The Gospel Day Part 5

A well known politician became an embezzler of the county fund, and was sentenced to a few years in the state's prison. After having received his sentence he, in the sheriff's charge, pa.s.sed out of the court-room, and with tears flowing from his eyes said, "My reputation is gone forever."

That was a sorrow of the world and is not the way to salvation. Had the tears been flowing because he had sinned against G.o.d, who loved him, it would have been sorrow that "worketh repentance."

The apostle says in 2 Cor. 7:11, "Behold this self-same thing, that ye sorrowed after a G.o.dly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge!" These are the fruits of repentance. The first here mentioned is "carefulness." The impenitent lives a reckless, careless life; but a watchfulness comes into the heart of the penitent. He becomes mindful of his acts and carefully avoids the ways of sin. He turns away from sin. Oh, what carefulness it works in him.

He complies with the commandment of G.o.d, "Let the wicked forsake his way."

The marginal reading of Mat. 3:8 is "bring forth fruit answerable to the amendment of life." The penitent carefully turns away from sin, and there is therefore an amendment of life.

The second fruit of repentance mentioned in 2 Cor. 7:11 is "clearing of yourselves." Men usually in their sinful life do many a wrong deed. When they have a G.o.dly sorrow they are very willing to do all they can to "clear away," or right the wrongs they have done. For instance, a man has in conversation with one neighbor spoken evil of another neighbor and injured his character. When he repents of his sins he will acknowledge to his neighbor that he spoke falsely, and will do what he can to repair the injury he has done. Debts he has long neglected he will pay when he repents of his sins, if it is possible. Wherein he has stolen or defrauded in any way he will restore as far as he is able. Zacchaeus, when he came down from the sycamore tree, had a penitent heart, and said: "The half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold." Luke 19:8. G.o.d does not command a fourfold restoration, but he does demand a restoring of an equal amount of what has been taken. If the penitent is unable to do this he can, no doubt, make confession, and promise to restore as soon as possible.

It is very consistent and reasonable that G.o.d makes such demands of the penitent. No man can rightly object to such requirements. It establishes confidence in the hearts of unbelievers. They see a beauty in the Christian religion. It not only saves a man from doing wrong deeds in his future life, but calls upon him to repair as far as possible the wrongs and injuries he has done in his past life. In talking about two of the leading members of a certain religious denomination an unbeliever recently remarked: "If these men would pay me what they owe me I would have more confidence in Christianity." We saw then how consistent it was that G.o.d requires man to correct his past life as far as he can. It forces confidence in the hearts of the unsaved and gains their attention. This is the "clearing of yourselves."

The penitent gladly turns away or forsakes his evil ways. He abhors sin.

Ah, what "vehement desire" to be free; what zeal! He gladly does all he can to repair the injuries he has done. When he has defrauded man of money he will confess it and restore it. When he has contracted debts and long neglected them he will confess his negligence and strive to pay them.

Where he has misrepresented any one and thereby done him an injury he will make confession. And wherein man has wronged him and he has hatred in his heart against him, he will freely forgive. Jesus says, "If ye forgive not men their trespa.s.ses, neither will your Father forgive your trespa.s.ses."

Mat. 6:15.

When the penitent has met all the requirements of the Scriptures, and confesses all to G.o.d, he has promised to forgive him. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." 1 John 1:9. After the forsaking of sins and the rest.i.tution of wrongs and the forgiveness of injuries, and confession to G.o.d, there remains yet for man to

Believe.

A prison-keeper inquired of Paul and Silas: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:30, 31. At this point Satan has succeeded in confusing many an honest soul. They have forsaken all to follow Jesus, but have not that perfect confidence that G.o.d forgives and accepts them. Satan will allow them to believe that G.o.d will save them in some future time, but struggles hard to prevent their believing that Jesus saves them now. The apostle says, "By grace are ye saved through faith." Eph. 2:8. "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of G.o.d." 1 John 5:1. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of G.o.d, even to them that believe on his name." John 1:12. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with G.o.d." Rom. 5:1. It is not by enthusiasm or excitement that we are saved, but "by grace through faith."

Jesus on one occasion said, "Which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it." Luke 14:28. He uses this ill.u.s.tration to teach us the manner in which we should come to him. The cost is "a death to sin and the world." The prize is heaven and eternal glory. When you have carefully counted the cost and deliberately decided in your soul to follow Jesus, then believe on his name, "and thou shalt be saved."

Justification.

The term justification is used both in the Old Testament and the New.

There is a difference between the justification under the law and the justification by grace. The one was obtained by the blood of animals and the other by the blood of Jesus. Since we are writing upon the glorious themes of the New Testament we shall say but little of the justification by the sacrifices of animals.

Justification implies a forgiveness of sins. The sense of guilt resulting from a transgression of G.o.d's law is removed. The justified therefore experience a safety, a peace and rest. Fears and uncertainties are banished, and the soul is filled with confidence and hope. "Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with G.o.d." Rom. 5:1. Peace is the natural result of justification. It is sin that destroys the happiness of man. Before sin entered into this world man lived in a delightful Eden.

His heart was open and frank before G.o.d, and he rejoiced in his presence.

Sin brought a sense of shame and guilt, and he hid from the presence of G.o.d. All men admire the innocency of childhood. The peaceful countenance of an infant, its freedom from care, anxieties and unrest but remind us of the peacefulness of pardon.

There was a justification by the law, but the law day has pa.s.sed away. We have come to the gospel day in which no flesh shall be justified by the works of the law, but by "the faith of Jesus Christ." Gal. 2:16; 3:11. The Bible promises nothing more in justification than a full pardon of all transgression and restoration to childhood innocency. "And Jesus called a little child unto him and set him in the midst of them and said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Mat. 18:2, 3. A justified man is as innocent and free from transgression as a little child. Is it not a just cause of surprise that men will teach the forgiveness of sins necessary to the experience of justification, and yet teach that the justified commit sin? "O Consistency, thou art a jewel."

It occurs to our mind that if men would use consideration, mingled with reason and judgment, they would see the inconsistency of the above teaching. Should a man who had used abusive language to you come and penitently ask your forgiveness, you would forgive, but that does not give him liberty to continue his abuse. When the penitent comes to G.o.d he will pardon, but this does not give him liberty to continue in sin. G.o.d created man with an intelligence, a reason and common sense. The ravages of sin have greatly impaired these qualities of the mind that believes that justification necessitates a forgiveness of sins, yet the experience can be retained while committing sin. A sound writer has said, "Common sense is a quality of mind not so common as the words imply. Many claim it who have no right to its possession. It is a high standard of mental worth.

The brain coin that bears its imprint has a par value wherever man is governed by pure reason." No true Christian believes he can live in sin and be a Christian. Even those who are governed by pure reason do not believe such. By the blood of Jesus "all that believe are justified from all things." Acts 13:39.

Regeneration.

Justification by grace through faith in Jesus does not end with a forgiveness of past transgressions only, but includes the impartation of the divine, or eternal life to the soul. The blood of animals offered for sins in the Jewish economy was unable to impart this life to the offerer of the sacrifice. Jesus says, "I am come that ye might have life."

"Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

"He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of G.o.d hath not life." "G.o.d hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."

The process by which man enters the natural life is termed a birth or generation. The process by which man enters the spiritual life is expressed by the words, "being born again," or "regeneration." With the words "being born again" we naturally a.s.sociate life. When Nicodemus heard the words he thought the process of bringing into physical life was to be repeated. The Savior told him, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John 3:6. In life there is activity and power. Not only are the transgressions forgiven, but by regeneration life and power come into the soul, which gives man strength to resist sin. The Israelite only hoped for a forgiveness of his past sin through his offering. That beautiful hope of constant victory over sin was not his to enjoy. He knew the power of sin and the weakness of his offering; consequently he expected naught else but to offer his sacrifices over and over, day by day, and year by year continually. He who to-day comes to G.o.d pleading for forgiveness of his sins through the offering of the eternal Son and expects to still continue in sin enjoys no better hope than a Jew. He dishonors the great sacrifice of G.o.d's Son by counting it no more than the sacrifice of animals.

In regeneration the holy, pure, divine life comes into the soul. Man pa.s.ses from "death unto life." The dominion of sin has come to an end. Sin is dethroned and its kingdom destroyed. Regenerated man is crowned a king.

The royal robes of white enshroud him. The scepter of righteousness he sways triumphantly and reigns a mighty conqueror, "a king and priest unto G.o.d." Praise and honor to his name!

This new life within man's soul finds expression in a new life without.

Since the new life within is holy and pure the new life without is holy and pure. "Make the inside of the cup and platter clean and the outside will be clean also." The apostle John tells us the manner of life that follows "being born again." "We know that whosoever is born of G.o.d sinneth not, but he that is begotten of G.o.d keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." 1 John 5:18. "Whosoever is born of G.o.d doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him: and he can not sin, because he is born of G.o.d." 1 John 3:9. This text does not teach the impossibility of committing sin as some have supposed, but the impossibility of committing sin and retaining the spiritual birth. In 1 John 2:29 we are clearly taught that righteousness of life succeeds the regeneration of man. Sin belongs only to Satan and sinners. It is not found in the life of G.o.d, nor of the angels, nor of Christ, nor of the Christians.

Adoption.

The term "adoption" is a few times used in the New Testament. It is that part of justification which places us in the family of G.o.d. In the apostolic days the Romans were accustomed to adopting the children of some other family into their own. The law on these occasions demanded a full surrender of the child with all his possessions to his new governor or father. The father received the child as an heir to all his possessions, equal with his own children.

So we in justification give ourselves to G.o.d with all our talents and possessions, and he receives us into his family, and we become joint-heirs with his Son. This is true, and very precious because it is true. The apostle in speaking of adoption says, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Rom. 8:15. We are here taught that it is in adoption that we look upon G.o.d as our Father. We are taught the same in Gal. 4:5, 6. By the Spirit of adoption we look unto G.o.d as our Father and consider ourselves his own children. As members in the family of G.o.d we yield ourselves unto his service and "our members as instruments of righteousness unto him." This prohibits sin. To live impure, or to commit more or less sin, and have the yoke of Christ upon us, or to be a joint-heir with him is indeed very disparaging.

Conversion.

Since the word conversion is used in connection with justification we will give it only brief notice. Jesus said, "Except ye be converted and become as little children," etc. Peter said, "Repent and be converted."

Justification properly implies a pardon or forgiveness of our transgressions or sins. Regeneration implies a bringing into the spiritual life. Adoption implies the reception of the new-born child into the family of G.o.d. Conversion, the turning about, or a change in life. Any one of these terms include all the others. These are all accomplished in what is known as the first work of grace, and is most frequently and properly termed justification.

Sanctification.

Sanctification is one among the clear and positive doctrines of the New Testament. Justification, regeneration, adoption, and conversion are terms used to signify the same work of grace, or the same experience in the Christian life. Sanctification has reference to a higher work of grace, or higher life. It is an experience obtained subsequent to justification. The Savior in praying to the Father for his disciples said: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." John 17:17. Before making this pet.i.tion he told the Father of their separation from the world and of their persecution by the world, which are certain evidences of justification.

Sanctification is defined thus in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary:

1. Sanctification is the act of G.o.d's grace by which the affections of men are purified or alienated from sin and the world and exalted to a supreme love of G.o.d; also the state of being thus purified or sanctified. 2.

Sanctifier. One who sanctifies or makes holy, specially the Holy Ghost. 3.

Sanctify. To set apart to a holy or religious use; to make holy or free from sin; to cleanse from moral corruption or pollution; to make holy.

Sanctification is the destruction of the body of sin or depraved nature.

The work of sanctification, or the sanctifying process, is expressed as a cleansing or purging or refining. It is the restoration of the soul to its original purity or holiness by the removing of the depraved nature incurred by the transgression in Eden. We will conclude this subject by a Bible lesson.

1. Sanctification is the will of G.o.d. "For this is the will of G.o.d, even your sanctification." 1 Thes. 4:3.

2. Sanctification is effected by G.o.d. "And the very G.o.d of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray G.o.d your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thes.

5:23. "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by G.o.d the Father, preserved in Jesus Christ, and called." Jude 1.