August 1927
475
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
The Inevitable Christ "That at the name o f Jesu s every knee should bow, o f ¡things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesu s Christ is Lord, to the glory o f God the Father." Phil. 2:10-11.
Since all history points out to us the truth of these statements, what utter folly that any thinking man should fail to take Christ first before he thinks of: doing any thing else! ' Christ is Alpha. It is useless: to 1 try to put any other letter before A. Will He not also be Omega? It is Christ for the world inevitably ! Where shall you be if you go into eternity having deliberately chosen to reject Him? ; ■ Says an.old writer: “When we see the predicted mis-j-! sion of the Messiah so faithfully fulfilled, the world’s history bending itself to thé birth of. Jésus i% ^ e “Anno Domini’ of its dates and superscriptions—when We behold all events, marching onward through the centuries to the beat of time preserving a celestial order to accomplish one given result, the. universal and final ascendency of Jesus Christ: - when we see that all opposing .systems can no longer hold comparison with the religion given ¡to the world by Him—must'we not'acknowledge that Hé is the Being whom the prophets declared to be one with the Father Almighty ?” 8&ÿ g4S “Who Did Sin?” (Jn . 9 :3 ). O UR Lord, one day, saw a nian who had been born blind. With Him, to see misery was to be imme diately moved to relieve it. The difference between divine and human pity, however, was illustrated in the manner in which His disciples looked upon this pitiful case, “Mas ter,” théy asked , who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born Mind?” (Jn . 9 :2, 3 ). Jesus at once showed them that this man’s affliction was not due to any special sin of his own or of his parents. Behind it was the purpose of God to be mani fested in his life. This man’s trial proved to many that Jesus was “the light o f the world.” Thus many may for years bear the most tedipus afflictions for His glory. Could we not believe that, we might well despair. Our Lord was not denying that this man was a part of the sinful whole (Rom. 3 :2 3 ). He Himself taught that suffering is often directly and immediately connected with particular sins. As we look about us in society, we can not escape this awful conclusion. We know, too, that a vast amount of- suffering is brought upon innocent people through the sins or follies of others. Such is the price of being part of a fallen race. Affliction ever remains an admonition to beware of sin, and to what lengths might not evil go if suffering were not a red light signal to check its progress? But while we know the direct connection between special sin and judgment, is it ours to try to establish these connections and to announce the verdict? It is very easy to be mistaken, as were the disciples. We have no infal lible means of judging, and God gives us no right to judge what He alone can perfectly know. We have our hands full if we discern the connection between our own sins and trials. Even this we often cannot do perfectly. How utterly incompetent are we to rush forward and say that the calamity that has overtaken our neighbors in the
O ST men who think will concede that by Jesus Christ, God has torn up the foundations of the devil’s empire, overthrown the false con ceits of the world, knocked the fetters of cap tivity off of millions Of : hopeless souls, snatched untold multitudes from the flames of hell, and unbarred the gates of heaven for all.
Millions testify that Jesus opened heaven by a cross, cemented an everlasting habitation by His blood and con demned sin by His atoning sacrifice. Who can deny: that it is the power-of-His name-that breaks the thraldom of the devil over men, destroys the empire of proud spirits and conquers principalities and powers? Whence this mighty host, the Church, raised up from the seed of His sacrifice and preserved age after age in spite of the most subtle and devilish spiritual and secular enemies? It was the Christ who said, “The gates o f hell shall not prevail against my church,’’ and certainly He has supported it under the most terrible waves of the world’s persecution. We are ever reading of the rise and fall of kingdoms and empires, yet how insipid is all such history compared with the story of the grand achievements of Jesus Christ, the King Immortal. “It was but three broken years,” says Dr. Farrar, “that He preached the Gospel of the King dom, but forever, even until dispensations have closed, and earth itself, with the things that now are, has passed away, shall everyone of His true children find peace and hope and forgiveness in His name, and that name shall be Immanuel, God with us.” Who can read history at all and miss the magnitude of this supernatural victory? Who can doubt but that He will yet be Head over all things, having the power not only of presenting His Church without spot or wrinkle before the Father’s presence, but of collecting the angels of heaven under His headship and extending His grace through all the realms of intelligent beings? He alone is entitled to it. His glory is bound to be completed and the supremacy of His name admitted by all, even the lost in hell. “I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.” Isaiah 45 :23-24. One of Wesley’s hymns runs: “Jesus, the name high over all, In earth or hell or sky; Angels and men before it fall, And demons fear and fly.” What an empire is th is! Heaven and earth—the Church Militant—the Church Triumphant—langels and archangels—saints and seraphs!
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