trust for forgiveness of sins any person who has come into the world exactly as other human beings are born. “Who can forgive sins but God only?” was asked in Christ’s day, and it is a basic and valid question for today. God coming in human form, “manifest in the flesh,” is in itself an event of such magnitude that our human minds cannot fathom all the mysteries of the Incarnation. If ever the supernatural could be expected its manifesta tion amid what we call natural law would appear when God visited earth to become our Saviour from sin!
WHEN GOD VISITED EARTH (Continued from Page 27)
was to be born unto Mary that He should be the “ Lord” (Luke 1:43) who would bring redemption to the world, Jewish and Gentile (Luke 1:67, 78, 79). Zacharias re ferred to Old Testament prophecies to Abraham, David, and Isaiah and declared the son of Mary should fulfill them all. The testimony of Mary could not be more forth right. We must accept it as given, or malign her character by assuming that Jesus was of illegitimate birth. To Chris tians this is blasphemy! Let critics seek by such foul means, if they will, to avoid the claims of Christ; not so with Christians. We dare not overlook the witness of Christ to Himself. Never once did He recognize Joseph as His human father. When speaking of His Father, He uniformly referred to God. See John 5:17, 19, 20, 21-26, 37, 43; Luke 2:29, 51, and elsewhere. Even when others referred to Joseph as the human father of Jesus, the Son of God corrected them. They said, “ Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?” (John 6:42). Christ’s reply, in the context, is notable: “ Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned o f the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father” (John 6:45, 46). “ As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father” . . . (John 6:57). In fact, the Jews so well under stood Christ’s claim that it is written, “ Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:18). If the Jews had misunderstood Jesus, He could have corrected them, and acknowledged Joseph as his human father. On the contrary, He declared repeatedly that only God was His Father. This claim finally cost Jesus His life! Such claims are so stupendous in nature that they can be either wholly false or entirely true. “What think ye of Christ?” Eleven witnesses have been summoned. Genealogical records are at hand to accredit their testimony. Historical data has pinpointed this miraculous event on the chart of time. Now, for a more recent witness, we turn to Dr. Howard A. Kelly, formerly Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Johns Hopkins University. He said: “ I am 66 years old, and have lived all my life in close touch with science and scientific men, and with all sorts of faiths which I have seen tested out. Thorough investigation and careful study and personal testing have brought me to an absolute conviction of the truth of the Bible record and the belief that the human race is in curably sinful apart from the grace of God, and that the grace, foreshadowed in the Old Testament, in the communications from God to the forefathers, and par ticularly through the sacrifices, is fully manifested in the blood o f Jesus Christ, the Son of Grid, born of a virgin, who took our sins upon His sinless body and fulfilled all the sacrifices in expiating them upon the cross.” In conclusion, let us re-state the conviction that many people are truly saved who do not think of the problems involved in the Virgin Birth of Christ. They trust Christ because they believe Him to be the Son of God, the Saviour, and they believe Him to be wholly trustworthy. However, back of this simple faith in Christ is involved all the evidence concerning His glorious Person. We seri ously question whether it is possible for anyone who denies the Virgin Birth of Christ to trust Him for re demption from the guilt of sin. You simply cannot savingly
THE NATIONS AT ARMAGEDDON (Continued from Page 15)
army of the nations as it marches in proud array, yet over them all will float the banner of the “United Na tions.” Already “ Old Glory” is battling to maintain its pre-eminence above the flag; in that day of international control, the old emblem of human freedom will have to fold its wings and perish with Liberty! Nothing less than this will satisfy the prophetic picture. And, any army thus formed from the unregenerate nations of this earth will be an army “ against” the Christ when He shall ap pear, fulfilling the vision of Armageddon as seen by John on Patmos. “ And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army” (Rev. 19:19). The Siege of Jerusalem The first use of his “ international police force” to be made by the Antichrist is clear. The descendants of Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego will rise up in force and refuse to worship the image of the beast. Then the Anti-christian “police force” will go into action, even as it is written: “ I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3 :2 ). Again: “ Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east . . . yea, the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee” (Zech. 14 :3 ,4 ,5 ). (Hallelujah! By the mar velous grace of God, I expect to be in that army!) Then will the most stupendous, the most magnificent, the most decisive event of all the ages take place! “ The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel” (Joel 3:16). Reader, turn to the inspired picture and meditate upon it. Is it not written in Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-6? Then at last with our Lord on the throne of David and His enemies in the gizzards of the buzzards (Rev. 19:21), the peace that mankind has sought—for which countless millions have fought and bled and died, . . . will cover the earth as the waters of the sea. In that day, so fast approaching, “ Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise” (Isa. 60:18). “ I the Lord will hasten it in his time” (Isa. 60:22). “ He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20). T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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