| The Christian Life | May 1940 |
Honored of God
“And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.”—Isaiah 62:2,3
THESE words of the prophet constitute one of the “exceeding great and precious promises” referred to by the Apostle Peter, and of which he declares that by them we are made “partakers of the divine nature.” (II Pet. 1:4) It is true that this and similar promises were made originally to the nation of Israel and would have been limited to the natural descendants of Abraham had they remained in harmony with the Lord. But these natural branches, as they are described by the Apostle Paul in Romans 11, were broken off and Gentile converts grafted into the original covenant of God to take their place. Hence, the apostle explains, Israel has not obtained that which he seeketh for—that is, that which was promised to them in our text and many like passages of the Old Testament.—Rom. 11:7
Our text is not only a promise of personal glory that will be bestowed upon all the faithful of this Gospel age, but it is also another of the many assurances of God’s Word that those who are thus highly exalted to joint-heirship with Christ are to be made co-workers in carrying out the divine purpose to bless all nations. It is this aspect of the high calling that makes it truly wonderful. Might there not be an element of selfishness in the hope merely of being exalted to the divine nature? But when the exaltation is viewed in the light of the wondrous opportunity it will afford to be an instrument in God’s hands for the blessing of mankind, it is seen to be a hope in which we can truly and unselfishly rejoice.
The true dignity and high honor of the church’s position in the divine plan is outlined by the Apostle Peter, saying, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Pet. 2:9) Here the objective of the church’s high calling is described as being that of glorifying God. This takes us a step further than the privilege of bestowing blessing upon others. It shows that even in the work of blessing others God is to be glorified. Indeed, there is no other way in which the glory of God can be so fully known and appreciated by all mankind as through the wonderful Kingdom blessings that will reach them through the instrumentality of Christ and the church.
It is beyond the veil that the church will become truly a royal diadem in the hand of God, to be used of Him for the blessing of the people and for His own glory. Nevertheless, the church is now in training for that high position. This training consists not merely of “book learning,” but includes as well a practical application of the truth in our daily lives. It can be properly said that we are now serving an apprenticeship in preparation for the glorious work of the future. This means that inasmuch as we are preparing to take part in God’s great work of blessing as it will be carried on through the instrumentality of the church, that our preparation must include self-sacrificing efforts now to show forth the praises of God by bestowing blessings upon others. On this point Brother Russell once said:
“Am I going forth with these tidings to my neighbors near and far? Am I busy from day to day in seeking to vindicate the divine character, and to make known God’s righteous ways? Am I economizing time and means, and so arranging my temporal affairs as to give as much time as possible to the work? And, then, am I diligently studying to make myself thoroughly familiar with the truth, so that I may, indeed, be a living epistle known and read of all men within the circle of my influence?—a workman indeed that need not to be ashamed? Can I truly affirm that I am
“All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
All my being’s ransomed powers;
All my thoughts and words and doings,
All my days and all my hours”?
How practical an arrangement it is that those who are now looking forward with joy to the blessed privilege of being used of God in the next age for the enlightenment and blessing of all mankind should show their appreciation of this high calling of God now, under unfavorable circumstances, and by self-sacrificing efforts, demonstrate their genuine desire thus to be used of the Lord. Let us at all times then, seek to be instruments in God’s hand, to be used by Him in the present sacrificial ministry in order that we may be worthy to be used of Him later as a royal diadem in His hands.