THE Ml ’ BUSINESS
Beauty and Strength from "the Bridge of the Greater Americas" (See Page 323)
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★ SOMETHING ABOUT A WAVE AND A SAILOR Romance of a sailor and a WAVE who come to know the “ Captain of their salvation” through an old sea captain. 32 pp. Ea. 15c ★ SOMETHING ABOUT A SOLDIER The story of a typical American soldier brought to the Lord by pretty Jean and his Christian buddy. 32 pages. Ea. 15c
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A soldier in Guadalcanal wrote his mother: “ I have been reading my New Testament which the Chaplain gave me from the Amer ican Bible Society and it has caused me to think seriously about my soul and the future. “I am writing you, Mom, to ask that you read with me a chapter from the New Testa ment each day.. A Challenge to Americans! Only the Bible can make this nation truly in vincible ! Let all unite to make it a power in our lives. 1 A Plan 100 Years Old Today! You help this work and yourself when you pur chase an American Bible Society Annuity Agreement. Under this Plan you receive a regular income as long as you live. Send for the booklet “A Gift That Lives!’ URGENT! FIL OUT AND MAIL THIS COUPONTODAY I □ Please send me, without obligation, your booklet KB-37 entitled “ A Gift That Lives.” □ I enclose $________to provide Testaments for young men in our armed forces. Name ... . — — — — — — — — — — — American Bible Society, Bible House, NewYork 22, N.Y.
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NEW H AN D B O O K ON BOYS' CLUB W O RK Proved plans and methods for evan gelizing teen-age boys, by a successful boys’ club leader. Practical detailed directions for everything from club organization to games, with emphasis on how to claim these young lives for Christ. G iv e s i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t : * THE LEADER ★ PROJECTS * THE CLUB R O O M ★ M ESSAGES * G A M ES * SUMM ER CAM PS cloth binding, handy pocket size, 4% x 614 inches. Each, 75 c 104 pages,durable
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The Scroll of the La,w
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A Beautiful Jew ish A n tiq u ity
The Official Organ of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Inc. "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood", (Rev. 1:5). THE KINGS BUSINESS Vol. XXXIV No. 9
The Scroll Is the most Sacred thing in the Jewish Synagogue. Christ read His introductory mes sage from the scroll in the Syna gogue. Every Bible Student ought to have one of these miniature scrolls. Our Offer We want you to read The Chos en People, edited by Joseph Hoff man Cohn, son of- the late Ex- Rabbi. Leopold Cohn, and consid-' ered by many Bible students the most helpful paper on prophecy and the Jew published in Amer ica. It gives you inspiring reports of the world-wide activities of the American Board of Missions to the Jews, Inc.' Also, we want you to read the life story of Ex-Rabbi Leopold Cohn, written by himself in a six- ty-page booklet—one of the most thrilling stories ypu have ever read. Jews are really accepting the Lord Jesus Christ. The price of the Scroll is 50 cents, and The Chosen People is 50 cents a year. Mr. Cohn’s auto biography is 30 cents. Send us $1 and we will mail you ’ALL and enter1 your name for a year’s sub scription for The Chosen People; if not satisfied we’ll return your money without a question. And may we remind you also of the continuous need of our Missionary undertakings. O u r work merits your every confi dence. It is a program of world wide Gospel testimony to the Jews. Your fellowship in prayer and gift is always welcomed and appreciated. The Chosen People is of course sent to all contribu to rs. American Board ojf Missions to the Jews, Inc. 31 Throop Are., Brooklyn 6 , N. Y.
The True-to-the-Bible Family Magazine TABLE OF CONTENTS
Around the King’s Table —Louis T . T a lb o t ....................................................... 323 Significance of the News — Dan Gilbert .............................................................324 Note of Triumph— Harold. John Ockenga.. ...................... ................................. 325 How the "Spirit-filled Life is Maintained — Ruth Paxson. ...................................326 “ Chaplain, What About Missions ?”— James B , M cLeroy ______________ ....328 Dr. Talbot’s Question Box .;.................. ..................... ..........................................331 Curbstone Commission —Marjorie F. Zimmerman., ____ ____________________332 Junior King’s Business —Martha S. Hooker ......................................................... 335 International Lesson Commentary ................................................ .......... ............ 337 Notes on Christian Endeavor —Lillian Palmberg, Ralph J. .Colburn, Vivian Fusby, Lyman A . Wendt, Marguerite Goodner Owen .................348 Daily Devotional Readinigs ....................................................................................352 Bible Institute Family Circle ........................ ....................................................... 357 Our Literature T a b le ............ ................................................................................... 359 IN F O R M A T IO N —“ The King’s Business” is published monthly: Í1.00, one yr.; $1.50, two yrs.; 50 cents, six months; 10 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Canadian and for eign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of ad dress to become effective. Please send both~Dld and new addresses. R E M IT T A N C E —Payable in advance, should be made by bank draft, express o TH E K I N G ’ S ' B U S I NE S S 322 B io ta Moping A h ea d into Far-Reaching Fields of Christian Service Hundreds of young men and women go- from Biola pre pared, equipped, and qualified, spiritually and academically, to meet the challenge of the day. Will tomorrow find you among those who present Jesus Christ in a convincing manner to the multitudes who are lost in the darkness of sin! Fall Semester— Registration Dates SEPTEMBER 7 and 8, 194^ — Interdenominational — BIBLE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY TRAINING Four-Year Degree Courses: Theology Christian Education Music BIBLE INSTITUTE TRAINING One-Year for young men before en tering the armed forces. Attend Biola and be better equipped to serve your God and country. Three-Year Diploma Courses: General Bible Christian Education Missionary Music (Seminary students will receive the advantages offered at the Bible Insti tute along with their Seminary in struction.) E V E N IN G S C H O O L Three nights a week: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday Registration, Sept. 7 W R IT E the Office of the Registrar ^ “ Have your tools ready and God will find you work The BibleTheological Seminary Of Los Angeles The Bible Institute of- Los Angeles, Inc. 558 South Hope Street Los Angeles 13, Calif. S. H. Sutherland^ Dean Louis T. Talbot' President September 1943 323 ian Saxon, born in. Russia, who has spent considerable time in Palestine. His book is filled with quotations from the Old Testament, and because they/ are printed in full in almost every case, the careless reader, would regard the book as authentic. So im pressive are the pages—-each showing a column of Hebrew with a transla tion of English beside it—that even thoughtful people have been ta!*en in by this dangerous interpretation of the Word of God. It is reported that the well-known columnist, Boake Car ter, is lending his influence to the publicizing of the book. Money is being spent freely for expensive ad vertising space to promote Guibbory’s “ bible,” and thousands of circulars are being distributed, in no one of which is there any indication that the author believes in God’s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. Thus it is that as this dispensation of grace draws nearer to its close, such passages as Matthew 24:24 con tinue to have their fulfillment: “There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders: insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Brethren, “take heed that no man deceive you” (Matt. 24:4). INSTITUTE PRESIDENT IN RADIO BROADCAST Through the facilities of the Cali fornia Don Lee Mutual chain, a verse-by-verse study of the Bible is given daily by the President of the Bible Institute of Los An geles, Louis T. Talbot. It is the plan to extend this radio minis try to Oregon and Washington as soon as finance^ permit. DIAL NEAREST STATION Monday through Friday 11:00 to 11:30 A. M. San Diego ................................KGB Fresno ...... ............................ KTKC Monterey.....1., ........ ........KDON Marysville .......... ........KMYC Chico ------ ......___________ KHSL Redding .....----- -----------------„----KVCV Los Angeles ................ KHJ El Centro ..-..„...„„„„.„„„„„„„K XO Santa Ana .....__;.... KVOE San Bernardino ........................KFXM Santa Barbara ___ KDB Bakersfield ........................KPMC San Luis Obispo..._____ ______KVEC San Francisco ...........................KFRC Merced (1:30 p.m .)....„.........KYOS Around the King's Table LOUIS T. TALBOT, Editor-In-Chief the gardens of the better class are often extensive and elaborately kept. One sees everywhere the strong, dark faces of men and women looking out from beneath broad baskets of flowers or of vegetables. At least to some of these individuals, when “ the grass withereth and the flower fadeth” there remains still a beauty that is inde pendent of natural phenomena—the loveliness of Christ’s salvation. ..." Gratefully we can report that the gospel and the Word of God have not been omitted from the list of good things sent to Central America. Even before the advent of the settled mis sionary, the colporteurs of the great Bible Societies were distributing the Sacred Library, “La Biblia.” In 1849, the Moravians established themselves on the east coast of Nicaragua. The year 1882 f o u n d the .Presbyterians (U.S.A.) giving out the gospel in Gua temala. The Central American Mis sion, organized in 1890, sent its first missionaries to Costa Rica in 1891, and soon after, pioneered in Honduras and El Salvador. These works expanded, and other Missions entered one or another of the lands, until today there is a total Protestant foreign mission ary force of some 275, with several times that number of national pas tors, evangelists, and Bible women, and hundreds of groups of believers. In the strategic “ bridge” countries, the Bible Institute of Los Angeles is represented by some twenty-five of its former students: choice servants of Christ who are engaged in evangel ism, teaching, and medical Work. Central America needs the prayers 'of the people of God. The country is an unusually fertile field for giving forth the g o s p e l of the grace of God. In these days when many mis sion fields—by virtue of their distance from the United States and their in accessibility—are closed to the mis sionary, the Central American coun tries should not be overlooked. "Brethren, pray for us.” “Come over and help us.” Another “Almighty God” Moses Guibbory, the author of a new book of some 2,000 pages, entitled The Bible in the Hands of Its Creators, makes the fantastic claim that he is actually “Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel before whom there is none else, neither in heaven nor on earth.” He is otherwise described as a Ukrain This Month’s Morsel " . . . The Spirit of GOD dwelleth in YOU" (1 Cor. 3:16). Have you ever grasped the truth of this mighty statement? It belongs to you, whoever you may be, who are born again through faith in Christ. Have you realized the immensity of this thought: the perfect Teacher, Comforter, Guide, is actually with you! Ask yourself honestly: “What is there that is troubling me that the Spirit of God cannot solve?” Beloved, in these confused and ter rible days, we Christians need a new awareness of the Spirit’s presence and might. We need to pray: “Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me.” Will you ask for His enlightenment as you read the following pages? A narrow bridge of land connecting two great continents can scarcely be compared to the continents it joins. Yet, because it is a bridge, a connect ing link, it occupies an important po sition. It joins the hands of Canada, the United States, and Mexico with those of the Republics of the southern continent. Think of this "bridge” of Central America. Though it is small—slightly less than 230,000 square miles of sur face, an area approximating that of the two states of New Mexico and Colorado — its geographical location gives it tremendous significance. The seven little countries of Central Amer ica, i. e., the Republics of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, and the British possession of Belize (British Honduras), have a population of over 8,000,000, nearly one-third of which is tribal Indian, while the large part of the remainder is classed as “Ladino,” Spanish-speaking. Vastly important to commerce is. this comparatively small “bridge.*’ Central American countries provide the United States with coffee, ba nanas, cocoa, mahogany, gold, and silver. They import from us vast quantities of manufactured goods. In this region of natural beauty, al most every little hut of the poor has its flowers and colorful shrubs, while ‘ Facts for thts article were provided bu Karl D. Hummel (Biota. ‘IS), Secretary of the Central American Mission, Central America— Bridge of the Greater Americas* TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S 324 Christian faith can bring about a re turn to standards of Christian family life. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IS NOT ENOUGH: • Mr. Churchill sounded the much- needed warning that religious liberty is not enough. It is not enough that men shall be free to go to church; they must go! It is not enough that they have the freedom to worship God; they must worship! It is not enough that they may have liberty to read the Bible; they must read, and believe! In our schools, and in some of those abroad, there has been a tendency to make “freedom of religion” mean “freedom from religion.” Education has moved in the direction of a totally nonreligious or godless state. Admon ishing against this trend, Mr. Church ill said: “Here we have freedom of thought as well as freedom of conscience. Here we have been pioneers of religious tolerance. But side by side with all this has been the fact that religion has been the rock in the life and character of the British people, upon which they have built their hopes and cast their cares. This fundamental element must never be taken from our schools." OUR PAGAN PRESS: • While we are grateful that the press in America is still free, we must regret that it has become predomi nantly pagan. Mr. Churchill's recom mendations c o n c e r n i n g economics were headlined, but his references to religion were ignored. When religion is not censured, it habitually is satirized in the press. This pagan trend was first noticeable in the way the great city newspapers handled the famous “Scopes trial” in Tennessee some two decades ago. Wil liam Jennings Bryan was ridiculed and belittled because •he stood for the Bible; while the Bible-scofiing agnostic, Clarence Darrow, was por trayed as a hero and champion of truth. Recently a large number of leading newspapers made a “Roman holiday” of journalistic satire over an incident that ofccurred in the nation’s capitol. A government employee came to work wearing an e m b l e m on her dress which read, “Christ came to save sin ners.” A superior officer advised her not to report for work until she re moved the pin containing this' Scrip ture. ' The newspaper reporters pictured her as a fanatic; and, to them, it was all a*huge joke, that any one should [ Continued an Page 334] Significance of the News By DAN GILBERT San Diego, Calif. TRAGIC NEGLECT OF CHRISTIAN TRUTH: • In his much-discussed world-wide radio address on the subject of the post-war world, Winston Churchill gave his endorsement to two funda mental Christian principles, which have for. several decades been under relentless attack by the propagandists of paganism. Mr. Churchill urged the rebuilding of Christian family life and the reinforcing of religious education in the schools and colleges. By direct inference, the British Prime Minister censured godless education and birth control propaganda, both of which have spread widely in our own coun try. Strangely enough, however, this portion of Mr. Churchill’s speech was completely ignored by most of the commentators and editorial writers. Much, space and attention were given to detailed discussion of Mr. Church ill’s suggestions regarding social se curity when the war is. over; but his pertinent remarks regarding the need to preserve the Christian elements in social and educational life were con veniently overlooked. THE INNER ENEMY: • Mr. Churchill resolutely faced the fact that an inner enemy in America and England is apt to continue its drive to enfeeble and undermine our populations, long after the Japanese and Nazi enemies are annihilated. The British Prime Minister declared; “One of the mo§t somber anxie ties which beset those who look thirty or forty or fifty years ahead, and in the field one can see ahead only tpo clearly, is a dwindling birth rate. In thirty years, unless the present trends alter, a smaller working and fighting population will have to support and protect It is not enough that men shall have liberty to read the Bible. They must r e a d it, > and believe. nearly twice as many old people; in fifty years, the position will be worse still. “If this country is 'to keep its high place in the leadership of the world, and to survive as a great power that can hold its own against external pressure, our people must be encouraged by every means to have larger fami lies.” From the days of the old Roman Empire, and even earlier, a dwindling birth rate has been a sure symptom of the rise of the philosophy and prac tice of paganism. A heightening di vorce rate and a falling birth rate are the inevitable products of apostasy and godlessness, of the overthrow of Biblical principles, and the substitu tion of •the immoral cults of self- indulgence. As Mr. Churchill pointed out, the nation can be made and kept strong only as the home is 'restored to its rightful place of dominance in the social order. Only a return to the “ I wore an emblem b e a r i n g the words, ‘Christ came to save sinners,’ and my superior officer advised me not to report to work until the pin had been removed.” — A Government Employee. September 1943 325 A NOTE of victory in Christian war fare is necessary. In the text a Lmetaphor is used of the Roman of the Christian. Paul u s e s this metaphor of th e triumph to describe certain aspects of the Christian life. He had seen enough of these Roman triumphal arches and probably some of the processions so that it was an apt figure for his use. The comparison of Christianity to warfare is most appropriate. In fact, this is probably the most repeated metaphor in the Bible and in hym- nology. We are enjoined to fight against Satán, against the world, against temptation, against self, and against mere inertia.; We are told to be “ a good soldier,” to “fight the good fight of faith,” that “our warfare is not with fleshly weapons/’ and to “con tend earnestly for the faith." Any one who seriously tries Christianity, knows that war is the best description of it War depicts the sacrifice, the. toil, the suffering, the expenditure of money and effort, the self-denial, and the heroism which are connected'with Christianity. One need only think of the sacrifices which have been made by missionaries and are being made today, to realize that this is a war of no mean proportions. The holy war of Christianity demands from its soldiers all that a worldly war demands from those young men who are laying down their positions, giving up homes and loved ones, and going into encamp ment, for the possible reason of shed ding their blood for the country. Yet this very fact of the warfare of the Christian against sin, evil, and Satan, is often forgotten by Christians who desire to take their ease in Zion. Heaven was never attained on flow ery beds of ease and It never will be, for Christianity is warfare. The con flict comes before the victory, the suf fering before the triumph, both in the individual Christian’s experience and in the church. Without great dangers, sufferings, and struggles, there would be no triumph in an individual life. We are constrained that this note of triumph is needed by many who em brace Christ’s cause today. If there is an absence of the note of triumph it is because we have entered no war, have made no sacrifices, have met no obstacles, have undergone no jeopardy for Christ. The note of peace at any price, appeasement of evil, compro mise, retrenchment—this has been the note of the church. For such there can never be a triumph. There can never be intoxicating joy of victory and of IThis message by the Pastor of the Park Street Congregational Church, Boston, Mass., was delivered over the Church of the Air, Columbia Broadcasting System. On two oc casions recently. Dr. Ockenga has been a visi tor to Los Angeles, speaking from the plat form of the Church o f the Open Door. — KTUTOR 1 triumph as similar to the experience "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowl edge by us in every place" (2 Cor. 2:14). "Nay, in all these things we are more than c onque r o r s through him t ha t l oved us" (Rom. 8:37). "And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). now writes, some new danger had come to him in Asia, the nature of which we do hot know. He describes it: .“We would not, brethren, have you to be ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life.” Distress came to him from still another condition, however, name ly, the spiritual confusion and turmoil which e x i s t e d in the Corinthian cjiurch. Paul’s life was bound up with these churches. Therefore, he immediately dispatched the f i r s t Epistle to the Corinthians, instructing and exhorting them as to what they should do. A great contrast is here brought out between the life which Paul lived and what people imagine the Christian life to be. These afflictions which Paul mentioned are but a small part of the general afflictions which, he [ Continued on Page 330] By HAROLD JOHN OCKENGA glory, and there can never be any tro phies in their train. For the church we say, Away with such inglorious, anaemic, vacillating leadership and spirit in individual lives. “Cross of Christ lead onward, through the holy war; By this sign we conquer, now and ever more. Not of man the power, not to man the fame; We are victors only in our leader’s name.” Paul's Victory Think of the mighty afflictions and deprivations -under which Paul passed in his Christian warfare. As he wrote this second Epistle to the Corinthians from Macedonia he remembered vivid ly his recent terrible trial at Ephesus when his ministry was concluded by a riot in the amphitheater, led by Alexander the coppersmith. At that time his life was in danger,.but as he THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S 326 "But just a bund on that lever in control», u little turning, and you can 9° sixty stories with safety. That is exactly what happens as we entirely, gladly, joyously, intelligently place ourselves under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." A Study in Two Parts By RUTH PAXSON Spirit, whose baptism he received at the moment of his new birth, is his Sanctifier. As such, He is the One who will, in actual experience, sep arate the Christian from all that per tains to the world and the flesh, and will separate him unto all that per tains to Christ and the Church and the Spirit. In this new sphere, it is as the Holy Spirit infills the yielded, trusting Christian that He accomplishes His work as Sanctifier. Is the fullness of the Holy Spirit optional? May I choose whether I will be filled or not? Hear what the Word of God says to those whom Christ has saved: “Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). And that is a command. It is God’s will. Two Classes of Christians But with crystal clearness we see from Scripture that there are two kinds of Christians. Is it not strange that it is possible for there to be two kinds of Christians, since the fountain formed, and flesh»controlled. The sin ner is part of this trinity of .evil and hate. The position of the saint is the exact antithesis of that of the sinner. Ac cording to the Word of God, he is a “saint” in respect to his position, be cause he has believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. He has put his trust in the atoning blood of the Son of God. In so doing, he has passed from the for mer side of the Cross into an utterly new realm. He is now in Christ, in the Church, and in the Spirit. Ephe sians 2:4-6 tells that the believer has been quickened together with Christ, raised up together with Christ, and made to sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.- HiS life is therefore Christ-centered, Christ-conformed, and Spirit-controlled. He is part of the trinity of holiness and lové. That the Christian’s condition may correspond with his position, the Holy I . G od ’s P ro v is io n \ CCOBDING to the Word of God, / \ there are just two positions in X j Lwhich any human can be—one is the position of the sinner, the other that of the saint. These two positions are radically different, as the accom panying chart shows. The sinner is in S a t a n , in the world, and . in t h e fldsh.* As a result,1he is u n d e r the d l e t a t ion of thè devil, the direction of the world, and the domination of the flesh (Eph. 2:1-3). The sin-, ner’s life is Sa tan—.centered, w o r 1 d'-'Con- ______ ______ C H R I S T Christ Church Spirit Sàjtan World Flesh September 1943 327. of life is the same for each? Each has b,een brought into living, vital oneness with the Lord Jesus Christ, each has been given the blessed gift of the Holy Spirit to do the same work in each, and yet there is such a difference in the quality of the lives of Christians that in God’s Word He calls the one a carnal -Christian, and the other a spiritual Christian. And we are told that the carnal Chris tians are those that remain babes in Christ. They never grow up. There is very little evident spiritual growth. Then, in contrast, there is the spir itual Christian, who is the full-grown, mature, ever-growing Christian. He is the one who, no matter how spiritual he is, is becoming more spiritual all the time; knowing .the Lord Jesus' Christ better, loving Him better, re vealing Him more perfectly in his life day by day to others, having the pow er of the Lord manifested in his life, having the passion of the Lord for souls. - Friend, if ' you are a believer in Christ, which type of Christian are you? You are either one or the other.1 Which are you—a carnal Christian or a spiritual Christian? Every one of us ought to know which kind he is. Other people know. Your family knows, your friends know, your church" knows. You and I should know. And we should be willing to face honestly that question. A carnal Christian is a sick Chris tian. Why is it that we care so much more for physicaLhealth than for spir itual health? Why is it that we care so much' more for the filthy lucre of the world than we care for the un searchable riches of Christ? How to Change Classifications The surest way to become a spiritual Christian is to acknowledge that you are carnal, When once you say it and frankly acknowledge that you now ■ care more for the things of earth and time and sense than you care for the things of heaven and eternity and Christ, you have taken the first step toward getting out of a life of car nality into a life of spirituality. That is the hardest step to take. We cannot bear to acknowledge what we are. Is this not true? Friends have come to me to talk over their spiritual condition, and it takes about half an hour, as a rule, to get them to admit that they are what they know they are. They came to talk it over because they were that, blit they just cannot1come to the point of actually saying out and out, “Yes, that is what I am.” ’"That is just the issue the Lord is having with most of us all the tim e/W e will not admit the presence within us of that hideous, hateful thing called “self,” that great big capital “I.” Oh, how clearly we see it in the other fellow and go around telling everyone else how bad it is in other people. We have long sight but no' short sight—we are not shortsighted enough to see that ugly thing in our selves that others see in us as clearly as we see it in them. That is just where our trouble begins, and we will never get out of Romans 7 to live in Romans 8 until we are willing to ac knowledge our presence in Romans 7 and start from there. What do we find in Romans 7? it is a picture of a carnal Christian, de feated, discouraged, yes, despairing; one who comes to cry out from the depths of his innermost being,- “O .wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (v. 24). Have you come to that place? L believe we must get to the end of Romans 7 before we can get into Romans 8. Or it may be we reach the end of Romans 7 and stay there instead of going on into Romans 8, because we do not know the way. A Question of Relationships Other times, the difficulty is that we are unwilling to pay the price of the transfer from one experience to the other. The Christian has to. make a choice. He must choose between the rulership of self and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. No Christian can pos sibly live a life of victory without making that choice. The root reason for every defeat in your life and mine lies right there. There must be a defi nite, intelligent, final choice of Jesus Christ as Lord if there is going to be a life of victory with its resultant, peace and rest and power. In Romans 7, as we go on to the next verse after that anguished cry, we read,' “ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” There is the way of victory as far as our relationship to Christ is con cerned. We give to Him the absolute, undivided Lordship over our lives. Have you done that? Do not say. you do not know whether you have yielded Him Lord- ship or not. Friend, if you do not know, you have not done it. If you have triily crowned Christ Lord, you know. Within a half day after you do it, you will know, because the Lord will exercise His Lordship. That is the reason He, wants sovereignty over you and me, and the moment He begins to exercise it, you—your self life—begin to kick, to rebel, to resist. You will know whether He is exercising His Lordship or not. Then we mus^ come into a new adjustment with the Hoiy Spirit, in order that there may be complete and continuous victory over our three enemies—Satan, the world, and the flesh. You and I have but a twofold concern. Our concern is that we are in a right arid full relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ, and a right and full adjustment to the Holy Spirit. When we aré, we do qot have to be parleying with the devil. Our defeat often lies here. We try to deal di rectly with the devil, and we in our selves are no match for him, and we never will be. He already has been dealt with at the cross, and we need . only to utilize 'Christ’s victory. Furthermore, we are trying to deal with the world in every little allure ment and enticement it brings up and to decide whether we should do a spe cific thing this time. I hear this, “Oh yes, I do not go to 'any-but just cer tain elite movies. And I choose the kind of movie to which I go." Conse quently, every time you have to find out whether it is the right kind of movie. You think it is; and when you get there you find it is not! At Cal vary, the' “world”—that Satan-domi nated system that is opposed to God —has been taken care of; the flesh has been taken care of. Your concern is to see that you are rightlj) con- [Continued on Page 358] There are two laws—the law of sin and' the law of the Spirit, and we make a choice as to which we will be under. We are under one or the other. The law of sin always takes us Satanward, earthward, downward, and backward. It cannot do otherwise. The law of the Spirit always takes us Christward, upward, heavenward, and onward. It can take us no other way. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." —Romans 8:1, 2. * THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S 328 McLeroy (left) stirred a congre- of some 3,000 hearers in the Church of the Open Door, when he spoke on “The Civilian’s Tremendous Re- That message, printed in the June issue of this Before going overseas, Chaplain gation Los Angeles, sponsibility.” much favorable comment. He approaches with the same directness and challenge. magazine, has elicited the present discussion Missions?” What About By JAM ES B. McLEROY Chaplain, United States Army Air CorpS ren. Redeemed, now, by the Lord Jesus Christ, they 'come to worship, and most of all, they give to missions. When I asked a chief of his tribe “Why do you do this?” he answered, looking up, “Because of Him. He has done so much for us.” There is much yet in which these natiyes need teach ing. But, oh, what a difference has already been wrought in them! They now have life through Christ, and "Chaplain, having loved Him, they “love the brethren.” Laboring as I do among them, there has come to me an evaluation of the whole subject of missions. The missionary impulse, it seems to me, has been the identifying mark of Christians of all ages. Since that lion-hearted, silver-tongued, r u g g e d fellow with a leather girdle about his middle, whom Biblical writers call ^-|-^ODAY I LIVE on an island where not many years ago people wore no clothes; and where, in many cases, they do so now only to avoid entanglements with the authorities. In the last decade this very atmosphere has been pol luted by the smell of cooked human flesh. In my chapel service each Lord’s day are men who, in former days, actually have eaten their breth- September 1943 329 John the Baptizer, first stepped down to the fords of the Jordan and began to proclaim the advent of a great and m i g h t y personality, Jesus Christ— from that time until now, men have been identified by their works. It may be a proud and haughty perse cuting rabbi, who suddenly says, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” and who then gives himself to be stoned in Lystra, to be imprisoned, to be shipwrecked, and finally to be beheaded' in Rome ior his efforts. It may be a poor Negro tenant farmer in East Texas, who prays over his campfire, as I. am sure old “Bully,” my Negro friend, does pray for the success and protection of a certain army Chaplain. But, my friend, in each case there is the manifestation of the missionary spirit. It is found wherever Christians are found. The Divine imperative Let us ask ourselves: Why do we be lieve in missions? Then, having asked the question, let us answer frankly and honestly. I think, first, we should list the fact of accepted custom or childhood training. “Missions” are a part of the church budget, and therefore we feel should be supported along with the rest; Or this kind of ministry is part of what we believe, and so is not to be questioned. Of outstanding importance, it seems to me, is the fact that the New Testa ment is most explicit on this point. It is impossible for one to read this God-inspired Book and not find on every page commands and exhorta tions to make Christ known to all the world. When Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world,” certainly that was a command. Who on this earth, other than fools, would dare violate a direct command given by One with such absolute authority as J e s u s Christ possesses? His is authority not ob tained by political chicanery or usur pation. God Himself entrusted the world’s redemption unto His Son. He has authority to command us, who are saved by His atonement, because we are not our own but are doubly [ Continued on Page 359]. A Staff Sergeant Speaks By S/SGT. WALTER L. FRAY O N THIS island »somewhere in the Southwest Pacific, where not many decades ago canni the United States Army, along with other Allied forces,* is working side by side with natives and missionaries. To most of us, it was our first oppor tunity to see the results of mission work on foreign fields. I believe that the greater part of the boys here will go back home with the determination ♦ to do more for the missionary pro gram. We see the need of more mis sionaries here on this island, to say nothing of the near-by islands where the white man still has not gone for fear of-being used for a pot of soup, or of being roasted. But when we think that these cannibals are souls for whom Christ died, we realize how little we are doing for the cause of lost humanity. It is a great challenge to us as Christians to heed the command that Christ gave when He said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel." This command is still given today. As a Christian, what will you do with it? We are glad that we are in a loca tion where we can have a chapel and regular chapel programs. One thing of much interest to us is the sharing of our chapel with the natives. Each Sunday we have a goodly number of them present, and even though they cannot understand the English lan guage, they realize that they are in a sacred service. Our Sunday morning services usually begin with a song by them in their own native tongue. The have wonderful harmony, and get great b l e s s i n g from singing praises to His name. Since we Army men have seen the results of missions, and the need for more workers, we have decided that even though we are among the armed forces of our nation on this far dis tant island, and cannot talk to the natives because of the difference in our languages, there is still something that we can do, and that is to give a part of our earnings to the mission program. This idea was born in our weekly prayer meetings, and as far as we know is something entirely new in the Army. The Lord has greatly blessed us for our efforts with a little over a thousand dollars in the last few months. * We were confronted with the ques tion of where to send our proceeds. After much prayer about the matter, and since our group represents almost every denomination, we decided upon a plan of distributing the money to many mission stations throughout the world. Our prayer is that the Lord will use it to His name's honor and glory. Will you who read this pray with us that regardless of the outcome of the conflict that we are now in and regardless of who goes home and who does not, we will be true to Him who gave Himself that we through His poverty might have eternal riches? bals ruled in their own way, today Left: Choir of the Natives of the Island. Above: Army Post Chapel Choir. All photographs by Headquarters 13th Atr Depot Group TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S 330 ' is able to hold one steady when the billows break over the barque of his life. To be able to believe in God whose hand is at the helm, who is the disposer of .destiny, who has an all- embracing will, is to give one stabil ity in trouble. God is not only neces sary to keep us on the course, in this warfare, but to provide the strength to continue it and the promise as to its end. For this reason, the Apostle wrote, “All thirigs- work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” This belief in God gives inner resources which can be obtained in no other way. The confidence that nothing can be fall you without God’s permitting it, is the greatest triumph in your victory or triumph over circumstances. If you are willing to stop fighting mentally, spiritually, and i n w a r d l y against your lot, if you will use this mighty but dissipated energy to get well, to ■conquer obstacles, to do something for others, you may have the victory. Re member that God controls the events of your life. But Paul also ascribed this victory as coming “through Christ.” . The Bible holds out no promise of your victory or your triumph outside of Christ. Without Him you are a p a w n of wicked forces doomed to defeat, bat tered by caprice, apd though you may think your head, being bloody, is un bowed, as Henley did, you are men aced at every step and moment of life by death itself. Who is able to de liver you from-death? Only Christ. Christ has won the great triumph. He is the Victor. Paul declares that on the cross He triumphed over all principalities and powers openly, that He spoiled them as a conqueror spoils the vanquished, that He made a. show *of them openly as Julius Caesar or1 Titus made an open show of those vanquished in their g r e a t battles. Hence, you may be sure that there was something more to Calvary than mere ly a demonstration of God’s love to men, something more than the death of a martyr for the truth which He preached, something more than a po litical offender dying because h^ op posed the powers that be. On Calvary there was a spiritual battle which was won, and following it the Lord Jesus Christ led captivity captive and before the universe deiqpnstrated His su premacy over all spiritual enemies. God Himself once and for all defeated our enemy, the accuser, the angel of death, by submitting to death on Cal vary and emptying it of its sting. Thus Christ is the secret of the be liever’s victory. When we are united with Christ all that He overcame is vanquished for us. We know that He overcame temptation, sorrow, sin and death, and thus we believe He can overcome this for us. It is the living flict and even'more than a victor he has resources which enable him to say something to us. One who, out of the midst of these disturbing experiences, can say, “thanks be unto God, which a l w a y s causeth us to triumph in Christ,” has a message and a note to sound for our day. This was merely another vindication of God’s present help which was evident in all of Paul’s life unto the very end. This victory is held out by this great Christian as the average believer’s privilege. He said, “We are more than conquerors.” . This victory or tri umph is not something reserved for a choice few such as Bishop Taylor or John Wesley, but is available for all, for every believer. Any man who will enter his Christian heritage may have a daily triumph as a foretaste of the great ultimate triumph that is to come. Many crowns are promised in the Word of God to the overcoming soul. He shall have an incorruptible crown that fadeth/not away, a crown of life, a crown of glory, a crown of righteousness laid up for those who love His appearing, but the d a i l y crown of victorious* living is one.of the best. The Means of Victory Paul in this epistle gives three great ’means o f victory: first, God; second, Christ; and third, the spiritual weap ons of warfare. , The Apostle commences his peon of praise by saying, “Thanks be. unto God.” God was placed as the source and center of all of Paul’s victory. The. belief in God and God’s purpose “THE REDEEMED SHALL WALK THERE” By MARTHA SNELL NICHOLSON Some glad day I shall walk againI Sometime my eager feet. Sensing a blessed Presence near. Shall turn and run to meet The One who, dying on a cross. Redeemed my flesh and soul. Straightened this twisted spine of mine. And made me new and whole! All memory of helplessness. Of crutch, and iron brace Will melt like mist when I be hold The beauty of His face! And so I wait. On swift wing comes That blessed moment when He'll take my hand, and smiling, teach Me how to walk again! NOTE OF TRIUMPH [ Continued, from Page 325], underwent as a good soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ.. Paul had taught Jiirnself to endure hardness as.,a good soldier for he was compelled to under go much. He said, “Even unto this present hour we .both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are .buf feted, and have no certain dwelling place; and labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the-world, and. are the offscouring of all thipgs unto this day.” On another occasion Paul declared, “Are. they ministers of Christ? I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more - frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save -one. '^Thrice ,was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of rob bers, in perils by mine own country men, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilder ness, in perils in the sea, in perils among f a l s e brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without? that which cometh upon me daily, the care, of all the churches:” | The preaching which describes the C h r i s t i a n life as all smiles, airy, breezy, and full of nothing but pleas ures, was not the kind of preaching Paul g a v e and not the experience which he had. Paul had no plaster Smile upon his face for every one whom he .met. There were times when he was deeply concerned over matters in these churches. There was no ab surd self-deception about all men be ing good, about there being no sin and no sorrow in the world. Paul knew that the world was full of it and he had had plenty of it a? his own share. Yes, if Paul’s life is anything of a standard fbr us, we may conclude that this life is a war, a fight to the death against sickness, sorrow, temptation, loss, failure, need, and evil. It is a ‘ false idea to affirm that one is a Christian because God has blessed him with a family, a home, and happi ness, as some contend. Paul had none of these things and yet Paul was. a victorious Christian and many have followed in his train. Yet Paul declared that the Chris tian way is the way of victory. He, himself, contended that he was more than conqueror in all these things through Christ who loved him. When one can come off .victor in this con September 1943 331 that man will never die, but in Christ hé has victory over death. Thus also we are to overcome poverty, igno rance, and weakness so prevalent in the world. We are to triumph over temptation, sin, and even the gates of hell itself. The principle d e c l a r e d by John, which gives us victory over the world, is our faith. The beginning of this f a i t h is the actual conviction that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I do not mean by that that Jesus was a superman, but that Jesus actually was the Son of God as thé Bible declares Him to be, born of a virgin, living a sinless life, performing' miracles, dy ing on the cross as a substitute for men and man’s sin, rising again, and now exercising the powers of deity. Christ in us who affords divine ac tivity on our behalf, which gives us the victory. Thus Paul could say, and we can say with him, “I can do all, things through Christ w h i c h strengtheneth me.” If God withheld not His own Son but freely delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also with Him f r e e l y give us all things? In Christ, we are on the road to victory. A third factor enters, however, into the means of our victory, and that is our willingness to wage warfare with the spiritual rather than the carnal weapons. •These spiritual weapons in clude prayer. One may be sure that day and night Paul was interceding for this Corinthian Church* and that through his intercession the Spirit of the living God was mightily persuad ing the Corinthian Christians to obey the Apostle’s exhortations and com mandments. Yet a n o t h e r spiritual weapon is the Word of God which is sharp and powerful and is able to di vide between the thoughts and the intents of the heart. Expert use in the Word of God is a weapon of spir itual victory. Likewise, the blood of the cross may be used as a weapon of victory. It was the shedding of this blood, namely, the giving of the life of the Son of God'in sacrifice, which won the great victory and which re- ■ peats victories in individual lives to day. Finally, we would but men tion the Spirit of the Lord as a weap on of warfare, for he who possesses the Spirit of Christ knows the mind of the Lord, is able to do his work in the power of the Spirit, is most equipped for Christian warfare. Victory Won by Faith The Apostle John declared, “What soever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that* overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” One has defined the world as all that antagonizes God, God’s kingdom, His cause, His people, and His law. Whatever dims the sense of the divine or devitalises faith is, properly speaking, the world. “Who soever is overcome by the world is one who lets the present outweigh the future, who allows self to crowd out God, and the perishable to overshadow the eternal.” If we, in turn, overcome this world, we must have victory over piain, over anxiety, and over death it self, with all that is included in these three great words. We do not say that a man will never be concerned, but we do believe that in God he will have the vietory over his concern. We do not say that a man shall never have pain, but we believe that in God he shall have victory over his pain. We do not say To all those who thus believe on Christ and commit themselves to Christ, God gives the promise that they are born again, and whosoever is born of God overcometh the world. That is the promise made to those who are re generated, that- is, to those who have received the divine life by faith in Christ and who have bqcome kindred with God. Is it not wonderful how. the Bible begins so much of its teach ing with this essential step of being born again? It is so here, and it' is so with all the matters of the king dom. • Thus this promised victory is a faith victory. It is by faith that' we are united to the great Victor, Christ, and it is this Christ who alwaya causes us to triumph. .Dr. Talbot's Question Box Questions for answer in this department' should be sent to the E d i t o r i a l Department, THE KING’S BUSINESS, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 13, Calif. angel Gabriel, announced Christ’s coming birth to ’ Mary he said, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall over shadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called ,the Son of God” (Lk. 1:35). At the time of our Lord’s bap tism, God’s voice was heard saying of Christ, “This is my belovec Son,, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). Other références to this event are found in Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22. Also, we find Christ’s claim of Himself as the §on in these words from- John 10:30: “I and my Father are one.” Many Scripture references to this claim may be found, three of which are the following: Matthew 10:32, 33; John 14:9; 20:17. QUE.: Can a murderer be saved ? Yes; the repentant thief on the cross was a murderef and a robber, and yet Christ said to him, “Today shalt thou be with me iq paradise” (Lk. 23:43). David was a murderer, but.he was for given. Murder is a terribie sin. But we must be careful not to limit the power and the grace of God. And we must be careful not to put a difference between the self-righteous, moral man and the sinner who acknowledges his great wrong. In the sight of God, sin is sin, and “ all have sinned, ahd come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Only the blood of Christ can save the self-respecting man, and only the blood of Christ can save the acknowl edged thief and murderer. QUE.: Did Christ die as God or did He die as man? In response to your, question as to whether Christ died on the cross as God or man, we would say that when the words, “ I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” came from the lips of Christ in the garden (John 17:4), and “ It is finished” (John 19:30), from those same lips while He was hanging on the cross, we recognize the voice of both God and man. Our Lord came to earth in the form of flesh, according to God’s plan. When He took upon Him our human nature, He did not cease to be God. We cannot single out any particular incident in the life of Christ and say that in it He was found either entirely as man, or entirely as God. As God manifested in the flesh He lived on the earth and died on the cross. From the standpoint of pain, human feeling, reality of physical death, He died as man. However, it was not primarily the death of man, for the sacrifice of ; a human being only could not bring about ,the atone ment for sin and God’s forgiveness of it. It was the death of the second Person of the Trinity which took place on Calvary. QUE.: Why is Christ called “ God’ s Son” ? Regarding your inquiry as to why Christ is called God’s Son, we would answer that He is called the Son of God because God claimed Him as such. When God’s messenger, the
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