The question is sometimes asked, "When should we begin to take our children to the meetings?" Our answer to this is, "Begin at once." Children should be brought up to expect to go to the meetings; they should see their parents faithful in attendance. If the parents carelessly neglect "the assembling . . . together" (Heb. 10:25), then they may expect the children to consider that it is of little importance. In the days of King Jehoshaphat, we read, "And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children" (2 Chron. 20:13).

It is indeed a beautiful sight when the father, mother, growing children, and even the babe in arms are found making their way together to the remembrance meeting, gospel meeting, and other meetings of the assembly. We recognize that there are certain limitations in the health and strength of the parents and the children at times, but we are speaking of a general principle and of what is desirable.

Some children learn very easily that they are to be quiet during the meetings, and others learn with great difficulty_ sometimes with considerable trouble to the parents. We have known of some parents who went together to their knees and sought the Lord’s special help each time before they left for the meeting. It takes wisdom and patience to persevere until the children learn how to behave at such times. It may also require patience and understanding on the part of others while the parents seek to train the children. Usually it is only for a short time for each child, so let the parents take courage and bring the children to the meetings, seeking the Lord’s help in dealing with the problem of keeping them quiet. If on occasion a child makes too much disturbance it should be taken out, but let not the parents give up.

Some mothers take time out each day to sing and read with then- children while the little ones have to sit still and be quiet. Others see to it that the children are trained in being quiet during the daily family reading.

As the small children grow up they should be taught to listen to what is said in the meetings, and not be encouraged to carelessness by having other things to occupy them. It is to be deplored when children old enough to understand what is said, or at least a part of it, are given drawing books and other such objects to distract them. Sometimes children who should be drinking in a solemn gospel message and taking it to heart are present in body only while their minds are on something else brought in with them.

After the children start going to school the temptation often arises to keep them home from the midweek prayer meeting and maybe even the Sunday evening gospel meeting on the grounds that they have lessons to prepare for school or they have to go to bed early to be fresh for school the next day. We suggest that with a bit of foresight by the parents, the children’s activities can generally be ordered so that the school lessons are completed prior to the time of the meeting and sometimes even a short nap worked in if lack of sleep is really a problem. Children are not likely to suffer a breakdown in health or get poor grades in school because their parents take them to meetings on or two evenings each week.

May the Lord, then, encourage parents to be faithful in taking their children to the meetings of the assembly. There will be much blessing, we believe, for both the parents and the children if this is done.

This relates to the article by W. Trotter in the May-June 1984 issue of Words of Truth. In the first three sentences on page 71 the author is telling us that in order to minister to the needs of the saints one must either be acquainted with the state of those present or else be given direct guidance from God. With this thought I agree fully. However, the next sentence seems to suggest that those who have the more prominent gifts will be the individuals used in ministering to the needs of God’s people.

In the guidelines for an assembly meeting, it is suggested in 1 Cor. 14 that the prophets are limited to two or three, but it also adds that "ye may all prophesy" (verse 31). It would appear to me that to participate in the assembly meeting one does not need to possess one of the more manifested gifts to the Church. He need only be subject to the Spirit to give him the appropriate word at the correct time. I also fully agree that the individuals used will be those who are habitually exercised in the Word of God.

"Jesus . . . asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that Thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:13-16). Just as in the days when Christ lived here on earth, one can find a variety of notions today as to the true nature and identity of Jesus Christ. Some say He was only a Spirit_that is, God but not man. Others say He was a great human teacher_but not God. Certain ones claim He is none other than Michael the archangel. Amidst these various claims, we do well to have a clear understanding of the truth concerning the person of Jesus Christ. Let us, therefore, consider the claims of God’s Word itself concerning the deity and humanity of Christ.

The Deity of Christ

Co-equal with God. Perhaps the simplest statement of the equality of Christ with God is given in John 1:1:"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (See technical note concerning this verse at end of this article.) The identity of "the Word" is made clear in v. 14:"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." The co-equality of Christ with God is brought out again in John 10:30:"I and My Father are one." Some may wonder what exactly Jesus meant by these words. However, the Jews understood perfectly:"Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him . . . saying, For a good work we stone Thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God" (vv. 31-33). If the Jews had misunderstood Him, He had a perfect opportunity to set them straight. But instead of correcting them, He sought to point the opposers to their own Scriptures where they could see that His claim of equality with God was not absurd or blasphemous (vv. 34-38).

Son of God. Many Scriptures refer to Christ as the Son of God. For example:"They. . . worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God" (Matt. 14:33). "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1). "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him" (John 1:18). "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). "Unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever" (Heb. 1:8).

Now it is true that in Job 1:6 and 2:1 we read of the sons of God, referring to angels and including Satan. And in Rom. 8:14 believers in Christ are referred to as sons of God (wondrous truth!). But Jesus is never referred to as one of the sons of God, nor as the chief of God’s sons, but as the unique Son of God. The relationship of Jesus Christ as Son with the Father is in a class by itself_it far transcends the relationship of God with His human and angelic sons.

Has this relationship of Father and Son been in existence from eternity past, or did Christ become Son in the Incarnation? Luke 1:35 might perhaps suggest the latter:"That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." However, John 3:16 and 1 John 4:9-14 suggest otherwise. God sent the Son of His love to earth_to be born as a man, live, and die a death of intense suffering as a substitute for sinful man. We are led to appreciate all the more the atoning work of Christ on our behalf when we realize that this was the eternal Son of God, the object of the Father’s deepest affection_"in the bosom of the Father" (John 1:18)_from the ages of past eternity. The Father not only sent Him down from His side, but poured out upon the Son of His love His wrathful judgment because of our sins.

Some object to the notion of a Father-Son relationship prior to the Incarnation. They say, arguing from a human standpoint, that the term "son" denotes inferiority and submission to a higher authority, and that this could not apply to the Lord before the Incarnation. Without delving deeply into the controversy, I would suggest that God, in applying the terms "Father" and "Son" to describe the relationship between the first and second persons of the Godhead, intended to convey primarily the relationship of love and affection, and the mature relationship of partners in a common endeavor (such as a father and son business, if we may draw a human analogy), rather than the relationship of an immature child with an authoritative Father.

God, in seeking to reveal Himself and His Son to us, has used terms and expressions that are in our range of understanding. We understand the terms "father" and "son" from our human relationships. But no doubt the depth, the extent, the intensity of the relationship that exists and has always existed between our heavenly Father and His Son far transcends anything we know on earth. We must take care not to limit this relationship by imposing upon it our human understanding and values.

Image of God. "No man hath seen God at any tune" (John 1:18). But Christ is "the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15), "the express image of His person" (Heb. 1:3), and "God. . . manifest in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3:16). Also, "In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9).

Revealer of God. John testified that "the only begotten Son . . . hath declared [God]" (John 1:18). And Jesus confirmed this in His own words, "I speak that which I have seen with My Father" (John 8:38). Some say Jesus was a good teacher and no more. They put Jesus’ teachings in a class with those of Buddha, Mohammed, Zoroaster, Confucius, etc. Man wants to be able to pick and choose the teachings he is willing to obey. So if a particular teaching of Jesus suits him and fits in with his life style, he will follow Jesus to that extent; and he will reject those teachings that do not suit him. This he can do with good conscience if Jesus is nothing more to him than a good teacher. But in truth, Jesus is much more than a good and great teacher. He is the very Son of God and the revealer of the one true God and His will for man. Therefore all of Christ’s teachings must be heeded, for therein do we have the revelation of the loving, merciful, good, righteous, holy, all-wise God. And not only the teachings, but every aspect of the life of Christ itself reveals God to us. As we study the teachings and life of Christ, as with all Scripture, let us seek to have God Himself revealed to our hearts and minds more completely. As we do this, we will find our opinions, ideals, attitudes, habits_our entire life style_ being brought into subjection to God.

In the next issue, Lord willing, we shall consider some additional aspects of the deity of Christ as well as manifestations of His perfect manhood.

Technical Note on John 1:1. In the Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, prepared by Jehovah’s Witness scholars, the last phrase of John 1:1 is translated, "the Word was a god." The translators base this on the fact that in the Greek, "God" has a definite article in the phrase, "the Word was with God," whereas there is no definite article with "God" in the phrase, "the Word was God." They draw a parallel with Acts 28:6 where "God" without a definite article is translated_properly, we agree_"a god." However, a study of the use and omission of the definite article with proper names in the Greek New Testament yields the following conclusions:(1) proper names very frequently have definite articles (for example "the Peter," "the Paul"), unlike our English language where the definite article is used rarely with proper names; (2) in most cases where the definite article is omitted, the sense is the same as if the article were present; and (3) in cases where the definite article is omitted, the indefinite article ("a" or "an") may be utilized in the translation into English only when required by the context. Acts 28:6, referred to above, is a good example of an indefinite article required by the context. In John 1:1, "The Word was a god" would be a permissible translation if warranted by the context and supported by Scripture in general. However, as shown in the foregoing pages, this is not at all supported by the rest of Scripture.

Let us consider some examples of the use of the definite article in John’s Gospel. In 1:45-49, Nathanael’s name is mentioned five times, two with a definite article and three without. The name Jesus has a definite article in 1:29, 36, 37, 38, 42 (twice), 43, 47, and 48, and lacks a definite article in 1:17, 45, and 50. And finally, while the name "God" very frequently has a definite article throughout the Greek New Testament, there are a number of cases besides John 1:1 of omission of the definite article. For example:"To them gave He power to become the sons of God"; "which were born … of God"; "no man hath seen God at any time"; "Thou art a teacher come from God" (John 1:12, 13, 18; 3:2). Would any of these passages make sense being translated "a god"? Interestingly, in the Kingdom Interlinear Translation we find "God," not "a god," in each of these four passages. So the scholars have not been consistent with the rules they constructed for John 1:1.

"Then was brought unto Him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb; and He healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, … All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come" (Matt. 12:22-32).

This was a dispensational sin, and we may say definitely cannot be committed, at least in exactly the same way, by individuals today. Jesus had come in the power of the Holy Spirit, presenting Himself to Israel as their rightful King. His mighty works, as we have seen, accredited His testimony. The only way in which men could refuse to own His grace and yet recognize His power was by attributing all His mighty works to the devil. Those who did this gave evidence that they had sinned until their consciences were seared as with a hot iron. They had gone beyond Redemption Point, if I may use a well-known figure; not because God would not have been merciful to them if they had repented, but because they had so persisted in their sin that there was on their part no evidence of nor desire for repentance. Had they simply spoken against the Son of Man, Jesus said it would have been forgiven them; but He solemnly added that those who speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come. The Lord was speaking of two ages_the age that was just closing, and the age to come which is, properly speaking, the millennium. The present age was hidden at that time in the mind of God; but even so one might apply His words to this age also, for those who deliberately refuse the testimony of the Holy Spirit concerning Christ could be forgiven neither in the Jewish age, nor in this or any other age to follow.

Many dear souls have tormented themselves, or have been tormented by the devil, with the awful thought that they are guilty of the sin here described; whereas deep in their hearts they fully recognize the Deity of the Lord Jesus and have no thought of attributing to the devil the power that wrought in Him.

(Reprinted from Notes on the Gospel of Matthew.)

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

Self-Existent, Eternal

In the previous issue we were introduced to the subject of God’s attributes. The knowledge of God and His attributes are important to our worship of God (John 4:24) and to our following or imitating God (Eph. 5:1). Some of God’s attributes are His alone, such as being eternal and omnipotent, while others, such as goodness and love, He shares with His blood-bought children. In this issue we begin our survey of the divine attributes of God, that is, those that are found in Him alone.

Self-Existent

We take for granted that everything we see around us has been created or made by someone_either by God or by His creatures. But what about God Himself? How did He come into existence? Who made Him? Where did He come from? There are deep mysteries here which our finite minds cannot grasp. At one level, the answers to these questions are simple. "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM [or literally, I am I WHO AM]; and He said, Thus shall thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (Exod. 3:14). The Septuagint (that is, the early translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek) renders the first part of this passage, "I am HE WHO IS." Jesus reiterated this in His profound statement, "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58). No one created God; He had no origin. He is "the living, unchanging, self-existent one, necessarily independent of all others" (F.W. Grant). All of His acts are from Himself_issuing from His own will. He does not receive direction from one yet higher than Himself.

At one level this is simple and straightforward. Yet the more we ponder this, the more we meditate upon the awesome truth of God’s self-existence, the more we come to realize that He dwells in "light which no man can approach unto" (1 Tim. 6:16). Yet, let us not thus be discouraged from engaging in such meditations, from letting our hearts gaze in wonder at the I AM.

We tend to be a very practical-minded people, and thus may ask, "What is the practical usefulness of delving into such intangible concepts as God’s self-existence? What bearing does this have on my life? One answer to these questions has been suggested by A. W. Tozer in The Knowledge of the Holy:"The natural man is a sinner because and only because he challenges God’s selfhood in relation to his own." Sin is the assertion of man’s self-will. It comes from self being on the throne rather than God. It is acting from oneself, independently of all others_including God. Thus, the sinner unwittingly displaces God from that position He alone can rightly occupy as the self-existent One and puts himself in that position. Thus, as we who are believers in Christ and children of God meditate upon the One who is the alone self-existent One, we should be challenged to search our hearts and lives to identify and root out any vestiges of self-will, self-assertion, independence of God_anything that would suggest that we have not yet fully restored God’s stolen throne to Himself.

Eternal

Closely allied with the attribute of self-existence is that of the eternal existence of God. We who are born-again Christians have the precious assurance that we will be with Christ throughout the endless ages of eternity. What a wonderful expectation we have! But God’s eternal existence goes far beyond this future aspect. He not only has no end, He never had a beginning! I cannot grasp this concept with my finite mind, but it is what His Word tells us:"Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God" (Psa. 90:1,2). "The Lord is … the living God, and an everlasting King" (Jer. 10:10). "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Rev. 1:8; also 4:8). The Old Testament name of God that He used to express His relationship to Israel was "Yahweh" or "Jehovah." This word is a contraction of the Hebrew words "was," "is," and "will be," that is, the eternal One. The French Bible captures this thought nicely by rendering the Hebrew name Jehovah as "1’Eternel," the eternal One.

There would seem to be another aspect to God’s eternal existence, which again we have great difficulty comprehending. He is not limited to the longitudinal scale_the past, present, and future_of time that confines us creatures. He inhabits eternity (Isa. 57:15) and thus is outside of that narrow line we call "time." "I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done" (Isa. 46:9,10). God’s foreknowledge, upon which election and predestination are based (Rom. 8:29 and 1 Pet. 1:2), comes not from His ability to see into the future but from His inhabiting eternity and thus being outside of time altogether and able to observe all things at all times concurrently.

To God the passage of time is quite different from what it is to us. "One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Pet. 3:8). "A thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday" (Psa. 90:4). This, again, is because God is outside the confines of time. I would suggest that this truth may help to answer a question sometimes raised concerning Christ’s suffering to "bear the sins of many" (Heb. 9:28):How could Christ, in a period of only three hours on the cross, suffer the amount of punishment that millions would have had to endure for eternity had He not died as our substitute. One possible answer is that an eternity of suffering was somehow miraculously, uniquely concentrated into a three-hour period of time. Another possible answer is that while three hours passed in man’s reckoning of time, to the reckoning of Christ it may have been as thousands or millions of years in accordance with 2 Pet. 3:8 and Psa. 90:4. In either case, or even if the truth lies in yet another answer, we are forced to fall down at Jesus’ feet and worship and adore Him who has suffered so intensely on our behalf.

"Spotless Man, uniquely fair,
God Eternal from above,
Suffered infinitely there_
Mighty, quenchless, deathless love!"

Eternal existence does not belong to God the Father alone. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). "And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was" (John 17:5). "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2). "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father [or The Father of Eternity], The Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6). The Holy Spirit, like the Father and the Son, is likewise eternal. He was active in the beginning, in the creation of the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:2). Also, we read in Heb. 9:14, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience. …"

The practical importance to us of God’s eternal existence has already been alluded to. Because His Son has been raised from the dead and lives forever, we have eternal life in Him, and we too will be raised up to enjoy His presence for eternity. What a comfort this is to us as we experience the trials and sorrows of this present life. How wonderful to know that "the eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut. 33:27). (To be continued)

Thank God we are under grace. But does this blessed fact weaken, in any way, the truth that "Holiness becometh [God’s] house … for ever"? (Psa. 93:5). Has it ceased to be true that "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him"? (Psa. 89:7). Is the standard of holiness lower for the Church of God now than it was for Israel of old? Has it ceased to be true that "our God is a consuming fire"? (Heb. 12:29). Is evil to be tolerated because "we are not under law, but under grace"? Why were many of the Corinthians weak and sickly? Why did many of them die? Why were Ananias and Sapphira struck dead in a moment? Did that solemn judgment touch the truth that the Church was under grace? Assuredly not. But neither did grace hinder the action of judgment. God can no more tolerate evil in His assembly now than He could in the days of Achan (Josh. 7).

The assembly at Corinth was commanded_woe be unto them if they had refused_to put away from among them the wicked person, to deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. True, they were not called to stone him or to burn him, but they had to put him out from among them if they would have the divine presence in their midst. "Thy testimonies are very sure; holiness becometh Thine house, O Lord, for ever." Can you not praise him for the holiness as well as the grace? Can you not, as the standard of holiness rises before you, add your doxology, "Blessed be His glorious name forever;. . . Amen and amen"? (Psa. 72:19). We trust you can.

We must never forget that, while we stand in grace, we are to walk in holiness; and, as regards the assembly, if we refuse to judge bad doctrine and bad morals, we are not on the ground of the assembly of God at all. People say we must not judge; God says we must. "Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (1 Cor. 5:12,13). If the assembly at Corinth had refused to judge that wicked person, it would have forfeited all title to be regarded as the assembly of God; and all who feared the Lord would have had to leave it. It is a very solemn matter indeed to take the ground of the assembly of God. All who do so have to bear in mind that it is not at all a question of whom we can receive, or what we can tolerate, but what is worthy of God. We hear a great deal these days about the "broad" and the "narrow"; we have just to be as broad and as narrow as the Word of God.

(From Short Papers, Vol. 2, by C.H. Mackintosh.)

"No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him" (John 1:18).

The Lord is referred to as "the Son of God" in various respects in the Scriptures. He is so called as being born of the virgin (Luke 1:35). He is such by divine decree, as in resurrection (Psa. 2:7; Acts 13:33). He is the Son, and yet has obtained the name of Son (Heb. 1:1-3). Matthew and Mark first notice His Sonship of God at His baptism. Luke goes farther back, and notices it at His birth. But John goes back farther still, even to the immeasurable, unspeakable distance of eternity, and declares His Sonship "in the bosom of the Father."

Sadly, there are some who deny this precious truth of the eternal Sonship of the Lord. There are those who would tell God that He knew not a Father’s joy in that bosom, and who would tell our Lord that He knew not a Son’s joy as He lay in that bosom from all eternity. I cannot join in this. If there are persons in the Godhead, as we know there are, are we not to know also that there are relationships among them? Can we dispense with such a thought? Is there not revealed to faith the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? the Son begotten, and the Spirit proceeding? Indeed there is. The persons in that glory are not independent, but related. Nor is it beyond our measure to say that the great archetype of love, the blessed model or original of all affection, is found in that relationship.

Can I be satisfied with the unbelieving thought that there are not persons in the Godhead, and that Father, Son, and Spirit are only different lights in which the One Person is presented? The substance of the gospel would be destroyed by such a thought. And can I be satisfied with the unbelieving thought that these persons are not related? The love of the gospel would be dimmed by such a thought.

The bosom of the Father was an eternal habitation, enjoyed by the Son, in the ineffable delight of the Father. One has called it "the hiding place of love, of inexpressible love which is beyond glory; for glory may be revealed, this cannot."

"Lamb of God, Thy Father’s bosom
Ever was Thy dwelling-place!"

Let us not surrender such a wonderful truth to the thoughts of men. Even the Jews may rebuke the difficulty that some have regarding this truth. They felt that the Lord’s asserting His Sonship amounted to a making of Himself equal with God. So, instead of Sonship implying a secondary or inferior person, in their thought it asserted equality (John 5:17,18; 10:30-36).

"No man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father" (Luke 10:22). This is a sentence which may well check our reasonings. Also, the word that the eternal life was manifested to us to give us fellowship with the Father and the Son (1 John 1:2,3), distinctly utters the inestimable mystery of the Son being of the Godhead, having "eternal life" with the Father.

But further, can the love of God be understood according to Scripture if this Sonship be not owned? Does not that love get its character from that very doctrine? Are not our hearts challenged on the ground of it? "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). Again, "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.. . . We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" (1 John 4:9-14).

Does not this love lose its unparalleled glory if this truth is questioned? How would we answer the man who would tell us that it was not His own Son whom God spared not, but gave Him up for us all? How would it wither the heart to hear that such a One was only His Son as born of the virgin, and that those words, "He that spared not His own Son" (Rom. 8:32), are to be read as human, and not as divine!

Was it with his servant, or with a stranger, or with one born in his house merely, that Abraham walked to Moriah? Was it with an adopted son, or with his own son, his very son, his only son, whom he loved? We know how to answer these inquiries, I do not know how I could speak of the Son loving me and giving Himself for me (Gal. 2:20), if I did not receive Him by faith as Son in the bosom of the Father, Son in the glory of the Godhead.

May our hearts find blessing in meditating upon the eternal "Son of God, who loved [us] and gave Himself for [us]."

(Condensed from The Son of God.)

"Holiness has been described as ‘a nature that delights in purity, and which repels evil.’ Adam and Eve were ‘innocent,’ not holy; for though they might have delighted in purity, they did not repel the evil of Satan. God is ever holy; in heaven there is no evil to separate from, and He was holy, consistent with His perfection in everything, before there was any evil" (Morrish’s New and Concise Bible Dictionary). Our thoughts as to holiness are very incomplete compared to God’s. We have grown so used to the unholiness in ourselves and all around us that we have little comprehension of what true holiness is. But when we are exhorted to "abhor that which is evil" (Rom. 12:9), we can be sure that holiness goes far beyond the simple absence or avoidance of sin or uncleanness or evil. God is holy; He cannot tolerate sin in His presence (although, praise His name! He is frequently longsuffering toward the sinner); He abhors sin; He is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and can not look on iniquity" (Hab. 1:13).

God’s holiness is clearly manifested in connection with the atoning death of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Psalm 22:1-2 we have, prophetically, Christ crying out:"My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? why art Thou so far from helping Me, and from the words of My roaring? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but Thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent." Why did God forsake Him? Why did He not hear the cries of His own Son? The answer is found in verse 3:"But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." God laid upon His Son_the holy, spotless, sinless Lamb of God_"the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6). God "made [Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin" (2 Cor. 5:21). And since God is holy, and "of purer eyes than to behold evil," He had to turn His back on His Son while He was making atonement for our sin. The more we grow in the knowledge of God’s infinite holiness, the more we will come to appreciate His equally infinite love to us in pouring out His holy wrath and judgment upon His own Son and letting us_ the real sinners_go free.

Let us consider some more Scriptures that attest to the holiness of God.

"And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord, for He is an holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that He hath done you good" (Josh. 24:19-20). The people rose to this challenge laid down by their departing leader by responding, "Nay, but we will serve the Lord . . . and His voice will we obey" (verses 21,24).

"There is none holy as the Lord" (1 Sam. 2:2).

"Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness" (Psa. 30:4; also 97:12).

"God reigneth over the heathen; God sitteth upon the throne of His holiness" (Psa. 47:8).

"Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before Me" (Psa. 89:35-36).

"The Lord is great in Zion; and He is high above all the people. Let them praise Thy great and terrible name; for it is holy. . . . Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is holy" (Psa. 99:2-5,9).

"He sent redemption unto His people; He hath commanded His covenant for ever; holy and reverend is His name" (Psa. 111:9).

"In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims . . . and one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts:the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isa. 6:1-3). And notice the effect this scene had upon the prophet Isaiah:"Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips:for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (verse 5). However holy Isaiah may have been in relation to his fellow Israelites, in the presence of God and His holiness he became thoroughly conscious of His own utter unholiness. In a similar way will we gain a more realistic appreciation of our own sinfulness and lack of holiness as we learn to compare ourselves against the standard of God’s perfect holiness.

The Lord Jesus testifies to the holiness of His Father in His prayer:"Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me" (John 17:11).

The proclamation of the holiness of God will ring out in heaven throughout eternity:"And the four beasts . . . rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come" (Rev. 4:8).

Just as God the Father is holy, so is His Son holy. His holiness as the eternal Son of God did not cease at His incarnation:"And the angel answered and said unto her, . . . that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). Peter proclaimed to the Jews, "Ye denied the Holy One and the Just" (Acts 3:14). And even the demons recognized who Jesus was:"A man with an unclean spirit. . . cried out, saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God" (Mark 1:23,24).

The third person of the Trinity, while possessing the same attributes as God the Father and God the Son, is hardly ever referred to apart from His attribute of being ‘holy.’ Have you ever wondered why He is referred to as the ‘Holy’ Spirit rather than the ‘Loving’ Spirit, the ‘Righteous’ Spirit, the ‘Good’ Spirit, the ‘Truthful’ Spirit, etc.? I would suggest a possible explanation:Since He indwells all believers and communicates with our human spirits, that moral attribute that most sets Him apart from and above our own spirits is his intrinsic holiness. Perhaps another reason is that the primary work of the indwelling Spirit is to produce God’s holiness in us.

This last point brings us to the application of all this to ourselves. Several times in the Scriptures we are exhorted to be holy because God is holy. For example, "I am the Lord your God:ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy" (Lev. 11:44; also 11:45; 19:2; 20:26; 21:8). This is reiterated in the New Testament:"As He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15-16). In his second letter, Peter again urges the believers to holy behavior, this time in consideration of the judgment that will soon fall upon the earth:"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy [behavior] and godliness" (3:11).

We are further exhorted to holiness in the writings of the apostle Paul:"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Rom. 12:1). "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1). "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14).

Who among us can claim to have attained even one-tenth of God’s standard of holiness? May we all become more concerned about how far short of God’s standard we fall in this regard. Then, let our continual prayer be, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psa. 139:23-24).

I would urge your attention to consider how a believer can study the Bible to get the message God has intended and to make appropriate personal application.

In the nearly 2,000 years since the scriptural canon was closed and the New Testament completed, there has never been greater access to the Holy Scriptures than at the present. For centuries the text was known to a literate few, and much was done in tradition. The orthodox Catholics of the pre-Reformation era disputed the access of the Scriptures to the common people for fear of misuse; even the translation of the Scriptures from Latin into common language was denied! However, God brought to the dark world of the Middle Ages the light of the printed Scriptures in the common languages. The subsequent study of the Scriptures by the public was the single most important factor in bringing about the Reformation and the evangelical movements in Europe and throughout the world1. We do recognize that God used men in this work, but the common source was the written Word of God. This background may cause us to pause and appreciate what God’s mercies are to us_that it is truly a privilege to have such access to the Word of God today.

The blessings received in past centuries were not achieved by a mystical, by-chance process, but involved much study and intelligent discernment of the Scriptures. We little appreciate the pioneers who rediscovered and proclaimed various truths which were forgotten and who often paid a price for obeying that truth.

I believe that we ought to approach the Scriptures in such a way that we appreciate truth that has been brought out by others, but more important, that we learn as they learned. We want to discover the truth afresh for ourselves.

This leaves me to comment on the present state of Christianity. I feel that much of Scripture study and commentary is little more than a surface examination and a personalized interpretation. We must guard against this if we are to understand the Scripture from a spiritual standpoint.

Bible study, for the believer, begins with a mind that has respect for the authority of Scripture. We must come as learners, coming to glean spiritual food for our souls. The theme on our hearts should be what the Holy Spirit has put there for us to glean. How, then, does one begin to study the Scriptures in order to get the point that the Holy Spirit is making?

It is best to begin the study of the text from a broad view. This is like a scientist looking through a microscope, using the widest field first before coming in for closer scrutiny. The general order would be the context of books, sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, words, and parts of words. The Latin words con (together) and textus (woven) make up the meaning of the word "context." All Scripture is woven together like a fine fabric2.

In order to present this order of observation, I would like to discuss the Book of Matthew and the portion on the Sermon on the Mount.

Book

The Book of Matthew is rather long in comparison to other New Testament books. Considering it as a whole is necessary to identifying and understanding any one of its parts. One could read the entire book in an hour; then all of the book is fresh in the mind. It is generally agreed that this book’s emphasis is the kingdom of heaven.

Section

The sectional context of the Sermon on the Mount is Matthew 5, 6, and 7. We determine this section by the common place in which it was spoken. It is fitting to imagine the Lord on the mountain speaking to the multitudes and His disciples. The statement that His hearers testified that He spoke with authority, not as the scribes (Matt. 7:29) applies to the entire section.

Paragraph

The paragraph is the framework for developing a single idea or topic. Note, for example, how the paragraphs are divided up in the last half of Matthew 5, namely, verses 17-20, 21-26, 27-32, 33-37, 38-42, and 43-48. These paragraphs are the framework for the Lord’s teaching. The first paragraph is introductory, and the next five each carry one complete thought, yet they are woven together.

Sentences

Sentences are expressions of one complete thought. Note the repetition of the same thought in each of the paragraphs of Matthew 5. After the introductory paragraph, the next five have beginning sentences and clauses such as "you have heard" followed by "but I say." The basic order of this is clear, which may serve as a guideline for teaching and instruction.

Words and Parts of Words

Finally, discussing words, consider an example in Matthew 5:13. The Greek word moraino is translated "loss of savor" (King James Version) and "tasteless" (New American Standard Bible, NASB). In another Scripture (1 Cor. 1:20) the same word is translated "foolish." Therefore, when this Greek word is used in the context of salt it means "tasteless," and in the context of men, it means "foolish." In this sense, words are known by the company they keep.

I would suggest Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words for this study. It has a listing of each Greek word, the adjective, verb, and noun forms of that word, and its Scriptural references.

Having considered the text from a broad to a more specific point of view, and understanding the importance of context, we now direct our attention to the types of writing that are found in Scripture. There are several types found in Scripture, including poetry, prose, apocalyptic, and wisdom. Generally one should adapt his outline style to the language type. I would like to discuss poetry at length and the others briefly.

About one-third of the Old Testament writing is poetry3 .We may not be aware of this if the Bible we are using is in column form. However, this should not deter the energetic student from rewriting the text in a poetical format. The most common Hebrew poetical tool is the couplet, or parallel statement4. A typical poetical outline would be Isaiah 1:3 (JND):

A
a – The ox
b – knoweth
c – his owner
A
a’ – and the ass
b’
c’ – his master’s crib.
B
a _ Israel
b _ doth not
c _ know,
B
a’ -My people
b’ _ hath no
c’ – intelligence

The capital letters identify a repeated statement. This is called parallelism. The small letters indicate words or phrases that correspond between the two statements of the couplet. A letter in parentheses indicates that the word does not appear as in its couplet.

The second statement in the couplet may be supportive as above or antithetical as illustrated by Proverbs 15:1 (JND)5

A
a – A soft answer
b _turneth away
c – fury;
A
a’ – but a grievous word
b’ _ stirreth up
c’ – anger.

The significance of parallelism is found in interpretation, in that analysis of a couplet helps us interpret a passage of some difficulty. Note, for example, Isaiah 53:1:

A
a _Who
b – hath believed
c – our report?
A
a – and to whom
b – hath been revealed
c -the arm of the Lord?

The second statement makes clear that this "report" called "our report" was the revealed arm of the Lord to them, not by them.

In the original Hebrew some of the poetical forms are seen in individual words. Consider Isaiah 28:10 and 13 in English (JND) and in Hebrew:"And the word of Jehovah was unto them

precept upon precept, A sav la-sav
precept upon precept, A sav la-sav
line upon line, B kavla-kav
line upon line, B kav la-kav
here a little, C ze-ersham
there a little.” C ze-er sham

We note first that the words of this passage are monosyllabic and repetitive. It is a simple message that children could have understood and uttered. However, they did not hear and understand. Therefore this same message is repeated in verse 13, but in the terrifying words of the enemy (Assyrian) language, as it would be perceived by an Israelite. God used the Assyrians to conquer the unfaithful Israelites.

The passage in Isaiah 28:11,12 is quoted in 1 Cor. 14:21:"It is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear Me, saith the Lord." In Isaiah’s day God used foreign tongues as a warning sign to Israel of impending judgment. In 1 Cor. 14:22 we find that tongues in New Testament times still served as a sign to unbelievers, perhaps particularly to those of Jewish background (see Acts 2:5,6). It is helpful to examine present practices of those who say they speak in tongues and compare this with the Old and New Testament scriptures referred to above.

One help to studying the poetic style of the Bible is to compare various translations. The NASB and the New International Translation are written out in the poetic style. It is interesting to check one’s own outline form from the King James or J. N. Darby versions with others.

The other types of writing are characterized by styles also. Historical narrative is a type of prose writing. Often the historical narrative is a longer section of writing. The purpose is to relate an event, and the lessons are left for us to draw out. We can put the pieces together from different sources and understand the place, time, and circumstances. This may only be the beginning in getting information. The great challenge is to bring the "then" to "now."

A definite progression of steps from the text to personal application is needed. First, the facts are gathered and an outline is formulated from the main points. Then the main points are looked at for the principles they contain. Finally personal application is made from these principles. We often take this for granted, but I press for its importance in proper personal application. Consider briefly, for example, the account of the brazen serpent. Numbers 21:9 records that the fatal bite of a snake was cured as the people looked upon the brazen serpent raised upon a standard. The main points can be listed, and met with principles of the way of salvation as shown in the Old Testament. The New Testament principle is explained in John 3:14, as it is Christ who has been "lifted up" as a sacrifice for sin. The personal application is our look of faith to Christ apart from works. Thus, we have gathered the application from the text instead of imposing one on it.

The apocalyptic style is difficult for many because it is full of spiritual terms not familiar to our natural minds. Angels, demons, prophetic visions, and tribulation judgment are characteristic. This style is similar to working with the narrative in outline form and principle.

Wisdom writing is more closely associated with poetic style. It is either a lengthy discourse, as in Job, or shorter statements, as in Proverbs. The same principles used in narrative writing apply. Other examples include Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Matthew 5-7, and James.

Our objective in doing this is to allow the Scriptures to surface with their own message. We should not push Scripture into a mold that will not fit. However, the points become clearer and easier to grasp when simplified. After this textual examination, I would like to suggest a list of questions that we may ask ourselves:

1. Who was the author? what does this mean? (Of course, we know that God is the Author and used various people at different times and in a variety of circumstances to give His Word to us. Ed.)

2. What did the author mean by what is written?

3. What were the author’s circumstances?

4. How did the author write_prose, poetry, history?

5. What did the author expect from his audience when they first heard these words?

6. What is the main point being made?

Whether we know the author’s name or not, these questions aid us in getting closer to the text. This information helps one first seek what was in the author’s mind before seeking a personal application.

Our understanding of Scripture is a dynamic process which involves growth in wisdom and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. We err if we think that any "intelligent method" always leads us into the truth. Scripture study is exclusively a spiritual endeavor. We also err if our ideas and opinions are formed in concrete on our first impression. Foremost, let us allow the Scripture to speak for itself, and allow it to interpret itself. "But know this first of all that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:20,21 NASB).

In conclusion, the way in which we study the Bible is very important. I submit that we can enjoy much blessing by examining the Scriptures in a manner which will open the eyes of our hearts. We need to gather the information in an orderly fashion so that we can see the context and application of a text, and then personal application.

References

1. Andrew Miller:Miller’s Church History. London, Pickering and Inglis, 1977.

2. Walter Kaiser, Jr.:Toward an Exegetical Theology. Grand Rapids, MI, Baker, 1981, p. 71.

3. Ibid., p. 92.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid., p. 221.

FRAGMENT We tend to study too much, and read the Bible too little. I always find that I have to be on my guard on this point. It is the teaching of God, and not the labor of man, that makes us enter into the thoughts of God in the Bible.

"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:2).

It is essential for the true character of our path as Christians that we should lay hold of what this obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ was. The character of Christ’s obedience was different from legal obedience. If my child wants to do something, and I forbid it, and the child promptly obeys, I speak of its ready obedience. Christ never obeyed in this way; He never had a desire checked by an imposed law. It was never needed to say to Him, "Thou shalt not," when He willed to do something. He acted because the Father willed it. That was His motive, the only cause of His acting. He lived by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God. When there was none, He had nothing to do. Hence the will of God, whatever it was, was His rule.

This is the true character of the obedience of Jesus Christ and of our obedience as Christians_that the will of God is the reason, the motive, for doing a thing. We are sanctified to the obedience of Jesus Christ, to obey as He obeyed. When Satan came and said to Him, "Command that these stones be made bread" (Matt. 4:3), He answered, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word … of God" (verse 4). His actual life, as carried out in conduct, flowed from the Word of God, which was His motive for doing it; if He had not that, He had no motive. If I have no motive but my Father’s will, how astonishingly it simplifies everything! If you never thought of doing a thing unless it was God’s positive will that you should do it, surely three-quarters of your questions and perplexities would at once disappear! This is the practical truth as to ourselves; yet we clearly see that such was the obedience of Christ.

This, too, is the principle of real godliness, because it keeps us in constant dependence upon God, and constant reference to God. It is an amazing comfort for my soul to think that there is not a single thing all through my life in which God as my Father has not a positive will about me to direct me; that there is not a step from the moment I am born (though while we are unconverted we understand nothing about it) in which there is not a positive path or will of God to direct me here. I may forget it and fail, but we have in the Word and will of God that which keeps the soul, not in a constant struggle against one thing and another, but in the quiet consciousness that the grace of God has provided for everything_that I do not take a step that His love has not provided for. It keeps the soul in the sweet sense of divine favor and in dependence upon God, so that like David we can say, "Thy right hand upholdeth me" (Psalm 63:8). Moses does not say, "Show me a way through the wilderness," but "Show me now Thy way" (Exod. 33:13). A man’s ways reveal what he is; God’s way shows what He is.

In its path the heart gets separated more and more intelligently to God, and gets to understand what God is. If I know that God likes this and likes that along my path, it is because I know what He is; and besides its being the right path and causing us thus to grow in intelligent holiness of life, there is godliness in it too. The constant referring of the heart affectionately to God is real godliness and we have to look for that. We have it perfectly in our Lord:"I knew," He said, "that Thou hearest Me always" (John 11:42). There is the confidence of power and reference to God with confiding affection. If I know that it is His path of goodness, His will that is the source of everything to me, there is then the cultivation of a life consistent in its ways with God; communion is uninterrupted because the Spirit is not grieved. This is the obedience of Jesus Christ to which we are set apart.

(From "The Path and Character of the Christian," in Collected Writings, Vol. 16.)

In the previous issue we considered a number of evidences of the deity of Jesus Christ, namely, that He is co-equal with God, the eternal Son of God, "the image of the invisible God," and the revealer of God. Scripture also shows us that Jesus Christ is better than the angels, is the recipient of worship, came from and returned to God, and shares divine attributes with God the Father. These further manifestations of Christ’s deity are now presented.

Came from and Returned to God

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven" (John 3:13). To the Pharisees He said, "I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of Myself, but He sent Me" (John 8:42). Just before His departure from the earth He sought to encourage the hearts of His disciples by telling them, "In My Father’s house are many mansions. … I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2). Shortly afterward He prayed, "O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was" (John 17:5). And following His resurrection, Jesus said to Mary, "I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God" (John 20:17).

Better Than the Angels

In Hebrews 1:4,5 we read that Christ was "made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?" Thus, Jesus was not the chiefest angel, as claimed by some today. He was far better and far higher than all angels, than every created being.

Received Worship

When Satan tempted Christ and sought for Christ to fall down and worship him, Jesus responded, "It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" (Matt. 4:10). When Cornelius fell down to worship Peter, Peter commanded, "Stand up; I myself also am a man" (Acts 10:25,26). And when the apostle John on two occasions fell down to worship the angel who showed him such wonderful things to come, the angel responded, "See thou do it not; I am thy fellowservant . . . worship God" (Rev. 19:10; 22:8,9). Against this background, let us notice how Jesus felt about those who worshipped Him. Did He refuse the worship offered to Him by others, as did Peter and the angel? No. He did not rebuke Thomas for saying to Him, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). And when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, "The whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord:peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto Him, Master, rebuke Thy disciples. And He answered and said unto them, I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:37-40). So here, much less than rebuke others for worshipping Him, He rebuked those who sought to prevent others from praising Him.

Some today who deny the deity of Christ say that they honor Christ to a certain extent but not as they honor God. But listen to Scripture:Jesus said, "All men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him" (John 5:23). The equality of the Father and the Son in receiving worship is clearly evidenced in Rev. 5:13:"And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." The Father and the Son here are worshipped together in the same breath.

Manifested Divine Attributes

Those same attributes ascribed to Jehovah God of the Old Testament are found in Christ of the New Testament. We will briefly consider four of these attributes of Christ_His eternal existence, omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence.

The eternal existence of Christ is declared several times in the Gospel of John. For example, "In the beginning was the Word" (1:1); "Before Abraham was, I am" (8:58). The Old Testament likewise refers to the Messiah as the "Father of Eternity" (Isa. 9:6 JND), and the one "Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2).

Jesus reminds us of the Almighty God of the Old Testament when He says, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28:18). His power was manifested prior to the Incarnation by His creation of all things (John 1:3; Col. 1:16), and after the Incarnation by the many miracles He performed. Among His many works of power, perhaps the most significant to us is "that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins" (Matt. 9:6).

Jesus Christ is omniscient, that is, knowing all things. His disciples testify, "Now are we sure that Thou knowest all things" (John 16:30; see also 21:17). We also read that "He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man" (John 2:24,25; see also Mark 2:8).

One of Christ’s limitations as a man upon the earth was being confined by space and time; thus He was not omnipresent at that time. However, as He was about to leave His disciples to ascend into heaven, He said, "Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20). Even though His disciples today are scattered throughout the whole world, all can claim that precious promise that Christ is with us. Thus Christ, like Jehovah of the Old Testament, is present everywhere. This is confirmed by the well-known scripture in Matt. 18:20:"Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them."

Our study of the person of Jesus Christ will continue in the next issue, Lord willing, with a consideration of manifestations of His perfect manhood.

"As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance; but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:14-16).

Apart from simple faith in God and the consciousness that the Spirit of God is still guardian in the Church, one would not know how or what to speak in these days. If you speak of grace, and dwell upon the fulness and freeness of it, there are so many hearts that will delight in it after a carnal manner, and use it for a cloak of evil. Such persons turn "the grace of our God into lasciviousness" (Jude 4); they cover over a deep spirit of worldliness and excuse themselves much obedience on the ground of grace. Indeed, this is a prevailing evil of these days. It is the root of that latitudinarian spirit which is tolerant of many evils and much disobedience. On the other hand, if you speak of holiness of walk, many souls will put themselves under legal bondage, which robs them of their joy and peace, or at best makes them slaves of their own feelings, or promotes that self-righteous spirit which fills the heart with intolerable pride.

Still the truth must be told; and it will have its fruit in some hearts. In the passage above we see the most touching appeal to the heart of a saint; and these two principles, grace and holiness, are exactly in unison. The appeal is not to bondmen or servants, but to children; and it is from Him "which hath called you." Grace has brightly shone in these two facts:(1) He has called us; and (2) "Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Rom. 8:29). Thus, He has called us and has made us His children. The appeal is this:seeing He who has thus acted in such grace, and brought us into such relationship, is Himself holy, so should we be holy. And there is grace in this appeal, for He desires that we should be before Him in joy and love, which could not be without holiness. This our God has secured to us in Jesus, having "chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Eph. 1:4). But God has now separated us unto Himself from an evil world, and from our own evil too; hence the present appeal to be "as obedient children." The principle is this:the children should be as the parent. God is holy; hence His children are to be holy. As holiness is a characteristic of the Father, it should also be a characteristic of the children.

If this principle had more weight in our minds, our chastenings would be found much more fruitful; for surely the soul that longs after holiness will profit more than a careless soul by the various chastenings of the Father’s hand. "For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness" (Heb. 12:10).

Many are apt to contrast grace and holiness, but there can be no contrast among any of the attributes of God. All His attributes express Himself, and He is One. Grace, indeed, shines most in this, that we sinners of the Gentiles should be reconciled unto God, and built up with the Jews a holy temple in the Lord (Eph. 2:11-22). "Grace [reigns] through righteousness" (Rom. 5:21).

I am sure of this:if we would serve the Lord, we must be holy. Not in self-righteousness, but as "obedient children," as those who wish to be as He is. Every exhortation to His children and every recognition of them is full of this principle_holiness.

One could dwell very much on this important subject, and I trust the Lord may lead our souls more into it. It is evident, from the Word and from past experience, that God’s work is accomplished by means of holy and godly people. A true position and clear knowledge of the truth will not suffice; holiness is what God looks for. The reason is evident, since to do God’s work He must have the soul walking with Himself, in communion with His mind. Witness the contrast between Abraham and Lot.

Let brethren in Christ everywhere look well to this, for while there is much truth abroad it seems to have little power in separating souls from evil. For when we see light spreading, if that "light [in them] be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matt. 6:23). There seems to be a lack of power for obedience to the truth when it is seen. Why is this?

Let us remember this, "The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Tim. 2:19). I doubt not that the Lord is doing a work among souls; and if we would share the reward of such work, we must see to it that we are found "as workers together with Him . . . giving no offence in anything, … in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God" (2 Cor. 6:1-4).

(From The Present Testimony, Vol. 6.)

Our true wisdom is being subject to the will of our Lord. To human eyes no plan of taking Jericho could have been more foolish than that which Joshua adopted; but it was God’s plan, and hence it was completely successful.

Transcendent

God is above and beyond all things; He exists totally apart from the material universe; He is transcendent. God is not a slave to the laws of the universe and laws of nature of which He is author; rather He is independent of them_above them. He can override them at will, though normally He does not interfere with them. A number of instances of God’s overriding of His natural laws are given in Scripture. For example, resurrection from the dead (John 11:44; Luke 24:6), virgin birth (Matt. 1:23), water turned into wine (John 2:9), the sun standing still (Josh. 10:13).

God is not simply the highest in an ascending order of beings, but infinitely above the highest created beings. And this transcendence is not an exclusive attribute of God the Father. Concerning His Son we read, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth" (Phil. 2:9,10). Also, "He 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 world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under His feet" (Eph. 1:20-22).

In connection with this attribute of God’s transcendence, let us notice from Scripture the response of man in the presence of God the Father and God the Son:

"And Moses hid his face:for he was afraid to look upon God" (Exod. 3:6).

"Then said [Isaiah], Woe is me! for 1 am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips:for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isa. 6:5).

"Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed hi linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz; His body also was like the beryl, and His face as the appearance of lightning, and His eyes as lamps of fire, and His arms and His feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of His words like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision:for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me:for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength" (Dan. 10:5-8).

"When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken" (Luke 5:8,9).

"And as [Saul] journeyed, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven; and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And He trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:3-6).

What is our attitude in the presence of God during times of prayer, worship, and learning of Him through the Word? May we, like Isaiah and Peter, experience a deeper sense of our own sinfulness and failure to do His will. May the fight and willfulness go out of us so that we ask meekly_as did Saul of Tarsus, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" And may we be properly filled with awe and deep respect for Him as we consider how He, the Son of God, the creator, has come down_infinitely down_to bring us into relationship with God the Father.

Infinite

God has no limitations. He cannot be imprisoned either in space or time. His attributes cannot be measured; His holiness, power, grace, wisdom, love have no limit_are infinite. By way of contrast, I may think I love all men, until one comes along so mean to me that I find myself hating him, or certainly not loving him or desiring good for him. But God’s attributes are not affected by what He finds in His creatures. I may have a measure of physical strength or spiritual power. But it constantly needs replenishing through rest and nourishment. And what is our power compared to God’s? He is infinitely more powerful:He has moved mountains, set the planets and stars on their courses, created the universe. And there is no indication that His power was ever diminished or that He ever became weary from doing such mighty works.

Surely we can exclaim with the apostle Paul, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" (Rom. 11:33).

Immutable

God never differs from Himself. He is not a growing or developing God. He cannot change for the better or the worse. All His attributes are unchanging, always in perfect balance with one another. He does not change from being primarily a God of righteousness at one time or during one era to being primarily a God of love in another era. His love and His righteousness, His grace and holiness, are always present in unvarying proportions. With Him "is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17).

When we come to Him we don’t have to worry about what kind of mood He is in today. His love is steadfast and constant, unlike the ups and downs of human love. His holy wrath toward sin is uniform and unchanging, unlike our tendency to be angry toward any sin that harms or hurts us but tolerant of sinful activities that give us pleasure. "I am the Lord. I change not" (Mal. 3:6). "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever" (Heb. 13:8). "Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed; but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end" (Psa. 102:25-27).

Since God is perfect in all His ways, it is most comforting to know that He will always be the same, that He does not change. As for ourselves, considering what we were by nature_born in sin and shapen in iniquity_the ability to change is a treasure. A. W. Tozer in The Knowledge of the Holy expresses it well:"For human beings the whole possibility of redemption lies in their ability to change. To move across from one sort of person to another is the essence of repentance:the liar becomes truthful, the thief honest, the lewd pure, the proud humble. The whole moral texture of the life is altered. The thoughts, the desires, the affections are transformed, and the man is no longer what he had been before. So radical is this change that the apostle calls the man that used to be ‘the old man’ and the man that now is ‘the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.’ "

There is a bit of a difficulty attached to the truth of the immutability of God. On the one hand it is said of God that He "is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent" (Num. 23:19; see also 1 Sam. 15:29). On the other hand, we read,’ ‘And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart (Gen. 6:6). Also, we hear the Lord saying unto Samuel, "It repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king; for He is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments" (1 Sam. 15:11). And in Jonah 3:10 we read that "God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not.” How is it that the unchangeable God seems to repent or change His mind about things?

The fact is that we never find Him changing in His basic attitudes and attributes. It is man that does the changing, and God may have to change His response to man_either for the better or for the worse_according to man’s behavior. When God created man He beheld that "it was very good" (Gen. 1:31). But after man fell into sin, and "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth," we find a marked change in God’s thoughts toward man and the necessity for Him to manifest to man His holy anger toward sin. His love and grace are no less evident in that He spares righteous Noah and his family from the judgment and gives mankind another chance.

The opposite occurred in Jonah’s day. Because of the great wickedness of the people of Nineveh, God announced to them by His servant Jonah that the city would be destroyed in 40 days (Jonah 1:2; 3:4). But when the Ninevites responded to the pronouncement by repenting and turning away from their evil ways, they brought themselves under God’s mercy and forgiveness instead of His wrath. God Himself had not changed.

Let us worship and adore, and have deep respect and reverence for our transcendent, infinite, unchangeable God. (To be continued).

"If any one desire to practice His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is of God or [that] I speak from myself" (John 7:17 JND). We learn in this passage that honest obedience to God’s will is one way to obtain clear spiritual knowledge.

The difficulty of finding out what the truth is in religion is a common subject of complaint among men. They point to many differences which prevail among Christians on matters of doctrine and profess to be unable to decide who is right. In thousands of cases this professed inability to find out the truth becomes an excuse for living without any religion at all.

The saying of our Lord before us is one that demands the serious attention of persons in this state of mind. It supplies an argument whose edge and point they will find it hard to evade. It teaches that one secret of getting the key of knowledge is to practice honestly what we know and that if we conscientiously use the light we now have, we shall soon have more light coming into our minds. In short, there is a sense in which it is true, that by doing we shall come to knowing.

There is a mine of truth in this principle. Well would it be for men if they would act upon it. Instead of saying as some do, "I must first know everything clearly, and then I will act," we should say, "I will diligently use such knowledge as I possess, and believe that in the using, fresh knowledge will be given to me." How many mysteries this simple plan would solve! How many difficult things would soon become plain if men would honestly live up to their light, and "follow on to know the Lord" (Hosea 6:3).

It should never be forgotten that God deals with us as moral beings and not as beasts or stones. He loves to encourage us to self-exertion and diligent use of such means as we have in our hands. The plain things in the Word of God are undeniably very many. Let a man honestly attend to them and he shall be taught the deep things of God. Whatever some may say about their inability to find out truth, you will rarely find one of them who does not know better than he practices. Then if he is sincere, let him begin here at once. Let him humbly use what little knowledge he has, and God will soon give him more.

FRAGMENT Standing before the grave of Lazarus whose body was corrupting, the Lord demands something of those who longed for a miracle:"Take ye away the stone" (John 11:39). They might have questioned, "But Lord, You are going to raise the dead, why can’t You move this heavy stone with but a word, a thought?" Herein lies a great principle:the Lord will not do by a miracle what we are to do by obedience. Are you looking for a miracle today? Is there a stone He wants you to roll away first? Some hard unyielding attitude; someone you will not forgive; some unconfessed sin; some step of obedience He awaits? It is ours to obey, it is His to do the miracles.

FRAGMENT It is a terrible thing when God’s presence, instead of being the home of our hearts, gives us terror and distress. I have no doubt that you will find hundreds of Christians who, instead of feeling away from home when they have got out of God’s presence, are at ease.

FRAGMENT We sometimes enjoy peace, we enjoy scripture, a hymn, or prayer, without realizing the presence of God; and then there is not the same power, or the same exercise of heart in it, It is very important not only to have a right thought, but to have it with Him. If you search your own heart, you will find that you may sing without realizing Jesus Himself.

FRAGMENT I find the constant tendency of an active mind, and even of work for the Lord, ever is to take us out of the presence of God. God’s presence puts us in our place, and puts Himself in His place in our hearts; and what confidence this gives, as well as the emptying of self in joy! Our great need is to keep in His presence.

FRAGMENT Activity, unless renewing itself in communion with Him, may be sincere, but will degenerate into routine, and is even dangerous; the soul gets far from God without knowing it.

FRAGMENT If you have the assurance that God has entrusted you with a certain service for Him, do not be troubled if you are set aside for a time. Profit by your present separation from the work to be much with Him. You will learn much of Himself during your temporary incapacity to serve Him.

FRAGMENT If we get near to the Lord, if we are in communion with God within the holy place, we see all the saints with His eyes, as dear to Him, objects of Christ’s delight, and the fruit of the travail of His soul. Then intercession for them is easy, and faithfulness to them becomes easy and gracious too.

FRAGMENT Getting out of God’s presence is the source of all our weakness as saints, for in God’s strength we can do anything. (From Pilgrim Portions:Meditations for the Day of Rest by J. N. Darby.)

The great name which characterizes the revelation of God in Christ is "Father." When near, or in, the Garden of Gethsemane the Lord Jesus lifted up His eyes to heaven and uttered the wonderful prayer recorded in John 17. He said, ”’Father… I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world" (v. 6). We do well then reverently to inquire:What does the name of Father mean?

To begin with, it clearly means relationship. The knowledge of God as Almighty or as Jehovah did not involve this, which doubtless accounts for the way in which unconverted people use such a term as "Almighty God" in speaking of Him and instinctively avoid "Father." In their case the relationship does not exist.

Further, it means relationship of the closest kind. The correlative terms to Father are "children" and "sons," and both of these are used in the New Testament of Christians. The closeness of the relationship is further emphasized by the fact that it is real and vital and not something merely assumed. We are children of God inasmuch as we are born of God (John 1:12,13; 1 John 3:9,10).

But the crowning point in the revelation of God as Father lies in the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself as incarnate is the Son. He was ever "the Son" as the Second Person of the Trinity, but we refer to the place He took in manhood here (see Luke 1:35; Gal. 4:4). Hence in His advent there was the full setting forth of all that God is as Father in connection with all that He Himself is as Son; and the light in which we know God is as "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 1:3).

Much depends upon this, and we urge the reader to ponder it prayerfully until he makes it his own. Our tendency is to connect God’s Fatherhood merely with ourselves, with the result that we lower it until it becomes to our minds just a matter of the fatherly care that gives us food and raiment and the mercies of this life. All these things are indeed ours from our Father’s hand, but the Father’s thoughts and the Father’s love soar infinitely beyond them.

Connect God’s Fatherhood with Christ the Son_who is the worthy object of His love, and in whom a perfect response is given_and at once you have the key that opens the subject in its fulness. That is the standard! There you see the revelation in its perfection! We are indeed sons of God with "the Spirit of His Son" in our hearts "crying Abba, Father" (Gal. 4:6); but sonship is only ours as the fruit of God’s Son being revealed and redemption accomplished (Gal. 4:4,5). Only thus was that wonderful message made possible:"I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God" (John 20:17).

(From Foundations.)

Omniscient

God possesses all (‘omni’) knowledge (‘science’). He has no need to learn; but more than this, He has never learned and cannot learn. "Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His counsellor hath taught him? With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and showed to Him the way of understanding?" (Isa. 40:13,14; see also Rom. 11:34). Who can imagine God sitting at the feet of a teacher? He perfectly knows Himself and all that can be known. In contrast, how imperfectly do any of us know even ourselves_what lurks within the depths of our hearts and minds.

God knows everything to know about the entire created universe. He knows each person through and through_every thought, word, action, the deep recesses of our minds and hearts, all our secret sins. As an example of this, Job was outwardly upright and God-fearing (Job 1:8); but God detected a root of pride and self-righteousness in Job, so He tested him until Job himself discovered what was truly in him:"I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:6).

God’s knowledge is totally independent of any time frame.He knows the future as thoroughly as the past. "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare:before they spring forth I tell you of them" (Isa. 42:9). "I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done" (Isa. 46:9,10). "Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world" (Acts 15:18). "God . . . calleth those things which be not as though they were" (Rom. 4:17).

God also knows all things that are possible but never became actual. For example, listen to the declaration of the Lord:"Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes . . . And thou, Capernaum, … if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day" (Matt. 11:21,23).

The Scriptures have much to say concerning God’s omniscience. Let us read a few of the passages.

"But He knoweth the way that I take; when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).

"O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether. . . . Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it" (Psa. 139:1-6).

"He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names" (Psa. 147:4; see also Matt. 10:30).

"Thus saith the Lord, … I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them" (Ezek. 11:5).

"Thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly. . . . Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.. . . Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things" (Matt. 6:4,8,32).

Not only is God the Father omniscient, but God the Son and God the Holy Spirit likewise possess all knowledge. Concerning the Son we read:"And immediately when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?" (Mark 2:8). "And others, tempting Him, sought of Him a sign from heaven, but He, knowing their thoughts, said . . ." (Luke 11:16,17). "And He said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me" (Luke 22:34). "But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man" (John 2:24,25).

The omniscience of the Holy Spirit is brought out in the following verses:"When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). "God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.. . . The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 2:10,11).

In consideration of the omniscience of God, let us stop and think back over the past 24-48 hours_our thoughts, words, and deeds. Does it not make us ashamed to realize that God was watching and listening to it all_our silliness, grouchiness, anger, self-pity, complaining, and so forth? May the fact of God’s omniscience have a positive effect upon our behavior. Also, may we seek to lay hold of the measure of knowledge_about Himself, about ourselves, about His creation_that God has revealed to us in His Word. While our knowledge in this life is only partial, we surely look forward to that eternal day when we shall know even as we are now known by God (1 Cor. 13:12).

We conclude our meditation on the omniscience of God by exclaiming with the apostle Paul, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" (Rom. 11:33).

Omnipotent

"And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude. . . saying, Alleluia:for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth" (Rev. 19:6). The same Greek word here translated "omnipotent" is elsewhere translated "almighty." For example, "I am Alpha and Omega . . . which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Rev. 1:8). "And the four beasts . . . rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come" (Rev. 4:8). "I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it" (Rev. 21:22).

God is omnipotent, almighty, all-powerful. His "eternal power" is displayed in His creation (Rom. 1:20). I believe it is not amiss to say that all His acts are done without effort. God expends no energy that must be replenished. Unlike ourselves, He does not need to look outside of Himself for a renewal of strength.

Let us look at some scriptures that show various effects and results of the omnipotence of God the Father and of Jesus Christ, His Son:

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. . . . And God said, Let there be light; and there was light" (Gen. 1:1,3).

"Ah Lord God! behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee" (Jer. 32:17).

When Sarah doubted the word given to her that she was to bear a child in her old age, "The Lord said unto Abraham, … Is any thing too hard for the Lord?" (Gen. 18:14).

"Say unto God, How terrible art Thou in Thy works! through the greatness of Thy power shall Thine enemies submit themselves unto Thee" (Psa. 66:3).

The power of the Lord Jesus was displayed in a variety of ways:healing many people of their diseases (for example, leprosy, Matt. 8:3; palsy, Matt. 8:13; fever, Matt. 8:14; an issue of blood, Matt. 9:22), casting out demons (Matt. 8:16, 28-34), calming the winds and sea (Matt. 8:26,27), turning water into wine (John 2:7-11), raising from the dead (Lazarus, John 11:43; the daughter of Jairus, Luke 8:49-55; Himself, John 10:18), and forgiving sins (Matt. 9:6).

We who are believers in Christ can realize the power of God in a variety of ways in our own lives. Consider the following scriptures in this connection:

” The gospel of Christ… is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom. 1:16).

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor. 12:9).

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:10,11).

We "are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:5).

In conclusion, the apostle Paul prayed that we might know "the exceeding greatness of His [God’s] power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power," and also that God "would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man" (Eph. 1:19; 3:16).

Omnipresent

God is present everywhere. Adam and Eve tried to hide from Him (Gen. 3:8), but were found out by Him. Jonah tried to run away from God (Jonah 1:3), but God prepared a storm and a great fish to bring Jonah back to where He could use him (1:4,17; 2:10).

The omnipresence of God is marvelously described by David in Psalm 139:7-12:"Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee, from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee."

Other references to God’s omnipresence include:"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Prov. 15:3). "Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth?" (Jer. 23:23,24).

God the Son is also omnipresent, although this attribute was temporarily laid aside while He was a man on earth. As Christ was about to return to heaven following His resurrection, He said to His disciples:"Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20).

It is most comforting and encouraging to the believer in Christ to know that God is present everywhere, and therefore always close to us. We need not go to a special city or into a special building, put ourselves into a particular posture or position, or have an intermediary of any sort in order to commune with God. His ears are always open to our prayers (1 Peter 3:12). And companies of believers in all parts of the world can simultaneously claim the promise made by the Lord Jesus, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20).

In future issues, if the Lord tarry, we shall continue this series with a consideration of some of the moral attributes of God, such as His love, grace, and holiness.

I ask your attention to that tremendous theme, the Holy Trinity, and I am going to quote, as a starting point, the following text:"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen" (2 Cor. 13:14). This verse sets before us in a very definite way the unity of the Godhead and yet the three persons in the Holy Trinity. The truth of the Holy Trinity forms one of the great revelations of grace. I do not mean by that we never find the trinity in the Old Testament. We do, but not so definitely as in the New Testament.

The very first verse of our Bible does more than suggest a trinity in the Godhead. It positively affirms it. We read in Gen. 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." It is a well-known fact that the Hebrew word for "God" here is Elohim, and the "im" at the end of a Hebrew noun is the plural form. In Hebrew, as in some other languages, there are three numbers, singular, dual, and plural. The singular, of course, is one; the dual is two, and the plural signifies that the noun refers to three or more. The singular for God is El, or Eloah, the plural Elohim. There is no dual in this instance. So we read here, "In the beginning Elohim (the triune God) created the heaven and the earth." It has often been pointed out by scholars that while the word "God" is in the plural, the word "created" is singular, so this in itself suggests the wonderful mystery of the Trinity acting in unity_three persons in one God, acting together, in the creation of the universe. It is perfectly right to say we believe in God the Father, Creator of the heavens and the earth; it is also correct to say God by His Spirit made the heavens and the earth; and it is also correct to say that the Son was the Creator. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:1-3).

In the book of the prophet Isaiah there are two very prominent scriptures that bring the three persons of the Godhead clearly before us. In chapter 48, verse 16, we hear Messiah speaking. Throughout this section of the book the Spirit of God brings before us the coming and rejection of our Lord Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah, and in verse 16 Messiah, speaking through the prophet, says this:"Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I:and now the Lord God, and His Spirit, hath sent Me." We know that these words refer to the Lord Jesus Christ for we read in John 18:20 that He declared, "In secret have I said nothing," and this is the passage to which He referred. So here we are listening to the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah, the eternal holy Son of God who was to be manifested in the flesh. He says, looking on to the Incarnation, "And now the Lord God, and His Spirit [that is, the Holy Spirit], hath sent Me [that is, the Son]." So there you have the Trinity in the Book of Isaiah. It is often said that the Old Testament does not tell us anything about the Trinity of the Godhead, and some of our Jewish friends consider the doctrine of the Trinity as solely a Christian idea. But it is clear that here in Isaiah we have the three persons definitely indicated_ Messiah (the Lord Jesus Christ), God the Father, and the Holy Spirit.

In a later chapter of this same book we have the three persons again definitely indicated. It is the passage that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself read in the synagogue at Nazareth and applied to Himself, saying, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears" (Luke 4:21). Now notice how the three persons come before us in this passage:"The Spirit [the Holy Spirit] of the Lord God is upon Me [that is, the Son]; because the Lord [that is, God the Father] hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Isa. 61:1). You will remember that when the Lord Jesus had read that far, He closed the book. When you look at the text in Isaiah, there is a comma following_He had not finished the sentence. Why didn’t He go on to the end of the sentence? Because the time of fulfillment had not come yet for "the day of vengeance of our God"; so our Lord Jesus put this whole present era of grace into that comma. The day of vengeance will not come until the day of preaching the Gospel ends.

Now as we link New Testament passages with these we shall see how completely they fulfill what we have set forth here prophetically in the Old Testament. Matt. 3:16 reads, "And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him; and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Notice what we have here. It is the Trinity:God the Father anointed Jesus (God the Son) with the Holy Spirit (the divine, eternal Spirit of God). And then the Father’s voice is heard saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I have found My delight" (JND).

The Father and Son and Holy Spirit all had their part in the work of the cross. In John 10:17,18 the Lord Jesus said, "I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." We are told that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world and the propitiation for our sin (1 John 4:10,14). We also read that it was "through the eternal Spirit that He offered Himself without spot unto God" (Heb. 9:14). Here again in redemption the entire Trinity is involved.

The same is true in connection with the Incarnation. The Father gave the Son to become Man, the Son in grace stooped to be born of a virgin, and that virgin conceived by the Holy Spirit.

When we come to what Scripture reveals as to His resurrection, we read that He was brought again from the dead by God the Father (Heb. 13:20), and yet there is another sense in which He raised Himself from the dead. He said to His enemies, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). "He spoke of the temple of His body." Elsewhere, referring to the laying down of His life, He said, "No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" (John 10:18). Also, we are told in Rom. 8:11, "But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you."

Father and Son and Holy Spirit thus were all concerned in creation, in the Incarnation, in our Lord’s anointing as He went forth to preach the Word, in His death, and in His resurrection. And then when our Lord Jesus commissioned His disciples to go into all the world, He revealed clearly the truth as to the Trinity and He bade them to minister in that name. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations [or make disciples of all nations], baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:18-20). Thus, I am to stand before men as the representative, as the mouthpiece, of the Holy Trinity. I am not to come to men in my own name or the authority of any church, but the distinct command was to go and teach them, baptizing them, and all this was to be done in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

I want you to notice those connectives, "in the name of the Father, AND of the Son, AND of the Holy Ghost." The Word of God is wonderfully perfect. Ordinarily when we hear people attempt to quote this, they say, "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." It is not that. It is "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Why are those "ands" put in? In order that we may see that while there is only one God, yet that one God exists eternally in three persons_Father and Son and Holy Ghost.

We have these connectives used in the same way in connection with man himself. People sometimes say, "I can’t understand the doctrine of the Trinity." Nobody asked you to understand it. Are you surprised you can’t understand God? Why you can’t even understand yourself! Think of the thousands of books of psychology in which scientists attempt to explain man. Yet not one fully explains our tri-partite nature. But we read in 1 Thess. 5:23, "And the very God of Peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." I know I am one personality and yet I know from this scripture I am tri-partite, and I realize it from my own experience but I can’t explain it. As I go to the Word of God I find the body is the seat of all merely physical appetites of every kind. I know from the Word of God the soul is the seat of my personality and seat of all natural emotions other than physical. It is my connection even with the lower creation. Animals themselves are said to have souls. (Gen. 1:20,21,24,30 JND). The spirit is the highest part of man, that part which gives him God-consciousness, thus distinguishing him from all lower creation. Animals with careful training have been taught to do many great and remarkable things in which they simply imitate man. But they have no sense of God. So then, man is spirit and soul and body. I can’t explain it, but it is true. Just so we can’t explain the Trinity of the Godhead, but God has declared it and I believe what He tells me.

The doctrine of the Trinity is denied by various groups, from different standpoints. As one example, some have insisted from olden days that God is simply a Trinity in manifestation. In the Old Testament, they say, it was the manifestation of God as the Father; when Christ was here it was the manifestation of God as the Son; and now it is the manifestation of God as the Holy Spirit. But that is absolutely contrary to the Word itself. It was the Lord Jesus Christ who came to reveal the Father, and while on earth spoke of coming from "My Father" and going to "My Father." He also spoke of sending the Holy Spirit, and it was the Holy Spirit who witnessed to the glorified, finished work of Christ the Son.

Believers say, "Our Father" and He is called Father by our Lord Jesus Christ. God the Father is a person, God the Son is a definite person distinct from the Father, and yet one with Him in essence. "My Father, and your Father . . . My God, and your God" (John 20:17). He spoke of the glory He had with the Father before the world was (John 17:5). Christ died for sins and we read that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. And on the last night Jesus said He knew He must depart out of this world unto the Father (John 13:1). It is nonsense to say that the Father and the Son are the same person_that He prayed to Himself, that He left Himself when He left the Father, that He went back to Himself. The Holy Spirit is also shown to be a distinct person. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself uses personal pronouns in connection with the Spirit_He, His, Him. He says, "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him:but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you" (John 14:16,17). There again you have the Holy Trinity. And then it is said of the Comforter, in John 16:8, "And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." He is said to take of the things of Christ and show them unto us (John 16:15). The Lord Jesus Christ said the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father:"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me" (John 15:26). And so throughout we see the three persons of the Holy Trinity concerned in our salvation and sanctification.

FRAGMENT
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky
and sea!
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

The ministry of prophecy had a special place in the Old Testament as well as in the New. It furnished the people with a direct link with God. He communicated His mind and will to the people by the means of His servants the prophets.

There were times when He made His mind known by dreams and visions; then again by the medium of angels. But in the ministry of prophecy, the prophet had a special nearness to the Lord; to him He revealed His secrets (Amos 3:7) and to him communicated His messages to the people. This fact the woman of Samaria recognized when the Lord read the secrets of her life before her:"The woman said unto Him, Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet" (John 4:19).

The ministry of the prophets has a dual form, both in the Old Testament and in the New. First, when the Lord communicates His Word it has a present day application to His people_a ministry for both their heart and conscience according to the need. If the prophecies from Isaiah to Malachi are read with care, it will be readily seen that a large part of them take this form. They are by no means confined to predicting future events. Only a part looked forward to the future; much that fills them was a searching ministry from a faithful God to His people_a people who had, alas, often wandered from the truth already given, and known by them. And in this we learn how grieved He was on account of their neglect of the truth already known, or their departure from it. By means of the prophets He sent searching messages concerning their sins; then follow the tender heart-yearnings of a Saviour-God who desired their return of heart to Himself.

In this first form of prophecy the principles of righteousness were never overlooked when there was departure from God. The need of repentance was pressed, and when those faithful messages were unheeded_as was too often the case, alas_there followed further revelations concerning the punishment of the guilty. These principles abide for us now, the same as in Old Testament times. God’s government does not change.

The second form of prophecy is concerning the future_a foretelling of what is in the mind and will of God toward His people Israel and the other nations of the earth. In the plans and purposes of God Israel has a special place and the other nations are in relation to them. In these prophecies we are furnished with light and truth concerning the judgment of the wicked on the earth, whether among the Jews or among the nations. None are exempt. In the New Testament prophecies apostate Christendom will not escape. Their light has exceeded that of past dispensations; their privileges have been greater, and their judgment will be correspondingly greater (see Rom. 11:13-26).

After this judgment of the wicked upon the earth_which will take place when the Lord again returns to the earth_there will follow the establishment of a kingdom upon earth in which men, Jews and Gentiles, will do the will of God on earth as in heaven.

In this form of prophecy God by His servants foretells future events. The things to come are opened up for all who have ears to hear, and that with no uncertain sound. All the outlines are given with such precision, with such detail and perfection, that it commands the admiration of all who reverence the Word of God. And so much of what has thus been predicted along the way has already been fulfilled, fulfilled with such accuracy, that not a doubt can lurk in our souls concerning further portions yet to be fulfilled.

But we do not need prophets now to bring new and fresh revelations to us, for Scripture is completed (Col. 1:25). What we need now is to search the prophetic scriptures and learn from them what God has said. They are as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn and the morning star arise (2 Peter 1:19). The whole purpose of God has been given, and the Word of God now in our possession is the believer’s prophetic chart to guide him unto the end.

There is, however, an aspect of prophecy that abides, namely, presenting the mind and will of God to His people. As already stated, this is not from any new revelation from God, but the bringing out from the Word of God needed truth according to the condition of God’s people. If chapters 12 through 14 of 1 Corinthians are carefully read, the place of this ministry will be clearly seen; they who prophesy now, whether in the assembly of God’s people or otherwise, will be those who bring home to the hearts of His people the mind of God from the suited portion of His Word for present "edification, and exhortation, and comfort" (1 Cor. 14:3).

Would that we felt and realized now the need of such a ministry as the apostle pressed upon the assembly at Corinth in 1 Cor. 14! May there be among us everywhere a revival of this much-needed ministry of prophecy, a ministry that will keep the mind of God before us, so as to preserve us from the influences which prevail at the present time.

Evil doctrines abound and multiply in seductive forms to seduce the weak and those young in the faith; the ministry of the Word of God alone can build up and fortify them against the rising tide. Worldliness in a multitude of forms is seeking to press in to the destruction of piety; and that not only here and there, but in most places. To check this and reprove it with such ministry is so very necessary! When this is neglected, little by little forms of teaching neither wholesome nor edifying are liable to develop. If the neglect continues, the Christian standard of walk is lowered, worldly associations are formed, and the words of the prophet may be applied:"Woe to them that are at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1). Are there not many gatherings of the Lord’s people which bear this characteristic mark? Where this is true the world comes in, and devotion and spirituality depart.

"Follow after love, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy" (1 Cor. 14:1). These words throw much light on the need and use of this ministry in the assembly. Evangelists may preach the gospel and sinners be saved; teachers may expound the Word, and many be enlightened; these gifts have their God-given place, for which we can be truly thankful, yet they can never supply the ministry of prophecy.

For a gathering of God’s people to maintain a true Christian testimony, there is need of more than the evangelist, more than the teacher. The Word must not only be preached and taught; it needs also to be applied; and this is prophesying. This ministry appeals especially to the conscience, so much so that even unbelievers coming in are searched by it (1 Cor. 14:24,25).

Oh, for a revival of the ministry of prophecy in the power of the Holy Spirit among us everywhere, so that the standard of true spirituality of life and heart may be on a higher plane, and freshness and devotedness take the place of indifference and worldliness. We need the exercise as individuals_prayerful exercise of heart_as to what first pleases the Lord Jesus, the Holy and the True; then, by those thus exercised, both men and women, private prophesying from house to house, between individual and individual (Acts 21:8,9; 1 Cor. 11:5); and also in the assembly of God’s people, with the men only participating (1 Cor. 14:23-40).

"Wherefore, brethren, covet [or desire] to prophesy. . . . Ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted [or encouraged]" (1 Cor. 14:31,39).

(From Help and Food, Volume 29.)

The following statement expresses the thought of at least some Jews concerning the Christian doctrine of the Trinity:"The chief and fundamental difference between Judaism and Christianity is that the former is committed to pure and uncompromising monotheism and the latter subscribes to the belief in the trinitarian nature of the Divine Being. Trinitarianism, that is to say, the belief in and worship of ‘God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit’ are as basic and important to all types and denominations of Christianity as they are contrary to all and everything Judaism holds sacred. To the unconditional monotheism of Judaism the doctrine of the Trinity is profoundly objectionable, because it is a concession to polytheism, or, at any rate, an adulteration of the idea of the One, Unique, Indefinable and Indivisible God" (Judaism and Christianity:The Differences, by Trude Weiss-Rosmarin, Jonathan David Publishers, Middle Village, NY 11379). To my Jewish friend who gave me this book to read, I sent the following response concerning the Unity and Trinity of God.

The classic statement of Jewish theology is the "Shema" in Deut. 6:4:"Hear, O Israel:the Lord our God is one Lord." There is more than one Hebrew word for "one." Two of these are ehad which can refer to a composite unity or "many which make one," and yahid or "only one." Ehad is used in such verses as those in Gen. 1 which refer to the evening and the morning being one day; and Gen. 2:24, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh"; and Num. 13:23, "And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes." Yahid is found in Gen. 22:2, "Take now thy son, thine only son." Now in Deut. 6:4 the word for "one Lord" is ehad, not yahid. The word implies that God is the united One or a composite Unity. Thus, the use of the word ehad in this passage would seem to allow the possibility of God as a Trinity.

Dr. Weiss-Rosmarin speaks of the doctrine of the Trinity as "a concession to polytheism … an adulteration of the idea of the One, Unique, Indefinable and Indivisible God." However, the Christian view of the Trinity is in stark contrast to the polytheism of Rome, Greece, etc., where the gods and goddesses were always at odds about something or other. We believe in one God who has chosen to make Himself known in three persons or modes of being (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The three persons have always been and always will be in perfect harmony and unity of mind, spirit, motive, will, etc. There are no arguments, no disagreements among the persons of God. Also, there is no division of attributes among the three:all are equally omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, all-wise, infinite, transcendent, self-existent, loving, gracious, merciful, holy, righteous, etc.

Since I have been referring to the "persons" of God, let me clarify a problem of definition which perhaps has contributed to the Jewish-Christian conflict concerning the Trinity as well as dividing some groups of Christians from one another. This problem is illustrated by the following statement by Dr. Weiss-Rosmarin:"Judaism is an ethical monotheism not predicated on a person:the Ultimate is spirit, but not a person." I believe the confusion comes from equating "person" with "human body" in this context. In other contexts one of the dictionary definitions of "person" is, indeed, "a living human body." But when Christians speak of the three persons of the Trinity they are not thinking of God in three different bodies but as three separate individualities. In fact, until the Second Person came down to earth to take on a human body, they were all three "spirit-persons," not "body-persons." The use of the word "persons" in reference to the Trinity is perhaps unfortunate (because of its common connotation of a human being) and may be responsible for some of the confusion and conflict. However, on the other hand, "person" also conveys the thought of a rational being with intellect, emotion, and will; thus it is a most appropriate word to designate God in opposition to the notion that God is impersonal_a mere influence or synonymous with nature.

For these and many other scriptural arguments that could be put forth, I believe that the Christian doctrine of the Trinity is in full agreement with the Old Testament teaching concerning the Unity and Oneness of God.

In the previous two issues we have considered aspects of the deity of Christ. We have seen Him as coequal with God, the Son of God, the image and revealer of God, the one who came from and returned to God, one who was better than the angels and who received worship, and one who manifested attributes ascribed to Jehovah God of the Old Testament. But the Scriptures also reveal Christ as the one who has become fully man as well as being fully God. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Let us now consider what God’s Word has to say concerning the humanity of Christ.

The Humanity of Christ

Birth and Growth. Christ was conceived. "Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS" (Luke 1:31). "That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 1:20).

Christ was born a man child. "She . . . brought forth her firstborn son; and he [Joseph] called His name JESUS" (Matt. 1:25). "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes" (Luke 2:7).

Christ was circumcised. "And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, His name was called JESUS" (Luke 2:21).

Christ progressed in normal fashion through childhood and youth to manhood; as a child He was submissive to His parents. "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit. . . . He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them. . . . And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature" (Luke 2:40-52).

Manifestation of Physical Needs

Christ became hungry and thirsty. "And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred" (Matt. 4:2). "Now in the morning as He returned into the city, He hungred" (Matt. 21:18). "Jesus saith unto her [the woman of Samaria], Give Me to drink" (John 4:7). "I thirst" (John 19:28).

Christ became weary and needed sleep. "Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well" (John 4:6). "And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves; but He [Jesus] was asleep" (Matt. 8:24).

Death and Burial

"But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs; but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water" (John 19:33,34). "And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. . . . And he [Joseph] bought fine linen, and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre" (Mark 15:37,46).

Human, Yet Superhuman

Amidst the many manifestations of Christ’s humanity there were repeated evidences that He was more than human.

Mary conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit, and not by a man. "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee" (Luke 1:35).

He was precocious in His interest in spiritual things. "[He] waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. . . . When He was twelve years old … they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions" (Luke 2:40-46).

He could rise above His physical needs. "His disciples prayed Him, saying, Master, eat.. . . Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:31-34).

While He died and was buried, seemingly like any other human, yet He was in full control of His life. His death was not involuntary but He "yielded up" His Spirit (Matt. 27:50) at the appointed time. Also, after the predetermined period in the tomb, He took back His spirit, His life, and arose from death and the grave. Foretelling the laying down of His life, He said, "No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" (John 10:18).

Human, Yet without Sin

While Christ was fully man, in one respect He was totally unlike all other human beings:He was totally without sin. Jesus asked the Jewish leaders, "Which of you convinceth [or convicts] Me of sin?" (John 8:46). His sinlessness was not simply an empty claim on Jesus’ part; His life gave witness to it. Pilate proclaimed to the Jews, "I find in Him no fault at all" (John 18:38). The repentant thief testified, "This Man hath done nothing amiss" (Luke 23:41).

Christ’s uncompromising submission to His Father is beautifully manifested both in the wilderness and in the garden of Gethsemane. In the wilderness, Satan tested Him with, no doubt, the most severe temptations he could think of, and Jesus came through them all without wavering (Matt. 4:1-10). (Notice the marked contrast with the temptation of the first man and woman in the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were surrounded by "every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food," but they took of the one tree denied to them; Christ, on the other hand, was in the
wilderness without food for 40 days, and resisted the temptation to feed Himself without the Father so directing Him.) In the garden of Gethsemane, anticipating the awfulness of the cross, Jesus prayed, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt" (Matt. 26:39).

Three other scriptures give testimony to the sinlessness of Christ. "He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin" (2 Cor. 5:21). "Christ . . . did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth" (1 Peter 2:22). "He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin" (1 John 3:5). The common teaching that Christ could have sinned, but did not, denies the scripture that says "in Him is no sin." It is claimed that Jesus was like Adam before the fall_having the freedom of choice to disobey God’s law. However, Jesus was "the Holy One" (Luke 1:35; 4:34; Acts 2:27; 3:14; 4:27), an attribute never ascribed to Adam.

Son of Man

Jesus asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" (Matt. 16:13). And in Matt. 8:20 He says, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests:but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." We are all sons (or daughters) of man; that is, we are all born of human parents. But Christ was uniquely the Son of man. It is taken for granted of ourselves; no one questions it. But the life of Christ was so extraordinary in His frequent displays of power, knowledge, and wisdom, that one might have been tempted to think of Him as not being human at all, only divine. In His frequent references to Himself as the Son of man, Christ seems to have been attempting to remind the people of His true nature and condescension_the Son of God come down from heaven, who "took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:7).

God and Man

Thus, we see from Scripture that the Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. As such, He_and He alone_is the suited mediator between God and man. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5). Christ has revealed God to man, and has made a way for man to approach God. He is also our "advocate with the Father" when we sin (1 John 2:1).

Why?

As we conclude our meditations upon the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, we are compelled to ask, "Why?" Why did the eternal Son of God leave His place of glory in the third heaven, beyond the created universe, to become a man on earth? We know that He came down to die for sinful man as our Redeemer. He paid the tremendous price of God’s wrath and judgment as our substitute, to redeem us to God. But again, Why? Why did He do this? "He loved us," you say. Well, that is surely the best answer we can give, yet does it really answer the question? How could God love and find so much value in us who by nature are rebellious, willful, selfish, and "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God"? How could Jesus die for us knowing that even after we were saved we would often manifest our sinful nature and dishonor and displease Him?

I don’t know. There is something in God’s nature and character that is totally above and beyond our comprehension_something that finds such value in us as to cause His Son to suffer horribly that we might be brought into the closest union with Himself. We read in Heb. 12:2 that it was the prospect of future joy that motivated Christ:"Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Think of it! It is going to fill Christ with joy to have us, His redeemed ones, united with Him for eternity! Surely it is incomprehensible, but what a motivation this is for us to bring Him joy in everything we say and do in this present life!

FRAGMENT The Lord Jesus … is the summing up of all possible beauty and perfection in Himself.

FRAGMENT What was the life of this Jesus, the Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief? A life of activity in obscurity, causing the love of God to penetrate the most hidden corners of society, wherever needs were greatest. . . . This life did not shelter itself from the misery of the world . . . but it brought into it the love of God.

FRAGMENT The gospels display the One in whom was no selfishness. They tell out the heart that was ready for everybody. No matter how deep His own sorrow, He always cared for others. He could warn Peter in Gethsemane, and comfort the dying thief on the cross. His heart was above circumstances, never acting under them, but ever according to God in them.

FRAGMENT We find admirable affections in the apostles. . . . We find works, as Jesus said, greater than His own.. . . But we do not find the evenness that was in Christ. He was the Son of man who was in heaven. Such as Paul are chords on which God strikes, and on which He produces a wondrous music; but Christ is all the music itself.

FRAGMENT May God grant unto us to value the perfect beauty of that Jesus who came to us.

"Be ye therefore followers [or imitators] of God" (Eph. 5:1).

"Worship God" (Rev. 22:9).

In order to be imitators of God it is necessary to know Him, what He is like, what are His attributes. Similarly, to worship God properly we must know something about Him. True worship does not consist of mindless repetition of "Praise the Lord," "Thank you, Jesus," or similar phrases, but of heartfelt appreciation of who God is and what He has done for us. "They that worship God must worship Him . . . in truth" (John 4:24).

There are many ideas held by people as to the nature of God. Some say God is an impersonal force or influence. Others say He is synonymous with what we call conscience. Still others view God as all of nature itself; that is, God is everywhere and is everything. These are all false ideas; the truth can only be found in God’s Word where He gives us a revelation of Himself.

God is a person; that is, He is a rational being with intellect, emotion, and will. (We must be careful in our use of the word "person" to make sure that the theological definition_"any of the three modes of being [Father, Son, and Holy Ghost] in the Trinity"_rather than the common everyday definition_"a human being, especially as distinguished from a thing or lower animal"_is understood.) Let us consider some of the Scriptural evidences that God is a personal being, having intelligence, emotion, and will.

God thinks, chooses. "He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4).

God has a will. "According to the good pleasure of His will . . . according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph. 1:5,11).

God has a purpose, good pleasure. "Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself" (Eph. 1:9).

God has power, authority. "That… He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth" (Eph. 1:10).

God imparts wisdom and knowledge. "Having made known unto us the mystery of His will" (Eph. 1:9). "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally" (James 1:5).

God loves, shows mercy. "God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us . . ." (Eph. 2:4). "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16).

God has creative power. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:all things were created by Him" (Col. 1:16).

God speaks. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son" (Heb. 1:1,2).

Many of God’s characteristics and attributes are mentioned in Exodus 34:1-15. God (Jehovah) speaks (v. 1), writes (v. 1), stands (v. 5), proclaims (v. 5), is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, not clearing the guilty (vv. 6 & 7), and is jealous (v. 14).

Thus, in summary, God is a personal being who thinks, feels, acts.

God’s attributes can be divided generally into two categories. First, there are the divine attributes which are His alone, such as being eternal and infinite, omnipotent and omniscient. But while these attributes belong to God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) alone, we enjoy the many blessings that flow from God’s manifestation of these attributes; and as we receive these blessings and recognize the source of them, we worship God.

Second, there are the moral attributes which are not exclusively His but which He allows and encourages us to show forth as well. These moral attributes include holiness, goodness, longsuffering, love, and the like. God is perfect in His manifestation of these moral attributes and they are all in perfect balance and harmony with one another. Through new birth, the impartation of the new, Christ-like nature, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God’s redeemed children are privileged to manifest these moral attributes as well. He is our perfect example and absolute standard in every case, and we are exhorted to be "followers of God" (Eph. 5:1). We are also exhorted to manifest specific attributes and characteristics of God in our lives. For example:"Be ye holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16); "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us" (Eph. 5:2); "Forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you" (Eph. 4:32); "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48); "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5).

In subsequent issues, if the Lord tarry, we shall consider some of these attributes of God as revealed to us in His Word.

Our present purpose in calling attention to the study of the prophetical books of the Old Testament is to notice especially their importance in disclosing what is of great value in the personal and practical walk of the believer. We should see to it that the dispensational or doctrinal part of God’s Word does not supplant what is practical. He would never have one side of His truth displace another. Let us, then, look at a few of the truths in the prophets which are of a distinctly practical and personal importance.

The majesty and holiness of God

The prophet Isaiah enters upon his special service after having had such a view of God’s glory as brought him to his face in self-abhorrence (Isa. 6). Like Job, he had heard of Him by the hearing of the ear, but when his eye saw Him, he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes. But our blessed God does not reveal Himself to dazzle or to smite, so we see grace mingling with the glory. It is only sin which makes us not at home in His presence, and the coal from off the altar speaks to us of a holiness which has found food there and does not burn but heals the sinner. This is a sweet type of that work (and the fragrance of the person of Him who did it) in which God’s holiness was so vindicated and manifested that it now comes forth to kiss away sin from defiled lips.

In Habakkuk 3 we have a most magnificent description of God’s majesty. "His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise . . . His brightness was as the light. . . He stood, and measured the earth . . . and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow" (verses 3-6). All His enemies are scattered, but though the believer is filled with awe, he says, "Although the fig tree shall not blossom … yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (verses 17,18). God seen and known in this way becomes an object of worship and reverence. Is there not a serious absence of that fear of God which is not only the beginning of knowledge, but the characteristic of His people at all times? The love which casteth out fear never casts out godly fear. Assurance and trembling go together as 1 Peter 1 and Philippians 2 would show us. Were God ever before our hearts in His holiness and majesty, self-pleasing could have no place, conscience would be active, and the path of obedience would be plain and not difficult to walk in. Nor would joy, liberty, and praise be wanting. And the flippancy, looseness of walk, hastiness of tongue would be gone. No flesh can glory in His presence. May we not say, "Lord, increase our fear," as well as "Lord, increase our faith"? Then we would go forth to the world with the message of grace, and our word would be with power.

The Tenderness of God

Perhaps we little realize the tone of tenderness which pervades the prophets. There is so much of holy indignation against sin, so many warnings of judgment, that we fail, perhaps, to notice the tender pleading that often accompanies the severest denunciations. Hosea speaks from God’s heart to that of His people. In chapter 2 after describing Israel’s unfaithfulness like that of a wife untrue to her husband, and the resulting judgments, God says, "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." What tenderness is manifested here! He cannot let the record of her sins go down without accompanying it with the promise of future blessing. Then, too, when there seems to be a desire to return to the Lord, but not full and deep, how His love pleads (Hosea 6:4)! In looking back over Ephraim’s past history_ "[I took] them by their arms, but they knew not that I healed them. I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love . . . How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?” (Hosea 11:3-8)_He cannot, so He will not, execute the fierceness of His wrath. He will roar as a lion, and His people shall follow Him, trembling indeed, but turning from Egypt and Assyria. Again, In Hosea 14, the very words of penitence are put in their lips, and God’s answer is given in anticipation:"I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely" (verse 4).

Jeremiah, too, that dark book of judgment, has beneath the judgment the pleading of One who would have been a husband to Israel, and who now recalls the love of her espousals. Even now, in spite of public unfaithfulness, He pleads with her to return. The tears of the messenger mingle with the judgment pronounced in God’s name.

Ezekiel 16 has a most faithful portrayal of Israel’s history under the figure of the unfaithful wife. The history begins in her infancy, and as she grew up, she was adorned with His comeliness; but she turned it all to strangers. Faithfully is the dark picture drawn, but we know that every stroke gives pain to a love which is neither blind nor insensible. After all is laid bare, love triumphs over sin; and we are pointed on to a time when the poor wanderer will be brought back, nevermore to lift the head in pride, and nevermore to dishonor Him who has won her back. How good it is to apply this to one’s personal history, and to take that lowly place of self-loathing so befitting those with whom divine tenderness has dealt.

The Unveiling of Shams and Inconsistencies in God’s People

Haggai brings a message to us as he did to the returned Jews, when he says, "Consider your ways" (1:5). May we not in this book learn some of the reasons why spiritual prosperity is at a low ebb_each looking after his own house and letting that of the Lord lie in neglect? "All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s" (Phil. 2:21).

Isaiah 58 exposes the formality of a fast which is such only in name, and stirs up the conscience of any who have an ear to hear, pointing away from religiousness such as the Pharisee afterward boasted in, to the practical fruits of a real experience. The unveiling of all shams is one of the prominent characteristics of the prophets. Ecclesiastical assumption and pride, so common, are but a stench in God’s nostrils. Our place, like Daniel’s (chapter 9), is one of humiliation and confession, a real mourning and a real seeking of God’s face. He will hear.

The Spirit of Hope

Blacker pictures of earth’s destiny as they appear in the prophets could not be drawn by the most pessimistic modern writer. Nations pass across the scene to execute judgment on God’s people, or on another nation, only to feel the power of that arm, which had wielded them as His sword, in their own destruction. But in spite of slaughter, famine, and earthquake, never for a moment is lost the truth that God’s purpose is being fulfilled. It is always clear that He is above all convulsions of nations and nature and unfaithfulness of His people, and that after all the disorder peace will at last reign. Let us remember this in a day of ruin and reproach like the present, and stand firm.

The Fragrance of Christ

The person, humiliation, sorrow, death, and coming reign of Christ are put before us constantly in the prophets; had we eyes to see, doubtless we would find much more of Him there. It is by occupation with Christ that we grow like Him, and the spiritual exercise entailed in searching for and finding Him in these books is most beneficial.

We have only gleaned a few things from the prophetic books. What a field do they offer for prayerful research! They were written for a time of failure, and are, therefore, especially appropriate for the present. Written primarily for God’s earthly people, they contain principles for all time. Do we not need the spiritual exercise which would result from letting these books search and try us?

(From Help and Food, Volume 9.)

Moses, when interceding for the people after their apostasy, asked God to show him His way (Exod. 33:13). He had seen the perverse ways of the people and some of God’s ways of patience with them, and his great desire was to know that way in its fullness. This was granted, as we read, "He made known His ways unto Moses" (Psa. 103:7). What can be more necessary for the child of God than to know His way? "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3). We may be sure if we are to walk with God, it must be in His way. He will never walk with us in ours. He has come down in grace to meet us in our deepest need, at our greatest distance from God. He has come down in the person of His Son, met the need, annihilated the distance, not that He should walk in our path but that we should walk in His. Thus only can we enjoy communion, testify for God, or in any way serve Him. Hence the absolute necessity of knowing His ways. In three scriptures we will consider three different views of those ways.

1. "Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters, and Thy footsteps are not known" (Psa. 77:19). Here we have the truth stated that God’s ways are past finding out. And who has looked at the book of providence without realizing this? Here, a faithful servant of the Lord is cut off by death. There, the head of the house is removed, leaving a helpless family without any human support. Bright earthly prospects are blighted, health is lost; yea, even to the little disappointments and surprises of each hour, we are compelled to say, "Thy way is in the sea." For surely God’s ways are in all these things. There is no step of the road but is His; no hour in which He leaves His people alone. It is just the failure to see God’s ways in the affairs of each day that leaves us dwarfs and babes. The effect of learning the lesson of God’s ways being in the sea is the knowledge of our helplessness. Provide as we may, all is in vain to guard us from unforeseen contingencies. Growing out of this will come a self-distrust, and a corresponding confidence in God. As long as we think we have a plain path, the eye will not be on our guide. It is in the passing through deep waters, through the sea, that all self-trust must go, and we must lean on Him alone. This is terrible to sight, even to the believer; it is impossible for the unbeliever, as the Egyptians found a grave where Israel found a way. What a sense of the reality of God’s presence it gives, thus to be thrown upon Him! How Peter learned the Lord’s presence as never known before when he began to sink in the waves of Galilee. As the eagle stirs up her nest, and the young cannot understand her apparent cruelty, so we cannot understand God’s ways in the sea.

II. But this brings us to the second verse, "Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary" (Psa. 77:13). The psalmist had been in great trouble; all seemed black and hopeless, so that he cried out, "Will the Lord cast off forever? and will He be favorable no more?" (v. 7). This is the result of being occupied with circumstances and personal trials. He saw it as his infirmity, and turned to meditate on One who never changes. He learned His way, and it was in the sanctuary that he found that way. It is only in the presence of God that we can fully learn His ways. For us how that presence shines with the glories of Jesus! He Himself has gone into the sanctuary, has opened the way for us through the rent veil, and now we have boldness to enter also. What precious thoughts cluster about this truth! The sanctuary! the holiest! We have a right to be there, the precious blood is our title, the work of redemption is our ground. How solid! how secure! Thus the end is secure. The sanctuary is on the resurrection side_no death, no life on earth, no devil, no man can work there; it is beyond all these powers of evil. And there is our place. Ah! what matters it if the way be rough or long? The sanctuary is our future home, our present abiding place. We must leave our loads behind when we enter there. The worshiper in the tabernacle of old had his feet on the sand of the desert as he stood in the holy place, but we can be sure that he gazed not on that, but on the splendors before and about him. So for us, if by faith we are in the sanctuary, the way does not occupy us, but the One who leads us fills our eye. Yet it is in the sanctuary we learn God’s way. The light of that place must be shed on the book of providence if we are to read its pages aright. As the psalmist was well-nigh stumbled at the prosperity of the wicked until he went into the sanctuary (Psa. 73), so will we find much to make us wonder, perhaps to doubt, unless we go into the same quiet and holy place. Here, first of all, we learn what God’s perfect love means. It is a love that has bridged the distance between what we were in our sins and what we will be in glory_bridged this distance at a cost which only God’s love could or would have done. In the light of Jesus living, dying, risen, interceding for us, coming to take us to be with Himself, we can understand how Paul could call anything that might take place, "our light affliction which is but for a moment" (2 Cor. 4:17). In the light of the glory, how small the trials seem, how easy the way seems, to faith! But it is also in the sanctuary that we learn much of God’s thoughts and of true wisdom. It is the spiritual man who discerns. He is in communion with the Father and His Son. If the companion of wise men will be wise, how much more will one who enjoys fellowship with Perfect Wisdom understand! Many a dear child of God, with much of what is called common sense, fails to grasp the meaning of God’s ways, because he does not go into the sanctuary.

III. We come now to the results:". . .in whose heart are the ways" (Psa. 84:5). The ways are no longer only the dark ways of a providence we cannot understand, but of a Father whose perfect love and grace we know. The ways are in our heart, loved because they are His. The path is, as it were, transferred from the outward circumstances to the heart. Our true history is heart history. We are apt to think we would do much better under different circumstances, but the state of the heart is the all-important matter. So too for usefulness; God does not ask us to do great things, but to have His ways in our heart. We may be sure our Lord had God’s ways in His heart as much in the thirty years of His retirement as in His public ministry. So we may be laid aside, sick, helpless, apparently useless; but if in the heart we say, "Thy way, not mine, O Lord," we are doing true service which will bear enduring fruit. In this way the hostile scene around us contributes to our fruitfulness; the valley of Baca (of weeping) becomes a well.

How differently the same scene affects different persons! As the same soil sustains the noxious weed and the sweet flower, so the world contributes either to our murmuring or to our confidence in God. If His ways are in the heart, each sorrow is the means by which we grow, as the rough wind drives the ship nearer home. "Be careful [or anxious] for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." The word rendered "keep" is a strong one, meaning to "occupy as a garrison." What foe can come in when His peace thus fills the house and keeps the door? Nothing is said in this precious verse of the circumstances being changed. The heart is filled with God’s peace, and the circumstances will then only furnish occasion for the effects of its guard over the heart to be seen.

"Ill that He blesses is our good,
And unblest good is ill,
And all is right that seems most wrong,
If it be His sweet will."

So sings the heart in which God’s ways are. How blessed, how precious a portion, within the reach of all the Lord’s people!

May we all know more of God’s ways. (From Help and Food, Vol. 9.)

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever" (1 John 2:15-17).

What is the world that we are not to love? It is not the globe as such. The globe itself has nothing in it that can hurt our souls. We can love nature; we do not need to be afraid of a beautiful view or a lovely flower. I have seen some Christians who had an idea that John meant we were not to enjoy the world of nature. I said to one, "Isn’t that a beautiful rose bush?" and he replied, "I am not interested in roses; I am not of this world." That is not the world that is spoken of. This universe is but the expression of the Father’s wisdom and goodness.

My Lord loved the lilies of the field. He drew attention to the beauties of nature, they stirred His own soul, and He would have His people see in them the evidences of the wisdom and goodness of the Father. But what, then, is the world? It is that system that man has built up in this scene in which he is trying to make himself happy without God. You get it away back in Genesis, where Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and builded a city, and there what we call the world really began. It was a wonderful world; they were exercised in all kinds of arts, sciences, business, and pleasure, anything and everything to make them happy without God; but it ended in corruption and violence, and God had to sweep the whole thing away with a flood. The principles of the world that caused the corruption and violence before the flood were carried into the ark in the hearts of some of Noah’s children. They brought the world into the ark, and when the new world was started after the judgment of the flood, they brought the world out of the ark with them, and again set it up.

When some think of the world, they think of things that are abominable and vile and corrupt, the old-fashioned saloon and gambling place, and all kinds of violence. Things like that hold little to attract the Christian heart, but the world they need to beware of is the world of culture, the world that appeals to their esthetic nature. That world has no more place for the Christian than the corrupt, abominable world in the slums of our great cities. Do not imagine that if your world is a cultured world consisting of devotees of the arts and sciences, you are safe and free from worldliness. Even the business world may become just as great a snare as any other. But you ask, "Do not we have to go into business?" Yes, Jesus says, "I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil" (John 17:15). In all these things we have to watch against the evils of the world.

What is then the lust of the flesh (the gratification of the flesh), the lust of the eye (the desires of the unregenerate soul), the pride of life? I remember when I was a young Christian, my world against which I had to guard most was the world of polite literature. I used to love it, its poetry, its essays, its wonderful books, and appreciate them yet in a certain sense; but I had to remember this, that if ever these things came in between my soul and my love for this blessed Book, I had to turn away from them and give my time and attention to this Book, and so it is with many things. There was a young lady with great musical ability preparing to go on the concert stage when the Lord saved her. She said one day, "You know I have made a wonderful discovery; my very love for music is coming in between my soul and Christ"; and that young woman for eight years would not touch a musical instrument, for she was afraid she would become so absorbed that she would not enjoy the things of God. The time came when she said, "I cannot enjoy music for its own sake, but I can use it as a vehicle to bless the souls of men," and she gave her talent to Christ, and He used it in attracting people to hear the gospel. No matter what it is, if you lay it down at Jesus’ feet and use it for Him, you do not need to be afraid of it. But do not put your work before Jesus Christ. Sometimes a fine house is "the world." Here is a Christian, and while he is little in his own eyes and has not much means, he lives in a quiet little home; but the Lord trusts him with a good deal of money, and he immediately says, "I must have a better house now; I must have some style about me; I must have magnificent furniture and draperies." What for? Is he any more comfortable? He can eat just three meals a day, he can sleep in just one bed at a time, and sit in just one chair at a time, but he feels he must impress people.

What is "the pride of life"? The ostentation of living, trying to make an appearance before others, the vainglory of the world. I think sometimes if some Christians took two-thirds of the money that they put into a mansion down here and invested it in sending the gospel to a lost world, they would have a finer mansion up there…. As Christians, ours are the only joys that last forever; ours are the things that will never pass away; and yet how sad to think that we can be so foolish and invest so much in that which is simply fleeting and will leave us dissatisfied and unhappy at last!

"But he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." In obedience to His will there is lasting joy, there is endless gladness. In the light of that, who would not say,

"Take the world, but give me Jesus,
All earth’s joys are but in name,
But His love abideth ever,
Through eternal years the same."

Have you made your choice, Christian? You made your choice once when you turned from sin to Christ. Have you made the other choice? Have you turned from the world to Christ? There is many a one who has trusted Jesus as his Saviour from judgment, who has never learned to know Him as the rejected One with whom he is called to walk in hallowed fellowship. No one can ever put this world beneath his feet until he has found a better world above. When your heart is taken up with that world, it is an easy thing to heed the exhortation, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world."

(Reprinted from Addresses on the Epistles of John.)

"They that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name" (Mal. 3:16).

We know that God sees everything, and that for every idle word men must give account; but there is one kind of conversation to which we may be sure that He is an interested listener. It is the conversation of those who fear and love Him, about the things of God. Very often a foolish timidity will keep Christians from speaking of those things which are nearest their hearts, and too often, it is to be feared, the things of God are not sufficiently near their hearts to fill them. How refreshing and helpful is godly conversation! Notice here that this is not an occasional thing, but they often spoke one to another. How is it when we come together? Is it worldliness, or worse yet, gossip, or even dwelling in a helpless way upon the faults of others, or is the mind so filled with God’s Word, and the heart so occupied with Christ’s things, that they form the staple and natural topics of conversation? If we were walking down the street and overheard some one mention the name of a dear friend of ours, we would involuntarily pause; and so with our blessed God, when He hears two of His children mentioning the name of His beloved Son, He listens to hear what they have to say of Him, and He remembers it too. Let us then not be afraid to speak to one another freely. There need be no formalism about this. If the heart is happy in Christ, it is natural and right that we should speak of Him.

(From Help and Food, Vol. 20.)

The times of the Judges when "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" offered special opportunities for exhibitions of faithfulness to God. From the fact that his birth and manner of life were announced beforehand, as well as the work he was to do, it is evident that Samson was given the greatest opportunity to demonstrate faithfulness and to be a deliverer of his people. His superhuman strength was a gift to enable him to carry out his role as deliverer. This would mean he had special responsibilities. How he met them we will see as we trace his life.

Samson was to be a Nazarite. Such a man was to abstain from wine and from dead creatures, and was to let his hair remain uncut. Wine is a natural as well as scriptural symbol of festivity, exhilaration, and joy. Spiritually, it means the joy of earth as contrasted with the joy of the Spirit, the celebration of a rest here rather than of the time when new wine shall be drunk in the Father’s kingdom. The long hair tells of dependence and subjection. Such a place is humiliating to the natural man ("if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him" 1 Cor. 11:14), but such must be the place of one truly separated unto God.

The defilement of death is to be guarded against most jealously, not even the nearest and dearest being allowed to cause an exception to be made. Death is a reminder of sin, since death came by sin; and we should not allow anyone to tempt us into association with sin. The law made prominent the negative side of the Nazarite’s life, but grace gives us the positive side of the true Nazarite. In place of the wine of carnal joy, we have the joy of the Lord. The relinquishing of our independence and strength is met by that which infinitely exceeds all human strength and dignity. "My strength is made perfect in weakness." In place of that which has the stamp of death upon it, we have eternal life. In order to enjoy these blessed substitutes there must be a denial of self. This was the keynote of the Nazarite’s life_self-denial.

We have seen what manner of man it was God’s will for Samson to be as a Nazarite; we will now see what manner of man he actually was. A lack of unity or cohesion was a prominent aspect of his life. Brilliant deeds there were, but all was desultory. In a list of his recorded actions_slaying a lion, killing thirty Philistines in order to get clothes to keep a pledge, setting fire to the enemy’s fields, killing a thousand with the jawbone of an ass, carrying away the gates of Gaza, and overthrowing the temple of the Philistines_we look in vain for any earnest purpose running through his life. Some of his feats of strength seem almost ludicrous and some merely serve as signs pointing to his sins. We are compelled to say, "What a useless life!" It serves for warning, but there is little to imitate in it. He did judge Israel for twenty years, but nothing is said of those twenty years but the facts listed above. The question naturally arises, "Why was a life of such promise, so rich in endowment, so apparently useless? We believe the answer lies in the title of this article. There was a crisis, a turning point in his life, when he should have turned the opposite way from the one he pursued. That crisis in his life is marked by one word_self-pleasing. "Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well" (Judg. 14:3). The law of the Nazarite was characterized by self-denial; the life of Samson was characterized by self-pleasing. The crisis of his life was when he chose a wife from the people he was to destroy. It may be objected that the Lord thus sought an occasion against the Philistines and so permitted it. True, He permitted it, as He did in the case of Balaam, of the twelve spies, of the selling of Joseph into Egypt, and above all in the betrayal of our Lord; but this, instead of lessening responsibility, increases it as in the case of Judas. God permitted Samson to please himself, but it was Samson’s responsibility. God got glory from it, in spite of Samson’s self-will, but this does not affect the quality of Samson’s choice. He pleased himself, and the rest of his life had the taint of this about it. He dallied with Delilah in self-pleasing until she got the secret of his strength from him; and even in his death he seemed to be seeking for personal revenge and not the glory of God. One is surprised to see him keep his strength so long. It only shows us the longsuffering of God who thus would recall His poor servant by showing that He was still with him. It was only when Samson showed he no longer prized this strength by imparting its secret to a stranger that he lost it. Ah! what awful lessons are here! Doubtless he had not the remotest intention of parting with his secret; but Delilah had his heart. He tampered with the danger and awoke out of his sleep to find that his self-pleasing had brought him to destruction. Darkness closed in upon him, never to be lifted in this world.

What does it mean for us to tell the secret of our strength? Is it not to be at ease with this world, to be enjoying the world as Samson was, and then to talk about the things of God, our own secret of strength? The enemy is on the lookout for this; there is a time when the last act of inconsistency is done and all power is lost. "So-and-so talks a lot about God, but I find he likes the world about as well as any one." Our power is gone, and it is only in the mercy of God if it is ever in any degree recovered. But let us remember that Delilah’s lap was only the last step in a course of self-pleasing which began when he took the woman of Timnath to wife because she pleased him. We have spoken of this as a crisis. Doubtless there are such turning points in all our lives_times when we have taken a course which has characterized us ever since. The crisis may in itself be a small matter. Beware of taking the wrong turn in the crisis of your life. Beware of pleasing self instead of meeting the enemy. It was fitting that Samson’s bones should lie among his people as a constant reminder not to misuse God’s gifts and opportunities. Perhaps some Christians may feel as though they have taken the wrong turn, and as a result, their life has been blighted. For such God has blessing in spite of their failure, if there is true turning to Him. Having learned where our self-pleasing has brought us, we can then find that He can bring good out of evil, that He can bring Samson’s riddle to pass, "Out of the eater came forth meat" (Judg. 14:14). Doubtless Jacob’s closing days furnished such an exhibition of God’s goodness; and no matter where His people are, if they truly bow to Him, they will find their wilderness to blossom as the rose.

(From Help and Food, Vol. 9.)

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:5-8).

We consider now one of the most sublime and wonderful mysteries in all Scripture_what has been called by theologians, "The Doctrine of the Kenosis." The title comes from the Greek word kenos meaning "empty." This word is found in v. 7, "made Himself of no reputation," an expression which really means "emptied Himself," or "divested Himself." Its full force will come before us as we proceed with our study.

It is important to notice that doctrines are never presented in Scripture merely as dogmas to be accepted by the faithful on pain of expulsion from the Christian company. The most important doctrines are brought in by the Holy Spirit in what we might call an exceedingly natural way. I do not use the word "natural" here in contrast to "spiritual," but rather in the sense simply of sequence to the subject, introduced without special emphasis. In the particular instance before us, the doctrine of our Lord’s self-emptying comes in simply as the supreme illustration of that lowliness of mind which should characterize all who profess to be followers of the Saviour. It follows naturally upon the exhortation of v. 4:"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus," is the way the subject is introduced. This mind is the lowly mind, as it is written, "Even Christ pleased not Himself" (Rom. 15:3). And the exemplification of this is at once abruptly introduced. He existed from all eternity in the form of God. It is a declaration of His true Deity. No creature could exist in the form of God. Lucifer aspired to this, and for his impiety was hurled down from the archangel’s throne. Our Lord Jesus Christ was in the full enjoyment of this by right, because He was the eternal Son. He thought equality with God not a thing to be grasped or held on to. Equal with God He was, but He chose to take the place of subjection and lowliness. He chose to step down from that sublime height which belonged to Him, even the glory which He had with the Father before the world was (John 17:5), and took the servant’s form to do the Father’s will.

The first man aspired to be as God, and fell. The second Man, the Lord from heaven, came, as we sometimes sing,

"From Godhead’s fullest glory,
Down to Calvary’s depth of woe."

He would not retain the outward semblance of Deity. He relinquished His rightful position to become the Saviour of sinners. In order to do this He emptied Himself, or divested Himself, of His divine prerogatives.

Let there be no mistake as to this. While we reverently put off our shoes from our feet, and draw near to behold this great sight, let us not fear to accept the declaration of Holy Scripture in all its fulness. He divested Himself of something_but of what? Not of His deity, for that could not be. He was ever the Son of the Father, and, as such, a divine person. He could take manhood into union with deity, but He could not cease to be divine. Of what, then, did He divest Himself? ‘Surely of His rights as God the Son. He chose to come to earth to take a place of subjection. He took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.

Observe the distinction brought out in these two verses. He existed from all eternity in the form of God. He came here to take the form of a servant. Angels are servants, but He did not "take hold of angels" (Heb. 2:16 JND). He became in the likeness of men. It was all voluntary on His part. And, as a man on earth, He chose to be guided by the Holy Spirit. He daily received from the Father, through the Word of God, the instruction which it became Him, as a man, to receive. His mighty works of power were not wrought by His own divine omnipotence alone. He chose that they should be wrought in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the precious and important doctrine of the kenosis as revealed in Scripture.

(Reprinted from Notes on the Epistle to the Philippians.)

FRAGMENT
O what wondrous love and mercy!
Thou didst lay Thy glory by,
And for us didst come from heaven
As the Lamb of God to die.

Faithful, Longsuffering

We have been considering in recent issues the divine attributes of God, that is, those attributes exclusively His own, such as being eternal and omnipotent. Now, the fact that God is eternal and infinite, possesses all power, knows all things, and is present everywhere does not in itself say anything about the moral character of God. It is theoretically possible that one possessing these divine attributes could be a cruel, oppressive ruler who devotes all of His divine powers to making men miserable or aggrandizing self at man’s expense. Happily, this is far from the case, for in our studies of the divine attributes of God we have noted many ways in which these powers are dedicated to bring blessing to man.

In this issue we begin our study of God’s moral attributes. In the course of this study we will find that He is a loving and merciful God as well as a holy and righteous God. We will find that all of His moral attributes are in perfect balance and harmony with one another. So, for instance, in His holiness He hates all sin and disobedience, but in His love He has found a way to show mercy to and righteously pardon the sinner.

We will also discover that God shares these moral attributes with His children and thus encourages us to manifest them as well, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Our study of the moral attributes begins with a consideration of the faithfulness and longsuffering of God.

Faithful

God is true to His Word and to all that He is and stands for. He is faithful to fulfill all that He has promised, both to His own and to those who persist in rejecting Him. Let us examine the testimony of the Scriptures to the faithfulness of God.

He is faithful to reward appropriately both those that love Him and those that hate Him. "Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations; and repayeth them that hate Him to their face, to destroy them" (Deut. 7:9,10). "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war" (Rev. 19:11).

He is faithful to keep His promises concerning David and his seed. "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever; with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations. … I have found David My servant; with My holy oil have I anointed him. . . . My loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer My faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips. Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before Me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven" (Psa. 89:1,20,33-37; see also 89:2,5,8,24).

He is faithful in showing mercy. "It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning:great is Thy faithfulness" (Lam. 3:22,23).

He is faithful in chastening His people. "I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me" (Psa. 119:75). However, He will not chasten them more than they can bear. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13).

He is faithful to keep His people unto the end. "Our Lord Jesus Christ. . . shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful" (1 Cor. 1:7-9). "I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it" (1 Thess. 5:23,24).

He is faithful to forgive us when we sin. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Surely the faithfulness of our Lord gives us great peace, for therein do we have complete assurance concerning the Lord’s coming for us and our blessings with Him for eternity.

Just as God is true to Himself and His Word, so are we_ the children of God_enjoined to be faithful to Himself and His Word as well as to be true to our own word, that is, our promises and commitments to others.

We are to be faithful in delivering messages and proclaiming the truth. "A faithful witness will not lie" (Prov. 14:5). "A wicked messenger falleth into mischief; but a faithful ambassador is health" (Prov. 13:17; also 25:13). But at the same time, we have the privilege of saying nothing if it will make for peace or protect another’s reputation. "A talebearer revealeth secrets:but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter" (Prov. 11:13).

We are to be faithful in reproving our friends when this can be done to their benefit. "Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Prov. 27:5,6).

We are to be faithful to do what our Lord wants us to do until He comes back for us. "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing" (Matt. 24;45,46),

We are to be faithful to the Lord in our use of the material possessions with which He has entrusted us. "He that is faithful in that which is least [that is, worldly goods] is faithful also in much [that is, spiritual possessions]. … If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" (Luke 16:10,11).

We are to be faithful to the Lord in our use of the spiritual gifts with which He has entrusted us and our sharing of His Word with others. "Well, thou good servant:because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities" (Luke 19:17). "The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2).

Finally, we are to be faithful and true to our own word and promises to others. "Lord, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in Thy holy hill? … He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not" (Psa. 15:1,4). "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath no pleasure in fools:pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay" (Eccl. 5:4,5).

Longsuffering

God is not only faithful to His Word regarding the blessings that are to come to those who trust and love Him, but He is also longsuffering_that is, has a long temper–toward the unfaithful, offering repeated opportunities to turn to Him to enter into His blessings.

Perhaps the most familiar verse concerning the long-suffering of God is 2 Peter 3:9:"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." In a similar vein, the apostle Paul writes to the Gentiles, "Despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" (Rom. 2:4).

The longsuffering of God was likewise very much in evidence to His chosen people of Old Testament times. "And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth" (Exod. 34:6; also Psa. 86:15). A short while afterward, Moses remembered this proclamation of God’s attributes and pleaded the Lord’s longsuffering and great mercy as the basis for pardoning Israel’s sin (Num. 14:15-19).

We, God’s people, are likewise enjoined to be longsuffering in our relationships with one another. We are to manifest that agape love that is God’s very nature; and one of the characteristics of this kind of love is that it is longsuffering (1 Cor. 13:4). Similarly, one fruit of the Spirit_that is, a manifestation of the Holy Spirit indwelling and controlling the believer_is longsuffering.

As we endeavor "to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" we will need to learn to manifest "all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" (Eph. 4:2,3).

As we minister God’s Word to others, we are to "reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine for teaching]" (2 Tim. 4:2).

Let us then meditate upon the longsuffering of God and praise Him for both bearing with our waywardness and keeping the door of salvation open long enough for us to be saved. Then, as we grow in our appreciation of His great longsuffering toward us, it will become increasingly easier for us to manifest longsuffering_a long temper_toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, our parents and children and other relatives, and our neighbors, friends, co-workers, and schoolmates.