If, as sinners, we have been at the feet of the Saviour discovering that, in spite of all our sins, He loves us and has died for us, then if we are to make spiritual progress_if we are to be "meet for the Master’s use and prepared unto every good work"_the one thing needful, as believers, is to take our place at His feet and hear His word.

This plain but important truth is brought before us in the scene described in the five closing verses of the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Journeying on His way to Jerusalem, the Lord came to a certain village, and we are told that a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house. She gladly opened her home to the Lord, and at once set herself to minister to His bodily needs. This indeed was right and beautiful in its place; and yet the story clearly shows that there was much of self in Martha’s service. She did not like to have all the burden of this service, and felt grieved that she was left to serve alone. There was one thing lacking in her service.

The one thing needful_the one thing that Martha missed_was to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word. She loved the Lord, and with all her energy she zealously set herself to serve the Lord; but her zeal was not according to knowledge. She set herself to work without having first been in the company of the Lord, and in communion with the Lord, and therefore without being instructed in the mind of the Lord through the word of the Lord. As a result she was distracted with much serving and "careful and troubled about many things," complaining about her sister, and even entertaining the thought that the Lord was indifferent to her labors.

Alas! do we not, at times, act like Martha? We may take up service according to our own thoughts, or under the direction of others. From morning to night we may busy ourselves in a continual round of activity, and yet neglect the one thing needful_to be alone with the Lord, and in communion with Him hear His word and learn His mind. Little wonder that we get distracted and "troubled about many things," and complain to others. How true it is that it is easier to spend whole days in a round of busy service, than half an hour alone with Jesus.

In Mary we see a believer who chose the "good part." Sometimes it is said that Mary chose the better part, as if Martha’s part was good, but Mary’s was better. It is not thus that the Lord speaks. He definitely says that Mary’s part was "that good part," for she chose the "one thing . . . needful"_to sit at His feet and hear His word.

Clearly, then, Mary had a keener perception of the desires of the heart of Christ than her sister. One has said, "Martha’s eye saw His weariness, and would give to Him; Mary’s faith apprehended His fulness and would draw from Him."

Martha thought of the Lord only as One who was requiring something from us; Mary discerned that, beyond all the service of which He is so worthy, the desire of His heart, and the great purpose of His coming into this world, was to communicate something to us. "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," and at the end of His path He could say, "I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me" (John 17:8). By the Word of God salvation is brought to us (Acts 13:26); by the Word of God we are born again (1 Pet. 1:23); by the Word of God we are cleansed from defilement (John 15:3); by the Word of God we are sanctified (John 17:17); and by the Word of God we are instructed in all the truth of God "that the man of God may be . . . , throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:15-17).

May we not say that Martha set herself to do good works without having been thoroughly furnished by the word of God? In Mary we learn that communion with Christ, and instruction in the word of Christ must precede all service that is acceptable to Christ. He delights that, in His own time and way, we should minister to Him; but, above all, He delights to have us in His company that He may minister to us.
Mary chose this good part and the Lord will not allow any complaints by her sister to belittle her choice_it shall not be taken from her. So, again, in the last days of the Church’s history on earth, the Lord commends the Philadelphians, not for any great activity that would give them a prominent place before the world, but that they had "kept His Word." Like Mary of old they set greater store on His Word than their works. It is not, indeed, that Mary was without works, for having chosen "that good part," in due time the Lord commends her for doing "a good work" (Matt. 26:10). So with the Philadelphian saints, the Lord who commended them for keeping His Word is the One who can say, "I know thy works."

Of old, Moses could say of the Lord, "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" (Deut. 33:3). This presents a lovely picture of the true position of God’s people_held in the hand of the Lord; sitting at the feet of the Lord; and listening to the words of the Lord. They are secure in His hand; at rest at His feet; and learning His mind. May we, then, choose this good part, and in due course do the good work.

The terms "predestination" and "election" are often used interchangeably. However, careful examination of the Scriptures reveals distinctive meanings and applications of these two words. "Election," meaning "choice," refers to God’s sovereign choice of certain individuals to be saved. "He hath chosen [or elected] us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Eph. 1:4). "God hath from the beginning [elected] you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" (2 Thess. 2:13). "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit" (1 Pet. 1:2). "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?" (Rom. 8:33).

Predestination refers to God’s determination that those thus chosen or elected to be saved should receive the further and higher blessing of becoming His sons and receiving His inheritance. God could very well have chosen us to be delivered from eternal punishment and live forever as His bondslaves. Surely we would be grateful for this much. But in His sovereignty, "according to the good pleasure of His will" (Eph. 1:5), He has brought us into a much higher and nearer position to Himself, "having predestinated us unto the adoption of children [or bringing into the position of sons]."

In the verse just quoted, we find that predestination specifically has to do with the blessing of sonship given to those who believe. The two other mentions of "predestination" in the New Testament are consistent with this. In Rom. 8:29,30 we find that God predestinated us "to be conformed to the image of His Son." Just think of it! God’s thoughts concerning us and desires for us are so high that He wants us to be His sons, and not only that, but also to be conformed to the image of His own Son. This is tremendous! It is difficult to conceive of such grace as this!

Now this does not mean that we are going to take on deity or the divine attributes such as omniscience, omnipotence, and the like; these are reserved for God_Father, Son, and Holy Spirit_alone. In what way, then, will we be conformed to the image of God’s Son? It is primarily, I would suggest, in the total removal of our sin nature (He never had one to begin with). Just as Christ is the holy, spotless, sinless, perfect Man, so we will be presented to Christ "not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but . . . holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:27; also 1:4). We shall become pure, even as He is pure (1 John 3:1-3). We shall become fully obedient to God’s commands and shall fully correspond to His aspirations for us. We shall finally respond fully to His desires that we have "all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love" (Eph. 4:2); that we "walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us" (Eph. 5:2); that we forgive "one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven [us]" (Eph. 4:32); that we be "holy in all manner of [behavior]," for God is holy (1 Pet. 1:15,16); that we "walk, even as He walked" (1 John 2:6). It is perhaps true that in heaven we will not need to be longsuffering and forgiving and forbearing since no offenses will be committed there. However, in heaven we will_praise the Lord!_be able freely to fellowship with saints who perhaps have greatly hurt or offended us in this present life, and whom we have never really been able to forgive. When we become fully Conformed to Christ’s image we will be as loving and forgiving toward others as Christ is toward us.

So we see that in addition to the many present blessings pertaining to our position as sons_for example, our assurance of a Father’s continual loving care for us and our liberty to bring our requests to Him at all times_there are additional blessings of our sonship that are yet future. This is further evidenced in Rom. 8:23:"We . . . groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption [or sonship], to wit, the redemption of our body." As long as we are in these present bodies, still possessing the sin nature, we will not fully enter into the blessings of our position as sons; we will not be fully conformed to the image of Christ. However, there is no reason to wait until we are "caught up together . . . in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" before experiencing any changes into that image. It should be the present experience of each child of God that as we grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, by reading and meditating upon the Scriptures that speak of His Person and work, we will become increasingly like that One. The apostle Paul expresses it this way:"We all, with open face beholding . . . the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory" (2 Cor. 3:18).

The third mention of "predestination" in the New Testament also has to do with our position before God as sons. "He hath . . . made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself:that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather 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" (Eph. 1:8-12). As sons of God we are "heirs:heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17). "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Gal. 4:7). So God has willed, has purposed, has predestinated that we who are saved should be sons; and another blessing of that sonship, in addition to being conformed to the image of God’s Son, is that we are to receive an inheritance prepared for us by God.

What is the nature of this inheritance? The apostle Paul prays that the eyes of our understanding might be enlightened, that we "may know what is the hope of His calling, and . . . the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints" (Eph. 1:18). So it is clearly God’s desire that we consider the nature and character of this inheritance.

Perhaps the clearest description of our inheritance in Christ is given in Eph. 1:10 already quoted:It consists of all things, both in heaven and on earth, gathered together in Christ. This is amplified in verses 20-22:God raised Christ "from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this [age], 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." Unlike our earthly possessions, our inheritance in Christ is "incorruptible, and undefiled, and [unfading], reserved in heaven for [us]" (1 Pet. 1:4).

Sin has come in to mar (though not totally) the beauty of God’s creation. Just as we groan, waiting for the redemption of our bodies by being delivered from that sin nature and all presence of surrounding sin (Rom. 8:23), so "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now" (verse 22) because of the wars, the violence, the conflicts, the pollution, the disorder brought in by sin. But the day is coming when God will "create new heavens and a new earth" (Isa. 65:17; Rev. 21:1). This may either be a re-creation and restoration of the universe to its original beauty and perfection, unmarred by sin; or else it will be something even more beautiful and glorious. In either case, all creation_all things in heaven and in earth_will be brought into entire subjection to Christ, and we, as sons, will inherit these things in Christ. Our reigning with Christ over the earth during the millenium no doubt is one aspect of this inheritance (Luke 19:12-19; Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:6). It is also conceivable that part of eternity will be spent exploring in depth the beauties_ both microscopic and telescopic_of God’s creation, with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator Himself, as our guide. No doubt we shall then learn fully what we have so far scarcely begun to appreciate, that "the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork" (Psa. 19:1).

In the prophetic scenes described in Rev. 4 and 5 we see the twenty-four elders both worshipping God for His creation (4:11; see also 14:7), and worshipping the Lamb who was slain (5:12). No doubt our chief occupation in heaven will be communing with our Lord and Saviour about His death on our behalf and His infinite grace and longsuffering toward us throughout our life on earth, and joining together with our fellow saints in worshipping the Lamb who was slain and is now risen and glorified. Our present-day commemoration of His death through the symbols of the bread and wine will give way to a continual, eternal commemoration with Himself personally in our midst, where we will behold the scars on His hands, His feet, and His side. In addition, as the teaching concerning our sonship and inheritance suggests, and confirmed by the prophetic scene in Rev. 4, another major occupation of God’s people in heaven will be learning about God’s creation from the Creator Himself; worshipping the Creator for His wisdom, power, and handiwork; and joining with the Creator in possessing and ruling over that creation. Meditation upon these precious promises of all that will be ours to enjoy throughout eternity will surely direct our hearts and thoughts "to the praise of His glory" (Eph. 1:11,14).

It is the practical experience of the apostle Paul’s heart in connection with Christ that is so marked in verse 20. The heart of a believer attentive to the Spirit’s teaching must feel that one cannot read this verse without seeing that Paul had a practical connection with the Nazarene in heaven, that he believed in a Christ who was not in heaven only, but in his own soul, so that he could think of nothing but this Christ. That which would not be joy to the heart of Christ, he as a believer in Christ could not joy in; and that which had Christ for its object could not do otherwise than turn to his salvation, through prayer and the supply of the Spirit. His only thought in everything was that Christ should be magnified in his body, whether by life or death (verse 20). This occupied his whole heart; and you and I may realize it as much as he did.

Can you and I say that we have only one simple desire; that is, that through us Christ should be magnified? To magnify anything is to make it appear larger than it is; that could not be so in connection with Christ. But Paul wanted all to shine out in him, so that Christ should be magnified through him_so shine out that all should be able to say, "What a marvelous thing! there is a man so spending his life for Christ that he does not care to live if he can but magnify Christ by his death! What a marvelous Person that Christ must be!"

Paul had the expectation that through him Christ should be glorified now in the wilderness, that now Christ should be magnified. The love of Christ constrained him, drew him along in the path after Christ. Oh, what manifestation of Christ it is when the display of His handiwork is seen in a Saul of Tarsus, the oil of anointing so flowing down to the servant that it could be said of that servant, "Like Master, like servant!" What a blessed servant this servant of Christ is in a dungeon, not knowing whether he was to live or die, occupied only with the one thought of glorifying Christ there, of being a fellow helper with Him down here! Whether his feet are in fetters or not, he could say, "It is Christ I have for my portion in this dungeon; and whether I am here for life or death, it is my earnest expectation and hope that Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death."

To what extent have we become fellow workers with Paul? To what degree are we maintaining our Nazariteship and living out Christ so that, whatever our circumstances, the power of the life of Christ in us may be seen as in Paul? How far is seen in us, from day to day, the mind of Christ? The same mind that led Him down, even to the death of the cross, is the mind that we ought to have. We are to let the power of the grace that found us, and gave us life, tell its own tale by the manifestation of that life in all our circumstances in our wilderness path.

(Editor’s note:The following remarks to mothers would apply no less to fathers, though we believe that generally the mother exerts the greater influence of the two upon the children.)

No one can adequately estimate a mother’s influence in the household and over her children either for good or ill. It has been said that the first book every child reads, and the last to be laid aside, is the conduct of its mother.

The mother will feel her need of private prayer that God may give her daily wisdom, so that by words, by example, and by the whole current of her life she may be a model of what she would wish her children to be. Nor will she fail to arrange the affairs of the household that the reading of the Scriptures and family prayer will not fall through for want of time. Even where there is great rush and pressure a little method can do much. A few minutes spent together in the sanctuary of God’s presence may yield gracious help all the day.

A wise mother will be careful not to give her children thoughtless commands, but when a command is given she will kindly but firmly insist on prompt obedience. She will not hastily threaten, as some mothers are apt to do, but first ask herself whether she intends to carry out her threat if disobeyed. If not, she will see it to be a thousand times better not to threaten at all.

A sensible mother will never correct her child until she is sure the child deserves correction. The child’s story will first be heard_the whole of it_and if scolding is needed the scolding will be given, but not in the presence of others, if it can be helped. Nor should a child ever be deceived, and when a promise is made it should be faithfully kept.

There are many worries, cares, and anxieties in a mother’s life that are not always sufficiently considered, and which even the husband and father knows nothing of. A little sympathy or an appreciative word by the husband will sometimes do wonders. But the well-being of the family largely depends on God’s order being recognized. He speaks in His Word of wives and husband, children and parents, servants and masters, and tells us what is right and proper for each (Eph. 5:22-6:9). If the directions of God are followed, then His glory and our happiness are secured; but if unheeded, we need not wonder if many things go wrong.

"Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh" (2 Cor. 4:10,11).

This fourth chapter of 2 Corinthians is the apostle Paul’s statement of power for ministry. He shows us in these stirring verses that God is not looking for brilliant men, is not depending upon eloquent men, is not shut up to the use of talented men in sending His gospel out into the world. God is looking for broken men, for men who have judged themselves in the light of the cross of Christ. When He wants anything done, He takes up men who have come to an end of themselves, and whose trust and confidence is not in themselves but in God.

There were those who were calling in question the apostle-ship of Paul himself, for he did not seem to them to be what an apostle, according to their estimation of the office, ought to be. There was not the pomp nor the dignity they would expect; he did not come to them with great swelling words; there was no making anything of what he was after the flesh; no drawing attention to his natural ability or education; and in this the method of the apostle Paul was in very vivid contrast to the method pursued by many today who pose as servants of our Lord Jesus Christ. This man went through the world a broken man, a lowly man, a man seeking only the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and the blessing of souls, a man who might have occupied a very high place among the great and distinguished of earth. But he was a man who for Jesus’ sake had turned his back upon all that, and could say, "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" (Gal. 6:14). That cross spoke of the deepest shame and ignominy, and Paul gloried in it because through the work that took place upon it his soul had been saved, and he had learned that the preaching of the cross, while it is "to them that perish foolishness," is "unto us which are saved the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18). And so he went forth content to be broken in order that the light of the grace of God might shine out.

You will notice in verse 6 (2 Cor. 4) that "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." It is easy to see what he has in mind. He is thinking undoubtedly of that very striking incident of which we read in Judges, when Gideon and his three hundred men took their lives in their hands, were delivered unto death, as it were, and went forth against the vast armies of the Midianites. Surely no other army was accoutered as this one. They carried in one hand a trumpet, and in the other a pitcher, and in this pitcher was a lamp. The light of the lamp was not seen though it was already lit. It was not seen as long as it was in the earthen jar. They surrounded the army of the Midianites in the middle of the night, and suddenly at the command of their leader the jars were crashed to earth, and the light shone out, and the Midianites sprang up startled. They heard the crash and saw the light, and thought that they were surrounded by a tremendous army, and they turned their swords upon one another. It was God through Gideon that led the army to victory. A broken pitcher in order that light might shine out! The apostle says, as it were, "That is it! If you want to be a light for God in a world like this, be content to be broken, to have your hopes, your ambitions, all dashed to pieces, and then God can take you up and use you in order to carry the light of Christ to darkened hearts."

How are we broken? By affliction, by trouble, by the discipline of the Lord, sometimes by sickness, by pain and anguish. All these are the divine methods for breaking God’s pitchers in order that the light may shine out to His praise and glory. Men may misjudge us, misrepresent us, persecute us bitterly; we may not have enough food to eat or water to drink; we may be cast down; we may suffer all kinds of sorrows; but it is all right if it breaks us in order that God may be able the better to use us. And so he says, "We are troubled on every side, but not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed"; for in all these experiences we are simply "bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our body." He "came from Godhead’s fullest glory down to Calvary’s depth of woe."

We sometimes sing a little hymn that always stirs the heart. I remember hearing Dr. Torrey say that he believed of all the hymns that were used in his great meetings around the world, it was the one that seemed to be most blessed of God to the people. It is:

"I surrender all,
I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour,
I surrender all."

But that hymn never had the appeal it ought to have for my own heart until one day I found myself changing that chorus. I was thinking of Him who though He was "in the form of God, thought equality with God not a thing to be grasped; 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" (Phil. 2:6-8). And as my heart was occupied with Him, 1 found myself singing these words:

"He surrendered all,
He surrendered all,
All for me, my blessed Saviour,
He surrendered all."

And then my heart said, "O Lord, it will be easy to sing it the other way now, for what have I to give up, to surrender, in comparison with what Thou didst give up in order to redeem my guilty soul from going down to the pit?" It is as you and I realize from day to day what it all meant to Him that we can bear about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus:dying day by day to our own hopes and ambitions, dying to the good opinion of people, dying to human praise and adulation, to everything that the natural heart grasps, dying in the death of Jesus to it all, because He died for us in order that the life of Jesus may be made manifest in our body.

You will notice that verses 10 and 11 are very much alike, and yet the great difference is this:verse 10 suggests something that we do deliberately, consciously, whereas verse 1.1 is something that God does for us. What is it we are called to do? "Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus"_reminding ourselves every day that Jesus died for us, and because He died for us we are gladly to put ourselves in the place of death for Him.

Looking back to the cross the apostle Paul could say, "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, 1 live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). But this has to be put into practice daily by putting my tastes and ambitions in the place of death. That is my part. But here is God’s part:"We which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." You tell God that you are willing to take the place of death with Christ, and He will see that it is made good; you tell God you are going to trust Him, and He will test your faith and show you what it means to trust Him; you tell Him that you are ready to surrender everything to Him, and He will put you in the place where you will begin to find out what full surrender really means. I do not know of anything that it seems should have such an appeal to the Christian heart along this line as the frequent remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ in His death, and 1 think it is because He realized that it is so easy for us to forget, that He said to His disciples when He gave them this memorial feast, "This do in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19). And the Holy Ghost said, "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come" (1 Cor. 11:26). Every time we are called upon thus to remember the Lord it is a new challenge to ask ourselves, "Am I simply remembering Him in a cold, formal, intellectual way because it is customary, or am I truly in heart remembering the One who went down beneath the dark waters of death for me, and am I truly ready now to always bear about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus?"

What a poor thing it is to come together in assemblies to participate in the communion of the Lord’s Supper and then go out from the building and forget what it all really means, forget that our Saviour died, that we are linked up with the One who died, and that He has left us an example that we should follow His steps_that is, we should always bear about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. This seems to me to be linked very intimately with several Old Testament references to which our attention is drawn in Hebrews 11. We read, "By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel, and gave commandment concerning his bones" (Heb. 11:22). Did you ever stop and ask why the Holy Spirit selected that particular incident to dwell upon? He has instanced something that you and I would probably have passed over altogether. What did Joseph do? "Gave commandment concerning his bones." In Gen. 50:25 we read where Joseph, talking to the children of Israel, says, "God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt." That is the close of the Book of Genesis. What an odd way to close the book! But God wants us to think about the bones of Joseph. They are there in a coffin in Egypt, but they are to be carried to Canaan. In Exodus 13 we find that the children of Israel who have been sheltered by the blood of the passover lamb are now starting out for Canaan, and we read, "Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you" (Exod, 13:19). Who was Joseph? He was the saviour of Israel. If it had not been for him they would have all been destroyed in the famine; but he was their saviour, and now he says, "When you leave Egypt to go to Canaan, you carry my bones with you." When they left, they were very careful to do as they were told, and all the way across the sands of the desert wherever that great caravan went they were always bearing about in the body the dying of Joseph.

By and by when they reached the land, when they got to the place that God Himself had selected for them, we are told, "The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for an hundred pieces of silver; and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph" (Josh. 24:32). There was no need to carry the bones of Joseph through the wilderness any more, for they were at home now. And, beloved, you and I are passing on through the wilderness of this world. We will soon be home, but until we reach there we are called upon to bear about in the body the dying of Jesus, and as we remember Him in the breaking of bread and the drinking of the cup, we should challenge our own hearts:Are we simply looking objectively toward that cross and saying, "There our Saviour died," or are we seeking day by day to practically make it manifest that His death means more to us than all that this world glories in?

(In Help and Food, Vol. 49.)

"Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath; neither give place to the devil." This verse has perplexed many people. Some imagine that it is always wrong to be angry. However, there are circumstances under which it would be very wrong not to be angry. Our blessed Lord, who was absolutely perfect in His humanity, was angry on more than one occasion. He saw the pretentious Pharisees going in and out of the temple of God with a great air of sanctity, and yet He knew some of them held mortgages on widows’ homes, and when occasion arose they foreclosed on them and turned them out into the streets because they could not meet their obligations. Our Lord’s indignation was aroused, His anger flamed up, and He said, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer:therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation" (Matt. 23:14). If my spirit would not be stirred to indignation by anything of the kind today, I am not the sort of Christian I ought to be. If I were to see a great brute of a fellow abusing a little child and were to pass by with a sweet, simpering smile that says, "Oh, well, everything will be okay, all things work together for good," and would not be stirred to anger, I would be a cad and not a Christian. There is an anger that is righteous. We read that our Lord Jesus on one occasion "looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts." How, then, am I to be angry and sin not? One has put it this way:"I am determined so to be angry as not to sin, therefore to be angry at nothing but sin."

The moment self comes in, my anger is sinful. You do me a wrong and I flare with anger. That is sin. But you blaspheme the name of my Saviour and if I am not stirred to anger, that is sin. If I am wholly reconciled as I should be, it will arouse my indignation when I hear His name blasphemed, or see the truth dragged in the dust. But so far as offenses against myself are concerned, I am to suffer all things, I am to endure all things. Men may count me as the off scouring of the earth, they may do the worst they can against me, but if I become angry, I sin, for self is the object there.

Who is there then that is sinless? No one. That is why He says, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." If you are stirred to sinful anger, if you flare up, see then that you do not retire to your bed at night before you confess your sin. If you have given vent to indignation before another, see that you confess it to him. Many people have said to me, "I have such a bad temper. I have tried so hard to overcome it, but I get angry and say things that I regret afterwards, and I make up my mind never to do it again, but I am sure to fail." I usually ask this question, "Do you make it a practice, when you have given utterance to angry exclamation, to go to the person before whom you have sinned and confess it?" Sometimes I get this answer, "No, I never cherish anything; I flare up, and then it is all over." Yes, but the memory is not all over. The other person remembers it. If every time you sin through anger you would go immediately to the one sinned against, and confess and ask forgiveness, you would soon get tired of going so often and you would put a check upon yourself. It would not be so easy to fly off the handle. But as long as you can flare up and pay no attention to it, or, while you may confess it to God you do not do so to your brother, you will find the habit growing on you.

This expression, "Be ye angry, and sin not," is a direct quotation from the Septuagint translation of Psalm 4:4. Our English version reads, "Stand in awe, and sin not; commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still." The Hebrew word translated "stand in awe" is a word that means "tremble," and our translators made it, "Stand in awe"_tremble at the presence of God. But that is not necessarily all that it means. The Septuagint made it read, "Be ye angry, and sin not." These words were probably recorded at the time that David was fleeing from Absalom, his own son, and his heart was stirred as he thought of the unfilial character of his son’s behavior. That son for whom he had so often prayed was bringing dishonor upon the name of the Lord, and it moved his heart to indignation. But he said, "I am not going to sleep tonight until all that indignation is quieted down. I am angry, but will not sin; I will commune with my own heart upon my bed and be still." So just get quietly into the presence of God and then you will be able to look at things from a right standpoint. As you think of your own failures, of the many, many times that God in grace has had to forgive you, it will make you very lenient as you think of the failures of others. Instead of getting up on the judgment seat and judging another believer, it will lead you to self-judgment and that will bring you blessing, whereas the other is only harmful to your own spiritual life.

"Let not the sun go down upon your wrath; neither give place to the devil." Why? Because anger cherished becomes malice, and Satan works through a malicious spirit. He seeks to get control of Christians and have them act in malice toward fellow-believers. All this grieves the Holy Spirit of God. These are searching things, and we each have to take them for ourselves. "The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12). Let us not avoid it but face it honestly.

(From Ephesians.)

The doctrine of the resurrection of Christ is not merely one of the many tenets of the Christian faith. Without the resurrection, Christ’s death on the cross would have been void of meaning and there would be no Christian religion today.

Belief in the resurrection of Christ is essential for our salvation (Rom. 10:9). His resurrection is the basis of our justification (Rom. 4:25). Whenever the apostles preached the gospel they brought in the fact of the resurrection (Acts 2:24,32; 3:15; 4:10; 10:40; 13:30; 17:31). The resurrection was also a proof that Jesus Christ was indeed who He claimed to be, namely, the co-equal Son of God (Matt. 27:54). Furthermore, if Christ had not risen from the dead:(1) our faith would be in vain (1 Cor. 15:14); (2) we would still be in our sins (15:17); (3) there would be no resurrection of the dead (15:12,20); (4) we could not have the promise of His coming again for us (John 14:1-3); (5) the Holy Spirit would not have come down (John 7:39; Acts 2:33); (6) there would be no Church (Eph. 1:20-22; Col. 1:18).

Since the resurrection of Christ is so central to the Christian faith, it is important that each believer have a clear understanding of the evidences for the resurrection. This is because Satan would like nothing better than to shake our faith in the resurrection of Christ. Satan has many human servants_some even in the guise of Christian ministers and leaders_who are active in spreading doubts in people’s minds as to the reality of Christ’s resurrection. A number of false theories as to the resurrection have been propounded in order to relieve people of their obligation to place their faith in Christ, or else to relieve them of any guilt feelings or anxiety for not having accepted Christ as Saviour and Lord. Therefore, both to strengthen ourselves against this satanic propaganda as well as to enable us to help bring the truth to others caught up in it, we do well to refresh our minds as to the scriptural evidences for the resurrection of Christ.

First we will consider ten important scriptural facts relating to the resurrection of Christ. Then, in a later issue, we will discuss four false theories concerning the resurrection and how these can be thoroughly refuted by Scripture.

Ten Facts Relating to the Resurrection of Christ

1. Jesus prophesied His own resurrection. The frequent statements by Jesus that He was going to die were not remarkable. However, He never predicted His death without also speaking of being raised again; and in most cases He specifically claimed that He would rise the third day (Matt. 12:38-40; 16:21; 17:9; 17:23; 20:17-19; 26:32; 27:63; John 2:18-22). By making such predictions Jesus laid Himself wide open:if His predictions about His death and resurrection had not come to pass either He would have been quickly forgotten about or He would have gone down in history as a fool and deluded person, not as a great teacher.

2. He was pronounced dead. "When [the soldiers] came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs" (John 19:33). But in case there had been any mistaking that Jesus was truly dead, "one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water" (19:34). Several hours later Pilate gave the body to Joseph of Arimathea for burial after receiving confirmation from the centurion that Jesus had been dead for some while (Mark 15:43-45).

3. He was wrapped in cloth with spices. Nicodemus brought a hundred litra (equaling about 70 pounds avoirdupois) mixture of myrrh and aloes, and he and Joseph took "the body of Jesus and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury" (John 19:39-40). The spices were wrapped up in the various layers of cloth that were wound about the body.

4. The tomb was sealed. It is notable that the chief priests and Pharisees gave more credence to Jesus’ predictions than did the disciples. They went to Pilate, saying, "We remember that deceiver said, while He was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead. … So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch" (Matt. 27:62-66). The sealing of the tomb went beyond placing a large rock at the entrance. To protect against collusion between the disciples and the guards, some sort of seal was placed on the rock_perhaps a cord stretched over the rock with a wax or clay seal with the governor’s imprint securing it to the sides of the tomb (see Dan. 6:17 for a similar occurrence). Thus, if anyone tried to move the stone the seal would be broken and Roman law would have been violated.

5. The stone was taken away. The stone was not rolled away so that Jesus could come out, but rather to display an empty tomb (Matt. 28:2-4).

6. The tomb was empty. The fact that the tomb was empty was witnessed by the two Mary’s (Matt. 28:6-8), Peter and John (John 20:3-8), and the men guarding the tomb (Matt. 28:4,11-13). The fact of Christ’s resurrection was preached by the disciples in Jerusalem, not far from the tomb. There were plenty of people around who very much wanted this talk of the resurrection to cease. So if the body of Jesus had still been in the tomb, surely someone would have produced the body and silenced the preachers of the resurrection.

7. The tomb was not quite empty. The grave clothes were still in the tomb_all wrapped up the way they had been wound around the head and body (Luke 23:53; John 20:6,7). If the body had been stolen, the thieves would hardly have taken the time and effort to unwrap the body in the tomb; or else they would have left the linen cloths and the spices lying in a heap. They probably could not have re-wrapped the cloths the way they had originally been wound about the head and body if they had tried. The appearance of the manner in which the grave clothes were lying on the floor of the tomb-suggesting that the body had miraculously passed through the clothes without disturbing them_was so striking that John immediately believed the resurrection when he saw it (John 20:8).

8. Jesus appeared to many witnesses following the resurrection. He appeared to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9; John 20:16), to Mary Magdalene and another Mary (Matt. 28:9), to Peter (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5), to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Mark 16:12; Luke 24:13-31), to the ten disciples in Jerusalem on the resurrection day (Luke 24:36; John 20:19), to the eleven disciples in Jerusalem a week later (John 20:24-26), to the seven disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1-14); to the eleven disciples in a mountain in Galilee (Matt. 28:16), to over 500 brethren at once (1 Cor. 15:6), and to James (1 Cor. 15:7). Finally, the eleven disciples witnessed Christ’s ascension into heaven (Acts 1:4-13; 1 Cor. 15:7). Later, the apostle Paul, who probably never saw Jesus on earth, was caught up to the third heaven and saw Him there (1 Cor. 15:8; 2 Cor. 12:2). So for any who would question the veracity of the resurrection, there were many people who could attest to having seen Jesus following His death and resurrection. Even some 26 years later, the apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth that of the 500 or more eyewitnesses of the risen Christ, "the greater part remain unto the present" (1 Cor. 15:6), should there be any doubters among them who desired proof of the resurrection.

9. The disciples’ lives were transformed. Prior to knowledge of the resurrection, "the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews" (John 20:19). Furthermore, during the crucifixion, Peter three times denied knowing Jesus out of fear of being subjected to the same treatment given to Christ (Luke 22:54-61). Following the post-resurrection appearings of the Lord to them, the disciples became very bold and forward in their testimony for Christ. On the day of Pentecost, Peter, with the eleven other disciples standing with him, boldly proclaimed to the Jews the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ_Israel’s Messiah (Acts 2:14-41). Shortly afterward, Peter had the gall and temerity to proclaim to another assembly of Jews, "Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead" (Acts 3:14,15). When Peter and John were arrested because of their preaching, Peter boldly spoke of Christ to the authorities. As a result, "They saw the boldness of Peter and John, and . . . marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13,14). What but the resurrection of Christ could have transformed the fearful, cowardly disciples into fearless, courageous witnesses for Christ?

10. The sabbath was replaced by the first day of the week as the day of worship. The Jewish people were, and still are, strongly attached to the sabbath, the seventh day of the week or Saturday, as their holy day, their day of worship. After all, they had been enjoined in the Ten Commandments to "remember the sabbath day to keep it holy (Exod. 20:8). There had to have been a most profound, stupendous occurrence or revelation to have persuaded the early Christians_ all brought up in the Jewish religion_to abandon the sabbath and start meeting together on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). That occurrence and revelation was the resurrection of Christ. Because of the centrality of the resurrection to the Christian faith, the first day of the week_that day on which Christ rose from the dead_has replaced the sabbath as the day set aside for the worship of God and remembrance of Christ.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, a number of false theories have been propounded to explain away the resurrection. These include the following:

1. Christ never actually died on the cross, but only swooned.

2. The body was stolen away by the disciples.

3. All of Christ’s supposed post-resurrection appearances were only hallucinations.

4. Everyone went to the wrong tomb; the empty tomb was not the one Christ was buried in.

Homework Assignment:Using the ten scriptural facts pertaining to the resurrection discussed in this article plus other scriptural facts and any other arguments you can think of, list the points you would use in refuting each of the false theories concerning the resurrection. An award will be given to each person who completes this assignment and submits it to the editor postmarked no later than April 20, 1986. A special prize will be awarded for the entry which, in the editor’s judgment, presents the clearest, most logical, most scripturally sound arguments.

In the next issue, Lord willing, we shall discuss the arguments that refute each of the false theories concerning the resurrection.

FRAGMENT
The Lord is risen! with Him we also rose,
And in His grave see vanquished all our foes.
The Lord is risen! beyond the judgment land,
In Him, in resurrection-life we stand.

The Holy Scriptures tell us of two ways of provoking or being provoked:having a provoked spirit and provoking one another unto love and to good works.

We may learn from what is recorded of Moses how displeasing a provoked spirit is to the Lord. Moses was the meekest man on earth, and when Israel had turned to idolatry and the Lord was prepared to destroy them and raise up of Moses a people for His name, Moses made that lovely plea for them, "If Thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book" (Exod. 32:32).

Yet when the Lord’s people were about to enter the promised land, the crowning glory of Moses’ life_to lead them into that land_was denied him. He could not enter the promised land because on one occasion he was provoked in spirit and spoke unadvisedly with his lips (Psa. 106:33). He called them "rebels." God will not allow any charge against His people.

When Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, the false prophet had to acknowledge, "How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed? . . . He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel" (Num. 23:8,21).

As with Israel then, so it is with the Lord’s people today. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God who justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?" (Rom. 8:33,34).

There will never be a provoked spirit while the love of God constrains us, for love suffers long and is kind, is not easily provoked (1 Cor. 13:4,5). If our spirit is not provoked, we are free to provoke in a much more positive, profitable way:"Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works" (Heb. 10:24). How shall we provoke unto love? By loving, for love begets love; and doing good works encourages others to do the same.

The first four commandments have to do with man’s relationship with God. In the first commandment, we are to acknowledge God as unique, not one of many gods. In the second, we are to own that He is a Spirit-being and cannot be represented by any images of man’s making. Also, He is the self-existent One, the uncreated Creator of all things. As such He is the One whom we are to worship and listen to and take directions from. We are not to worship any images fashioned by man’s hands or put any created being in the place of God Himself as an object of worship or source of direction or authority.

The third commandment recognizes God’s holiness. We are to use His name in a holy, reverent way at all times, and never use it in a vain or empty way. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain" (Exod. 20:7). One way of taking God’s name in vain was to use it to back up an oath, and then not carry out the oath. God’s people were further warned about this in Lev. 19:12:"Ye shall not swear by My name falsely." The Lord Jesus takes this matter a step further in His Sermon on the Mount:"Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths. But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool. . . . But let your communication be, Yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil" (Matt. 5:33-37; see also Jas. 5:12). In other words, the people were being asked to develop reputations for being truthful, honest, and reliable. When we make a statement or say we will do something, we should not have to appeal to God to verify our word or make it good. If our truthfulness is questioned, perhaps our response needs to be a humble admission of past failures in speaking the truth and asking forgiveness and forbearance while we seek, with God’s help, to rebuild a reputation for truthfulness.

Have you ever heard one_perhaps even yourself_say:"By God, I’m going to do such and such if it’s the last thing I do!" Such a person is using God’s name in a vain, dishonoring way. What if it is not God’s will that the person do "such and such"? Then it is vain to bring God’s name into the matter. And if, perchance, it is God’s will that the thing be done, is it not better to state something like the following:"If such and such be God’s will, I will do it with His help and strength and according to His timing."

God’s name, and the names of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, are very popular in the world today. Those names can be heard very frequently at school, at work, on radio and television, while walking down a busy street, and at most public places. "O my God!" is a particularly common expletive today with little children and adults alike. Sadly, there is not the least thought of the supreme, almighty, holy God by the vast majority of people who use His name in this way. They are but empty words. His name is used in a vain or empty way with no thought whatever of the majesty of the One who owns that precious name. If a co-worker or fellow student were to start deliberately using your name or the name of one of your parents in the same common, empty way many people use the name of God, you no doubt would be deeply offended and outraged. Can you imagine, then, how God feels when His name is used in such a way?

While we, as Christians, may be careful not to use the names of God and Christ in vain in an overt manner, we must be careful to guard against the tendency to employ various euphemisms for these names, such as "gee," "gosh," "golly," and many others. Even expressions such as "for goodness’ sake," which is a euphemism’ for "for God’s sake," should be avoided in our speech.

The New Testament parallel to the third commandment is found in the prayer the Lord gave to His disciples:"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name" (Matt. 6:9). God’s name is holy (Psa. 111:9; Isa. 57:15) and pure. May we be careful to use that name in a way that will maintain its holiness and purity. This goes far beyond the simple avoidance of using the names of God, and euphemisms thereof, in an empty way. It means that whenever we mention the name of God or the name of Jesus Christ to another person, for example, while sharing the gospel or telling what great things God has done for us, we need to be very careful not to say or do anything to that person that would cause the person to get the wrong impression of God or cause the name of God to be blasphemed through us (Rom. 2:24). Waiters and waitresses have reported that people who leave gospel tracts for them tend to be the stingiest tippers. If we are going to speak to others about God_either verbally or through gospel literature_let us seek to reinforce that testimony with a manifestation of some of the attributes of God_ for example, goodness, love, longsuffering, fairness, holiness_in our actions and attitudes toward them. Otherwise, we will be guilty of taking the name of the Lord in vain_ using it in an empty, misleading, and possibly even destructive way.

"Wherefore also we pray always for you . . . that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 1:11,12).

The testimony of Scripture is as distinct as possible. It never speaks of God’s being reconciled to us. "If, when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son" (Rom. 5:10). It does not say that God was reconciled to us. The death of Christ was essential to the reconciliation; but man was the enemy of God and needed to be reconciled. So we read, in Colossians 1:21, "And you who were sometime alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled." The ground of this is stated in the previous verse to be "the blood of His cross." So also, in 2 Corinthians 5, "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself." It does not say "reconciling Himself to the world."

Thus, to anyone who bows to Scripture, the truth is as clear as a sunbeam. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." "It pleased the Lord to bruise Him." It is of the utmost importance to maintain the true aspect of God’s nature and character in the presentation of the gospel. To say that "Christ died to reconcile the Father to us" is to falsify the divine character as seen in the mission and death of His Son. God was not man’s enemy but his friend. True, sin had to be condemned; God’s truth, holiness, and majesty had to be vindicated. All this was accomplished, in a divine way, in the cross where we see at the same time God’s hatred of sin and His love to the sinner. Atonement is the necessary basis of reconciliation; but it is of very great importance to see that it is God who reconciles us to Himself. This He does, blessed be His name, at no less a cost than "the death of His Son." Such was His love to man_His kindness, His goodness, His deep compassion_that, when there was no other way possible, sin being in question, in which man, the guilty and enemy and rebel could be reconciled to Him, He gave His Son from His bosom, and bruised Him on Calvary’s cursed tree. Eternal and universal praise to His name!

(From Short Papers, Vol. 2.)

Perfect eternal rest_ever to serve, adore Thee!
During the endless day, Thee, Lord, Thy saints shall praise.
Rapt, in mute ecstasy, casting their crowns before Thee,
Prone at Thy feet they fall, anthems of joy to raise!

Thee shall we contemplate_gaze on Thy face adoring,
Saviour and Bridegroom-Lord, Beauty Supreme above!
Sounding the soundless depths, measureless heights exploring_
Heights of Thy peerless grace, depths of Thy boundless love!

Jesus, from Thee alone borrowing light transcendent_
Sun, Thou, of righteousness, lending Thy lustrous rays_
Radiant, Thy bride shall wear, through the long age resplendent,
Glory immaculate, Thine own perfections’ blaze!

Us wilt Thou contemplate_pearl of Thy heart’s deep longing,
Travail of Thy lone soul, fruit of Thy wondrous cross!
Then wilt Thou rest in love! Thou wilt rejoice with singing,
Rest in triumphant love, singing for joy o’er us!

"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. And you, who were sometime 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" (Col. 1:19-22).

Man, in his natural state, was utterly hostile, alienated from God, dead. No moral glory even of the Godhead in Christ could win him back. A deeper work was needed:"Having made peace by the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself." All creation was ruined in the fall; and here we have the vast plan of God first sketched before us, the reconciliation of all things, not of men but of things. It was the good pleasure of the Godhead to reconcile all things unto God. Even the Word made flesh, even all the fullness dwelling in Him, failed to reach the desperate case. There was rebellion, there was war. Peace must be made, and it could only be made by the blood of Christ’s cross. In a word, reconciliation is not the fruit of the Incarnation, most blessed as it is; the Incarnation by itself was altogether powerless, as far as reconciliation is concerned. The life of Christ on earth brings before us grace and truth in Christ_God Himself in the most precious display of holy love. Nothing is in itself more important than for a person who has found Christ to delight in and dwell upon Him and His moral ways here below. Everything was in exquisite harmony in Him; matchless grace shone out wherever He moved. All was perfect; yet it all would have been fruitless, for man was as the barren sand.

Therefore we have another and wholly distinct step:"By Him to reconcile all things unto Himself." It was the continual delight of the whole Godhead to dwell in Christ as Man. But so far gone was man that this could not deliver him; sin cannot be thus set aside or taken care of. Even God Himself coming down to earth in Christ’s Person, His unselfish goodness, His unwearied, patient love, could not dispel sin or righteously recover the sinner. Therefore it became manifestly a question of reconciliation "through the blood of His cross."

All things, then, are to be reconciled; peace has been made "by the blood of His cross." It is sweet and assuring to think that all has been done to secure the gathering of all things around Christ. It is merely now a question of the time suited in God’s wisdom for the manifestation of Christ at the head of all. As far as the efficacious work is concerned, nothing more is to be done. Meanwhile, God is calling in the saints who are to share all along with Christ. As it is said in Romans 8, all creation groans, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. They are the first fruits. All was subjected to vanity by sin; but now He who came down, God manifest in the flesh, has taken upon Himself the burden of sin, and has made peace by the blood of His cross. Thus He has done all that is needed for God and man. Morally, all is done, the price is paid, the work is accepted. God would be now justified in purging from the face of creation every trace of misery and decay; if He waits, it is but to save more souls. His longsuffering is salvation. The darkness and the weakness will disappear when our Lord comes with His saints. For the world, His appearing with them in glory is the critical time. The revelation of Christ and the Church from heaven is not the epoch of the rapture, which comes first. The revelation is the manifestation of the Bridegroom and the bride then glorified before the world.

Thus having brought in the universal reconciliation of created things, the apostle turns to that with which it was so intimately connected:"And you who were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled." I do not doubt there is an intended contrast. The reconciliation of all things is not yet accomplished. The foundation for all is laid, but it is not applied. But meanwhile it is applied to us who believe. Us who were in this fearful condition, "now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death." Again, observe, the body of His flesh, the incarnation in itself, did not, could not avail; nor could all the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in Him bodily. For guilty man it must be "through death." It was not through Christ’s birth or living energy, but "through death"_not by His doing, divinely blessed as it all was, but by His suffering. "The blood of His cross" brings in much more the idea of a price paid for peace. His "death" seems to be more suitable as the ground of our reconciliation. At any rate, "in the body of His flesh through death" contradicts the notion that incarnation was the means of reconciliation. This brings in moral considerations and shows the most solemn vindication of God, the righteous basis for our remission and peace, and clearance from all charge and consequence of sin.

(From Lectures on Colossians.)

"We who have believed do enter into rest. . . . For He spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all His works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into My rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief, again He limiteth a certain day, saying in David . . ., Today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts. For if [Joshua] had given them rest, then would He not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His" (Heb. 4:3-10).

Here the whole condition of blessing, so far as we are concerned, is faith. We who believe will enter into rest. The subject here is the future rest of God. The apostle says that in a certain sense God’s rest had been from the time of creation:"He spake … of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all His works." God ended His work and then He rested. In that sense, the sabbath of God began. But as a matter of fact we read, when our blessed Lord was here upon earth, "My Father worketh hitherto and I work" (John 5:17). God’s rest, so far as this world was concerned, was marred by sin, for He can never rest in the presence of sin. As one has beautifully said, "Holiness cannot rest where sin is. Love cannot rest where sorrow is." "Ye have made Me to serve with your sins," He says. Men make God labor with their sins. There can be no rest for God save as He would immediately judge the ungodly. If He is going on with man in any way, He must resume a toil compared with which the work of creation was nothing. God ended that work of creation and rested; but the toil He entered upon as soon as sin came into this world through our first parents, went on and on increasingly, and goes on to this very day. As we may say, God is laboring. He labored all through the Old Testament; He sent His beloved Son into the world who continued that labor; He sent the Holy Spirit here at Pentecost, and now the Spirit of God is laboring. It is a scene of divine toil, when God is seeking to induce men by His toil to cease from their sin and to bring them into His rest.

He goes on further to David’s time. Joshua had brought them into the land of Canaan. He says if Joshua had given the people rest, there would have been the accomplishment of God’s purpose (verse 8). But many years later, in King David’s time, the people still did not have rest. And if we trace their history through, we find they have never had true and genuine rest. What is the result of this? "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God" (verse 9).

What is this rest? Is it the rest that comes through believing in Jesus, referred to by our Lord when He said, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28)? Not exactly, but the rest the Lord mentioned in this passage is a foretaste, for the soul, of the rest referred to in Hebrews 4. The rest for the people of God is found where Christ is now_in the glory. This is the final rest, and he who enters into that rest not only ceases from his work for salvation, but he ceases from all work. He ceases from toil in the sense of it being toil; for though activity and service will continue throughout eternity, it will never mar the sabbatic stillness of that blessed place where there is no sin and therefore no toil in that sense of the word.

How significant it is that God imposed toil upon man when sin came into the world! It was in the sweat of his brow that man was to earn his bread. At first he was put there to dress and to keep the garden, but the bitterness of service and toil was not there. So in that heavenly Paradise, the rest of God into which we eater, there will be service, there will be ministry throughout eternity; but there will be no weariness, no toil, no witness of the presence of sin.

That rest remains. How are we going to enter into it? "We who have believed do enter into rest" (verse 3). Is that the living, blessed reality that is before us now_the rest of God? the rest where sin never can come and which it never can mar?

Oh, we know what it is to have rest in believing in Jesus here; we know something, too, of what it is to have rest in bearing His light and easy yoke. But why do we groan? "The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now" (Rom. 8:22). Why these sighs and groans?

We will not get the full thought of this rest until we see that it is primarily God’s, and not ours. A perfect Being can only rest where all is in accord with His nature. Thus even the first creation was completed and all pronounced "very good" before God rested. So in the new creation. All must answer to the divine thought. Sin must be eternally banished; evil in all its forms must be obliterated. The results of sin too_the sufferings, sorrows, woes of life, and death ("the last enemy")_must be done away. All, too, must have the stamp of permanence, in contrast with the change and decay which prevail now.

All the perfections of God’s being can then survey with delight His wide creation. The heavens will nevermore be disturbed in their harmony or stained with the pollution of Satan’s presence. The heavenly city which is the Bride, the Lamb who is its light and glory, and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness will all be the object of God’s supreme satisfaction. Again will those words "very good" be spoken, and God Himself will cease from His labors.

The work of Christ is the eternal basis of this rest. There the righteousness of God was glorified along with every attribute of the divine nature. That is why, after completing His work, our Lord sat down. He rests, waiting till His enemies are put beneath His feet. The final rest is the outcome of that accomplished work, and in spirit we can enjoy it now, though surrounded by so much that mars our outward rest.

Dear brethren, we are made for God’s rest, and until we enter into the sabbath of our God we will be a weary people. We are in the wilderness; the brightest scenes of earth_the joys of communion, the joys of fellowship one with another_are not these foretastes broken into or disturbed by the malice of the enemy? Is not the divided state of the people of God at present, and the unrest we all deplore, a witness that we are in the wilderness and have not entered into the rest of God? We are waiting for that rest, we are looking forward to that. Let us exhort one another that we do not settle down in our souls to any rest short of that eternal rest of God which He has prepared for us. "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God" (verse 9).

(From Lectures on the Epistle to the Hebrews.)

The second commandment in the set that deals with man’s relationships with his fellowman is, "Thou shalt not kill" (Exod. 20:13). Insight into the meaning of this commandment is found in connection with the instruction concerning the cities of refuge (Num. 35:9-34). Refuge was provided for one guilty of manslaughter, that is, one who killed "any person unawares" (verse 15) or by accident. However, no refuge was available to one who killed a person on purpose:"The murderer shall surely be put to death; . . . the revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer" (verses 16-21).

Further insights are found in Exod. 21. "He that smiteth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death" (verse 15). This refers to purposeful striking of one’s parents, without death necessarily resulting from it. The penalty is much more severe for smiting parents than for smiting_but not killing_another person (verses 18,19). God seems to emphasize here, as He did in the fifth commandment, the honor and respect that should be given to one’s parents, by declaring that one who smites his parents must be put to death. It is a grievous offense, akin to murder as we can see from the context of this verse. Nor is the offense limited to physical smiting, but includes verbal smiting as well. "He that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death" (verse 17). This word "curse" means to revile or speak lightly or disparagingly of others. This should serve as a solemn warning to young people today. No laws, in western nations at least, cover such an offense, but God takes notice and is not mocked (Gal. 6:7).

"He that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death" (verse 16). Here we find that taking away another person’s freedom_selling him into slavery_is akin to murder. Causing another person to lose his/her freedom by falsely accusing of a crime would seem to fall into the same category.

"If an ox gore a man or a woman that they die, . . . [and] if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death" (verses 28,29). This indicates that we are responsible not only for our own behavior but for the behavior of our animals, and, no doubt, for the condition of other property of ours (such as icy sidewalks) that could, through our carelessness, cause injury to others.

So, the intent of this sixth commandment is not simply to keep us from going out and murdering another in cold blood, but to impress upon us not to be negligent with our animals and other property in ways that might cause a person to be hurt, not to physically or verbally abuse our parents, and not to take away another person’s freedom.

The intent of this commandment is further elaborated on and explained by the Lord Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount:"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment; but I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire" (Matt. 5:21,22). The Pharisees may have prided themselves in never having committed the physical acts of murder, adultery, stealing, etc. But Jesus points out here that the mental attitude and emotional feelings that usually precede the outward physical act, and often are present without the physical culmination, are just as offensive in God’s eyes as the act itself. Here the emotion of anger, the attitude, "I could just kill that man for what he did to me," is condemned as much as is murder itself.

But what about that little clause, "without a cause"? "When I get angry there is always good reason for it," you might say. Is there?? "And besides, Jesus got angry sometimes, so why shouldn’t I?" Yes, indeed He did. In fact, if we want to find out what are acceptable reasons and just causes for getting angry, we do well to review those episodes in Jesus’ life. The first is found in Mark 3:1-5:"And He entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath day, that they might accuse Him. . . . 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." Here Jesus got angry when He saw the hardness of heart of the people, and their tendency to find fault and accuse when He was doing His Father’s will and manifesting divine power. For a second example of Jesus’ anger, we read:"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves" (Matt. 21:12,13; John 2:14-16). Here Jesus manifested anger because the people had defiled His Father’s house. "Ye have made it a den of thieves" (Matt. 21:13); "Make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise" (John 2:16). Perhaps a third example of the anger of Christ is found in his pronouncement of an eight-fold "woe" upon the scribes and Pharisees because of their hypocrisy.

Now, let us ask ourselves honestly, in the presence of God:"Are these the types of reasons I have for becoming angry?" Is it because of our grief for how our heavenly Father is being mistreated by others that we get angry? Would that this were more often the case! Are not the chief reasons for our anger rather that our pride has been wounded, our feelings have been hurt, our (supposed) rights have been violated, our dignity has been trampled on, our judgment has been questioned, our opinion has been mocked?

We get angry at our children. Why? Is it not generally because they have inconvenienced us, broken or messed up something of ours, or caused us embarrassment? It is well to remember that Jesus reserved His anger for hardness of heart_an established pattern of rejection of His deity and God’s authority in His life; for their dishonor of His Father; and for their hypocrisy_pretending to be godly but living anything but godly lives.

Jonah "was very angry" (Jon. 4:1). Why? Because "God repented of the evil that He had said that He would do unto them"; He did not destroy Nineveh after all. Jonah was also angry when the plant that sheltered him from the sun withered away. The Lord had to ask Jonah twice, "Doest thou well to be angry?" (4:4,9). Jonah had a selfish heart. He was happy for God’s grace to himself but not for God’s grace to others. He became angry when things didn’t go the way he wanted them to, even though others were blessed thereby. Jonah was all backward_with his eyes focused on himself rather than on God_in his anger. Much of the time it is the same with us.

The Lord Jesus never became angry because of the way He, personally, was treated by others. We are, in fact, invited to "follow His steps. . .who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously" (1 Pet. 2:21-23). On the occasion of Christ’s greatest sufferings at the hands of man_falsely accused, unjustly convicted and sentenced, betrayed by one disciple, denied by another, and forsaken by all of them, shamefully mocked and reproached, cruelly tortured, made a public spectacle, and joined in crucifixion with real criminals_do we hear the slightest hint of anger on His part? Does He complain, "They are treating me like a common thief"? Does He threaten, "I’ll get even with you for this"? No, rather, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). He was true to that which He had enjoined upon us, His disciples:"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" (Matt. 5:44). As we grow to be more like Christ, we should seek to be changed along these lines, and thus find ourselves less often becoming angry "without a cause."

Along with getting angry, calling one’s brother "Raca" (empty-headed or intellectually worthless), or, even worse, "fool" (morally worthless) are offenses classed in the same category as murder. It is not physical murder but rather the destroying of another’s self-esteem or reputation that is in question here. Man (men, women, and children) has been created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26,27); each individual is very important to God and highly esteemed by God. We are to recognize this by placing a high value upon each and every one of our fellow men, women, and children_ be they our relatives, our brothers and sisters in Christ, our fellow workers, our neighbors, or even our enemies. The apostle Paul sums up this topic well by enjoining, "Let each esteem other better than themselves" (Phil. 2:3).

What if I am already alienated from a brother or a neighbor because of anger or some other offense on my part?

The Lord Jesus concludes this section of His sermon by enjoining quick reconciliation of those who are alienated. If it is a brother in Christ (Matt. 5:23,24), we should seek to be reconciled before engaging in any public act of worship, seeing that, as we learn more later in Paul’s Epistles, our public worship of God involves our communion with the other members of the body of Christ, the Church. Thus, I cannot properly join with my brother in worshipping God if we are alienated from each other. Another reason given for our quickly seeking reconciliation (this time more likely involving one who is not a brother in Christ), is that if we don’t, we may end up in a court of law and have a severe penalty to pay (verses 25,26).

Let us each take time now to take inventory of our relationships with others. Are there any with whom we are not on speaking terms, or whom we carefully avoid at all costs because of an unconfessed hurt or offense or angry blowup? If so, let us first confess our wrong_both our initial offense and our pride in not confessing it sooner_to the Lord and receive His forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Then, with our pride properly judged, let us confess our wrong to the one whom we have offended. It will not be easy. But think of Christ who paid a great price_"the blood of His cross … to reconcile all things unto Himself" (Col. 1:20). We may have to pay a different kind of price_the giving up of our pride and self-defense and self-justification (all terribly important to one’s natural self)_in order to achieve reconciliation. But once having done it, we will be able to look back with joy and satisfaction on what we have done.

Lord willing, we will continue our study of the sixth commandment in the next issue by considering what the Scriptures have to say on a number of special topics of relevance today, including abortion, suicide, capital punishment, serving in the armed forces, and protecting ourselves and our loved ones from attackers.

FRAGMENT An old Maori woman had won the name of "Warrior Brown" because of her fighting qualities. She was converted, and gave her testimony to a group gathered in her old haunts of sin, when some foolish person hit her a nasty blow with a potato. "Warrior" picked up the potato without a word and carried it home. When the harvest festival came, "Warrior" brought a little sack of potatoes and explained that she had cut up and planted the insulting potato, and was now presenting the Lord with the increase.

FRAGMENT One foot may strike the other, the tooth sometimes bites the tongue, and many a person has put his finger in his eye; and these things cause pain. But there is forgiveness, and each member has patience and sympathy for the other, or the body could not continue. There should also, therefore, among the children of God, be reconciliation, forgiveness, unity, love, and good will.

As we have noted previously, the first four commandments have to do with man’s relationship with God and his recognition of the true nature and character of God. The first three commandments emphasize the truths that God is unique ("thou shalt have no other gods"), God is a spirit and cannot_indeed, must not_be represented by images of created beings, and God is holy and His name must always be used in a holy, reverent manner.

The fourth commandment brings before us the wisdom and power of God in His works of creation and in His deliverance of His people from their enemies. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day, . . . and hallowed it" (Exod. 20:8-11). "Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm; therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day" (Deut. 5:15).

The word ‘sabbath’ means ‘rest’; since God rested from His works of creation on the seventh day, this day was marked out as a day of rest_or sabbath. While in principle the sabbath was instituted on the day following the six days of creation, no command was given to man to observe the sabbath day until the law was given to the nation of Israel through Moses. Mention of the sabbath is made in Exodus 16 in connection with the manna, but this seems to have been in anticipation of the law that was to be given shortly thereafter.

By observing the sabbath, Israel was commemorating the old, original creation, acknowledging God’s power and wisdom in that creation. Every week when they rested from their work on the sabbath day, the people of Israel would be reminded that the God who created the heaven and the earth was their God. The Lord told Israel, "My sabbaths ye shall keep; for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. … It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel for ever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed" (Exod. 31:13-17).

No doubt one of the side benefits of keeping the sabbath was improved bodily strength and health derived from giving the body and soul a break every seven days from the daily routine of hard labor in the field, household chores, and the like. This aspect is especially emphasized in regards to letting the fields rest every seventh year in order to recover their fertility (Lev. 25:4). Because of Israel’s failure to observe these seven-year sabbaths for a period of 490 years (70 sabbatical years), the Lord led them away captive to Babylon for 70 years to allow the land to recover fully from this neglect (2 Chron. 36:21). Is there a spiritual lesson in this for us? Does not the Lord sometimes allow us to be laid up with an illness or injury so that we will be forced to spend more time in quiet before Him and in reading and meditation upon His Word?

The fourth commandment is unique among the ten in that it is not carried over into Christianity. The other nine commandments are restated and often expanded upon (for example, Matt. 5:21-37; 6:9; Eph. 4:25-28; 1 John 5:21) in the New Testament ministry to believers in Christ (although, as we have discussed in previous issues, these are not presented as a means of salvation or a rule of life, but as minimal evidences that one truly is following Christ). However, nowhere are Christian believers commanded, encouraged, or instructed to observe the sabbath. In fact, Christians are warned against going back to sabbath-observance. In Col. 2:16,17 we read that "the sabbath days … are a shadow of things to come, but the body [or substance] is of Christ."

The prophetic scriptures indicated that Israel’s sabbaths would cease (Hos. 2:11) and that they will once again be resumed during the period of the great tribulation and the millennium when Israel will once again become God’s special people (Isa. 66:23; Ezek. 46:1; Matt. 24:20), Thus it would appear that the sabbath observance was meant particularly and specifically for the nation of Israel, and_unlike the other nine commandments_not applicable to God’s people, the Christians, in the present age.

Recall that the sabbath is a commemoration of the old creation, described in Genesis 1. But this creation was marred by sin, so that now the "whole creation groaneth" (Rom. 8:22). To the honest heart, observance of the sabbath day could not really give rest and peace to the soul, knowing that sin had come in to ruin the beauty and perfection of that creation. This is confirmed by the fact that in spite of the prohibition of work of all kinds on the sabbath (Lev. 23:3; Num. 15:32-36; Neh. 10:31), yet the priests were to offer sacrifices on the sabbath day as on every other day (Num. 28:9,10).

On the other hand, with the death and resurrection of Christ we have the bringing in of a new creation:"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [or new creation]; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). Is it not appropriate, therefore, that the followers of Christ commemorate the new creation on the first day of the week_that day on which Christ arose triumphant over death and the grave, having gained the victory over sin and Satan and all that has come in to mar the old creation!

There are a number of scriptural facts_besides that marvelous, stupendous fact of Christ’s resurrection on the first day of the week_that lend support to the notion that God has established the first day of the week as the day for Christians to devote to worshipping, serving, and learning about Christ:

1. In late afternoon of the resurrection day, Jesus Christ broke bread with some of his followers (Luke 24:30).

2. On two occasions during that resurrection day, Christ met with His followers and disciples and taught them out of the Scriptures concerning Himself (Luke 24:27,44,45).

3. In the evening of that resurrection day, Christ commissioned His disciples to testify of His death and resurrection beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:47,48).

4. Exactly one week later, on the first day of the week, while Christ was meeting with the disciples, He received worship ("My Lord and my God") from Thomas when he beheld Christ’s nail-pierced hands and feet (John 20:28).

5. The Holy Spirit came down to indwell the believers on the day of Pentecost_a Jewish feast day that always occurred on the first day of the week (Lev. 23:15,16)_marking the beginning of the Church (Acts 2).

6. The disciples who lived in Troas gathered together the first day of the week to break bread and to hear the apostle Paul preach, even though Paul was in Troas an entire week and they could theoretically have met together any other day of the week (Acts 20:6,7).

7. The believers at Corinth were instructed by the apostle Paul to set aside their monetary offerings for the Lord’s work on the first day of the week (1 Cor. 16:2).

Thus we have ample scriptural evidence both that the Lord does not want Christians to observe the Jewish sabbath (that is, the seventh day of the week), and that He is pleased if we devote the first day of the week to commemorating the new creation based on the death and resurrection of Christ.

It is important to note that Christians are nowhere commanded to set aside a particular day of the week for worshipping and serving the Lord. Rather, God has presented to us in the New Testament a series of wonderful truths and facts relating to the first day of the week, and in the spirit of the grace wherein we stand, it is left up to our own heart’s desire as to whether we devote that day to the Lord.

Under the system of law, the people may have derived benefit from obedience to this or that commandment, but God did not receive much glory if the people refrained from stealing or adultery or observed the sabbath only as a matter of duty, or out of fear of God’s punishment for disobedience. Under grace, however, the Christian has the precious privilege of doing all things to the glory of God. This is carried out as a matter of Christian liberty, motivated by love and appreciation toward God in response to His manifold grace and mercy shown to us, rather than by fear of the consequences of going our own way.

Thus the first day of the week, for the Christian, is quite distinct from the Jewish sabbath. It is not necessarily a day of rest and quiet but, it may be, a day devoted to worshipping the Lord, remembering Him in His death, being taught God’s Word, and serving Him in the gospel. Under the law, the people worked the first six days of the week and rested from their works on the seventh. This is in keeping with the demands of the law which required man to do good works first in order to receive God’s blessing (Deut. 11), even though, manifestly, no one (excepting the Lord Jesus Christ) ever succeeded in doing those good works required to enter into rest. In contrast to this, under grace, the Christian’s week begins with a day of blessing before any works are wrought, and this helps to give him the spiritual strength to keep close to the Lord and work for the Lord throughout the next six days. This is a beautiful picture of God’s ways with the believer in Christ:He first brings us to a saving knowledge of Christ, gives us a new nature, and sends the Holy Spirit to indwell us. Then He sends us, appropriately equipped, back into the world (at work, school, our neighborhood, etc.) to work for Him and bear fruit for Him.

What now, fellow Christian? Given that we are not to observe the Jewish sabbath and given that we have no commandment in the Bible to observe the first day of the week, what shall we do? Shall we use our Christian liberty to spend that day of Christ’s resurrection to cater to our own personal pleasures, to engage in activities that have nothing to do with our resurrection life in Christ and that will be burnt up as wood, hay, and stubble at the judgment seat of Christ? Shall we spend that day that commemorates the birth of the Church by forsaking the gathering of ourselves together? (Heb. 10:25). Shall we consider that we have fulfilled our Christian duty by attending only the Lord’s day morning breaking of bread meeting while neglecting the Bible studies, lectures, prayer meetings, and/or gospel meetings also conducted that day?

There is little question over how a well-instructed, Spirit filled believer should be occupied on the day that commemorates Christ’s resurrection, the new creation, and the beginning of the Church. If, perchance, the child of God is not yielded to Him, no unwilling observance of a day will correct his carnal heart nor would such observance be pleasing to God. The issue between God and the carnal Christian is not one of outward actions but of a yielded life.

May we each grow in our heart’s appreciation of our Lord’s love and grace shown to us, and may we thus respond to that grace by joining our fellow believers in devoting the first day of the week to the worship, ministry, and service of our wonderful Lord and Saviour.

FRAGMENT After weariness of heart in the world_after the Lord Jesus had gone through the world and found no place where a really broken heart could rest_He came to show that what could not be found for man anywhere else could be found in God. This is so blessed! that after all, the poor wearied heart, wearied with itself, with its own ways, wearied with the world and everything, can find rest in the blessedness of the bosom of the Father.

FRAGMENT It is Jesus who gives abiding rest to our souls, and not what our thoughts about ourselves may be. Faith never thinks about that which is in ourselves as its ground of rest; it receives, loves, and apprehends what God has revealed, and what are God’s thoughts about Jesus, in whom is His rest.

FRAGMENT
And here we walk, as sons through grace,
A Father’s love our present joy;
Sons, in the brightness of Thy face,
Find rest no sorrows can destroy.

FRAGMENT There is but one man who never had a place of rest. "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." And if we now have a nest, a place of rest in God, it is because for our sakes Jesus was without rest on earth.

FRAGMENT After weariness of heart in the world_after the Lord Jesus had gone through the world and found no place where a really broken heart could rest_He came to show that what could not be found for man anywhere else could be found in God. This is so blessed! that after all, the poor wearied heart, wearied with itself, with its own ways, wearied with the world and everything, can find rest in the blessedness of the bosom of the Father.

FRAGMENT It is Jesus who gives abiding rest to our souls, and not what our thoughts about ourselves may be. Faith never thinks about that which is in ourselves as its ground of rest; it receives, loves, and apprehends what God has revealed, and what are God’s thoughts about Jesus, in whom is His rest.

FRAGMENT
And here we walk, as sons through grace,
A Father’s love our present joy;
Sons, in the brightness of Thy face,
Find rest no sorrows can destroy.

(Luke 15)

All three of these parables were given in response to a complaint from the Pharisees that Jesus received sinners and ate with them. The three parables all tell of the joy in heaven (and, one might infer from the third parable, of God) when a lost sinner repents. These parables are obviously gospel pictures. What practical lessons can we learn from them?

From the first and second we learn that we must go where the sinners are if we are to lead them to Christ. Now, the shepherd in the first parable is a picture of Christ who came "to seek and to save that which was lost." However, we are to be imitators of Christ. We cannot merely attach a sign to the assembly hall announcing gospel services at certain times and consider ourselves to have evangelized the neighborhood. We must make an effort to get people into the hall. This effort may not be successful since in this day prying people away from their television and other amusements is almost impossible, so we must take the gospel to them. Going door-to-door, writing personal letters, giving or mailing out tracts, speaking to acquaintances at work or school, and inviting people into our homes are just a few of the ways to reach people where they are.

Let us not be afraid to do something just because no one else we know is doing it. Do you live near a college or university? Ask the dean of students if there are any international students or American students from distant areas whom you could invite to your home during school holidays. Missions, prisons, hospitals, nursing homes, crisis pregnancy centers, and shelters for the homeless are some of the places where there are people who are lonely, sick, frightened and lost. The people at these places may not look good or behave pleasantly but they will need Christ. They will probably not be able to get out to gospel meetings, so we need to take the gospel to them. The shepherd searched until he found the lost sheep. The woman searched till she found the lost coin.

The parable of the prodigal son can give us lessons on the behavior of parents toward grown children. There comes a time when parents must let go. The father gave the son what he asked for and let him go. He didn’t argue with him or try to make him feel guilty. He allowed the natural consequences of the young man’s behavior to teach him lessons that no amount of lecturing on the father’s part could have taught him. When the young man was ready to return, the father welcomed him with great rejoicing, and with no recriminations. If we see our grown children engaging in behavior of which we do not approve, it is probably best to leave them in God’s hands_to speak primarily to God about our concerns and not much (about their behavior) to the children themselves. God will be able to deal with them in ways we would never have thought of and in ways with which our nagging would only interfere. When God has answered our prayers and our children have "come to themselves," let us rejoice at their restoration without trying to make them feel guilty or reminding them of their misbehavior. An approach like that of the father’s in the parable will help our children to have a closer relationship with God and their parents. Parental nagging and lecturing, on the other hand, will be likely to drive the children away from God and their parents.

In the last issue we considered ten scriptural facts relating to the resurrection of Christ. Now we shall use these plus other facts of Scripture as well as other arguments to refute four false theories that have been propounded to explain away the resurrection of Christ.

FRAGMENT

Theory 1. Christ never actually died on the cross, but only swooned. This theory, which was first propounded about 200 years ago, suggests that Christ was in a sort of coma and only appeared to have died. It goes on to suggest that He was revived by the cool air of the tomb, got up, and walked away. This theory is refuted by the following arguments:

1. John reports that "When [the soldiers] came to Jesus, [they] saw that He was dead already" (John 19:33). If indeed these soldiers were mistaken, one of them made good and sure that there would be no mistake:"But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water" (verse 34).

2. Christ’s body was wrapped up in linen cloth, with 70 pounds of spices wound up in the graveclothes. Even if He had revived from the coma, it would have been quite a feat, with hands and feet tightly bound, with that load of spices weighing Him down, and being critically ill from loss of blood, to have unwrapped Himself. Besides, His head also was wound around with a linen cloth (John 20:7), thus impeding His ability to breathe. It would have required a miracle nearly of the magnitude of the resurrection itself for Christ to have freed Himself from the graveclothes.

3. When the three women came to put fresh spices on the body of Christ, they wondered among themselves, "Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?" (Mark 16:3). If the three women were not strong enough to roll away the stone, would a man who had barely survived crucifixion, lost a lot of blood, just awakened out of a coma, and made a heroic effort to struggle out of the graveclothes that bound him, have had strength enough remaining to move the stone?

4. The afternoon after coming out of the grave, Jesus walked six miles, from Jerusalem to Emmaus, with two of His followers. Think of it! Two days after being crucified He walked six miles on His nail-pierced feet with no indication of hurting!

5. In all of Christ’s post-crucifixion appearances, He always gave the appearance of One who was strong and healthy, not One who was dying or who had just recovered from a close brush with death.

FRAGMENT Theory 2. Christ’s body was stolen away by the disciples. This is the oldest of the false theories concerning the resurrection, starting out as an outright lie when the priests bribed the guards to spread the story, "His disciples came by night, and stole Him away while we slept" (Matt. 28:13). the following arguments might be made against this theory:

1. If the disciples had any reason to want to fool the public into thinking that Christ had risen from the dead, they surely would have waited until the next night to steal the body. Jesus had told them He would rise the third day, so the disciples would have waited to see if Jesus would be true to His word before taking matters into their own hands. Instead, the body was found to be missing very early on the third day.

2. If the disciples had stolen the body out from under the noses of the soldiers standing guard, surely they would not have taken the time and effort to unwind the linen cloths from off the head and body and then to rewrap the cloths the way they had originally been wound about the head and body! (John 20:6,7). So often it is easier to believe in miracles than to believe the alternative explanations that are proposed.

3. The story spread by the guards (Matt. 28:13) was totally illogical. If they were asleep, how could they know it was the disciples who stole the body? And if they were the slightest bit awake, they would have foiled the attempted theft since their very lives depended on their keeping the tomb secure from robbers.

4. According to Roman law, the guards should have been put to death for not securing the tomb against grave-robbers. Why, then, didn’t the priests demand that the guards be punished for allowing Christ’s body to disappear? It was because they knew that if the guards had gone on trial they would have proclaimed the truth about the earthquake and about the angel who descended from heaven and rolled back the stone (Matt. 28:2).

5. Very shortly after the crucifixion, the disciples started preaching to their fellow Jews the fact of Christ’s death and resurrection. If, indeed, they had stolen the body, what would have been their purpose in preaching a lie, especially since such teaching placed them in great jeopardy of their lives? How could a stolen body have transformed that group of fearful disciples (John 20:19) into bold and fearless witnesses for Christ?

FRAGMENT Theory 3. All of Christ’s supposed post-resurrection appearances were only hallucinations. In other words, the disciples, along with many others, only imagined that Christ appeared to them. Let us consider the following arguments concerning this theory:

1. Psychiatrists say that only particular kinds of people experience hallucinations. Also, it is unlikely that two people have the same hallucination at the same time. However, most of the reported post-crucifixion appearances of Christ were to groups of people ranging in number from seven (John 21:2) to over 500 (1 Cor. 15:6).

2. Those who claimed to see Jesus alive again after the crucifixion claimed not only to see Him, but they had conversations with Him (Luke 24:15-27; John 21:15-22), touched Him (Luke 24:39; John 20:27), and gave Him food and watched Him eat it (Luke 24:30,42,43; John 21:13).

3. The reported appearances did not just occur in nostalgic places, like the upper room where the disciples had experienced their last significant contact with Christ_but in many different places, such as in a boat, on a mountain, and on the road between Jerusalem and Emmaus.

4. When Christ first appeared to His disciples, they were forced to believe against their will (Luke 24:36-40; John 20:25-29). Also, when Christ appeared to Mary Magdalene, she mistook Him for the gardener (John 20:14-16). Are these evidences for a hallucination?

5. These "visions" of Christ suddenly came to an end, after eleven people saw Him ascend bodily into heaven (Acts 1:4-13).

FRAGMENT Theory 4. Everyone went to the wrong tomb; the empty tomb was not the one Christ was buried in. Let us test this theory by the Scriptures:

1. When the body of Jesus was laid in the tomb, Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" were sitting opposite the grave, watching everything that was happening. When they went to the tomb early on the first day of the week, could they both have forgotten so quickly which tomb it was? Besides, at the tomb they went to they found an angel who said to them, "I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen" (Matt. 28:5,6).

2. The women came to the tomb "at the rising of the sun" (Mark 16:2). Thus, they should have been able to see whether they were at the right tomb or not.

3. Since the tomb belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, surely he would have checked out the reports of the empty tomb and have verified whether the people had gone to the right tomb.

4. Since there was so much at stake in this matter, and since the Jewish priests and leaders very much wanted to keep the disciples from spreading word concerning the resurrection of Christ, surely they would have found the right tomb and produced the body, if the body had been there!

FRAGMENT What was it that changed a band of frightened, cowardly disciples into men of courage and conviction? What changed Peter from being so afraid that three times he denied knowing Jesus, into such a bold preacher of Christ? What is it that has given courage and boldness to many believers through over nineteen centuries of the history of the Church_such that many have been burned at the stake, thrown to the lions, and experienced many similar fates, rather than renounce Christ? It is the knowledge of the certainty of the death and resurrection of Christ. And this is not something we merely accept by faith; it is a confirmed historical fact.