God's Plan with Men Part 5

Many believe and teach that if any one, the unredeemed man as well as the son of G.o.d, confesses his sins, G.o.d will be faithful and just to forgive his sins. A Mohammedan, a Jew, a Christian Scientist, a Unitarian, a Universalist, confess their sins,--are they forgiven? To these and all others under the law, G.o.d has said, "Apart from shedding of blood there is no remission."--Heb. 9:22. "Till heaven and earth pa.s.s, one jot or one t.i.ttle shall in no wise pa.s.s from the law, till all be fulfilled."--Matt. 5:18. John is writing to believers only (1 John 5:13), to those who are G.o.d's children (1 John 3:1, 2), and to _them_ he says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins."--1 John 1:9. Men unredeemed, under the law, can never get rid of their sins by confession. To them G.o.d has one message,--"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so _must_ the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For G.o.d so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life."--John 3:14-16.

The Saviour taught the _disciples_ to pray, "Our Father, ... forgive us our sins"; but so widespread is the misconception that it applies to all, redeemed and unredeemed, that all over the world vast mult.i.tudes of the unredeemed kneel down every night and say, "Our Father, ... forgive us our sins," and lie down to sleep deluded with the thought that they are forgiven. If they are forgiven, why was there any need of Christ dying for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3)? But the real child of G.o.d can pray, "Our Father, ... forgive us our sins," and he is really forgiven. Why the difference? With the unredeemed, those yet under the law (Rom. 3:19), G.o.d is dealing as judge with violators of law, and law knows no forgiveness. With the redeemed, those who have been adopted as G.o.d's children (Gal. 4:4-7), G.o.d is dealing as father with son. Let those who are redeemed, who are really G.o.d's children, realize the blessed fact that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins."--1 John 1:9.

But there is another cla.s.s of sins committed by G.o.d's children, "If his children _forsake_ my law" (Ps. 89:30), wilful sins. For these G.o.d chastises His children, just as an earthly father chastises his wilful and disobedient children. "Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto sons, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him; for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, G.o.d dealeth with you as with sons, for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastening, whereof all are partakers, then are ye b.a.s.t.a.r.ds and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us as seemed right to them; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness."--Heb. 12:5-10.

Chastis.e.m.e.nt or punishment of G.o.d's children is for correction; "for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness" (Heb. 12:10); punishment of the unredeemed is to carry out law, for justice: "that he might be _just_" (Rom. 3:26); "every transgression received a _just_ recompense of reward."--Heb. 2:2. The unredeemed, those under the law (Rom. 3:19), are punished beyond this life, in the Day of Judgment,--"verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah _in the day of judgment_, than for that city."--Matt. 10:15; G.o.d's children receive their chastis.e.m.e.nts in this life,--"If ye endure chastening, G.o.d dealeth with you as with sons."--Heb. 12:7. Professing Christians who are not redeemed, not really G.o.d's children, do not receive chastis.e.m.e.nts; hence, they are punished in the day of judgment with the other unredeemed. "But if ye be without chastening, whereof all are partakers, then are ye b.a.s.t.a.r.ds and not sons."--Heb. 12:8.

He has observed to little purpose who has not noticed that redeemed people, G.o.d's children, suffer more in this life than the unredeemed.

G.o.d says that His children endure chastenings and others who are not His children do not. The difference can be easily seen by any one who will observe closely. The Psalmist observed it and was greatly disturbed by it until he understood the cause of the difference.

"Truly G.o.d is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm. _They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men._ Therefore pride compa.s.seth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness, they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression; they speak loftily. They set their mouths against the heavens and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore, his people return hither, and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, How doth G.o.d know? And is there knowledge in the Most High? Behold, these are the unG.o.dly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency. For _all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning_. If I say, I will speak thus: behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; _until I went into the sanctuary of G.o.d: then understood I their end_. Surely, thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment?

They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. For my heart was grieved, and I was p.r.i.c.ked in my reins. So foolish was I, and ignorant; I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless, I am continually with thee; thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory."--Ps. 73:1-24.

That chastis.e.m.e.nt in this life for wilful sins is G.o.d's plan with redeemed men, His real children, is clearly revealed even in the Old Testament. G.o.d swore by His holiness to David that this would be His plan with redeemed men:--"Also, I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him forevermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure forever and his throne as the days of Heaven. If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David."--Ps. 89:27-35. David himself was a case in point. After his terrible sin, G.o.d sent word to him by the prophet Nathan, "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hitt.i.te with the sword and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house."--2 Sam. 12:9, 10. "And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die."--2 Sam. 12:13. G.o.d has but one way of putting away sin. "Apart from shedding of blood is no remission."--Heb. 9:22. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."--Lev. 17:11. But G.o.d does not stop there.

"Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die."--1 Sam. 12:14. (Let the reader notice that G.o.d, foreseeing that people would ridicule the idea of G.o.d saving David, calls it blasphemy and calls those who do it "the enemies of the Lord.") David fasted and prayed for the child. On the seventh day the child died, "But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead; therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him and he did eat. Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? Thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.

And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether G.o.d will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? _I shall go to him._"--2 Sam. 12:19-23. How could David be thus sure? He had G.o.d's word on which to rest, "The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul."--Lev. 17:11. But because of his sin G.o.d chastened him as long as he lived. "Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house."

Solomon is another case in point. Concerning Solomon G.o.d said to David, "I will be his father and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chastise him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men; but my mercy shall not depart away from him."--2 Sam. 7:14, 15.

In chastening, G.o.d uses as a rod loss of loved ones (2 Sam. 12:14; Amos 4:10), loss of property (Amos 4:6-9), loss of health (1 Cor.

11:30), death (1 Cor. 11:30; Amos 4:11; Deut. 32:48-52). Consider the case of Moses and Aaron: G.o.d told them to speak to the rock that it might bring forth water for the children of Israel. But they wilfully disobeyed, and instead of speaking to the rock, struck it in anger.

For this wilful sin, as a chastis.e.m.e.nt, G.o.d said to Moses, "Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto Mt. Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession: and die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in Mt. Hor, and was gathered unto his people: _because ye trespa.s.sed against me_ among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin."--Deut.

32:49-52. Though Moses was thus severely chastened for his wilful sin, he was not lost, for he was with Elijah on the mountain at the transfiguration of the Saviour (Matt. 17:1-3).

The lesson needs to be learned by G.o.d's children that as certainly as a redeemed man sins wilfully, whether the sin be great or small, the chastening rod is sure to fall. "If his children _forsake my law ...

then will_ I visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes."--Ps. 89:30-32. But G.o.d does not send the chastening in wrath, nor in justice. "Whom the Lord _loveth_ he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."--Heb. 12:6.

There are many who profess to be redeemed, to be G.o.d's children, professed Christians, church members, who sin wilfully, and G.o.d never sends chastis.e.m.e.nts to them; but G.o.d explains about them, "But if ye be without chastening, whereof all are partakers, then are ye b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, and not sons."--Heb. 12:8. He does not chasten this cla.s.s; in h.e.l.l they will receive their punishment, but it will be just. G.o.d will treat no human being wrong. With some it may seem severe that G.o.d should chasten and scourge His children. That is not as severe as to send them to h.e.l.l for their wilful disobedience after they become His children, and that is the belief of many. There are but three plans that G.o.d could have for those who have been redeemed from the curse of law (Gal. 3:13) and adopted as His children (Gal. 4:4-7), and afterward sin wilfully:--

First, beyond this life punish them in the judgment (Matt. 10:15) for their sins, send them to h.e.l.l. That would mean, (1) if Christ redeemed them from _all_ iniquity (t.i.tus 2:14), that G.o.d would force the same debt to be paid twice. "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" (2) That would mean that G.o.d would punish, by law, those who have been redeemed from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13), and who are not under the law (Rom. 6:14), and would violate G.o.d's own principle, "Sin is not reckoned [imputed] when there is no law" (Rom. 5:13). (3) That would mean a child of G.o.d, redeemed and adopted (Gal. 4:4-7), and born again (1 Peter 1:23), born of the Holy Spirit (John 3:8), sent to h.e.l.l. (4) That would mean to make the Saviour unreliable and untruthful in His statements. "Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out demons? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I _never_ knew you."--Matt. 7:22, 23. These are the professing Christians at the judgment who are lost, and Jesus says, "I never knew you," that not one of them was ever really redeemed and adopted as a child of G.o.d. (5) It would mean for G.o.d to violate His own oath (Ps. 89: 27-35).

Second, the second plan possible to G.o.d in dealing with those who sin wilfully after they have been redeemed from all iniquity (t.i.tus 2:14), from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13), and adopted as G.o.d's children (Gal. 4:4-7), would be to let them continue to sin wilfully, and neither punish them beyond this life, at the judgment, in h.e.l.l, nor chastise them in this life. That would mean for some of them to eventually develop characters most fearfully warped by sin.

Third, there is but one other possible plan left for G.o.d with redeemed men, redeemed from the law and adopted as His children (Gal. 4:7), who sin wilfully; and that is to chasten, chastise them in this life. That is G.o.d's plan with the redeemed, His own children; and however severe the chastening, He does it in love. In love He planned to adopt us as His children. "Having _in love_ predestinated us for the adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself."--Eph. 1:5 (1911 Bible), and in love He chastises. "Whom the Lord _loveth_, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."--Heb. 12:6.

Reader, the issue is before you: shall you remain under the law (Rom.

3:19) to be punished justly in the judgment (Matt. 11:22-24) and to continue to sin in h.e.l.l (Rev. 22:11, R. V.), or will you accept redemption through Christ the Saviour from the curse of the law (Gal.

3:13), be adopted as a child of G.o.d forever (Gal. 4:4-7), to be forgiven when you sin against your Father in Heaven and confess your sin (1 John 1:9); to be chastened when you sin wilfully (Ps.

89:27-34), and to spend eternity in Heaven with Him who loved you and gave Himself for you (John 14:1-3; Gal. 2:20), free forever from sin (Rev. 21:24-27; Rev. 22:3)? You do not intend, reader, to be wrapped in a Christless shroud, to be laid away in a Christless grave, to spend eternity in a Christless h.e.l.l. Decide _now_.

_FOR FURTHER STUDY_:--The teaching that G.o.d interposes in human affairs to chastise His disobedient children (Heb. 12:5-8; Ps.

89:27-34), to chasten with the rod of the children of men (2 Sam.

7:14, 15; 1 Cor. 11:30), will frighten, or arouse the contempt of, "the modern mind" with its self-inflated wisdom, which _just knows_ that "the laws of nature are immutable laws." Is there a being called "Nature" who made these laws? Who revealed to "the modern mind" that these laws were immutable? Where did "the modern mind" get its authority (it takes for granted that it has the power) to drive G.o.d from His universe, or to make Him powerless, or inactive? Can "the modern mind" prove absolutely that because G.o.d's law of gravitation causes objects to fall toward the earth, He has no right and no power to make Elijah's body go up instead of down (2 Kings 2:11)? Does "the modern mind" absolutely know that G.o.d is now inactive and must remain inactive? "Dr. Mason Goode observes that worlds and systems of worlds are perpetually disappearing, that within the period of the last century no less than thirteen in different constellations seem to have perished and _ten new ones have been created_."--_"Origin of the Globe."_ If G.o.d is active out in s.p.a.ce, who shall deny Him the right or the power to be active on this planet? And if active on this planet at all, then in the individual lives of His children? And in His word, backed up by fulfilled prophecies, to prove that He _is_ dealing with us, He tells us that He is. Is "the modern mind" too scholarly, too self-opinionated, to consider the following words from Prof. James Orr in his "The Resurrection of Jesus" ("the modern mind" is very careful not to attempt a thorough reply to Professor Orr's "Problem of the Old Testament," nor his "Resurrection of Jesus"--for obvious reasons)?

"The question is not, Do natural causes operate uniformly? But _are natural causes the only causes that exist or operate_? For miracle, as has frequently been pointed out, is precisely the a.s.sertion of the interposition of a _new_ cause; one, besides, which the theist must admit to be a _vera causa_."

If when we become G.o.d's children, we are no longer under the law (Rom.

6:14), we are redeemed from all iniquity (t.i.tus 2:14), we are no more servants but sons (Gal. 4:7), the question arises, why pray to Our Father in Heaven to be forgiven? The child does not ask his father's forgiveness in order to be his child, but to have the disturbed fellowship restored. The unforgiven child is still a child, but will be chastened. It is fellowship of the Heavenly Father with the child that is restored by forgiveness, and is sought in forgiveness, and not a destroyed relationship. On this point hear James Denny in his "The Death of Christ": "Christ died for sins once for all, and the man who believes in Christ and in His death has his relations to G.o.d once for all determined not by sin but by the Atonement. The sin for which a Christian has daily to seek forgiveness is not sin which annuls his acceptance with G.o.d."

There needs to be kept in mind, in considering that G.o.d chastens His children, the distinction that while chastenings are sufferings, all sufferings are not chastis.e.m.e.nts. The expression, "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" (Heb. 12:6), has been widely misused and sadly misapplied. Because David's babe was taken from him as a chastis.e.m.e.nt (2 Sam. 12:14), many thoughtlessly conclude that every babe's death is meant for a chastis.e.m.e.nt for the father and mother; and many apply "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" to all of the sorrows and sufferings of G.o.d's children. But there is another purpose accomplished by some sufferings, in "that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."--1 Peter 1:7. "And he shall sit as a purifier and refiner of silver."--Matt. 3:3. The silver is not to blame for the dross; nevertheless, it needs to be burned out. A child stole a piece of bread; the father chastised the child for it. That chastening was suffering. But the same child was born a cripple. In straightening the foot, the father forced many weeks of fearful suffering on the child, but the suffering was not chastis.e.m.e.nt.

Chastis.e.m.e.nts are sufferings of G.o.d's children for wrongdoing to correct them; but there are sufferings that are not chastis.e.m.e.nts for wrongdoing, but are to take out of us defects, or to develop us.

Hence, to say to some one who is suffering from sorrow or affliction, "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth," is often cruel and untrue.

VI

REWARDS--DEGREES IN HEAVEN

"I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish."--John 10:28.--"Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."--Matt. 6:20.

"By grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of G.o.d; not of works, lest any one should boast."--Eph. 2:8, 9.--"Each man shall receive his own reward _according to his own labor_."--1 Cor. 3:8.

"Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire."--1 Cor. 3:11-15.

"But G.o.d said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not _rich_ toward G.o.d."--Luke 12:20, 21.

"Whosoever would save his life shall lose _it_; and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find _it_. For what shall a man be profited if he shall gain the whole world and forfeit his life, or what shall a man give in exchange for his life? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then shall he render unto every man _according to his deeds_."--Matt.

16:25-27 (R. V.)

"Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give each one _according as his work shall be_."--Rev. 22:12.

The teaching of G.o.d's word of degrees in future punishment ("These shall receive greater condemnation,"--Mark 12:40) according to heredity and environment ("It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you;" "it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee,"--Matt. 11:22, 24), and according to sin ("Every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward,"--Heb. 2:2), commends itself to the judgment, to the conscience, of every honest man. The companion teaching to this in G.o.d's word is that there will be different degrees, or rewards, in Heaven. Just as the degree of man's punishment in h.e.l.l will be determined by his life here; so the degree of a man's reward in Heaven will be determined by his life here. The dividing line is redemption.

With many, salvation and rewards mean the same thing, but the Saviour made a clear distinction. "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish."--John 10:28 ("He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."--John 6:47);--"Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven."--Matt. 6:20. Our salvation is a gift and depends upon the Saviour; our treasures in Heaven must be laid up by ourselves. Paul makes the distinction equally clear. "By grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of G.o.d; not of works, lest any man should boast."--Eph. 2:8, 9 (R. V.).--"Each man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor."--1 Cor. 3:8.

But by rewards for service G.o.d's word does not mean G.o.d's blessings on the faithful Christians in this life. It means rewards beyond this life. Jesus said, "When thou makest a dinner or a supper call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen nor thy rich neighbors, lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee, for thou shalt be recompensed _at the resurrection of the just_."--Luke 14:12-14.

If "each man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor"

(1 Cor. 3:8), there will, then, be different rewards or degrees in Heaven; for doubtless no two redeemed people ever served G.o.d in exactly the same degree of faithfulness. Paul makes this distinction clear, as well as the difference between salvation and rewards. He uses the ill.u.s.tration of building houses out of different material. He has been speaking of preachers and their work, and then seems to turn and apply his teaching to every one, for he says, "Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon."--1 Cor. 3:10. Whether he is speaking only of preachers and their work, or applies it to every man; whether he is speaking of building in the lives of others by what we teach or do, or whether he makes a turn and applies it to every man and his building in his own life, he draws the clear distinction between the foundation on which the building rests and the building built thereupon, between salvation alone through Christ, and rewards for service: "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it; because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire."--1 Cor.

3:11-15. Why is he saved? Because he has been redeemed from the curse of the law, Christ having been made a curse for him (Gal. 3:13); because he has been redeemed from all iniquity (t.i.tus 2:14); because he has been redeemed from under the law (Rom. 6:14); and G.o.d means His promise, "Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31), and he means the promise of the Saviour, "Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation; but is pa.s.sed from death unto life."

But when the redeemed man's works shall be burned, though he himself shall be saved (1 Cor. 3:15), he shall suffer loss (1 Cor. 3:15), and the loss shall be irreparable, eternal, and so great that no human being in this age can fully realize it. Here the old translation, the King James' version, has misled us. The oft-quoted sentence, "What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" is a mistranslation.

The Revised Version translates it correctly: "What shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world and forfeit his life, or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?"--Matt. 16:26. By noticing verse 25, and verse 27 the reader can see what the Saviour meant: "whosoever would save his life shall lose _it_," not his soul, but his life, "and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find _it_," his life not his soul; "whosoever shall lose his life for my sake,"--men do lose their lives for His sake, but no one loses his soul for the Saviour's sake. Following immediately He says, verse 26, "For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world and forfeit his life? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?" In verse 27 the Saviour makes plain how a man who would save his life, loses it, and how the one who shall lose his life for the Saviour's sake shall find it,--in the rewards that he loses by trying to save his life, or gains by losing his life for the Saviour's sake, "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds." What deeds? Deeds of losing his life for the Saviour's sake.

For all eternity he will have no reward for the life he lived here--he has lost his life. Now, the Saviour says that if a man "shall gain the whole world," and in doing so shall "forfeit his life,"--shall have no reward in eternity as a result of his life (the principle laid down by Paul, whether of preachers or of all, "if any man's work shall be burned he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved."--1 Cor.

3:15), he has made a fearful mistake. But if the one who "shall gain the whole world" and in doing so "shall forfeit his life," shall have no reward for it, makes a fearful mistake, how much greater mistake does the one make who forfeits his life to have no reward throughout eternity, in order to gain a very small part of the world, as so many are doing? But if the one who "shall forfeit his life,"--have no reward in eternity,--in order to gain but a very small part of the world, makes such a fearful, such a great mistake, far worse is the bargain made by the unredeemed man who loses not only his life but also loses his soul in order to gain a very small part of "the whole world"; and yet this is what the vast majority of men are doing. We cannot grasp it, we cannot realize it, but Jesus says that the rewards (not salvation--1 Cor. 3:15) that men are losing are more than "the whole world."

Another teaching of the Saviour along this line has been widely misapplied: "He spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods, and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But G.o.d said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"--Luke 12:16-20. At once many rush to the conclusion that he was lost, that he went to h.e.l.l; and they proceed to warn men against laying up treasures in this life and losing their souls. But G.o.d said, "This night thy soul shall be required of thee," not "this night thy soul shall go to h.e.l.l." Let the Saviour make His own application: "So is he that layeth up treasures for himself and _is not rich toward G.o.d_."--Luke 12:21. "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward" (1 Cor. 3:14), he is rich toward G.o.d; "if any man's work shall be burned he shall suffer loss" (1 Cor.

3:15), he is a fool; he spent a life here on earth and has no reward in eternity as a result of it;--"but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire."--1 Cor. 3:15. (If in the pa.s.sage 1 Cor. 3:11-15, Paul is speaking only of preachers and their work in building on the foundation of Christ in the lives of others by their teaching, he yet shows that some whose work abides will be rewarded, and that others whose work shall be burned shall suffer loss and yet shall be saved; so that the principle applies with all Christians). Two cases in point:--

A great American statesman was told by his physician that in a few days he must die. That afternoon a minister called to see the dying statesman and asked as to his hope beyond the grave. The dying statesman replied, "Mr. Blank, I am going to Heaven when I die." The minister asked the dying man on what he based his hope. He replied: "Mr. Blank, I am ashamed to say that I am a Christian; but now that the time has come, I must not deny my Saviour. When I am dead tell your people that days before I died, when my mind was calm and clear, I gave my dying testimony that I was going to Heaven, redeemed by the blood of Christ." The minister pressed the question, why he thought he was a Christian. The statesman said to the negro man who was nursing him, "Jack, go into my library and bring me my Bible." Turning to the minister he said, "Mr. Blank, as I said to you, I am ashamed to say that I am a Christian, but now that the time has come, I must not deny my Saviour. Long years ago, back in the old red hills of Georgia, when I was a young man, one Sunday in an old country church I heard a Baptist preacher preach, and I understood him. He showed that G.o.d honestly loves this world, that Jesus Christ, G.o.d's Son, died for our sins, and that He died for all of our sins; and that every one who would repent and trust Christ to save him was certain to go to Heaven.

Out there in that old country church in the red hills of Georgia I accepted Jesus Christ as my Redeemer and Saviour that Sunday morning, and trusted Him to save me. I came west and became overwhelmed in business and politics. I have wasted my life." Just then the negro man returned and handed the Bible to the dying statesman. He turned the leaves and finally stopped, and turning to the minister he said, "Mr.

Blank, I am ashamed to say it, but I don't know much about this book; but I do know that this is G.o.d's word; and I do know that out in the old country church in the red hills of Georgia that Sunday morning, when I heard and understood the country preacher, I did, as a guilty, lost, justly condemned sinner, accept Jesus Christ as my Saviour and Redeemer and trust Him to save me. Listen, Mr. Blank: 'He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.' Mr. Blank, G.o.d says I have everlasting life, and I am going to Heaven when I die." And turning, the great statesman buried his face in his pillow and sobbed out his grief and remorse. He did go to Heaven, "but G.o.d said unto him, Thou fool ... so is he that layeth up treasures for himself and is not rich toward G.o.d."--Luke 12:20, 21.

The second case in point:--

A rich banker in the West a few weeks before Christmas sent a check for three hundred and fifty dollars to his brother in the East, a poor country preacher, telling him to come and bring all of his family and spend Christmas with him. They had not seen each other since boyhood.