|
Chapter 8
HOW
CHRIST SAVES MAN...
“Be ready
always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a
reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and
fear.” 1 Pet. 3:15. Once more we turn to gaze upon
Christ, but this time it is a backward look. We are
looking at Calvary where Jesus hung upon the Cross to
reconcile man to God. Everything God does is perfect and
the plan of salvation is no exception. Sin had to be
punished and put away. And man, with his precious never
dying soul had sinned and was condemned to die and be
separated from God throughout eternity. But God’s great
love yearned for mercy and in His infinite wisdom He
devised a plan that punished sin but at the same time
saved the sinner. Only God could conceive such a
wonderful plan.
Look again
at man. See his helpless state and you can better
understand why Jesus had to die to save us. Suppose, for
instance, you had committed only one sin. Even though
all your other deeds were righteous you would still be
guilty of death even as Adam was. For Jesus said in Luke
17:10 “When ye shall have done all those things which
are commanded you, say we are unprofitable servants; we
have done that which was our DUTY to do.” It is our duty
to love God with all our heart, our soul, our strength
and our mind. There is no possible chance to “gain”
salvation by good works.
Sin may be
compared to an act of treason. A man may be a good
worker, he may save his money and give to the poor, help
every good cause and he may be kind to his wife and
family. But if this man betrays his country all his good
works will not save him from punishment. While a citizen
has no right or liberty to disobey the laws of his
country, on the other hand keeping the laws alone will
not make an alien into a citizen. Neither can good works
make a child of God out of a sinner. (Eph. 2:8–9).
Money will
buy things but it is not the currency of the Kingdom of
God. We have Peter as authority that “We are not
redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and
gold.” I Pet. 1:18. When Simon wanted to buy the Holy
Ghost power with money, Peter said, “Thy money perish
with thee.” (Acts 8:20). Money cannot obtain forgiveness
or spiritual power.
Sometimes
people of high rank or from influential families can
obtain favors in this world, but not so in Christ’s
Kingdom. The Jews thought they could inherit the Kingdom
of God because they were descendants of Abraham. But
John the Baptist told them that God could raise up
children unto Abraham from the stones. Matt. 3:9. Stones
are only dust and so is the flesh. Jesus said “Whosoever
committeth sin is the servant (slave) of sin.” John
8:33–4. This is His answer to the Jews who claimed
Abraham as their father. God’s blessings do not go to
anyone BECAUSE they are descendants of Abraham, but
rather BECAUSE they believe as Abraham did—not the flesh
but the faith is what counts.
I Peter 2:25
says, “Ye were as sheep going astray.” Sheep unlike most
other animals, cannot find their way home when they go
astray. They are lost. The Bible frequently likens
sinners to stray sheep. They need to be sought and
helped home. The dread disease of leprosy was incurable
and in the Bible leprosy is a type of sin and its
terrible consequences. There are many other things in
God’s word all of which reveal man’s inability to save
himself.
It is not
easy to explain the mystery of how the death of Christ
makes salvation and eternal life possible. This fact
need not cause any concern for all life is somewhat
mysterious—even your own. Spiritual life is none the
less real because it is difficult to understand. We are
told in I Peter 1:12 that even the angels desire to
inquire into redemption.
The Bible
emphasizes two great factors in Redemption. These are
the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. John the
Baptist called Jesus the “Lamb of God which beareth
(marg) the sin of the world,” John 1:29. Peter described
Him as the One “who did NO sin, and Who, His Own self
bear our sins in His own body on the tree.” I Peter
2:22–4. Paul said “Christ offered Himself without fault
(marg.) to God.” (Read Heb. 9:13–15). And again: “He
gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all
iniquity.” Tit. 2:14. Pilate the heathen Roman governor
who sentenced Jesus to death witnessed that he could
“find no fault in the Man.” John 19:6. Judas betrayed
Him but he said, “I have betrayed innocent blood.” Matt.
27:4. The soldier who stood guard by the cross said
“Truly this was the Son of God.” Matt. 27:54. The
testimony of both friends and enemies of Christ is
unanimously agreed on His sinlessness.
Death is the
penalty for sin and Jesus did not commit any sins
Himself, therefore He was not guilty of death. In John
10:17 He said: “Therefore doth My Father love Me because
I lay down my life, that I might take it up again.” Read
vv. 15–18. These verses show that Jesus did not die for
His own sin but for others, and that He did it of His
own free will. The death of Christ differed from all
others for we read in Heb. 2:9 “That Christ tasted death
for every man.” And again in 2 Cor. 5:21 “For He (God)
hath made Him to be sin FOR US Who knew no sin, that we
might be made the righteousness of God IN HIM.” Verse 17
says: “Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST he is a new
creature.” Read I Pet. 3:18 also. Christ died as an
offering for sin. Heb. 9:26.
If you will
observe the many Scriptures that speak about our
righteousness being “IN HIM” and about our being “IN
CHRIST” and of our life being hid “WITH CHRIST” in God
you will have some idea how Christ saves us. For when we
confess our sins to Him and ask forgiveness and believe
on Him we identify ourselves with Him in His death. Then
FAITH in Him makes us children of God according to
Romans 8:16–17. This means that our sins are nailed to
the Cross and we are free from condemnation. God looks
upon us as we are “IN CHRIST”—JEHOVAH TSIDKENU, —The
Lord Our Righteousness. Christ is identified with and
bears our sins, and we partake of His Righteousness.
Thus we become new creatures, born again of the Spirit
of God, SAVED.
The death of
Christ atoned for our sins and the resurrection made
certain that forgiveness would be effected. Romans 4:25.
The resurrection of Christ is the most important event
in all history. It proves all His claims of Deity were
true. It is easy to believe all His miracles because the
greatest miracle of all is the resurrection. It assures
us of the certainty of our own resurrection. (I Cor.
15:12–27). Because the resurrection is of such
importance God made certain that it should rest upon
undeniable testimony and indisputable evidence and no
less than five hundred and fourteen persons witnessed
Jesus after He arose from the dead. I Cor. 15:5–9. It
was the subject most constantly affirmed and proclaimed
by the Apostles. Acts 4:2, 10.
To conclude
this chapter let us take a glance at what Christ does
for man. First, He saves us from the guilt of sin and
its penalty of death. Rom 6:23. Second. He saves us from
the power of sin and its dominion. Rom. 6:14. Thirdly,
He takes us out of Satan’s Kingdom and places us in His
own Realm. Col. 1:13. Fourthly, He restores our
relationship with God so that we can commune with Him
again in fellowship. 1 John 1:3.
The poet has
well told the redemption story in the verse:
Living He
loved me; dying He saved me;
Buried He carried my
sins far away.
Rising He justified freely forever,
Some day He’s coming; O glorious
day.
A. L. Murray
beautifully describes the work done by Christ in his
little poem entitled:
FOUND
ME
Christ found
me broken;
Made me whole.
Built new windows
In my soul.
And redesigned me
To His plan,
Image of God and
SON OF MAN.
Chapter 9
THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT...
The Holy
Spirit is the Third Person of the Divine Trinity. The
best place to learn of Him is found in John 15 and 16,
for it iw there that Jesus Christ tells of Him. Jesus
said the Holy Spirit will “reprove the world of sin,
righteousness and judgment.” And also “Howbeit, when He,
the Spirit of Truth is come He will guide you into all
truth; for He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever
He shall hear that shall He speak; and He will show you
things to come.” John 16:8, 13. It would be well to read
the above two chapters carefully before going further
with this lesson.
The word
“holy” means pure; morally and spiritually perfect;
sinless; it also means consecrated. That the Holy Spirit
is a person is seen by the Scriptures showing Him to
have (1) Will, 1 Cor. 12:11. (2) Intelligence, Rom.
8:27. (3) Knowledge, 1 Cor. 2:10-12. (4) Power, Acts
1:8; and (5) Capacity for Love, Rom. 15:30.
In Acts
5:3-4 He is called God. In Psa 139:7-10 He is shown to
be Omnipresent of in all places. John 14:26 teaches that
He knows all things, the attribute of Omniscience. He is
eternal with the Father and the Son as shown by Heb.
9:14 If you look up these Scriptures you will observe
how the Scriptures reveal Him and His work and you will
notice how frequently reference is made to HIM.
I dare say
we all have been touched at times with the pathos of
longing expressed in the little hymn:
“I think
when I read the sweet story of old
When Jesus was
here among men,
How He called little children like
lambs to the fold,
I should like to have been with
Him then.”
Wonderful as
it was to be here when Jesus was on earth and to see Him
perform His mighty deeds and hear His marvelous words,
Jesus told his followers it would be better when the
Holy Spirit came than when He Himselfs was here in the
flesh. John 16:7. Great as was the need to go out and
tell everybody about the redemption of Jesus as soon as
the Apostles knew it, Jesus told them the need to wait
in jerusalem until the Holy Spirit should come was even
greater. You can see then the importance and the
significance that Jesus attached to the Holy Spirit.
Luke 24:49.
We will now
endeavor to explain why our Saviour emphasized the
importance of the Holy Spirit in relation to us. Note
some of the things the Holy Spirit does: (1) He
convicts. It is the Holy Spirit that awakens slumbering
souls to a sense of sin and Who constrains them to ask
God for pardon. Without conviction no one would realize
his need of salvation. John 16:8-11.
(2) He bears
witness to our salvation. Rom 8:16. It is the Holy
Spirit Who causes us to know when God accepts us into
His family. This assurance banishes all doubt and fear
of eternity and restores communion between God and us.
(3)
“Regenerate” means to renew the heart, and cause it to
turn to the love of God. That is what takes place when
one is born again and it is the Holy Spirit who effects
the new birth according to John 3:3, 5. This is the most
important transaction in the New Testament so far as God
and man are concernde. To be born again, or from above
(marg.) is tthe purpose of the whole plan of salvation.
It is the beginning of spiritual life and this life is
brought about by the Holy Spirit Who regenerates us.
Eternal life is God's greatest gift.
(4) He
guides. John 16:13. There is a difference between a
guide and a guide-post, or a map. A guide goes right
with us. That is what the Holy Spirit has promised to be
to each one who believes on Christ.
(5) He fills
or baptizes. Eph. 5:18; also Acts 1:8. The importance of
being filled with the Holy Spirit cannot be exaggerated.
However this experience is often misunderstood so we
shall note some of the things that accompany a
spirit-filled life. The Bible stresses the
manifestations and the demonstration of the Spirit more
than the experience. The reason for this is clear: we
can see a demonstration but we have to be told about an
experience. Look up 1 Cor. 2:4 and 1 Cor. 12:7.
(6) He
glorifies Christ. “He shall glorify Me.” John 16:14. The
first manifestation of a Spirit-filled life is the
pre-eminence given to Christ undre all circumstances. A
selfish person thinks of self first and even tries to
“use” the Spirit of God to exalt himself; a
spirit-filled person is “used” by the Spirit. The
interests of the Kingdom of God are pre-eminent in a
person dominated by the Spirit of God.
(7) He
translates or interprets. “He shall receive of Mine and
show it unto you” we read in John 16:14. We would never
be able to understand; or appropriate the work of Christ
unless the Holy Spirit imparted the knowledge to our own
heart. The unbeliever cannot comprehend the mystery of
Calvary, indeed, it appeart to be foolishness until the
Holy Spirit reveals the purpose of it. 1 Cor. 2:14-16.
(8) He
imparts gifts. 1 Cor. 12:3-11. We shall go into this
phase of His work more fully in the next chapter. You
will observe how various gifts are dispensed according
to the all-wise determination of the Spirit. We should
seek to use our gifts and consecrated talents fully and
always for the glory of Christ. In seeking to be filled
with the Holy Spirit we should alwasy be in an attitude
to receive whatever gift He may wish to impart.
(9) He helps
our prayer life. Rom. 8:26, 27. Spirit filled men are
men of prayer and the reason why their prayers are
effectual is because the Holy Spirit interprets our
heart's desires to God and He hears us. Many people just
“say their prayers” but such prayers do not move God.
Prayin gin the Spirit (Eph. 6:18) is the kind that gets
answers and makes us strong. You will notice Rom 8:26
reveals the love the Holy Spirit bears toward honest
seekers.
(10) He
blesses our work for Christ. Acts 2:41 tells of three
thousand souls who came to Christ, the result of one
sermon preaced by Peter who was filled with the Holy
Spirit. The reason why so many lives are barren of
spiritual power is because they try to perform
supernatural deeds in their own strength instead of
depending entirely upon the Holy Spirit. It is not an
easy lesson but we must learn it if ever we accomplish
anything worthwile for God.
(11) He
warns us of spiritual dangers or pitfalls. Isa 30:21. If
you listen the Spirit will admonish you when you leave
the right path. The same idea is containde in John 16:8
“He will convince (marg.) of righteousness.” If we
always hearken to His inner voice it will save us from
many snares of the evil One.
(12) He
inspires. It was the influence of the Holy Spirit that
made it possible for the writers of the Bible to
prophesy and reveal many truths impossible of discovery
through natural means. It is also He who enables true
gospel workers to witness to the saving truth of the
gospel of Christ. Because the influence of the Holy
Spirit is so necessary to our success in living the
Christian life God gave us three warnings: we must not
RESIST Him. Acts 7:51. People who resis conviction and
refuse to yield to God resist the Holy Spirit just as
much as do those who oppose the gospel of Christ. It is
a dangerous thing to do.
We are
warned not to GRIEVE the Holy Spirit in Eph. 4:30. You
can only grive one you love or one who loves you. Every
wrong deed, motive or passion grieves the Holy Spirit
and He seeks to give us victory over all wickedness.
Last of all we are commanded not to QUENCH the Holy
Spirit. 1 Thess. 5:19. That is we must not obstruct or
impede His work. Spiritual life is very sensitive—even
an impure thought impairs it; a bad uncontrolled temper
kills it and an unruly tongue ruins its influence.
The person
who is filled with the Holy Spirit will manifest the
same characteristics that He has, namely,—holiness of
life, uprightness, unselfishness and Christlikeness. If
you remember how Jesus cleansed the temple by driving
out every unclean sinful thing you will have some idea
of His attitude toward sin in one's heart. Our heart is
now the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16) and the Holy Spirit
must cleanse it in order to dwell there (1 Cor. 6:19).
Perhaps it is mystifying to understand how the Holy
Spirit could come into your heart or how you can be
yielded to Him. If so, just think of a poker hanging on
the wall beside your stove. It is just a piece of cold
rigid metal. Now take it down and place it in a bed of
red hot coals and leave it there for a few moments. Upon
removing it you find the fire is in the poker and the
heat has made it pliable. A new element, namely fire,
has entered the poker and radically changed its nature.
Think again of a home where a little babe is born. In
almost no time at all the babe is in the hearts of
everyone around the home, especially the parents. The
Holy Spirit comes intou our hearts like a little child
comes into the hearts of his parents; and a life yielded
to the Holy Spirit is transformed just like fire
transforms metal so that you react in a different manner
toward everyone with whom you come into contact.
Chapter 10
THE
DIVINE PATTERN OF THE CHURCH...
“I will
build My church.” Matt. 16:18. These majestic words
uttered by Jesus Christ introduce the most unique
society that ever welded people together on earth. The
statement reveals the fact of the church and its divine
origin. Since we cannot improve upon anything that Jesus
Christ has done we can well afford to unfold the Divine
Pattern outlined in the Word of God. In order to do this
let us take three approaches to the subject. First, the
church in PROPHECY; second, the PROCESS; and third the
PURPOSE.
We can only
cite a few samples of the many prophecies on this
wonderful subject. In Psalm 48:2, 3 and 12, 13 we read
“Beautiful for situation the joy of the whole earth is
mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the
great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.
Walk about Zion and go round about her, tell the towers
thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her
palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation
following.” The temple at Jerusalem was built on Mount
Moriah and in the Holy of Holies of that temple was the
Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God’s presence. But
Zion has a deeper and more significant meaning in
prophecy. In Acts 7:48 the martyr Stephen said “The most
High dwelleth not in temples made with hands.” Compare
this statement with I Cor. 3:16–17 which says “Ye are
the temple of God.” Note also Ephesians 2:22 “In Whom ye
are builded together for an habitation of God through
the Spirit.” The church then, is the true Zion, the
dwelling place of God. Heb. 12:22.
The most
wonderful thing about the church is the fact of God’s
presence in each saved person. David prophesied of this
and invited us to inspect the walls, the towers and the
palaces of Zion. Walls meant protection from the enemy
in David’s time. Satan is our great Adversary but the
“walls of salvation” are our protection and God is our
refuge. So strong are the bulwarks of the church that
Jesus said “The gates of hell shall not prevail against
it.” “Hell” in this case is translated from the Greek
word Hades, meaning death or the grave, and it means
that death does not deprive us of being in the church
for those who die in the Lord simply join the vast
throng of the redeemed who have gone to glory. They are
still in the church even though death has dissolved all
the earth-ties. Death is a promotion for a Christian.
Note briefly
Solomon’s Song 6:10. “Who is she that looketh forth as
the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and
terrible as an army with banners?” The morning is always
the beginning of a new day and that is the attitude of
the church towards her task. She is always full of hope.
Each generation has new worlds to conquer. In this dark
world the gospel is the only hope for the dawn of a
better day. The church is “fair as the moon” indicating
that her light is a reflected one. Just as the moon
reflects the light of the sun so the church reflects the
Sun of Righteousness; her light is derived from Christ.
The church is “Clear as the sun.” The sun is the
life-giving source of energy in this world and the
church is the spiritual channel through which Christ
brings light and life to those spiritually dead in
trespasses and sins. An army with banners is victorious
and the church is also victorious for it shares the
triumph of its Founder, Jesus Christ.
Much of the
Old Testament prophecy about the church is in “types,
shadows and symbols.” A type or symbol is a sign
representing something else. A shadow is a reflected
image or a faint representation. Thus Zion with its
walls, towers, bulwarks and palaces is an apt figure of
the church with its security and beauty. 1 Cor. 10:1–11
tells part of the history of Israel and observes “that
all these things happened unto them for ensamples”—the
margin says “types.” Hebrews 10:1 says: “the law having
a shadow of good things to come.” It requires some time
and patience to learn the meaning of the types and
shadows of the Old Testament but it is a study that
yields rich rewards in spiritual understanding. For
instance the bondage of Egypt is a type of people in
sin. The miraculous deliverance through the Red Sea is a
type of salvation. The various sacrifices of the temple
represented something far better,—the sacrifice of
Christ on Calvary. It would be well to read Hebrews 9
and 10 in this connection.
Let us now
devote our attention to the PROCESS or operation of the
church. Christ’s coming gave reality to all the hopes
and promises which the inspired vision of the prophets
had foretold. Foremost in importance is the Divine
organization of the church. In Colossians 1:18 we learn
that Jesus Christ is the Head of the church which is
likened to His body. This favorite term by which Paul
described the church is very significant. It means that
the church is the hands and the feet that do the work of
Christ on earth. Through the church Christ ministers to
the needy and pleads with the lost. Through it He works
miracles and heals the sick. He warns the wayward and
comforts the weak. In short, every congregation in every
place is intended to do what He would do if He were
here. In that sense the church is the body of Christ.
Membership
in this church is gained only through salvation for we
read according to John 10:9 Jesus Christ is the door
through which we enter. Since He is only building one
church it follows that all saved people must be members
and all members constitute one body in Christ. The Bible
therefore, distinctly condemns all factions and
divisions that separate saved people from one another in
spirit. All are by one Spirit one body in Christ. I Cor.
3:3–7; Eph 4:1–6. The Holy Spirit is the agency by which
the church is governed and He achieves His purpose by
bestowing gifts upon individuals. This is known as
“charismatic government” which means government by
gifts. We are exhorted to yield our bodies to Christ,
(Romans 12:1) and seek the sanctifying power of the Holy
Spirit. Luke 24:49. We read in Acts 1:8 Jesus told His
Disciples of the power they would possess after the Holy
Ghost came upon them. In Acts 2 we read of the
fulfillment and result of that promise. Timid Peter who
denied his Lord a few days before suddenly became a
mighty mouthpiece for God and as he fearlessly spoke to
the multitude conviction struck his hearers, so that no
less than three thousand were converted after his first
sermon. The same demonstration of spiritual power was
manifested in varying degrees in all the heralds of the
gospel. The enemies of Christ were confounded (Acts
4:13), the sick and the helpless were healed (Acts
3:6–8), the foreign missionary work was begun (Acts
13:2) and the gospel rapidly spread to all corners of
the earth. I Cor. 12:4–31 indicates the manner in which
the Holy Spirit dispenses His gifts. The minister and
the teacher, the worker of miracles and the humble
exhorter, each one must be filled with the Spirit of God
in order for all to properly function as a church. In
Ephesians 4:8–13 the purpose of bestowing gifts is
further revealed. The exercise of the gifts will make
believers more Christlike, make congregations more like
the “body of Christ” as explained above and will unify
us in faith and the knowledge of Christ. Only as the
church is possessed and operated by the Holy Spirit can
it fulfill its Divine mission. And that brings us to the
third phase,—the purpose or mission of the church God
has a plan and purpose in all that He does. He had a
Divine PURPOSE when He established His church. Perhaps
no words reveal that purpose better than Matt. 28:19 “Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations.” Some one has said
the heart of a Christian is 25,000 miles in
circumference. It goes around the whole earth. Our
interest is worldwide. Not until the Name of Christ is
known in earth’s remotest isle and the thraldom of Satan
broken everywhere is the work of the church done. Its
purpose is to save men. That is the true and only
mission of the church.
When we look
at all the sin and misery, the broken hearts, the
wrecked and ruined homes; when we view the cruelty, the
oppression and the inhumanity created by one faction
against another; together with all the arrogance, and
malice in the world; we recognize that the task before
us demands supernatural power. To bring salvation and
peace, to restore love and justice, to heal and to help,
to bind the bruised and to minister to friends and
enemies alike is the task to which the church is called.
Commissioned by Jesus Christ and filled with the Holy
Spirit, actuated by a holy love for the lost and
entrusted with Divine gifts the Church of God goes forth
to fulfill this mission. There is still much to do. A
great awakening is needed to stem the deep dark flood of
godlessness and unbelief that is sweeping the world. The
next lesson will deal especially with ways we can work
for Christ.
This lesson
should be regarded as introductory to this great
subject. It merely gives a glimpse of the beauty and
grandeur of the Divine Pattern of the Church and reveals
its place in the plan of God. Those who would pursue
this study further may be interested in additional
literature on the subject. You are invited to write for
other helpful information.
CHURCH OF
GOD, THOU SPOTLESS VIRGIN
Church of
God, thou spotless virgin,
Church of Christ for whom
he died,
Thou hast known no human founder,
Jesus
bought thee for His bride.
Sanctified by God the
Father,
Built by Jesus Christ, the Son,
Tempered
by the Holy Spirit
Like the Holy Three in One.
God himself
has set the members,
In His body all complete,
Organized by Jesus only,
O the union pure and
sweet!
Church of God, the angels marvel
At the
music of thy song;
Earth and hell in terror tremble,
As thy army moves along.
Church of
God, “beloved city,”
Thou art of celestial mold;
Lo! from God and out of heaven
Came the city of
pure gold.
Stones of jasper, clear as crystal
Is
the building of thy wall;
And the Lamb, thy light
forever,
Jesus, Jesus, all in all.
God’s own
holiness within thee,
His own beauty on thy brow;
Glorified in his own image,
This thy wondrous
portion now.
In thee dwells the triune fullness,
Blessing all thy pilgrim days;
All around thee
his salvation,
And before thee gates of praise.
Church of
God, in heaven written,
Thine the risen life of
Christ,
And the treasures to thee given,
Never,
never can be priced.
Far above this world’s
confusion,
Walking close by Jesus’ side,
Leaning
on his loving bosom,
Is the church, his chosen
bride.
Frances R.
Havergal
and Daniel S. Warner.
| 
