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Man's a
created being. If created, he's dependent; and if dependent,
he must be responsible to some superior agency. Not having
made himself, he can't sustain himself nor have perfect
control over his being. Being a creature, he must be subject
to his creator; for the creator is greater and wiser than the
thing created. God, being man's creator, has power to judge
man's actions and to watch his every move. Man's under the
inspection of God every minute of the day and night; God's eye
runs to and fro in all the earth beholding the evil and the
good. All things are naked and open to the glance of him with
whom we have to do. Man's a moral being, more than inert
matter blindly obeying physical laws. He's more than
vegetation, or animal life which by instinct is led, caring
nothing for right or wrong. Man's possessed of moral
consciousness, conscience, personality, and will. He has
thoughts of good and bad, he knows good from evil, and it's
this knowledge, imperfect though it be, this ability to
discern between right and wrong, that proves the truth of the
statement that he's respondible for his conduct to a superior
power.
God's Character Seen...
Since
man is such a creature, it's evident that his Creator is also
possessed with moral character and attributes. A creature
can't possess a charcter higher than its creator any more than
a stream can rise higher than its head. A being with a will,
conscience, and intelligence couldn't be created by a being of
lower order. Only the fool has said in hes heart, "There is no
God." Obedience couldn't be demanded if there were no law, nor
could man rightly be commanded to give allegiance until
authority be revealed; hence, if God desires man to obey him,
he'll make known to him his will, and appeal to his reason and
intelligence.
Man's Only Safe Guide and Judge...
Instinct isn't a safe guide for man, for we see
destructiveness through all animate creation, from man down to
the smallest insect; nature in all its grandeur doesn't
disclose a perfect law. Conscience isn't a safe guide, for
it's only an echo of a defective and distorted education, as
is proved by the fact that some religions have educated the
consciences of their followers to believe that they do God's
service when they murder those who don't agree with them.
Conscience, nature, nor instinct tell us how many Gods there
be, hence, with man so guided, idols of wood, fire, stone, and
even human beings have been worshiped. An abstract idea of
God's will has never satisfied man, hence a written revelation
was a universal necessity. All nations have their sacred
books; the Bible alone has the stamp of divine origin. The
word of God, or his will concerning his creatures, is to be
found in the Bible and no place else. As true, then, as
there's a God, that he created man a moral creature, and that
man is responsible, it must follow that God has given man a
law, a safe guide for him to follow, and this safe guide is
the Bible, which will also be our judge in the last day.
Things Seen and Unseen...
There's a natural world which is to last but
for a time and then pass away; but there's also a spiritual
world, which will last throughout all eternity. Man's a
compound being, and is in correspondence with both the visible
and the invisible world. In speaking of man, the apostle Paul
states plainly that "there is a natural body and there is a
spiritual body." Jesus said to Nicodemus, "That which is born
of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is
spirit." Both the outward and inward part of man has a form:
"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground." (Gen.
2:7) "And formeth the spirit of man within him." (Zech. 12:1)
"But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is
renewed day by day." Paul declares that things seen, which
includes our bodies, are only for a time. The outer man is
corruptible. Solomon, in Ecc. 12:7, in speaking of natural
death, declared, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as
it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."
Many people by their actions seem to teach us that this life
and this world are the only things that are tangible and real;
while, in fact, this present world stands in the same relation
to the real as a scaffolding used in building a house does to
the house itself. The scaffolding is simply a temporary stage,
and when the house is completed, it's taken down because it's
no longer needed.
An Infidel's Mistake...
A
noted infidel in making light of God's work once said that he
could have done better himself, for he would have made health
contagious instead of disease. He could see no farther than
the literal, and his plan would have benefited the natural man
only. God doesn't encourage man to place much thought upon the
natural, material world, but he again and again instructs us
to set our affections upon things above. The great truth that
man must choose, and that he must reap according to his
choosing, must reap what he sows, hangs over the whole world
of mankind. The law that men must reap what they sow offers
protection to those who choose the right. An ungodly person
may leave behind him a blasting influence of sorrow and woe
that's to roll onward to the end of time. a godly man may
start influences like a river of blessings that will also roll
onward, making men happy until the end of time. Not until the
great climax of human events has been reached---the conclusion
of all deeds that go to make up the sum total of
results---will men properly understand the mighty importance
of having lived right.
A Retrospect of Life...
When
time shall have passed into eternity, and we stand amidst the
realities of that heavenly world and look backward to this
life, we then shall understand more fully that this life is
but a vapor, and that visible things are simply temporary---to
be used only for a time. The earth will not abide forever, for
it's made of crumbling dust, and belongs to things material.
The sun, which has been shining for ages, will pass out of
existence. The soul of man, with its affections and
capacities, will never die, but in a world especially prepared
for it, it will increase and develop while ages roll on. The
mortal flesh is simply the house in which we live and through
which we correspond with this marerial world; it's simply the
weight that holds us to this earth. Progression of the soul is
here retarded and hindered in many ways, and its power of
locomotion is limited by reason of weakness of the flesh; but
when at last death looses us from our earthly surroundings,
our souls will fly away to that better country to enjoy
unlimited, unbounded freedom in that land where things are
eternally enduring.
Consistency of a Final Judgment...
To be
consistent, if we acknowledge the righteousness of punishing
one man guilty of an offence, we must also acknowledge the
righteousness of the same punishment for the same crime
committed by any other man, and the punishment of all men so
guilty. Justice, then, demands that man be punished for his
crimes. Human legislation binds on man imperfect laws, leaving
many loopholes; it's limited in its scope and defective in its
operation. Human laws aren't sufficient in every sense. Two
men each commit a crime of equal violence; one is caught,
deprived of his life; the other escapes detectives, and hence
punishment, and lives and enjoys freedom. Is that justice?
Human legislation, too, forbids external doings, but can't
take notice of nor punish motives hidden in the heart. Not
only does logic demand a final judgment, but the Bible
declares that God will bring all things into judgment, whether
they be good or bad.
No Escape on That Day...
Men
may hide themselves in the deepest corners of rocky
fortresses, but who can hide himself from God? The Almighty
will bring the guilty one who escaped the vigilance of human
law out of his hiding-place and stand him before the One who
sits as Judge of all the earth. Although the Lord seemingly
delays his coming, and ages may yet roll on, there'll be no
safe retreat for the culprit to escape impending justice. The
grave itself won't hide him; for God shall speak, and the dead
shall hear his voice and come forth. Oh, awful day, when
granite rocks shall rend, tombs burst wide open, and the gates
of death unlock and stand apart to close no more forever!
Death then shall be eternally left behind. No more will
mercy's door swing open to invite those to enter who closed
their earthly life in sin and rebellion against the throne of
God. Awful beyond all description will be that day when all
nations and tongues shall meet and individually give a final
account to their Creator---to Almighty God.
What
an awful day when God, who knows, shall touch the hidden
springs of human actions and weigh the motives of every heart!
Oh, the pallid faces on one side of the great white throne!
Think of the happy ones upon the other side! Though all shall
meet together, yet the examination will be personal. No one
can appear by proxy, as before an earthly court, but "every
one of us shall give account of himself to God." Riches,
diadems, scepters, honor, pride, glory, traditions, and
professions will all be left behind when men stand before
their God, with no one to plead their cause. The books will be
opened. The broken marriage vows, betrayed donfidences,
neglected duties, false statements, religious pretenses,
disputings of God's Word, holiness fighting, infant murdering,
the secret acts of free love, and every other dishonest thing
will be uncovered upon that day of days.
A Way of Escape...
Thank
God, there's a way of escape, and that's Jesus Christ.
If the reader is a guilty person, repent
of your sins, and ask God to forgive, and believe with all
your heart, and all the dark past will be blotted out and
remembered against you no more forever.
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