Wk>> IsCTke Ckurck On Eartk?
Bj) I. M . Haldeman, D . D.
HE Church is h ere to w itness to the immense tru th th a t in Jesus Christ dwelleth all the fullness of th e deity bodily. He is God m an ifest in the flesh.
He is th e visibility of God in humanity. He is th e “ image of the invisible God.”
The Church is here to w itness th a t God Can never be seen or known ap a rt from Jesu s Christ as risen, immor tal, glorified Son of God and God th e Son. “ GOD IN CHRIST”— th a t is the testim ony of the Church. God in Christ, no t God in creation, not God in providence—bu t God in the risen, glorified, imm ortal man— Jesus Christ. The Church is h ere to testify th a t faith in God, to be saving faith, must be faith in th e God revealed in flesh— God in Christ. The Church is here to say to th e world: “ You may believe in th e existence of God— th ere is no m erit in th a t, only th e fool denies it. “You may believe in God as the C reator— no faith is requ ired for th a t— th e heavens declare th e glory of God and th e firm ament showeth His handiwork. “You 'may believe in th e existence of one God— th ere is no saving value in th a t, devils believe, trem ble and are lost forever. “ If you would be saved you m ust believe in th e God revealed alone in Christ.” God in Christ! th a t is th e testimony to which th e Church is called. The Church is here not only to w itness to the hum anity of Christ, to His proper and tru e deity, no t only th a t He is God and man in one body, two n atu res and one person forever; bu t th a t He is th e Lamb of God, the complete and perfect fulfillment of all th e sacrificial types; th a t th e cross was the antitypical a lta r and His blood the only ground of approach to God, the only way of redemption and salvation for man. The Church has been brought in to preach— “ Jesus Christ, and H im crucified.” The Church is here to deny salvation by character, to repudiate the righteousness of man and proclaim th a t th e obedience of Christ unto death makes Him the righteousness of God unto all and upon all them th a t believe, to all who offer Him by faith as a sacrifice for sin and claim Him as personal sub stitu te for the sinner; th a t He now sits upon th e F a th e r’s th ron e th e new Head of th e hum an race, the second and la st Adam, th e visible God of the universe, able to give new and sp iritu al life to all who confess Him as such: able to save unto the u tterm o st all who come unto God by Him. The Church is here to Witness th a t He is coming again to raise th e dead who died in H is name, transfigure the living who are His and give them immortal, glorified bodies like His own.— (I. M. Haldeman, D.D., in recent booklet “The Olive Tree.” )
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker