Earlier text: The Gift of the SpiritThe Spirit in the World and in the Church
By Prof. J. A. L. Derby
THERE is a general sense in which we may say the Spirit of God has been given to all men. “Every good gift and every perfect gift,” the Scripture tells us (James 1:17), “is from above, and cometh down from the Father.” It seems to follow from this that every aspiration we have after what is pure, holy, noble, every sentiment we feel of compassion for the sick, needy, or erring, the repugnance we feel to what is low or vile, the indignation we experience toward hypocrisy or deceit, our hatred of iniquity, our love for our fellow men, our kindred, and friends, our abhorrence of injustice,—all are the work of the Spirit of God on human hearts. To say that we realize in our most candid thought the eternal fitness of these emotions, is not, of course, to say that we follow them. In most men only a part of them are springs of habitual action, to some men, perhaps, none of them. And yet all men doubtless feel that these are right attitudes of mind, and would much dislike to admit that they are devoid of any of them. We may attempt, if we choose, to explain them psychologically by saying they are simply natural characteristics of all minds, original tendencies in all. Very good; but we have not explained how these happen to be “natural” to us. If every good gift is from above, these are but some of the so-called “natural” means by which the Spirit of God does its work in the earth. Nor is a work any the less direct because it is universal and invariable. Gravitation is no less the working of the Spirit of God because it is general and constant. It is a finite mind that concludes the laws of nature are inherent properties of matter, in “fee simple,” as it were, because they do not every once in a while slip a cog or get out of joint. We are told in the Bible that the divine words are spirit; then, since all things exist by that word,—“He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast,”—it would seem that all right things are what they are by virtue of the Spirit of God. If we carry this concept of means into society, it will help us a little in understanding better the work of God in the world. The suggestion that the Holy Spirit uses means which we have been accustomed to regard as merely natural capacities or properties of the mind, will be considered as next to blasphemy by many who would not for a moment question the divine use of natural means in most physical phenomena as the use of natural remedies—water, hot and cold, food, exercise, fresh air, etc.—in healing the sick. Two or three times a day we thank God that He has given us bread, life, etc. Doubtless He has done so. He gave us bread by first giving the soil, then the seed, then the sunshine and the rain. Then thru certain efforts of our own in putting forth the strength He has already given us by natural means, we till the soil, plant, cultivate, harvest, grind, mix, bake, and finally have bread. But every process turned out as we expected simply because the unchangeable word of the omnipotent, living, omnipresent God sustained it. God’s help was none the less direct because natural. Should we cease to eat, it would avail us nothing to ask God for life, or thank Him for it. Now, when men realize that there are certain mental laws by divine help within their control, that the salvation of the world or its ruin and destruction depend upon the proper cultivation or the perversion of these, this knowledge ought to be a powerful reinforcement of their sense of obligation, besides aiding them to understand how to cooperate intelligently with the Spirit. Two of the mightiest agencies used by the Spirit to carry forward its work in the individual and in the race are:- Conscience.
- The law of habit.
How is it the Spirit strives with men?—Thru the conscience. In the days of Noah God said, “My Spirit shall not always strive with man.” Why? Because God became angry and withdrew His Spirit?—No; but because by continual violation of their conscience it is possible thru the law of habit for men to so harden, benumb, sear, the conscience that the Spirit’s work can no longer be felt. Have we not set the alarm clock to waken us at a certain hour? The first morning it aroused us easily. We disregarded it. By the third morning, tho it sounded as usual, we slumbered on, wholly unconscious of its work. So with the sinner. Every time we refuse to listen to conscience we are that much farther from God and divine help. At last there comes the day when God says, Let him alone; he is joined to his idols. From that moment our destiny is fixed for eternity. In the twelfth chapter of Matthew we have the sin against the Holy Spirit spoken of: “Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him.” This is that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which hath no forgiveness. How this sin is possible is now easy to understand. The law of habit is that every act once performed tends to repeat itself. What then happens when we have permitted the motive currents of our minds to go out again and again over certain nerve-paths in the performance of unrestrained or cherished sins? The same thing happens when a musician plays a certain piece over and over. Finally we do the thing unconsciously.7 It is possible for every stimulus to moral actions to discharge in either of two ways. To illustrate, when I see a drunkard in the ditch, I may either pity or despise him. If a man injures me, I may either hate him or endeavor to reclaim him to spiritual worthiness by kindness. If we allow the wrong impulses always to control us, there will come a time when we will have no other impulses. Thus it was in the days before the Flood, “every imagination of the thoughts” of man’s heart “was only evil continually.” Now we judge of the motives and actions of others by those which control ourselves. So when the time comes that we no longer have any acquaintance with the Spirit of God, we believe others moved by the same influences that control us. In this state of fearful moral chaos, we call evil good and good evil. We think the work of the Spirit to be the work of Beelzebub. Our day of grace is passed. We have sinned against the Holy Ghost. For us there is no salvation. It seems that King Saul got into this condition. He then mistook the Satanic spirit working thru the witch of Endor for the Holy Spirit working thru Samuel the prophet. Shortly after this the king was destroyed. When the world arrives at this terrible state, we may know that the end is near. And think of the mighty forces sweeping us on toward this destiny! With higher criticism destroying faith in the Bible, false science undermining faith in God, and the law of God being everywhere rejected by so-called religious leaders, what shall the end of these things be? "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind." Rom. 2:28. That is the eternal principle, fixed in the very nature of man's mind. But here is another and brighter side. It is the work that can and will be done for individuals and the church, if men will surrender themselves to its power. The purpose of the Spirit in the church is to bring it to ultimate perfection. The glory of this wondrous prospect surpasses the power of this feeble pen. What shall we say, when a volume would scarce introduce the theme? When Jesus ascended He sent the Spirit. "He will guide you into all truth." Thru Him "every plant, which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." Thru Him the gifts have been placed in the church "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ [the church]: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Eph. 4:12, 13. And for the individual, a life free from sin, a heart void of impurity, a conscience void of offense! And now what are some of the natural means used by the Spirit to perfect His people? First, He directs us to the written word. "He shall . . . bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26. But He can not bring to our remembrance what we have never heard. So we must search the written word daily. Then in times of trial this sword of the Spirit can be used to rout the hosts of evil; in times of affliction, to sustain us; in sorrow and disappointment, to comfort us. Secondly, "He shall teach you all things." How?—Not necessarily by direct revelation, but rather by the means He has ordained: His word, His providences, His prophets, His ministers. "Ye have an unction," "and ye need not that any man teach you." Men may indeed bring us information; but the Holy Spirit working with our conscience and reason and thru the word of God must be the real teacher—must convince of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness. Thirdly, He will quicken our spiritual discernment. "If in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." Phil. 3:15. Yes, we shall be keener to perceive the moral quality of our thoughts and actions. Our spirits shall be quicker to discriminate, more sensitive to shrink from evil, more susceptible to divine guidance. Fourthly, we shall enjoy deeper communion with God; we shall experience more of the love which passeth understanding. "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Eph. 3:14-19. And how we shall speak of the Spirit's power to make us witnesses for Christ, to give us continual triumph over sin, to broaden and deepen our love for lost humanity. And now God waits that we should ask and receive. The time has come for the "latter rain" to ripen the grain for the final harvest—the end of the world. Who will be partakers? The Doctrine of Eternal Torment.
By J. O. Corliss
THE Bible assures us that "the wages of sin is death." Rom. 6:23. The question to settle in the understanding of this text is, How does the word "death" which it employs differ from the same word used everywhere else than in the Scriptures? We know that, as generally understood, death is the exact opposite of life. It does not seem plain therefore how some can believe death, as used in the Bible, to be continued life in a modified form. Were this true, why, then, is it not also true that there is no real death, only a transition from one state of life to another? But, if this were true, where shall the responsibility rest if the Bible does not clearly state the proposition in terms exact enough so that those desirous of being in perfect harmony with the Bible are not to be led astray? To say it makes little difference how one looks at the matter, does not help to settle the question. The Sinner's Destiny Should Be Understood.
Let us consider the last proposition for a brief moment. The destiny of the sinner is one which all ought to understand, for the reason that the settlement of that question on the proper basis has much to do with establishing faith in God and in His word. For instance: To regard Jehovah, whose attributes are said to be love, mercy, and grace, as one who could assign men to eternal torment for the sins of a few short years, destroys faith in Him as a loving and merciful Father, and consigns the Bible to the realm of fables. This doctrine, therefore, must plunge one into a state of hopeless wo the moment he ceases to breathe, since that but marks a transitory period between two states of existence. But let us see how such a view destroys another prominent doctrine of the Bible. When at Athens, the apostle Paul said that God had appointed a day in which He would judge the world. Acts 17:31. But if every man goes to his reward the day he ceases to breathe, why have a day of judgment in the future, to decide whether he ought to be punished or not? Was a mistake made in sending some to terrible torment, and others to exquisite bliss when they left this state of existence? If so, how imperfect the plan upon which such work is done, and how unworthy the wisdom of an infinite One! How unjust such treatment would be, even to the worst of sinners, or to the best of saints. How plainly and positively the Bible sets forth that every one shall be judged according to the deeds done in the body. Rom. 2:6; Gal. 6:7; 2 Cor. 5:10. Take for instance the sin of murder. One commits such sin two thousand years before another. If each goes into eternal torment at death, how would the punishment in these cases be made equal when one has been made to suffer two thousand years more than the8other without any possible way of having the last one receive the same length of term as the first? Such a view of man's punishment is not, and can not be made to appear, in harmony with the character of God and the teachings of His word. "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." 2 Peter 2:9. The Lord, then, does not place men under punishment before the day of judgment. He reserves, or holds, them until that day when their guilt has been established to their own satisfaction, and their sentence pronounced. Compared to Combustible Material.
As God knows how to hold the sinner until sentence is passed on him, before letting him be punished, so He knows how to adapt that punishment to meet the deserts of the individual sinner. One thing is certain: none thus sentenced will live forever in torment, else they are not properly classed in the Bible. That word represents the wicked by every sort of combustible material, such as the fat of lambs, thorns, chaff, and stubble, while the righteous are compared to gold, silver, and precious stones. Thus we read of the two classes by way of contrast: "As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more; but the righteous is an everlasting foundation." Prov. 10:25. Another inspired writer, beholding the contrast of the future, confidently exclaimed: "For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be." Ps. 37:10. Not only will the wicked cease to be, but no place will even exist for him. This language seems quite thoroly to dispose of the point under consideration, but we may be permitted to indulge one more reference to the question from the Old Testament. The closing chapter has this to say: "Behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Mal. 4:1. This tells the entire story. The wicked finally shall be "burned up." Nothing of them will remain, neither of "root nor branch." Coming to the New Testament we find the same sentiment expressed. Speaking of the work of Christ, John the Baptist said He would "gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matt. 3:12. Two expressions here are worthy of notice. The "chaff" is said not only to burn, but to burn up, with "unquenchable fire." Fire that is quenchable might be stifled and its prey rescued. But here is an unquenchable fire—one that can not be put out, but must be permitted to burn up whatever is in its embrace. The fire which is to burn the wicked in the last day is called "everlasting" because it lasts as long as there is anything to consume, and, also, because its results are everlasting. This thought is clearly brought out by reference to the "cities of the plain," cited by the apostle. Of these he says, "Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, . . . are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Jude 7. We know that those cities do not now exist, since the waters of the Dead Sea roll over the very spot where they stood. Yet the "text" says that they are suffering the vengeance of "eternal fire," even tho the fire ceased burning when the cities were entirely consumed. Referring to this case another writer says that God, in "turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly." 2 Peter 2:6. This, then, is the way God will deal with the finally incorrigible. They will be "burned up," "into smoke shall they consume away." Ps. 37:20. By this method, they will "be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power." 2 Thess. 1:9. Thus the destruction of the wicked will be everlasting removal from the Lord's presence and power. To be placed thus, one must certainly be banished from existence. One may well ask of God: "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." Ps. 139:7-10. Surely, according to this, no place will be found for the wicked, after suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Everlasting punishment, as already shown, does not necessarily mean everlasting punishing. The punishment for sins will last forever; that is, when one has passed the dividing line between probation and eternity, his fate is an eternal one, because there is no recovery then from sin. It is a terrible punishment for one to know that there will come a time for him when he must close his eyes forever to every privilege and blessing promised to repentant believers in Christ. That which makes it so hard to bear is the thought that it need not have been so, had not time been squandered in self-seeking and gross transgression. How thankful we ought all to feel that there is still opportunity to change relation to the eternal future, and to receive the gift of God thru Jesus Christ, which is eternal life. What Is Love?
By Flora E. Yergin
WHAT is love? Is it a longing
For a body, gay and fair?
One to feast the eyes with beauty,
Classic, rich, and debonair? Is it sentimental actions?
Or a flow of silly sound?
Is it burning fires of passion?
Or do gifts make love abound? There are many ways of loving—
So-called loving—everywhere;
Counterfeits, that many cling to,
While their lives grow bleak and bare. There are many hearts now longing
For the true, the Godlike love;
Many hearts that have no knowledge
Of the drawing from above. Ah, dear heart, the things most needed
Now to satisfy our land,
Are the kindred souls, the God-touch,
"Heart to heart, and hand to hand." Love's the thing that cheers in trial;
Love that makes the pulses thrill;
Love that makes the perfect home-life,
Soon will earth and heaven fill. Love, a wondrous living essence,
Great and grand, and deep and broad;
Seen in nature, seen in creature,
Freely given—ask of God.
FLORA E. YERGIN. Humility in Recognizing Our Errors
By Robertson
WE may err: that one thought is enough to keep a man humble.—Robertson. ONE of the choicest and best gifts of our heavenly Father is the gift of His Holy Spirit. The value of the Spirit of God among the sons of men is of such a character that the Master said of it while here upon earth: "Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send Him unto you." John 16:7. It was expedient that the Lord go away and send the Comforter to us. It is better for us to have the Spirit of God with us than that Christ should be on earth in person as He was during His ministration in Judea nineteen hundred years ago. We may not be able to understand all about why this is so, but we may know that it is so because the Master says it in His word. And more than this, we may have the experience of knowing it to be so, and thus confirm to ourselves the truth of the word by tasting of its fulfilments. The mighty power of God is communicated to His children thru His Spirit. The Saviour says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name, that will I do. If ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth; whom the world can not receive; for it beholdeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: ye know Him; for He abideth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you desolate: I will come unto you." John 14:12-18. Mark the possibilities that are open before the believer thru the promises in the foregoing words. "The works that I do," says the Master, "shall he do." The wonderful life that the Lord lived, and the mighty works that He Himself did are all for the true believer. Such is the plain statement of the promise. It may seem too good or too great to be true, but it is the promise just the same, and it is therefore within the reach of the faith of every one who will stand on the naked truth of God's promise. But notice how the promise expands. Not only is the promise given that the believer is to do the works of the Master, but it is added, "And greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father." The Saviour desires that the blessed enjoyment that He experienced in His life of faithful work for His Father shall be enjoyed also by every one of His followers. And so He not only tells them that it is their privilege to do the works that He did, but they may even do "greater works." What a wonderful wealth of promise, and how many professing Christians are living far, far below their exalted privileges and opportunities! We receive this great gift by asking. "And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." If we ask it in His name, the Master assures us, "That will I do." But it must be asked in His name. To be asked for in His name, the thing requested must be in harmony with His character. And when the request is granted it will glorify both the Father and the Son. Definite principles of righteousness are laid down, and when these are followed, the request of the disciple of Christ is granted, even to the extent of mightier works than the Lord Himself did. Since Christians have such a mighty source of power awaiting their demand and reception, why is it that they will resort to so many of the expedients that are frequently employed for the advancement of His cause. Why do they institute various amusements and things of that kind to raise money and to try to draw people to the church when our Father in heaven has given us freely for the asking and the receiving the very Spirit and power that was in His own Son. "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." James 4:3. Giving way to the lusts of the flesh debases and destroys. There is no real pleasure in following the gratification of fleshly appetites and passions, for the final outcome is only disease, wreckage of manhood, and death. Hence the Lord, who is seeking to give us only the good wherein lies true happiness, always places His gifts upon the condition that we take our stand with the right before He endues us with the gift of the Spirit. Many of His temporal blessings, like the rain and the sunshine, He bestows upon all alike; but the unmeasured gift of His Spirit can only be given to those who ask according to His will. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God thru our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Rom. 5:1-5. The Holy Spirit of God coming into the life fills the soul with an indescribable blessing, and puts one in touch with the very Fountainhead of power. There are many, many professing Christians that are living along without knowing anything about this power in the life. They have not had an experience in the love of God that is shed abroad thru the Holy Spirit actually coming in to take possession of the whole life to mold and fashion it after God's own order. The individual who has this experience is growing in grace and truth day by day, and instead of his religion bringing to him an irksome duty, he finds it the delightsome joy of his life. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
By H. M. Butler
THERE is a second coming of Jesus Christ. It is often spoken of as the "second advent." "We believe that He will come to be our Judge." This human life of ours on earth is not intended by God, who gave it, to last forever. Here it is stamped by three dark shadows—the shadow of sin, the shadow of9 sorrow, and the shadow of death. They will not be forever. There will be a close of what is expressively, if not unconsciously, called this earthly "scene;" and then a great change. Jesus Christ will be revealed, to good and bad alike, with a "glorious majesty" that may either be feared or welcomed, but can not be questioned or ignored. "Heaven and earth shall pass away; but My words shall not pass away."—Rev. H. M. Butler. Great Outward Manifestations.
THERE are some who think that unless they see some great outward manifestation, there is no evidence of the working of divine power. They look for some great flight of indescribable feeling that seems to lift them from the very earth, and unless they find such an experience as this they think they have no connection with the life and power of God. All such persons should stop and reflect. The great forces of life and power work silently. Did you ever see any demonstration in the growing of a plant or a tree? You do not see the plant grow, much less hear it. It stands before you day after day in all its loveliness, but so far as your observation is concerned, at any particular time it seems to be standing still and not growing at all. But as you compare it to-day with what it was some weeks ago, you can see that a mighty change has taken place. Then it was perhaps only a very small plant; but to-day it has grown to a much greater size and shows the signs of budding flowers. All this growth has been quiet and silent; but it has had all the power of life in it, and each day has added its share of growth and beauty to the silently developing plant. And so with the Christian; he takes God's word into his mind and heart and feeds upon it day by day. He does not feel any of the intoxicating flights of ecstasy that so many people mistake for conversion and a necessary part of Christianity. But God's word is in the heart and is being watered by the divine Spirit, and while the individual himself may not feel or see any particular change in himself, yet those who are looking on can plainly see that a silent force is working that is transforming the life completely. "Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil-speakings, as new-born babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation." 1 Peter 2:1, 2. The Christian is first made alive by accepting Christ thru believing on Him as revealed in His word. And being thus connected with the great Source of life there is a constant growth day by day. It is God's part to cause the growth, for He is the Fountain of life. It is for us to feed on the word, believing that the living word will accomplish our Father's purposes in us, no matter how we may feel. The Inspiration of the Bible.
By Arthur L. Manous
What Inspiration Itself Says.
The apostle Paul: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." 2 Tim. 3:16. The priest Zacharias: "He [God] spake by the mouth of His holy prophets." Luke 1:70. The apostle Peter: "The Holy Spirit spake before by the mouth of David." Acts 1:16, R.V. Again Peter says: "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:21. The psalmist David: "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue." 2 Sam. 23:2. Again the apostle Peter says: "God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." Acts 3:21. Elihu: "There is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." Job 32:8. What Others Say of the Inspiration of the Scriptures.
Doctor Binney: "This view [that "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," 2 Peter 1:21], secures the Scriptures from all error, both as to the subjects spoken and the manner of expressing them."—"Binney’s Theological Compendium," p. 20. Professor Johnson: "The Old and New Testament Scriptures were given thru the agency of God’s Holy Spirit, hence they are inspired and infallible. 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; Acts 1:16; 28:25, 26."—"Bible Text-Book," p. 11. Doctor Rice: "All Christians agree that in the Bible, and in the Bible only, we have a full and trustworthy revelation of God, and that it is the infallible rule of our faith and practise."—"People’s Dictionary of the Bible." Another author: "The scribes of God wrote as they were dictated by the Holy Spirit, having no control of the work themselves. They penned the literal truth, and stern, forbidding facts are revealed for reasons that our finite minds can not fully comprehend." Doctor Watson: "The sacred writers composed their works under so plenary and immediate an influence of the Holy Spirit, that God may be said to speak by those writers to men, and not merely that they spoke to men in the name of God and by His authority."—"Watson’s Theological Dictionary." Wandering From Understanding
“The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall rest in the assembly of the dead.” Righteousness and Justice Above Sacrifice
"To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to Jehovah than sacrifice."