August 1927
477
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
Creed and Deed T HE. editor of “The Presbyterian,” a short time ago, brought forth an editorial in answer to the statement so commonly heard today in liberalistic circles, that it is what a man is, and not what he believes, that really matters. “Christianity as a life,” declared the editor, “is the fruit of Christianity as a system of doctrines dealing with historical and eternal realities.” The Editor of “The Pres byterian Advance” promptly took exception to this state ment. He argued that were this true, there would be as many different kinds of Christian life as there are systems of doctrine. He drew the conclusion that the Christian life is simply the result of the indwelling Christ and one’s system of doctrine has little, if anything, to do with it. We shall do well to devote somé serious reflection to this issuéy for it is squarely before us in these days when some preachers are trying to get free of Christian doc trine and at the samé time cling to Christ. Can the two be separated? Can one accept the Person of Christ and experience the indwelling Christ without having any par ticular beliefs about Him? Can one acknowledge Him as
write this way if the Old Testament Sabbath law remained in full force under the Gospel. I f they wished to keep both days or if they kept every day in the week a holy day in order to be on the safe side, he saw no harm, but he was especially anxious that every man should be FU L L Y persuaded, and persuaded in H IS OWN mind. There is great need today of remembering the value of Christian individualism. The Church is composed of individuals with individual minds and consciences capable of getting different angles of the truth. There is safety only in recognizing the right of every Christian to make his own- study of the Word of God, without the helping hand of any other person, and to draw his own conclu sions. No sincere believer can go far wrong by this method, and furthermore the church will be kept from getting lopsided views. “T he anointing which ye have received o f H im abid- eth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you” (1 Jn. 2 :2 7 ). This certainly means that a Spirit-filled believer is not dependent upon any human teacher who claims personal authority. There are men greatly used of God to expound the Word, but “the same anointing teach- eth you.” The Spirit can open God’s Word to any honest seeker, and He can certainly make one sensitive to the recognition of the Spirit in another who is teaching. If these words are true, then we should beware of any man who claims that his views or his writings are essential to the correct understanding of the Bible. We have today powerful leaders of cults, as well as theological leaders claiming to be orthodox, who are deter mined to ram their particular systems of interpretation down the throats of all. They practically deny one the right of private investigation. One who begs to differ with them is pointed out, either as an ignoramus, or tend ing toward liberalism, post-millennialism or some other terrible extreme. Since when has God required one to accept all the interpretations in any one of the various annotated Bibles, in order to be entitled to Christian fel lowship ? We derive help from many godly teachers, but we are safe only when we put their teachings to a thorough, per sonal test of the Scriptures. No man is infallible. No cult, church or expositor, or even Fundamentalist or Pre- millennialist, can take the place of the individual in the knowledge of the truth of God. There are certain great truths, vital to Christianity, upon which the Spirit has always kept believers together, but no man has a right to condemn another because he may not see eye to eye with him in every detail of interpretation. “L et every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” More and more we believe there was sound wisdom in the saying of John Newton: “Now I am grown old I am cautious of recommending books. I advise everybody to study the Scriptures with prayer, to draw from the fountain head, to examine and try the writings o f men by the infallible standard, and not to pay too implicit a regard to the sentiments o f great authors or preachers. The best are defective, and the wisest may be mistaken.” There would be fewer drawn into religious- cults if they went to the fountainhead for themselves. - There would even be fewer camps among the Fundamentalists if they were more wedded to the divine Word itself, instead of tied to the notations of men who seem to assume that some special insight above that ever given to saintly men in past ages, has been granted to them. It is high time we all got to studying TH E B IB L E . Our Lord’s coming is near. We shall need this lamp in our hands if we are to go in with the Bridegroom.
When you pray at morn or sundown, By yourself, or with your own; When you pray at rush of noon-tide— ■ Just make sure you touch the throne. When you pray in hours of leisure, Praying long and all alone; Pour not out mere words as water, But make sure you touch the throne. When you pray in busy moments, Oft to restless hurry prone, .. Brevity will matter little, I f you really touch the throne. When amid the .congregation Of God’s saints, in prayer you groan, He will hear your voice, and answer, If you truly touch His throne. When you pray as Christ directed, Who, o f old, Christ’s power have known-; As they touched His garment-border, So make sure you touch His throne. When you pray, as Christ directed, 1 In a manner clearly shown, In His name, and by His Spirit, You will always touch His throne.
—W inifred A. Iverson.
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