| The Christian Life | June 1940 |
Coming Into the Truth
THERE was a time when many of us were members of some nominal church system. We had a “hope” that we were fortunate enough to belong to the right system—the one among all the rest that God favored. We had “faith” in our ancestors; that they had enough good sense to pick the true religion. We believed that if we lived a good moral life, based upon the Ten Commandments, or said a prayer in which there was a plea for mercy—after we had recognized some breach of the moral code—the angels would be waiting at our death to carry us away to heaven. This latter part, however, we dreaded more than the inhabitants of Africa dreaded the slave raiders in the days of the “Black Ivory.”
To many of us the church was but a refuge from the wrath of God. We had no knowledge of the Bride of Christ. The prevalence of evil was a mystery. The first advent of Christ was but a pleasant tale, the real significance of which was also a mystery. The second advent was a threatened event of the future which we hoped would not come in our day. We never heard of the Abrahamic Covenant through which the “seed” of promise was to be developed to bless all the families of the earth; nor did we know of the “times of restitution,” the only hope for the world. In short, we were totally unaware that there was a divine plan of the ages.
Then someone, either orally or by the printed page, told us of the love of God as manifested in the gift of His dear Son. They explained to us the ransom, and told us of the promised Kingdom of God; of restitution and the resurrection of the dead. We procured a book entitled, “Divine Plan of the Ages.” We read it, and in it we perceived the Everlasting Gospel. Oh what a vision that was! How we rejoiced in it, and thanked God for it. Our hearts cried out, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?”
From the apostle there came the answer as to how we could properly express our appreciation for the truth: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Rom. 12:1) We were not only willing to consecrate our all to God, but were anxious thus to enter the narrow way, lest the door should be shut and we would be excluded from serving this new-found love—our Heavenly Father.
“MY SOUL BE ON THY GUARD”
Satan did not like the change in our lives, and he began immediately to discourage us, to lure us into by-paths of worldly cares and pleasures or to confuse us with other gospels. (Gal. 1:6) Various doubts were suggested to us. For example, how did we know that the book called the “Divine Plan of the Ages” really pointed out God’s gracious provision for His earthly creatures? To us the sound was so joyful, the picture so beautiful, the music so sweet, that we accepted it as being of divine origin, because it seemed far too wonderful to have originated in the human mind. It was proper that we did so recognize it, and moreover, that we proved it as being from the Lord by making sure that it squared in every detail with His Word. We became convinced, hence were among those of whom the prophet said, “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance.”—Psa. 89:15
There were some, however, who accepted the truth without investigating to make sufficiently sure of its divine origin. They did not bother to open the Bible and study the texts which the author always referred to; thus they followed Brother Russell. When evil days came and someone offered these another gospel, it tickled the ear. (II Tim. 4:3) They were assured, of course, that the fundamentals of the Truth were “just the same,” that the new light did not change these. One feature of the Divine Plan of the Ages and then another was thus corrupted, till one day they found that there was no divine plan. They found, then, that for anyone to believe there is a divine plan makes him a member of the “evil servant” class.
Some, confused by the blinding influence of this alleged new light, hurried to their book shelves, found and consigned this “dangerous book,” “The Divine Plan of the Ages,” to the fire, while they wrestled with new and ever different colors of “light,” never finding time for the proper study of the Word of God.
The Lord revealed Himself through the Truth to those who earnestly searched, and thus for these a sure foundation was laid for their faith. To such Brother Russell was “that servant,” who pointed to God’s Word. Thus we came to know the Truth as a divine revelation, because we knew that it came from the inspired Word. How important then, that now we give “more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” (Heb. 2:1) How else could we hope to “stand” in this evil day, and be always ready to give an answer to every one that asketh us a reason for the hope that is in us?
HOLD FAST TO THE ANCHOR
The divine revelation opened the eyes of our understanding, enabling us to “know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” (Eph. 1:18) We should not now let this hope slip from us. How Satan must rejoice when he sees a soul Out loose from its anchor. (Heb. 6:19) Let us, indeed, look to our anchor, and make sure that our cable of faith is fastened to it, and not to something else which will “drag” when the winds of false doctrines blow upon the soul. Our Father recognized the necessity of our anchor being immovable, so He laid it for us forty-two generations before the coming of Christ. Concerning this the apostle says:
“For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He swage by Himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. … For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.”—Heb. 6:13-19
And what is that hope of which Paul thus speaks so eloquently? It is the promise of God that He would provide a “seed” through which all the families of the earth should be blessed. This hope is, indeed, the hope of the Gospel, and is the very kernel of the message of Truth that brought us to a knowledge of God. Any doctrine that will do violence to this promise must be listed as false; in fact, every word of the promise is important. God will bless Abraham, and will multiply his seed as the stars and as the sand. The “seed (which is Christ) shall possess the gate of His enemies, and in thy seed shall the nations of the earth be blessed.” And then, so that all might know that the promise is not dependent upon Abraham’s future, but in fact is unconditional, God says. “because thou hast obeyed My voice.”—Gen. 22:17,18
The apostle, in the third chapter of Galatians, tells us that the seed that shall possess the “gate of His enemies “ is Christ, and he further shows in the 29th verse that “if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:8,16,29) Heirs according to what promise? The multiplied seed is to be as the stars of heaven and as the sand of the seashore. The simile refers us to heavenly bodies and earthly bodies.
It seems to be this that the apostle has in mind in I Corinthians 15:40 and 42, where he says, “There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial, but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. … So also is the resurrection of the dead.” And then, in order that we may not be in doubt as to our hope in the promise, in verse 49 he says, “And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” If our cable of faith is fastened to this anchor we are not in any doubt as to whether we have the Truth. This is the Truth that has continued to be the Truth from the very beginning of the Gospel age.
How can we know that we are members of this seed of promise? Are we able to enter into the spirit of this promise? Are we still willing to be bound and laid upon the altar “as Isaac was,” knowing that the seed must be sacrificed before it can inherit the promise? Or, are we possibly hoping that there is no part left in the sacrifice for us to “fill up”? We are “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him.”—Col. 1:24; Rom. 8:17
The spirit of the promise prompts to the covenant by sacrifice. (Psa. 50:5) If we have the spirit of the promise we will have the spirit of sacrifice, which is the opposite of the spirit of the world. The one says, what can I give? The other, what can I get? If we have come to know God through His great plan, and believe His promise, and have the spirit of that promise, what does it prove to us? Why, it is the very “seal” of the Living God and “the earnest” of our future inheritance.—Eph. 1:13,14
And how shall we know if we are fulfilling the terms of our covenant by sacrifice? Have we not a trail already blazed for us? Did not Jesus first walk the way in which we have been called to tread? All His sufferings came upon Him because of His faithfulness in proclaiming this message of Truth—the Truth that the Father had provided the “seed,” the Son, His only Son, that the world through Him might be blessed with life.
The Father’s spirit, which was poured upon Christ without measure, so influenced His life that He delighted to do the will of His Father, even when He found that it took Him over the narrow way of sacrifice. His answer to Pilate, acknowledging that He was a “King,” was the direct cause of His death. It was this accusation that was nailed to His cross. He needed not, according to the law, to have given this evidence against Himself; but He recognized a great principle. He was asked a question which involved the Truth—God’s Truth—and though it would cost Him His life, He would be faithful to the Truth. Then, as if assuring Himself, and as a further witness, He said, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the Truth. Everyone that is of the Truth heareth My voice.”—John 18:33-38
THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST SHOULD DWELL IN US
We should realize that we are called to walk in this same way. The apostle says, “Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” (I John 4:13,14) This Scripture involves more than would appear to the casual reader. The thing which we have seen and do testify distinguishes between the Father and the Son. The Father sent the Son. The purpose of the Great Eternal One is not only the salvation of the church, but the salvation of the world. It is this great truth that Christ is the “seed” of promise which shall bless all the nations of the earth which is the. burden of our belief and testimony. And it is this truth that assures us that we dwell in Him and He in us; but to have this assurance it is necessary to “testify” it as well as to “see” it. If, when we come into the truth, we fail to give testimony thereto, we fail to have the assurance of this Scripture. It is also possible to give testimony to the fact without believing it ourselves. We could follow some other man to that extent.
This assurance, however, should be a great encouragement to the dear brethren, who are engaged in giving this testimony. They have the apostle’s assurance which should greatly outweigh the sneers of those who have professed to know the divine plan, but disparage the efforts of the brethren in telling it out. Some may say, for example, what good are you doing by proclaiming the Truth? You are not converting the world. To this we reply by asking, what good was Jesus doing? Did He convert Pilate? Did He convert the Jewish nation? He witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate and to the Jewish nation; but His words of Truth which were spoken as a wide witness were generally disbelieved. They were, nevertheless, heard and believed by those who were of the Truth.
And it is even so today. The Master said, “This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matt. 24:14) This “Gospel of the Kingdom” is not heeded by the nations now any more than in the days of the apostles, but the preaching has been and is heard by those in the nations who are of the Truth, and with the same result as in the former days. The apostle says, “Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” (Jas. 1:18) This indicates that those whom God desires to receive the Truth and its spirit, will be reached by the witness. No more than this has ever been accomplished by the witness work. For none can come unto the Son, unless the Father draw him.—John 6:44
Some object saying that “the door is shut and that no one is being begotten.” To this the Word of the Lord replies, “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37) When once the number of the elect is made up there will be no more drawn to the Son by the Father. There shall be none left in the nations who are of the Truth, in this sense. And we would expect that the Father will then cease sending out His Word. We would expect this feature of the divine plan to be clearly marked. The beginning of the high calling was so marked. The sending of the Holy Spirit upon the church, both Jews and Gentiles, had a definite, clearly marked, beginning.
Those who are now awake should work while it is called day, for the night cometh in the which “no man can work,” and that night is fast approaching; having already settled down over much of the earth. (John 9:4) Those who have been drawn to Him by the Truth during recent months have the same witness of the spirit as have those who have spent many years in the narrow way. They, with us, have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. To these dear ones, “coming into the Truth,” has been the same blessed experience as we enjoyed.
It is not enough, however, that we have a basis of faith and a Scriptural assurance that “life” has begun. It is not enough that we make a covenant by sacrifice. It is not enough that we give a witness to the plan of ransom and restitution. Those who will enter into the Kingdom of heaven are those who continue to do God’s will. (Matt. 7:21) He reveals that will from time to time. Peter was doing very well in his ministry to the early church; he had much evidence that God was with him; but had he refused to go to the house of Cornelius when he was bidden to go, he would have failed, and God would have chosen another to open the door of opportunity to the Gentiles.
There has been a harvest work going on for over sixty years. Jesus said, “In the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into My barn.” (Matt. 13:30) The Chief Reaper sits upon a cloud and thrusts in His sickle. (Rev. 14:16) The same Chief Reaper said to the disciples at the time of the Jewish harvest, “I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors.” (John 4:38) And how like the conditions in our day were those of that harvest. Of that time it is said of Jesus that “when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.”—Matt. 9:36
How would Jesus have answered had the disciples said, “Lord the harvest is ended, why should we labor to reap?” What will the Lord say to us to whom He has given the “sickle” of Truth today, if we say to Him, “the harvest is ended.” The greatest of all authorities, our Lord Jesus, said, “The harvest is the end of the world.” (Matt. 13:39) If it is true that “he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto eternal life,” we know that reaping is the will of the Father. (John 4:36) The Lord sent the reapers into the field with the sickle of Truth, and when the field is reaped He will call in the reapers; not by a time parallel nor yet by a type, but by a signal that every reaper will understand and which is indicated as being the closing in of the dark night when “no man can work.”
The harvest festival is soon to be held, when those to whom the promises were made—those who have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world; those who have sowed or reaped as His Word indicates they should; those who are now “sons of God”—will be presented before the Father, and united with Christ in kingly authority. That experience will be profoundly more blessed than the experience of coming into the Truth. Then the “seed” will be manifested to the groaning creation, which has waited in the bondage of corruption for the blessings of life, liberty and lasting peace, which, if we continue to be faithful now, we will have the privilege of dispensing to “all the families of the earth” in that new Kingdom soon to become manifest to all mankind.