Signs of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 22.
Putting New Labels on Old Cans—A Trick of the Impure Spiritual Food ManufacturersPage 4
Earlier text: Putting New Labels on Old Cans—A Trick of the Impure Spiritual Food ManufacturersTheir Second Great Leader
By Emma Hildreth Adams
IN the administration of affairs in all the strong countries of the globe, men are appointed by kings and other rulers to positions of vast trust and responsibility. Such positions demand incumbents who possess qualities, accomplishments, and powers, of the very highest order. Men are chosen to fill them who have had distinctive, if not extraordinary, training in the lines of duties they are to perform, in the class of affairs they are to transact. They must be men of acumen, and of wide experience, men self-controlled and of broad mental grasp, men who can discern the distant and sometimes dim outcome and consequences of astute propositions and courses of action. A man, all of whose strong years had been spent in the study and practise of agriculture, would hardly be selected by the President to aid in the adjustment, on the puzzling field of diplomacy, of a subject tangled, complicated, and perplexing. He would choose a citizen skilled in international affairs, a man who would adhere to a just path in spite of the sometimes devious ways of plenipotentiaries. Moreover, he would equip him with all true data, documents, and information needful to success in his mission. And, so, also, when circumstances and events led to the decision to send out over the great seas the stateliest armada upon the longest cruise ever attempted in time of peace or time of conflict, supreme command thereof was not committed to a man picked from civilian circles, however skilled in trade or profession. No call was made for the millionaire owner of railroads; none for the greedy manipulator in stocks and bonds; none for the great body of learned lawmakers of the country; none for the artist whose brush entrances by its almost speaking products; and none even for him, who, thru his telescope, lives nightly amid the dual streams of flashing worlds, ever speeding into infinite distance. But there was notified to be ready, the one man, who, in rank, knowledge, skill, versatile experience, extended practise, and habit of command, gave clearest assurance of success to the unique and striking adventure—Admiral Robley D. Evans. Kindred, in a sense, to this summons, was that which, over thirty-three centuries ago, drew from amid the Israelitish host into remarkable publicity the man who was to conduct the immense, eager throng of men, women, and children, that day crowding the eastern edge of the Jordan, into their home land, a land long promised, waited for thru forty wearisome years, and now teeming with excited, alert, and powerful enemies. But that man's summons came not from a leader of one of the great nations of the world. His call came from the lips of the King of Kings, from the Lord of the whole earth. Listen to the ringing, the wonderful words of that appointment to office. They form a most intensely interesting and highly fitting introduction to the instructive book of Joshua. "The Lord spake unto Joshua, Moses' minister, saying: Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. . . . "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage, for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, . . . to do according to all the law, which Moses My servant commanded thee. . . . This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, . . . to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Truly, there was enough in the task thus suddenly set for Joshua to fill the mind of an ordinary man with fear and dismay. To have been ordered to enter, occupy, and subdue, successfully even an unoccupied wilderness land would have been to face a feat that would have demanded nerve, awakened dread, suggested inability. But to be told to arise and transfer into the domain of an apprehensive and vengeful enemy a body like that of Israel—numbering millions—craving no permission, offering no compensation therefor, but claiming the beautiful, blooming, and productive territory as their own, was an undertaking full of threatening, great like the mountains of Lebanon. There is scarcely a chapter in the book of Joshua which does not record some act or event, some incident or occurrence, of intense interest connected with the remarkable passage of the Jordan—then overflowed far beyond its banks—by the hosts of Israel, their impressive and startling entrance into Canaan, their quick and multiplied victories over the inhabitants, and the actual division, among the twelve tribes, of the land of milk and honey. All thru the changeful and fascinating narrative one notes the true greatness, the steady courage, the calm triumphs, and the clear, wise decisions of the new leader. One realizes that he was completely equipped to be the successor of the great Moses "whom God knew face to face." The conducting of that trying multitude of enslaved men and women out from sharp, stinging bondage in Egypt, over deserts, around mountains, amid watchful enemies, onward to the very doorway of smiling freedom beside the Jordan, bearing nobly, meanwhile, their censure, their criticisms, their murmurings, thru the forty years of wilderness wandering, was a magnificent display of successful generalship. But not less imposing, not less worthy of admiration, as an exhibition of superb ability to command, was that stepping promptly to the front of that waiting, probably impatient multitude, and shouldering the appalling responsibility of conducting that7 host into its home land on the other side of that wide, impetuous tide, illuminating the pathway to settlement with brilliant victories over their enemies, and all the days holding the hearts of the now freed men faithful to God and to His law. It is said of Joshua, as of Moses, that he was "full of the spirit of wisdom." Aside, then, from natural traits and abilities, both men must have been quite faultless as leaders. The circumstances under which they wrought their great deeds were different. Only infinite wisdom, then, can judge them impartially. Both men seem to have possessed, in a remarkable degree, that peculiar characteristic which Mr. Henry Drummond terms "capacity for God," that is, power to estimate, to comprehend God, the being, the nature, the inherent qualities of God. These Selfish Hearts.
By John R. Grooves
THESE hearts of ours are selfish hearts,
They always crave for more;
We count our blessings one by one,
Our mishaps by the score.
We never seem to be content
At labor or repose;
We write God's mercies on the sand,
But catalog our woes.
—John R. Grooves. The Method and the Standard of Justification
By A. Delos Westcott
“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Rom. 3: 20. WHY is it that men can not be justified by the deeds of the law? Is it because the law of God is an imperfect standard, and its deeds are therefore not acceptable in His sight? To affirm that would be to charge God with folly. Besides, the Scriptures declare, “The law of the Lord is perfect.” Ps. 19: 7. “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” Rom. 7: 12. There is nothing wrong, then, about the deeds of the law; they are absolutely perfect; and Christ has said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Why, then, can we not be justified by the deeds of the law? A nobleman of vast estates has a large number of debtors to whom he has loaned money, every pound payable in gold. Famine and pestilence sweep over the land devouring the substance of every one. “It is plain to my mind,” says the nobleman, “that by the payment of these debts in gold, there shall no debtors be justified.” Why not? Is it because gold is no longer acceptable in the nobleman’s sight?—Ah, no; it is because the debtors are unable to bring forward the gold. God is the nobleman, we are the debtors. The deeds of the law were always, and are now, acceptable to Him; but the trouble is, we are not able to perform the deeds. So our heavenly Father has placed on deposit, subject to our demand, the righteousness of Christ, which is in very truth the righteousness of the law, that we may draw out and discharge our obligation to the government of heaven. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Gal. 2: 16. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3: 21-23. Here is where the trouble lies; we have all come short, and God can not accept anything short of absolute perfection. Notice that the righteousness of God, which we may receive by faith, is witnessed by the law and the prophets. This shows that it is in perfect harmony with the law; that it is, in fact, the righteousness of the law, else the law would not be able to witness in its favor. As we can not be saved by the works of the law, because we are unable, in our own strength, to do the works, neither can we be saved by our own works, because they are not the works of the law. The Jews promised to obey the law of God, and thought they could do it. They thought their works would be the works of the law, but they fell far short. Paul says, “But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore?—Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling-stone.” The Lord never found any fault with His people for seeking to be in harmony with His law, for that is just what He has commanded them to do. Their method of seeking is the only thing criticized. Instead of seeking by a method which was sure to bring success, they have often adopted a method which was certain to result in failure. For an unrighteous man to undertake to do the works of the law, and to act righteously, is to undertake to reverse a law of nature. “Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree can not bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” From this law of nature, plainly stated, it follows that a man must be good before he can do good; he must be righteous before he can act righteously. Until our hearts and natures have been changed, we can no more obey the law of God than a sour crab-apple tree can bear peaches. Every attempt in that direction will result in failure because of the weakness of our flesh. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” There is no method by which we can manufacture or earn righteousness for ourselves. We can receive the righteousness of Christ as a gift, and that is the only way we can get it. The word of God tells us that we can have it; all we have to do is to believe the word, accept the righteousness, and thank God that He has given it to us. Then there will be no trouble about our works. Obedience to God’s law will be the natural fruit of the righteousness of Christ which is in us. “Thru sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience,” we shall be able to say with Paul, “I can do all things thru Christ which strengtheneth me.” “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” The good works which God hath before ordained are enumerated in His law. “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, thru the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, thru Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak thru the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” The “righteousness of the law” is the only righteousness that can be witnessed by the law and the prophets. “Harken unto Me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law,” says the Lord thru the prophet. See Isa. 51: 6, 7. “Do we then make void the law thru faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” Names and Attributes of God
“O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.” Ps. 140: 7. “The secret of success is constancy to purpose.” Never Mind the Marks.
By Sunday School Times
We all like to get credit for our services, but such recognition should not concern us at all. In “The Altar Fire” we are told how disappointed the writer was “when old Hoskyns, in whose class I was, threw an essay, over which I had taken a lot of trouble, into the waste-basket before my eyes without even looking it over. I see now I got all the good out of the essay by writing it, and that the credit of it mattered very little; but then I simply thought he was a very disagreeable and idle old fellow.” How true to life! We all want to have our papers examined and to get as many “marks” as possible; but as our lives deepen we shall covet the chance to do our part in quiet, where “Only the Master shall praise us,
And only the Master shall blame.” A Message of Preparation.
READER, is there not to-day need of a God-ordained, God-inspired message of preparation? The Lord sent a message thru Noah before the Deluge to prepare men to meet their God. He sent one by Moses to Egypt, before the plagues fell upon that people. Nineveh was warned. Christ’s first advent was heralded. John the Baptist, a voice crying for God in the wilderness, heralded our Lord’s first advent, and warned the Jewish people. Just as truly, reader, is God sending to His professed people and the world a message of preparation for the last days. "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of Jehovah cometh, for it is nigh at hand." Joel 2:1. "The lion hath roared; who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken; who can but prophesy?" See Amos 3:7, 8. "Fear God, and give Him glory; for the hour of His judgment is come; and worship Him that made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters." Rev. 14:6, 7. If His people will not give His message to the world, He will raise up others to do the work. The Meaning of the Resurrection.
By Editor
IT is a sad, sad thing that Christian journals, or professedly so, are coming more and more to deny the literal resurrection of the body. The Old Testament declarations to this effect are considered as mere myths or traditions, and the resurrection promised in the New Testament is made to refer wholly to the individual life. For instance, The Independent of April 16 quotes the saying of Jesus, “I am the Resurrection and the Life,” and remarks: “The saying is not, I will accomplish hereafter a resurrection. The true resurrection is in this present world. It is the SPIRITUAL ELEVATION which is manifested in the rise from low-thoughted earthiness to a life of moral endeavor and self-sacrificing love.” Now in a certain kind of a way that is true, and yet it forms a half-truth that is the very worst of errors. Jesus Christ died, Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. He who died was buried, and He who was buried rose again nevermore to die. That was the great evidence of His power over sin and death. That power is to come into the life of the believer, not in a mere “spiritual elevation which is manifested in the rise from low-thoughted earthiness to a life of moral endeavor and self-sacrificing love,”—a tremendously cheap way of putting it,—but in a regeneration and recreation of the soul of him who has given himself to Christ, and who rises from baptism to walk in a new life, because the resurrection power has come into his life. That resurrection power is not an earnest of something in the past, but an earnest of something in the future, by which the whole individual, physical as well as spiritual, shall rise to a new life. This resurrection the apostle Paul does not speak of as in the past, but one which will take place when Christ the Lord shall come; and he gives the lie to those who said that the resurrection was already past, and so overthrew the faith of some. 2 Tim. 2: 16-18. But as The Independent has set aside the second coming of Christ, naturally the resurrection goes with it. We do not know how its editor can more than half believe in anything whatsoever taught by the New Testament, for if the New Testament teaches any one thing, it teaches the literality of the physical resurrection—a demonstration of the power of God to save from sin. Which is the safer way—God’s word, command, example, or the traditions of men? In righteousness only is continuance of life. Our Cover-Page Cartoon—“New Labels on Old Cans.”
By Editor
MR. MAYBELL’S cartoon speaks for itself. The present-day theology, of which Mr. Campbell, of London, is an exponent; the New Thought which places man’s salvation within himself, and which is deluding thousands with its fairy assumptions of half-truths; “Christian Science,” which is neither Christian nor scientific, and which also makes man his own saviour by making him divine; modern Spiritualism, which brings its devotees within the influence of malefic spirits under the guise of the spirits of the dead; and Mr. Maybell might have added Esoteric Buddhism, Theosophy, and other cults, which are finding so many followers, are all as old as error, finding their root in the first great falsehood, told in that ancient Garden of Delights, “Ye shall not surely die; . . . ye shall be as God.” Very new and enticing are all these names. Why not “New Thought” and “New Theology” in these progressive days? Why not the “ism” which is “spiritual”? Theosophy—God wisdom—why not? and surely the blending of Christianity with science—a problem of the centuries—must be a good thing! The devil knows the longing of the human heart. He knows that man wants salvation as he does riches in some easy way. He knows that man wants the honor and glory of doing it all himself. He knows that the human heart loves to be persuaded that sin is not sin; that man is not a fallen creature; that he is not doomed to die—therefore all the old substitutes for the plan of salvation in Christ Jesus. Therefore the old theories under new names to catch the moderns. Yet every one of them has been found wanting, as the history of peoples whom they have dominated proves. Let no sophistry paste cover the delusive errors of the past. The food of God is fresh every day. Pluck it from the hand of the Life-giver, as it comes fresh from the Tree of Life. Drink from life’s living fountain. Let the age-canned foods rot in their own corruption; go direct to the great storehouse of grace, to the ever up-springing fountain of life. In Jesus Christ and the Spirit-filled word is life and salvation. Search elsewhere for redemption from sin and death will be as fruitless of results as the fabled quest for the Holy Grail, as Ponce de Leon’s hope in the fountain of perpetual youth. The quest leads to death not life. In Jesus Christ is life. THE seal of a legal document is that which validates or authenticates the document, which tells who executed it, and his authority so to do. God has a law, and His law has a seal. The one distinguishing characteristic of the true God is His creative power. “All the gods of the nations are idols, but Jehovah made the heavens.” This great fact is repeatedly emphasized in both the Old and the New Testament. This characteristic must be revealed in His law, and in the seal of that law. The great constitution of God’s government is the Decalogue. In that great document, as spoken by His voice from heaven, His name, “Jehovah,” occurs eight times; namely, in the first five commandments. In the first, second, third, and fifth precepts we are simply told that He is “Jehovah thy God.” In the precept guarding His name that name occurs twice. In each of the others referred to, it occurs once, except in the fourth commandment, where it occurs three times. In that precept we are not alone informed that He is “Jehovah thy God,” but that He made “heaven and earth, . . . and all that in them is.” This shows who He is and that His jurisdiction is the heaven and the earth. The fourth precept of the Decalogue, the Sabbath precept, is therefore the seal of God’s law. That seal therefore becomes “the seal of the living God;” for the seal is the authentication of the law, on the maintenance of which the stability of His government rests. Rev. 7:1-4; Isa. 8:16. But no man is sealed with a mere acceptance of the fact of the Sabbath, or by its nominal observance. He only is sealed when that law is written in his heart, and that seal becomes a part of his very life. But this can only be done by the Spirit of God; and therefore the Spirit becomes the sealer, but not the seal. “Ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” The Sabbath may well be nominated God’s seal; the sealer is the Holy Spirit; while its reception is the writing of God’s law in all its fulness upon the heart of him who bows to all the authority of the Most High. Schedule for Week Ending June 6, 1908.
Sunday May 31 1 Chron. 4, 5 Psalm 148
Monday June 1 “ 6, 7 “ 149
Tuesday “ 2 “ 8, 9 “ 150
Wednesday “ 3 “ 10, 11 Proverbs 1
Thursday “ 4 “ 12, 13 “ 2
Friday “ 5 “ 14, 15 “ 3
Sabbath “ 6 “ 16-19 “ 4 Our lessons in Chronicles extending from chapter four to nineteen are usually considered dry and uninteresting, having to do largely with chronology; yet every now and then some beautiful gem crops out illuminating the long, tedious record of names. There is this thought, the preservation of the records of God's children and the integrity of the tribes. Note especially how carefully the genealogy of the tribe of Judah is preserved. Thru that Christ came. One of these nuggets of gold is found in the fourth chapter regarding Jabez who was 'more honorable than his brethren,' whose prayer is recorded: 'O that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to my sorrow.' And the declaration is: 'And God granted him that which he requested.' In chapter five it is stated that the birthright became Joseph's. This refers to one particular phase of the birthright, the double portion. Joseph's two sons were counted as tribes in Israel. The rulership went to Judah, the priesthood to Levi. Another helpful thought comes in the twentieth verse where the children of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh cry 'to God in the battle and He was entreated of them, because they put their trust in Him.' Note also in chapter nine the division of work among the priests and those who had charge of the service of the temple. From chapters ten to nineteen we have the same ground covered, with more or less omitted or added, which we have already passed over in 2 Samuel, concerning the reign of David. In chapter 10:13, 14 we have the reason of Saul's utter rejection; because he asked counsel of 'one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it; and inquired not of Jehovah.' This certainly is sufficient to show that Saul did not converse with the dead Samuel, but with a lying spirit who pretended to be Samuel. A beautiful psalm we have in chapter sixteen, a wonderful Gospel psalm, in which God's people in that day were called upon to show forth His salvation from day to day, 'Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples,' which certainly shows that it wasn't the teaching of the Old Testament that Israel should be saved alone, but that Israel should be in God's hands the means of saving others. Psalms 148 to 150 are songs of praise and exaltation to God. With June 3 we begin the book of Proverbs, a collection of wise sayings, gathered out largely from the writings of Solomon. The object of the book is stated in the first six verses of the first chapter. One of the great dangers in reading Proverbs is in passing over it too hastily. Each of its sententious sayings will bear thought and meditation. It is an easy matter to connect a lot of texts by a jumble of statements, and call them a message; but that does not make them God's message. Ignorance may misinterpret the word of God, and its blunders may be fatal. Blindness and sin and prejudice may do the same. Because one uses many scriptures is no evidence of truth. There is truth in the scriptures used, taken by themselves in their proper connections; but in wrong connections they may be made to teach lies. Satan knows how to misuse scriptures. The only hope for this old earth lies in the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will destroy Satan and sin, and sweep from His creation the polluting marks of transgression. He will usher in the reign of righteousness, peace, and eternal life and immortality. Thru the millenniums of the past men who have forgotten God have been seeking out ways of their own, which have led only to soul-darkness and ruin. There has always been the one shining way, always open, leading out of the quicksands of sin. That way is Christ. That way is open now for all who will leave self and receive Christ. Come, soul, press in to-day. Deliverance from the Power of Fleshly Appetites and Lusts.
LAST week Romans eight, verses 4-8, were considered. Those verses speak of the "mind of the flesh" and tell us what will be the result of yielding to it. They also tell us of the "mind of the Spirit" and show the blessed results of following it. The next verses in the chapter give much comfort and help by showing us something of the method by which the "mind of the flesh" may be barred out, and the "mind of the Spirit" retained instead. "But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, He that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies thru His Spirit that dwelleth in you.
"So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Rom. 8:9-13. Living under the Spirit's power depends upon the Spirit of God dwelling in us. "Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you." Note that the statement is made only of those with whom the Spirit of God "dwelleth." For the Spirit of God to dwell with us, it must be with us all the time. It will not do to have the Spirit with us merely when we are in trouble or distress; He must abide with us continually if we would be successful in our warfare against the flesh and its lusts. "If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." This is a simple, direct statement of a plain truth. In order to belong to Christ we must have His Spirit. And the verse before this one shows that this Spirit must "dwell" with us. Then it is not only very essential that we have the Spirit of Christ, but it is equally essential that we know that we have the Spirit dwelling in us. The Spirit of Christ will lead us to do as Christ has given us the example of doing. We will live the life of His gentleness and power. We will manifest His kindness and unselfishness. We will labor as He labored for the good of others. In a word, our lives will be built upon the broad foundation of His righteousness, if the Spirit of Christ is a dweller with us. We must live in the very atmosphere of a realization of this indwelling presence of Christ. We must keep His promise before us all the time, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matt. 28:20. The presence of Christ, and the indwelling of His Spirit must be a constant living reality to us. It is only when we remember our Saviour in this way that we can have the manifestation of His power in our lives. Speaking of Moses, the record says, "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible." Heb. 11:27. Then the secret of the life of meekness and power that Moses lived was due to the fact that "he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible." He did not endure because he had seen Him who is invisible, but he lived in the presence of his God by "seeing" Him thru faith. We may not understand just how it is accomplished; but if we will give ourselves up to it, we may know that in this way the Lord has arranged to keep the uplifting influence of His personal presence with us all the time. He has arranged that in this way we may live in the very society of Heaven all the days of our existence here, and thus be prepared for the still greater existence that is just beyond. When David became truly converted to God, he also had the experience of living continually in the presence of God. "For David saith concerning Him,
"I behold the Lord always before my face; For He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved." Acts 2:25. It is the faith that can behold "the Lord always" before us that brings the life of power to do right. The life of righteousness does not come thru some power that we can generate in ourselves by resolutions or something of the kind; it comes by the indwelling presence of the Christ of God. Praise His name that He has made it possible for us to have Him dwell thus with us every moment of the day! Verse eleven of the text from Romans still further emphasizes the necessity and importance of having the Spirit of Christ to dwell with us. "But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, He that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies thru His Spirit that dwelleth in you." This text twice refers to the "dwelling" of the Spirit with us. And thus it is emphasized over and over again that God designs for us to have His presence with us all the time, so that we may have the power of His life all the time. Every provision has been made for us to have the benefits and the joys of right-doing. Our heavenly Father has arranged a plan by which He brings His very personal presence into the life of the child of faith. "So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Rom. 8:13. T.