Signs of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 17.
FAITH IN THE RESURRECTIONSigns of the Times
Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 29, 1897
FAITH IN THE RESURRECTION.
Its Meaning.
Two Resurrections
Editorial
The Importance of the Now.—Now is the most important moment of our life. We can not recall the past; we can not bring nearer the future. We can not live yesterday over to-day. We may add to its fruitage of evil or good, but its hours are gone forever. Neither can we meet to-morrow's troubles to-day. To live in the past, to long for its pleasures, to despairingly mourn over its failures, or to endeavor to anticipate the troubles of the future, is neither wise nor helpful. God gives us now, this moment, to use as we will
The Decision Ours.—But the responsibility of the decision God has placed with us. He sets before us, as he did Israel of old, "life and death, blessing and cursing;" and tho Infinite Love and Wisdom pleads, "Choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live," Infinite Power will not compel us to choose. We ourselves must make the decision; we can not shift the responsibility if we will. God made the human mind free, bestowed upon it his Spirit, the
There Is No Neutral Ground.—In great political questions, in the affairs of human strife, in purely speculative, "scientific," and theological theories, we may take neutral ground, and decide neither way. But we can not do this in
Washing Our Hands of Evil.—It is by the
The Greatness of Now.—Now is only a point in time. It vanishes as we speak the word. It seems so small to many as to be insignificant. But in it are wrapped up eternal possibilities, eternal fruitage, eternal life. If every soul that ever decided wrong could have seen at the time of his decision the results of that decision, it is probably true that none would have so decided; but they decided, and allowed themselves to be deceived into believing, that the ultimate results would be different, looking only to present pleasure and profit. Thus it is with wrong decisions; a selfish motive lies underneath. But they who decide aright, out of whose decisions grow the great things of God and eternity, rarely or never see what may grow out of it, or pause to count the results to themselves. They saw the right, and the duty to right and God and humanity, and they decided there and then. There is no other true way to build character, to truly live for God, except in the living now, the momentary life. All other is false, deceptive, disappointing. This only is true and abiding. "To-day if ye will hear his voice." "Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
WHAT CAN HE SAY?
Be Not Deceived
THE CROSS OF LIFE.
