to the fact that the Bible says that Bezaleel was to be
" filled with the Spirit of God " to devise the work of the Tabernacle (Ex.
31: i-n), as a proof that the inspiration of the prophet does not differ
from the inspiration of the artist or architect; but they are ignorant of the
fact, or forget it, that the Tabernacle was to be built after the pattern
shown to Moses in the Mount (Ex. 25: 9, 40), and that, therefore, it was
itself a prophecy, and an exposition of the truth of God. It was the wore
of God done into wood, gold, silver, brass, cloth, skin, etc. There is
much reasoning about inspiration to-day that appears at first sight very
learned, but that will not bear much rigid scrutiny or candid comparison
with the word of God. There is nothing in the Bible more inspired than
the Tabernacle, and if the higher critics would study it more they would
give up their ingenious but untenable theories.
II. Results of the Work of the Holj Spirit in Prophets and Apostles.
(1) Eph. 3: 5, R.V. — "Which in other generations was not made
known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy
apostles and prophets in the Spirit.'"
FIRST PROPOSITION; Truth hidden from men for ages,
and which they had not discover ed, and could not discover by the
unaided processes of human reasoning, has been revealed to
Apostles and to Prophets in the Spirit.
The Bible contains truth that men never had discovered, and
never would have discovered if left to themselves, but which the
Father in great grace has revealed to his children through His ser
vants, the Prophets and the Apostles. We see here the folly of test
ing the statements of Scripture by the conclusions of human reason
ing or < ' the Christian Consciousness. " The revelation of God tran
scends human reasoning, and a consciousness that is truly and
fully Christian is the product of the study and absorption of Bible
truth. If our consciousness differs from the statements of this
book, it is not yet fully Christian, and the thing to do is not to
try to pull God's revelation down to the level of our consciousness,
but to tone our consciousness up to the level of God's Word.
(2) i Pet. i: 10, n, 12 — "Of which salvation the prophets have in
quired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should
come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit oj
Christ -which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand
the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom
it was revealed, that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister
The Work of the Holy Spirit 283
the things which are now reported unto you by them that have
preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from
heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Revelation made to the Prophets
was independent of their own thinking • it was made to them by
the Spirit of Christ which was in them — and was a subject of in
quiry to their own mind as to its meaning. It was not their
thought, but His.
(3) 2 Pet. i: 21, R.V. — " For no prophecy ever came by the will of
man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Ghost."
THIRD PROPOSITION: No prophetic utterance was of the
Prophets' own will, but they spake from God, and the Prophet
was carried along in it by the Holy Spirit.
(4) Heb. 3: 7 — "Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, To-day, if ye
will hear his voice."
10: 15, 16 — "Whereof the t*nly Ghost also is a witness to us: for
after that he had said before, Tnis is the covenant that I will make
with them after those days, saith the Lord; I will put rny laws into
their hearts, and in their minds will I write them."
Acts. 28: 25 — "And when they agreed not among themselves, they
departed, after that Paul had spoken one word. Well spake the Holy
Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers."
2 Sam. 23: 2, R.V. — " The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his
•word iv as in my tongue."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: It was the Holy Spirit who spoke in
the prophetic utterance; it was His word that was upon the
Prophet's tongue.
The prophet was simply the mouth by which the Holy Spirit
spake. As a man, except as the Spirit taught him and used him,
the prophet was fallible as otlier men are, but when the Spirit
was upon him, and he was taken up and borne along by the Holy
Spirit, he was infallible in his teachings. The teaching, indeed,
was not his, but the Holy Spirit's. God was speaking, not the
prophet. For example, Paul doubtless had many mistaken
notions, but when he taught as an apostle, under the Spirit's
power, he was infallible — or rather the Spirit who taught through
him, and the consequent teaching, were infallible — as infallible as
God. We do well to carefully distinguish what Paul may have
thought as a man, and what he actually did teach as an apostle.
284 What the Bible Teaches
In the Bible we have the record of what he taught as an apostle,
with the possible exception of 1 Cor. 7: (>, 1^5 — "But I speak
this by permission, and not of commandment. . . . Now con
cerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give
my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to
be faithful," and the context. Here he does not seem to have
been sure that he had the word of the Lord and is careful to note
the fact, thus giving additional certainty to all other passages.
It is sometimes said that Paul taught in his early epistles
that the Lord would return during his lifetime, and in this was of
course mistaken. But Paul never taught anywhere that the Lord
would return during his lifetime. In 1 Thess. 4: 17 ("Then ire
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we be ever
with the Lord''), as he was still alive, he naturally did not include
himself with those who were fallen asleep in speaking of the
Lord's return. Quite probably he did believe that he might be
alive, and the attitude of expectancy is the true attitude in all
ages for every believer. Paul probably rather believed he would
live to the coming of the Lord, but he did not so teach. The Holy
Spirit kept him from this as all other errors in his teachings.
(5) i Cor. 2: 13 — "Which things also we speak, not/;/ the words
which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (See Am. Ap. to R.V.)
FIFTH. PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit in the Apostle taught
not only the thought (or "concept") but the words in which
the thought was to be expressed.
This is not only a necessary inference from the fact that
thought is conveyed from mind to mind by words, and if the words
were imperfect the thought expressed in those words would neces
sarily be imperfect, but it is distinctly so stated. Nothing could
be plainer than Paul's statement "IN WORDS, which the Spirit
teacheth." The Holy Spirit has Himself anticipated all these
modern ingenious but unbiblical and false theories regarding His
own work in the apostles.
The more carefully and minutely one studies the wording of
the statements of this wonderful book, the more he will become
convinced of the marvelous accuracy of the words used to express
The Work of the Holy Spirit 285
the thought. To a superficial student the doctrine of verbal
inspiration may appear questionable or even absurd, but any
regenerated and Spirit-taught man who ponders the words of the
Scripture day after day and year after year will become con
vinced that the wisdom of God is in the very words, as well as in
the thought which is expressed in the words. It is an impressive
fact that our difficulties with the Bible rapidly disappear as we
note the precise language used. The change of a word or letter,
of a tense, case, or number would land us in contradiction or
untruth, but taking the words just as written, difficulties disap
pear and truth shines forth.
The Divine origin of nature shines forth clearly under the
use of the microscope as we see the perfection of form and adap
tation of the minutest particles of matter. So likewise the Divine
origin of the Bible shines forth clearly under the microscope as
we note the perfection with which the turn of a word reveals the
absolute thought of God.
QUESTION: If the Holy Spirit is the author of the words of
Scripture, how do we account for variations in style and diction? —
that, for example, Paul always uses Pauline language, and John,
Johannean, etc.
ANSWER: If we could not account at all for this fact it would
have little weight against the explicit statement of God's Word,
with anyone who is humble and wise enough to recognize that
there are a great many things which he can not account for at all,
which could be easily accounted for if he knew more. But these
variations are easily accounted for. The Holy Spirit is quite wise
enough and has quite enough facility in the use of language in
revealing truth to and through any individual, to use words,
phrases and forms of expression in that person's vocabulary and
forms of thought, and to make use of that person's peculiar individ
uality. It is a mark of the Divine wisdom of this book that the
same Divine truth is expressed with absolute accuracy in such
widely variant forms of expression.
(6) Mark 7: 13 — " Making the word of God of none effect through
your traditions, which ye have delivered: and many such like things
do ye."
2 Sam. 23:2 — " The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word
was in my tongue."
286 What the Bible TeacTies
i Thess. 2: 13—" For this cause also thank we God without ceasing,
because, when ye received the word of God, -which ye heard of us, ye
received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth the word of
God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The utterances of the Apostles and the
Prophets were the Word of God. When we read these words we
are not listening to the voice of man but to the voice of God.
CHAPTER IX
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN JESUS CHRIST
I. How the Holy Spirit Worked in Jesus Christ.
(1) Luke 1:35— "And the angel answered and said unto her, TJu
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall
overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born
of thee shall be called the Son of God."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy
Spirit.
In regeneration the believer is begotten of God; Jesus Christ
was begotten of God in generation. He is the only begotten Son
of God. (Jno. 3: 16 — " 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.") The regenerated man has the
carnal nature received from his earthly father and the new nature
imparted by God. Jesus Christ had only the new holy nature.
He was, however, real man as he had a human mother.
(2) Heb. 9: 14 — " How much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge
your conscience from dead works to serve the living God."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ led a holy, spotless life,
and offered Himself to God, through the working of the Holy
Spirit.
(3) Acts 10: 38 — " How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth 'with the Holy
Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all
that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."
Is. 61: i — "The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me; because the
LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath
sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the cap
tive, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound."
Luke 4: 14, 18 — "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit
into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region
roundabout. . . The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath
anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal
288 What the Bible Teaches
the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recover
ing of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was anointed for service
by the Holy Spirit.
(Compare Luke 3: 21, 22 — " Now when all the people were baptized,
it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven
was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove
upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my be
loved Son; in thee I am well pleased," and Luke 4: i, 14 — " And Jesus
being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by
the Spirit into the wilderness. . . . And Jesus returned in the
power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of hirn
through all the region round about." )
(4) Luke 4: i — "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned
from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was led by the Holy
Spirit in His movements.
(5) Is. ii : 2 — "And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the
spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the
spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD."
(Compare Matt. 12: 17, 18 — " That it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, behold my servant whom I have
chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my
Spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.")
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was taught by the Spirit
who rested upon Him. The Spirit of God was the source of His
wisdom in the days of His flesh.
NOTE. — Jno. i: 33 — "And I knew him not: but he that sent me to
baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see
the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which bap-
tizeth with the Holy Ghost."
(6) Jno. 3: 34, R.V. — " For he whom God hath sent speaketh the
words of God: for he giveth not the Spirit by measure."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit abode upon Him in
fulness and the words He spoke were the words of God.
(7) Acts i: 2 — "Until the day in which he was taken up, after
that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the
apostles whom he had chosen."
SE VENTH PR OPOSITION: Jesus Christ gave commandment to
His apostles whom he had chosen, through the Holy Spirit.
The Work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ 289
(8) Matt. 12: 28—" But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God,
then the kingdom of God is come unto you."
EIGHTH PR OPOSITION: Jesus Christ wrought His miracles in
the power of the Holy Spirit.
Compare i Cor. 12: 9, 10 — " To another faith by the same Spirit; to
another the gift of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working
of miracles," etc., etc.
(9) Rom. 8: 1 1—" But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from
the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also
quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."
NINTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was raised from the
dead by the povier of the Holy Spirit.
II. Practical Inferences from the Work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ.
Several things are evident from the study of the work of
the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ.
(1.) The completeness of His humanity. He lived, thought,
worked, taught, conquered sin and won victories for God in the
power of that same Spirit whom we may all have.
(2. ) Our dependence upon the Holy Spirit. If it was in the
power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Sou
of God, lived, worked and triumphed, how much more are we de
pendent upon Him at every turn of life, service and conflict with
Satan and sin !
(3.) The wondrous world of privilege, blessing, victory and
conquest that is open to us. The same Spirit by which Jesus was
begotten is at our disposal for us to be begotten of Him. The
same Spirit by which Jesus Christ offered Himself without spot to
God is at our disposal for us to offer ourselves without spot, the
same Spirit by which Jesus was anointed for service is at our dis
posal for us to be anointed for service, and so on through all the
points given above.
Jesus Christ is our pattern (1 Jno. 2: 6), the firstborn
among many brethren. Whatever he realized through the Holy
Spirit is there for us to realize also.
BOOK IV.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT MAN.
CHAPTER L
HIS ORIGINAL CONDITION.
I. Man Created in the Image of God,
(i) Gen. i: 26, 27— " And God said, Let us make man in our image
after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the
sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the
earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he
him; male and female created he them."
Gen. 9: 6 — "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood
be shed: for in the image of God made he man."
FIRST PROPOSITION: God created man in His own image,
after His own likeness.
QUESTION: To what do this "image" and "likeness"
refer ?
ANSWER:
(a) Eph. 4: 23, 24 — "And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in right
eousness and true holiness."
Col. 3: 10 — "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in
knowledge after the image of him that created him."
Rom. 8: 29 — "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first
born among many brethren."
2 Cor. 3: 18 — " But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass
the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to
glory, even as the Spirit of the Lord."
Col. i: 15 — "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn
of every creature."
The image and likeness plainly have reference to the intel
lectual and moral nature of man.
(b} Ps. 17: 15, R. V. (Marg. in part)—" As for me, I shall behold thy
face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy
form." (The Hebrew word used here clearly means a visible form.
Compare Num. 12: 8, R.V. — "With him will I speak mouth to mouth,
even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the the form of ihe LORD
shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against
my servant, against Moses ? ")
294 What the Bible Teaches
The image and likeness would seem also to have some refer
ence to the visible likeness. It is true God is essentially spirit
(Jno. 4: 24), and invisible (Col. 1: 15), but God has a form in
which he manifests Himself to the eye (Is. 6:1; Acts 7:56;
Phil. 2: 6 [See Thayer's Greek-English Lex. of the N. T. on
the word translated "form" in this last passage], and man
seems to have been created not only in the intellectual and moral,
but also the visible likeness of God. (Compare Gen. 5: 1, 3 — .
"This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that
God created man, in the likeness of God made he him.
And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in
his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth.")
It is perhaps impossible to say how much of this visible like
ness was lost by the Fall, but in the regeneration man is not only
recreated intellectually and morally in the likeness of God (Eph.
4: 23, 24; Col. 3: 10), but when the regeneration is complete in
the outward, visible likeness as well. (Compare Phil. 3: 21 —
"•Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned///^
unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is
able even to subdue all things unto himself. ")
But from Jno. 17: 5 ("And now, O Father, glorify thou
me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee be
fore the world was"), compared with Phil. 2: 6 ("Who, being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God"), we see that " the form " of Christ was the form of God.
II, The Original Intellectual and Moral Condition of Man.
(i) Gen. 2:19 — "And out of the ground the LORD God formed
every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them
unto Adam to see what he would call them; and whatsoever Adam
called every living creature, that was the name thereof."
Gen. i: 28 — " And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and
have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,
and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Mem was created with sufficient in
tellectual capacity to give names to all living creatures and to have
dominion over them.
Man was not created an ignoramus nor a savage, but a being
with lofty intellectual powers. Whatever truth there may be in
His Original Condition 295
the doctrine of evolution as applied within limits to the animal
world, it breaks down when applied to man. It contradicts not
only Scripture, but the known facts of history. The development
of man from an originally low order of intellectual beings closely
resembling the ape, is a figment of unbridled imagination falsely
dubbed science. There is absolutely not one fact to sustain it.
The first view we get of man is of a being of splendid intellectual
powers.
(2) Gen. 3: 1-6 — "Now the serpent was more subtil than any
beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto
the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not -eat of every tree of the
garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the
fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in
the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither
shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman,
Ye shall -not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat
thereof, -then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods,
knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was
good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be
desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,
and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."
Rom. 5: 12, 14 — ''Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the
world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all
have sinned: . . . Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to
Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of
Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come."
(Eccl. 7: 29.)
SE COND PR OPOSITION: Man was not created a sinner, but sin
entered into the world through man, by his conscious and volun
tary choice.
CHAPTER II.
THE FALL
I. The Fact of the Fall.
(i) Gen. 3: 1-6 — "Now the serpent was more subtil than any
beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto
the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the
garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the
fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in
the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither
shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman,
Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat
thereof, then your eyes shall be 'opened, and ye shall be as gods,
knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was
good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be
desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,
and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."
PR OPOSITION: The first man fell
The steps in the Fall were:
(1) Listening to slanders against God.
(2) Doubting God's word and His love.
(3) Looking at what God had forbidden.
(4) Lusting for what God had prohibited. (The lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eye and the vainglory of life, v. 6. Com
pare Uno. 2: 16.)
(5) Disobeying God's commandments.
The woman was the first in this deception and transgres
sion. (V. 1, etc.)
(Compare i Tim. 2: 14 — "And Adam was not deceived, but the
woman being deceived was in the transgression. ")
II. Result of the Fall.
(i) Rom. 5: 19, R.V.— " For as through the one man's disobedience
the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one
shall many be made righteous."
The Fall 297
PROPOSITION: Through the one man's disobedience the many
were made (or constituted) sinners.
Adam stood as the representative of the race; indeed, he was
the race, and all coming generations were in him. (Compare
Heb. 7: 9, 10.) In his fall the race fell. " All sinned." Rom.
5: 12, R.V. — "Therefore, as through one man sin entered into
the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all
men, for that all sinned."
Many thoughtless infidels say: "I would rather stand for
myself." If you had stood for yourself you would have fallen as
Adam did. God's plan, when we see the whole of it, is far more
gracious than this. As the first Adam fell for us, so we all
would have done for ourselves; so the second Adam obeyed for
us, as none of us would have done if left to stand for ourselves.
CHAPTER Hi.
THE PRESENT STANDING BEFORE GOD AND CONDITION
OF MEN OUTSIDE OF THE REDEMPTION THAT
IS IN CHRIST JESUS,
I. The Present Standing before God of men outside of the Redemption that
is in Christ Jesus.
(1) Rom. 3: 9, 10, 22 (1. cl.), 23 — "What then ? are we better than
they ? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gen
tiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none right
eous, no, not one; . . . for there is no difference: for all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
Ps. 14: 2, 3 — "The LORD looked down from heaven upon the chil
dren of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek
God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy:
there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
Is. 53:6 — :' All 'we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned
every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity
of us all."
i Jno. i: 8, 10 — "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive our
selves, and the truth is not in us. ... If we say that we have not
sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Outside of the Redemption in Christ
Jesus there is no difference in the standing of men before God:
for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; there
is none righteous, no, not one.
(2) Rom. 3: 19, R.V. — " Now we know that what things soever the
law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth
may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment
of God."
SECOND PROPOSITION; Every mouth is stopped and all the
world brought under the judgment of God.
(Compare Ps. 130: 3—" If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquity, O
LORD, who shall stand ?" Ps. 143: 2 — "And enter not into judgment
with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.")
The Present Standing Before God 299
(3) Gal. 3: 10 (note context vv. 13, 14) — " For as many as are of
the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is
every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the
book of the law to do them."
Rom. 2: i2—" For as many as have sinned without law shall also
perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be
judged by the law."
THIRD PROPOSITION: All who are of the deeds of the law
(I e., outside of the grace of God in Jesus Christj are under
a curse.
(4) i Jno. 3: 8-10 — " He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the
devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God
was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Who
soever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in
him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the chil
dren of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever
doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his
brother."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: All who have not been born of God
(i. e. , all outside of the Redemption in Christ Jesus) are chil
dren of the Devil.
The doctrine of the universal Fatherhood of God is utterly
unscriptural and untrue. It is true all men are his offspring,
or stock, or race, or nation (Acts 17:28, ysros not Ttnva, see
usage in Greek concordance), in the sense of being His creatures,
having our being in Him, and made in His likeness. (See con
text vv. 28, 29.) But we become His "sons" or "children" by
faith in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3; 26, R.V. ; Jno. 1:12, R.V.)
tt. The Present Condition of men outside of the Redemption that is in
Christ Jesus.
(1) Eph. 4:18, R.V. — "Being darkened in their understanding^
alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them,
because of the hardening of their hearts."
FIRST PROPOSITION: They are darkened in their understand
ing, alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that
is in them, hardened in heart.
(2) i Cor. 2: 14 — " But the natural manreceiveth not the things of
the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
300 What the Bible Teaches
SECOND PROPOSITION: The natural man receiveth not tU
things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them.
(3) Jer. 17:9, R.V.— " The heart is deceitful above all things, and
it is desperately sick: who can know it ? "
THIRD PROPOSITION: The natural heart is deceitful above all
things and desperately sick.
(4) Gen. 6: 5, 12 — "And God saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his
heart was only evil continually. . . . And God looked upon the
earth, and behold it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way
upon the earth."
Gen. 8: 21 — "And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD
said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's
sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth: neither
will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done."
Ps. 94:11 — "The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they
are vanity."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The entire moral and intellectual
nature of unredeemed man is corrupted by sin.
(5) Tit. 3:3 — " For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, dis
obedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures; living in malice
and envy, hateful, and hating one another."
Eph. 2:3, R.V. — " Among whom we also once lived in the lusts of
our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind."
Col. 3: 5, 7 — " Mortify therefore your members which are upon the
earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupis
cence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: ... In the which ye
also walked sometime, when ye lived in them."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The outward life of unredeemed men
is vile and detestable.
(6) Rom. 7:5, 8, 14, 15, 19, 23, 24 — " For when we were in the flesh,
the motions of sin, which were by the law, did work in our members
to bring forth fruit unto death. . . . But sin, taking occasion by
the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For
without the law sin is dead, . . . For we know that the law is
spiritual: for I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow
not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. ...
For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not,
that I do. . . . But I see another law in my members, warring
against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law
of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am, who shall
The Present Standing Before God 301
deliver me from the body of this death ? " (Compare 8: 2—" For the
law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law
of sin and death," and Rom. 6:17, R.V.— "Ye were servants [Marg.
bondservants, Greek slaves] of sin, etc.")
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Men unsaved by Christ are the staves
of sin, in helpless and hopeless captivity to the law of sin and
death.
(7) Eph. 2:2— "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the
course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that novv worketh in the children of disobedience."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION; Outside of redemption in Christ
men are under the control of the Prince of the power of the air.
(8) Eph. 2: 3 — " And were by nature the children of wrath, even
as others."
EIGHTH PR OPOSITION: They are by nature children of wrath.
(9) Rom. 8: 7, 8, R.V. — " Because the mind of the flesh is enmity
against God; for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can
be; and they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
NINTH PROPOSITION; The mind of the flesh is enmity
against God: it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be : and they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
(10) Eph. 2: i — "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trespasses and sins."
TENTH PROPOSITION; Men outside of Christ's saving power
are dead through their trespasses and sins.
(n) i Jno. 5: 19, R.V. —"We know that we are of God, and the
whole world lieth in the evil one."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: « The whole world," the whole
mass of men who have not received Christ, < ' lieth in the evil
one" — rest in his arms, in his poiver, in himself.
CONCLUSION. — The present standing or condition of men
out of Christ as pictured in the Bible is dark and hopeless. One
word will express it — lost, utterly lost. This is very different
from the conception of man that is popular in novels, on the
lecture-platform, and in many pulpits to-day : But it is accord
ant with the facts. The more one has to do with men and
302 What the Bible Teaches
women, and the more one comes to know the depths of his own
heart, the more convinced he becomes of the truthfulness and ac
curacy in every line of this hideous and repulsive picture. The
nearer one gets to God, the more fully he sees the truth of this
picture; the fact that one has an exalted opinion of human nature,
and his own nature, does not show that he is living near God, but
far from God. Compare Isaiah's, Job's and the Psalmist's concep
tion of self and man when they were brought face to face with
God:
Is. 6: i, 5 — " In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the LORD
sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the
temple. . . . Then said I, Woe is me ! for I am undone; because I
am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of
unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts."
Job 42: 5, 6 — " I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but
now mine eye seeth thee: Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in
dust and ashes."
Ps. 14: 2-3 — "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none
that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the
children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek
God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy:
there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
Evidently those who live nearest God and see things most
nearly from His standpoint have the poorest opinion of self and
human nature.
CHAPTER IV,
THE FUTURE DESTINY OF THOSE WHO REJECT THE RE/
DEMPTION THAT IS IN JESUS CHRIST,
I. The Future Destiny of those who do not believe that Jesus is the Son
of God.
Jno. 8: 24 — "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in
your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."
(Note context, verse 21.)
PROPOSITION: Those who believe not that Jesus is the
Messiah and Son of God shall die in their sins; w father He
goes they cannot come.
NOTE. — The faith here spoken of is not a mere opinion, but a faith
that governs the life. (Compare John's use of faith everywhere; e. g., i
Jno. 5: i, 4, 5.)
II. The Future Destiny of those who have done ill.
Jno. 5: 28, 29, R.V. — "Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh
in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come
forth, they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they
that have done ill, unto the resurrection of judgment."
PROPOSITION; All men shall be raised again from the
dead, those who reject Christ as well as those who accept Him,
but to the one it will be a resurrection unto life, to the other a res
urrection unto judgment.
(Compare i Cor. 15: 22 — " For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive.")
III. The Future Destiny of the factious and disobedient.
Rom. 2: 5, 6, 8, 9, R.V. — "But after thy hardness and impeni
tent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and
revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every
man according to his works: . . . but unto them that are factious,
and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and
indignation, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that
worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek."
304 What the Bible Teaches
PROPOSITION: Unto them that are factious, and obey not the
truth (Compare Jno. 14: 6; 3: 18, 19), but obey unrighteousness,
shall be wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish, upon
every soul of man that worketh evil.
IY. The Future Destiny of those who know not God and obey not the
Gospel.
2 Thess. i: 8, g, R.V. — "In flaming fire, rendering vengeance to
them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of
our Lord Jesus: who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction
from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he
shall come to be glorified in his saints."
PROPOSITION: Those who know not God and that obey not
the gospel of our Lord Jesus, shall suffer punishment, even
eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory
of his might, when He shall come to be glorified in His saints.
NOTE. — What " destruction" means we shall see later.
V. The Future Destiny of those who are not found written in the
book of life.
Rev. 20: 15, R.V — "And if any was not found written in the book
of life, he was cast into the lake of fire."
PROPOSITION: If anyone at the judgment of the great white
tJirone is not found written in the book of life, he shall be cast into
the lake of fire.
VI. The Future Destiny of those who neglect Christ by neglecting His
brethren.
Matt. 25: 41, 46, R.V. — "Then shall he say unto them on the left
hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is
prepared for the devil and his angels: . . . And these shall go
away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life."
PROPOSITION: When Christ comes to judge the nations He
s/iall say to those on His left hand (i. e. , those who have neg
lected Him, by neglecting their duty to His hungry, thirsty,
lonely, naked, imprisoned brethren), ' ' Depart from me, ye
cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the Devil
and his angels, and these shall go away into eternal punish
ment."
The Future Destiny of Unbelievers 305
HI. The Future Destiny of the fearful, unbelieving, etc.
Rev. 21 : 8 — "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abom
inable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idola
ters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
PR OPOSITION: The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abomina
ble, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and
idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which
burneth with fire and brimstone.
VIII. Questions answered.
FIRST QUESTION: Is the fire spoken of as the future penalty
of sin literal fire?
ANSWER: (1) Note the frequency with which the word fire
and synonymous expressions are used:
Matt. 7: 19 — "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn
down, and cast into the fire."
Jno. 15: 6 — " If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch,
and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire,
and they are burned."
Is. 66: 24 — "And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses
of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not
die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring
unto all flesh."
Heb. 6: 8—" But that which beareth thorns and 'briers is rejected,
and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.'''
Heb. 10: 26, 27, R.V. — " For if we sin willfully after that we have
received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice
for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness
of fire which shall devour the adversaries."
Rev. 20: 15 — " And whosoever was not found written in the book of
life was cast into the lake of fire "
Rev. 21 : 8 — " But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable,
and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death."
(2) Matt. 13: 30, 41, 42— " Let both grow together until the har
vest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye
together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but
gather the wheat into my barn. . . . The Son of man shall send
forth his angels, and they .shall gather out of his kingdom all things
that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a
furnace of fire i there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
306 What the Bible Teaches
In a parable we expect figures, but in the explanation of the
parable we expect the figures to be explained by the literal facts
which they are intended to represent. But in the parable of the
tares every item of the parable is explained except the fire, but
that remains fire in the interpretation of the parable as well as in
the parable itself. (Compare also Matt. 13: 47-50.)
SECOND QUESTION: Is the Lake of Fire a place of con-
tinued conscious torment, or is it a place of annihilation of being,
or is it a place of non-conscious existence ?
ANSWER: The punishment of the wicked is spoken of as
"death" and "destruction." What do these words mean in
Biblical usage ?
" DEATH."
(1) i Tim. 5: 6 — " But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she
liveth."
Eph. 2: i — "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in tres
passes and sins."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The word < < death " is applied to sinners
while still existing, but existing in a wrong way — while they
have life in the sense of existence, but not true life, reed life,
in the sense of right existence. (Compare 1 Tim. 6: 19, A.V.
and B.V.)
(2) Rev. 21 : 8 — "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and
idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth
with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The death which is the final out
come of a life of sin and unbelief is defined in the Bible as a
portion in the place of torment.
(3) Jno. 17:3 — "AND THIS is life eternal, that they might know
thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
i Jno. i: 2 — "For the life was manifested, and ive have seen it,
and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with
the Father, and was manifested unto us.''
THIRD PROPOSITION: Life is defined in the Bible not merely
as existence but as right existence, knowing the true God, the
life manifested in Jesus Christ. Death, then, is not mere non-
existence, but wrong, wretched, debased, devilish existence.
The Future Destiny of Unbelievers 307
"DESTRUCTION."
(1) The general use of the word.
Matt. 9: 17 — " Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else
the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish:
but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved."
FIRST PROPOSITION: When anything is said < < to perish " (the
verb from which the noun commonly translated "destruction"
and " perdition " is derived) it is not meant that it ceases to be,
but that it is so ruined that it no longer subserves the use for
which it was designed. (See Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon
of New Testament.)
Compare also Matt. 26:8 — "But when his disciples saw it, they
had indignation, saying, to what purpose is this waste? " (Same word
elsewhere translated " destruction " and "perdition.")
(2) The specific use of the word as applied to the doom of
the wicked.
Rev. 17: 8, n — "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and
shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they
that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written
in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they be
hold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. ... And the
beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven,
and goeth into perdition."
(Note the Greek word here translated " perdition" is the
word translated "destruction" in 2 Pet. 3: 16, A.V. and E.V. ;
Phil. 3: 19, A.V. ; 2 Pet. 3: 7, R.V. Now if we can find what the
beast " goeth " into, we shall know what "destruction" or "per
dition " means. Turn to Rev. 19 : 20 — " And the beast was taken,
and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him,
with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the
beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were, cast
alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." Turn again to
Rev. 20: 10 — "And the devil that deceived them was cast into
the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet
are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever."
Here we find the beast still in the lake of lire and being tor
mented after a thousand years have passed away.)
SECOND PROPOSITION: "Destruction" is clearly defined
in the New Testament as the condition of beings in a place of
conscious and unending torment.
308 What the Bible Teaches
That " destruction" does not mean annihilation is also evi«
dent from Luke 19: 10 — "For the Son of man is come to seek and
to save that which was lost." ( Greek.)
(3) Rev. 14: 10, ii—" The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath
of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indig
nation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the pres
ence of the holy angels, and in the .presence of the Lamb: And the
smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have
no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and who
soever receiveth the mark of his name. '
THIRD PROPOSITION: The ultimate condition of those who
receive the mark of the beast is described as a condition of un
ending, unresting, conscious torment
OBJECTION: "This passage does not refer to the eternal
state as it speaks of ' day and night. ' '
ANSWER: —
(1) Compare Rev. 4: 8 — "And the four beasts had each of them
six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within; and they
rested not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which was, and is, and is to come."
Rev. 7: 14, 15 — "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he
said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and
have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him
day and night in his temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall
dwell among them."
Rev. 20: 10— "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the
lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophets are,
and shall be tormented day and night FOREVER AND EVER."
(2) Rev. 19: 20 — " And the beast was taken, and with him the false
prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived
them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped
his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning
with brimstone." Compare with Rev. 20: 10— "And the devil that
deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the
beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night
for ever and ever," shows us the beast and false prophet still in the
lake of fire at the end of the thousand years, and still being tormented,
THIRD QUESTION: Is this condition of torment endless ?
ANSWER: —
Matt. 25:41 — "Then shall he say unto them on the left hand,
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels." (Compare Rev. 20: 10 — "And the devil that deceived
The Future Destiny of Unbelievers 309
them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and
the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever
and ever.")
Rev. 14: ii — " And the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever
and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast
and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."
Compare 2 Thess. i : 9, 10 — " Who shall be punished with everlasting
destmction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his
power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be
admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you
was believed) in that day."
PROPOSITION: They are tormented day and night for ever and
ever, and they have no rest day nor nig Jit.
What does "for ever and ever" mean?
Literally, "Unto the ages of the ages." The expression
occurs twelve times in the Book of Revelation.
Rev. i: 6 — "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his
Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
4: g, 10 — "And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks
to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four
and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and
worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before
the throne, saying.''
5: 13 — "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth,
and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in
them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be
unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever
and ever."
7:12 — "Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and
thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto God for ever
and ever. Amen."
10: 6 — "And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who
created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the
things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein,
that there should be time no longer."
n: 15 — "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great
voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the
kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever
and ever." (See also Rev. 14: n.)
15: 7 — ' ' And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven
golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever."
(Also, 19: 2, 3; 20: 10.)
22: 5 — " And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle,
neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they
shall reign for ever and ever."
3io What the Bible Teaches
Eight times it refers to the duration of the existence o*
reign or glory of God and Christ. Once to the duration of the
blessed reign of the righteous, and in the three remaining in
stances to the duration of the torment of the Devil, Beast, False
Prophet, and the wicked.
The word frequently translated "eternal" or "everlast
ing" means "age-long," and may be used of a limited period;
but the expression " for ever and ever" means " unto the ages of
the ages" (Rev. 19: 3; 20: 10— See RV. Marg. and Greek), or
"unto ages of ages" (Rev. 14: 11, R.V. Marg. and Greek);
i. e., not merely throughout an age, but throughout all ages. It
is a picture not merely of years tumbling upon years, but of ages
tumbling upon ages in endless succession. It is never in a single
instance used of a limited period. Nothing could more plainly or
graphically picture absolute endlessness.
FOURTH QUESTION: When are the issues of eternity settled?
(1) Jno.'8:2i — "Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and
ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot
come."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Those who die in their sins cannot go
where Jesus is.
(2) Heb. 9: 27, R.V. — " And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men
once to die, and after this cometh judgment."
SECOND PROPOSITION: It is appointed unto men once to
die, and after this judgment.
(3) Jno. 5:28, 29 — "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in
which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come
forth; they .that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and
they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
THIRD PROPOSITION: All who are in their graves who have
done evil shall be raised unto a resurrection of judgment.
(4) Luke 16:26 — " And beside all this, between us and you there
is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you
cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Between those who pass out of this
world lost and those who pass out accepted of God, there is a
great gulf fixed and no passing from, the one side to tht of her.
The destinies of eternity are settled in the life that now is.
The Future Destiny of Unbelievers 311
FIFTH QUESTION: May not those who have never heard of
Christ in this world have another opportunity ?
ANSWER: (a) There is not a line of Scripture upon which to
build such a hope, (b) All men have sufficient light to condemn
them if they do not obey it.
Rom. 2: 12, 16 — "For as many as have sinned without law shall
also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall
be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before
God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gen
tiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the
law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which
show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also
bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else
excusing one another;) In the day that God shall judge the secrets of
men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."
NOTE. — The passage here quoted was not given to show, as some
strangely imagine, how men are saved by the light of nature, but how
the Gentile is under condemnation by the law written in his heart, just
as the Jew is under condemnation by the law of Moses. The conclusion
of the whole matter is found in Rom. 3: 19, 20, 21, 22 — " Now we know that
what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law:
that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty
before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be
justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now
the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed
by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by
faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is
no difference."
GENERAL CONCLUSION: The future state of those who reject
the redemption offered to them in Christ is plainly declared to be
a state of conscious, unutterable, endless torment and anguish.
This conception is an awful and appalling one. It is, however,
the Scriptural conception and also a reasonable one when we come
to see the appalling nature of sin, and especially the appalling na
ture of the sin of trampling under foot God's mercy toward sin
ners, and rejecting God's glorious Son, whom His love has pro
vided as a Saviour.
Shallow views of sin and of God's holiness, and of the glory
of Jesus Christ and His claims upon us, lie at the bottom of weak
theories of the doom of the impenitent. When we see sin in all
its hideousness and enormity, the Holiness of God in all its per
fection, and the glory of Jesus Christ in all its infinity, nothing
312 What the Bible Teaches
but a doctrine that those ivho persist in the choice of sin, who
love darkness rather than light, and who persist in the rejection of
the Son of God, shall endure everlasting anguish, will satisfy the
demands of our own moral intuitions. Nothing but the fact that
we dread suffering more than we loathe sin, and more than we
love the glory of Jesus Christ, makes us repudiate the thought
that beings who eternally choose sin should eternally suffer, or
that men who despise God's mercy and spurn His Son should be
given over to endless anguish.
SIXTH QUESTION. What about our impenitent friends and
loved ones?
ANSWER: («) It is better to recognize facts, no matter how
unwelcome, and try to save these friends from the doom to which
they are certainly hurrying than to quarrel with facts and seek
to remove them by shutting our eyes to them. You cannot avert a
hurricane by merely refusing to believe it is coming, (b. ) If we
love Christ supremely, as we should love Him, and realize His
glory and His claims upon men, as we should realize them, we will
%ay if the dearest friend we have on earth persists in trampling
Christ under foot he ought to be tormented forever and ever.
Suppose one you greatly love should commit some hideous
wrong against one you love more, and persist in it eternally, would
you not consent to his eternal punishment ?
If, after men have sinned and God still offers them mercy, and
makes the tremendous sacrifice of His Son to save them — if they
still despise that mercy and trample God's Son under foot, if then
they are consigned to everlasting torment, I say: "Amen!
Hallelujah ! True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord! "
At all events the doctrine of conscious, eternal torment for
impenitent men is clearly revealed in the Word of God, and whether
we can defend it on philosophic grounds or not, it is our business
to believe it ; and leave it to the clearer light of Eternity to explain
what we cannot now understand, realizing that God may have infi
nitely wise reasons for doing things for which we in our ignorance
can see no sufficient reason at all. It is the most ludicrous con
ceit for beings so limited and foolish as the wisest of men are, to
attempt to dogmatize how a God of infinite wisdom must act.
All we know as to how God will act is what God has seen fit to
tell us.
The Future Destiny of Unbelievers 3*3
In conclusion, two things are certain. First, the more closely
men walk with God and the more devoted they become to His
service, the more likely they are to believe this doctrine. Many
men tell us they love their fellow men too much to believe this
doctrine ; but the men who show their love in more practical ways
than sentimental protestations about it, the men who show their
love for their fellow men as Jesus Christ showed His, by laying
down their lives for them, they believe it, even as Jesus Christ
Himself believed it.
As Christians become worldly and easy-going they grow
loose in their doctrine concerning the doom of the impenitent.
The fact that loose doctrines are spreading so rapidly and wide
ly in our day is nothing for them, but against them, for worldli-
ness is also spreading in the Church. (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1;
4:2, 3.) Increasing laxity of life and increasing laxity of doctrine
go arm in arm. A church that dances and frequents theatres and
lives in self-indulgence during the week, enjoys a doctrine on the
Lord's Day that makes the punishment of the wicked not soawfuZ
after all.
Second, men who accept a loose doctrine regarding the ultL
mate penalty of sin (Restorationism or Universalism or Annihila-
tiouism) lose their power for G-od. They may be very clever at
argument and zealous in proselyting, but they are poor at soul-
saving. They are seldom found beseeching men to be reconciled to
God. They are more likely to be found trying to upset the faith
of those already won by the efforts of others, than winning men
who have no faith at all. If you really believe the doctrine of
the endless, conscious torment of the impenitent, and the doctrine
really gets hold of you, you will work as you never worked before
for the salvation of the lost. If you in any wise abate the doc
trine, it will abate your zeal. Time and again the author has
come up to this awful doctrine and tried to find some way of
escape from it, but when he has failed, as he always has at last,
when he was honest with the Bible and with himself, he has re
turned to his work with an increased burden for souls and an in
tensified determination to spend and be spent for their salvation.
Finally : Do not believe this doctrine in a cold, intellectual,
merely argumentative way. If you do, and try to teach it, you
will repel men from it. But meditate upon it in its practical
314 What the Bible Teaches
personal bearings, until your heart is burdened by the awful peril
of the wicked and you rush out to spend the last dollar, if need
be, and the last ounce of strength you have, in saving those im
periled men from the certain, awful hell of conscious agony and
shame to which they are fast hurrying.
CHAPTER V,
JUSTIFICATION,
I. What does Justify mean I
NOTE. — The way to decide this is by an examination of the Biblical
use of the word and the words derived from it. The question is not, What
is the etymological significance of the word? for words are frequently used
in a meaning widely different from their etymological significance. The
question is, What is the significance of the word as determined by its
usage in the Bible? The way to determine this is by taking a Concord
ance and Bible, and looking up every passage in which the word is used.
The following passages are sufficient to illustrate the Biblical usage.
In the passages taken from the O.T., the LXX uses the same Greek
verb that is translated "justify " in the N.T.
Deut. 25:1 — "If there be a controversy between men, and they
come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall
justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked."
Ex. 23:7 — "Keep thee far from a false matter: and the innocent
and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked."
Is. 5:23 — "Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away
the righteousness of the righteous from him ! "
Luke 16: 15 — " And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify
yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which
is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God."
Rom. 2: 13 — "For not the hearers of the law are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified."
Rom. 3:23, 24 — " For all have sinned, and come short of the glory
of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus. "
Luke 18: 14 — " I tell you this man went down to his house justified
rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be
abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
See, also, Rom. 4: 2-8, R.V. — "For if Abraham was justified by
works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God. For what saith
the scripture ? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto
hint for righteousness. Now to him that worketh, the reward is not
reckoned as of grace, but as of debt. But to him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for
righteousness. Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man,
unto whom God reckoned righteousness apart from works, saying:
3i6 What the Bible Teaches
" Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven,
*' And whose sins are covered.
" Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin."
To "justify," in Biblical usage, signifies not " to make
righteous," but to "reckon," "declare," or " show to be right
eous." A man is justified before God when God reckons him
righteous.
NOTE. — Etymologically the word translated "justify " means "to
make righteous," but Thayer, in his Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament, says: "This meaning is extremely rare, if not altogether
doubtful. " (See, also, Liddell & Scott. ) It certainly is not the New Testa
ment usage of the word.
II, How Are Men Justified I
(i) Rom. 3: 20 — " Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no
flesh be justified 'in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
Gal. 2: 16 — " Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the
law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus
Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the
works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
FIRST PROPOSITION; Men are not justified by works of the
law. No man is justified by works of the law.
QUESTION: Why not ?
ANSWER: —
Gal. 3: 10 — "For as many as are of the works of the law are under
the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in
all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." Rom.
3: 23 — " For all have sinned, arid come short of the glory of God."
Because in order to be justified by works of the law we
must continue in all things which are written in the book of
the law to do them. This no man has done, but all men have
sinned. The moment the law is broken at any point, justification
by works of the law becomes impossible. So those who are of
works of the law are under the curse. God did not give men the
law with the intention of justifying men thereby, but to produce
conviction of sin, to stop men's mouths, and to lead them to Christ.
Rom. 3: 19, 20 — "Now we know that what things soever the law
saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may
be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. There
fore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight:
for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Gal. 3: 24 — " Wherefore the
law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
jostified by faith."
Justification 317
Yet strangely enough there are many to-day preaching the
taw as the way of salvation.
(2) Rom. 3:24 — "Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Men are justified as a free gift by
Gods grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Justification is not on the ground of any desert there is in
us. It is a gift God bestows without pay. The channel through
which it is bestowed is the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
(3) Rom. 5:9 (Note R.V. Marg.)— " Much more then, being now
justified by (in) his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Yew are justified or counted righteous
in Christ's blood — i. e. , on the ground of Christ's propitiatory
death.
(Compare Gal. 3: 13 — " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of
the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every
one that hangeth on a tree." i Pet. 2: 24 — " Who his own self bare
our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." Is.
53: 6 — "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one
to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
2 Cor. 5: 21 — " For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.")
The ground of justification is the shed blood of Christ.
(4) Rom. 3: 26 — " To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness:
that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus."
Rom. 4: 5 — "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him
that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness ."
Rom. 5: i — "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Acts 13: 39 — "And by him all that believe are justified f rom all
things, from which ye rould not be justified by the law of Moses."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Men are justified on condition of
faith in Jesus.
Faith makes ours the shed-blood, which is the ground of
justification, and we are justified when we believe in Him who
shed the blood. Provision is made for our justification by the
shedding of the blood; we are actually justified when wre believe.
(5) Rom. 3: 28, R.V. — "We reckon therefore that a man is justi
fied by faith apart from the works of the law."
3i8 What the Bible Teaches
Rom. 4: 5, R.V. — "But to him that worketh not> but believeth on
him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteous
ness."
FIFTH PR OPOSITION: A man is justified by faith apart from
works of the law — i. e. , he is justified on condition that he
believes even though he has no works to offer as a ground upon
which he might claim justification.
When he ceases to work for justification and simply believes
on Him who justifieth the ungodly, that faith is reckoned for
righteousness, and he, the believer, is counted righteous.
The question is not, have you any works to offer, but do you
believe on Him who justifies the ungodly ? Works have nothing
to do with justification except to hinder it when we trust in
them. The blood of Christ secures it, faith in Christ appro*
priates it. We are justified, not by our works, but by His work
We are justified upon the simple and single ground of His blood,
and upon the simple and single condition of our faith. It is
exceedingly difficult to hold men to this doctrine of justification
on faith apart from works of the law. They are constantly seek'
ing to bring in works somewhere.
(6) Rom. 10: 9, 10 — "That if thoushalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believetb
unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto sal
vation."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The faith that leads to justification is
a faith < ' with the heart. ' '
The heart in the Bible stands for the entire inner man,
thought, feeling and purpose. To believe "with the heart," is to
believe with the whole man. It involves the surrender of the
thought, the feelings and the will to the truth believed. A heart
faith is more than mere opinion. It is a conviction that governs
the whole inner man and consequently shapes the outward life.
(7) Jas. 2: 14, 18-24, R.V.—" What doth it profit, my brethren, if
a man say he hath faith, but have not works ? can that faith save him ?
. . . Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew
me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will shew thee my
faith. Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the devils also
believe, and shudder. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart
Justification 319
from works is barren ? Was not Abraham our father justified by works,
in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar ? Thou seest that faith
wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect; and the
scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it
was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend
of God. Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith."
SE VENTH PROPOSITION; The faith that one says he has, but
which does not manifest itself in action along the line of the faith
professed, will not justify. The faith that justifies is the real
faith that leads to action accordant with the truth professed.
We are justified simply upon faith, but it must be a veal
faith. " We are justified by faith without works, but we are not
justified by a faith that is without works." The faith which God
sees and upon which He justifies, leads inevitably to works which
man can see. God saw the faith of Abraham and counted it to
him for righteousness, but the faith God saw was real and led
Abraham to works that all could see and which proved his faith.
The proof to us of the faith is the works, and we know that he
that does not work has not justifying faith.
We must not lose sight of the truth which Paul emphasizes
against legalism on the one side — that we are justified on the
simple condition of a real faith in Christ. We must not lose
sight of the truth which James emphasizes against antinomian-
ism on the other side — that it is only the faith that proves its
genuineness by works, that justifies. To the legalist, who is
seeking to do something to merit justification, we must say "stop
working and believe on Him that justifieth the ungodly." (Rom.
4:5.) To the antinomian, who is boasting that he has faith and
is justified by it, but who does not show his faith by his works,
we must say ' < what doth it profit, if a man say he hath faith, but
have not works ? Can that faith save him. (Jas. 2:14, R.V.) We
are justified by faith alone, but we are justified by that faith
alone that works.
(8) Rom. 4:25 — "Who was delivered for our offences, and was
raised again for (because of) our justification."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Jesus was raised because of our
justification.
This does not mean that Jesus was raised in order that we
might be justified. We were already justified by His death. Be-
320 What the Bible Teaches
cause we were thus reckoned righteous God raised Jesus from the
dead and thus declared us justified. The resurrection of Jesus
Christ is the proof that God has accepted the sacrifice for us
which He made. Jesus rose as our representative. In raising
Him God declared Him accepted and us accepted in Him.
(9) i Cor. 6: n, R.V. — "And such were some of you: but ye were
washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God."
NINTH PROPOSITION: We are justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God — i. e. , on the
ground of what Jesus is and did, and on the condition of our
union with Him, and also on the condition of our union with the
Spirit of God.
HI. The Extent of Justification.
(1) Acts 13: 39, R.V. — " And by him (Greek: in him) every one that
believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justi
fied by the law of Moses."
FIRST PROPOSITION: In Christ every one that believeth is
justified from all things.
The whole account against the believer is wiped out.
God has absolutely nothing which He reckons against the
believer in Jesus Christ.
(Compare Rom. 8: i, 33, 34, R.V. — "There is therefore now no con
demnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. . . . Who shall lay
anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth; who
is he that shall condemn ? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that was
raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us." )
(2) 2 Cor. 5:21 — " For he hath made him to be sin for us, who
knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
Phil. 3:9, R.V. — "That I may gain Christ, and be found in him,
not having a righteousness of mine own, even that which is of the law,
but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of
God by (upon) faith."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The believer is made the righteous-
ness of God in Christ. He has a righteousness not of his own,
but a "righteousness which is of God upon faith.1'
Justification 321
(Compare Rom. 3: 21, 22 — " But now the righteousness of God with
out the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets,
even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto
all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference.")
There has been an absolute interchange of positions between
Christ and the justified believer. Christ took our place, the
place of the curse (Gal. 3: 13). He was made sin (2 Cor. 5: 21).
God reckoned Him a sinner and dealt with Him as a sinner (Is.
53: 6; Matt. 27; 46). And when we are justified we step into
His place — the place of acceptance. We are made the righteous
ness of God in Him.
To be justified is more than to be forgiven. Forgiveness is
negative, the putting away of sin. Justification is positive, the
reckoning of positive and perfect righteousness to one. Jesus
Christ is so united to the believer that God reckons our sins to
Him. The believer is so united to Christ that God reckons His
righteousness to us. God sees us in Him and reckons us as
righteous as He is. When Christ's work in us is completed we
will be in actual fact what we are already in God's reckoning.
L Jno. 3: 2 — "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."
But our present standing before God is absolutely perfect,
though our present state may be far below this.
Jno. 17: 23 — "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made
perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me,
and hast loved them^ as thou hast loved me."
" Near, so very near to God,
Nearer I cannot be.
For in the person of His Son
I'm just as near as He.
" Dear, so very dear to God,
Dearer, I cannot be;
For in the person of His Son
I'm just as dear as He."
IV. The Time of Justification.
Acts 13: 39, R.V. — "And by him every one that believeth is jus
tified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law
of Moses."
322 What the Bible Teaches
PROPOSITION: In Christ every believer is justified from all
things.
The moment a man believes in Christ, that moment he be
comes united to Christ, and G-od reckons the righteousness of
God to Him.
V. The Results of Justification.
(1) Rom. 5: i (See R.V. and Am. Ap.) — "Therefore being justi
fied by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The enmity between the sinner and G-od is put away by the
cross (Eph 2: 14-17; Col. 1:20-22), and the moment the sinner
believes in Christ he is justified and has peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. He may not yet know he has
(< peace with God," and so will not have "the peace of God."
"Peace with God " has to do with our standing; "the peace of
God" has to do with our state.
(2) Rom. 8:33, 34 — "Who shall lay anything to the charge of
God's elect ? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth ?
It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at
the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
SECOND PROPOSITION: No one can lay anything to the
charge of the justified man. It is God, the great Judge, whojusti*
fies ; no one can condemn.
(Compare Rom. 8: i, R.V. — "There is therefore now no condem
nation to them who are in Christ Jesus.")
The believer in Christ is made secure against all condemna
tion by the death, resurrection, ascension and intercession of
Christ. When the death of Christ ceases to satisfy God regard
ing sin, and when the intercession of Christ ceases to prevail
with God, then the justified man can be condemned and not till
then.
(3) Tit. 3: 7, R.V. — " That, being justified by his grace, we might
be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Being justified by God's grace, we are
made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
•Justification 323
(4) Rom. 5: 9, R.V., Marg. — "Much more then, being now justi
fied in his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through
him."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Being justified in Christ' s blood we
shall be saved from the coming wrath of God.
All who are justified through faith in Jesus Christ will have
no part in that long-restrained wrath of God that is soon to burst
upon an apostate world.
(Compare Jno. 5:24, R.V. — "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath eternal
life, and cometh NOT into judgment, but hath passed out of death into
life.-)
Judgment regarding sin is past for the believer. His sin
has been already judged and punished in the death of Christ.
i Pet. 2: 24 — "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on
the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:
by whose stripes yo were healed."
Gal. 3: 13 — "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree."
The only judgment that awaits the believer is a judgment
for rewards according as his works have been good or worthless.
(2 Cor. 5: 10; 1 Cor. 3: 11-15.)
(5) Rom. 8:30 — "Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he
also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The one God justifies He will also
glorify. God has already glorified in His own thought and pur
pose those whom He has justified.
(6) Rom. 5: 16, 17, R. V. — " And not as through one that sinned,
so is the gift: for the judgment came of one unto condemnation,
but the free gift came of many trespasses unto justification. For
if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; much
more shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift
of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Those iv ho are justified shall reign in
lift through the one, even Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER VI
THE NEW BIRTH,
I. What Is the New Birth?
(1) 2 Cor. 5: 17 — "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new,"
Gal. 6: 15 — " For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any
thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The New Birth is a new creation.
(2) i Jno. 3: 14, R.V. — "We know that we have passed out of
death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not
abideth in death."
Eph. 2: i, 4, 5, R.V. — " And you did he quicken^ when ye were dead
through your trespasses and sins. . . . But God being rich in
mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead through our trespasses, quickened us together with Christ (by
grace have ye been saved)."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The New Birth is a passing out or
death into life, the impartation of life to men dead through tres
passes and sins.
NOTE i. — It is evident that Baptism is not the New Birth. The
language used above does not fit baptism. One of the passages given
(Gal. 6: 15) expressly contrasts the New Birth with an outward cere
monial.
The same thing is evident from i Cor. 4: 15 — " For though ye have
ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in
Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." Here Paul tells
the saints in Corinth that he had begotten them again. If Baptism were
the New Birth this must mean that Paul had baptized them. But in i
Cor. i: 14, 17 ("I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus
and Gaius: . . . For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the
gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made
of none effect "), Paul says he had not baptized them. Clearly the New
Birth is not Baptism.
That Baptism is not the New Birth is clear also from Acts 8: 13,
20-23— " Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized^
The New Birth 325
%
h«» continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and
signs which were done. . . . But Peter said unto him, Thy money
perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be
purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter:
for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy
wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be
forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness^ and in
the bond of iniquity." In this passage we are told that Simon was "bap
tized," but that he was " in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity,"
and bound for perdition. Compare also Luke 23: 43 — "And Jesus said
unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in para
dise," with Jno. 3: 3, 5 — "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God. . . . Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God."
QUESTION: If Baptism is not the New Birth, to what does the
word water in Jno. 3 : 5 refer ?
ANSWER: Let us look elsewhere and see what are the agents
and instruments by which the work of regeneration is wrought:
i Pet. i: 23 — " Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of in
corruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
Jas. i: 18 — " Of his own will begat he us with the -word of truth^
that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures."
i Cor. 4: 15 — "For though ye have ten thousand instructors in
Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have be
gotten you through the gospel."
Tit. 3: 5 — " Not by works of righteousness which ye have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration,
and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
In these passages we see that regeneration is wrought by
the word of God and Spirit of God. We are born again by the
word of God and the Spirit of God. Now in Jno. 3: 5 (" Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born
of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God "), we have the Spirit. Can the " water " be taken to mean
"the word" without forcing the language? Compare Eph. 5:
25, 26 — "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved
the Church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." It has been
said that the Greek word translated " word " here in Ephesians,
is a different word from the word translated "word" when the
Word of God is spoken of. But see 1 Pet. 1 : 25. Here the same
326 What the Bible Teaches
Greek word that is translated "word" in Eph. 5: 26, is used
twice of "the Word of God," and that, too, in direct connection
with regeneration by the Word. See also Jno. 15: 3 — "Now
ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."
See also Jno. 17: 17 — " Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word
is truth."
But some may ask why did not Jesus say plainly, without a
figure, "Except a man be born of the word and the Spirit"?
The answer to this is very simple. The whole passage is highly
figurative. The word translated "the Spirit" is itself figura
tive: means literally "wind " and is without the definite article.
Literally translated the passage would read, "Except any one be
begotten out of water and wind." In this the wind symbolizes
the vivifying element, the Holy Spirit. (Compare Ezek. 37: 9, 10.)
Naturally, therefore, "the water" symbolizes the cleansing ele
ment, the "word." (Compare Jno. 15: 3.) The passage thus
reduced to unfigurative language would read, c ' Except any man be
born of the word of God and the Spirit of God." Thus we would
have Jesus teaching the doctrine afterwards taught by Paul and
James and Peter. (1 Cor. 4: 15; Tit. 3: 5; Jas. 1: 18; I Pet, 1:23.)
Another interpretation is suggested. This takes both water
and wind as symbols of the Spirit, the one setting forth His
cleansing work, the other His quickening work. It matters very
little, so far as Bible doctrine is concerned, which interpretation
we accept: for whether or not the doctrine that men are begotten
again by the Word is found here, it certainly is found elsewhere.
(Jas. 1: 18; 1 Pet. 1: 23; 1 Cor. 4: 15.) And, if the cleansing
work of the Spirit is not found here, it is found elsewhere.
Indeed, whatever work you find attributed to the Holy Spirit in
the Bible, you will also find attributed to the Word. This is due
to the fact that the Spirit works through the Word. The Word
is the Sword of the Spirit. (Eph. 6: 17.)
If it is still insisted that the water here refers to Baptism,
it is still evident that mere water Baptism is not regeneration, for
the passage says, "Except a man be born of water AND THE
SPIRIT."
In any case, it is clear that Baptism is not the New Birth.
NOTE 2. — It is also evident that the New Birth is not a mere out*
ward change of conduct. The language used above does not fit this.
The New Birth 327
(3) Rom. 12: 2. — "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what
if that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Compare Tit.
3: 5 — " Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but accord
ing to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and re
newing si the Holy Ghost."
THIRD PR 0 POSITION: The New Birth is a making anew of the
mind.
The word for mind here includes thoughts, feelings and
purposes.
(4) 2 Pet. i: 4, R.V. — "Whereby he hath granted unto us his
precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may be
come partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corrup
tion that is in the world by lust. "
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The New Birth is the impartation of
a new nature, even God's own nature, to the one who is begotten
again.
The natural or unregeuerate man is intellectually blind to the
truth, "the things of the Spirit" (1 Cor. 2: 14), corrupt in his
affections (Gal. 5: 19, 20, 21), perverse in his will (Rom. 8: 7).
This is the condition of every unregenerate man, no matter how
cultured, refined or outwardly moral he may be. (See Chapter
on Present Standing before God and Condition of Men outside of
the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus.) In the New Birth God
imparts to us His own wise and holy nature, a nature that thinks
as God thinks (Col. 3: 10), feels as God feels, wills as God wills.
(1 Jno. 3: 14; 4: 7, 8.) " Old things arc passed away, behold they
are become new." (2 Cor. 5: 17, R.V.) Compare Ezek. 36: 26, 27:
" A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put
within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your
flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my
Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye
shall keep my judgments, and do them."
The New Birth is a most desirable and glorious experience.
Just to think that the All Holy God comes to men sunken in sin,
dead through trespasses and sins, the vilest of sinners, blind, cor
rupt, perverse, and imparts to them His own wise, holy and glori
ous nature. The doctrine of the New Birth is one of the most
precious and inspiring in the Word of God.
328 What the Bible Teaches
H. The Results of the New Birth.
(1) i Cor. 3: 16— " Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? "
i Cor. 6: 19 — "What ! know ye not that your body is the temple of
the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not
your own?"
.FIRST PROPOSITION; The Regenerated Man is a temple of
God; the Spirit of God dwelleth in him.
When anyone submits himself to the regenerating work of
the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit takes up His abode in Him.
(2) Rom. 8: g — " But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so
be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Regenerated Man is not in the
flesh, but in the Spirit — i. e. , the flesh is not the sphere in which
he thinks, feels, lives and acts ; on the other hand, the Spirit is
the sphere in which he thinks, feels, lives and acts.
NOTE. — While the regenerated man is not in the flesh, he still has
the flesh. Gal. 5: 16, 17 — "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye
shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to
the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." The new na
ture received in regeneration does not expel, destroy nor eradicate the old
nature. The two exist side by side. The old nature is present, but its
deeds are to be put to death through the Spirit. Rom. 8: 13 — " For if ye
live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the body, ye shall live." The flesh is present but we are not
under its dominion. It is said by some that "Gal. 5: 17 represents a
lower experience, but in Rom. 8 we get a higher experience when the
carnal nature is eradicated." But in Rom. 8: 12, 13, we see the flesh still
present but triumphed over.
(3) Rom. 8: 2 — " For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Regenerated Man is made free
from the law of sin and death.
What the law of sin and death is we see in Rom. 7: 14-24:
" For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under
sin. For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not;
but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I
consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do
The New Birth 329
it, but sin that dwelletti in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my
flesh), dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how
to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would,
I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that
I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I
find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see an
other law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and
bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is my members. O
wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this
death ?"
After regeneration the law still works, but the higher "law
of the Spirit of Life " comes in and sets us free from its power.
Whereas in man merely awakened by law, the ' ' law of sin and
death " gets a perpetual victory, in the regenerate man the law of
"the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus " gets the perpetual victory.
(4) Rom. 12:2, R.V. — "And be not fashioned according to this
world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye
may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Regenerated Man is outwardly
transformed by the inward renewing of his mind so that he is no
longer fashioned according to this world.
NOTE. — The regenerated man, however, does not at once manifest
perfectly that of which he has the germ in himself. He begins as a babe
and must grow: i Pet. 2: 2—" As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk
of the word, that ye may grow thereby." Eph. 4: 13-15— " Till we all
come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cun
ning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the
truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even
Christ," The new life must be fed and developed.
(5) Col. 3: 10, R.V. — " And have put on the new man, which is be
ing renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The Regenerated Man is being made
anew into the likewss of his Creator in knowledge.
This result of the new birth is a progressive process. The
mind of the believer is brought day by day into conformity with
that of Grod.
330 What the Bible Teaches
(6) Rom. 8:5— "For they that are after the flesh do mind the
things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the
Spirit."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The Regenerated Man minds the things
of the Spirit — i. e. , he directs his mind toward the things of the
Spirit; sets his thoughts, affections and purposes upon them.
(7) i Jno. 5: i—" Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is
born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also
that is begotten of him."
SE VENTH PR OPOSITION: The Regenerated Man believes that
Jesus is the Christ.
Of course the faith that John here speaks of is a faith that
is real — i. e., a faith that enthrones Jesus as Christ in the heart.
Compare Matt. 16: 16, 17 — "And Simon Peter answered and said,
thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered
and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and
blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."
Jno. i: 12, 13 — " 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:
which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but of God."
(8) i Jno. 5: 4, R.V. — " For whatsoever is begotten of God over-
cometh the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the world,
even our faith."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: The Regenerated Man overcomes the
world.
The world is at variance with God, it lieth in the evil one
(1 Jno. 5: 19), and it is constantly exercising a power to draw the
believer into disobedience to God (See context, 1 Jno. 5: 3), but
the one born of God by the power of faith gets the victory over
the world.
(9) i Jno. 3: 9, R.V. (see Greek) — " Whosoever is begotten of God
doeth no (is not doing) sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he can
not sin (be sinning), because he is born of God."
NINTH PROPOSITION: In the one born of God the seed of God
remains, and therefore the one born of God does not practice sin.
NOTE i. — What is meant here by sin? Sin here is manifestly
something done. What kind of a something done is denned in v. 4,
The New Birth 331
"Transgression of the law " or "lawlessness." (R.V.), z. <?., such acts
as reveal disregard for the will of God as revealed in His word. Sin
then is here, a conscious intentional violation of the law of God. The
regenerate man will not be doing that which he knows to be contrary to
the will of God. He may do that which is contrary to God's will, but
which he does not know to be contrary to God's will. It is not therefore
lawlessness. Perhaps he ought to have known that it was contrary to
God's will, and when he is led to see it he will confess his guilt to God.
Taking sin in a broader sense than John here takes it, it is sin.
NOTE 2. — The tense of the verb here used is the present, which
denotes progressive or continued action. The literal translation of the
passage would be " Every one begotten out of God, sin is not doing, be
cause his seed in him is remaining; and he cannot be sinning, because
out of God he is begotten." It is not taught that he never sins in a single
act, but it is taught that he is not going on sinning, making a practice of
sin. What his practice is will appear under the next head.
The one begotten of God cannot be sinning, because he is
begotten of God. The new nature imparted in regeneration
renders the continuous practice of sin impossible.
(10) i Jno. 2: 29, R.V. — " If ye know that he is righteous, ye know
that every one also that doeth righteousness is begotten of him."
TENTH PROPOSITION: He that is begotten of God practices
righteousness.
Here again we have the present tense (the present participle)
denoting continuous action. It is evident here that the thought
is not that he does righteousness in a single case, but that he
makes a practice of it. By righteousness is meant the perform
ance of such acts as are conformed to the straight line of God's
will revealed in His word. Righteousness is the habitual practice
of the one who is begotten of God. He may do individual acts
which are unrighteous, but he is a doer of righteousness; "right
eousness " is his practice.
NOTE. — The force of the present tense as indicating continuous
action is very evident in this verse. If we took it as referring to a single
act the verse would teach that everyone who does a single righteous act
is begotten of God. Of course this is not meant. It does not refer to a
single act of righteousness, and evidently the contrasted passage (Chap.
3: 9) cannot refer to a single act of lawlessness.
(n) i Jno. 3: 14, R.V.—" We know that we have passed out of
death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not
abideth in death."
332 What the Bible Teaches
i Jno. 4: 7, R.V. — " Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of
God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God."
ELE YE NTH PR 0 POSIT ION: He that is begotten of God loveth
the brethren.
QUESTION: Who are meant by the brethren ?
ANSWER: (1 Jno. 5:1 — "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is
the Christ is begotten of God : and whosoever loveth him that begat
loveth him also that is begotten of him.") Those who are begotten
of God. The one who is begotten of God loveth every other one
who is begotten of God. The other may be an American, or
Englishman, or Negro, or Chinaman ; he may be educated or
uneducated, but he is a child of God and a brother, and as such an
object of love.
QUESTION: What is meant by love ?
ANSWER: The following verses (1 Jno. 3: 16-18) define
what John means by love. It is not mere emotion or sentiment,
but that genuine desire for another's good that leads to sacrifice
for him — even the sacrifice of our own life if necessary. This love
is the supreme result, evidence and test of the New Birth.
(12) 2 Cor. 5: 17, R.V. — " Wherefore if any man is in Christ he is
a new creature: i\& old things are passed away; behold they are be
come new."
TWELFTH PR 0 POSITION: In the Regenerated Man old things
are passed away ; they are become new.
In the place of the old ideas, old affections, old purposes,
old choices, are new ideas, new affections, new purposes, new
choices.
(13) Tit. 3: 5 — " Not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of re
generation, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION: Through the bath of regen
eration and renewing of the Holy Spirit the regenerated man is
already saved.
GENERAL NOTE. — These results of regeneration are also its evi
dence and tests, especially 7, 8, 9, 10, n. If anyone would know whether
he has indeed been begotten again let him inquire, ' * Are the facts stated
under 7, 8, 9, 10, n, true of me? "
The New Birth 333
HI, The Necessity of the New Birth.
(1) Jno. 3:3 — "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily,
I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God."
FIRST PROPOSITION: No man can see the Kingdom of God
except he be born again. The necessity is universal.
(2) Jno. 3: 7 — " Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born
again."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Men not only may but must be born
again. The necessity is absolute and imperative.
Nothing else will take the place of the New Birth. Educa
tion, morality, religion, orthodoxy, baptism, reform — none of
these nor all of them together are sufficient.
Gal. 6: 15 — " For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any
thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." "Ye must be born
again."
(3) Jno. 3: 5, 6 — "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into
the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and
that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The reason why men must be born
again is because all one gets by natural generation is "flesh"
What the character of the flesh is we learn from Paul:
Gal. 5: 19-21 — "Now, the works of the flesh are manifest, which are
these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, sedition, here
sies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of the
which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they
which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Rom. 8:
7, R.V. — " Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it
is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."
"The flesh " is radically and essentially bad. They that are
in the flesh " cannot please God," nor "inherit the kingdom of
God." The flesh is incapable of improvement. (Jer. 13:23.) What
man needs is not to cultivate nor to improve the old nature, but
to get a new one.
Matt. 12:33 — " Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or
else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known
by his fruit."
334 What the Bible Teaches
IV. The Manner of the New Birth, or How Men are Born Again.
(1) Jno. i: 13 — " Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will oi
the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Believers are begotten again— not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God. The New Birth is God's work, having its origin entirely
in God s will.
(2) Tit. 3: 4, 5—" But after that the kindness and love of God our
Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which
we have done, but according to his mercy HE saved us, by the washing
of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
Jno. 3:5, 6 — "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto'thee,
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into
the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
SECOND PROPOSITION: God begets men anew through the
cleansing, quickening, renewing work of the Holy Spirit.
(3) Jas. i : 18 — " Of his own will begat he us 'with the 'word of truth,
that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." (Compare
Col. 1:5 — "For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof
ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel. " )
i Pet. 1:23, 25 — "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.
. . . But the word of God endureth for ever. And this is the word
which by the gospel is preached unto you."
THIRD PROPOSITION: " The word of Truth" or « The word
of God" — (i. e., the word which is preached by the gospel) — is
the instrument the Holy Spirit uses in regeneration.
(4) i Cor. 4: 15 — " For though ye have ten thousand instructors in
Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begot
ten you through the gospel."
FO UR TH PR OPOSITION: Men, by the preaching of the gospel,
are used of God for the regeneration of believers.
(5) Gal. 3:26 — "For ye are all the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus."
Jno. i: 12, 13 — "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:
which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God."
The New Birth 335
FIFTH PROPOSITION: We become children of God through
believing in or receiving Jesus Christ.
This same thought is illustrated by Jesus in Jno. 3: 14, 15 by
a reference to the brazen serpent. These words are an answer to
the question of Nicodemus " How can these things be ? " (v. 9.)
As the dying Israelite, with the poison of the fiery serpents cours
ing through his veins, was saved by looking at the brazen serpent
on the pole, and had new life coursing through his veins as soon
as he looked, so we dying men, with the poison of sin coursing
through our veins, are saved by looking at Christ "made in the
likeness of sinful flesh," lifted up on the cross, and have new life
coursing through our veins as soon as we look. All we have to
do with our regeneration is to receive Christ. (Compare 2 Cor.
5: 17 — "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.")
In the New Birth the Word of God is the seed ; the human
heart is the soil ; the preacher of the Word is the sower, and drops
the seed into the soil; God by His Spirit opens the heart to re
ceive the seed (Acts 16: 14); the hearer believes; the Spirit quick
ens the seed into life in the receptive heart; the new Divine Na
ture springs up out of the Divine Word; the believer is born
again, created anew, made alive, passed out of death into life.
CHAPTER VIL
ADOPTION,
L What is Adoption?
(1) Etymologically the word translated "adoption" means
"the placing a son."
(2) In Greek usage outside of the Bible from Pindar and
Herodotus down the two words from which the word translated
"adoption" is derived mean "an adopted son."
(3) Scriptural usage:
Rom. 9: 4 — " Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption,
and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the
service of God, and the promises."
(Compare Ex. 4:22, 23; Deut. 14: i; Is. 43:6; Jer. 31:9; Hos. 11:1.)
Rom. 8: 15, 23 — "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage
again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we
cry, Abba, Father. . . . And not only they, but ourselves also, which
have the firstf ruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan w ithin our
selves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."
Eph. i: 5 — " Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."
Gal. 4: 5 — " To redeem them that were under the law, that ye might
receive the adoption of sons."
These are all the passages in which the word is found. Here
the word means the " placing " or "adoption" as sons. In re
generation we receive the nature of sons of God; in adoption we
receive the position of sons of God. Regeneration is a change of
nature. Adoption is a change of position or relation.
II. The Origin and Ground of Adoption.
Eph. i: 3-6, R.V.— " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places in Christ: even as he chose us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish
before him in love: having foreordained us unto adoption as sons
through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of
his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely be
stowed on us in the Beloved."
Adoption 337
(1) Adoption originates in the eternal, sovereign, unmer
ited grace of God. Not because of any merit seen or foreseen in
us, but because of His own loving, gracious choice, He foreor
dained us to adoption as sons. He did not foreordain us to adop
tion as sons because we were fit for the place; but, having fore
ordained us to adoption as sons, He makes us fit for the place to
which He has graciously foreordained us.
(2) Adoption is through Jesus Christ — i. <?., on the ground
of what He is and does. Because of what His only begotten Son
is and does, He adopts many to be sons.
III. The Recipients of Adoption, or who receive the Grace of Adoption.
(i) Gal. 3: 25, 26 — " But after that faith is come, we are no longer
under a schoolmaster, but ye are all the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus."
Gal. 4: 4-7 — " But when the fulness of the time was come, God
sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of
sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his
Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no
more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through
Christ."
Jno. i: 12, R.V — " But as many as received him, to them gave he
the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his
name."
PROPOSITION: All those who believe in, or receive Christ
Jesus, receive the adoption of sons — i. e., they obtain a place or
right as sons in the family of God.
IV. The Time of Adoption, or when the Believer receives his place as a
Son.
(i) Gal. 3: 25, 26 — " But after that faith is come, we are no longer
under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus."
4: 6 — " And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of
his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father."
i Jno. 3: i, 2, R.V. — " Behold what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God: and such
we are. For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew
him not. Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet
made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be mani
fested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is."
338 What the Bible Teaches
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Believer has already received his
place as a son in the family of God.
We now have the rights of sons ; we are not under tutors,
governors nor law. All things in the house are ours.
(2) Rom. 8:23 — "And not only they, but ourselves also, which
have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within our
selves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."
SE COND PR OPOSITION: The full working out and manifesta
tion of our position as sons — the completion of our placing as
sons, our manifestation to the world as sons of God — lies in the
future, and will not be 'realized until the body as well as the Spirit
is redeemed.
Col. 3: 4, R.V.—" When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested,
then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory."
V. The Proof of our Adoption, or How we know that we have the Place
of Sous in the Family of God,
(1) Gal. 3: 23-26, R.V. — " For before faith came, we were kept in
ward under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be
revealed. So that the law hath been our tutor to bring us unto Christ,
that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith is come, we
are no longer under a tutor. For ye are all sons of God, through
faith in Christ Jesus."
FIRST PROPOSITION: We know by the explicit statement of
God's Word that we are no longer under the tutor, lawy but have
a place as sons in the family of God.
(2) Gal. 4: 6 — "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the
Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father."
Rom. 8: 15, 16, R.V. — "For ye received not the spirit of bondage
again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that
we are children of God."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Because we are sons, God has sent
*he Spirit of His Son into our hearts. This Spirit of Christ
bears witness together with our spirit that we are children of God,
crying, Abba Father.
\
VI. The Results of Adoption.
(i) Gal. 4: 6—" And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the
Spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
Adoption 339
FIRST PROPOSITION': God sends the Spirit of His Son into
our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
(2) Rom. 8: 15 — "For yc have not received the spirit of bondage
again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we
cry, Abba, Father."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We are delivered from bondage and
fear, and brought into filial trust in God.
(3) Gal. 4: 4-6: " But when the fulness of the time was come, God
sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of
sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his
Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
Gal. 3: 25, 26 — " But after that faith is come, we are no longer un
der a schoolmaster, for ye are all the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus."
THIRD PROPOSITION: We are delivered from the bondage
under the law to serve in the liberty of sons.
(4) Rom. 8: 17 — "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we surfer with him, that we may
be also glorified together."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Having received a place as children
we are made heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We
are made heirs of all God is and all God has.
CHAPTER VIII,
SANCTIFICATION,
I. What does Sanctiflcation mean I
FIRST MEANING:
Lev. 27: 14, 16 — " And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy
unto the LORD, then the priest shall estimate it, whether it be good or
bad: as the priest shall esteem it, so shall it stand. . . . And if a
man shall sanctify unto the LORD some part of a field of his possession,
then thy estimation shall be according to the seed thereof; a homer of
barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver."
Num. 8: 17 — " For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine,
both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the
land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.'''
2 Chron. 7: 16 — " For now have I chosen and sanctified this housct
that my name may be there forever: and mine eyes and my heart shall
be there perpetually."
Jer. i: 5 — " Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and be
fore thou earnest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I or
dained thee a prophet unto the nations."
Matt. 23: 17 — "Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold,
or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Jno. 10: 36 — " Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and
sent into the world, thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of
God ?
FIRST PROPOSITION: To sanctify means to separate or set
apart for God. Sanctification is the process of setting apart or
state of being set apart for God. This is the primary meaning
of the word.
SECOND MEANING:
2 Chron. 29: 5, 15-18 — " And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites;
sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your
Fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy places. . . .
And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came,
according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the LORD,
to cleanse the house of the LORD. And the priests went into the inner
Sanctification 34!
part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the un~
cleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of
the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad
into the brook Kidron. Now they began of the first day of the first
month to sanctify •, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the
porch of the LORD: so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight
days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.
Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all
the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the
vessels thereof, and the shew-bread table, with all the vessels thereof."
Lev. u: 44 — " For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore
sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye
defile yourselves with -any -manner of creeping things that creepeth
upon the earth."
Lev. 20: 7— "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy : for I
am the LORD your God."
i Chron. 15: 12, 14 — "And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the
fathers of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren,
that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place
that I have prepared for it. ... So the priests and the Levites
sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel."
Ex. 19: 20-22 — " And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on
the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the
mount; and Moses went up. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down,
charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and
many of them perish. And let the priests also, which come near to
the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them."
i Thess. 5: 22, 23 — " Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the
very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole
spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ."
Heb. 9: 13 — "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes
of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the
flesh."
i Thess. 4: 7, R.V. — " For God called us notforuncleanness, but in
Sanctification."
i Thess. 4: 3 — " For this is the will of God, even your Sanctification^
that ye should abstain from fornication."
SECOND PROPOSITION: To sanctify means to separate from
ceremonial or moral defilement, to cleanse. Sanctification is the
process of separating, or state of being separated, from cere
monial or moral defilement.
The two meanings of the word are closely allied. One can
not be truly separated to God without being separated from sin.
342 What the Bible Teaches
THIRD MEANING:
Ezek. 20: 41 — " I wih accept you with your sweet savour, when I
bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries
wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before
the heathen."
Ezek. 28: 22 — "And I say, Thus saith the LORD God; Behold, I am
against thee, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and
they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall have executed judg
ments in her, and shall be sanctified in her."
Ezek. 36: 23 — "And I will sanctify my great name, which was pro
faned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of
them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the LORD
God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes."
Ezek. 38: 16 — " And thoti shalt come up against my people of Israel,
as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter clays, and I will
bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I
shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes."
Ezek. 39: 27 — "When I have brought them again from the people,
and gathered them out of their enemies' hands, and am sanctified in
them in the sight of many nations."
THIRD PROPOSITION: God is spoken of as being sanctified
by the revelation of His own character, not that He is made holy
but shown to be Holy.
II, How are men sanctified?
(1) i Thess. 5:23 — "And the very God of peace sanctify yoii
wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be pre
served blameless unto the coining of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Jno. 17: 17 — " Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."
FIRST PR OPOSITION: God sanctifies men.
Sanctification — the separation of men from sin and separat
ing them unto God — is God's own work.
As it was God who in the Old Dispensation set apart the
firstborn unto Himself, so it is God who in the New Dispensation
sets apart the believer unto Himself and separates him from sin.
(2) Eph. 5:25, 26, R.V. — "Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; that he might
sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word."
SE COND PR OPOSITION: Christ sanctifies the Church. Sancti-
Jication is Christ's work.
Sanctification 343
By the giving up or sacrifice of Himself, Christ sets the
Church apart for God. The sacrifice of Christ puts a difference
between the Church and the world, just as the blood of the Pass
over Lamb put a difference between Israel and the Egyptians.
(Ex. 11: 7; 12: 12, 13.) Heb. 10: 10, R.V.— "By which will we
have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all." By the offering of His own body Jesus Christ
has forever set the believer apart for God. The cross stands
between the believer and the world. He belongs to God.
(3) 2 Thess. 2: 13 — " But we are bound to give thanks always to
God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the
beginning chosen you to salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth."
i Pet. 1:2 — "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprink
ling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multi
plied."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer.
Sanctification is the Holy Spirit's work.
Just as in the Old Testament type, tabernacle, altar and
priest were set apart for God by the anointing oil (Lev. 8: 10-12),
so in the New Testament anti-type the believer, who is both taber
nacle and priest, is set apart for God by the anointing of the Holy
Spirit. It is also the Holy Spirit's working in the heart that
overcomes the flesh and its defilements, and thus separates the
believer from sin and clothes him with Divine graces of character,
and makes him fit to be God's own.
Gal. 5: 16-23 — "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall
not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the
other; so that ye cannot do the things ye would. But if )7e be led of the
Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are mani
fest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleamiess, lascivious-
ness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife,
sedition, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such
like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past,
that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law."
(4) Heb. 13: i2,R.V. — " Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify
the people tJirough his own blood, suffered without the gate."
344 What the Bible Teaches
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Believers are sanctified through the
blood.
The blood cleanses us from all the guilt of sin and thus
separates us from the mass of men under the curse of the law,
and sets us apart for God. (Compare 1 Jno. 1 : 7, 9 — ''But if we
walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have the fellowship one
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us
from all sin. ... If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unright
eousness.")
In the Old Testament the blood of the sacrifice cleansed the
Israelites from the guilt of ceremonial offenses and set them apart
for God; in the New Testament the blood of Christ cleanses the
believer from guilt of moral offenses and sets him apart for God.
(5) Jno. 17: 17, R.V. — "Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is
truth."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: We are sanctified in the truth, the
Word of God.
The Word cleanses from the presence of sin, separates us
from it, and sets us apart for God. (Ps. 119: 9, 11.)
Jno. 15: 3 — " Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken
unto you."
As we bring our lives into daily contact with the Word, the
sins and imperfections of our lives and hearts are disclosed and
put away, and we are more and more separated from sin unto
God. (Jno. 13: 10 — "Jesus saith to him, He that is washed
needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit : and ye
are clean, but not all.'')
(6) i Cor. i: 30, R.V. — "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who
•was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sancti-
fication, and redemption."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ was made unto us from
God sanctification.
Separation from sin and separation to God was provided for
us in Christ, By the appropriation of Christ we obtain this sanc
tification thus provided. The more completely we appropriate
Christ, the more completely are we sanctified. But perfect sane-
Sanctification 345
tification is provided in Him, just as perfect wisdom is provided
in Him. (Col. 2:3.) We appropriate each in ever-increasing
measure. Through the indwelling Christ, presented to us by the
Spirit in the Word, we are made Christ-like and bear fruit.
Jno. 15: 1-7 — " I am the true vine, and my Father is the husband
man. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and
every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth
more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken
unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye
abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abidethin
me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me
ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a
branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the
fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."
As Christ takes continually more and more complete posses
sion of every corner of our being we are more and more com
pletely sanctified.
(7) Heb. 12: 10, ii (Note v. 14.) — " For they verily for a few
days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that
we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the
present seemeth to be joyous but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it
yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are ex
ercised thereby."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: We become partakers of God's
holiness through the administration of chastisement by our
Heavenly Father.
NOTE. — The word "holiness" in this 'passage is not precisely the
same word as the one translated " sanctification " in other passages, but
it is from precisely the same root, and in v. 14, precisely the same word is
used, and it is translated " sanctification " in the Revised Version.
(8) Heb. 12: 14, R.V. — " Follow after peace with all men, and the
sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Sanctification is something that we
must pursue, or seek earnestly, if we are to obtain it. While it
is Gods work we have our part in it; viz. : to make it the object
of our earnest desire and pursuit.
(9) Rom. 6: 19 (last half), 22, R.V. — "For as ye presented your
members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even
so now present your members as servants to righteousness unto sanctifi-
346 What the Bible Teaches
cation. But now being made free from sin, and become servants U
God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal
life."
NINTH PROPOSITION; We attain unto sanctification through
presenting our members as servants (literally "slaves ") to right
eousness and becoming ourselves bondservants unto God.
(10) 2 Cor. 6: 17; 7: i — "Wherefore come out from among them,
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not. the unclean thing;
and I will receive you. Having therefore these promises, dearly be
loved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
Perfecting holiness \\\ the fear of God."
TENTH PROPOSITION: We perfect holiness by cleansing our
selves from all defilement of jlesh and spirit. To this end we
are to come out from among unbelievers, refusing all alliances
with them and touching no unclean thing.
It is, of course, under the guidance and in the power of the
Holy Spirit that we do this, but it is we that do it.
(u) Col. i: 21-23, R.V. — "And you, being in time past alienated
and enemies in your mind in your evil works, yet now hath he recon
ciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present yoti holy and
without blemish andunreproveable'beimQ him: if so be that ye continue
in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope
of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under
heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: The completion by Christ of
the work of sanctification in us — i. e. , our presentation be
fore God, holy, without blemish and unreproveable — is condi
tioned upon our continuance in the faith, grounded and stead
fast.
NOTE. — If we have a genuine faith we will so continue. Heb 10:
3g — " But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them
that believe to the saving of the soul."
(12) Acts 26: 1 8 — " To open their eyes, and to turn them from dark
ness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are
sanctified by faith that is in me."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: We are sanctified by faith in
Christ.
Sanctification 347
Sanctification, just as Justification, Regeneration and Adop
tion, is conditioned upon faith. Faith is the hand that appropri
ates this as all other blessings of God.
Ill, When does Sanctification take Place 1
(i) i Cor. i: 2, R.V. — "Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus
Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, unto the
church of God which is at Corinth, even them that ARE sanctified in
Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that call upon the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours."
i Cor. 6: n, R.V. — "And such were some of you; but ye were
washed, but_y<? were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God."
FIRST PROPOSITION: All members of the ChmrJi of Cud
already are sanctified in Christ Jesus.
The moment anyone becomes a member of the Church of
God by faith in Christ Jesus, that moment he is sancliiied.
QUESTION: In what sense are we already sanctified?
ANSWER:
(a) Heb. 10: 10, 14 — "By the which will we are sanctified through
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. . . . For by one offer
ing he hath perfected for ever them that are "anctifieJ. " (Compare v. i.)
By the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for
all we are cleansed forever from all the guilt of sin, we
are "perfected forever" as far as our standing before God is
concerned. The sacrifice does not need to be re-pouted as the
Jewish sacrifices (v. 1). The work is done once for all, sin is put
away (Heb. 9: 20. Compare Gal. 3: 13) forever, and we are
set apart forever as God's peculiar and eternal possession. (6)
There is another sense in which every believer may be already
sanctified. (Rom. 12: 1 — "I beseech you, brethren, by the mer
cies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.")
It is the believer's present and blessed privilege, and im
mediate and solemn duty, to present his body to God a living
sacrifice — not some part or parts of the body, but the whole body
with its every member and every faculty. Such an offering is
"well pleasing to God." (R.V. Marg.) As God in the Old
Testament showed His pleasure in an offering by sending down
fire to take it to Himself, so when the whole body is thus offered
348 What the Bible Teaches
to God He still sends down fire, the fire of the Holy Ghost, and
takes to Himself what is thus presented. The believer, then, so
far as the will, the governing purpose of his life, the centre of
his being, is concerned, is wholly God's or perfectly sanctified. He
may and will daily discover, as he studies the Word of God and is
illumined by the Holy Spirit, acts of his, habits of life, forms of
feeling, speech and action that are not in conformity with this
central purpose of his life. These must be confessed to God
as blameworthy, and be put away, and this department of
his being and life brought by God's Spirit and the indwelling
Christ into conformity with God's will as revealed in His Word.
The victory in this newly discovered and unclaimed territory
can be instantaneous. For example, I discover in myself an
irritability of temper that is manifestly displeasing to God. I
can go to God and confess it, renounce it and then instantly, not
by my own strength, but by looking to Jesus and claiming his
patience and gentleness, overcome it and never have another
failure in that direction. And so with everything in my life that
I am brought to see is displeasing to God.
(2) i Thess. 3: 12 — "And the Lord make you to increase and
abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we
do toward you."
4: i, 10, R.V. — "Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort
you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk
and to please God, even as ye do walk — that ye abound more, and more
. . . for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in Mace
donia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more."
2 Pet. 3: 18, R.V. — " But grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and
forever. Amen."
2 Cor. 3: 18, R.V — " But we all, with unveiled face reflecting as a
mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image
from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit."
Eph. 4: 11-15 — " And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;
and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the per
fecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meas
ure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no
more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of
doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they
lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up
into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."
Sanctification 349
SECOND PROPOSITION: There is a progressive work of sanc
tification; an increasing in love; an abounding more and more
in a godly walk and in pleasing God; a growing in the grace
and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; a be
ing transformed into the image of our Lord Jesus from glory
unto glory, each new gaze at Him making us more like Him;
a growing up into Christ in all things, until we attain unto a
full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness
of Christ.
(3) i Thess. 5: 23, R.V. — "And the God of peace himself sanctify
you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved en
tire without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
i Thess. 3: 12, 13 — "And the Lord make you to increase andabound
in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward
you: to the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness be
fore God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with
all his saints,"
THIRD PROPOSITION: The complete sanctification of believers
is something to be sought for in prayer, to be accomplished by
God in the future.
It is at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints that
He is to establish our hearts unblamable in holiness before our
God and Father, and that our spirit and soul and body are to be
preserved entire without blame. (Compare 1 Jno. 3:2.) It is
through our Lord making us to increase and abound in love unto
one another and unto all men that this is accomplished. It is not
in the life that now is, nor is it at death, but at the coming of Christ
that we are entirely sanctified in this sense.
IY. The Results of Sanctiflcation.
(i) Heb. 10: 14 — "For by one offering he hath perfected forever
them that are sanctified."
FIRST PROPOSITION: By the one offering, the sacrifice of
Himself for sins, Christ hath perfected forever those who are
sanctified.
Their standing before God as guiltless is already forever
secured for the sanctified. The sanctification here spoken of is the
separation from the guilt of sin and unto God secured by the shed
blood.
350 What the Bible Teaches
(2) Heb. 2: ii — " For both he that sanctifieth and they who are
sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call
them brethren."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Those whom Jesus sanctifies are of
oneicith Him, and If e is not ashamed to call them brethren.
(3) 2 Thess. 2: 13 — " But we are bound to give thanks always to
God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from
the beginning chosen you to salvation throitg/i sanctification of the
Spirit and belief of the truth."
THIRD PR OPOSITION: We are saved through sanctification,
Sanctification results in salvation. The sanctification here
spoken of is the sanctification which the Holy Spirit works; and
the salvation here spoken of is not salvation in the mere sense of
the forgiveness of sins, but salvation in the fullest sense of deliv
erance from sin's dominion and presence.
(4) Heb. 12: 14, R.V — " Follow .after peace with all men, and the
sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Sanctification results in seeing the
Lord.
The sanctification here spoken of is sanctification in the
sense of separation from sin, the sanctification which is the out
come of our eager desire for it and God's chastening. (Compare
vv. 10, 11.) Without this cleansing from sin it will be impossi
ble to know the blessed vision of the Lord that awaits those who
are purified. The purity that leads to this blessed vision of God
is not merely outward purity but heart purity. (Matt. 5: 8 —
11 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.") Even
in the life that now is, the more completely we are sanctified the
clearer is our perception of God.
(5) Acts 20: 32 — "And now, brethren, I commend you to God,
and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give
you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified"
Acts 26: 18 — " To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness
to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified
by faith that is in me."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Sanctification secures an inheritance.
Son.
Sanctificalion 351
Sanctification by God's Spirit makes us joint heirs with God's
Rom. 8: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 16-18— "For the law of the Spirit
of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh: That tile-righteousness of the law might
be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For
they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that
are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded
is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. . . . There
fore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh,
for if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are
led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God. . . . The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of
God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with
Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
CHAPTER IX.
REPENTANCE,
I. The Importance of the Subject.
(1) Matt. 3:2 — "And saying, REPENT ye: for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand."
4: 17 — " From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, REPENT:
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Mark 6: 12 — " And they went out and preached that men should
REPENT."
Acts 2: 38 — " Then Peter said unto them, REPENT, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The keynote of the preaching of John
the Baptist, Jesus, the Disciples on their first missionary tour
and Peter at Pentecost, was " Repent."
(2) Acts 20: 21 — "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the
Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus
Christ."
26: 20—" But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusa
lem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles,
that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for re
pentance."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The sum and substance of Paul's
testimony to Jew and to Gentile was repentance toward God and
faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
(3) Luke 24: 47, R.V. — " And that repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from
Jerusalem."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The heart of Christ's parting com
mission to the twelve was that ' ' Repentance and Remission of
Sins " should be preached unto all the nations.
(4) 2 Pet. 3: 9, R.V. — " The Lord is not slack concerning his prom
ise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not
Repentance 353
wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to re
pentance."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Lords supreme desire concern
ing all men is that they should come to repentance.
(5) Acts 17:30 — "And the times of this ignorance God winked
at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: God s one command to all men every
where is ll Repent."
(6) Luke 13: 3, 5 — "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye
shall all likewise perish. ... I tell you, Nay: but except ye re
pent, ye shall all likewise perish."
SIXTH PROPOSITION; The only door of escape from perdi
tion Jor any man is repentance.
NOTE. — The universal call of Old Testament prophets was repent.
There surely is not the emphasis laid upon repentance in modern preach
ing that there is in the Bible.
II. What Is Repentance !
(1) THE ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORDS USED:
The primary thought of the Hebrew word translated " re
pent " in the Old Testament is, to pant, to sigh, to groan, and so
to lament, to grieve, to grieve about one's doing. This Hebrew
word occurs frequently in the Old Testament in the active form
in the sense to comfort — e. g., Ps. 23: 4 — " Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for
thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." The
Greek word in the New Testament translated "repent" means
" to change one's mind."
The same Greek word is used in the LXX for the Hebrew
word mentioned above. So its New Testament meaning is to be
determined by this Old Testament usage. There is another Greek
word used in the New Testament five times and translated u re
pent." This word means u it is a care to one afterwards," — i. e.,
it " repents one." This word is also used in the LXX to trans
late the Hebrew word mentioned above. The thought of both
sorrow and change of purpose is in the words.
354 What the Bible Teaches
(2) USAGE or THE WORDS IN THE BIBLE:
Jer. 8: 6 — " I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no
man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done ?
every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle."
Jer. 18: 8 — " If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn
from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto
them."
Jer. 26: 3 — "If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from
his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I proposed to do
unto them because of the evil of their doings."
Jer. 42: 10 — "If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build
you, and not pull you down; and I will plant you, and not pluck you
up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you."
Ezek. 24: 14 — " I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and
I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I re
pent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they
judge thee, saith the LORD God."
Joel 2: 13, 14 — "And rend your heart, and not your garments, and
turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to
anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil."
Am. 7: 1-3, 4-6 — "Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and
behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of
the latter growth after the king's mowings. And it came to pass, that
when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I
said, O Lord GOD, forgive I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise?
for he is small. The LORD repented for this: It shall not fa; saith the
LORD. Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the
LORD God called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep,
and did eat up a part. Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech
thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. The LORD repented
for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD."
Jonah 3: 9, 10 — "Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and
turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw
their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented
of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it
not."
Matt. 12: 41 — "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this
generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented i\t the preach
ing of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here." (Compare
Jon. 3: 8-10 — " But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and
cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way,
and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can telj if God will
turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish
not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil ways;
and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto
them; and he did it not.")
Repentance 355
In the usage of the words the thought of regret, and the
thought of change of purpose and action, are both found; but the
emphasis is upon the change of purpose and action, especially in
the first New Testament word mentioned above. In our day
there is danger of underestimating the importance of sorrow for
sin. Sorrow for sin is not repentance, but it is an element in re
pentance. What the repentance or change of mind is about must
always be determined by the context. Repentance of sin is such
a sorrow for sin or abhorrence of sin, such a change of mind
about it, as leads the sinner to turn away from it with all his heart.
III. How Repentance Is Manifested.
(1) Luke 10: 13— " Woe unto thee Chorazin ! woe unto thee, Beth-
saida ! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which
have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented sitting in
sackcloth and ashes.'11
Joel 2: 12, 13 — "Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even
to me with all your heart, and 'with fasting, and with weeping, and with
mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto
the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and
of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil."
Job 42: 5, 6—" I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but
now mine eye seeth thee: Wherefore / abhor myself and repent in
dust and ashes."
FIRST PR 0 POSITION: Repentance is manifested in deep sorrow
for sin and in self -humiliation and in self-abhorrence.
(Compare Luke 18: 13 — "And ihe publican, standing afar off, would
not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast^
saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.")
There is not enough made of this manifestation of Repent
ance in these days.
(2) Hosea 14: i, 2 — " O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for
thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to
the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us gra
ciously: so will we render the calves of our lips."
Luke 18: 13, 14 — "And the publican, standing afar off, would not
lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast,
saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you this man went down
to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth
himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be ex
alted."
What the Bible Teaches
SECOND PROPOSITION: Repentance is manifested in confer
sion of sin and prayer to God for mercy.
(3) Matt. 12: 41 — "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with
this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the
preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here."
(Compare Jon. 3: 5-8 — "So the people of Nineveh believed God,
and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them
even to the least of them. For the word came unto the king of Nine
veh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and
covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be
proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king
and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste
any thing: let them not feed nor drink water: but let man and beast be
covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: Yea, let them turn
every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands.
Ezek. 18: 30 — "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every
one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent andturnyour-
selves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin."
14: 6 — " Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the
Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away
your faces from all your abominations."
Is. 55:7 — " Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man
his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy
upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Repentance is manifested by the sin
ner turning away from his evil way — -from all his transgressions,
his idols and his abominations and his thoughts.
This is the most important and decisive manifestation of re
pentance, the one upon which the Bible lays the most emphasis.
Note the frequency and urgency of the use of the word " turn "
in the Bible. See also Acts 3: 19, R.V — " Repent ye therefore, and
turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may
come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord." Con
version is the outward proof of the inward Repentance. (Com
pare 1 Thess. 1:9.)
(4) Acts 26:20, R.V. — "But declare both to them of Damascus
first, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judsea, and
also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to 6W, doing
works worthy of repentance."
i Sam. 7: 3 — " And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, say
ing, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away
the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you% and prepare yout
Repentance 357
hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out
of the hand of the Philistines."
Matt. 3:8, R.V. — "Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repent
ance."
FO UR TH PR 0 POSITION: Repentance is manifested by :
(a) Turning to God to trust and serve Him.
There are two sides to Repentance — turning from and turn
ing to. 1 Thess. 1: 9 — "For they themselves shew of us what
manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to
God from idols to serve the living and true God."
(b) By bringing forth fruit, or doing works, worthy of re
pentance.
Not merely abstinence from evil, but performance of good.
Compare Luke 3: 10-14 — "And the people asked him, saying,
What shall we do then? He arts were th and saith unto them,
He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none;
and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Then came also
publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall
we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which
is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him,
saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do vio
lence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with
your wages."
(5) Mark i: 4 — "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach
the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."
Acts 13: 24 — "When John had first preached before his coming the
baptism oj repentance to all the people of Israel."
Acts 2: 38 — "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Repentance is manifested by baptism.
This is God's appointed and deeply significant way of pub
licly professing our repentance. What right have we to substi
tute some other ?
IT. The Results of Repentance.
(i) Luke 15: 7, 10 — " I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in
heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine
just persons, which need no repentance. . . . Likewise, I say unto
you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner
that repenteth."
What the Bible Teaches
FIRST PROPOSITION: There is joy in heaven, in the presence
of the Angels of God, over one sinner that repenteth.
This is the supreme result of repentance. We should work
for the repentance of sinners more because of the joy it brings to
God and Christ than because of the blessings it brings to men.
(2) Is. 55:7 — "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unright
eous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will
have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly par
don."
Luke 24: 47 — " And that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
Mark i: 4, R.V. — "John came, who baptized in the wilderness and
preached the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins."
Acts 2: 38, R.V. — "And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be
baptized every cue of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission
of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Acts 3: 19 (first clause) — " Repent ye therefore, and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Repentance results in pardon, re
mission of sins, the blotting out of sins.
This remission is "in the name of Jesus Christ" — i. e., on
the ground of His work. Repentance is the condition upon which
the remission secured by the death of Jesus Christ is made our
own.
(3) Acts 2:38, R.V. — " And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and
be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the re
mission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Repentance is one of the primary con
ditions for receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.
The gift of the Holy Ghost is for all those who repent and
are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of
sins. It is for them to "take" (the exact force of the word
rendered ' ' receive " ).
(4) Acts 3: 19, 20, 21, R.V. — " Repent ye therefore, and turn again,
that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of re
freshing from the presence of the Lord; and that he mav send the Christ
who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus: whom the heaven must
receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake
by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world
began."
Repentance 359
FO LTR TH PR OPOSITION: The Repentance of God' s people will
reault in times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord and
thj sending of the Messiah.
These words were spoken to the Israelites and the implica
tion is that the repentance of Israel will result in the coming of
the Christ who has been appointed for them, even Jesus.
V. How Repentance Is Effected.
(1) Acts n: 18 — "When they heard these things, they held their
peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles
granted repentance unto life."
(The word rendered "granted" in this verse is the word
ordinarily translated ' ' given. ")
FIRST PROPOSITION: Repentance unto life is Gods gift.
(2) Acts 5: 30, 31, R.V. — " The God of our fathers raised up Jesus,
whom ye slew, hanging him on a tree. Him did God exalt with his
right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel,
and remission of sins." See also 3: 26 — " Unto you first God, having
raised up his servant, sent him- to bless you, in turning away every one
of you from your iniquities."
SE COND PR 0 POSITION: Jesus, once crucified but now exalted,
gives repentance.
(3) Acts 2: 37, 38, 41 — " Now when they heard this, they were
pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the
apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do ? Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost. . . . Then they that gladly received his word were bap
tized: and the same day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls."
By the verses that precede we see that what they heard was
the word of God, preached by men "filled with the Holy Ghost."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Repentance is effected through the
preaching of the Word by men filled with the Holy Ghost.
(Compare i Thess. i: 5, 6, 9, 10 — "For our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in
much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you
for your sake. . . . For they themselves shew of us what manner
of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols
360 What the Bible Teaches
to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the
wrath to come."
The Word of God is the means used for the bestowal of the
gift of repentance.
(4) Jonah 3: 5-10— "So the people of Nineveh believed 6W, and
proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them
even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh,
and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and cov
ered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be pro
claimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and
his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste
any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast
be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them
turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their
hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from
his fierce anger, that we perish not ? And God saw their works, that
they turned from their evil way: and God repented of the evil, that he
had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not."
FO UR TH PR OPOSITION: Repentance results when men believe
God's Word.
(5) Rom. 2: 4 — "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and
forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God
leadeth thee to repentance ? "
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The goodness of God leadeth men to
Repentance.
The word here rendered < '"goodness" is an adjective mean
ing ordinarily in the New Testament usage "kind" (Luke 6: 35;
Eph. 4: 32), or "gracious" (1 Pet. 2: 3). It is the kindness and
patience and forbearance of God that leads men to repentance.
(Compare 2 Pet. 3: 9 — "The Lord is not slack concerning his
promises, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-
ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance.")
(6) Rev. 3: 19 — "As many as I love, / rebuke and chasten: be zeal
ous therefore, and repent."
Heb. 12: 6, 10, n— " For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. , . . For they verily for
a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit,
that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for
the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, after
ward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which
are exercised thereby."
Repentance 361
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Repentance is effected through God's
loving reproof and chastisement.
(Compare Ps. 1 19: 67— "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but
now have I kept thy word.")
(7) 2 Tim. 2:24,25, R.V. — "And the Lord's servant must not
strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing, in meekness
correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give
them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Repentance is effected through the
meek and gentle correction administered by the servant of the
Lord.
(8) 2 Cor. 7: 8-1 1, R.V. — "For though I made you sorry with my
epistle, I do not regret it, though I did regret; for I see that that epis
tle made you sorry, though but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that
ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance:
for ye were made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might suffer loss by
us in nothing. For godly sorrow ivorketh repentance unto salvation, a
repentance which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world
worketh death. For behold, this selfsame thing, that ye were made
sorry after a godly sort, what earnest care it wrought in you, yea,
what cleansing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear,
yea, what longing, yea, what zeal, yea, what avenging! In every
thing ye approved yourselves to be pure in the matter."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Godly sorrow worketh repentance.
The godly sorrow in this case was itself wrought by the cor
rection administered by the Lord's servant.
(9) Job 42: 5, 6 — " I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear;
but now mine eye seeth thee: Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in
dust and ashes."
$INTH PROPOSITION: The sight of God causes repentance,
Nothing is so calculated to impress sinful man with a hatred
of sin, and abhorrence of self as a sinner, as a real view of God.
If then we wish to bring men to repentance, let us bring them
face to face with God. This can be effected by showing them
God as revealed in His Word. But it must be done in the power
of the Holy Spirit.
CHAPTER X,
FAITH,
I, What is Faith 3
(1) MEANING OF FAITH IN GENERAL.
Heb. n: i, R.V. — " Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the proving of things not seen." And Am. Ap., "Now faith is as
surance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen."
(Compare vv. 7, n, 17-19, 22, 30 — " By faith Noah, being warned 0}
God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, pre
pared an ark to the saving of his house; through which he condemned
the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to
faith. . . . By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive
seed when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had
premised: ... By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac:
yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only
begotten son; even he to whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be
called: accounting that God is able to raise up, even from the dead;
from whence he did also in a parable receive him back. . . . By
faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure
of the children of Israel: arid gave commandment concerning his
bones.")
Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, a conviction (or
proving, putting to the test) of things not seen. The foundation
upon which this assurance of things hoped for, this conviction of
things not seen, rests, is God1 s Word.
(2) MEANING OF " FAITH" WHEN USED IN CONNECTION WITH
PRAYER.
Jas. i: 5-7, R.V. — " But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask
of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be
given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing- doubting: for he that
doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord."
Mark u: 24, R.V. — " Therefore I say unto you, All things whatso
ever ye pray and ask for, belizve that ye have received them, and ye
shall have them."
Faitfi, in prayer, is the firm expectation or assurance, free
from all doubts, of getting the thing asked.
Faith 363
The prayer of faith reckons the thing asked as already really
its own, because God has heard the request and granted the thing
asked, and what God has granted is as really ours as if we had it
already in our possession experimentally.
Compare i Jno. 5: 14, 15 — "And this is the confidence that we have
in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:
and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we
have the petitions tJiat we desire of him," and i Cor. 3: 21 — " There
fore let no man glory in men: for all things are yours."
(3) MEANING OF " FAITH " WHEN USED IN CONNECTION WITH
GOD.
(a) i Jno. 5: 10, R. V. — " He that believeth on the Son of God hath
the witness in him: he that believeth not God hath made him a
liar; because he hath not believed in the witness that God hath borne
concerning His Son."
Jno. 5: 24, R.V. — "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth
my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and com-
eth not into judgment, but hath passed oat of death into life."
Acts 27: 22-25 — "And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for
there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and
whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before
Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be
even as it was told me."
Rom. 4: 3 — " For thus saith the Scriptures ? Abraham believed God
and it was counted unto him for righteousness." (Compare Gen. 15:
4-6 — "And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own
bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said,
Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number
them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in
the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.")
Rom. 4: 19-21, R.V. — "And without being weakened in faith he
considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hun
dred years old ), and the deadness of Sarah's womb: yea, looking unto
the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong
through faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that, what
he had promised, he was able also to perform."
To believe God is to rely upon or have unhesitating assur
ance of the truth of God's testimony, even though it is unsup
ported by any other evidence, and to rely upon or fiace unfaltering
assurance of the fulfilment of hispro?mses, even though everything
teen seems against fulfillment.
364 What the Bible Teaches
It is " taking G-od at his word." Faith is not belief without
evidence. It is belief on the very best of evidence, the word of
Him who cannot lie. (Tit. 1:2.) Faith is so rational that it
asks no other evidence than this all-sufficient evidence. To ask
other evidence than the word of Him ' ' who cannot lie " is not
" rationalism," but consummate irrationalism.
(b) 2 Chron. 20:20 — "And they rose early in the morning, and
went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Je-
hoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of
Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established;
believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper."
Jno. 14, i: R.V., Am. Ap. — "Let not your heart be troubled; ye
believe in God, believe also in me."
To believe in God is to rely upon, or put confidence in God
Himself. When we believe God we trust His word; when we be
lieve in God we trust Himself. When we believe God we fix our
eyes on what He has said (Rom. 4:20); when we believe in God
we fix our eyes upon what He is, upon His person, upon Himself.
NOTE. — There are two Hebrew words for "trust" and "faith."
The first, translated "believe" and "trust," means primarily, in the
transitive, "to prop," " to stay," "to support "; in the intransitive, "to
stay oneself." The second word, translated " trust," seems to mean "to
cast oneself upon." When we believe God we stay ourselves upon His
word: When we believe in God we stay ourselves upon Himself.
(4) MEANING OF "FAITH" WHEN USED IN CONNECTION WITH
JESUS CHRIST.
Jno. 14: i — " Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, be
lieve also in me."
Matt. 9:21, 22 — " For she said within herself , If I may but touch
his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when
he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath
made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour."
Matt. 9:29 — "Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to
thy faith be it unto you."
Matt. 15:25, 28 — "Then came she and worshipped him, saying,
Lord help me. . . . Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O
woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her
daughter was made whole from that very hour."
Matt. 8: 8-10 — "The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not
worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word
only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under author
ity, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he go-
eth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, do
Faith 365
this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said
to them that followed, Verily, I say unto you, I have not found so
great faith) no, not in Israel."
Luke 7: 48-50 — " And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And
they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who
is this that forgiveth sins also ? And he said to the woman, Thy
faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
Jno. 14: 12 — "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on
me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these
shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
Faith in Jesus Christ is relying upon, or putting confidence
in Jesus Christ. It is the assurance that he will do the things
sought of him or take care of the matters intrusted to Mm. (2
Tim. 1:12.) It is simply relying upon him for these things.
What Jesus Christ is relied upon for varies indifferent cases. (In
the several cases cited above it was for care, healing, sight, help,
the healing of another, pardon, power.) What he is relied upon
for, that will he do.
Matt. 9:29 — " Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to
your faith be it unto you."
Relying upon Christ for healing brings healing, relying
upon Christ for help brings help, relying upon Christ for
pardon brings pardon, relying upon Christ for power brings
power, relying upon Christ for victory brings victory. What we
have a right to rely upon him for is determined by his character
and his definite promises.
II. Saving Faith.
(1) THE CHARACTER OF SAVING FAITH, OR HOW WE MUST
BELIEVE IN ORDER TO BE SAVED.
(i) Rom. 10:9, 10 — " That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man be
lieveth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Saving Faith is believing with the
heart.
In order to be saved we must believe with the heart. In the
Bible the heart stands for the thought, feelings and will. A
heart-faith, then, is a faith that rules the thought, the feelings and
366 What the Bible Teaches
the will. The manifestation of heart-faith is action in the direo.
tion of that which is believed.
Compare Heb. n: 7, 8, 17, ig, 20, 22, 24-26, 28 — "By faith Noah,
being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, pre
pared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned
the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he
should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not
knowing whither he went. . . . By faith Abraham, when he was
tried, offered ^lp Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered
up his only begotten son. . . . Accounting that God was able to
raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him
in a figure. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things
to come. . . . By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the
departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning
his bones. ... By faith Moses, when he was come to years, re
fused to be called the son of PharaoJi's daugJitcr; Choosing rather to
suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of
sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than
the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the
reward. . . . Through faith he kept the passovcr, and the sprink
ling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them,"
and Rom. 4: 18-21, R.V, — "Who in hope believed against hope, to the
end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that
which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be. And without being
weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead
(he being about a hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah's
womb: yea, looking unto the premise of God, he wavered not through
unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God, and
being fully assured that, what he had promised, he was able also to
perform."
(2) Jas. 2: 14, 21, 22, 25, R.V. — "What doth it profit, my brethren,
if a man say he hath faith, but have not works ? . . . Was not
Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his
son upon the altar ? Thou seest that faith wrought with his works,
and by works was faith made perfect; . . . And in like manner
was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received
the messengers, and sent them out another way ? "
SECOND PROPOSITION: Saving Faith is a faith that works
by doing that which the one who is believed in bids us do.
(3) Gal. 5: 6 — " For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth
anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which ivorkcth by love."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Saving Faith is the faith which works
by love.
Faith 367
(4) Jno. i: 12 — " 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."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Saving Faith is the faith which re,
ceiues Jesus Christ as He comes to us, and for all that He offers
Himself to be.
He offers Himself as our sin-bearer. Saving Faith accepts
Him as such and rests all its hope for pardon on His atoning
blood. He offers Himself as our deliverer from sin's power
(Jno. 8:34, 3G). Saving Faith accepts Him as such and relies
utterly upon Him and expects Him to give such deliverance. He
offers Himself as our Teacher and Lord (Jno. 13: 13). Saving
Faith accepts Him as such and surrenders the mind unreserv
edly to His teaching and the life to His absolute control.
(5) 2 Tim. i: 12 — " For the which cause I also suffer these things:
nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and
am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed
unto him against that day."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Saving Faith in Jesus Christ is the
faith that commits to Jesus Christ.
(6) Rom. 10: 13, 14 — " For whosoever shall call upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom
they have not believed ? " etc.
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Saving Faith is a faith that calls
upon the name of the Lord.
NOTE. — The context plainly shows that the Lord here is the Lord
Jesus Christ (v. 9, R.V.). To call upon His name implies: First, a deep
recognition of our need of salvation. Second, an earnest desire to be
saved. Third, an utter casting away of hope in any other way of salva
tion. Fourth, a hope that He will save. The faith that recognizes our
own lost condition, that earnestly desires salvation, that casts away all
hope in any one or any thing but the Lord Jesus, and that hopes (or has
the assurance) that He will save, and puts Him to the test by crying to
Him, is the faith that saves.
(7) Rom. 10: 9, R.V. — "Because if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Saving Faith is the faith that
confesses Jesus as Lord.
$68 What the Bible Teaches
(8) Heb. 10:38, 39, R.V.— " But my righteous one shall live by
faith: And if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him. But
\*eare not of them that shrink back unto perdition; but of them that
have faith unto the saving of the soul." (See context vv. 32-37.)
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Saving Faith is the faith that does
not shrink back from the confession and service of Christ Jesus
in danger and trial.
(2) THE CONTENTS OF SAVING FAITH, OK WHAT WE MUST BE
LIEVE IN OEDEE TO BE SAVED.
(1) Jno. 20: 31— " But these are written, that ye might believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might
have life through his name."
FIRST PROPOSITION: In order that we may have life wt
must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. (Com
pare 1 Jno. 5:1.)
Of course this must be a heart-faith, a faith that leads to
action along the line of that which is believed, as seen above.
Not merely a theological opinion that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God, but such an assurance or conviction that He is as
leads us to put our trust in him, and to submit our thoughts and
feelings and purposes and lives to His control.
(2) Rom. i: 16 — "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
SECOND PROPOSITION: In order to be saved we must believe
the gospel.
QUESTION: What is the gospel ?
ANSWEE:
i Cor. 15: 1-4 — " Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel
which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein
ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I
preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered
unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he ivas buried, and
that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." (See
also Rom. i: 17-25.)
The gospel is, that "Christ died for our sins according
to the Scriptures . . . was buried . . . and rose again."
This we must believe in order to be saved. This involves faith
Faith 369
in Him as the Christ the Son of God. (Rom. 1 : 4 — " And declared
to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of
holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."}
Faith that He died for our sins brings pardon ; faith that he
rose again brings deliverance from sin's power. Of course, this
also must be a heart-faith.
(3) Rom. 10:9 — "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
THIRD PROPOSITION: In order to be saved we must believe
that God hath raised the Lord Jesus from the dead.
This involves faith in His Divinity (Rom. 1 : 4), in His propitia
tory death and God's acceptance of it (Rom. 4: 25), and in His in
tercession for us (Heb. 7: 25), and His power to deliver us from
sin.
(4) Luke 7: 48-50 — "And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves,
Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy
faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: In order to be saved we must believe
that Jesus can and will forgive our sin.
This faith involves faith in the Divinity of Jesus, for God
alone can forgive sin.
in. How Faith is Manifested.
(1) Mark 2: 3-5 — "And they came unto him, bringing one sick of
the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come
nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was:
and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the
sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the
sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Faith in Jesus is manifested by our
bringing to Him our need and surmounting all the obstacles that
lie between us and him.
(2) Matt. 15: 22-28 — "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out
of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, have mercy on me,
O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a
devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and
besought hims saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he
370 What the Bible Teaches
answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the
house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord,
help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the chil
dren's bread, and cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet
the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. Then
Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it
unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from
that very hour."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Faith in Jesus is manifested by our
holding on to Jesus for the desired blessing in the face of dis
couragement, even in the face of His apparent refusal to be
stow it.
(3) Acts n: 19, 21, R.V. — "They therefore that were scattered
abroad upon the tribulation that arose about Stephen travelled as far
as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none save
only Jews. . . . And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a
great number that believed turned unto the Lord.'"
THIRD PROPOSITION: Faith in Gods Word is manifested by
men turning to the Lord.
(4) Heb. ii : 8, 17 — " By faith Abraham, when he was called to go
out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance,
obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. . . . By
faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had
received the promises offered up his only begotten son."
FOURTH PROPOSITION; Faith is manifested by prompt
and exact obedience to the commandments of Him who is be
lieved in, simply because He commands, though we know not the
purpose of His command, nor the outcome of our obedience
(5) Heb. .11:17-19 — "By faith Abraham, when he was tried,
offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promise offered up his
only begotten son of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy
seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even
from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure."
Rom. 4: 18-21, R.V.—" Who in hope believed against hope, to the
end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that
which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be. And without being
weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he
being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb:
yea, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through un
belief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God, and being
fully assured that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. "
Faith 371
FIFTH PR 0 POSITION : Faith is manifested by a disregard for
the difficulties that lie in the way of the fulfillment of God's
promises. (Compare Num. 13:31-33; 14: 6-9.)
Difficulties are nothing to one who believes in God and His
Word: God is mightier than all obstacles, and His Word sure in
face of all apparent impossibility of fulfillment.
(6) Heb. 11:27 — " By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath
of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Faith is manifested by steadfastness
(see Greek) in the path God points out in face of obstacles, peril
and apparent loss.
(7) Heb. ii : 24-26— " By faith Moses, when he was come to years,
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to
suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of
sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than
the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the
reward.
SE VENTH PR 0 POSITION: Faith is manifested by the sacrifice
of the present seen, but transient advantage, for the sake of the
future unseen, but permanent advantage.
(8) Heb. ii : 20, 21 — "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau con
cerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed
both the sous of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his
starf."
(Comp. Gen. 27: 27-29 — "And he came near, and kissed him: and
he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See,
the smell of my son is as the smell of afield which the LORD hath
blessed: Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness
of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: let people serve thee, and
nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brother, and let thy
mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee,
and blessed be he that blesseth thee. . . . And Esau said unto
his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father ? bless me, even me
also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. And
Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling
shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;
and by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it
shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt
break his yoke from off thy neck," and Gen. 48: 5-20— "And now thy
two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the
land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine: as Reu-
372 What the Bible Teaches
ben and Simeon, they shall be mine. And thy issue, which thou beget
test after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name oi
their brethren in their inheritance: and as for me, when I came from
Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way when yet
there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there
in the way of Ephrath; the same is Beth-lehem. And Israel beheld
Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these ? And Joseph said unto his
father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place.
And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see.
And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced
them. And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face:
and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed. And Joseph brought
them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face
to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand
toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's
right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched
out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the
younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands
wittingly; for Manasseh was the first born. And he blessed Joseph,
and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk,
the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, the Angel which
redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named
on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let
them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. And when Joseph
saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it
displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from
Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. And Joseph said unto his
father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand
upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son,
I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great',
but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed
shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them that day,
saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim
and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION; Faith is manifested by large ex
pectations based upon God's large promises, even though as yet
nothing may be seen.
IV, The Results of Faith.
(i) Eph. 2: 8 — "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."
FIRST PROPOSITION: We are saved through faith.
Faith 373
Salvation is God's free gift; faith appropriates to itself this
gift freely offered to all. Rom. 1: 16 — " For I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the
Greek." The gospel has power to save, but that power is dis*
played only in those who believe. See, also, 1 Tim. 4: 10 — "For
therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust
in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those
that believe."
Salvation is a manifold process, but every factor in it is de
pendent upon faith.
(a) Acts 10:43— "To him give all the prophets witness, that
through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission
of sins."
We receive remission of sins through faith. God offers for
giveness to all men on the ground of the shed blood of Christ.
The one who believes appropriates to himself individually this
universal offer of salvation.
(b) Rom. 5: i — " Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
We are justified by faith.
Gal. 3: 13 — " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree."
On the ground of Christ's having been made a curse for us
God offers justification to us. This offer is appropriated by
faith.
(c) Jno. 20: 31 — " But these are written, that ye might believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have
life through his name."
We receive eternal life through believing. Belief in Him
who is the life (Jno. 14: 6) makes that life ours. Life is in Him
(1 Jno. 5: 11); by our believing in Him this life enters into us.
(d) Jno. 1:12, R.V. — "But as many as received him, to them
gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that be
lieve on his name."
Gal. 3: 26 — " For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus."
We receive the right to become sons of God by faith. In His
only begotten Son God makes to man the offer of adoption into
374 What the Bible Teaches
His family. We appropriate this offer to ourselves by believing
in His name.
(e) 2 Pet. i: 4 (see context vs. 5) — "Whereby are given unto us
exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be par
takers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in
the world through lust."
We become partakers of the Divine Nature through faith in
the exceeding great and precious promises of God.
(/) Acts 26: 18 — "To open their eyes, and to turn them from
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they
may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are
sanctified by faith that is in rne."
We are sanctified by faith. God offers to us in His word
sanctifying grace. By faith we appropriate this sanctifying grace
to ourselves.
(g) Acts 15:9 — "And put no difference between us and them
purifying their hearts by faith."
Our hearts are cleansed by faith. There is heart-cleansing
power in the Word of God. Upon faith in that Word it exercises
its heart-cleansing power in us.
(Compare Ps. 119: 9, n — "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse
his way ? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. . . . Thy
word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.")
(h] Eph. 3: 17, R.V. — "That Christ may dwell in your hearts
through faith, etc."
Christ dwells in our hearts through faith. God presents
Christ to us by His Spirit through the Word. Faith lays hold
upon Christ thus presented and he comes to dwell in the heart
and work all His glorious work within.
(t) i Pet. i: 5 — "Who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
We are kept through faith by the power of God unto a sal
vation ready to be revealed in the last time. God provides keep
ing, His own almighty power to keep. Faith simply lays hold of
the almighty power divinely provided.
(/) 2 Cor. i: 24 — " Not for that we have dominion over your faith,
but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand."
We stand by faith. By faith we enter into or appropriate to
ourselves the grace of God wherein we stand.
Faith 375
Rom. 5: 2 — " By whom also we have access by faith into this grace
wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
(/£) i Jno. 5: 4, 5 — " For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our
faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth
that Jesus is the Son of God ?"
Eph. 6: 16, R.V.— "Withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith
ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one."
By faith we get the victory over the world and over the evil
one. God freely provides for us and offers to us overcoming grace
in Jesus Christ. By faith we appropriate this overcoming grace
to ourselves.
(/) Heb. 4: 1-3 — " Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left
us of entering into his rest, any of you should seern to come short of it.
For unto you was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the
word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them
that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he
said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest:
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world."
We enter into rest by faith. From beginning to end, at
every step, salvation is by faith. God freely offers to us in Jesus
Christ a manifold salvation; forgiveness, justification, eternal
life, the right to be His sons, participation in His own nature,
sanctification, heart-cleansing, an indwelling Christ, keeping unto
a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, power to stand,
victory over the world and the evil one, rest. We appropriate to
ourselves every item in this salvation by faith. By grace are we
saved through faith from first to last.
(2) Matt. 9: 22, 29 — " But Jesus turned him about, and when he
saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made
thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. . . .
Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto
you."
Jas. 5: 14, 15 — " Is any sick among you ? let him call for the elders
of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in
the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick,
and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they
shall be forgiven him."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We receive physical healing through
faith.
God has provided for us and offers to us physical healing
and strength in Jesus Christ. Matt. 8: 16, 17 — "When the even
376 What the Bible Teaches
was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with
devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all
that were sick: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare
our sicknesses." We appropriate it to ourselves by faith. We
miss it by our unbelief. Mark 6: 5, 6 — "And he could there do
no mighty work, save that he laid his hand on a few sick folk, and
healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And
he went round about the villages, teaching."
(3) Jno. 12: 46—" I am come a light into the world, that whosoever
believeth on me should not abide in darkness."
THIRD PROPOSITION; We pass out of spiritual darkness into
light by faith in Christ.
By nature we are all in darkness and children of darkness.
God sends Jesus into the world to be "the light of the world. "
( Jiio. 8: 12.) The light there is in Him, the light He Himself is,
streams into our hearts when we believe in Him. (Jno. 12: 36.)
Faith opens the window and lets the light in.
(4) Jno. 14: i, R.V., Am. App. — " Let not your heart be troubled:
believe in God, believe also in me."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: We are delivered from all anxiety of
heart by faith, faith in God and Jesus Christ. ( Compare Is.
26:3.)
(5) Jno. 6: 35 — " And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life:
he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on
me shall never thirst."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: We are fully and forever satisfied
through faith in Jesus.
God has provided for us and offers to us full satisfaction for
every desire of our spirits in Jesus ; by faith we appropriate this
satisfaction to ourselves.
(6) i Pet. i: 8, R.V.— " Whom not having seen ye love; on whom,
though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy
unspeakable and full of glory."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Through believing on Jesus Christ we
rejoice greatly with joy unspeakabte and full of glory.
Faith 377
In no other way can we get such joy.
(7) Jno. 7:38, 39 — "He that believeth on me, as the Scripture
hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. ( But this
spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive:
for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet
glorified.)"
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Through believing on Jesus Christ
we become fountains from which rivers of living water flow out.
This is through the TTolv Spirit who is given to those who
believe on Jesus Christ. God has given to the crucified, riaei*
and glorified Jesus His Spirit for His body, the Church. (Jno.
7:39; 14: 12; Acts. 2:33.) We appropriate this promise of God
by faith. The Spirit comes upon us and makes us fountains of
living water.
(8) Matt. 21:22 — "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in
prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
Jas. i : 5-7 — " If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giv-
eth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is
like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not
that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord."
Mark 11:24, R.V. — " Therefore I say unto you, All things whatso
ever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and
ye shall have them."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: We receive the answer to our prayer*
when we believe we have received.
God is willing to answer prayer; yes, is anxious to answer
prayer. But He demands, as a condition of answering, that we
shall believe His naked promise and believe the prayer is heard,
and that the thing asked, is ours.
(9) Matt. 21:21 — "Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily
I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do
this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be
done."
Jno. 14:12 — "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on
me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these
shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
Heb. ii : 32-34 — " And what shall I more say ? For the time would
fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jeph-
thah; of David also, and of Samuel, and of the prophets: who through
What the Bible Teaches
faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises,
stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped
the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant
in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens."
NINTH PROPOSITION: We receive power to work wonders
through faith m God and Jesus Christ.
"Power belongeth unto G-od." (Ps. 62: 11.) But the
power that belongeth unto God is at the disposal of His children.
We lay hold of it by faith. God's power is the reservoir, our
faith is the supply pipe; therefore, according to our faith is our
experimental possession of God's power. (Matt. 9: 29.) Unbelief
limits our power, or rather the inflow of God's power into us.
Matt, 17: 19, 20 — "Then carne the disciples to Jesus apart, and
said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Be
cause of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a
grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence
to yonder place; and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible
unto you." Jno. u: 40 — "Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee,
that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?"
If we believe, we shall see the glory of God. It is our
wretched unbelief that is shutting many of us out of seeing it in
our own lives.
(10) Heb. 6: 12 — "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them
who through faith and patience inherit the promises."
Luke i: 45, R.V. — "And blessed is she that believed; for there shall
be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the
Lord."
TENTH PROPOSITION: Through faith we receive the fulfill
ment of God's promises.
The actual enjoyment of God's promises is conditioned upon
our belief of them. No matter how explicit a promise may be,
the thing promised becomes ours only upon condition of our be-
Jieving the promise.
Jas. i: 5-7 — " If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given
him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth
is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not
that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord."
The promises are for us; they are all yea and amen in
Christ (2 Cor. 1 : 20), but they become actually and experiment-
Faith 379
ally ours only as we reach cut the hand of faith and appropriate
them to ourselves. As far as we believe we receive. (Mark
11: 24, R.V.) We get what we believe for. Heb. 4:1, 2 — "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. For unto
us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word
preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faitk in them
that heard it." (See R.V., Am. Ap.) The fulness of God's
blessing is for those who claim it and in so far as they claim it.
Josh. 1:3 — "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread
upon, THAT have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses."
(u) Mark 9: 23 — "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all
things are possible to him that believeth."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: All things are possible to him
that believeth.
By faith we lay hold of God and His almightiness. Faith
can do anything God can do.
V. How to get Faith,
(1) Rom. 12: 3— "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to
every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than
he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt
to every man the measure of faith.'"''
i Cor. 12: 4, 8, 9 — " Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same
Spirit. . . . For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom;
to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith
by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit."
i Cor. 2: 4, 5 — "And my speech and my preaching was not with
enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit
and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of
men, but in the power of God."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Faith is Gods gift.
Like all of God's gifts it is at the disposal of all who wish it,
for there is no respect of persons with Him. We shall see di
rectly that it is given through a certain instrument that is within
reach of all, and upon certain conditions that any of us can fulfill.
(2) Rom. 10: 17 — " So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing
by the word of God."
Acts 4: 4 — " Howbeit many of them which heard the word belie vedj
and the number of the men was about five thousand."
380 What the Bible Teaches
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Word of God is the instrument
God has appointed for ', and that he uses in, imparting faith.
This is true of Saving Faith. When Paul and Silas told the
Philippian jailer to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he would
be saved, they immediately proceeded to speak the word of the
Lord unto him. (Acts 16: 31, 32.)
It is true of the faith that prevails in prayer. If we wish
^to believe that our prayer is heard we should search the promises
of God and just rest our faith upon them. Feeding upon the
Word makes a mighty man of prayer.
It is true of faith in all its aspects. Faith comes through
the Word and grows by feeding upon the Word. If we wish oth
ers to have faith we should give them the Word of God. If we
wish faith ourselves we should feed on the Word of God. (2 Tim. 3:
15; Jas. 1: 21: Jno. 20: 31.) No amount of praying for faith will
bring it if we neglect faith's proper nourishment, the Word of
God, any more than praying for physical health and strength will
bring it if we neglect wholesome food and live on mince pie and
candy.
(3) Gal. 5: 22—" But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long
suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Faith is the work of the Holy Spirit.
It is part of the fruit of the Spirit. The Word is the instru
ment by which it is produced, but it is the Word carried home,
and made a living thing in the heart by the Holy Spirit's power.
(4) Heb. 12: 2 — "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of
our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of
God."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus is the author and finisher of
our faith.
OUR PART.
(5) Rom. 4: 19, 20, R.V. — "And without being weakened in faith
he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a
hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb: yea, looking
unto the promises of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed
Jitrong through faith, giving glory to God."
Faith 381
FIFTH PROPOSITION: If we would have faith we must fix
our eyes upon the promise of God.
(If we wish another to have faith we must hold up the prom
ise of God before him, and hold his attention to it.)
(6) Luke ii : 9, n, 13 — "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. ... 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? . . . If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts
unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask him ? "
Mark 9: 24 — "And straightway the father of the child cried out, and
said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." (The con
text shows that Christ at once answered that prayer.)
Luke 22, 32 — "But I have prayed for thee; that thy faith fail not: and
when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for Faith.
As already seen, faith is God's gift. He bestows His gifts
in answer to prayer. It is the Holy Spirit's work, and the Holy
Sririt is given in answer to prayer. Prayer is an expression of
our helplessness and dependence upon God.
(7) Matt. 25: 29 (Note preceding context vv. 14-28) — "For unto
everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but
from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: If we wish more faith we should
use the faith we have.
(8) Jno. 5: 44, R.V. — " How can ye believe, which receive glory
one of another, and the glory that cometh from the only God ye seek
not?"
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: A great hindrance to faith is seek
ing glory from menandnot the glory that cometh from God only.
This and all hindrances must be put away if we would have
faith.
(9) Heb. 12:2 — "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."
NINTH PROPOSITION: If we would have faith we must look
unto Jesus.
382 What the Bible Teaches
Peter's faith failed when he took his eyes off from Jesus and
began to look at the wind and waves.
Matt. 14:30, 31 — " But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was
afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And
immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said
unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ?"
(10) Jno. 8: 12 — "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am
the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life."
TENTH PROPOSITION: If we are to have faith we must fol
low Jesus.
The more closely we follow Him the more our faith will
grow. Those who follow most closely in the footsteps of Christ
have the most faith. When Peter began to follow Christ " afar
off" his faith failed rapidly. The more of Christlike denial
of self and of true cross-bearing and humility there is in our
lives the more our faith will grow. Faith cannot flourish in an
atmosphere of self-indulgence, self-will and pride. Selfishness
and faith cannot walk together. They are not agreed.
VI. The Relation of Faith and Repentance to each other.
(1) Acts ii : 19, 21 — "Now they which were scattered abroad upon
the persecution that arose about Stephen, traveled as far as Phenice,
and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the
Jews only. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great
number believed^ and turned unto the Lord."
Matt. 3: 2, 6 — "And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand. . . . And were baptized of him in Jordan confessing
their sins."
Acts 2:37, 41 — "Now when they heard this^ they were pricked in
their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and
brethren, what shall we do ? . . . Then they that gladly received his
word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them
about three thousand souls."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Believing the Word of God leads to
repentance.
(2) Acts 2: 36, 37, 38— " Therefore let all the house of Israel know
assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have cruci
fied, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were
pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the
apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do ? Then Peter said unto
Faith 383
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The principal element in evangelical
repentance is a change of mind about Christ; a change from an
unbelieving and rejecting attitude to a believing and accepting
attitude.
(3) Jno. 5:44, R.V. — "How can ye believe, which receive glory
one of another, and the glory that cometh from the only God ye seek
not?"
THIRD PROPOSITION: There must be a repentance from the
attitude of mind that seeks the glory that comes from man, to the
attitude that seeks the glory that comes from God, in order to be
lieve in Christ.
(4) Acts 19: 18, 19 — "And many that believed came, and confessed,
and showed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts
brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and
they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of
silver."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: True Faith in Christ involves the
confession and forsaking of sin.
GENERAL PR 0 POSITION: True Repentance and Faith are in
separable. They are mutually dependent upon each other.
CHAPTER XL
LOVE TO GOD.
f. Its Importance.
Matt. 22: 37, 38— "Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind. This is the first and great commandment."
Mark 12: 29-34 — "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the com
mandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord thy God is one Lord: and
thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the
first commandment. And the second is like, namely this: Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment
greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master,
thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other
but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the under
standing, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love
his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and
sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said
unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man
after that durst ask him any question."
Deut. 10: 12 — "And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God re
quire of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways,
and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul."
PROPOSITION: To love God with all the heart and with all
the soul, and all the mind is the first and great commandment.
(It includes all else.)
II. How Love to God Is Manifested.
(i) Ex. 20: 6—" And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that
love me, and keep my commandments."
2 Jno. 6 — "And this is love, that ive walk after his command
ments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the
beginning, ye should walk in it. '
i Jno. 5: 3 — " For this is the love of God, that we keep his com*
mandments: and his commandments are not Sevens. "
Love to God 385
FIRST PROPOSITION: The supreme manifestation of love to
God is keeping His commandments.
This is love to God. Keeping God's commandments is more
than merely obeying God's commandments. The word translated
* keep," expresses watchful care. It means to "attend to care
fully," < < take care of , " " guard. " So also the Old Testament word.
(2) Deut. 10: 12 — "And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God
require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his
ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy
heart and with all thy soul."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Love to God is manifested by
serving Him with all the heart and all the soul.
Paul in writing to the Thessalonians speaks of their < < labor
of love." The word for "labor" denotes "intense" labor,
"toil." The one who loves God will labor intensely for Him. An
easy-going Christian life proves an absence of love for God.
(3) Ps. 97: 10— " Ye that love the LORD hate evil."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Love to God manifests itself in a
hatred of evil.
The man who loves God cannot regard sin with favor or in
difference. He hates it. All sin. There is no small sin to him.
(4) i Jno. 2: 15 — "Love not the world, neither the things that are
in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not
in him."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Love to God manifests itself in not
loving the world.
The man who loves God cannot set his affections upon the
world with its gain and its honor, and its pleasure, and its grat
ifications. All that is in the world is not of the Father, it draws
away from Him, and a lover of God cannot love it.
(5) i Jno. 4:20, 21 — " If a man say, I love God, and hateth his
brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath
seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this com
mandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother
also."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Love to God is manifested by a love
to Gods children, our brethren.
386 What the Bible Teaches
III, Results of Lore to God,
(1) UNDER THE OLD COVENANT.
Deut. 5: 10 — "And shewing mercy unto thousands of them thatlovl
me and keep my commandments."
7: g — "Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the
faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love
him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations."
Ex. 20: 6 — "And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love
me, and keep my commandments.
Ps. 69: 36 — "The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they
that love his name shall dwell therein."
Ps. 91: 14 — " Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will
I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my
name."
145: 20 — "The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the
wicked will he destroy."
Is. 56: 6, 7 — " Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to
the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his
servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and
taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy moun
tain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offer
ings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine
house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.
PROPOSITION: The blessings and promises under the Old
Covenant were for those who loved God.
(2) UNDER THE NEW COVENANT.
(1) i Cor. 8: 3 — " But if any man love God, the same is known of
him."
FIRST PROPOSITION: He that loveth God is known by God.
(2) Jas. i: 12 — "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for
when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord
hath promised to them that love him."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Crown of Life is for those who
love God.
(3) Jas. 2:5— "Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen
the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which
he hath promised to them that love him ? "
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Kingdom is promised to those who
love God.
Love to God 387
(4) i Cor. 2: 9— " But it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which
God hath prepared for them that love him."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: God hath prepared for those who
love Him things beyond those which eye hath seen or ear heard,
and those which have entered into the heart of man; deep things
which the Spirit alone searches and reveals. (See context. )
(5) Rom 8: 28 — "And we know that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his
purpose."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: All things work together for good for
those who love God.
(6) Rom. 8:28, 29, 30, R.V. — "And we know that to them that
love God all things work together for good, even to them that are
called according to his purpose. For whom he foreknew, he also fore
ordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be
the firstborn among many brethren: and whom he foreordained, them
he also called: and whom he called them he also justified: and whom
he justified, them he also glorified."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Those who love God are "the called
according to his purpose" "foreknown" "foreordained to be
conformed to the image of His Son, ' ' ' 'justified, " " glorified. ' '
IV. How to Get Love to God.
(1) i Jno. 4: 7 — " Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of
God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.'*
FIRST PROPOSITION: We get love to God by being born of
God.
We are not saved by loving God, we are saved to loving God.
(2) i Jno. 4: 19 — "We love him, because he first loved us."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We get love to God by believing in
and meditating upon His love to us.
(3) 2 Thess. 3: 5 — " And the Lord direct your hearts into the love
of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ."
THIRD PROPOSITION: God, in answer to prayer, directs our
hearts into the Love of God.
CHAPTER XII.
LOVE TO CHRIST
I, Its Importance,
(1) Matt. 10:35-38 — "For I am come to set a man at variance
against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the
daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be
they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more
than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more
than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and
followeth after me, is not worthy of me."
Luke 14: 26 — "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and
mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and
his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Supreme love to Christ is the condition
of Christian discipleship.
Christ in the New Testament claims the same supreme love
for Himself that Jehovah in the Old Testament claims for Himself.
Here is undoubted proof of the Divinity of Christ. Unless Christ
has a place in our hearts above father, mother, wife, children,
brothers, sisters, yea, and his own life, we cannot be his disciples.
(2) i Pet. i: 8 — "Whom having not seen, ye love."
(Compare v. 2, as to whom the "ye " of v. 8 are — " Elect according
to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the
Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.")
SECOND PROPOSITION: Love to Christ (though we see Him
not} is an unfailing mark of the elect.
(3) Jno. 8: 42 — "Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father,
ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came 'from God; neither
came I of myself, but he sent me."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jf we are children of God we will
love Christ.
Love to Christ 389
Absence of love to Christ is decisive" proof that one is not a
child of God.
(4) i Cor. 16: 22 — "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let
him be Anathema Maran-atha."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Any one who does not love Christ
will be Anathema (i. e. , * ' Devoted without hope of being re
deemed," "doomed to destruction") at the coming of Christ.
II, How Love to Christ Is Manifested.
(1) Jno. 14: 15, 21, 23, R.V. — " If ye love me, ye 'will keep my com
mandments. . . . He that hath my commandments, and keepeth
them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of
my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him.
. . . Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will
keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we wiH come unto
him, and make our abode with him."
FIRST PROPOSITION; Love to Christ is manifested by keep
ing His words and commandments. (The same thing that is
said elsewhere of love to God. )
(2) 2 Cor. 5: 14, 15, R.V. — " For the love of Christ constraineth us;
because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; and he
died for all, that they which live should no longer live unto them
selves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Love to Christ is manifested by our
not living unto ourselves, but unto Him who for our sakes died
and rose again.
(3) Jno. 21:15-17, R.V. — "So when they had broken their fast,
Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more
than these ? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I
love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him
again a second time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me ? He saith
unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto
him, Tend my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of
John, lovest thou me ? Peter was grieved because he said unto him
the third time, Lovest thou me ? And he said unto him, Lord, thou
knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto
him, Feed my sheep."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Love to Christ is manifested by feed
ing His lambs and shepherding His sheep.
390 What the Bible Teaches
(4) Luke 7 : 44-47— " And he turned to the woman, and said unto
Simon, Seest thou this woman ? I entered into thine house, thou
gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet
with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest
me no kiss: but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased
to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this
woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto
thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much:
but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Love to Christ is manifested by min
istering to Him.
How can we? Matt. 25: 40 — " And the king shall answer
and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have
done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done
it unto me."
(5) Phil. 3: 7, 8—" But what things were gain tome, those I counted
loss tor Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may
win Christ."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Love to Christ is manifested by count
ing all things but loss and gladly sacrificing them for His sake.
(6) Acts 21 : 13 — "Then Paul answered, what mean ye to weep and
to break mine heart ? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to
die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Love to Christ is manifested by a will
ingness to suffer and to die for His name.
(7) 2 Cor. 5: 8 — "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be
absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."
Phil, i: 23, R.V.— " But I am in a strait betwixt the two, having the
desire to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Love to Christ manifests itself in
a desire to be with Christ.
(8) 2 Tim. 4: 8 — " Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day: and not to me only, but unto all of them also that love his ap
pearing."
Rev. 22: 20 — " He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come
quickly: Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
Love to Christ 391
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Love to Christ manifests itself in a
longing for His appearing.
HI. Results of Love to Christ.
(1) Eph. 6: 24 — "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus
Christ in sincerity. Amen. "
FIRST PROPOSITION; There is grace for all who love Jesus
Christ in sincerity.
(2) Jno. 14: 21-23 — " He that hath my commandments, and keepeth
them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of
my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Ju
das saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt mani
fest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said
unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will
love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
SECOND PROPOSITION: (a) Those who love Christ are loved
of the Father.
God loves all men, but he has a peculiar love for those who
love His Son. (Compare Ch. 17:23, E.V. — "I in them, and
thou in me, that they may be perfected into one ; that the world
may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou
lovedst me.")
SECOND PROPOSITION: (b) Those who love Christ are loved
of Christ.
SECOND PROPOSITION: (c) Christ manifests Himself unto
those who love Him.
How ? (vv. 15, 16, 23, and Ch. 16: 14.)
SECOND PROPOSITION: (d) The Father and Christ make
their abode with the one who loves Christ.
(3) Jno. 14: 15-171 R.V. — " If ye love me ye will keep my com
mandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
comforter, that he may be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth:
whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neither
knoweth him: ye know him; for he abideth with you, and shall be in
you."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Father's gift of the Holy Spirit,
as the Paraclete to abide with and be in us, is for those who love
Christ.
392 What the Bible Teaches
(4) 2 Tim. 4: 8 — " Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown ol
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his ap
pearing."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: At IBs coming the Lord will give a
crown of righteousness to all who love His appearing.
IV. How Can We Attain unto Love to Christ?
(i) Luke 7: 47-50 — "Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which
are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is for
given, the same loveth little. . . . And he said to the woman, Thy
faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Love to Christ arises from a realiza
tion of our sin and from faith in the wondrous pardoning love
of Christ.
This is finely illustrated in Paul: 1 Tim. 1: 12-15— "And
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he
counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was be
fore a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained
mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of
our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in
Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all ac
ceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;
of whom I am chief." Gal. 2: 20 — "I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." And in John: 1
Jno. 4: 10 — "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he
*oved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
CHAPTER XIIL
LOVE TO MAN,
I. What is Love ?
(i) Matt. 5:43-47— "Ye have heard that it hath been said, them
shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you,
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute
you: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in
heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and
sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which
love you, what reward have ye ? do not even the publicans the same ?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others ? do
not even the publicans so ? "
i Jno. 3:14, 16, 17— "We know that we have passed from death
unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his
brother abideth in death. . . . Hereby perceive we the love of
God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our
lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth
his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from
him, how dwelleth the love of God in him ? "
Love for another is a desire for and delight in their good.
Love is not mere fondness for another nor pleasure in their so
ciety. The character of another may be hateful to me, and his
society disagreeable, but still a real desire for his welfare is love.
H. The Objects of Christian Lore.
(i) i Pet. 2:17 — "Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear
God. Honor the king."
Eph. i: 15 — "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the
Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints"
FIRST PROPOSITION: We should love the brethren, those born
of God, all saints.
While, as we shall see, a Christian should love all men, he
should and will have a peculiar love for God's children. (Com
pare Gal. 6:10 — " As we have therefore opportunity, let us
394 What the Bible Teaches
do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the
household of faith.")
(2) Matt. 19: 19 — " Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Matt. 22: 39 — "And the second
is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We should love our neighbor.
Who is that ? Luke 10: 29-37— « But he, willing to justify
himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor ? And Jesus
answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to
Jericho, and fell among thieves, which "stripped him of fris rai-
met, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and
when he saw him, he passed by on the other side, and likewise a
Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and
passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he
journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he had
compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds,
pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and
brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the mor
row when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to
the host: and said unto him, Take care of him: and whatso
ever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto
him that fell among the thieves ? And he said, He that shewed
mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou like
wise."
(3) i Thess. 3: 12 — ** And the Lord make you to increase and
abound in love one toward another; and toward all men, even as we
do toward you."
THIRD PROPOSITION: We should love all men.
(4) Matt. 5:44 — "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless
them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for
them that despitefully use you, and persecute you."
FO UR TH PR OPOSITION: We should love our enemies.
Enemies are specialized because they are the ones whom we
would be least likely to love.
Love to Man 395
How shall we show our love to our enemies ? The remainder
of the verse shows. See, also, Eom. 12. 20 — "Be not overcome
of evil, but overcome evil with good."
(5) Eph. 5: 25 — " Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also
loved the church and gave himself for it."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Husbands should love their icives.
The husband has an especial duty of love toward his wife.
The doctrine that a husband should have no more interest in the
welfare of his wife than in that of any other woman is totally
unscriptural. While Christ has a love for all men, He has an
altogether especial and peculiar love for the Church, and so the
Christian husband should love all, but have an altogether special
and peculiar love for his wife.
(6) Tit. 2: 4 — ' ' That they may teach the young women to be sober,
to love their husbands, to love their children."
SIXTH PROPOSITION; Wives should love their husbands.
Ill, HowLoye!
(1) i Cor. 16:24 — "My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.
Amen."
FIRST PROPOSITION: We should love in Christ Jesus.
Christ Jesus is the author of our love. It is for His sake we
love. Our special love to the brethren is because of their special
relation to Him.
(2) Rom. 12: 9 (first part), R.V. — " Let love be without hypocrisy."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We should love without hypocrisy.
Our love should be genuine, unfeigned.
Much professed love is a mere pretense. Much calling of
one another " brother " is the hollowest formalism and sham.
(3) i Jno. 3: 18 — " My little children, let us not love in word, neither
in tongue; but in deed and in truth."
THIRD PROPOSITION: We should not love merely in word,
neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth; not in saying, but
in doing; notinprofession, but in practice.
396 What the Bible Teaches
(4) i Pet. 4: 8 — " And above all things have fervent charity among
yourselves; for charity shall cover the multitude of sins."
i Pet. i: 22, R.V. — "Seeing ye have purified your souls in your
obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one
another from the heart fervently."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: We should love from the heart,
fervently — rather, u intensely.''1
(5) Phil, i: 9— "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet
more and more in knowledge and in all judgment,"
i Thess.3:i2 — "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love
one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: "
FIFTH PROPOSITION: We should love aboundingly.
No mean, niggardly outgoings of love.
(6) Matt. 19:19 — " Honor thy father and thy mother: and thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
Rom. 13:8, 9 — " Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for
he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, thou shalt not
commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt
not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other
commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
Gal. 5: 14 — " For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this;
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: We should love our neighbor as our-
self.
(7) Jno. 13:34, R.V. — "A new commandment I give unto you,
that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love
one another."
Jno. 15: 12, R.V. — " This is my commandment, that ye love one an
other, even as I have loved you."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: We should love the brethren even
as Christ loved us.
How much was that? Jno. 15:13 — "Greater love hath no
man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
1 Jno. 3: 16 — "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he
laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives fof
the brethren."
Love to Man 397
IV. How Loye Is Manifested.
(1) Rom. 13:10 — " Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore
love is the fulfilling of the law."
FIRST PR 0 POSITION: Love is manifested by abstaining from
everything that would injure another.
" Love worketh no ill." There is much here for reflection.
The applications are countless.
(2) Gal. 6: 10 — " As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good
unto all men, especially unto them -who are of the household of
faith."
SE COND PR 0 POSITION: Love is manifested by doing good as
we have opportunity.
It is not merely negative — abstaining from doing injury, it
is positive, doing positive good.
(3) Gal. 5: 13, R.V. — " For ye, brethren, were called for freedom;
only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through
love be servants one to another."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Love is manifested by becoming a
servant to others.
This is illustrated in Jesus Christ. Jno. 13: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 —
"Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that the
ho',a' was come that he should depart out of this world unto the
Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved
' O
them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having
now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray
him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his
hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; he
riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments ; and took a towel,
and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin,
and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the
towel wherewith he was girded." Phil. 2:4-7 — "Look not
every man on his own things, but every man also on the things
of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus : Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to
be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took
upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of
What the Bible Teaches
men." The man who wishes to be served but will not serve does
not love. Love seeks lowly places of service.
(4) i Cor. 10 : 24, R.V.— " Let no man seek his own, but each his
neighbour's good."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested by our not seek
ing our own, but our neighbor's good.
(5) Phil. 2: 4, R.V. — " Not looking each of you to his own things,
but each of you also to the things of others."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested by our not looking
to (or caring for, having a regard to) our own things, but to
the things of others, (e. g., We are not to be concerned
about our glory and honor, but the honor of others. See con
text in vv. 5-8.)
(6) Gal. 6: 2 — "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the
law of Christ."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested by our bearing one
another's burdens.
(7) Rom. 15: 1-3, R.V. — "Now we that are strong ought to bear
the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each one
of us please his neighbor for -that which is good, unto edifying. For
Christ also pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches
of them that reproached thee fell upon me."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested (a) by our
bearing the infirmities of the weak (see context) ; (b) not pleas
ing ourselves; (c) pleasing others for that which is good unto
Christ the great example here also.
(8) 2 Cor. 2: 7, 8 — "So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive
him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed
up with overmuch sorrow."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested by forgiving
and comforting the wayward.
In this particular instance the man had gone deeply into
sin, the vilest sin.
(9) Gal. 6: i, R.V. — " Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any
trespass, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of meek-
ness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted."
Love to Man 399
NINTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested by restoring in a
spirit of meekness the one overtaken in any trespass.
(10) i Thess. 5: 14, R.V. — "And we exhort you, brethren, admon
ish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, bo
longsuffering toward all." (Note context.)
TENTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested by (a) admonish
ing the disorderly ; (b) encouraging the faint-hearted; (c) sup
porting the weak; (d) being long-suffering toward all.
(n) Rom. 14: 15, 21, R.V. — "For if because of meat thy brother
is grieved, thou walkest no longer in love. Destroy not with thy meat
him for whom Christ died. . . . It is good not to eat flesh, nor to
drink wine, nor do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested by avoiding
that by which a brother stumbleth.
(12) Rom. 14: 19 — "Let us therefore follow after the things which
make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested by following
after the things which make for peace and things whereby one
may edify another.
(13) Rom. 12: 15 — "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep
with them that weep."
THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested by re
joicing with them that do rejoice and weeping with them that
weep.
(14) Luke 6: 35, and R.V. — "But love ye your enemies, and do
good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall
be great, and ye shall be the children of the highest: for he is kind
unto the unthankful and to the evil." R.V. — " But love your enemies,
and do them good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall
be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward
the unthankful and evil."
FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested by lend*
ing, never despairing (or despairing of no man).
Lend and keep on lending, hoping against hope.
(15) Eph. 4: 2 — "With all lowliness and meekness, with long-
suffering, forbearing one another in love."
400 What the Bible Teaches
FIFTEENTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested by forbear*
ing one another — i. e., suffering wrong and ill without venge*
fulness and retaliation; overcoming evil with good.
(16) Eph. 4, 32, R.V. — "And be ye kind one to another, tender
hearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you."
SIXTEENTH PROPOSITION; Love is manifested (a) by be
ing kind; (b) by being tender-hearted; (c) by forgivng one an
other even as also God in Christ forgave us.
(17) 2 Cor. 8: 24 — " Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the
churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf."
(See context.)
i Jno. 3: 17 — "But whoso hath this world's goods, and seeth his
brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from
him, how dwelleth the love of God in him ? "
SEVENTEENTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested by giv
ing of our means to meet another's need.
(18) Rom. 12: 10 — "Be kindly affectionate one to another with
brotherly love; in honor preferring one another."
EIGHTEENTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested^} by be
ing kindly affectionate one toward another ; (b) by in honor pre
ferring one another — i. e. , by seeking the higher place for some
one else^ the lower place for oneself.
It is easy to do this in little conventionalities, as e. </. , in
the matter of passing through a door first; but do we do it in the
really important affairs of life ?
(19) i Cor. 13: 4-7, R.V, — " Love suffereth long, and is kind; love
envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave
itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not ac
count of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the
truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, en-
dureth all things."
NINETEENTH PROPOSITION: Love is manifested (a) by
suffering long; (b) by being kind [Had this already in 16];
(c) by envying not; (d) by vaunting not oneself; (e) by not be
ing puffed up; [Conceit is a mark of selfishness. If we love
others as we do ourselves we will not think ourselves better
than they.] (f) by not behaving unseemly; [Rude, ungentle-
Love to Man 401
manly, unladylike, inconsiderate conduct, bad manners, reveal
a disregard for the sensibilities of others — it is a form of self
ishness] ; (g) by not seeking our own; (h) by not being pro-
voked (Compare A. V. ) ; (i) by not taking account of evil (See
A, V.); (j) by not rejoicing in unrighteousness; (k) by rejoic
ing with the truth; (1) by bearing all things; (m) by believing
all things; (n) by hoping all things; (o) by enduring all things.
(20) Lev. 19: 17 — "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart:
thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon
him."
Prov. 27: 5 — " Open rebuke is better than secret love."
Eph. 5: ii — "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works
of darkness, but rather reprove them."
TWENTIETH PROPOSITION: Love to those who do wrong is
manifested by rebuking them.
How? (a) Matt. 18: 15-17 — "Moreover if thy brother
shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee
and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more,
that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be
established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto
the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto
thee as a heathen man and a publican." Personal wrong, first
privately, then before one or two witnesses, then before the
church, (b) 1 Tim. 5:20, R.V. — "Them that sin reprove in the
sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear." Public offenses,
in the sight of all. (N. B. — This public reproof is by an elder.)
(c) Tit. 1: 12, 13, RV. — "One of themselves, a prophet of their
own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.
This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply,
that they may be sound in the faith." Sharply, when necessary.
(21) Matt. 5: 44, R.V. — " But I say unto you, Love your enemies,
and pray for them that persecute you."
TWENTY-FIRST PROPOSITION: Love for others is mani
fested by praying for them. There is no way in which we can do
more for them.
(22) i Jno. 5: 2, R.V. — " Hereby we know that we love the children
of God, when we love God, and do his commandments.
402 What the Bible Teaches
TWENTY-SECOND PROPOSITION: Love to the children oj
God is manifested by loving God Himself and doing His com
mandments.
(23) Jno. 15: 13 — " Greater love hath no man than this, that a man
lay down his life for his friends."
i Jno. 3: 16, R.V. — " Hereby know we love, because he laid down
his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."
TWENTY.TH1RD PROPOSITION: Love to the brethren is
manifested by our laying down our lives for them.
The manifestations of love specifically and definitely men
tioned in the Bible are very numerous. As one goes over them
he begins to see how love covers every duty to every class of men,
and how true it is, as Paul says, that "Love is the fulfillment
of the law." (Rom. 13: 10, R.V.)
V« The Importance of Love to Man.
(1) i Cor. 13: 1-3, R.V.—" If I speak with the tongues of men and
of angels, but have riot love, I am become sounding brass, or a clang
ing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mys
teries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove
mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I bestow all my
goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have
not love, it profiteth me nothing."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Love is absolutely indispensable.
Eloquence and the gift of prophecy and knowledge and
faith and sacrifice of possessions and martyrdom are of no value
if love be wanting.
(2) i Cor. 13: 13, R.V.— "But now abideth faith, hope, love,
these three; and the greatest of these is love."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Love is greater than faith and
hope.
(3) i Cor. 13:8, R.V, — "Love never faileth: but whether there
be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues,
they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Love never faileth.
(4) Rom. 13: 8, 10, R.V. — "Owe no man anything, save to love
one another: for he that loveth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law.
. . . Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: love therefore is the
lulfillment of the law."
Love to Man 403
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Love is the fulfillment of the law.
All individual precepts are but applications of this law.
(Compare i Tim. 1:5— "Now the end of the commandment is
charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith un
feigned:" Jno. 15: 17 — "These things I command you, that ye love
one another.")
(5) i Jno. 3:23,11 — "And this is his commandment, That we
should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one an
other, as he gave us commandment. . . . For this is the mes
sage that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one an
other."
Jno. 13: 34 — "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love
one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Love to one another is the sum oj
God s commandment, the original and fundamental message of
Christianity, Christ's new and all-inclusive commandment.
(6) Jas. 2: 8 — " If ye fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Love is the royal law.
(7) Col. 3: 14, R.V. — "And above all these things put on love,
which is the bond of perfectness."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Love is the bond that unites all the
virtues together into a perfect whole.
(Note the figure used in context, vv. 12:13: u Put on
therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compas
sion, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing
one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint
against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye."
(8) Jno. 13: 35 — " By this shall all men know that ye are my dis
ciples, if ye have love one to another."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Love is the supreme and decisive
test of disciplesldp.
(9) i Jno. 4: 8—" He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God
is love."
NINTH PROPOSITION: (a) Love is the supreme and decisive
test of our knowing God; (b) Love is the one Divine thing.
404 What the Bible Teaches
(10) i Jno. 4: 7 — " Beloved, let us love one another: for love is ol
God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God."
3: io—" In this the children of God are manifest, and the children
of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither
he that loveth not his brother."
TENTH PROPOSITION: Love is the supreme test of our being
born of God, and being children of God.
(Compare Eph. 5: i, 2 — " Be ye therefore fo Mowers of God, as dear
children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath
given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet
smelling savour.")
(n) i Jno. 3: 14, R.V. — "We know that we have passed out of
death into life, because ive love the brethren. He that loveth not
abideth in death."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: Love is the supreme test of our
having passed out of death into life.
(12) i Jno. 4: 12, 16 — " No man hath beheld God at any time; if
we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in
us: . . . And we know and have believed the love which God hath
in us. God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and
God abideth in him."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION; Love is the supreme test of our
abiding in God and God abiding in us.
(13) i Jno. 4: 20 — "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his
brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath
seen, can not love God whom he hath not seen."
THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION: Love to brethren is the su
preme test of love to God.
(14) i Pet. 4: 8, R.V. — " Above all things being fervent in your
love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins."
FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION: Love is the one thing above
all things which we are to seek to have.
Paul, John, James, Peter and Jesus, with one voice proclaim
the supremacy of love.
YI. The Blessings that Result from Love to Men.
(i) i Pet. 4:8 — "Above all things being fervent in your love
among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins."
Love to Man 405
FIRST PROPOSITION: Love covereth a multitude of sins.
(2) i Cor. 8: i, R.V. — " Now concerning things sacrificed to idols:
We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but
love edifieth."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Love buildeth up.
(3) Col. 2: 2 — " That their hearts might be comforted, being knit
together in love^ and unto all riches of the full assurance of under
standing, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the
Father, and of Christ."
THIRD PR 0 POSIT ION: Love knits together.
(4) i Jno. 2: 10 — " He that loveth his brother abideth in the light,
and there is none occasion of stumbling in him."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: He that loveth his brother abideth in
the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
(5) i Jno. 3: 22, 23 — "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him,
because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are
pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should
believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as
He gave us commandment.
FIFTH PR OPOSITION: Love to brethren gives prevailing power
to prayer.
VII. How Love to Men Is Obtained.
(1) i Jno. 4: 7 — "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of
God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Love is of God, and to love we must be
born of God.
(2) i Jno. 4: 19, R.V.—U We love because he first loved us."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We love because God first loved us.
His love to us awakens love in us: first to Him and then to
man. If we would learn to love we must believe in and meditate
upon His love to us.
(3) Gal. 5: 6 — " For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth
any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Faith works by love. Love is the out
come of faith. (Compare 1 Jno. 3: 23.)
406 What the Bible Teaches
Love is greater than faith, but faith is the root of love.
Faith is the root of which love is the fruit. To say " it is better
to have love even without faith than it is to have faith without
love," is much like saying it is better to have a crop of apples
without having roots to your apple trees, than it is to have roots
without apples. Bootless trees do not bear fruit and faithless
lives do not bring forth love.
(4) Gal. 5: 22 — " But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-
suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith."
Rom. 5: 5 — " And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of
God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given
unto us."
FO UR TH PR 0 POSITION: Love is the fruit of the Spirit.
If you wish love let the Spirit work in your heart and bear
His fruit in your life. You will never attain unto love by any
mere effort of your own. Love is not a fruit that is native to the
soil of the human heart.
(5) i Cor. 14: i, a, R.V. — "Follow after love; yet desire earnestly
spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy."
1 Tim. 6: n — "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and fol
low after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness."
2 Tim. 2:22, R.V.— "But flee youthful lusts, and follow after
righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out
of a pure heart."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: We should follow after Love.
While love is the Holy Spirit's work it should be the object
of our desire and pursuit.
(6) Heb. 10: 24 — " And let us consider one another to provoke unto
love and to good works."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: We should provoke (spur on) one
another to love.
(7) i Thess. 4:9 — "But as touching brotherly love ye need not
that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one
another."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: God teaches us to love one another.
(8) Phil, i: 9 — "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet
more and more in knowledge and in all judgment."
Love to Man 407
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: God imparts increasing love in
answer to prayer.
(9) Gal. 2:20 — "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself forme."
NINTH PROPOSITION: If you icould learn to love let Christ
in to live His life in your heart. Renounce self, renounce the
flesh, crucify it, put it in the place of the curse and let Christ live
his life in you.
CHAPTER XIV,
PRAYER,
I. Who Can Pray so that God Will Hear?
(1) Ps. 66: 18 — " If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will
not hear me."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The one who regards iniquity in his
heart cannot pray so that God will hear.
The word translated "regard" means primarily to "see "or
to "look." Then it comes to mean to "look at with favor," to
"respect," "approve," "regard." God will not hear the man
who in his heart looks upon sin with any favor or allowance, God
looks at sin with abhorrence. He is of " purer eyes than to be
hold evil." (Hab. 1: 13 — "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold
evil, and canst not look on iniquity," etc.) The Hebrew verb
here is the same as that translated " regard " above. We must
have the same attitude toward sin that He has to be heard of
Him. If we regard sin, He will not regard us when we pray.
Herein lies the very simple explanation why many of us pray and
are not heard.
(2) Prov. 28: 9 — " He that turneth away his ear from hearing the
law, even his prayer shall be abomination."
SECOND PROPOSITION: He that turneth away his ear from
hearing the law, his prayer is an abomination. He cannot pray
so that God will hear.
If we turn our ears away from what God says to us in His
law, He will turn His ears away from what we say to Him in our
prayers. We have an illustration of this in Zech. 7: 11-13:
" But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and
stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their
hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the
words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his Spirit by the former
prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
Therefore it came to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear;
so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts."
Prayer 409
Many are saying, "The promises of God are not true. God
does not hear my prayers." Has God ever promised to hear your
prayers ? God very plainly describes the class whose prayers He
hears. Do you belong to that class ? Are you listening to His
words ? If not, He has distinctly said He will not listen to your
prayers, and in not listening to you, He is simply keeping His
word.
(Compare Prov. i: 24, 25, 28, R.V. — " Because I have called, and
you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my re
proof. . . . Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer;
They shall seek me diligently, but they shall not find me."
(3) Prov. 21 : 13 — " Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor,
he also shall cry, but shall not be heard."
THIRD PROPOSITION; Whoever stoppeth his ears at the cry
of the poor cannot pray so that God will hear.
If we will not listen to the poor when they cry unto us in
their need, God will not listen unto us when we cry unto Him in
our need. The world's maxim is, "The Lord helps those who
help themselves." The truth is, The Lord helps those who help
others.
(4) Luke 18: 13, 14 — "And the publican, standing afar off,
would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his
breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man
went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one
that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself
shall be exalted."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The great sinner, who is sorry for
and humbled by his sin, and who desires pardon, can pray so
that God will hear.
The question is often asked, "Shall we get unconverted
people to pray? " What do you mean by unconverted people? If
a man is sorry for his sin, and wishes to forsake it and find
mercy, and is willing to humble himself before God and ask for
pardon, he is taking the very steps by which a man turns uround,
or is "converted." To tell a man he must not pray under such
circumstances, is to tell him that he must not be converted until
he is converted; that he must not turn until he is turned round.
To get him to pray is just the thing to do, < ' For whosoever
410 What the Bible Teaches
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Rom. 10:
13.)
But how, some one may ask, can he pray until he has
faith? The answer is very simple. This prayer itself is the
first act of faith. The first and most natural and most proper
thing for one who honestly wishes to turn from sin and to believe
on Christ and to be saved to do, is to pray. The Lord Jesus
looked on with delight when he could say to Ananias of the stub
born rebel, Saul of Tarsus, "Behold, he prayeth." (Acts 9: 11
— "And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street
which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for
one called Saul of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth.") We should
be sure, however, that the sinner really is sorry for sin and really
wishes to forsake it before we tell him to pray for pardon. You
can get him on his knees even before this, and so get him to
realize that he is in God's presence, so that his rebellious heart may
be humbled, but do not have him pray until he really does wish
to turn from sin.
(5) i Jno. 5: 13-15, R.V. — "These things have I written unto you,
that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe
on the name of the Son of God. And this is the boldness which we
have toward him, that, if ive ask anything according to his will, he
heareth us: and if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask, we
know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Those that believe on the name of the
Son of God can pray so that God will hear.
The promises of the New Testament cannot be applied in
discriminately to all men. A great mistake is often made by
taking promises made to the believer and applying them as if they
referred to all classes of men; or, by taking promises made to
those that have surrendered absolutely to the will of God, and ap
plying them as if they referred to all professed believers. When
we find promises with "we" and "ye" in them, we should study
the context and find out who the " we's " and "ye's" are, and
whether we belong to that class.
(6) Ps. 34: 15, 17 — "The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous,
and his ears are open to their cry . . . The righteous cry, and the
LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles."
Prov. 15: 29 — " The LORD is far from the wicked; but he heareth the
prayer of the righteous.'"
Prayer 411
Prov. 15: 8 — " The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the
LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The righteous and the upright can
pray so that God will hear.
NOTE. — The words translated righteous and upright have practi
cally the same significance. They both mean primarily "right" or
*' straight." (The latter may mean also "level " or " even.")
(7) Ps. 32: 6 — "For this shall every one that is godly pray unto
thee in a time when though mayest be found; surely in the floods of
great waters they shall not come nigh unto him."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The godly (or merciful) can pray
so that God will hear.
The word translated " godly" in this passage is so trans
lated three times in the Authorized Version (four times in R.V.)
But its primary significance is " kind," or " merciful." It could
be so translated in at least almost every passage where used. It
is frequently translated "saints."
(8) Ps. 145: 19 — " He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him:
he also will hear their cry, and will save them."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Those that fear God can pray so
that God will hear.
To fear God means to have that reverent regard for God
that is due him and that manifests itself in glad obedience to His
will. (Heb. 12: 28, 29; 1 Pet. 2: 17; Rev. 14: 7; 2 Cor. 7: 1; 2
Sam. 23: 3; Prov. 8: 13; 16: 6; Is. 11: 2, 3; Ps. 2: 11; 25: 14;
33: 18; 34: 7, 9; Rev. 19: 5;Ps. 115: 11; 118: 4.)
(9) i Jno. 3: 22 — " And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him be
cause we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleas
ing to his sight."
NINTH PROPOSITION: Those that keep Gods commandments
and do those things which are pleasing in His sight can pray so
that God will hear.
Here we find one of the greatest secrets of prevailing prayer,
If we listen to God's commandments God will listen to our
prayers. If we do as He bids us in His word, He will do as we
ask him in our prayers. If we do what pleases Him, He will do
what pleases us. This is the converse of (2) above. The one
412 What the Bible Teaches
who turns away his ear from hearing God's law cannot pray so
that God will hear; the one who turns his ear to listen attentively
to God's Word can pray so that God will hear. This explains why
some men's prayers are heard and some men's are not. To keep
His commandments means more than merely yield obedience to
them; it means to guard them as a precious possession, to treas
ure them. It is the opposite of the spirit of those " critics " who
are trying to pare down the Word of God to the smallest possible
dimensions. The more they can give away of God's Word the
more they seem delighted. They cannot pray so God will hear.
If they have so little regard for God's Word, God wilt have very
little regard for theirs.
(10) Jno. 15: 7, R.V. — " If ye abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you."
TENTH PR OPOSITION. Those who abide in Christ, and Christ's
words abide in them, can pray so that God will hear. They can
ask whatsoever they will and it will be done unto them.
This is the other great secret of prevailing prayer. It is
closely related to the preceding. What is it to abide in Christ ?
It is to continue in living union with Him. To bear the same re-
cation to Him that the living healthy branch, the continuously
fruit-bearing branch, does to the vine. This branch has no inde
pendent life of its own. Its sap and vigor all come from the vine.
Its leaves, buds, blossoms, fruit are all the product of the life of
the vine in it. So we abide in Christ in so far as we have no in
dependent life of our own. In so far as we do not seek to have
any thoughts, plans, feelings, purposes, works, fruit of our own, but
let Christ think his thoughts, feel His feelings, purpose His pur
poses, work His works,] bear His fruit, in us. When we do this,
and in so far as we do this, we may ask whatsoever we will and it
shall be done.
It may be asked: " But what if we ask something contrary
to God's will ? " We cannot in so far as we abide in Christ; our
prayers themselves will be the outcome of the Christ-life in us.
The Father heareth Hini always and will hear Him when He prays
through us. Note that He says also, "And my words abide in
you." It is through His words, and only through His words,
that Christ imparts His life to us and lives His life in us. The
Prayer 413
words of Christ are the vehicle of the life of Christ. It is vain,
then, to talk or think of abiding in Christ if we neglect His
words. We must let His words sink deep into our souls and
form us, mould our thoughts, our feelings, our purposes, our
plans, our actions. u If ye abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you " is
the way the promise reads.
(n) Ps. 91: i, 14, 15 — " He that dwelleth in the secret place of the
most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. . . . Be
cause he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: Iwill
set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon
me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver
him, and honor him."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: The one who dwells in the seeret
place of the Most High, who sets his love upon God and knows
His name, can pray so that God will hear.
What is it to dwell in the secret place of the Most High ?
The word translated '* secret place," means primarily "a cover
ing," then " hiding-place," " protection." It is translated
" protection " once, and " hiding-place " a number of times. To
dwell in the secret place of the Most High, means, then, to put
oneself and keep oneself under the protection of the Most High,
to be covered and hid from all harm by Him. It means to leave
all our welfare absolutely to Him, and to look to Him and to
trust Him to take care of it.
To know His name, means to know Him as he has revealed
Himself to us. That is only possible through the study of the
Word.
(12) Ps. 37: 4 — " Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give
thee the desires of thine heart."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: He that delighteth himself in
the Lord can pray so that the Lord will hear.
If our delight is in Him, our great prayer will be for Him
self, and He is always willing to give Himself. With Himself He
will grant every other desire of our hearts. If our delight is in
Him, it will be His delight to give us what we ask. Do you de
light in the Lord ? Remember that "delight " is a very strong
word.
414 What the Bible Teaches
(13) Ps. 37: 5—** Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him;
and he shall bring it to pass."
THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION: He that committeth his way
unto the Lord and trusteth in Him can pray so that God will
hear.
The word here translated " commit " means literally " roll."
(See Marg. A.V. and R. V.) To commit our way unto the Lord
is to roll it upon Him, leave its direction and protection entirely
to Him. Have you done this ? Put the entire guidance and out
come of your life in His hands, and your way will always be so
near His that He can hear your faintest whisper when you call
unto Him.
(14) Ps. 9: 12 — " When he maketh inquisition for blood he remem-
bereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble."
Ps. 10: 17 — " LORD thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou
wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear."
FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION: The humble can pray so that
God will hear.
The Revised Version translates the words differently in
these two passages. In Ps. 9:12, it translates it "poor." In
10: 17, it translates it "meek." The two words so translated
are closely related, almost identical, and are from the same root.
(According to one reading they are precisely the same.)
The thought of the words is " the afflicted " who bear their afflic
tion with meekness and humility. This latter thought is espe
cially true of the word used in Ps. 10: 17. (See also Zeph. 2:3 —
"Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought
his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye
shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger." )
(15) Ps. 69: 33, R.V. — " For the LORD heareth the needy; and de-
spiseth not his prisoners."
Ps. 102: 17 — " He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not
despise their prayer."
FIFTEENTH PROPOSITION: The needy and the destitute
can pray so that God will hear.
The word translated " destitute " is a very strong word,
meaning primarily "naked." Those to whom man does not listen
Prayer 415
are just the ones to whom God does listen. " The hungry he
hath filled with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty
away." (Luke 1: 53, R.V.) The poor cannot get a hearing
down here, but they can up there. The more a man has, the
more attentively the world listens to him; the more a man needs,
the more attentively God listens to him.
(16) Jas. 5: 13, R.V. (first half) — " Is any among you suffering ? let
him pray."
SIXTEENTH PROPOSITION: The suffering ones among
God' s people can pray so that God icill hear.
Men ofttimes hesitate to pray to God because their afflic
tions are so many. These afflictions are a warrant for praying,
and a guarantee that God will hear you. (Compare Matt. 11: 28.)
Many are saying, u My troubles and sorrows are so many, what
shall I do?" Pray. "Is any among you suffering let him
pray."
(17) Is. 19: 20 — "And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto
the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the
LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour,
and a great one, and he shall deliver them."
Jas. 5: 4 — " Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down
your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries
of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of
Sabaoth."
SE VENTEENTH PR OPOSITION: The oppressed can pray so
that God will hear.
The oppressed cry for justice down here, but only get greater
oppression; but God will hear if they cry to Him, and will deliver
and avenge them. Israel cried to Pharaoh and were only sent to
more bitter bondage, to make bricks without straw. Israel cried
to Jehovah, and He brought them forth with a mighty hand and
an outstretched arm. So will He do again when the oppressed cry
to Him and not to human governments.
(18) Ex. 22: 22, 23 — "Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless
child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I
will surely hear their cry."
EIGHTEENTH PROPOSITION: Widows and fatherless chiL
dren can pray unto God in their oppression so that God will hear.
4l6 What the Bible Teaches
(19) Jas. i: 5 — "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall ba
given him."
NINETEENTH PROPOSITION: The child of God who lacks
wisdom can pray so that God icill hear.
If we lack human wisdom we can have God's wisdom. If we
are full of our own wisdom we can not have His.
(20) Acts. 10: 24, 31, 32 — " And the morrow after they entered into
Cesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his
kinsman and near friends. . . . And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is
heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Pe
ter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side:
who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee."
(Compare Acts n: 14 — " Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou
and all thy house shall be saved"}
TWENTIETH PROPOSITION: The man who is sincerely seek
ing the truth, and obeying the truth as fast as he finds it, even
though he does not yet know the truth as it is in Jesus, and so is
not as yet saved, can pray so that God will hear.
II. To Whom to Pray.
(i) Acts 12: 5 — " Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was
made without ceasing of the church unto GWfor him."
FIRST PROPOSITION: We should pray to God,
Much so-called prayer is not to God. There is very little
thought of God in it. We think of the audience, we think, it
may be, of our need ; but there is not a clear, deep sense that we
have come into the presence of the all holy, almighty, all-loving
One, and are laying hold upon Him for His help. This is one of
the most frequent causes of failure in prayer. We do not really
pray to God. The first thing to do when we pray is to actually
come into God's presence, to dismiss from our minds, so far as
possible, all thought of our surroundings and look to the Spirit
to present God to our minds and make Him real to us. It is pos
sible by the Holy Spirit's aid to have God so really present that
it almost seems as if we could see and touch Him. Indeed, we do
see Him with the spirit's eyes, and touch Him with the hand of
faith.
Prayer 417
(2) Matt. 6: 9 — " After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Faihet
which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."
Luke n: 13 — "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts
unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask him ?"
Jno. 16:23 — " And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name,
he will give it you."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We should pray to the Father.
Various modes of address to him are found in the prayers
recorded in the Bible. Father. (Jno. 17: 1.) Holy Father.
(Jno. 17: 11.) Righteous Father. (Jno. 17: 25.) Our Father
which art in Heaven. (Matt. 6: 9.) "Lord, thou art God,
which has made heaven, and earth, and sea, and all that in them
is." (Acts 4: 24.) "God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of Glory." (Eph. 1: 17.) "Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
(Eph. 3: 14.) " Our God and Father." (1 Thess. 3: 11, R. V.)
(3) Acts 7: 59, R.V. — "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the
Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
2 Cor. 12: 8, 9 — "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it
might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient
for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly
therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ
may rest upon me."
Acts. 9: 9, 10, 13, 14, 17, 20, 21 — "And he was three days without
sight, and neither did eat nor drink. And there was a certain disciple
at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision,
Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. . . . Then
Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much
evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath
authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
. . . And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and
putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that
appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou
mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. . . .
And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the
Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not
this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem,
and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto
the chief priests ? "
2 Tim. 2:22 — "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness,
faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure
heart." (Compare 4:8 — " Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
41 8 What the Bible Teaches
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his
appearing.")
i Cor. i: 2 — " Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them
which are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that
in every place call ^tpon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs
and ours: "
Rom. 10: 12, 13 — " For there is no difference between the Jew and
the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon
him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved." (Compare v. 9 — "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.")
THIRD PROPOSITION: We should pray to the Lord Jesus
Christ.
One of the most distinctive characteristics of Christians is
that they pray to Jesus Christ. They were spoken of in apostolic
days as those who called on the name of Jesus. (Acts 9: 14, 21.)
Paul described them as those ' ' that call upon the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 1:2, R.V.)
QUESTION: Ought we to pray to the Holy Spirit?
ANSWER: There is no recorded prayer in the Bible to the
Holy Spirit, but the communion of the Holy Spirit is spoken of.
This may imply prayer, but it may mean the partaking of the
Holy Spirit. (Compare 1 Cor. 10: 16.) We are dependent upon
the Holy Spirit for everything, and so must look to Him, which
implies prayer. Yet it is the Father and the Son who give the
Holy Spirit. (Jno. 14:16, 17; 15:26; Acts 2:33.) It would
seem then that if we wished Him, instead of praying directly to
Him, we should pray to the Father or Son for Him.
HI. For Whom to Pray.
(i) i Chron. 4: 10 — * ' And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying,
Oh that thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that
thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldst keep me from
evil, that it may not grieve me ! And God granted him that which he
requested."
Ps. 106: 4, 5 — "Remember me, O LORD, with the favor that thou
bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation; That I may
see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy
nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance."
Prayer 419
2 Cor. 12:7, 8 — "And lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a
thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should
be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the LORD thrice,
that it might depart from me"
Heb. 5: 7 — " Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up
prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that
was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared."
Jno. 17: i — "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to
heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy
Son also may glorify the."
FIRST PROPOSITION: We should pray for ourselves.
A prayer for self is not by any means necessarily a selfish
prayer. We may pray for something for ourselves in order that
God may be glorified by our receiving it. (Jno. 17: 1 ; Ps. 50: 15.)
If we would pray more for ourselves, God would be more glorified
in us, and we would be a greater blessing to others. It was well
for the world that Jesus spent so much time in prayer for Himself.
If we would be fit to pray for others we must spend much time in
prayer for ourselves. It is a bad sign when one is always pray
ing for others and never for himself. He is not like his Master.
(2) Jas. 5: 16 — " Confess your faults one to another, and pray one
for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of
a righteous man availeth much."
Rom. i: 9 — " For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in
the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you al
ways in my prayers."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We should pray for one another—
i. e., believers should pray for fellow-believers.
(3) Eph. 6: 19, 20— "And for me, that utterance may be given
unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mys
tery of the gospel. For which I am an ambassador in bonds; that
therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."
Col. 4: 3 — "Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto
us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am
also in bonds."
2 Thess. 3: i, 2 — "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of
the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with
you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked
men: for all men have not faith."
Acts 13: 2, 3 — "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the
Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work
420 What the Bible Teaches
whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and
prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away."
Matt, g: 38—" Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he
will send forth labourers into his harvest."
THIRD PROPOSITION': We should pray for Ministers of the
Word.
Those whom God has called to devote their lives to the min
istry of the Word should be the especial objects of the prayers of
God's people. The neglect of prayer on the part of God's people
accounts very largely for the absence of power on the part of
God's ministers.
(4) i Thess. 3: 9-13 — "For what thanks can we render to God again
for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our
God; Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face,
and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith ? Now God
himself and -our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way
unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one
toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To
the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before
God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all
his saints."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for those who have
been converted through our ministry.
It is remarkable how often Paul writes to his converts about
his praying for them. We find Jesus also praying for His con
verts in Jno. 17: 9-26:
1 ' I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou
hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine
are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the
world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that
they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world,
I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me, I have kept, and
none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scriptures might
be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in
the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have
given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they
are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou
shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them
from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. As thou hast sent
Prayer 421
me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And
for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified
through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also
which shall believe on me through their word; that they may be one; as
thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us : that
the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which
thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we
are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in
one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast
loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also,
whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may be
hold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovcdst me before
the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not
known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou
hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will de
clare it; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them,
and I in them."
It is to be feared that few modern ministers pray for their
converts with the frequency and intensity that Paul did for his.
u Night and day praying exceedingly " he writes in one place.
(5) Jas- 5: T4' l6 — " Is anv sick among you? let him call for the el
ders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with
oil in the name of the Lord: . . . Confess your faults one to an
other, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effec
tual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for sick brethren.
(6) i Jno. 5, 16 — " If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not
unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin
not unto death. There is a sin unto death; I do not say that he shall
pray for it."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for any brother we
see sinning a sin not unto death.
(7) Eph. 6: 18, R.V— " With all prayer and supplication praying at
all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and
supplication for all the saints."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for all the saints.
Christ's prayer took in all believers in all ages. (Jno.
17: 9, 20.) Our sympathies, and consequently our prayers, should
take in the whole Church of Christ. It is astounding how
narrow is the circle taken in by the prayers of the average
422 What the Bible Teaches
Christian. Every child of God is my brother, and should be re«
membered in my prayers. Let us give our prayers a wide!
sweep. (Compare Ps. 36:10 — "O continue thy loving kindness
unto them that know theej and thy righteousness to the upright
in heart.")
(8) i Chron. 29: 19 — "And give unto Solomon my son a perfect
heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies and thy statutes,
and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I
have made provision."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for our children.
(9) i Tim. 2: 2, 3 — " For kings, and for all that are in authority;
that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and hon
esty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sa
viour."
NITNH PROPOSITION: We should pray for our riders.
It is to be feared that most Christians to-day are grievously
disobedient to God at this point. The present fashion is to rail at
our rulers. This is in direct disobedience to God's Word. (Jude
8:9, R.V.; 2 Pet. 2:10, 11; 1 Pet. 2:17.) Christians can ac
complish far more for "good government" by praying for than
by railing at the powers that be.
(10) Jer. 29: 7 — "And seek the peace of the city whither I have
caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for
it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace."
TENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for the city where we
live.
A Christian should be interested in all lands and in all
places. But we have an especial responsibility and duty in
prayer, as well as service, toward the place where God puts us.
(u) Rom. 10: i — "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God
for Israel is, that they might be saved."
Joel 2: 17 — " Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep be
tween the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O
LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should
rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, where is
their God ? "
Is. 62: 6, 7 — " I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem,
which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention
of the LORD, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he establish,
and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth."
Prayer 423
ELE VENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for Israel.
It is a sin not to. 1 Sam. 12:23 — t l Moreover as for me,
God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray
for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way."
An especial blessing is pronounced upon those who pray for
Jerusalem. Ps. 122:6, 7 — "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls,
and prosperity within thy palaces." Jerusalem is very dear to
God. 1 Kg. 11 : 13 — " Howbeit I will not rend away all the king
dom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's
sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen." Zech.
2:7, 8, 10-12 — "Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwcllcst with the
daughter of Babylon. For thus saith the LORD of hosts: After
the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you:
for he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye.
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will
dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. And many nations
shall be joined to the LORD in that clay, and shall be my people:
and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that
the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the LORD shall
inherit Judah, his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jeru
salem again. Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is
raised up out of his holy habitation."
(12) Luke 6: 28—" Bless them that curse you, and pray for them
which despitefully use you."
Matt. 5: 44, R.V. — "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, and
pray for them that persecute you."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for them that
despitefully use us and persecute us.
(Compare Luke 23: 34; Acts 7: 60.) We have an especial
obligation of prayer toward those who do us wrong.
(13) i Tim. 2: i — " I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men."
We should pray for all men. The love of God takes in the
world. (Jno. 3: 16.) So should our prayers: but there are cer
tain classes, as seen above, toward whom we have an especial
obligation of prayer.
424 What the Bible Teaches
IT. When to Pray.
(1) Dan. 6: 10— "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was
signed, he went into his house; and, his windows being open in his
chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day^
and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."
Ps. 55: 16, 17 — "As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall
save me. Evening and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry
aloud: and he shall hear my voice."
Acts 10: 9, 30 — "On the morrow, as they went on their journey,
and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray
about the sixth hour: . . . And Cornelius said, Four days ago I
was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my
house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing." (See
also Acts 2: i, 15—" The third hour.")
FIRST PROPOSITION: The holy men of the Bible prayed
three times a day, evening, morning and at noon.
(2) Ps. 119: 146, 147 — " I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep
thy testimonies. I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried:
I hoped in thy word."
Mark i : 35 — " And in the morning^ rising up a great 'while before day^
he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We should pray very early in the
morning, before dawn,
(3) Luke 6: 12 — "And it came to pass in those days, that he went
out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Our Master and Example " continued
all night in prayer to God."
This was on the eve of a decisive step in His life, the choice
of the twelve. A similar thing occurred at a great crisis in His
life, when the multitude wished to take Him and make Him king.
(Jno. 6: 15. Compare Mark 6: 46-48.) It is a good example to
follow. There are some who strangely object to whole nights
spent in prayer. They say that faith takes at once what it asks.
Had not the Saviour faith? (Compare also Is. 40: 31.) Nights
of prayer to God are followed by days of power with men. It is
recorded of John Livingston that he spent a night in prayer and
religious intercourse with a company like minded, and that the
next day he preached with such power in the kirk of Shotts that
500 people dated their conversion or some definite advance in
Prayer 425
their spiritual life from that sermon. Of course, one can keep a
night of prayer in a false and legal way.
(4) Ps. 88: i — "O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day
and night before thee."
FO UR TH PR 0 POSITION: We should pray day and night.
At all times our heart should be looking up to God, and this
upward look of the heart will be frequently uttering itself in a
cry to Him.
(5) Matt. 14: 19 — *' And he commanded the multitude to sit down
on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking
up to heaven, he blessed and brake, and gave the loaves to his dis
ciples, and the disciples to the multitude."
Acts 27: 35 — "And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and
gave thanks to God in presence of them all; and when he had broken
it, he began to eat."
i Tim. 4: 4, 5 — " For every creature of God is good, and nothing to
be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by
the word of God and prayer ;"
FIFTH PROPOSITION: We should pray at every meal.
(6) Ps. 50: 15 — " And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will de
liver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."
Ps. 81:7— "Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I an
swered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters
of Meribah."
Ps. 77: i, 2 — " I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with
my voice; and he gave ear unto me. In the day of my troiible I sought
the LORD: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused
to be comforted."
Ps. 86: 7 — " In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou
wilt answer me."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to God in the day of
trouble.
(Compare Ps. 18: 6; 120: 1; 118: 5 — Here two different
Hebrew words are used, but both are from the same root as the
words used in passages given above.)
(7) Ps. 3: i, 2 — " Lofd, how are they increased that trouble me !
many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of
my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah."
426 What the Bible Teaches
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to God when
those increase who trouble us and many rise up against us.
When enemies increase we should not despair but cry to
God. Then we can lie down without fear to sleep. "We need
not fear though ten thousands of people set themselves against
us round about. (Compare vv. 5, 6.)
(8) i Chron. 5: 20 — " And they were helped against them, and the
Hagarite's were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them:
for they cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated of them; be
cause they put their trust in him."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to God in the day
of battle.
Victory is of the Lord (Prov. 21:31, R.V.), therefore, in
every battle we should cry to Him.
(9) 2 Chron. 14: 8, 9, n — '* And Asa had an army of men that bare
targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of
Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and four
score thousand: all these were mighty men of valor. And there came
out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with a host of a thousand thou
sand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah. . . .
And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing
with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no
power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name
we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let no man
prevail against thee."
20: 1-4, 12 — " It came to pass after this also, that the children of
Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them others besides the
Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. Then there came
some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude
against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they
be in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi. And Jehoshaphat feared,
and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all
Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the
LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
. . . O our God, wilt thou not judge them ? for we have no might
against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we
what to do: but our eyes are upon thee."
\
NINTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to God when out
numbered by enemies and when we have no might against
and know not what to do.
Prayer 427
When there is nothing else left to do, there is one thing that
always remains — pray to God.
(10) 2 Chron. 13:13-16 — "But Jeroboam caused an ambushment
to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the
ambushment was behind them. And when Judah looked back, behold,
a battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the
priests sounded with the trumpets. Then the men of Judah gave a
shout and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God
smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. And the
children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their
hands."
TENTH PROPOSITION: We shouldpray to Godwhen in great
extremities.
(11) Ps. 60: ii — "Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help
of man."
ELE VENTH PROPOSITION: We shouldpray to God when all
human help fails.
(12) Jonah 2: 7 — "When my soul fainted within me I remembered
the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to God when our
soul faints within us.
(13) Ps. 61: 2 — "From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee,
when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher
than I."
THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to Godwhen
our heart is overwhelmed.
(14) Ps. 130: i— "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O
LORD."
FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray unto God
when in the depths.
(15) Deut. 4: 25-29 — "When thou shalt beget children, and chil
dren's Children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall
corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any
thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke
him to anger; I shall call heaven and earth to witness against you this
day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye
go over Jordan to possess it: ye shall not prolong your days upon it,
but shall utterly be destroyed. And the LORD shall scatter you among
428 What the Bible Teaches
the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen,
whither the LORD shall lead you. And there ye shall serve gods, tha
work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor
eat, nor smell. But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God,
thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all
thy soul."
FIFTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to God in the
day when we are being chastened for sin, when we are in a far
country and desiring to come back to God.
The chastisements of God are a call to prayer.
(16) Is. 55: 6—" Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye
upon him while he is near."
SIXTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should call upon God while
He is near and may be found
(17) Ps. 116: i, 2 — "I love the LORD, because he hath heard my
voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto
me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live."
SEVENTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to God as
long as we live.
The last utterances of Christ were prayers, The last words
of the Bible are prayers.
(18) Luke 18: i — "And he spake a parable unto them to this end,
that men ought always to pray, and not to faint."
Eph. 6: 18, R.V. — "With all prayer and supplication praying at aft
seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and
supplication for all the saints."
i Thess, 5: 17 — " Pray without ceasing."
EIGHTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray always and
not faint, at all seasons, without ceasing.
A Christian should breathe an atmosphere of prayer. Faith
in God has always an upward look. True trust in God is con
stantly crystallizing into definite prayer to God.
V. Where to Pray.
(i) Matt. 6:6, R.V.— "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into
thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father
which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall recom
pense thee."
Prayer 429
FIRST PROPOSITION: We should pray in secret, in our inner
chamber.
Shut in alone with God, the world shut out. There is a
temptation when prayer is offered in presence of others to think
of what observers are thinking of us. True prayer is taken up
with God, not with men. The especial form of this danger which
Christ is guarding against in this passage is that of ostentatious
piety, hypocrisy, praying to be seen of men. The Heavenly
Father is "thy Father which is in secret " " Thy Father which
seeth in secret." Every one should have a secret place to meet
God, a place in which he is absolutely alone with God.
(2) Matt. 14: 23 — "And when he had sent the multitudes away, he
went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was
come, he was there alone." (Luke 6: 12; 9: 28.)
SECOND PROPOSITION: Jesus was wont to go apart into the
mountains to pray.
The primary purpose of His seeking this place to pray seems
to have been that He might be alone with God. The mountains
were His " secret " place. Further than this the mountains, in
their majesty, seem to bring God wonderfully near to us and us
wonderfully near to God
(3) Mark 1:35 — "And in the morning, rising up a great while
before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there
prayed."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Jesut went into a solitary place to
pray.
The purpose of this is essentially the same as in (1) and (2.)
(4) Acts 16:25 — "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and
sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The prisoner should pray in prison.
Doubtless some of the most acceptable and effective prayers
that God has ever heard have ascended to Him from prison-cells.
Prayer transforms a prison-cell into a portal of heaven.
(5) Jonah 2: 2, R.V. Marg. — " I called by reason of mine affliction
unto the LORD; And he answered me; Out of the belly of Sheol cried
I, and thou heardest my voice.'*
430 What the Bible Teaches
FIFTH PROPOSITION: We may pray to God in the very jaw*
of death.
(6) Jno. 17: i — "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes
to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that
thy Son also may glorify thee." (See context.)
SIXTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to God in the assembly
of believers.
(7) Acts 27: 35— "And when he had thus spoken, he took bread,
and gave thanks to God in presence of them all; and when he had
broken it, he began to eat." (See context.)
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to God in the
presence of the unsaved.
In doing so we must ever be on guard against praying to
be seen and heard of men. By far the greater part of our pray
ing should be in secret. But there should be public acknowledg
ment of our sense of dependence upon God.
(8) i Tim. 2: 8, R.V.— " I desire therefore that the men pray in
every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: We should pray in everyplace.
VI. For What to Pray.
A. PRAYERS RELATING TO GOD.
(1) Matt. 6: 9 — " After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father
which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."
FIRST PROPOSITION: We should pray for the hallowing of
Gods name.
The supreme desire of every believer's heart should be that
God be duly honored and reverenced. This should be the highest
motive in all our prayers. The chief purpose of all our prayers
should be that God may be glorified in granting our petitions.
(Compare Jno. 17: 1; 12: 27, 28.) How deep and intense is your
desire that God's name may be hallowed, and how often do you
really pray for this? To what extent is this the ruling motive
of your prayers?
(2) Matt. 6: 10 (a) — "Thy kingdom come.
Prayer 431
SECOND PROPOSITION: We should pray for the coming of
God s kingdom.
God's kingdom will surely come anyway, but our prayers
will hasten the coming of that kingdom. Little do most of us
realize how far our prayers go in hastening the coming of God's
kingdom, and how far our neglect of prayer goes in retarding
the coming of that kingdom. The coming of God's kingdom is
one of the in tensest desires of the true believer's heart. Yet this
prayer is often uttered thoughtlessly and mechanically.
(3) Rev. 22: 20 — " He that testifieth these things saith, Surely I
come quickly: Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
THIRD PROPOSITION: We should pray for the coming of
Gods king, Jesus.
The kingdom will never come until the King comes. Yet
there are many who have prayed often that the kingdom of God
would come, who have never prayed once that the King would
come. This prayer stands as the climax of Christian aspiration.
It is the final prayer of the Bible. The whole revelation of the
Book leads up to this. How often have you prayed for this?
(4) Matt. 6: 10 (b), R. V. " Thy will be done as in heaven, so
on earth."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: We should pray that Gods will be
done on earth as in heaven.
God's will is the most desirable thing in the universe to the
true child of God. (Compare Jno. 4: 34.) He wishes it done in
himself, but not only in himself, but everywhere and in every
person and thing. No other prayer rings out quite so heartily
from an understanding soul as this, u Thy will be done."
(5) Hab. 3: 2 — " O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid:
O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of
the years make known; in wrath remember mercy."
Ps. 85:6.
FIFTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for the reviving of
God's work and Gods people.
There is much prayer for revival in these days, but how much
of that prayer is governed by the thought that it is God s work
and Gods people that must be revived ? How much of our con-
432 What the Bible Teaches
cern is, because it is God's work that is languishing and Gods
people that are fainting ? Far too often, it is only the inter
ests of men that are to be subserved by a revival, that we
have in view in our prayers and efforts for revival. Prayer
for the reviving of God's work and God's people is a prayer that
God is especially pleased to answer. All through the centuries
of Israel's history, and of the Church's history, G-od has granted
His reviving grace in answer to prayer. Prayer has been the most
prominent human element in great revivals. It has been back of
everything else. There have been extraordinary revivals with
out extraordinary preaching; there have never been extraordi
nary revivals without extraordinary praying.
B. PRAYERS RELATING TO MINISTERS OF THE WORD.
(6) Matt. 9: 38—" Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that
He will send forth laborers into His harvest."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: We should pray the Lord of the har
vest that He send forth laborers into His harvest.
How often and how earnestly have you prayed this prayer ?
Christ has given us a very urgent command to do so. Have
you obeyed it? There was never a time when there was a
greater need for laborers than to-day. The fields are white and
open to the harvesters as perhaps never before in the history of
the Church and the world. The way to get the right sort of la
borers is to pray for them. There are a great many professed
laborers in the Lord's harvest in these days whom He surely
never sent. The way to get the right laborers for any particu
lar field is to pray for them. ( Compare Acts 1: 24.) If Paul and
Barnabas had taken to God in prayer the matter of whether Mark
was God's man to take with them on their second missionary
journey, instead of trying to settle it themselves, it is quite cer
tain there would have never been occasion to write one of the sad
dest verses in the Bible. (Acts. 15: 39.) Many another bitter
separation among brethren over ministers could have been avoided
in the same way.
(7) Col. 4: 3 — " Withal praying also for us, that God would opem
unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for whicn 1
am also in bonds."
Prayer 433
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for a door of ut
terance to be opened for those who preach the Word.
That is the way to get open doors, ask for them. There
are few more pitiable sights than men who believe God
has called them to preach who can find no open door. True
prayer to God to open a door, and a willingness to enter the door
God opens, would solve the difficulty. If there is any place where
the Gospel ought to be preached, but where there is no open door,
pray for it. Paul was in a most unlikely place to find an open
door when he made this request. He was in prison, but God
heard the prayer and Paul entered a door to an audience to whom
he is still preaching Many a door in heathen lands seemingly
closed and barred against the Gospel, has been opened in the
same way. Prayer to God will open more doors than appeals to
human governments.
(8) Eph. 6: 19, 20, R.V. — "That utterance may be given unto me
in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the
Gospel, for which I am ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak
boldly as I ought to speak."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for utterance to be
given to ministers of the Word in opening their mouths, to make
known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel, that in it they may
speak boldly, as they ought to speak.
Not only open doors are needed, but open mouths to enter
the opened doors. Ministers of the Word greatly need boldness
in this time-serving and compromising age, and in all ages, and
God's children should be in constant prayer that ministers of the
Word may have this needed boldness. If even fearless Paul felt the
need of prayer along this line, how much more do ordinary men
need it. There are plenty to-day to criticise the timidity of
preachers of the Word; how many are there who are in constant
and earnest prayer that they may be given utterance, to make
known with boldness the mystery of the gospel ? Praying will
accomplish far more along this line than grumbling and criticis
ing. (See Acts 4: 29, 31.)
(9) 2 Thess. 3: i, R.V. — " Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the
word of the Lord may run and be glorified, even as also it is with you."
434 What the Bible Teaches
NINTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for ministers of the
Word, that the Word of the Lord may run and be glorified.
We complain of the slow progress of the Word. Are we
praying that it may run ?
(10) Ps. 132: 9 (a) — " Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness."
TENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray that God's ministers
may be clothed with righteousness.
The text applies primarily to priests, and the preacher of
the Word is, strictly speaking, no more a priest than any other
believer; but he does in a peculiar way represent God, and God's
honor is involved in his walk. We may then quite legitimately
apply to him this petition for the Old Testament representative
of God. We should desire and pray for the righteous walk of
those who represent God. This is sadly needed in this day when
so many of them are falling into sin, and when the enemies of the
Lord are so glorying in their downfall. We live in a perilous
time, and we do well to pray for all saints, but especially for
those in whose steadfast righteousness God is peculiarly honored,
and in whose fall God is peculiarly dishonored. Let us often and
earnestly pray that God's ministers be clothed with righteousness.
C. PRAYERS FOR SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS.
(n) Matt. 6: 12 — "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our
debtors."
Ps. 25: ii — " For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity;
for it is great."
Ps. 51: i — " Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-
kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out
my transgressions."
Luke 18: 13 — " And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift
up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, say
ing, God be merciful to me a sinner."
Hos. 14: 2— "Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say
unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we
render the calves of our lips."
Ex. 34: 9 — " And he said, if now I have found grace in thy si^ht, O
Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked
people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine >%•
heritance."
Ex. 32: 31, 32 — "And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Ob,
this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold
Prayer 435
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin — and if not, blot me I pray
thee, out of thy book which thou hast written."
i Kg. 8: 47-50 — "Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land
whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication
unto thee in the land of them that carried them captive saying, We
have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wicked
ness; And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their
soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and
pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers,
the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for
thy name: Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in
heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy
people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions
wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compas
sion before them who carried them captive, that they may have com*
passion on them."
Acts. 8: 22 — "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray
God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for forgive
ness of our sins.
It is sometimes said that believers ought not to pray for
forgiveness of sin, but simply to confess their sins. That comes
from forcing 1 Jno. 1:9 ("If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unright
eousness") beyond what it says, and contradicts the plain teach
ings of the Word elsewhere. It is true that God has provided
pardon for all the believer's sins on the ground of the all-sufficing
atoning blood of Christ, but what God has thus provided we ap
propriate to ourselves by confession of sin and prayer for pardon.
Prayer for pardon is a proper acknowledgment to God of our
guiltiness. Prayers for pardon are more frequent in the Bible
than prayers for almost anything else. Of course, we ought not
to pray again and again for the forgiveness of some sin that we
have already laid before God, and that has thus been put away
forever.
(12) Ps. 139: 23, 24 — " Search me, O God, and know my heart: try
me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: We should pray the Lord to
search us and try us.
436 What the Bible Teaches
The true child of G-od will desire that every evil way in him
be searched out and brought to light. This work can never be
thoroughly and satisfactorily done by any process of personal self
examination. God must do it, and He does it in answer to
prayer. It needs to be done frequently. Sin and selfishness
and carnality and worldliness surround us as the very atmosphere
we breathe, and are constantly creeping into our hearts and lives
unawares. Each day should close by our going into God's pres
ence and laying our inmost lives and outward walk before him,
and asking Him to search them through and through, and to lay
bare to us whatever in them is hateful to Him. This will be to
us a painful, but a salutary process.
(13) Ps. 51: 7—" Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash
me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
Ps. 19: 12 — "Who can understand his error ? cleanse thou me from
secret faults."
THIR TEE NTH PR 0 POSITION: We should pray for cleansing
from sin.
The Hebrew verb translated "cleanse" in both of these
passages means to < < clear " or < < acquit. " (See R. V. of Ps. 19 : 12. )
This prayer is a prayer for pardon — cleansing from guilt — rather
than for cleansing from the presence of sin.
(14) Ps. 51: 10 — " Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a
right spirit within me."
FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray God to cre
ate in us a clean heart.
It is vain for us to try to cleanse our own heart. A clean
heart requires a creative act that God alone can perform. He
will do it in answer to prayer. He will create in us a heart that
loves righteousness and hates sin.
(15) Ps. 119: 117 — "Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I
will have respect unto thy statutes continually."
FIFTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray God to hold
us up.
If God holds us up we " shall be safe." We are never safe
unless God does holds us up. It is a hopeless task to try to stand
alone. The way is too slippery, and not one of us is sure footed.
Prayer 437
He "that thinketh he standeth " needs to "take heed lest he
fall." (1 Cor. 10: 12.) The only sure way of taking heed is by
humble, honest and earnest prayer. God is abundantly able and
willing to hold us up. (1 Cor. 10: 13.)
(16) Ps. 19: 13 — " Keep back thy servant, also from presumptuous
sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and
I shall be innocent from the great transgression."
SIXTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to be kept back
from, and delivered from the dominion of t presumptuous sins.
The word here translated presumptuous, means primarily
boiling, then swelling, insolent, arrogant, proud. Pride and ar
rogance are common to us all. God alone can keep us back from
them.
(17) Ps. 119: 10 — " With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let
me not wander from thy commandments."
SEVENTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray that God
will not let us wander from His commandments.
"Prone to wander " is what every child of Adam is. Unless
we are constantly looking to God to keep us from wandering we
are sure to go astray from the straight path of His Word. But
He is very ready to keep us from wandering if we look to Him
to do it.
(18) Matt. 6: 13, R.V. (a)—" And bring us not into temptation."
Mark 14: 38, R.V.—" Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temp-
tation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
EIGHTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray that we be
not brought, nor enter ^ into temptation.
This is the prayer that springs from a true knowledge of
self. If we have true humility we will recognize our own weak
ness and this petition will be often upon our lips. No man who
has any true knowledge of himself will court temptation. He
will flee from it and pray God not to bring him into it. Many a
man who has made seemingly great attainments in the spiritual
life, has fallen because he has lost the spirit of this prayer. It is
one of the most suggestive petitions of the wonderful prayer
which Jesus taught His disciples.
(19) Matt. 6: 13 (b), R.V.—" But deliver us from the evil one.*'
438 What the Bible Teaches
NINETEENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to be d&
liver ed from the Evil One.
Anyone who carefully and candidly studies the New Testa
ment and human history must be convinced of the existence and
awful power, cunning and malignity of the Evil One. We must
realize that our only security against his wiles and his power is
in constant prayer to God.
(20) Ps. 141: 3—" Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the
door of my lips."
TWENTIETH PROPOSITION: We should pray that the dooi
of our lips be kept.
This is the only way in which our speech can be governed.
"The tongue can no man tame: it is a restless evil" (Jas. 3: 8,
R.V.), but God can govern it and will in answer to prayer.
Under the immediately preceding heads (17, 18, 19, 20), we
have a fourfold keeping: our lips kept from uttering what they
ought not, our feet kept from wandering where they ought not,
and we ourselves kept from doing what we ought not and from
all the power of the enemy.
(21) Ps. 86: ii (a)— "Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in
thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name."
Ps. 119: 33 (a) — "Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and
I will keep it unto the end."
25: 4 — "Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. 5f
143: 10 (a) — "Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy
Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness."
TWENTY-FIRST PROPOSITION: We should pray Jehovah
to teach us His way, the way of His statutes, His path, to do His
will.
We will never know His way nor how to do His will until He
Himself teaches us, and He will not teach us unless we ask Him
to. We can, however, ask Him with absolute confidence that He
will teach us.
(22) Ps. 90: 12, R.V. — " So teach us to number our days, that we
may get us an heart of wisdom."
TWENTY-SECOND PROPOSITION: We should pray the Lord
to so teach us to number our days that we may get us a heart of
wisdom.
Prayer 439
(23) Luke ii : i — "And it came to pass, as he was praying in a cer
tain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord,
teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."
TWENTY- THIRD PR 0 POSITION: We should pray to be taught
to pray.
" We know not how to pray as we ought," but the Lord is
just as ready to teach us to-day by His Spirit (Rom. 8: 26, R.V.),
and by His Word, as He was to teach His disciples when here, by
word of mouth.
(24) Ps. 119: 18 — "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold won
drous things out of thy law."
TWEN TY-FO UR Til PR 0 POSITION: We should pray the Lord
to open our eyes to behold wondrous things out of His ovm Word.
We shall never see nor appreciate the wondrous things of
God's Word until God Himself opens our eyes to behold them.
This He does in answer to prayer. Prayer gives a keenness of
perception to spiritual beauty of which the prayerless man never
dreams. No amount of study of Hebrew or Greek, or mere intel
lectual study of any sort, will open spiritual eyes blinded by sin.
The prayerless eye can no more see the spiritual beauty of God's
truth revealed in the pages of the Bible, through the spectacles of
linguistic knowledge, than the blind natural eye can see the
beauties of the natural world through any spectacles no matter
how scientifically constructed. There must be natural sight to
discern natural beauty. There must be spiritual sight to discern
spiritual beauty. A man who has sight can see more beauty
without spectacles, than a sightless man can with the best glasses
ever constructed. So the man who has spiritual sight can see
more beauty in the Word of God without the aid of scholarship,
than the spiritually sightless man can with all the aids of the most
recent and most approved scholarship. There is many a modern
Bartimeus occupying a theological professorship who needs to cry:
" Lord, that I might receive my sight. " (MarklO:51.) But they
go on, the blind leading the blind, and both are falling into the
ditch of destructive criticism. Only prayer will open our eyes to
a real appreciation of the Bible. One can see more of its beauty
and learn more of its truth in an hour at the feet of Jesus, than
in four years at the feet of men, who, professing themselves to be
440 What the Bible Teaches
wise, are become fools. (Rom. 1: 22.) Every minister and every
believer needs to take a course in that Seminary in which one
matriculates by prayer. The most ignorant and most learned
child of God will find that the Bible opens up wonderfully by
prayer. One ought never to open his Bible, even for a few
moments' study, without at least breathing to God the substance
of the Psalmist's prayer.
(25) Ps. 31: 3 — " For thou art my rock and my fortress: therefore
for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me."
Ps. 27: ii — " Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain
path, because of mine enemies."
Ps. 139: 24 — "And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead
me in the way everlasting."
TWENTY-FIFTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to be led
and guided.
Who knows the way he ought to take ? Perils are on every
hand, but there is ever an unerring hand within reach to lead us
safely on. We grasp that hand by prayer. We need God's guid
ance at every step of the way. We cannot altogether trust the
wisest human guides. We do not need to. It is our privilege
not only to ask God to lead us, but to lead us "in a plain path."
(Ps. 27: 11.) He is ready to lead us in the way everlasting.
(26) Eph. i: 16-19, R.V. — " Cease not to give thanks for you, mak
ing mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him; having the e)'es of your heart en
lightened that ye may know what in the hope of his calling, what the
riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what the exceed
ing greatness of -his power to us-ward who believe, -according to that
working of the strength of his might which he wrought in Christ."
TWENTY-SIXTH PR OPOSITION : We should pray for a spirit
of ivisdom and revelation in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
The only way to really know Christ is through that spirit of
wisdom which God gives in anwer to prayer. No amount of un
aided searching will ever find Him out.
The result of receiving this u spirit of wisdom and revelation
in the knowledge of Him " will be, that we shall have the eyes of
our hearts enlightened so that we shall know what is the hope 02
Prayer 44 i
His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in
the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to
us-ward who believe.
(27) Col. i: g, 10, R.V. — "For this cause we also, since the day we
heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may
be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and un
derstanding, to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing
fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God."
TWENTY-SEVENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to be
filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and
understanding, to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing,
bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowl
edge of the Lord.
This prayer is worthy of deep and careful meditation.
(28) Eph. 3: 14, 16, R.V. — " For this cause I bow my knees unto
the Father . . . that he would grant you, according to the riches
of His glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his
Spirit in the inward man."
TWENTY-EIGHTH PROPOSITION: We should pray God
the Father that He would grant us according to the riches of His
glory, that we may be strengthened with power through the Spirit
in the inner man.
The result of the inward strengthening thus granted will be:
First, that Christ will dwell in our hearts through faith; second,
that we, being rooted and grounded in love, shall be made strong
to apprehend together with all the saints what is the breadth and
length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ
which passeth knowledge; third, that we shall be filled unto all
the fulness of God. (vv. 17-19.)
Surely that is a glorious and inexhaustible prayer.
(29) i Thess. 3: 12 — "And the Lord make you to increase and
abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do
toward you."
TWENTY-NINTH PROPOSITION: We should pray the Lord
to make us to increase and abound in love one toward another,
and toward all men.
Many of us bewail our lack of love. This verse indicates
442 What the Bible Teaches
the way to get it. Ask for it. In this way He will establish our
hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father, at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (V. 13.)
(30) i Thess. 5: 23, R.V. — "And the God of peace himself sanctify
you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved en
tire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
THIRTIETH PROPOSITION: We should pray the God of
peace to sanctify us wholly, and that our spirit and soul and
body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
The word for " wholly " in this passage is an extremely strong
word; it is a double word, and means " perfect in every respect,"
absolutely perfect. Nothing short of absolute perfection will
satisfy the true child of God. We may have already attained a
relative perfection, a condition of maturity (Phil. 3: 15; 1 Cor.
2: 6; 2 Cor. 13: 11), but we pray for absolute perfection, and in
answer to our prayers it shall be ours at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
(31) Ps. 27: 4, R.V.—" One thing have I asked of the LORD, that
will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the
days of my life to behold the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his
temple."
THIRTY-FIRST PROPOSITION: We should pray for per-
sonal nearness to and communion with God and the glad con-
templation of His beauty.
This was the Psalmist's supreme request. He longed not
so much for Jehovah's gifts as for Jehovah Himself.
(32) Luke ii : 13 — "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him."
Acts 8: 15 — "Who, when they were come down, prayed for them
that they might receive the Holy Ghost."
(Compare Jno. 4: 10. Compare 7: 37-39.)
THIRTY-SECOND PROPOSITION: We should pray for the
gift of the Holy Spirit.
(33) Ps. 51: 12 (a) — " Restore unto me the joy of thy salva
tion."
Prayef 443
THIRTY-THIRD PROPOSITION': When the jot/ of the salva
tion of the Lord has been lost, we should pray for its restora
tion.
T>. PRAYERS FOR TEMPORAL BLESSINGS.
(34) Jas. i: 5 — "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be
given him."
THIRTY-FOURTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for
wisdom.
This is not altogether a temporal blessing, but this promise
covers wisdom in temporal matters as well as in spiritual. We
have a right to ask God for wisdom in all the affairs of life
(Compare Prov. 3: 6.)
(35) Matt. 6: n — " Give us this day our daily bread."
THIRTY-FIFTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for our
daily bread.
The exact meaning of the word translated " daily'' is hard
to determine, as it is used nowhere else, except in the parallel
passage Luke 11: 3. Various translations have been suggested,
such as "sufficient bread," "bread proper for our sustenance,"
" needful bread," "bread for the coming day." They amount to
about the same thing. In any case the thought is that we are to de
pend upon God from day to day to supply our physical need as it
arises. The petition does not give us any warrant to ask God
for stores for future need, but it does invite us to ask God for
sufficient supplies for each day's need as it arises. In the Old
Testament (Gen. 27: 28; 1 Chron. 4: 10) we find prayers for
large earthly prosperity which were answered. (Compare also
Gen. 28: 3.)
(36) Jas. 5: 14-16 — "Is any sick among you? let him call for the
elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with
oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the
sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he hath committed sins,
they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and
pray one -for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
THIRTY-SIXTH PROPOSITION: We should pray to the Lord
for healing in physical weakness. (Compare Ps. 103: 3J
444 What the Bible Teaches
In Judges 16: 28, we find Samson praying for extraordinary
physical strength for an extraordinary emergency. The strength
was granted, and God to-day gives men extraordinary strength for
extraordinary emergencies. This fact gives us no warrant for
tempting God by overwork.
(37) Ps. 17: 8, 9, R.V.— " Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide
me under the shadow of thy wings, from the wicked that spoil me, my
deadly enemies, that compass me about."
I
THIRTY-SEVENTH PROPOSITION: We may pray to God
for keeping from the wicked who spoil us and the deadly enemies
who compass us about.
This will afford us surer protection in a lawless city or in the
perils of the foreign field than carrying firearms for self-defense.
(Compare also Is. 19: 20, R.V.; Ps. 59: 1; 2 Thess. 3: 2.)
(38) Ps. 122: 6 — "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall pros
per that love thee."
THIRTY-EIGHTH PROPOSITION; We should pray for the
peace of Jerusalem. (Compare Is. 62: 6; Ps. 51: 18.)
(39) Jer. 29: 7 — '* And seek the peace of the city whither I have
caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for
it; for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace."
THIRTY-NINTH PROPOSITION: We should pray for the
peace of the city in which God has placed us.
It is doubtful if we can accomplish much in some cities by
our votes, but there is no city in which we cannot accomplish
much by our prayers. There is a place where the influence of a
child of God counts more than at the polling-booth or the caucus —
that is at the throne of grace. There are many to-day urging
Christians to vote as they pray. The average nineteenth century
Christian needs more to be urged to pray as he votes. If he were
to vote as he prayed he would not vote at all. Prayer needs to be
made a power which it is not in municipal affairs.
(40) i Jno. 5: 14 — " And this is the confidence that we have in him,
that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us."
FORTIETH PROPOSITION: We should pray for anything
which is according to the will of God.
Prayer 445
The question arises, How are we to know what is according
to the will of God ? The answer is simple: By the promises of His
Word, and by the leadings of His Holy Spirit. Whenever I find
God promising anything in His Word I know it is His will to give
it. Whenever the Holy Spirit leads my heart to pray for any
thing, I know that this also is according to the will of God. (Rom.
8: 26, 27.)
(41) Phil. 4: 6, 19, R.V. — " In nothing be anxious; but in every
thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known unto God. . . . And my God shall fulfill every need
of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
FORTY-FIRST PROPOSITION: We should pray for every-
thing we need.
It is our privilege to live a life absolutely free from anxious
thought. This is only possible by taking every need, great and
small, to the Father in trustful prayer. Then « the peace of God
which passeth all understanding shall guard our hearts and
thoughts in Christ Jesus." (V. 7.)
VII. How to Pray.
(i) Jno. 14: 13, 14 — "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that
will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask
anything in my name, I will do it."
Jno. 15: 16 — "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your
fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my
name, he may give it you."
FIRST PROPOSITION: We should pray in the name of Jesus
Christ.
QUESTION: What does it mean to pray in the name of Christ ?
ANSWER:
See Luke 24: 47 — "And that repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jeru
salem." (Compare Acts 10: 43.)
Matt. 7: 22 — " Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have
we not prophesied in thy name ? and in thy name have cast out devils?
and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mark 9: 38, 39— "And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw-
one casting out devils in thy name, and he followed not us: and we
forbade him, because he followed not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him
not; for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can
lightly speak evil of me."
446 What the Bible Teaches
Acts 3: 6— "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but
such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
rise up and walk."
i Cor. 6: n — "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but
ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus ',
and by the Spirit of our God."
Eph. 5: 20 — " Giving thanks always 'for all things unto God and the
Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"
Col. 3: 17 — " And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the
name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
Jas. 5: 14 — " Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of
the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the
name of the Lord."
Jno. 16: 23, R.V. — "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, If ye shall ask anything of the Father,
he will give it you in my name,
To pray in the name of Christ is to pray relying upon
what Christ is and has done, to pray on the ground of Jesus
Christ's acceptability with the Father. When I go to a bank
with my own name on the check I ask money in my own name,
and if I have that much money there I get what I ask. When I
go to a bank with another man's name on the check, I ask in his
name, and it matters nothing whether I have money in the bank
or not. If he has I get it. Jesus Christ has given to believers in
Him the right to put His name upon their checks. We have noth
ing in the bank of Heaven, no claim upon it. He has unlimited
credit there. If we ask God in our own name, on the ground of
any claim we have upon Him, we will get nothing. But if we
come renouncing any claim of our own and simply trusting in
the claims of Christ, we will get "whatsoever we ask."
The distinctive characteristic of Christian prayer is, that it
is prayer in the name of Christ. It is that which radically distin
guishes Christian prayer from pagan prayer.
(2) Ps. 145: 18 — "The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon
him, to all that call upon him in truth."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We should call upon the Lord "in
truth."
QUESTION: What is it to call "in truth? "
ANSWER: The primary meaning of the word translated
« < truth " is " firmness, ' ' then < < faithfulness, " then < ' truth as op-
Prayer 447
posed to falsehood,1' •" good faith," " sincerity as opposed to hy
pocrisy." This latter is evidently the meaning here. (Compare
Josh. 24: 14; 1 Sam. 12: 24; 1 Kg. 2: 4; Is. 10:20.) To call upon
the Lord in truth is to ask Him for that which we really desire
and to really depend upon Him to give it. There is much prayer
that is not in truth. People constantly ask God for things which
they do not really desire. They also constantly ask Him for
things which they do not expect Him to give, and for which they
are not depending upon Him at all. Before asking God for any
thing we should ask ourselves, Do I really desire this? and then,
Do T really expect God to give it? and Am I depending upon Him
for it? . . . There is very much that is called prayer that is
really profanity, taking the sacred and awful name of God in vain.
(3) Jer. 29: 12, 13 — "Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go
and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek
me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."
Deut. 4: 29 — " But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy
God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with
all thy soul."
THIRD PROPOSITION: We should pray unto the Lord with
all our heart and all our soul.
Many prayers are sincere so far as they go, but the whole
heart is not in them. We must not expect such prayers to have
much power with God. When our whole heart is in the asking,
His whole heart will be in the giving.
(4) Acts 12: 5, R.V. — " Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but
prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him."
FO UR TH PR OPOSIT1 ON: We should pray earnestly — intensely.
The word translated "earnestly" in this passage is a very
strong word. It means, literally, "stretched-out-ly." It is a
pictorial word. It pictures the mind stretched out in intensity
of desire. The same word is used of our Lord's praying in
Luke 22 : 44, where, in the intensity of His agony, ' ' His sweat be
came as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground. "
It is the prayer into which the whole soul goes in an intensity of de
sire that lays hold upon God. These indifferent, heartless, bloodless
prayers, that we offer, and soon forget what we ask for, count lit
tle with Him. Paul called upon the believers in Rome to "strive
448 What the Bible Teaches
together" with him in their prayers to God. (Rom. 15: 30.)
The word for " strive " means, literally, "to enter a contest,"
"to struggle," "to con tend," " to endeavor with strenuous zeal."
It is the word from which our word "agonize " is derived. There
seems to be little praying of this sort in our day. Some fancy it
is a mark of faith to take things easy in prayer as well as else
where. They call it "the rest of faith." This is evidently a
form of faith the Lord Jesus had not learned. Heb. 5: 7 — "Who
in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and sup
plications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to
save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared." If this
kind of praying is rare, it has power to-day when it is found, even
as it had in the olden time. (Compare Gen. 32: 26.)
(5) Rom. 12: 12, R.V. — " Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation;
continuing steadfastly in prayer."
Col. 4:2, R.V. — " Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein
with thanksgiving."
Luke 18: 1-8 — "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that
men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a
city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there
was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me
of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he
said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man: yet be
cause this woman troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her contin
ual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust
judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day
and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he
will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man
cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? "
FIFTH PROPOSITION: We should pray with steadfast contin
uance — perseverance.
The true and earnest prayer will not give up because his
petition is not heard the first time. It is a form of spiritual lazi
ness that tries to palm itself off as submission to the will of
God, that concludes because we do not get a thing the first time
we ask for it that it is not the will of God to give it. God often
tests our faith and our earnestness. (Compare Matt. 20:31;
15-23-28.) Of course there are times when we can count the
thing we have asked for as already ours (Jno. 11:4; 1 Jno.
5:14, 15; Mark 11:24; R.V.), sc need not continue praying.
Prayer 449
Some say it indicates a lack of faith to ask anything a second
time, and not take it by simple faith upon the first asking. But
Jesus prayed three times for the same thing. (Matt. 26: 44.)
(6) Matt. 6:7 — "But when ye pray use not vain repetitions, as
the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much
speaking."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: We should not use vain repetitions
when we pray.
The word here translated " use vain repetitions" means,
literally, "to stammer or stutter," and thus to repeat the same
thing over and over. The thought is, as the rest of the verse
clearly shows, that we are not to keep repeating the same re
quest over and over in the same prayer, as if God saw some
merit in each time it was offered, and thus multiplied merit in the
frequency with which it was repeated. It applies directly to the
Roman Catholic practice of rattling off so many " Pater Nosters "
or other prayers. There is repetition that comes from intense
earnestness. (Contrast the 26th and 37th verses of 1 Kg. 18.)
7) Dan. 9: 3 — " And I set my face unto the LORD God, to seek by
prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes."
Acts 14: 23— " And when they had ordained them elders in every
church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the
Lord, on whom they believed."
Acts 13:2, 3 — " As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the
Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work where-
unto I have called them. And when they fiad fasted and prayed, and
laid their hands on them, they sent them away."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray with fasting.
This, of course, does not mean that we should fast every
time we pray. But there are times of emergency or of special
crisis in work, or in our individual lives, when men of downright
earnestness will withdraw themselves from even the gratifica
tion of natural appetites, that would be perfectly proper under
other circumstances, that they may give themselves up wholly to
prayer. There is peculiar power in such prayer. Every great
crisis in life and work should be met in that way. On the appro
priateness of fasting in the present dispensation see also Matt.
9: 15 — "And Jesus said unto them, can the children of the bride-
chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them ? But
450 What the Bible Teaches
the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from
them, and then shall they fast."
(8) 2 Chron. 7: 14 — " If rny people, which are called by my name,
shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from
their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their
sin, and will heal their land."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: In times when ice have wandered
from God we should pray with humiliation of self and renun
ciation of sin.
(9) Phil. 4:6 — "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known unto God."
Col. 4: 2—" Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanks
giving."
NINTH PROPOSITION: We should pray with thanksgiving.
In approaching G-od to ask for new blessings we should not
neglect to return thanks for blessings already granted. Doubt
less one reason why so many of our prayers lack power is because
we have neglected to return thanks for blessings already re
ceived. God is deeply grieved by this thoughtlessness and in
gratitude of which so many of us are guilty. (See Luke 17: 17,
18, E.V.)
(10) Matt. 18: 19, 20 — " Again I say unto you, That if two of you
shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall
be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or
three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of
them."
TENTH PROPOSITION: We should pray in union with others.
God everywhere emphasizes and blesses the unity of believers
and there is especial power in united prayer. Note that the two
must not merely agree together to ask, they must agree concern
ing the thing that they ask — i. e., there must be real unity of de
sire concerning this specific thing. It is very easy to get some
one to unite with me in asking some thing I desire, but still
there may be no unity of desire. The other asks it simply be
cause I wish it. But when the Holy Spirit leads two believing
hearts to beat as one concerning some coveted blessing, then
there is power, — when, for example, two persons in a community
Prayer 451
have a common desire for the outpouring of the Spirit in that
community. Whenever you can find another whose heart the Holy
Spirit is drawing out in the same direction He does yours, you
can approach God with great confidence of obtaining this thing.
(n) Matt. 21:22 — "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in
prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
ELE VENTH PR 0 POSIT ION: We should pray believing.
Believing in this place does not mean a general trust in God,
but the unwavering expectation of getting the thing we ask. (See
Jas. 1:5, 6.) Indeed, faith goes beyond expecting and reckons
the thing asked as already ours. What we thus reckon ours be
comes ours in actual experimental possession. (Mark 11:24,
R.V.) God delights to honor the faith that counts on Him.
QUESTION: How can we have such faith ?
ANSWER: (a) By the Word of God. (Rom. 10:17; com
pare Rom. 4:20, 21, R.V.) (b) By the Holy Spirit's teaching.
Rom. 8:26, 27, R.V. — <l And in like manner the Spirit also help-
eth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but
the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered ; and he that searcheth the hearts know.
eth what is in the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh inter
cession for the saints according to the will of God."
(12) Eph. 6: 18, R.V. — "With all prayer and supplication praying
at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance
and supplication for all the saints, and on my behalf."
Jude 20, R.V. — " But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your
most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: We should pray in the Holy
Spirit.
All approach to God should be in the Holy Spirit's power.
The true believer has no confidence in the flesh. (Phil. 3: 3, R.V.)
The flesh may prompt me to pray for many things. That is no
reason for asking them. I should no more follow the promptings
of the flesh in praying than in sinning. I should submit every
desire to the Holy Spirit, and seek His guidance in prayer. Very
much prayer of many excellent people is in the flesh, and is, of
course, not answered. Many a minister's longing for a revival,
many a wife's longing for the conversion of her husband, is thor-
452 What the Bible Teaches
oughly carnal. We should pray in the Holy Spirit, under His
prompting and guidance. As the disciples said to Jesus during
His earthly life, " teach us to pray," so we should look constantly
to the "other Paraclete" (Jno. 14:16; 16:7) to teach us to
pray, and He will. This thought disposes of all the objections
against prayer from the standpoint of its " subjecting the infinite
wisdom of God to the foolish whims of finite creatures." Those
who thus talk are ignorant of the Bible doctrine of prayer. It
disposes also of most of the other objections that the spiritually
superficial and ignorant urge against prevailing prayer.
VIII. Hindrances to Prayer; or, Why Many Prayers Are not Answered,
(1) Jas. 4:3, R.V.— "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask
amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures.'
FIRST PROPOSITION; Prayer is often unanswered because it
is offered from a selfish purpose.
The chief purpose in prayer should be that God may be glori
fied in the answer. If we ask merely that we may receive for
use in our pleasures, or for our own gratification in one way or
another, we "ask amiss," and need not expect to receive what
we ask. This explains why many prayers remain unanswered.
(2) Is. 59: i, 2 — " Behold the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it
cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your
iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins
have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Prayer is unanswered because sin
separates between the one who prays and the God to whom he
prays. (Compare Deut. 1: 43-45.)
If we ask God for anything and do not get it, we should not
conclude necessarily that it is not God's will to give the thing we
have asked. We should rather ask if there is any sin in our
outward or inward lives that is separating us from God and clos
ing His ear to our cry. So long as we hold on to sin or have any
controversy with God, we cannot expect Him to heed our
prayers.
(3) Ezek. 14: 3, R.V. — " Saying, Son of man, these men have taken
their idols into their heart, and put the stumbling block of their in
iquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them ?"
Prayer 453
THIRD PROPOSITION': Prayer is unanswered when the one
who prays takes idols into his heart.
Many professedly Christian men and women have idols in
their hearts as truly as the ancient Israelites. They do not rec
ognize these things as idols, but they are. Anything upon which
we have set our heart, and would not give up for Christ's sake,
is an idol and hinders prayer. God often calls our attention to
the fact that we have an idol by not answering our prayer, and
thus leading us to ask why our prayer is not answered. Thus we
discover the idol, put it away and God hears our prayer.
(4) Mark u: 25, 26 — " And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye
have aught against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may
forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive neither will
your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Prayer is unanswered because we do
not forgive those against whom we have something.
This is one of the commonest hindrances to prayer. Far
more common than we think. Prayer is answered on the basis
that our sins are forgiven, but God cannot deal with us on the
basis of forgiveness while we are harboring ill-will against those
who have wronged us. Anyone who is harboring a grudge
against another has fast closed the ear of God against his own
cry.
(5) Jas. i: 5-7, R.V. — " But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him
ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraidcth not; and it shall
be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that
doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Prayers are unanswered because of our
unbelief — i. e. , because we question whether we shall receive that
which God has promised.
God demands that we shall believe His "Word absolutely To
question it is to make Him a liar. Many do this when they plead
his promises, and it is no wonder that their prayers are not
answered.
(6) i Pet. 3: 6, 7 — " Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him
Lord; whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not
afraid with any amazement, likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them ac-
454 What the Bible Teaches
cording to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weakel
vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your pray
ers be not hindered.
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The prayers of husbands are hindered,
because they do not render to their wives that considerate regard
which is their due.
It is doubtless also true that the prayers of wives are hin
dered because of their failure in duty toward their husbands. If
husbands and wives should seek diligently for the cause of their
unanswered prayers, they would often find it in their relations
to one another and actions toward one another as husband and
wife.
IX. The Results of Prayer.
(1) Jas. 5:16, R.V.— "Confess therefore your sins one to an
other, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The suppli
cation of a righteous man availeth much in its working."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Prayer availeth much in its working,
How much?
Vv. 17: 18 — "Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and he
prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the
earth for three years and six .months. And he prayed again; and
the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit."
i Kg. 18: 37, 38 — "Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people
may know that thou, LORD, art God, and that thou hast turned their
heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the
burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked
up the water that was in the trench." (See also passages under Sec
tion VI.)
The great secret of the poverty and powerlessness of the
average believer and average church is found in Jas. 4: 2 — uYe
have not because ye ask not."
(2) Jno. 14: 13, 14 — " And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name,
that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye ask
anything in my name, I will do it."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Prayer secures the very thing asked.
(3) i Jno. 3: 22 — "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, be
cause we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleas
ing in his sight.
Prayer 455
THIRD PROPOSITION: Whatsoever we ask from God we re.
ceive when we keep His commandments and do the things that
are pleasing in his sight.
(4) i Jno. 5: 14, 15 — "And this is the confidence that we have in
him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we
have the petitions that we desired of him."
FO UR TH PR 0 POSITION; If we ask anything according to His
will He hears us, and when our prayer is heard the thing asked
is ours.
CHAPTER XV,
THANKSGIVING,
The importance of this subject will be manifest to anyone
who will note the space occupied in the Bible by thanksgiving and
praise.
I. The Duty.
(1) Ps. 92: i, 2, 4 — "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the
LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: To shew
forth thy loving kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every
night, . . . For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy
work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands."
FIRST PROPOSITION: It is a good thing to give thanks unto
the Lord.
The Lord's dealings with us make thanksgiving and praise
on our part the only fitting thing. In the 107th Psalm the Psalm
ist burst out four times into the cry: " Oh that men would
praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to
the children of men." As we reflect to-day upon the wondrous
goodness of God to men on the one hand, and, on the other hand,
upon the little thought and strength and time not only men, but
even the average Christian, gives to thanksgiving, we may well
utter the same cry.
(2) Ps, 100:4 — " Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into
his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name."
Eph. 5: 4 — "Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting,
which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks."
Col. 3: 15, 17 — "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the
which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."
i Thess. 5: 18 — " In everything give thanks: for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
SE COND PR OPOSITION: We are commanded again and again
to give thanks.
Thanksgiving 457
The failure to return thanks unto God " who daily loadeth us
with benefits " is just as distinct and definite disobedience to
God's commands as to steal or to murder.
(3) Ps. 69: 30, 31 — " I will praise the name of God with a song, and
will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the LORD
better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The rendering of thanks unto God
is more acceptable to Him than costly sacrifices.
We cannot all bring expensive offerings to God, but we can
all bring the more pleasing offering of true and hearty thanks
giving.
(4) Luke 24: 52, 53 — "And they worshipped him, and returned to
Jerusalem with great joy: and were continually in the temple, praising
and blessing God. Amen."
Acts 2: 46, 47 — " And they, continuing daily with one accord in the
temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat
with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor
with all the people. And the LORD added to the church daily such as
should be saved."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The early Christians gave them-
selves continually to praise and thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving and praise were among the most noticeable and
notable characteristics of their lives. The same thing is true of the
holy men and women of the Old Testament. I can not think of a good
person, mentioned at all prominently in the Bible, of whom it is not
definitely recorded that he thanked God for some act of his good
ness. The Bible is very largely taken up with praise and thanks
giving. ( Look up the words u thank, " "praise" and "bless"
and synonymous words. Note the Epistles of Paul.)
(5) Jno. u : 41 — "Then they took away the stone from the place
where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
Father I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me."
Matt, n: 25 — " At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee,
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things
from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."
FIFTH PR OPOS1 TION: The Lord Jesus Christ returned thanks.
These are only specimen passages, but again and again do
we get glimpses into the life of Christ that show us that it was a
458 What the Bible Teaches
life of abounding thankfulness to God. Christ's manner of return
ing thanks at the simplest meal was so noticeable that two of His
disciples recognized Him by this after His resurrection. (Luke
24: 30, 31, 35.)
(6) Col. i: 9, 12 — " For this cause we also, since the day we heard
it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled
with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understand
ing. . . . Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet
to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Giving thanks unto the Father is one
of the inevitable results of being ' ''filled with the knowledge of
His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. ' '
(7) Eph. 5: 18-20 — "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is ex
cess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your
heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and
the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
BE VENT II PROPOSITION: Giving thanks is one of the in
evitable results of being filled with the Spirit.
(8) 2 Cor. 9: 12 — " For the administration of this service not only
supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanks
givings unto God."
2 Cor. 4: 15, R.V. — "For all things are for your sakes, that the
grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving
to abound unto the glory of God."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: The rendering of thanks brings glory
to God.
(9) Jno. ii : 41, 42 — "Then they took away the stone from the place
where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou
hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it,
that they may believe that thou hast sent me."
NINTH PROPOSITION: The rendering of thanks leads other
men to believe.
(10) Luke 17: 15-18 — " And one of them, when he saw that he was
healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God. And fell
down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samari
tan. And. I esus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? But
Thanksgiving 459
where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory
to God save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way:
thy faith hath made thee whole."
TENTH PROPOSITION: The failure to return thanks for
definite blessings received is a manifestation of ingratitude that
surprises and grieves Jesus Christ.
(n) Rom. i: 18, 21, R.V. (Note also following vv. 24, 26) — "For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who hold down the truth in unrighteousness.
. . . Because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God,
neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their
senseless heart was darkened."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: The failure to return thanks is
one of the principal reasons for the revelation of the wrath of
God from heaven, and for giving men up to a reprobate mind.
(12) Phil. 4: 6 — "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known to God."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: Thanksgiving is a necessary ac
companiment of prevailing prayer.
II. To Whom to Gire Thanks.
(1) Ps. 75: i — "Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, untotheedo
we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wonderous works
declare."
i Cor. 15: 57—" But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Thanks should be given to God.
(2) Col. i: 12 — " Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made
us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light."
Eph. 5: 20, R.V. — " Giving thanks always for all things in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Thanks should be given to God,
even the Father.
(3) Eph. i: 3 — " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ"
460 What the Bible Teaches
THIRD PROPOSITION: Thanks should be given to the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(4) i Tim. i: 12, R.V. — " I thank him that enabled me, even Christ
Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faithful, appointing me to his
service."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Thanks should be rendered to Christ
Jesus our Lord.
In the overwhelming majority of instances, however, in the
New Testament, to say nothing of the Old, the offering of thanks
is to God the Father. It is through Jesus Christ. The reason
for this seems to be that God the Father is the original source of
all our blessings. Even Jesus is His gift. (Jno. 3: 16; Rom. 5,
8. ) While all the Father's love is manifested to us in Christ, still it
is the Father's love. We need to recognize the Father back of
Christ as the source of all. The conception of God as only
brought to love us because of what Christ did, is utterly foreign
to the thought and life of the New Testament. It is true that
God, being holy, can deal with sinners in mercy only on the ground
of the propitiatory work of Christ, but it is God Himself who fur
nishes the propitiation: 1 Jno. 4: 10 — '''Herein is love, not that
we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the
propitiation for our sins." The Son came, as He so often said,
to do the Father's will.
III. Who Can Render Acceptable Thanks.
(1) Ps. 107: i, 2 — " O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for
his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The redeemed of the Lord can render
acceptable thanks.
(2) i Tim. 4: 3 — "Forbidding to marry, and commanding to
abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with
thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Those who believe and know the
truth can render acceptable thanks
The body of believers ua spiritual house, an holy priest
hood" exists for this purpose, " to offer up spiritual sacrifices
Thanksgiving 461
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Pet. 2: 5, RV.
Compare Heb. 13: 15, RV.)
(3) Prov. 15: 8 — " The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to
the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight."
(Compare Heb. 13: 15—" By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice
of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks
to his name.")
THIRD PROPOSITION: The wicked cannot render to God
acceptable thanksgiving. Their sacrifice is an abomination to the
Lord.
IV. For What to Render Thanks.
(1) Luke 2: 27, 28 — "And he came by the Spirit into the temple:
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after
the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed
God, and said."
Luke 2:36-38 — "And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the
daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and
had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and she was
a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from
the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord,
and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem."
FIRS T PR 0 POSITION: We should render thanks for Jesus Christ.
As all our blessings center in Him and come through Him,
our thanks to God will be for Him.
(2) Ps. 103: 1,3 — "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is
within me, bless his holy name. . . . Who forgiveth all thine
iniquities."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for for
giveness of iniquities.
(3) Rom. 7: 24, 25 — " O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver
me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ
our Lord." (See context.)
THIRD PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for deliver,
ance from the power of the law of sin and death.
(4) Ps. 103: 3 — "Who healeth all thy diseases."
FO UR TH PR OPOSITION; We should render thanks for the heal-
ing of our diseases. (Compare the lepers Luke 17: 15-18.)
462 What the Bible Teaches
(5) i Cor. 15:57 (see context)—' 'But thanks be to God, which
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ over sin and death and the grave.
(6) i Pet. i: 3, R.V.— " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for a new
birth unto a living hope by the resurrection of Christ.
(7) Col. i: 12 — "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made
us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light."
SE VENTH PR OPOSITION: We should render thanks for being
made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
(8) 2 Cor. 1:3, 4 — " Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who
comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort
them which are in trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are
comforted of God."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for com-
fort in all our tribulations,
(9) Jno. 11:41— "Then they took away the stone from the place
where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said,
Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.'
NINTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for an
swered prayer.
Every answered prayer should be met by definite thanks
giving to God. We never forget to thank anyone but God for
granted requests.
(10) Dan. 2: 23 — "I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of
my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made
known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made
known unto us the king's matter."
TENTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for wisdom
and might.
(u) i Tim. i: 12 — "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath
enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the min
istry."
Thanksgiving 463
ELE VENTH PR OPOSITION: We should render thanks for en
abling or empowering for service.
(12) i Tim. 4:3 — "Forbidding to marry, and commanding to ab
stain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanks
giving of them which believe and know the truth."
TWELFTH PR OPOSITION: We should render thanks for food.
It is remarkable how frequent are the references in the New
Testament to thanksgiving for food. Over and over again atten
tion is called, in the brief record of the life of Christ, to His re
turning thanks for food — even when it consisted of five cheap
barley loaves and two small fishes for a great company. (Jno.
6:23.)
(13) i Cor. 14: 18 — " I thank my God, I speak with tongues more
than ye all."
THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for
spiritual gifts.
(14) Acts 28: 15 — "And from thence, when the brethren heard of
us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum, and the three Tav
erns; whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage."
FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for
Christian companions and fellowship.
(15) Rom. 6: 17—" But God be thanked, that ye were the servants
of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which
was delivered you."
FIFTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for
the conversion of others.
(16) 2 Thess. 2: 13 — " But we are bound to give thanks always to
God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from
the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
Spirit and belief of the truth."
SIXTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for
the elect and their salvation.
(17) i Cor. i: 4 (see context) — "I thank my God always on your
behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ."
SEVENTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks
for the grace bestowed upon others.
464 What the Bible Teaches
(18) Rom. i: 8—" First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for
you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world."
Eph. i: 15, 16 — "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in
the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks
for you, making mention of you in my prayers."
Col. i: 3, 4 — " We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in
Christ Jesus and the love which ye have to all the saints."
1 Thess. i: 2, 3 — " We give thanks to God for you all, making men
tion of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of
faith and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ
in the sight of God and our Father."
2 Thess. i: 3, R.V. — " We are bound to give thanks to God always
for you, brethren, even as it is meet, for that your faith groweth ex
ceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another
aboundeth."
Philemon 4: 5 — " I thank my God, making mention of thee always
in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward
the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints."
EIGHTEENTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for
the faith and love (and patience of hope} of others.
This seems to have been one of the most frequent occasions
of thanksgiving with Paul. Whenever he heard of the faith and
love of an individual or church, his heart seems to have gone out
at once in thanksgiving to God
(19) i Thess. 3: 8, 9 — " For now we live, if ye stand fast in the
Lord. For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all
the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God."
NINETEENTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for
the steadfastness of the love of others.
(20) i Thess. 2: 13 — "For this cause also thank we God without
ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of
us, ye received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word
of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."
TWENTIETH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks for
the reception on the part of believers of God's Word as the word
of God.
(21) i Tim. 2: i — "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplica
tions, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all
men."
Thanksgiving 465
TWENTY-FIRST PROPOSITION: We should render thanks
for all 'men.
(22) Phil. 4:6 — "Be careful for nothing: but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known unto God."
i Thess. 5: 18 — "/;/ everything give thanks: for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
Eph. 5: 20 — " Giving thanks always_/0r all things unto God and the
Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
TWENTY-SE COND PR 0 POSIT ION: We should render thanks
in everything and for all things.
How can we ?
Rom. 8: 28 — "And we know that all things work together for good
to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose. "
There is no greater, nor more simple secret of a life of unin
terrupted and ever-increasing joyfulness, than rendering thanks
for all things. Our disappointments become ' ' His appointments, "
our sorrows become joys, and our tears become rainbows.
V. When to Give Thanks.
(1) Ps. 92: i, 2 — " It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD,
and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: to show forth thy
loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night."
FIRST PROPOSITION: We should give thanks in the morning
and every night.
Each day should be begun and closed with thanksgiving to
God. The thought of God's goodness to us should rule our lives.
With this thought we should arise every morning to work and lie
dfown every night to sleep.
(2) Ps. 1 19: 62 — "At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee
because of thy righteous judgments."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We should give thanks at midnight.
The judgments here spoken of are the judgments of God's
word. (Compare vv. 7, 13, 30, 39, 43, 53, 75, 102, 106, 108, 120,
137, 149, 156, 160, 164, 175, eighteen times, and all in this
Psalm.) We should be so taken up with the excellence of God's
Word that we awake in the night to thank Him for it.
What the Bible Teaches
(3) i Tim. 4: 4, 5—" For every creature of God is good, and noth«
ing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sancti«
fied by the word of God and prayer."
Rom. 14: 6 — "He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth
God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and
giveth God thanks." (Compare Acts 27: 35.)
THIRD PROPOSITION: We should give thanks every time we
eat.
(4) Phil. 4: 6 — "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known unto God."
Col. 4: 2 — "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with
thanksgiving."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: We should give thanks every time
we pray.
Thanksgiving for prayers answered and blessings granted
in the past, can alone prepare for new answers and new blessings.
Furthermore, definite thanks for blessings already received will
strengthen our faith to appropriate larger blessings.
(5) Col. 3: 17 — "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by
him."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: We should give thanks in all our do
ing in word or in deed.
As all the doing of a Christian is in Christ's name and in
Christ's strength, it should all be done with thanksgiving to Him
who gives us the name and strength in which to do it. This ap
plies to all our activities, and not to those alone which we ordi
narily call Christian work. All work of one abiding in Christ is
Christian work, the work of the man digging a ditch or of the
woman at the washtub, and it should all be done in Christ's name
and with thanksgiving to God. There is no drudgery in a life
thus lived. The whole of life becomes a song, a psalm of praise.
(6) i Thess. 5: 18 — "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
SIXTH PR OPOSITION: We should return thanks in everything.
(7) Eph. 5: 20— "Giving thanks always for all things unto God
and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Thanksgiving 467
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: We should give thanks always.
As we are to pray without ceasing, so are we to return
thanks always. There cannot, of course, always be the word of
thanks on our lips, but there can always be the heart going up
toward God in gratitude and praise. Thanksgiving and prayer
should be the atmosphere in which we live, the air we breathe,
and just as a man keeps right on breathing while doing a thousand
other things without ever stopping to think how he does it, so we
can keep on praising and thanking, and praying while doing a
thousand other things without ever stopping to think how we do
it. For example, a man can be preaching in the power of the
Holy Spirit, and throwing all the energy of his soul and body into
his preaching, and all the time be thanking God for the power in
which he is preaching. This does not hinder but increases the
inflow of the power. There must, of course, be times in which we
give ourselves up exclusively to prayer and thanksgiving, by
which this perpetual atmosphere of prayer and thanksgiving are
maintained. There should be ejaculatory thanks as well as ejac-
ulatory prayer. But we should bless God at all times : His praise
should be continually in our mouths. (Ps. 32: 1.)
(8) Ps. 89: i — "I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever:
with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION; We should give thanks forever.
Thanksiving and praise will be a large part of the occupa
tion of Heaven. Rev. 5: 8-14:
"And when he -had taken the book, the four beasts and four and
twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them
harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
And they sung a new song saying, Thou art worthy to take the book,
and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed
us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people,
and nation: And hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we
shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many
angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the eiders: and the
number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands
of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was
slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven,
and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and
all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory,
468 What the Bible Teaches
and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the
Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the
four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for
ever and ever."
Rev. 7: 11-17 — "And all the angels stood round about the throne,
and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on
their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory,
and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be
unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders
answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white
robes ? and whence came they ? And I said unto him, Sir, thou
knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great
tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and
serve him day and night in 'his temple: and he that sitteth on the
throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither
thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and
shall lead them unto living fountains of water: and God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes."
Heavenly life will be a perpetual jubilee. We can have an
unceasing year of jubilee down here in which to prepare for the
year of jubilee that never ends.
VI. How to Return Thanks.
(i) Eph. 5: 20 — "Giving thanks always for all things unto God
and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ "
Rom. i: 8 — "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for vou
all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world."
Col. 3: 17; R.V. — " And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do
all in the name of the Lord Jc-sus, giving thanks to God the Father
through him.
FIRST PROPOSITION: We should render our thanks to God
in the name of Christ, or through Christ.
Christ is man's only way of approach to God. (Jno. 14: 6.)
As there was no way of approach to God in the Old Testament
except on the ground of the shed blood, so there is no way of
approach to the real holy of holies except by the way of the rent
vail of Christ's flesh and his outpoured blood. (Heb. 10: 19, 20.)
Christ has access to God, and we only in His name and through
Him. God receives no offering of thanks from men except that
offered in Christ's name. The man who has been the vilest sinner
can offer up thanks to God in Jesus' name that are the sweetest
Thanksgiving 469
incense to Him ; the man whose life has been most exemplary can
offer no acceptable thanks except in the same name and way.
This shows the utter impossibility of a union thanksgiving
service between an intelligent believer in Christ and a Jew or a
Unitarian. There is no common way of approach to God.
(2) Eph. 5: 18-20 — "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is
excess; but be filled with the Sp irit; speaking to yourselves in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your
heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and
the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We should render our thanks to
God in the Spirit1 s power.
The Holy Spirit alone can lead to acceptable thanks. It is
the thanks that God the Spirit inspires, that are offered through
God the Son; that God the Father accepts. No strange fire must
be brought before God. We should cast ourselves upon the Holy
Spirit to teach us to return thanks aright.
(3) i Kg. 8: 15, 20, 22-24— "And he said, Blessed be the LORD God
of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath
with his hand fulfilled it, saying. . . . And the LORD hath per
formed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David
my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and
have built an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. . . .
And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all
the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:
And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven
above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy
servants that walk before thee with all their heart: who has kept with
thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest
also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this
day."
Jno. n: 41 — " Then they took away the stone from the place where
the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I
thank thee that thou hast hoard me."
THIRD PROPOSITION: We should give thanks definitely.
Definite acknowledgment of definite blessings received.
(The above are only illustrative instances. Such instances abound
in the Bible.)
(4) Col. 2: 6, 7 — "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished
470 What the Bible Teaches
in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanks
giving."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks abound-
ingly. No mean, niggardly, grudging rendering of thanks.
(5) i Thess. 2: 13 — "For this cause also thank we God without
ceasing, because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of
us, yo received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the
word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: We should render thanks without ceas-
ing.
CHAPTER XVI,
WORSHIP,
L What Is Worship!
Ex. 4: 31 — "And the people believed: and when they heard that th«
LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon
their afflictions, then they bowed their heads and worshipped."
Ex. 24: i— "And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up unto the
LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders
of Israel; and worship ye afar off."
Ex. 33: 10 — "And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the
tabernacle door; and all the people rose up and worshipped, every
man in his tent door."
Ex. 34:5-8 — "And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood
with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the
LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD
God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness
and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and trans
gression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's
children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. And Moses
made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped."
Josh. 5: 13, 14 — " And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho,
that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man
over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went
unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now
come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth , and did worship, and
said unto him, What saithmy LORD unto his servant ? "
2 Chron. 7: 3 — "And when all the children of Israel saw how the
fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed
themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and "wor
shipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy
endureth for ever."
2 Chron. 20: 18 — "And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face
to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell be
fore the LORD, worshipping the LORD."
2 Chron. 29: 29 — "And when they had made an end of offering, the
king and all that were present with him bowed themselves and wor*
shipped."
472 What the Bible Teaches
Neh. 8:6— "And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all
the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and
they bowed their heads and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the
ground."
PROPOSITION: Worship is the soul bowing itself in adoring
contemplation before the object worshiped. To loorship God is
to bow before God in adoring contemplation of Himself.
The word worship is commonly used in a very loose and un-
scriptural manner — e. g., we speak of the whole service of Lord's
Day morning and evening as "public worship," but there is 3
great deal in it that is not worship. Reading the Bible and
meditating upon it is not worship. It may lead to worship but
it is not worship. Listening to a sermon is not worship. Pray
ing is not worship. It may be, and should be, accompanied by
worship; but it is not worship. Singing is not necessarily nor
generally worship. There are hymns which, if sung intelligently
and in the proper spirit, would be worship, but they are compara
tively few in the hymnology of the day. Worship is a definite act
of a character very clearly defined in the Bible. It is, as said,
the soul bowing before God in adoring contemplation of Himself.
The root of the Hebrew word translated " worship " in the Old
Testament means "to bow down." It has been well said "in
prayer we are occupied with our needs, in thanksgiving we are
occupied with our blessings, in worship we are occupied with
Himself."
II. Whom to Worship.
(i) Matt. 4: 10 — "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence,
Satan: for it is written, Thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and him
only shalt thou serve."
FIRST PROPOSITION: We should worship the Lord our God
and Him alone.
We may admire men, we must worship God alone. No holy
man, saint, nor angel should be worshiped.
Acts 10: 25, 26, R.V. — " And when it came to pass that Peter en
tered, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped
him. But Peter raised bin? up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a
man."
Worship 473
Rev. 22: 8, 9, R.V. — " And I John am he that heard and saw these
things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the
feet of the angel which shewed me these things. And he saith unto
me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow servant with thee and with thy
brethren the prophets, and with them which keep the words of this
book: worship God."
(2) Jno. 4: 23 — " But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the
Father sceketh such to worship him."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We should worship the Father.
(3) Heb. i: 6 — " And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten
into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him."
Phil. 2: 10, ii — "That at (R.V. and Greek, "in") 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 con
fess that Jc:-u£- Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Rev. -3:8-13 — " And when he had taken the book, the four beasts
and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every
one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the
prayers of saints. And they sung anew song, saying, Thou art worthy
to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and
hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue,
and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and
priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard
the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and
the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thou
sand and thousands of thousands; saying with aloud voice, Worthy is
the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom,
and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every crea
ture which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and
such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Bless
ing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."
THIRD PROPOSITION: We should worship Jesus Christ.
QUESTION: How reconcile this with proposition 1 ?
ANSWER: Jno. 20: 28 — "And Thomas answered and said
unto Him, My Lord and my God." Jesus Christ is the Lord our
God.
in. The Duty of Worship.
(i) Matt. 4: 10 — "Then saith Jesus unlo him, Get thee hence,
Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and
him only shalt tJaou serve."
474 What the Bible Teaches
Heb. i: 6 — "And again when he bringeth in the firstbegotten
into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him."
FIRST PROPOSITION; Worship of God and of Christ is
commanded.
We owe worship to God. It is His due. We owe love to
man, obedience to parents, worship to God. It is our first duty
toward Him. He is the All holy, All wise, Almighty, The Infinite,
All Perfect One, and our rightful attitude toward Him is that of
bowing before Him, or prostrating ourselves before Him, in adoring
contemplation of His infinite loveliness and glory, of His attributes,
of Himself. If we do not worship God we are robbing Him of
what is His due. It is not enough that we obey Him, that we
pray to Him. that we return thanks to Him, that we seek to
serve Him and do His will. We must worship. Have you ever
worshiped God ? How much time do you spend daily in wor
shiping Him — in pure and simple worship, in bowing before
Him in silent and adoring contemplation of Himself?
(2) Jno. 4: 23, R.V. — " But the hourcometh, and now is, when the
true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such
doth the Father seek to be his worshippers."
SECOND PROPOSITION: God is seeking true worshipers.
The one thing above all else that God desires of men is wor
ship. God desires obedience of men, He desires service1, He de
sires prayer, He desires praise and thanksgiving, but His supreme
desire from men is worship. He is seeking u worshipers."
It has been said that "we are saved that we may serve."
This is true, but still more profoundly true is it that we are saved
that we may worship. The whole work of redemption finds its
culmination and completion in a body of men and women being
found and fitted to worship God.
Rev. 7: 9-15 — "After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which
no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and
tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with
white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice,
saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and unto
the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and
about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their
faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and
wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, b« unto
Worship 475
God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, say
ing unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes ? and
whence come they ? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he
said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and
have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him
day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on -the throne shall
dwell among them."
(The word translated " serve" here, is the same word trans
lated " worship " in Phil. 3:3.)
IV. Where to Worship.
Jno. 4: 19-23 — "The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive
that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain;
and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye
shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the
Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship; for
salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the
true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the
Father seeketh such to worship him."
PROPOSITION: The place is not important.
V. How to Worship.
(1) Heb. 9: 7, 14 — " But into the second went the high priest alone
once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for
the errors of the people: . . . How much more shall the blood of
Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to
God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living
God ? "
Heb. 10: 19 — "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into
the holiest by the blood of Jesus."
FIRST PROPOSITION: We should worship on the ground of
«he shed blood of Jesus.
There is no approach to God except on the ground of shed
blood.
(2) Phil. 3: 3, R.V. — "For we are the circumcision, who worship
by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence
in the flesh." (Compare Jno. 4: 24— " God is a Spirit: and they that
worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.")
SECOND PROPOSITION: We should worship by the Spirit of
God.
476 What the Bible Teaches
The only true worship, worship which is acceptable to God,
is the worship which the Spirit inspires. Not all worship of God
is "in the Spirit." Very much is of man himself, in the power
of his own will. It is of the flesh. The flesh seeks to intrude
into every sphere of life, even the highest and most sacred. The
flesh has its worship. Men seek to do the things that please
God, and win credit for themselves, of their own motion and in
their own strength. But this worship is not acceptable. Men
may be very earnest in this worship, very sincere in it, but it is
not acceptable. It is not what God is seeking. God is seeking
worshipers who worship in the Spirit, and who have ''no confi
dence in the flesh." To worship aright we must recognize the
utter inability of the flesh — i. e., ourselves untaught, unprompted
and ungoverned by God's Spirit — to worship acceptably. We
must realize the danger there is that the flesh intrude itself
into our worship. In utter self-abnegation we must cast our.
selves upon the Holy Spirit to lead us in our worship. The first
thing we should do when we would worship, is, with a realization
of our own utter helplessness, to look up to the Holy Spirit to
teach us and enable us to worship aright. He must present God
to our mind for our contemplation. He must subdue and awe our
hearts before Him in true adoration. The only living that is ac
ceptable to God is living in the Spirit, the only walk that is ac
ceptable to God is walk in the Spirit, the only service that is
acceptable to God is service in the Spirit, the only prayer that is
acceptable to God is prayer in the Spirit, the only thanks that are
acceptable to God, are thanks in the Spirit, and the only worship
that is acceptable to God is worship in the Spirit. Would we
worship aright our hearts must look up and cry, " Teach me, Holy
Spirit, to worship"; and He will do it.
(3) Jno. 4.- 24 — "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must
worship him in spirit and in truth."
THIRD PROPOSITION: We should worship "in truth."
QUESTION: What does it mean to "worship in truth"?
ANSWER: 1 Jno. 3: 18 — " My little children, let us not love
in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." Phil.
1:18 — "What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in
pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice,
Worship 477
yea, and will rejoice." Not in mere form or profession or pre
tense, but in reality. There is much worship that is not real. The
head bows, the body is prostrated, but the soul does not bow in true
adoration before God. The Spirit alone leads to worship in
truth.
TL The Results of True Worship.
(1) Jno. 4: 23 — " But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the
Father seeketh such to worship him."
FIRST PROPOSITION': When there is true worship the Father
is satisfied. He has found what he seeks.
(2) Ps. 27: 4 — " One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I
seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of
my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The worshiper is satisfied. His
highest joy is found.
There is no higher, no deeper, no purer joy than that which
springs from the adoring contemplation of God. I have walked
miles, and climbed through underbrush and briers and over crags
and precipice, just to get some beautiful view, and as I have
looked out upon it, and feasted upon the never-to-be-forgotten
vision of mountain and valley, forest and river, village and ham
let, cloud and sunshine, I have felt well repaid for the trial and
suffering and weariness. I have sat by the hour before a great
painting in joyous beholding of its beauty. Earth has few purer
joys than these, but they are nothing to the profound and holy
joy that fills the soul as we bow before God in worship, asking
nothing, seeking nothing from Him, occupied with and satisfied
with Himself. Was the Psalmist thinking only of the future, or
of what he had enjoyed in the present, when he wrote: " In thy
presence is fulness of joy"? (Ps. 16: 11.) One of the highest
privileges of heaven will be that we shall see His face.
(3) 2 Cor. 3: 18, and R.V. — " But we all, with open face beholding
as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image
from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
R.V. — " But we all, with unveiled face reflecting as a mirror the
glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit."
478 What the Bible Teaches
THIRD PROPOSITION: The worshiper is transformed into
God's likeness from glory to glory.
Beholding God and worshiping God we become like God.
(Moses, Ex. 34:29.) Our complete transformation into His like
ness will come through the complete and undimmed vision of
Himself.
i Jno. 3: 2 — " 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 ap
pear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
(4) Is. 6: 5 — "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because
I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of un
clean lips: for mine eyes have seen the king, the LORD of hosts."
Job 42: 5, 6 — " I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but
now mine eye seeth thee: wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in
dust and ashes."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Worship empties us of pride, and
reveals our weakness and vileness.
Is. 40: 31 — "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." It is
true that power comes in answer to definite prayer, but not only in
answer to prayer. Power belongeth unto God, and the coming
into contact and remaining in contact with God in worship fills
our souls with power. Spiritual power has many points of simi
larity to electric force, and just as a receptive body can be
charged with electricity by being insulated and brought into con
tact with some source of electric energy, so we can be charged
with the energy of God by the insulation from the world and con
tact with Himself that is found in worship. As we worship God
His power flows into us. Nights spent in contact with God, on
our faces before Him in worship, are followed by days of power
in contact with men. One great secret of the lack of power in
service to-day is the absence of worship in our relations to God
Himself.
CHAPTER XVII,
THE BELIEVER'S ASSURANCE OF SALVATION AND
ETERNAL LIFE
I. The Believer's Privilege of Having Assurance, or Knowing that He
Has Eternal Life.
(1) 1)110.5: 13, R.V. — "These things have I written unto you,
that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe
on the name of the Son of God."
FIRST PROPOSITION': John wrote his first Epistle to those
who believe on the name of the Son of God, for the express pur
pose that they may know that they have eternal life. Anyone
who believes on the name of the Son of God may know that he
has eternal life.
To deny the possibility of the believer's knowing that he
has eternal life, is to say that the First Epistle of John was writ
ten in vain, and is to insult the Holy Spirit, who is its real
author.
(2) Acts 13: 39 — "And by him all that believe are justified from
all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The believer may know that he is
justified from all things; for the Word of God says so.
(3) Jno. i: 12, R.V. — " But as many as received him to them gave
he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on
his name."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The believer may know that he it a
child of God; for the Word of God asserts that he is.
n. How We may Know that We have Eternal Life.
(i) i Jno. 5: 13, R.V. — "These things have I written unto you, that
ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on
the name of the Son of God."
480 What the Bible Teaches
FIRST PROPOSITION: We may know that we have eternal
life through what is written — through the testimony of God Him
self in the Bible, especially in the First Epistle of John.
The testimony of Scripture is the testimony of God. This
is widely questioned to-day, even by professing Christians. It is
none the less true. Many of us know it to be true; all may know
it to be true. What do the Scriptures say about the believer's
having salvation and eternal life ?
Jno 3: 36 — " He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he
that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God
abideth on him."
5: 24 — "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word,
and believeth on him that sent me HATH everlasting life, and shall not
come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
6:47 — "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me
HATH everlasting life."
Acts 10: 43 — "To him give all the prophets witness, that through
his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."
Acts 13: 38, 39 — "Be it known unto you, therefore, men and
brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness
of sins: And by him all that believe ARE justified from all things, from
which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."
Jno. i: 12 — " 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."
Now we know whether we believe or not, whether we have
that real faith in Christ that leads us to receive Him. If we have
this faith in Christ we have God's own written testimony that we
have eternal life, that our sins are forgiven, that we are children
of God. The word "know " (a translation of two different Greek
words) is found twenty-seven times in the First Epistle of John.
NOTE. — i Jno. 5: 10-12, R.V. — " He that believeth on the Son of God
hath the witness in him: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar;
because he hath not believed in the witness that God hath borne concern
ing his Son. And the witness is this, that God gave unto us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son. Fie that hath the Son hath the life; he that
hath not the Son of God hath not the life." Anyone who believes not
God's testimony that He has given to us eternal life, and that this life is
in His Son, and that he that hath the Son hath the life, makes God a liar. It
is sometimes said, " It is presumption for anyone to say he knows he is saved,
or to say he knows he has eternal life." Is it presumption to believe God?
Is it not rather presumption not to believe God, to "make God a liar ? "
When Jesus said to the one who was a sinner "Thy sins are forgiven"
(Luke 7: 48), was it presumption for her to go out and say " I know my
The Believer's Assurance of Salvation 481
sins are all forgiven ? " Is it any more presumption for a believer to-day
to say " My sins are all forgiven, I have eternal life," when God says in
His permanent, written testimony to "every one that believeth," "you are
justified from all things" (Acts 13: 39, R.V.), "you have eternal life?"
(Jno. 3: 36; i Jno. 5: 13.) It is the blood of Christ that makes us safe, it
is the word of God that makes us sure. (Ex. 12: 13.)
(2) i Jno. 3: 14, R.V. — "We know that we have passed oat of death
into life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in
death."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We know that we have passed out of
death into life from the testimony of the life itself.
A man who is physically alive knows it from the conscious
ness of the life itself that is coursing through his veins. Men may
try to convince him that he is dead but he knows he is alive. Just
so spiritually. The life of love is the life of God, is eternal life.
(1 Jno. 4: 7, 16.) Selfishness is death. He therefore that really
loves his brethren, knows that he has passed "out of death into
life." He knows it by the testimony of the life itself.
NOTE. — It is important to notice, however, what God's tests of love
are. They are given in the immediately following verses (16-18):
"Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought
to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath the world's goods,
and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from
him, how doth the love of God abide in him ? My little children, let us
not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth." The
laying down our life for those we love is the supreme test. This may be
done by actually dying in their stead when there is call for that, as there
often is. It may also be done by putting our life at their disposal and
using it for them. There is always call for this. The every-day test of
love is, giving what you have of this world's good to meet the known need
of others. The one who knows a brother who hath need while he himself
has that which will meet this need, and does not give it; such a one can
not say he has love for the brethren, and cannot know that he has passed
out of death into life by the evidence of the life itself. How much more
practical and searching are the Bible tests of love of the brethren than
those we hear so much in modern prayer meetings— e. g. , "I love the
brethren, I love to meet with them and hear their testimony. No place is
so precious to me as the gathering together of God's people." Are you
laying down your life for the brethren ? Are you giving what you have to
meet the need of others ?
(3) Rom. 8: 16, R.V.— "The Spirit himself beareth witness with
our spirit, that we are children of God."
482 What the Bible Teaches
THIRD PROPOSITION: We know that we are the children of
God because the Spirit Himself beareth witness together with our
spirit that we are.
QUESTION: What is the testimony of the Spirit ?
ANSWER: Gal. 4: 6 — "And because ye are sons, God hath
sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba,
Father." When we have accepted Christ and come out from
under the bondage of the law into sonship, and thus become
sons, God sends the Spirit of His Son into our hearts as a per
sonal presence, and this Spirit of the Son in our hearts cries,
Abba, Father. He thus bears witness along with our spirit to
our sonship. This comes after faith, resting upon the bare word
of God. Many are looking for the testimony of the Spirit before
they will accept the testimony of God's written word. This is
the inversion of God's order. (See also Eph. 1: 13, 14.)
We have, then, a threefold ground of assurance: the testi
mony of God in the written Word, the testimony of the life itself,
the testimony of the Spirit. The testimony of the Word alone is
sufficient, and we must accept the testimony of the bare Word to
start with. Then we get also the testimony of the life and, to
crown all, the testimony of the Spirit. With this threefold
ground of assurance, is it presumption to say « ' I know I am a
child of God, I know I have eternal life? "
III. How to Obtain Assurance.
(i) i Jno. 5: 13, R.V. — " These things have I written unto you; that
ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on
the name of the Son of God"
FIRST PROPOSITION: (a) In order to have well-grounded
assurance of eternal life we must ' l believe on the name of the
Son of God."
There are doubtless many who say they know they have
eternal life who do not really believe on the name of the Son of
God. This is not true assurance. It has no sure foundation in
the word of Him who cannot lie. If we wish to get assurance of
salvation we must first get saved. The reason why many have
not assurance that they are saved is because they are not saved.
They ought not to have assurance. What they need first is sal-
The Believer's Assurance of Salvation 483
vation. Many workers in dealing with others make the great
mistake of trying to press them to the point of saying they know
they are saved before it is clear that they are saved.
(b) We obtain assurance of eternal life through what is
."written," therefore in order to obtain assurance we should
study the Word. The assurance that rests upon our states of
feeling will come and go as those states vary. But the assurance
that rests upon the unchanging Word of God will be intelligent
and steadfast. Ignorance of the Word of God is one of the great
est sources of the lack of assurance.
(2) i Jno. 5: 10-12--" He that believeth on the Son of God hath
the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a
liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this
life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and ^e that hath
not the Son of God hath not life."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We obtain assurance by believir^
God's testimony.
Merely studying the word will not bring assurance. We
must believe it as well as study it.
(3) i Jno. 3:14-19 — "We know that we have passed from death
unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his
brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a mur
derer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for
us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso
hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth
up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God
in him ? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue:
but in deed and in truth. And hereby ive know that we are of the truth ,
and shall assure our hearts before him."
THIRD PROPOSITION: In order to have assurance roe should
live out a life of love; love not merely in word and in tongue, but
in deed and in truth. (Compare Jno. 8: 12.)
(4) Rom. 8: 14-16, R.V. — " For as many as are led by the Spirit of
God, these are the sons of God. For ye received not the spirit of bond
age again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we
cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are children of God; "
484 What the Bible Teaches
FOURTH PROPOSITION: In order to obtain the witness oj
the Spirit together with that of our spirit we should give our
selves up to be led by the Spirit.
Verse 16 in Romans viii is clearly dependent upon verse 14,
and it is only those who know verse 14 as a persona] experience
who can expect to know verse 16 as a personal experience. It is
also clearly implied by the connection with verse 17, that it is in
Buffering together with Christ that we especially enjoy the assur
ance of sonship by the Spirit's testimony and the assurance that
we shall be glorified together with Him.
CHAPTER XVIII,
THE FUTURE DESTINY OF BELIEVERS,
I. i Jno. 2: 17 — " And the world passeth away and the lust thereof?
but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."
FIRST PROPOSITION: He that doeth the will of God abideth
forever. The world and all it contains passeth, he continues.
II. Jno. ii : 25, 26— "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection,
and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he
live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Be-
lievest thou this ? "
Jno. 8: 51, R.V.— " Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man keep my
word, he shall never see death."
SECOND PROPOSITION: He that believeth on Jesus Christ
shall never die. He that keepeth the word of Jesus Christ shall
never see death.
Believers in Christ fall asleep, they never die. (Compare
Acts 7: 60.)
III. i Thess. 4: 13, 14,15 — ** But J would not have you to be igno
rant brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not,
even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring
with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not pre
vent them which are asleep."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Until the coming of Christ believers in
Christ who have departed from this life sleep.
QUESTION: What is meant by sleep? Does it refer to a
state of unconsciousness? Is this state called sleep to distinguish
it from being awake, or is it called sleep to distinguish it from
death?
The full answer to this question will be found under the next
proposition. But note this, that sleep is not necessarily a state
of unconsciousness, but oftentimes of highest consciousness and
486 What the Bible Teaches
mental activity. Sleep is, however, usually a condition in which
one is largely shut out of intercourse with the outside world and
shut up to himself and God and His angels, or the Devil and his
angels.
IV. Phil, i : 23, 24, R. V — ' ' For I am in a strait betwixt the two, hav
ing the desire to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better: yet
to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake."
2 Cor. 5: 6, 8, R.V. — " Being therefore always of good courage, and
knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from
the Lord. . . . We are of good courage, I say, and are willing
rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: When the believer gets out of the
flesh (the body) he departs to be with Christ; when he is ab
sent from the body he is at home with the Lord. (Compare 2
Cor. 12: 2-4.)
QUESTION: What is the precise and definite character of our
existence when " absent from the body" and "at home with the
Lord," up to the time of the coming of the Lord and our being
"clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven?" (2
Cor. 5: 8, 2, 4, R.V.)
ANSWER: The Bible seems to give but little explicit arid
detailed information on this point. It does say, however, that
this state " is very far better " than our present state. (Phil.
1:23.) This leaves no room for purgatorial tortures, nor for a
state of unconsciousness. It is evidently a state of conscious bliss.
It evidently is not the highest state to which the believer shall
attain. " For we know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle
were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly
desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we
that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that
we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be
shallowed up of life. . . . We are confident, I say, and willing
rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the
Lord." (2 Cor. 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 8.)
V. i Thess. 4: 16 — "For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first."
The Future Destiny of Believers 487
i Cor. 15: 12, 13, 20-23, 35-38— "Now if Christ be preached that he
rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resur
rection of the dead ? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then
is Christ not risen: . . . But now is Christ risen from the dead, and
become the -firstfruits of them that slept. 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. But every
man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are
Christ's at his coming. . . . But some man will say, How are the
dead raised up ? and with what body do they come ? Thou fool, that
which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die; and that which thou
sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may
chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as
it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: At the coming of Jesus Christ the
bodies of those who sleep in Christ shall be raised from the
dead. Not, however, precisely the same bodies, even as the grain
that grows is not precisely the same as the grain that was sown.
The grain that was sown disintegrates and many of its con
stituent elements go, no one can say whither. But the formative
O ' v
principle takes to itself many new elements, no one can fully say
whence. So it is in the resurrection.
VI. 2 Cor. 5: i, 2, 4, R.V.— -" For we know that if the earthly house
of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For verily in this we
groan, longing to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from
heaven; . . . For indeed we that are in this tabernacle do groan,
being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but that we would
be clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up of life."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: At the resurrection we shall be given in
place of "the earthly house of our tabernacle," — i. e. , our pres
ent physical frame — "a building from God, a house not made
with hands, eternal in the heavens " — i. e. , the resurrection body.
Mortality shall be swallowed up of life.
VII. Phil. 3: 20, 21, R.V. — " For our citizenship is in heaven; from
whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall
fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to
the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able
even to subject all things unto himself."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: At His coming our Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ, "shall fashion anew the body of our
humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of His glory. '
488 What the Bible Teaches
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESURRECTION BODY.
(1) i Cor. 15: 35-38 — "But some man will say, How are the dead
raised up ? and with what body do they come ? Thou fool, that which
thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou
sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may
chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as
it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body."
It will not be the same body that is laid in the grave.
(2) i Cor. 15:50,51 — "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption in
herit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed."
It will not be flesh and blood.
(3) Luke 24: 39 — " Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I my
self: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye
see me have." (Compare Phil. 3: 21.)
It will not be pure spirit, but have flesh and bones.
(4) i Cor. 15: 42 — " So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is
sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption."
It will be incorruptible — not subject to decay, imperishable.
(5) i Cor. 15: 43 (a) — " It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory."
It will be glorious. (Compare Rev. 1: 13-17.)
(6) i Cor. 15: 43 (b) — " It is sown in weakness, it is raised in
power."
It will be powerful. The days of weariness and weakness
will be forever at an end. The body will be able to accomplish
all the Spirit purposes.
(7) i Cor. 15:47-49 — "The first man is of the earth, earthy: the
second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are
they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also
that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we
shall also bear the image of the heavenly."
It will be heavenly.
(8) Matt. 13: 43 — " Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun
in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him
hear."
Dan. 12: 3 — " And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of
the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars
for ever and ever."
Compare Matt. 17: 2 — "And was transfigured before them: and
his face did shine as the sun^ and his raiment was white as the light."
Luke 9: 29 — "And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance
was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering."
The Future Destiny of Believers 489
It will be luminous, shining, dazzling, bright like the sun,
NOTE. — It has been conjectured that the bodies of Adam and Eve
were so before they sinned, and that this glory served as a covering which
departed when they sinned. So "they knew that they were naked."
(Gen. 3: 7.)
(9) Matt. 22: 30 — " For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor
are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."
Luke 20: 35, 36— " For they which shall be accounted worthy to
obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry
nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they
are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the
children of the resurrection."
They will be "like the angels." (a) They do not marry.
(b) They cannot die any more.
(10) i Cor. 15: 41, 42 (a) — " There is one glory of the sun, and an
other glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star
differeth from another star in glory. So also in the resurrection of the
dead."
Resurrection bodies differ from one another.
(n) Rom. 8: 23 — "And not only they, but ourselves also, which
have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves, groan within our
selves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."
The Resurrection Body will be the consummation of the adop
tion, our placing as sons. In the Resurrection Body it will be
outwardly manifest that we are sons of God. Before His incarna
tion Christ was "in the form of God" (Phil. 2: 6), i. e., in the
visible appearance of God. So shall we be in the resurrection.
(Compare Col. 3:4, R.V. ; 1 Jno. 3:2, R.V.)
VIII. i Thess. 4: 17 (a)— "Then we which are alivs and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord
in the air."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: At the coming of Christ and the res
urrection of those who sleep in Jesus, believers who have remained
alive until that time, and those icho are raised, shall be caught up
together to meet the Lord in the air.
IX. Jno. 14: 3 — "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye
may be also."
i Thess. 4: 17 (b) — " And so shall we ever be with the Lord."
Jno. 12: 26—" If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I
490 What the Bible Teaches
am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my
father honour."
NINTH PROPOSITION: After the coming of Christ and our
being caught up to meet Him, we shall ever be with the Lord;
there shall be no more separation from Him.
WHERE BELIEVERS SHALL BE.
(1) Jno. 14: 2 — " In my Father's house are many mansions: if it
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for
you."
We shall be in a prepared place. A place that Jesus himself
has gone for the express purpose of preparing for us. We shall
be a prepared people in a prepared place. This place that Jesus
is preparing He speaks of as " abodes" or "abiding places"
(translated "mansions").
(2) Heb. ii : 10, 16 — " For he looked for a city which hath founda
tions, whose builder and maker is God. . „ . But now they desire
a better country, that is a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to
be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."
We shall be in a city which hath foundations whose builder
and maker is God, a better country than this, a heavenly country;
a city prepared of God for us.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THAT CITY.
(1) Heb. 13: 14 — "For here we have no continuing city, but we
seek one to come."
It will be an abiding city.
(2) Rev. 21 : 22, R.V. — "And I saw no temple therein: for the
Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple thereof."
The Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb are the temple
thereof. We will not go to some building to worship, but right
to themselves.
(3) Rev. 21: 23, R.V. — "And the city hath no need of the sun,
neither of the moon, to shine upon it: for the glory of God did lighten
it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb."
That city has no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine
upon it: for the glory of God lightens it, and the Lamb himself
is the lamp thereof. Paul got a hint of the dazzling brilliance of
that light on the Damascus Road. Our resurrection eyes will be
able to endure and enjoy the glory that blinded him. There will
be no dark
The Future Destiny of Believers 491
(4) Rev. 21 : 25 — ' ' And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day:
for there shall be no night there."
The gates shall never be shut and there shall be no night.
Perfect security and no darkness.
(5) Rev. 21 : 27, R.V. — "And there shall in no wise enter into it
anything unclean, or he that maketh an abomination and a lie: but
only they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."
There will be there nothing unclean, nothing abominable,
nothing false, untrue, nor unreal. No saloons, no filth, no shams.
(6) Rev. 22: i, 2, R.V. — "And he shewed me a river of water of
life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the
Lamb, in the midst of the street thereof. And on this side of the river
and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruits, yield
ing its fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the heal
ing of the nations."
There shall be a river of water of life, bright as crystal, pro
ceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the midst
of the street thereof, and on both sides of the river shall be the tree
of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit every month; and
the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations.
X. 2 Thess. 1:7 — "And to you who are troubled rest with us,
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels."
Heb. 4: 9 — "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of
God."
TENTH PROPOSITION: When the Lord shall be revealed from
heaven we shall be given rest.
Now we have conflict and tribulation. Then we shall have
rest and glory.
XI. Jno. 17:24 — "Father,! will that they also, whom thou hast given
me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou
hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the
world."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION: We shall behold the glory of
our Lord, the glory which the Father has given Him.
The word translated " behold," is a strong word. It means
to gaze at with interest and intentness. We shall put our whole
being into rapturous and adoring contemplation of the revealed
glory of Him who on earth suffered shame for us.
492 What the Bible Teaches
XII. i Jno. 3: 2— "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."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: We shall be like Him.
QUESTION: Does the Him here refer to Christ or the Father ?
ANSWER: It matters not; for if we are like the one, we
shall be also like the other: Heb. 1: 3 — u Who being the bright
ness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and up
holding all things by the word of his power, when he had by him
self purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty
on high." Jno. 14: 9 — "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so
long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip: he
that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou
then, Show us the Father ?" Phil 2: 6— "Who being in the
form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God."
XIII. Col. 3: 4, R.V.— "When Christ, who is our life, shall be
manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory.
THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION: We shall with Him be mani
fested in glory.
We shall not only behold His glory, but reflect it in our
selves. Our life is now a hidden one, hid with Christ in God
(Col. 3: 3), but when He is manifested in glory we shall be too.
NOTES. — (i) Rom. 8: 18 — " For I reckon that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us."
The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed to usward.
(2) 2 Cor. 4: 17, R.V. — "For our light affliction, which is for the
moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of
glory."
This eternal weight of glory is being worked out for us
more and more exceedingly by our present momentary light
affliction.
(3) Jno. 17: 22 — " And the glory which thou gavest me I have
given them; that they may be one, even as we are one."
2 Thess. 2: 14 — "Whereuntohe called you by our gospel, to the
obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
The glory that God hath given to Jesus shall be ours.
The Future Destiny of Believers 493
(4) i Thess. 2: 12, R. V. — " That ye would walk worthy of God, who
calleth you into his own kingdom and glory.
We shall be sharers in God's own glory and kingdom. In a
word, we shall be heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ,
glorified together with Him. (Rom. 8: 17.)
XIV. Matt. 25: 20-23 — " And so he that had received five talents
came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst
unto me five talents; behold, I have gained beside them five talents
more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful ser
vant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler
over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that
had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto
me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou
hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many
things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION: At the coming of Christ and
His reckoning with His servants, His faithful servants will be
commended by Him and enter into the joy of their Lord.
Leigh ton says, "Here a few drops of joy enter into us,
there we enter into joy as vessels put into a sea of happiness."
(15) Luke 19: 12, 13, 15-19 — " He said therefore, A certain
nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom,
and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten
pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. . . . And it came
to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom,
then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he
had given the money, that he might know how much every man had
gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath
gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant:
because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority
over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath
gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over
five cities."
FIFTEENTH PROPOSITION: Rewards will vary in propor
tion to fidelity in service.
We are saved by faith but rewarded according to our own
jvorks. (Compare Matt. 6:20; 1 Cor. 3:11-15.)
XV. Rev. 7: 9, 10, 13-17, R.V.— " After these things I saw, and be
hold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every na
tion, and of all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the
throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in
their hands; anci they cry with a great voice, saying, Salvation unto
494 What the Bible Teaches
our God which sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb. . . .
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, These which are ar
rayed in the white robes, who are they, and whence came they? And
I say unto him, My lord, thou knowest, and he said to me, These are
they which come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their
robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore
are they before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night
in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall spread his taber
nacle over them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more;
neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: for the Lamb
which is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall
guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away
every tear from their eyes."
FIFTEENTH PROPOSITION: Those who come out of the
great tribulation, having washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb, shall stand before the throne
and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their
hands. (Purity, victory and festal joy.) They shall serve
God day and night in His temple. He that sitteth on the throne
shall spread His tabernacle over them. They shall hunger no
more, neither thirst any more ; neither shall the sun strike upon
them, nor any heat, for the Lamb which is in the midst of the
throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto foun
tains of waters of life, and God shall wipe away every tear from
their eyes.
XVI. Jas. i: 12, R.V. — "Blessed is the man that endureth tempta
tion: for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of
life, which the Lord promised to them that love him."
SIXTEENTH PROPOSITION": Those who endure temptation
shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to
them that love Him.
The word translated "endure" means not merely to suffer,
but to continue or persevere under, to stand fast. This is the
proof of true love to Christ, that we stand true to him under
trial, and this wins the crown of life.
XVII. 2 Tim. 4:8, R.V.—" I have kept the faith: henceforth 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."
The Future Destiny of Believers 495
SEVENTEENTH PROPOSITION: «M that day," the Lord,
the righteous judge, shall give the crown of righteousness to all
those who have loved His appearing.
XVIII. i Pet. 5: 1-4, R.V.— "The elders therefore among you I
exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of
Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight,
not of constraint, but willingly, according unto God; nor yet for filthy
lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as lording it over the charge al
lotted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock. And
when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the
crown of glory that fadeth not away."
EIGHTEENTH PROPOSITION: When the chief Shepherd
shall be manifested, He shall give the crown of glory that fadeth
not away to the under shepherds who have tended the flock of God,
exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, accord
ing unto God; not for money, but with eager readiness; not lord-
ing it over the charge allotted to them, but making themselves
examples unto the flock.
Note the three crowns — "The Crown of Life," «* the Crown
of Righteousness," and "the Crown of Glory " — and who is to re
ceive each.
XIX. Jas. 2: 5 — " Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God
chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom
which he hath promised to them that love him? "
Luke 22: 28, 29 — "Ye are they which have continued with me in
my temptations. And I appoint unto you a -kingdom, as my Father
hath appointed unto me."
Luke 12: 32 — "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good
pleasure to give you the kingdom."
NINETEENTH PROPOSITION: God hath promised, Christ
hath appointed, and it is the Father's good pleasure to give a
kingdom unto them that love God and continue with Christ in
His temptations.
NOTES ABOUT THE KINGDOM.
(i) Rev. 20: 6 — " Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall
be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand
years."
496 What the Bible Teaches
In this kingdom we shall reign with Christ as priests of God
and of Christ.
(2) Matt. 25: 34 — "Then shall the king say unto them on his right
hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world."
This kingdom was prepared for us from the foundation of
the world.
(3) Heb. 12: 28, R.V. — "Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that can
not be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well
pleasing to God with reverence and awe."
This kingdom cannot be shaken.
XX. Promises to Him that Overcometh (or carries off the victory).
(1) Rev. 2: 7, R.V. — " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I
give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God."
To him that overcometh Christ will give to eat of the tree
of life which is in the Paradise of God.
(2) Rev. 2: ii — "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the
second death."
He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
(3) Rev. 2: 17, R.V. — " He that hath an ear let him hear what the
Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I
give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon
the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that re-
ceiveth it."
To him that overcometh Christ will give of the hidden manna,
a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no
one knoweth but he that receiveth it.
(4) Rev. 2: 26, 27, R.V. — "And he that overcometh, and he that
keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the
nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of
the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father."
Christ will give to him that overcometh and that keepeth His
works unto the end, authority over the nations; and he shall rule
them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to
shivers; and Christ will give him the morning star. (v. 28.)
(5) Rev. 3: 4, 5, R.V. — "But thou hast a few names in Sardis
which did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in
white; for they are worthy. He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed
The Future Destiny of Believers 497
in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book
of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his
angels."
He that overcometh shall be arrayed in white garments:
and Christ will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life;
and Christ will confess his name before His Father and before
the angels of the Father, and he shall walk in Christ in white.
(6) Rev. 3: 12, R.V. — " He that overcometh, I will make him a pil
lar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out hence no more: and
I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city
of my God, the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from
my God, and mine own new name."
He that overcometh, him will Christ make a pillar in the
temple of his God, and he shall go out thence no more ; and Christ
will write upon him the name of His God, and the name of the
city of His God, the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of
heaven from God, and His own new name.
(7) Rev. 3: 21, R.V. — " He that overcometh, I will give to him to
sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with
my Father in his throne."
He that overcometh, to him will Christ give to sit down
with Himself in His throne.
XXI. Rev. 21:4, R.V. — "And he shall wipe away every tear
from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be
mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed
away."
TWENTY-FIRST PROPOSITION: God shall wipe away every
tear from the eyes of His people. Death shall be no more;
neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more.
(See also, v. 3.)
XXII. i Cor. 13: 12, R.V. — " For now we see in a mirror, darkly;
but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even
as also I have been known."
TWENTY- SECOND PROPOSITION: We shall see no longer
in a mirror, in a riddle, but face to face. We shall know no
longer in part, but we shall know God and all things in that
perfect way in which He already knows us.
XXIII. i Cor. 1:8, R.V.—" Who shull also confirm you unto
the end, that ye be unreproveable in the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ."
498 What the Bible Teaches
TWENTY-THIRD PROPOSITION: In the day of our Lord
Jesus Christ we shall be unreprovable. We will so perfect us
that there will be absolutely nothing in us that even He can find
fault with or be displeased with. (Compare Jude 24. )
XXIV. Eph. 5: 27, R.V.— " That he might present the church to
himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such
thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
TWENTY-FOURTH PROPOSITION: Christ will present the
Church to Himself, a glorious Church, not having spot nor wrinkle,
nor any such thing; but holy and without blemish."
XXV. i Pet. 1:4,5, R.V.— "Unto an inheritance incorruptible,
and undefiled, and that f adeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation
to be revealed in the last time."
TWENTY-FIFTH PROPOSITION: We who are guarded by
God's power, through faith, unto a salvation ready to be re
vealed in the last time, shall receive an inheritance, incorruptible,
and undefiled, and t hat f adeth not away, reserved in heaven for us.
BOOK V.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT ANGELS.
CHAPTER I.
ANGELS i THEIR NATURE, POSITION, NUMBER AND
ABODE,
I. Their Nature and Position.
(1) Col. i: 16, R.V. — "For in him were all things created, in the
heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things
have been created through him, and unto him."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Angds are created beings—created by
(" in, " Greek), through and unto the Son of God.
(2) 2 Pet. 2: ii — "Whereas angels, which are greater in power
and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the
Lord."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Angels are greater than man in
power and might. (Compare Ps. 8:4, 5. )
(3) 2 Thess. 1:7 — "And to you who are troubled, rest with us,
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Angels are mighty— have great power.
E. g., Acts 5: 19, R.V. — "But an angel of the Lord by night
opened the prison doors, and brought them out." 12: 7, 23, R.V. —
" And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined
in the cell: and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying,
Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands."
(4) Matt. 22: 30 — " For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor
are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."
Luke 20:35, 36 — "But they which shall be accounted worthy to
obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry,
nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they
are equal unto the angels: and are the children of God, being the chil
dren of the resurrection."
FO UR TH PR OPOSITION: Angels neither marry nor die.
(5) Mark 13: 32, R.V. — " But of that day or that hour knoweth no
one, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."
§02 What the Bible Teaches
FIFTH PROPOSITION: Angels have great knowledge, but are
not omniscient. (Compare Eph. 3: 10, 11; 1 Pet. 1: 12.)
(6) Rev. 22: 8, 9, R.V. — "And I John am he that heard and saw
these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before
the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. And he saith unto
me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow servant with thee and with thy
brethren the prophets, and with them which keep the words of this
book: worship God."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Angels are not proper objects of wor
ship.
Here is a clear and broad line of distinction between Jesus
and the angels.
(7) Jude 9 — "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the
devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him
a railing accusation, but said, The LORD rebuke thee."
i Thess. 4: 16 — "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of
God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first."
i Pet. 3: 22 — "Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of
God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: (a) There are ranks or orders oj
angels, (b) All ranks of angels have been made subject unto
Jesus Christ.
(8) Heb. i: 6 — "And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten
into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: All the angels of God are bidden to
worship Jesus the Son of God.
(9) Luke 9: 26 — "For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my
words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come
in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels."
NINTH PROPOSITION: The angels are glorious beings.
(Compare Matt. 28: 2, 3, R.V. — "And behold, there was a great
earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came
and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was as
lightning, and his raiment white as snow." Rev. 10: i, R.V. — "And I
saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, arrayed with a
cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as the sun,
and his feet as pillars of fire." Dan. 10: 6—" His body also was like
the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as
Angels 503
lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass,
and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.")
(10) 2 Pet. 2: 4, R.V. — "And if God spared not angels when they
sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of dark
ness, to be reserved unto judgment."
TENTH PROPOSITION. Some of the angels sinned, and God
cast them dovm to hell and committed them to pits of darkness,
to be reserved unto judgment.
It has been suggested that they were the earlier inhabitants
of the earth, and that the earth became " without form and void "
(Gen. 1: 2) as a judgment upon their sins, just as, after it was
reorganized for man's abode, it was cursed because of man's fall.
(Compare Is. 34: 10, u — "It shall not be quenched night nor day;
the smoke thereof shall go up forever: from generation to generation it
shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever. But the
cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven
shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion^
and the stones of emptiness.")
Here we read the land was made "waste" because of sin,
and the line of " confusion " (same Hebrew as " without form ")
and plummet of "emptiness" (same Hebrew as "void") stretched
over it. Also Jer. 4: 23-27:
" I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form, and void; and the
heavens, and they had no light. And I beheld the mountains, and lo,
they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. And I beheld, and lo,
there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld,
and lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof
were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.
For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet
will I not make a full end."
Is. 45: 18, R.V. — " For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens;
be is God; that formed the earth and made it; he established it, he
created it not a waste, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and
there is none else."
In this last verse we are told God did not create the earth a
11 waste. " (Same Hebrew word as that translated ' ' without form "
in Gen. 1:2.) It seems clear, then, that it must have become so
by someone's sin before man's creation. Gen. 1: 2 should then be
translated, "And the earth became without form, and void" (or
"waste and void"). The first verse of the chapter would then
describe the creation; the second verse, the desolation visited
504 What the Bible Teaches
upon the earth because of the sin of pre- Adamite inhabitants;
the latter part of verse 2 and following verses, the rehabilita
tion of the earth to be a habitation for the new Adamite race.
(n) i Cor. 6: 3 — " Know ye not that we shall judge angels ? how
much more things that pertain to this life ? "
ELE VENTH PR OPOSITION: Angels shall be judged by believ
ers.
This may refer only to the angels who fell.
(12) Luke 2: 9, 13, R.V. — " And an angel of the Lord stood by them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore
afraid."
Jno. 20: 12 — " And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the
head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain."
Gen. 32: i, 2 — "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God
met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and
he called the name of that place Mahanaim."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: Angels have sometimes been seen
by men.
(13) Ps. 78: 25 — " Men did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to
the full."
THIR TEE NTH PR OPOSITION: Angels eat.
But see, R.V. — "Man did eat the bread of the mighty: He
sent them meat to the full."
II. Number of the Angels.
(i) Heb. 12: 22, R.V. — " But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and
unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innu
merable hosts of angels."
PR OPOSITION: There are innumerable hosts of angels — literally
myriads of angels. (See R. V. Marg.)
(Compare 2 Kg. 6: 17 — "And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray
thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes
of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of
horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha," and Matt. 26: 53 —
"Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall
presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? ")
\
III. The Abode of the Angels.
(i) Matt. 22: 30 — "For, in the resurrection they neither marry, not
are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven"
Angels 505
Eph. 3: ro — "To the intent that now unto the principalities and
powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold
wisdom of God."
Jno. i: 51 — "And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending
and descending upon the Son of man."
Luke 2: 13, 15 — "And suddenly there was with the angel a multi
tude of the heaven?* host praising God, and saying."
PROPOSITION: The present abode of the angels is heaven.
CHAPTER IL
THE WORK OF ANGELS.
I. Their Work in behalf of the Heirs of Salvation.
Heb. i: 13, 14, R.V.— " But of which of the angels hath he said
at any time, Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies the
footstool of thy feet? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth
to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation?"
PROPOSITION: Angels are ministering spirits sent forth to do
service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation.
(1) i Kg. 19: 5-8 — "And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree,
behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals and
a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him
down again. And the Angel of the LORD came again the second time
and touched him, and said, Arise and eat: because the journey is too
great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the
strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount
of God."
Matt. 4: ii— "Then the devil leavethhim, and, behold, angels came
and ministered unto him."
Luke 22: 43— " And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven,
strengthening him."
The angels minister to the physical needs of God's children.
(2) Ps. 91: ii, 12— " For he shall give his angels charge over thee,
to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands,
lest thou dash thy foot against a stone."
The angels have charge to keep in all his ways the one who
abides in the secret place of the Most High and makes the Most
high his habitation. (See context.) They preserve him from
accident and harm.
(3) 2 Kg. 6: 15-17—" And when the servant of the man of God was
risen early, and gone forth, behold a host compassed the city both with
horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my mas
ter! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be
with us are more than they that be with them."
The Work of Angels 507
Matt. 26: 53 — "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father,
and he will presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?"
The angels protect God's servants from their enemies.
(Comp. Gen. 19: 11; 2 Kg. 6: 18.)
God works largely through second causes. Much that God
does for His children He does through their fellow-men. Other
things He does through the angels.
NOTE. — It is thought by some, and not altogether without reason,
that each child of God has an angel assigned to protect him: (See Matt.
18: 10.)
(4) Acts 5: 19, R.V. — " But an angel of the Lord by night opened
the prison doors, and brought them out."
Acts. 12:8-11 — "And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and
bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he saith unto him, Cast thy
garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed:
and he wist not that it was true which was done by the angel, but
thought he saw a vision. And when they were past the first and second
ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city; which
opened to them of its own accord: and they went out, and passed
through one street; and straightway the angel departed from him.
And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth,
that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the
hand of Herod, and from all the expectations of the people of the
Jews."
Dan. 6: 22 — " My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions'
mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him inno-
cency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no
hurt."
The angels deliver God's servants from peril and evil.
(5) Acts 27: 23, 24, R.V. — "For there stood by me this night an
angel of the God whose I am, whom also I serve, saying, Fear not,
Paul; thou must stand before Caesar: and lo, God hath granted thee
all them that sail with thee."
The angels cheer God's servants in hardship and seeming
danger.
(6) Luke i: 11-13, T9 — " And there appeared unto him an angel of
the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when
Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the
angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias; for thy prayer is heard; and
thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name
John. . . . And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel,
that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and
to show thee these glad tidings."
The angels reveal God's purposes unto His servants.
508 What the Bible Teaches
(7) Matt, a: 13, 19, 20, R.V. — " Now when they were departed, be«
hold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying,
Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt,
and be thou there until I tell thee: for Herod will seek the young child
to destroy him. . . . But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel
of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying."
Matt. 1:20 — "But when he thought on these things, behold, an
angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou
son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which
is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."
Acts. 8: 26 — " But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying,
Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from
Jerusalem unto Gaza: the same is desert."
Acts. 10: 3-6 — " He saw in a vision, as it were about the ninth hour
of the day, an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying unto him,
Cornelius. And he, fastening his eyes upon him, and being affrighted,
said, What is it, Lord ? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and
thine alms are gone up for a memorial before God. And now send men
to Joppa, and fetch one Simon, who is surnamed Peter: he lodgeth
with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side."
The angels show God's servants what to do.
(8) Luke 16: 22 — "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and
was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also
died and was buried."
The angels take God's servants at their death to a place of
blessedness.
(9) Matt. 24: 31 — " And he shall send his angels with a great sound
of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four
winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
At the coming of the Son of man He shall send His angels
and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds,
from one end of heaven to the other.
II. The Law Given through Angels.
Heb. 2: 2, R.V. — "For if the word spoken through angels proved
steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just re
compense of reward."
Gal. 3; it, R.V.— "What then is the law? It was added because
of trangressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath
been made; and it was ordained through angels by the hand of a media
tor."
Acts 7: 53 — "Who have received the law by the disposition of an
gels, and have not kept it."
PROPOSITION: The law was given through the angels.
The Work of Angels 509
in. Their Presence with the Lord Jesus at His Coming.
Matt. 25: 31, 32 — " When the Son of man shall come in his glory,
and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of
his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall
separate them one from another, as a shepherd -divideth his sheep
from the goats."
2 Thess. i: 7, 8 — " And to you who are troubled, rest with us; when
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."
PROPOSITION: The angels will come with the Son of man
when He comes to judge the nations and to execute wrath upon
them that know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
IT, The Executioners of God's Wrath toward the Wicked.
Matt. 13 (24-30) 39-42, R.V. — "And the enemy that sowed them is
the devil: and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are
angels. As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire;
so shall it be in the end of the world. The Son of man shall send forth
his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that
cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into
the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matt. 13: 47-50, R.V. — " Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a
net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which,
when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and
gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away. So shall
it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever
the wicked from among the righteous, and shall cast them into the fur
nace of fire: there shall be the weeping and gnashing of teeth."
PROPOSITION: In the end of the age the angels shall gather
out of the kingdom of the Son of man all things that
cause stumbling, and those persons who do iniquity, and
shall cast them into the furnace of fire. They shall sever the
wicked out of the midst of the righteous^ and shall cast them
into the furnace of fire.
The angels are the executioners of God's wrath toward the
wicked as well as His mercy toward the righteous. In this also
are they not doing service for the sake of them that shall inherit
salvation?
BOOK VI.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT THE
DEVIL, OR SATAN.
CHAPTER 1.
THE DEVIL t HIS EXISTENCE, NATURE, POSITION AND
CHARACTER,
PRELIMINARY NOTE. — Distinguish carefully between the
Devil and Demons. This distinction is quite overlooked in the
Authorized Version, and even in the Revised Version, though the
Revised Version notes it in the margin. The Devil and Demons
are two entirely distinct orders of beings. The Bible doctrine
regarding Satan is a very practical doctrine. There are certainly
few doctrines that will go further than this in teaching us our
utter dependence upon God and in driving us to prayer.
I. The Existence of the Devil, or Satan.
Matt. 13: 19, 39 — "When any one heareth the word of the king
dom, and unclerstandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and
catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he that re-
ceiveth seed by the way-side. . . . The enemy that sowed them is
the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the
angels." (Is this a mere figure of speech? In parables the figures
always occur in the parables themselves. In the interpretation of the
parables the figures are explained, and we have the realities which the
figures represent. The verses above are not taken from the parable
but from Christ's own interpretation of it.)
Jno. 13: 2— "And supper being ended, the devil having now put
into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him."
Acts 5: 3 — "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine
heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of
the land?"
i Pet. 5:8 — "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
Eph. 6: n, 12 — " Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be
able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in
high places." (Also many other passages.)
PROPOSITION: There is a personal devil.
5 H What the Bible Teaches
His personality will come out more clearly as we study his
nature.
11. The Position and Nature of Satan.
(1) Jude: 8,9, R.V. — "Yet in like manner these also in their dream-
ings defile the flesh, and set at naught dominion and rail at dignities.
But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he dis
puted about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing
judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The position of the Devil was so ex
alted that even Michael, the archangel, did not dare to bring a
railing judgment against him.
The context might seem to imply that the position of the
Devil was more exalted than that of Michael himself. Further
on other passages will be considered that seem to confirm this
idea. Light, contemptuous speech about the Devil is entirely un
warranted.
(2) Eph. 2: 2 — "Wherein in time past ye walked according to
the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the
air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience."
SE COND PR 0 POSITION: The Devil is the Prince of the Power
of the Air.
(3) Jno. 12: 31 — " Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the
prince of this world "be, cast out."
Jno. 14: 30— " Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the
prince of this \vorld cometh, and hath nothing in me."
Jno. 16: ii— "Of judgment, because the prince of this world is
judged."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Devil is the Prince of this World.
QUESTION: When did he become so ? Did he become so
through Adam and Eve listening to him in Eden, or was this
world a department assigned to him of God as separate kingdoms
have been assigned to different celestial potentates ? (Dan. 10:
12, 13.) And did he drag his dominion down with him in his own
fall ? These are questions which the Bible does not seem to answer
very clearly, and we ought not to try to be wise above what is
written. (Deut. 29: 29.) But this much is clear: he is now " the
Prince of this World. " This is clear also from a study of the social
and commercial life of the day.
The Devil 515
(4) 2 Cor. 4: 4 — "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the
minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Devil is the god of this Age.
(The word translated "world" in this passage, both A.V. and
R.V., is not the same word translated "world " in passages under
the preceding proposition. It should be translated "age," as in
Marg. R.V.)
III. The Devil's Power.
(1) Eph. 6: n, 12, R.V. — " Put on the whole armour of God, that
ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrest
ling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities,
against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against
the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Devil has far greater power than
men — flesh and blood.
He has under him beings so great in power and dignity as
to be spoken of as "the Principalities, the Powers, the World-
rulers, Spiritual Hosts (spiritual beings) of wickedness in the
heavenly places." The conflict we have on hand is terrific. Let
us not underestimate it.
(2) Luke ii : 14-18— "And he was casting out a devil, and it was
dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out the dumb
spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth
out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others,
tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing
their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is
brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If
Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand ?
because ye say, that I cast out devils through Beelzebub."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Satan is king over the realm of
demons.
(3) Dan. 10: 5, 6, 12, 13 — "Then I lifted up mine eyes, and lookeu,
and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded
with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face
as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his
arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his
words like the voice of a multitude. . . . Then said he unto me,
fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart
5i6 What the Bible Teaches
to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were
heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom
of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of
the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the
kings of Persia."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Devil, or one of his subordi
nates, has power to resist and retard a glorious angel many days.
(4) Acts 26: 18 — " To open their eyes, and to turn them from dark
ness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are
sanctified by faith that is in me."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The whole mass of unsaved men
are in Satan's power.
(5) i Jno. 5: 19, R.V. — "We know that we are of God, and the
whole world lieth in the evil one.'*
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The whole world— i. e., the entire
mass of men, except those who have been called out, the Church
— lieth in the Evil One. They rest supinely in his embrace.
(6) Job. i: 10-12 — " Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and
about his house, and about all that he hath on every side ? thou hast
blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the
land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and
he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold,
all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine
hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: Satan can exert his vast power only
so far as Jehovah suffers him to do so.
IV, The Devil's Cunning.
(1) 2 Cor. 2: ii — " Lest Satan, should get an advantage of us: for
we are not ignorant of his devices."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Devil has many and subtle devices.
(2) Eph. 6: n, 12, R.V. — " Put on the whole armour of God, that
ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrest
ling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities,
against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against
the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Devil has so many and such
Gunning wiles that we need to put on the whole armor of God to
stand against them.
The Devil 517
The Devil doubtless gets the mastery of many, through his
wiles and devices, that he could not overcome by an open exercise
of his power. We have an illustration of his wiles in the tempta
tion of Eve and of Christ. The "old serpent" is more danger
ous than the "roaring lion."
(3) 2 Thess. 2: 9, 10, R.V. — " Even he, whose coming is according
to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that are perishing: be
cause they received not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved."
THIRD PROPOSITION; Satan displays such power and signs
and wonders of falsehood as utterly deceive those who receive
not tfie love of the truth.
(Comp. Matt. 24: 24 — "For there shall arise false Christs, and false
prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if
it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.")
Some have said, « The Devil is God's Ape" — i. e., he imitates
God's work.
(4) 2 Cor. n: 14 — "And no marvel; for Satan himself is trans
formed into an angel of light."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Satan fashioneth himself into an
angel of light.
The Devil is never more dangerous than when he does this.
When Satan gets into the pulpit, or the theological chair, and
pretends to teach Christianity, when in reality he is corrupting
it; pretends to be teaching Christian evidences when in reality
he is undermining the very foundations of faith; pretends to be
teaching Biblical Introduction, when in reality he is making the
Bible out to be a book that is not worthy of being introduced — .
then look out for him; he is at his most dangerous work. There
was never a science more really godless and subversive of true
Christian faith than that which Satan is now exploiting under
the pseudonym, " Christian Science." Happy is the man in these
days who is not ignorant of the devices of the Devil, and realizes
that he frequently masquerades as an angel of light.
T. The Devil's Wickedness.
(i) i Jno. 5: 19, R.V. — "We know that we are of God, and the
whole word lieth in the evil one."
518 What the Bible Teaches
Matt. 5: 37, R.V.— "But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay:
and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one."
6: 13, R.V. — "And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us
from the evil one."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Devil is the Evil One. He is
the impersonation of evil and the source of it in others.
(2) i Jno. 3: 8 — "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the
devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God
was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Devil sinneth from the be-
ginning.
QUESTION: What beginning is here referred to? Does
this mean that the Devil sinned from the very origin of all things,
and that he was created sinful ? We shall see later that Ezek.
28 :15 refers to Satan, and that the Devil was created upright. The
verse means, then, that Satan is the original sinner. The ex
pression "from the beginning" is characteristic of this epistle,
and does not necessarily mean from the origin of things. (See
e. g., the llth verse.)
(3) Jno. 8:44 — "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of
your father ye will do: he was a murderer from the beginning, and
abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he
speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar and the father
of it."
THIRD PROPOSITION; The Devil was a murderer from
the beginning. lie is a liar and the father of it. There is
absolutely no truth in him.
VI. The Malignity of the Devil.
(1) Jno. 8:44 — " Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of
your father ye will do: he was a murderer from the beginning, and
abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he
speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father
of it."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The Demi toas a murderer from the
beginning.
(2) 2 Cor. 4:4, R.V.— " In whom the god of this world hath blinded
the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory
of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them."
The Devil 519
SECOND PROPOSITION: The Devil blinds the minds of men
to the end that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God, may not dawn upon them.
What marvelous, incredible malignity is that!
(3) Luke 8: 12 — "Those by the wayside are they that hear; then
cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest
they should believe and be saved."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Devil comes and takes away
the saving Word of God out of the hearts of men where it has
been sown, in order to keep them from believing and being
saved.
We will have further evidence and illustration of his malig
nity under his work.
VII. His Cowardice.
Jas. 4: 7—" Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you."
PROPOSITION: - When the Devil is resisted he flees.
CHAPTER II.
EZEKIEL XXVIII,
Ezek. 28: 1-19, R.V. — "The word of the LORD came again unto me,
saying, Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre, Thus saith the LORD
God: Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a god,
I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art man, and
not God, though thou didst set thine heart as the heart of God: behold,
thou art wiser than Daniel ; there is no secret that they can hide
from thee: by thy wisdom and by thine understanding thou hast gotten
thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: by thy
great wisdom and by thy traffic hast thou increased thy riches, and
thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: therefore thus saith the
Lord God: Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God;
therefore behold, I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the
nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy
wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. They shall bring thee
down to the pit; and thou shalt die the death of them that are slain,
in the heart of the seas. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayest
thee, I am God ? but thou art man, and not God, in the hand of him
that woundeth thee. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised
by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the LORD God.
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man,
take up a lamentation for the King of Tyre, and say unto him, Thus
saith the LORD God: Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and per
fect in beauty. Thou wast in Eden the garden of God: every precious
stone was thy covering, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the
beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the
carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes
was in thee; in the day that thou wast created they were prepared.
Thou wast the anointed cherub that covereth: and I set thee, so that
thou iv ast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and
down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways
from the day that thou wast created, till unrighteousness was found in
thee. By the multitude of thy traffic they filled the midst of thee with
violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore have I cast thee as profane
out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed thee, O covering
cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted
up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason
of thy brightness: I have cast thee to the ground, I have laid thee be
fore kings, that they may behold thee* By the multitude of thine ini*
Ezekiel xxviii 521
quities, in the unrighteousness of thy traffic, thou hast profaned thy
sanctuaries; therefore have I brought forth a fire from the midst of
thee, it hath devoured thee, and I have turned thee to ashes upon the
earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know
thee among the peoples shall be astonished at thee: thou art become a
terror, and thou shalt never be any more."
To whom does this remarkable passage refer ?
Vv. 1-10 refer at least primarily to the prince of Tyre, then
reigning (Ittiobalus by name, according to Josephus). They
were fulfilled in the seige of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar.
Vv. 11-19 have expressions which it is difficult, if not
impossible, to refer to any mere man — e. </., vv. 12, 13, 14. There
are, however, other verses that seem to indicate an earthly king
dom— e. g., 16, 18.
What is the explanation of this enigma ?
We frequently find in prophecy that the prophet is borne
on from speaking of a contemporaneous event to some event of
the last times, of which the coutemporaneus event is in some re
spects a type. For example, in Matt. 24: 15-21, Christ speaks of
the destruction of Jerusalem, which was in a very trae sense a
Day of the Lord, and from that he passes on to speak of the great
Day of the Lord yet to come in vv. 22-31. So swift is the tran
sition from the one to the other that it is difficult to mark exactly
where it takes place. So in Ezekiel's prophecy. Ittiobalus was
in important respects a type of "the man of sin." (Vv. 2, 5, 6.
Compare 2 Thess, 2:3, 4. Also v. 2 with Dan. 11: 41-45. Note
"The heart of the seas " and "between the seas.")
But there are some things in vv. 11-19 (the king of Tyre)
that seem to apply to a supernatural and some to an earthly
king. This earthly king is to have enormous commerce. Com
pare the great development of commerce in the last days.
Rev. 13: 16, 17 — "And he caused all, both small and great, rich and
poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their
foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the
mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
Rev. 18: 3, 9-19 — "For all nations have drunk of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed
fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich
through the abundance of her delicacies. . . . And the kings of
the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with
her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the
522 What the Bible Teaches
smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment,
saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and
purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and
pearls ! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every
shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as
trade by sea, stood afar off. And cried when they saw the smoke of her
burning; saying, What city is like unto this great city ! And they cast
dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas,
that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea
by reason of her costliness! For in one hour is she made desolate."
The simplest explanation of all this is that the King of Tyre
represents the Anti-Christ (as the Prince of Tyre was the type
of the Anti -Christ) and that he is to be an incarnation of Satan
as the true Christ was an incarnation of God.
(Comp. 2 Thess. 2: 8, 9, R.V.— " When shall be revealed the law-
Jess one . . . whose coming is according to the working of Satan
with all power, etc.")
If this is the true solution, this passage teaches us much
about Satan.
(1) V. 12 — "Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of
Tyrus, and say unto him, thus saith the Lord God, Thou sealest up
the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Satan was full of wisdom and perfect
in beauty, sealing up the sum of created perfection.
(2) V. 13 — "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every
precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond,
the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the
carbuncle, and gold; the workmanship of thy tab rets and of thy pipes
was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created."
SECOND PROPOSITION: He was in Eden, the garden of God.
This does not appear to have been the Adamic Eden, but an
earlier one. The Adamic Eden was remarkable for its vegetable
glory. (Gen. 2:9.) This early Eden for its mineral glory.
Compare the New Jerusalem which is to be.
Rev. 21 : 10-21 — " And he carried me away in the spirit to a great
and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem,
descending out of heaven from God. Having the glory of God: and
her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone }
clear as crystal; and had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates,
and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are
the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east
Ezekiel xxviii 523
three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on
the west three gates. . And the wall of the city had twelve foundations,
and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he
that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the
gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare,
and the length is as large as the breadth; and he measured the city
with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth
and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, a
hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man,
that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper:
and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass, and the foundations
of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious
stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the
third, a chalcedony; -the fourth an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the
sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite: the eighth, beryl; the ninth
a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth
an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several
gate was of one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, as it
were transparent glass."
In the Adamic Eden Satan was present not as here, as a
minister of God, but as an apostate spirit and a tempter. The
glory of this early Eden seems to have been specially prepared
for Satan. (R.V., last clause v. 13.) There was also the pomp
of royalty, tabrets and pipes.
(3) V. 14 (a) — " Thou wast the anointed cherub that covereth."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Satan was the anointed cherub that
covereth.
(a) Anointed and set apart as the priest of God. (Lev,
8:12.) (b) A Cherub, a high, or it may be the highest, rank
in the angelic world. Compare the living creatures leading the
worship of the universe in Rev. 4:9, 10, R. V. :
"And when the living creatures shall give glory and honour and
thanks to him that sitteth on the throne, to him that liveth for ever
and ever, the four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that
sitteth on the throne, and shall worship him that liveth for ever and
ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying." Rev.
5: 14, R.V. — "And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the
elders fell down and worshipped."
(c) He was not a cherub, but "the cherub"; (d) the
cherub u that covereth. " There may be an allusion to this in the
covering cherubim.
Ex. 37: 9—" And the cherubim spread out their wings on high, and
524 What the Bible Teaches
covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to
another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubim."
It seems to be hinted that Satan was the one who led the
worship of the universe. If so, he tried to direct to himself what
properly belonged to God. This is a danger with all priests and
ministers.
(4) V. 14 (b) — " And I set thee, so that thou wast upon the holy
mountain of God."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: The Devil icas "upon the holy
mountain of God" — i. e. , the place where God visibly mani
fested His glory.
(5) V. 14 (c) — " Thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the
stones of fire."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The Devil "walked up and down in
tfie midst of the stones of fire"
The living creatures of Ezek. 1: 15, 22, 25, 26, R.V., were just
beneath a "firmament, like the colour of the terrible crystal."
"And above the firmament was the likeness of a tnrone, as the
appearance of a sapphire stone." In Ex. 24: 10, R.V., when the
seventy elders "saw the God of Israel," " there was under his
feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and as it were the
very heaven for clearness." In the seventeenth verse "the ap
pearance of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the
top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel." This
may give us an idea of what " the stones of fire" were. Satan
seems to have been very near God.
(6) V. 15 — "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou
wast created, till unrighteousness was found in thee."
SIXTH PROPOSITION; Satan was perfect in his ways from
the day that he was created until unrighteousness was found in
him. He is evidently a created being.
(7) V. 1 6— " By the multitude of thy traffic they filled the midst of
thee with violence, and thou hast sinned."
This seems to refer in part to Satan's manifestation in the
Anti-Christ. It has been suggested that the word translated
" traffic" comes from a root which means to travel either for
merchandise or for slander, and the word should have been trans-
Ezekiel xxviii 525
lated " slander," and that the Devil means " the slanderer. " (Com
pare Rev. 12: 10; Job 1 : 9.) This is not likely. There is a closely
related word, from the same root, which is translated in the
several passages where used " slander," "carry tales," "tale
bearer," but the precise word found in our passage is used four
times (Ezek. 28: 5; Ezek. 28: 18; Ezek. 26: 12; Ezek. 28: 16),
and is translated either "traffic "or "merchandise." All these
passages are in Ezekiel, and some of them it would be impossible to
translate by "slander." The word from which it is immediately
derived is used twice (Song of Solomon 3: 6; Ezek. 27: 20) and is
translated "merchant" (R.V. of Ezek. 27:20, "trafficker").
(8) V. 17 (a, b)— "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty,
thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: Satan's heart was lifted up be
cause of his beauty ; he corrupted his wisdom because of his
brightness. (Compare 1 Tim. 3: 6, R.V. Marg.)
(9) V. 16 — "Therefore have I cast thee as profane out of the moun
tain of God; and I have destroyed thee, O covering cherub, from the
midst of the stones of fire."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Satan shall be (or is} cast out of
the mountain of God and destroyed from the midst of the stones
of fire.
(10) V. 17 (c) — "I have cast thee to the ground, I have laid thee
before kings, that they may behold thee."
NINTH PROPOSITION: He shall be cast to the earth and made
a spectacle, and " turned to ashes" before kings and all that
behold. (V. 18.) (Compare Rev. 12: 9, 10; 2 Thess. 2: 8; Rev.
19:20.)
CHAPTER III.
THE ABODE AND WORK OF SATAN.
I. The Abode of Satan.
(1) Eph. 6: n, 12, R.V. — "Put on the whole armour of God, that
ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrest
ling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities,
against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against
the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places"
FIRST PROPOSITION: Satan and the principalities, the
powers^ the world-rulers of this darkness, the spiritual hosts of
wickedness are in the heavenly places, or heavenlies.
(Compare Job. i: 6 — "Now there was a day when the sons of God
came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also
among them." Rev. 12:9 — "And the great dragon was cast out,
that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceived the whole
world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out
with him.")
The prophecy of this latter verse seems to refer to a time
yet to come.
On the other hand we are told "God spared not angels when
they sinned, but cast them down to hell, etc." (2 Pet. 2: 4, R.V.)
However, it does not say, as in the Authorized Version " the
angels that sinned," which might imply all of them, but simply
"angels sinning," without specifying whether some or all.
(2) Job. 1:7 — "And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest
thou ? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and
fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."
SECOND PROPOSITION: Satan goes to and fro in the earth
and walks up and down in it.
(Compare i Pet. 5: 8— " Be sober, be vigilant; because your adver
sary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour.")
The earth seems to be the especial field of his activity. As
The Abode and Work of Satan 527
in the coming day, Christ and His Church, though heavenly beings,
will rule an earthly kingdom, so now Satan and his hosts, heavenly
beings, exercise their activity among an earthly people.
n. The Work of Satan.
(1) Gen. 3: 1-6 — " Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast
of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the
woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the
garden ? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the
fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in
the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither
shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman,
Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat
thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, know
ing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good
for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired
to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave
also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." (Compare Rev.
12: 9.)
FIRST PR OPOSITION: Satan is the author of sin in this world.
(2) Acts 10: 38 — "How Gcd anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing
all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."
Luke 13: 16 — "And ought not this woman, being a daughter of
Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed
from this bond on the Sabbath day " ?
SECOND PROPOSITION: Satan is the author of sickness.
(3) Heb. 2: 14 — "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that
through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that
is, the devil."
THIRD PROPOSITION: Satan has the power of death.
He is its author. Every cemetery and every funeral, and
every separation by death, owes its existence to the Devil.
(4) i Chron. ai: i, R.V. — " And Satan stood up against Israel, and
moved David to number Israel."
Matt. 4: i, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 — "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. . , . And when the
tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command
that these stones be made bread. . . . Then the devil taketh him
. up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and
J28 What the Bible Teaches
saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is
written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their
hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot
against a stone. . . . Again the devil taketh him up into an ex
ceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the
world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will
I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."
FOURTH PROPOSITION; The Devil tempts men to sin. He
is the "tempter." (Compare 1 Thess. 3: 5.)
(5) i Tim. 3: 7 — "Moreover he must have a good report of them
which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the
devil."
a Tim. 2: 26 — "And that they may recover themselves out of the
snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."
FIFTH PROPOSITION: The Devil lays snares for men.
(6) Acts 5: 3 — " But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled
thine heart, to keep back part of the price of the land ?"
Jno. 13: 2 — "And supper being ended, the devil having now put
into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: The Devil puts wicked purposes into
the hearts of men.
This is, of course, by their consent, or when they leave an
opening.
Eph. 4: 27 — "Neither give place to the devil." Jas. 4: 7 — "Sub
mit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you."
(7) Jno. 13: 27 — " And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then
said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The Devil personally enters into
men.
He caricatures God's work. (Jno. 14: 23. Compare also
Eph. 2: 2 with Phil. 2: 13.)
(8) 2 Cor. 4: 4, R.V. — " In whom the god of this world hath blinded
the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory
of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: Satan blinds the minds of the unbe
lieving that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is
the image of God, may not dawn upon them.
The Abode and Work of Satan 529
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to illuminate the minds of
men — especially believers — and reveal Jesus. It is the work of
the Evil One to blind the minds of men — especially unbelievers —
so that they cannot see the glory that is in Jesus. It is for each
individual to say to the work of which he will surrender himself.
The awful, almost incredible blindness of men who are intelligent
on other subjects to the simplest and plainest truth about Christ
is due to this blinding work of Satan.
(9) Mark 4: 15— "And these are they by the way side, where the
word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately,
and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts."
NINTH PROPOSITION: Satan taketh away the word out of
the hearts of those who hear it but do not understand and hold it
fast. (See Matt. 13: 19.)
Wherever the word is preached Satan is present, either in
person or through his agents, to snatch away the seed sown. It
is needful for us to pray God to keep guard over the seed
sown. It is also needful to hold fast to the truth we have heard
lest Satan snatch it away. (Luke 8: 15, R.V.) It is the work
of the Spirit to "bring to remembrance" what Christ has
spoken. (Jno. 14: 26.) It is the work of Satan to make men
forget it. The world and the flesh are quite ready to co-operate
with the Devil in this work.
(10) Matt. 13: 39 — "The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the
harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels."
TENTH PROPOSITION: The Devil sows tares in God's field.
The field here is the world (v. 38). Satan mixes his chil
dren up with God's. He does this also in the visible Church.
Satan is ever busy corrupting the Church and its doctrine. He
gets the woman to mix the leaven in the children's meal, and the
rotten stuff goes on putrefying, and all is fermented. (Com
pare Matt. 13: 33 and 1 Cor. 5:6, 7.)
(n) 2 Thess. 2: 9, 10, R.V — " Even he, whose coming is according
to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and
with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that are perishing; because
they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."
ELEVENTH PROPOSITION; Satan will give power to the
lawless one to utterly deceive the perishing, those who receive not
the love of truth.
530 What the Bible Teaches
Men can have truth or lies, whichever they prefer. If they
will to do God's will, He will give them truth (Jno. 7: 17, R.V.),
and the Spirit will guide them ultimately into all the truth.
(Jno. 16: 13, R.V.) But if men will not have truth Satan will
lead them step by step into all manner of delusion and falsehood.
(12) 2 Cor. n: 14, 15 — " And no marvel; for Satan himself is trans
formed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his
ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose
end shall be according to their works."
Rev. 3: 9 — "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan ,
which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make
them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have
loved thee."
TWELFTH PROPOSITION: Satan has his ministers and his
churches to carry on his work.
(13) 2 Cor. 12: 7 — "And lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a
thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should
be exalted above measure."
THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION: Satan, by his messengers,
buffets Gods servants.
This, however, results in good to them. It keeps them
humble and drives them to prayer. (Compare v. 8.)
(14) Zech. 3: i — " And he shewed me Joshua the high priest stand
ing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand
to resist him."
Dan. 10: 13 — "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood
me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes,
came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia."
FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION: Satan resists the servants of
God in the prosecution of their work.
(15) i Thess. 2 18, R.V.—" Because we would fain have come unto
you, I Paul once and again; and Satan hindered us."
FIFTEENTH PROPOSITION: Satan hinders Christ's servant*
in the carrying out of their desires.
But good may come of that. This hindering of Paul going
to Thessalonica gave to the saints there, and to coming genera
tions, this precious epistle.
The Abode and Work of Satan 531
(16) Luke 22:31 — "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold,
Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat."
SIXTEENTH PROPOSITION: Satan shakes Christ's disciples
up and sifts them.
Only good comes of this in the end. Simon came out of
Satan's merciless sieve purer wheat than he was before. Satan
simply succeeded in sifting some of the chaff out of him.
(Rom. 8:28.)
(17) Rev. 12:9, 10— "And the great dragon was cast out, that old
serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world:
he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ:
for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them be
fore our God day and night.
SEVENTEENTH PROPOSITION: Satan accuses the brethren
before God day and night.
The Greek word for "devil" means "traducer," "accuser,"
''slanderer." (Comp. Job. 1:6-9; 2:3-5.)
(18) Rev. 2: io—" Fear none of those things which thou shalt suf
fer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may
be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto
death, and I will give thee a crown of life."
EIGHTEENTH PROPOSITION: The Devil casts Christ's
servants into prison.
Only good need come of that. They are thus tried and puri.
Bed and obtain the crown of life.
CHAPTER IV,
OUR DUTY REGARDING THE DEVIL, AND HIS DESTINY
I. Our Duty Regarding the Devil.
(1) i Pet. 5: 8, R.V. — " Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour."
FIRST PROPOSITION: The fact of the Devil's existence, ac
tivity and %>ower should make us circumspect and watchful.
Carelessness and heedlessness are out of the question when
such an enemy is abroad.
(2) Eph. 4: 27 — " Neither give place to the devil."
SECOND PROPOSITION: We must give no place to the Devil.
He is ever seeking an opening. "We should see to it that he
gets none. The context (v. 26) suggests how such an opening is
often given — viz., by being angry and continuing in wrath. This
door into the heart is a favorite one with the Devil.
(3) Jas. 4: 7 — "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the
devil and he will flee from you. "
THIRD PROPOSITION: We should resist the Devil.
Though the Devil is strong it is ours in God's strength, and
by the power of the Word, to withstand him. (1 Jno. 2: 14.)
(4) Eph. 6: ii — " Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be
able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: We should put on the whole armor
of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the
Devil.
What that armor is, is fully described in vv. 14-18:
" Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and
having on the breast-plate of righteousness; and your feet shod
with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all taking the
shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery
Our Duty Regarding the Devil and His Destiny 533
darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always
with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching there
unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."
NOTE.— i Jno. 5: 18, R.V. — "We know that whosoever is begotten
of God sinneth not; but he that was begotten of God keepeth him, and
the evil one toucheth him not." Col. i: 13 — "Who hath delivered us
from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of
his dear Son. "
Christ omardeth and delivereth God's children from the Dev-
O
il's power. (Compare also Jno. 10: 28, 29.)
II. The Devil's Destiuy.
(1) Gen. 3: 14 — " And the LORD God said unto the serpent, because
thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every
beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat
all the days of thy life."
FIRST PROPOSITION: Ever since he tempted man, Satan has
been under an especial curse.
The serpent does not share in the coming redemption of the
animal world. 'He shall still eat dust. (Is. 65: 25.)
(2) Matt. 25: 41, R.V. — "Then shall he say also unto them on
the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is
prepared for the devil and his angels."
SECOND PROPOSITION: The eternal fire is prepared for the
Devil and his angels.
(3) i Jno. 3. 8 — "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the
devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God
was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."
THIRD PROPOSITION: The Son of God was manifested that
he might destroy the works of the Devil. Utter failure, disap
pointment and torment awaits him on every hand.
(4) Heb. 2: 14, R.V. — " Since then the children are sharers in flesh
and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same; that
through death he might bring to nought him that had the power of
death, that is, the devil."
FOURTH PROPOSITION: Jesus Christ has already brought
him to naught (or made him utterly ineffective) through His
death.
534 What the Bible Teaches
Satan's power was utterly undermined and doomed by the
death of Christ.
(5) Col. 2: 15, R.V.—" Having put off from himself the principali
ties and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over
them in it."
FIFTH PROPOSITION; Christ made an open show of Satan's
hosts and triumphed over them in the cross.
(6) Jno. 12: 31— " Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the
prince of this world be cast out."
SIXTH PROPOSITION: By Christ's death Satan, as the prince
of this world, was cast out.
His dominion received its death blow at Calvary. The act
ual casting out thus secured may be in the future, but the death
of Christ secured it and it is now assured. Potentially Satan is
already cast out. He is an already conquered enemy: Luke
10:18 — "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning
fall from heaven." He may bother us still, but he has got to go.
(8) Rom. 16: 20— " And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under
your feet shortly."
SEVENTH PROPOSITION: The God of peace shall bruise
Satan under our feet shortly.
The word translated "bruise" is a very strong word, mean
ing to " break" or " break in pieces."
(8) Rev. 20: 1-3, R.V. — "And I saw an angel coming down out of
heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and
Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the
abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him: that he should deceive the
nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after
this he must be loosed for a little time."
EIGHTH PROPOSITION: At the coming of Christ Satan shall
be bound with a great chain and cast into the abyss for a thou
sand years.
(g) Rev. 20: 7, 8 — "And when the thousand years are finished,
Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall come forth to deceive
the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog,
to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand
of the sea."
Our Duty Regarding the Devil and His Destiny 535
NINTH PROPOSITION': At the end of the thousand years
Satan shall for a little season be loosed out of his prison and
come forth to deceive the nations.
(10) Rev. 20: 10, R.V. — "And the devil that deceived them was
cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and
the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever
and ever."
TENTH PROPOSITION: Finally the Devil shall be cast into the
lake of fire and brimstone, and shall be tormented day and night
for ever and ever.
INDEX,
Attributes (Divine) of Christ: Om
nipotence, omniscience, omni
presence, eternity and immuta
bility, 70-74.
Ascension or Exaltation of Christ:
Manner, 187-190; results, 190-192.
Adoption: What it is, recipients,
time, proof, 336-339.
Assurance (the believer's) of salva
tion and eternal life: How we may
know, how to obtain this assur
ance, 479-484-
Angels: Nature and position, num
ber, abode, 501-505; work of
Angels, 506-509.
Baptism with the Holy Spirit, 269-
280.
Bible: What it teaches about God,
13-63; what it teaches about Jesus
Christ, 67-222; what it teaches
about the Holy Spirit, 225-289;
what it teaches about man, 293-
498; what it teaches about angels,
501-509; what it teaches about
the Devil, 513-535-
Christ (See under head of Jesus
Christ in this index).
Creation by Christ, 74.
Character of Jesus Christ: Holiness,
97-102. _
Compassion of Christ: How mani
fested, 123-127.
Coming again of Christ: Fact, 192-
195; importance of the doctrine,
195-197; manner, 197-205; results,
205-216; time, 216-219; questions,
219-222.
D
Divine names and attributes of
Christ, 67-70.
Divine offices of Christ: Creation,
preservation, forgiveness of sin,
75-84.
Divine worship to be given to Christ,
81.
Death of Christ: Importance, 144-
145; purpose, 146-149; for whom
did he die, 149-152; results, 152-
165-
Deity of the Holy Spirit: Divine at
tributes and works, 230-233.
Distinction of the Holy Spirit from
the Father and from his Son,
Jesus Christ, 234, 235.
The Devil (see the word Satan in
this index).
The Deity of Christ, 67-83.
E
Eternity of God, 21.
Eternity of Christ, 73.
Exaltation of Christ (see Ascension
in this index).
Faithfulness of God, 58; extent and
manifestation, 59-60.
Forgiveness of Sin by Christ, 75.
Fall of Man: Fact and result, 296, 297.
Future destiny of those who reject
the redemption that is in Jesus
Christ, 303-314.
Future destiny of believers, 485-498.
Faith: Meaning, saving faith, how
manifested, results, how to get
faith, relation of faith and repent
ance, 362-383.
G
GOD as Spirit, 13; Manifestations
of God, 14; The Unity of God, 18;
Nature of the Divine Unity, 18;
The Eternity of God, 22; Immuta
bility of God, 21 ; Omnipresence,
23; Personality, 26; God as Cre
ator, 27; present relation to the
World, 27; care and government,
28; Omnipotence of God, 31; lim
ited by his will, 32; Omniscience,
32; Holiness of God, 36; how
manifested, 37; Love of God, 42;
whom does God love, 42. Right-
538
Index
eousness of God, 48; how mani-
tested, 49. Mercy of God, 53;
Faithfulness of God, 58.
H
Holiness of God, 36; how manifested,
37; practical inferences from the
doctrine that God is holy, 40.
Human Nature of Christ: Names,
physical nature, parentage, limit
ations and relation to God, 89-96.
Holiness of Christ: What does it
mean and how is it manifested,
97-101; witnesses, 102.
Humility of Christ: Fact and man
ifestation, 141-143.
THE HOLY SPIRIT, 225-289; Per
sonality, personal qualities, acts
and office, 226-230; Deity, Divine
attributes, works, name, 230-233;
distinction of the Holy Spirit
from the Father and from his Son,
Jesus Christ, 234-235; names,
238-244; work, 245-289.
manifested; results, how attained,
388-392.
Love to man: What it is; objects of
Christian love; how love, how
manifested; importance, 393-407.
M
Mercy of God, 53; towards whom
and how is it manifested, 54-55.
Meekness of Christ, 139-141.
Man, 293-498: Original condition,
293-295; the fall, 296-297; present
standing before God, 298-302; fu
ture destiny, 303-314; justification,
3I5-3235 tne new birth, 324-335;
tion, 336-339; sanctification,
340-351; repentance, 352-361;
faith, 362-383; love to God, 384-
387; love to Christ, 388-392; love
to man, 393-407; prayer, 408-455;
thanksgiving, 456-470; worship,
471-478; assurance of salvation
and eternal life, 479-484; future
destiny of believers, 485-498.
Immutability of God, 21.
Immutability of Christ, 74.
Justice of God, 48; how manifested,
49.
JESUS CHRIST: Divinity, Divine
attributes, 67 70; divine offices,
75-84; subordination of the Son
to the Father, 85-88; human na
ture, 88-96; character, 97-143;
death, 144-165; resurrection, 166-
192; ascension or exaltation, 187-
192; second coming, 193-222.
Justification: Meaning, how are
men justified, extent, time, results,
315-323.
Love of God, 42: whom does God
love, 42; how is this love mani
fested, 44.
Loving-kindness of God, 53.
Love of Jesus Christ to God, the
Father, 103-107.
Love of Jesus Christ to men, mani
festations, 107-120.
Love of Christ for souls, 120-122.
Love to God: Importance, how man
ifested; results, how to get love to
God, 384-387-
Love to Christ: Importance, how
Names of the Holy Spirit, 238-244.
The New Birth: What it is, results,
necessity, manner, 324-335.
O
Omnipresence of God, 23.
Omnipotence of God, 30; limited by
his will, 31.
Omniscience of God, 32; what God
knows, 33.
Omnipotence, omniscience and om
nipresence of Christ, 70-73.
Offices (divine) of Christ, 75.
Original condition of man, creation,
intellectual and moral state, 293-
295-
Personality of God, 25.
Pray erf ulness of Christ: When, why,
with whom, what for ? 128-138.
Personality of the Holy Spirit. Qual
ities, acts, office, 225-229.
Present standing of man before God,
298-302.
Prayer: Who can pray so that God
will hear, 408-416; to whom to
pray, 416-418; for whom to pray,
418-423; when to pray, 424-428;
where and what, 428-445; how,
445-452; hinderances and results,
452-455-
Index
539
Righteousness of God, 48; how man
ifested, 480
Raising of the dead by Christ, 76;
subordination of the Son to the
Father, 85.
Resurrection of Christ: External and
internal proofs, circumstantial evi
dence, 166-175; the importance of
the resurrection, 176-178; manner,
178-180; results, 180-186.
Repentance: Importance, what it is,
how manifested, results, how ef
fected, 352-361.
S
Selfexistence of God, 22.
Sin: Forgiveness of sin by Christ,
75-
Subordination of the Son to the
Father, 85-88.
Second coming of Christ (see com
ing again of Christ in this index).
Subordination of the Spirit to the
Father and the Son, 236-237.
Sanctification: Meaning, how are
men sanctified, time, results, 340-
351-
Satan: Existence, nature, position
and character, 513-525; abode and
work of Satan, 526-531; duty re
garding the devil and his destiny,
532-535-
Sin through the fall of man, 296-297;
present condition of man through
sin, 298-302; future destiny of the
unbeliever and unrepentant, 303-
314-
Thanksgiving: Duty, to whom to give
thanks, acceptable thanks, 456-
461; for what to render thanks and
when to give them, 461-468; how
to return thanks, 468-470.
U
Unity of God, 18.
W
The work of the Holy Spirit: In the
universe, man and the believer
245-268; work of the Holy Spirit
in prophets and apostles, 281-
286; in Jesus Christ, 287-289.
Worship: What it is, whom to wor
ship, the duty, 471-474; where,
how, results, 475-478.
Work of Angels: Work in behalf of
the heirs of salvation, law given
through angels, presence with the
Lord at his corning, executioners
of God's wrath toward the wicked,
506-509.
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