KB 293
September, 1944
t r i u m p h , “ O death, where Is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory” (1 Cor. 15:55). God’s Changeless Kingdom Moreover, the kingdom of God will o u t l a s t / a l l the “kingdoms of this world,” yea, the day is coming when the “kingdoms of this world” will “be come the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ” (Rev. 11:15). The king doms of Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome have had their day and have ceased to be. Present kingdoms are in a state of disintegration and decay. The boast ed Empire of Mussolini passed in a night, and Italy, bereft of her posses sions, looks to the Allied Nations for mercy and protection. In contrast to the transient king doms of this world is God’s kingdom which is an “everlasting kingdom” (Dan. 7:27). Because it is founded by God, built upon spiritual and eternal verities, it “ cannot be moved” (Heb. 12:28). The believer can be bright and op timistic a m i d great 'and terrifying world changes, because he labors for the King of kings and Lord of lords, who one day will come and “reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 11:15). When the King reigns, then every knee will bow before Him and “ every tongue. . . con fess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10, 11 ).
Under the guise of scholarship, cer tain theologians so discredited the Word that many people became dis turbed and wondered whether they could trust it any longer. The modern istic beliefs in Germany infected the pulpits of America and Britain. But today it is the critics of the Word who stand discredited, and their books are worthless. The spade of the archaeolo gist has exposed their lies. Some indi viduals have humbly confessed their folly and have become stalwart de fenders i of the Word they mutilated. Here, then, in the midst of change is the Book we can trust, the Book we can rest in, for time and eternity, for it is the Word of One who cannot lie (cf. Titus 1:2). This is the Book to which men turn when death draws near, for it is the Book which tells the truth about our selves, about God, about eternity. In his last hours, Sir Walter Scott de sired his devoted son-in-law to read to him. When asked which book, Sir Walter replied: “Need you ask? There is but one,” William Lockhart r e a d the four teenth chapter of John after which the dying man said: “Well, this is a great comfort,” and then fell into a soft slumber. The eternal Word fortifies the soul that is face to face with its last enemy. It enables the believer to shout with
God’s Changeless Love The love of God is eternal. To Israel whose love was so variable God said, “Yea, I have loved thee with an ever lasting love” (Jer. 31:3). Our love to God fluctuates; sometimes it is warm, intense, sincere, and at other times cold and feeble. The proof of our love is seen not in our emotions so much as in the sacrifices we are ready to make for Christ’s dear sake. Unless love re veals itself in practical deeds it is worthless and even harmful. Whatever be the degree of our love to God, His lpve to us is greater, and it is, eyer the same. The affection of friends may change and die, but God’s love in Christ never wanes. Nothing that may happen to us on earth—no change that may come into our lives by reason of war, revolu tion, age, or misfortune — will make the slightest difference in God’s love to us. Yea, the greater our need, the greater will be His love. - The Apostle Paul, considering the many a d v e r s i t i e s and adversaries which threatened to separate him from the love of God, rises to the con viction that there is nothing powerful enough in heaven or earth to separate him from the love of God in Christ. It is God's love for him in which he rests; he is sure pis love is so strong and enduring that it will never let him go. We live in a day when the word of man endures but for a day. Dictators will say one thing today, and without the least sense of inconsistency or. of falsehood will flatly contradict their utterances tomorrow. Yea, they justify a lie and scorn the truth. How refreshing it is to turn to the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever (cf. 1 Pet. 1:25). “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17), said Jesus, and because it is truth it abideth, for truth cannot die. It is eternal. Men may scorn, despise, reject it, and try to de stroy it, but it cannot perish. King Jehoiakim cut the Word of the Lord into pieces and threw them into the fire, thinking that was the end of the matter (cf. Jer. 36:23). What folly! The sacred Word exposed his foolish ness, for he soon perished. But the Word of God spoken through His serv ant abideth forever. Men have tried to extinguish- the Word by destroying it, its translation, its printers, and its preachers. Thiey have smashed the presses upon which the Word was printed, but all in vain. The Word has outlived its destroyers by> centuries. I change;. He changes not, The Christ can never die; His love, not mine, the resting place, • His truth, not mine, the tie. God’s Changeless Word . >
Salvation Is for YOU
It is: FREE "For by grace are ye saved through faith; . . . it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). TIMELY "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near" (Isa. 55:6). INDIVIDUAL "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven . . . whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). VITAL m "Jesus answered and said unto him . . . Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). SUFFICIENT '"Wherefore he [Christ] is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him" (Heb. 7:25). PERMANENT "Jesus answered them . . . I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any mem pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:25, 28). "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). What Are You Going to Do About it?
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