God's Plan with Men Part 9

Fifth, those who, knowing that the redeemed man could not lose his eternal life, if he has it as a present possession, because it is eternal, believe that the redeemed have not really eternal life but only the promise of it and may forfeit the promise by unfaithfulness, and that it is dangerous to teach the redeemed that they really have eternal life because it might lead to wilful, presumptuous sin, lose sight of a fifth fact, that the child of G.o.d is not only redeemed from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13), redeemed from under the law (Rom. 6:14), adopted as a child of G.o.d because redeemed from the law (Gal. 4:4-7), but that being redeemed, he is redeemed _from all iniquity_ ("Our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might _redeem us from all iniquity_."--t.i.tus 2:13, 14). How can G.o.d, because He is just, let the redeemed man, if he is redeemed _from all iniquity_, be lost? "A young minister was in the habit of visiting an aged Scotch woman in his congregation who was familiarly called 'Old Nanny.' She was bed-ridden and rapidly approaching the end of her 'long and weary pilgrimage,' but she rested with undisturbed composure and full a.s.surance of faith upon the finished work of Christ. One day he said to her, 'Now, Nanny, what if, after all your confidence in the Saviour and your watching and waiting, G.o.d should suffer your soul to be lost?' Raising herself on her elbow, and turning to him with a look of grief and pain, she laid her hand on the open Bible before her, and quietly replied, 'Ah, dearie me, is that the length you hae got yet, mon? G.o.d,' she continued earnestly, 'would hae the greatest loss. Poor Nannie would lose her soul, and that would be a great loss indeed; but G.o.d would lose His _honor_ and His _character_. Haven't I hung my soul upon His "exceeding great and precious promise"? and if He would break His word He would make Himself a liar, _and a' the universe would rush into confusion_.' This anecdote reveals the true ground of the believer's safety. It is as high as the honor of G.o.d; it is as trustworthy as His character; it is as immutable as His promises; it is as broad as the infinite merit of His Son's atoning blood."--_J. H.

Brookes, in "The Way Made Plain."_

If G.o.d, "that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus" (Rom. 3:26), set forth Jesus Christ as a propitiation through faith in his blood (Rom. 3:25), and then should let one be lost who had been redeemed from all iniquity (t.i.tus 2:14), would He not be as unjust in so doing as He would have been had He justified sinners without Christ dying for their sins (1 Cor. 15:3)?

The blessed fact that the redeemed have as a present possession, here and now, eternal life, and that it is eternal, makes manifest another fact, that the redeemed are not unconscious, virtually out of existence, from death till the resurrection. The new life is eternal; it continues without cessation or intermission. Their bodies fall asleep; but their souls are still in conscious existence; it is _eternal life_. Paul makes this fact clear: "Whilst present in the body, we are absent from the Lord." "We are confident, I say, and well pleased rather to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord."--2 Cor. 5:6, 8. The same conscious life continues; it is eternal life. Again he makes it clear: "I am in a strait betwixt the two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful on your account."--Phil. 1:23, 24. The same conscious life continues, the eternal life. To depart and to be with Christ he says "_is far better_." But even this is not the perfect state. It is the soul without the body, enjoying eternal life with Christ. But G.o.d's perfect being is a being of redeemed soul and redeemed body enjoying the reward of its labor. The body will not be redeemed until the resurrection (Rom. 8:23; 1 Cor. 15:42); and the soul, though enjoying eternal life and with Christ (Phil. 1:23) will receive no reward until the resurrection,--"Thou shalt be _recompensed at the resurrection of the just_."--Luke 14:14.

Paul further makes clear the distinction between the body sleeping and the soul not sleeping, because it has eternal life and is with Christ: "If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that sleep in Jesus _will G.o.d bring with him_."--1 Thess. 4:14. Their bodies are asleep; their souls are "absent from the body and present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8); but at the resurrection of their bodies, these "will G.o.d bring with him." Then, "at the resurrection of the just" (Luke 14:14) will "each man receive his own reward according to his own labor."--1 Cor. 3:8. Let this blessed teaching be a comfort to some hearts: the redeemed loved ones who have died are "present with the Lord" which "is far better." Then it is cruel selfishness to wish them back.

X

DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTER IN THE REDEEMED

"_The G.o.d of Jacob_ is our refuge."--Ps. 46:7.

"Happy is he that hath _the G.o.d of Jacob_ for his help."--Ps.

146:5.

"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.

"Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."--James 1:14.

"And we know that _all things_ work together for good to them that love G.o.d, to those who are the called according to his purpose."--Rom. 8:28.

"The G.o.d of Jacob!" Not the G.o.d of Israel. Wonderful G.o.d! Blessed a.s.surance, that "_the G.o.d of Jacob_ is our refuge,"--the G.o.d who saves the man without character, irrespective of character,--makes of him,--Israel. Jacob, the supplanter, the trickster, the weak character, the warped character, the sinner, G.o.d takes, and through trials, tests, develops him and makes of him Israel,--a prince of G.o.d.

That is _G.o.d's plan with men_. Consider it.

There are two theories, the poles apart. The one is, salvation by character; that by acquiring a suitable character, by developing the right kind of a character, man can be saved, can go to Heaven; that one's character, if of the proper kind, ent.i.tles him to Heaven; that if one has lived right, he will go to Heaven. The other theory is, that G.o.d by grace, pure unmerited favor, saves irrespective of character. It is a tremendous issue. It is vital; one or the other is fatal. If those who hold one theory go to Heaven, all who hold to the other will be lost, will go to h.e.l.l. We would as well face the issue.

They are two widely different ways of salvation, and G.o.d has but one.

Jesus said, "_I am the way_" (John 14:6), not one way, _The Way_. And He leaves no possible ground for misunderstanding the meaning, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me."--John 14:6. Either, then, He is _the only way_, or He was the vilest deceiver the world ever knew, or He was a simple-minded, ignorant fanatic, who honestly thought Himself "The Way" when He was not.

Against this theory of salvation by character there are four serious, fatal charges:--

First, it is utterly cruel, heartless and selfish. It is cruel, because to the weakest, most needy, most helpless cla.s.s, the vast body of men, born of vicious, debased parents, reared amidst vice and sin, weakened by appet.i.te and tied by habit, it does not give one-millionth the chance to be saved, to go to Heaven, that men have who were born of n.o.ble, G.o.dly parents, reared amidst moral, uplifting surroundings, and strengthened by n.o.ble aspirations and splendid training. Stand before you two young men representing these two cla.s.ses, and tell them of life beyond this life, and of Heaven; and then tell them of salvation by character. To the one it would mean a bright, hopeful antic.i.p.ation; to the other, it would mean but taunting him with his hopeless condition and prodding him with despair.

The theory of salvation by character is heartless, because, wrapt in the robe of its own self-righteousness, it coolly condemns to hopeless despair a vast body of the human race. Go stand by the helpless, hopeless drunkard, and the drunken, sinful woman, and tell them of salvation by character, and hear the sob of despair or see the jeering look on their faces at the thought of salvation by character for such as they! Before a pastors' conference, the polished, brilliant, highly educated pastor of a wealthy, refined, intellectual congregation read a seemingly learned paper on "Salvation by Character." When he had finished reading the paper, some of his fellow-pastors endorsed the paper and gave it high praise. Finally, the pastor of a people who had been unfortunate in life, many of whom had gone far down in sin, and were fettered by habit, arose and said, "Brother Moderator, the brother has given us his wonderful paper on salvation by character. I would like to ask him, what would he preach if he were the pastor of a people who have no character?" The author of the paper arose and made the heartless reply, "Brother Moderator, my brother and I have been raised in such different intellectual atmospheres, that I don't suppose I could make it plain to my brother." The other replied, "That is doubtless true, Brother Moderator; but the trouble is, that he can never make it plain to any one else."

It is selfish, because those who teach this theory are generally men of intelligence, refinement, and are considered, and they consider themselves, men of moral character. They thus provide for themselves by their theory, but leave a vast body of the race with a very slight hope or with no hope whatever.

The second charge against those who hold this theory is that by their own theory none will be saved. If salvation is by character, by what kind of character, a perfect character, or an imperfect character? If by a perfect character, no one has it; no one even claims it. If by an imperfect character, how imperfect may it be and the man yet be saved?

Where is the standard? If a man's character, in order to be saved by it, must be the best he can make it, no one has even that character,--no one's character is the best he could have made it.

Hence, salvation by character is a chimera.

The third charge against salvation by character is, that even if a man's character were perfect from man's standpoint, in the sight of G.o.d his character would still be corrupt. "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags."--Is. 64:6. Why? Because motive is the measure of the character. "They that are in the flesh cannot please G.o.d."--Rom. 8:8.

Why? Because they have not, and cannot have, the right motive. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding bra.s.s, or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing."--1 Cor. 13:1-3. And no man has this love, no man can have this love, until he is saved by Christ dying for his sins (1 Cor. 15:3). "The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then all died; and he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again."--2 Cor. 5:14, 15.

The fourth serious, fatal charge against the theory of salvation by character is that it is contrary to the teaching of the Saviour.

"Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of G.o.d before you."--Matt. 21:31.

Certain it is that the publicans and the harlots had worse characters than those to whom the Saviour was speaking; the fact is therefore evident that Jesus taught salvation without character, irrespective of character.

Let the reader consider two cases that will show conclusively that the teaching of salvation by character is absolutely contrary to the teaching of the Saviour. "The chief priest, mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said: He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in G.o.d; let him deliver him now, if he will have him; for he said, I am the Son of G.o.d. The thieves also that were with him, cast the same in his teeth."--Matt. 27:41-44. Let the reader notice that both the thieves "that were with him, cast the same in his teeth." Then "one of the malefactors that were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear G.o.d, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise."--Luke 23:39-43. From the time that both thieves "cast the same in his teeth," to the time the one made his earnest plea, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom," there had been no time in which this thief could have formed, developed a character that merited salvation. Hence, when Jesus said, "To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise," to this thief, He branded the teaching of salvation by character as not from Heaven. The one who does not see from this case that the cruel, heartless, selfish teaching of salvation by character contradicts the Lord Jesus, will never see anything contrary to his own preferences and preconceived opinions.

The second case is just as conclusive. As the Saviour was reclining at meat in the house of Simon the Pharisee, a woman, noted as a sinner, came in and stood behind him weeping. "And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."--Luke 7:50. The Saviour said the woman was saved, yet she was of notorious character,--she had no character.

That the Saviour saved irrespective of character is shown by two cases in the book of Acts. We have the accounts of the salvation of two men of opposite characters. One was "A devout man, and one that feared G.o.d with all his house, who gave much alms to the people and prayed to G.o.d always,"--Acts 10:2, a man of most excellent character. Among all the unredeemed men of the earth, not one could show a better character. If any man could be saved by character, here is the man.

G.o.d sends word to him, "Send to Joppa and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter, who shall tell the words whereby thou and all thy house shalt be saved."--Acts 11:13. Notwithstanding his n.o.ble, unusual character, G.o.d tells him that he is unsaved. If he, with his character unexcelled among unredeemed men, was yet unsaved, how can any other unredeemed man hope for salvation by character? Peter's message to this man of irreproachable character was, "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth on him shall receive remission of sins."--Acts 10:43. Why is it necessary for this man of character to believe on Christ in order to be saved?

Because, though of unusual character, he had sinned, "for all have sinned" (Rom. 3:23); and sin once committed can only be atoned for by blood, "apart from shedding of blood there is no remission" (Heb.

9:22), and there is no blood of atonement in a n.o.ble character.

Over against this case is that of the Philippian jailor, a man of hardened character; for he took two helpless, bleeding preachers who had been beaten by a mob, and "thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks" (Acts 16:24), and left them with their backs b.l.o.o.d.y and gave them no supper. When the earthquake came and the doors were opened, the hardened jailor started to commit suicide. Paul having called to him and prevented the suicide, the jailor "came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"--Acts 16:30. If ever a man should be told of salvation by character, here was the opportunity, that he might at once begin the tremendous and all but hopeless task of changing, so late in life, a hardened character into one that would enable him to merit Heaven. Instead, they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved."--Acts 16:31. How similar the answer to the instructions of Peter to Cornelius, and yet how widely different the characters of the two men! Why this similarity? Because G.o.d has but one way of salvation, and that is irrespective of character. "He gathereth together _the outcasts_ of Israel" (Ps. 147:2), the G.o.d of Jacob.

While the Saviour saves without character, and irrespective of character, G.o.d the Father does not leave them without character, but develops in them the right kind of a character. The man redeemed, saved, without character, does not remain without character. "And such _were_ some of you" (1 Cor. 6:11), but they did not remain such characters,--but "sanctified, called to be saints."--1 Cor. 1:2.

_G.o.d's plan with men_, then, is to save irrespective of character, and then develop in the redeemed, saved man a character that shall "be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."--1 Peter 1:7.

Three ways in which G.o.d develops character in the redeemed are:

First, by purifying the _motive_ of the life. Character is not formed by deeds, but by the motives prompting the deeds. Two men flag the night express train on two railroads; the deeds are the same, but one flags the train that he may warn, and save the lives of the people, because a bridge has been destroyed; the other flags the train that he may rob it. While the deeds are the same, the character of the deeds is different, and that difference is in the motive prompting the deed, and that motive affects, moulds the character of the one who performs the deed. No deed is right in the sight of G.o.d that is not performed from the motive of love (1 Cor. 13:1-3); hence, no character can be right in the sight of G.o.d if the deeds that formed that character were not prompted by the motive of love. All deeds performed from simply the motive of duty, or from the desire to be saved, to go to Heaven after this life, or from fear of h.e.l.l, are, in the sight of G.o.d, unworthy deeds, and the characters formed by such deeds are unworthy characters. And the Saviour defines clearly what love is: "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors; the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged."--Luke 7:41-43.

And John likewise defines love: "Herein is love, not that we loved G.o.d, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."--1 John 4:10. This explains why G.o.d says: "They that are in the flesh cannot please G.o.d."--Rom. 8:8. Their motive is wrong and they cannot have the right motive, because they have not been "forgiven most." Hence all characters are wrong in the sight of G.o.d that were formed by deeds whose prompting motive was a simple sense of duty, a desire to be saved, to go to Heaven, or from fear of h.e.l.l. And all who have such a character are lost, have never been redeemed, are not real Christians.

Second, G.o.d develops character in the redeemed, His real children, by chastis.e.m.e.nts. Our earthly fathers "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. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby."--Heb. 12:10, 11.

Third, G.o.d moulds the character of the redeemed by afflictions, burdens, sorrows, etc. "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."--2 Cor. 4:17. "Let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing."--James 1:14.

The shallow conception of _G.o.d's plan with men_ that makes it His ultimate purpose simply to save men, leaves the life of the redeemed man here on earth an unsolved riddle, often an inexplicable tragedy.

The heartaches, the disasters, the burdens, the afflictions, the sorrows,--what of all these, when G.o.d a.s.sures us that "all things work together for good to those that love G.o.d, to those who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28), if the ultimate purpose is simply salvation? "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

The silver has been mined, digged from the earth, but there is dross in it. The redeemed have been redeemed from the curse of the law (Gal.

3:13); have had the spirit sent into their hearts ("because ye are sons, G.o.d hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father,"--Gal. 4:6); but there are defects from heredity, from environment. The purifying process, the development of character, comes, not in order to be saved, but after we are saved, because we are saved.

With G.o.d as the Father of the redeemed, many of the afflictions, and sorrows of real Christians can be accounted for as chastis.e.m.e.nts; many of the severe, heavy afflictions in the lives of real Christians can be accounted for in this way. "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."--Heb. 12:5, 6. Scourging is severe, yet G.o.d says it is for _every son_.

But there are many, many trials, afflictions, burdens, sorrows, which cannot be explained by chastis.e.m.e.nts; for chastis.e.m.e.nts are for wilful sins of G.o.d's children: "If his children _forsake_ my law ... then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes."--Ps. 89:30-32. In the lives of many of the redeemed who are living obedient lives there are some of the most severe trials and afflictions. If G.o.d is their Father and loves them, what can these severe trials and afflictions mean?

"One adequate support For the calamities of mortal life Exists, one only,--an a.s.sured belief That the procession of our fate, however Sad or disturbed, is ordered by a being Of Infinite benevolence and power, Whose everlasting purposes embrace All accidents, converting them into good."

Wordsworth.

G.o.d Himself hath said it, "All things work together for good to those that love G.o.d, to those who are the called according to his purpose."--Rom. 8:28. Had G.o.d said, "Some things," what confusion would have come to many of G.o.d's children! What enigmas would many things in the lives of many of the redeemed have been! But when G.o.d said "All things," He placed a key in the hands of every redeemed man, every real child of His, with which to unlock the door of every mystery; that every trial, every disaster, every accident, every burden, every humiliation, every disappointment, every affliction, every sorrow,--"All things work together for good to those that love G.o.d, to those who are the called according to his purpose";--"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.

Muscles are developed by trials; minds are developed by trials; G.o.d's redeemed people are developed by trials. To murmur against one's trials after being redeemed, means to murmur against being developed for one's eternal destiny. To give the muscles no trials, means for the body never to be developed; to give the mind no trials, means for the mind never to be developed; to give the redeemed man no trials, means for his character never to be developed. Two children are born into the world. The father and mother of one decide that he shall never be required to do any unpleasant things; that he shall never have any hardships. The father and mother of the other decide to give their child every unpleasant thing to do, every hardship and burden to bear, that will best develop him in body and mind. Often the redeemed plead with their Father in Heaven to give them only pleasant things, and He, the All-wise, All-powerful, in love gives them--trials.

The trials of life for the redeemed are so various. If the muscles have only one trial, the body will never be fully developed. The muscles need various trials. If the mind has only one trial, it will never be fully developed. If the mind studies only one thing, it will never be trained, developed, educated. If the soul has only one kind of trial, it will never be developed. "Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations."--James 1:2 (R. V. Margin, trials).

But the redeemed, the children of G.o.d, often complain that their trials are so hard. Easy trials do not develop. The one who takes only light exercises for his muscles will never be fully developed physically. The boy who works the easy examples and skips the hard ones, will never be an educated man; he will be only a "hewer of wood and drawer of water." It takes hard trials to develop the body properly. It takes hard trials of the mind to develop it properly. It takes hard trials to develop the soul properly; "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, _though it be tried with fire_." He who asks for only easy trials of his muscles, asks to remain undeveloped physically; he who asks for easy trials of his mind, asks to remain undeveloped mentally; he who asks, yearns, to have no hard trials spiritually, yearns to remain undeveloped in real character, in his spiritual nature. The hard trials are the ones that develop. And the more one's muscles have been developed, the harder should be the trials for those muscles; the more one's mind is developed, the harder should be the trials for the mind; the more the redeemed man's spiritual nature is developed, the harder his trials will be.

That would be an unwise educator who, after training the pupil's mind up through geometry, would then put him back to studying the simple branches of mathematics, instead of taking him on into higher mathematics. Likewise the Heavenly Father does not, after partly developing the redeemed, His children, by hard trials, return them to lives of easy trials, but He leads them into yet harder trials. Take Elijah as an example (see F. B. Meyer's "Elijah"). He is sent to p.r.o.nounce G.o.d's sentence against Ahab (1 Kings 17:1); he is then sent into obscurity (17:2, 3); he is left dependent on the ravens for food (17:4-6); he sees the brook dry up, his only hope for water, for life (17:7); he is submitted to the humiliation of being supported by a poor widow (17:8, 9); G.o.d delays answering his prayer (17:17-22); G.o.d requires him to expose himself to danger by showing himself to Ahab (18:1); he is led to face popular religious error, and in doing so is left to stand alone (18:19-38); G.o.d delays answer to his prayer till he prays seven times (18:42-45); he suffers the further humiliation of Elisha being anointed prophet in his room (19:15, 16); he is taken up by a whirlwind to Heaven (2 Kings 2:11). A study of these trials will show that they were all hard trials, and that they increased in severity. G.o.d tells us that Elijah was a man subject to like pa.s.sions as we are (James 5:17); but by trials, hardships, burdens, G.o.d developed him into one of the n.o.blest characters of all ages. G.o.d's redeemed people may expect, then, trials through their lives, and that the trials shall be increasingly severe, as they advance in the Christian life.