THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
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inal, the Father and the prodigal, the Holy One and the sinner, righteously reconciled. This is our standing in the gospel. “ Being justified by faith we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand“ (Bom. 5:1-2). On any other footing, all is precarious and insecure. But here,— “ in the gospel which I preached to you, which also ye re ceived,— ye stand.” The Elements of Salvation 2. By that gospel also “ ye are saved.” For this gospel is indeed “ the power of God unto salvation to every one that be- lieveth.” And it is so, because “ therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, the just shall live by faith.” (Rom. 1:16, 17). Christ crucified may be to some a stumbling block, for He was crucified through weakness. But the weakness of God is stronger than man; and to them, that are called, Christ crucified is the power of God. All the elements of salvation are provided for us and se cured to us in this gospel: free forgive ness; complete acceptance in the ,sight of God; a sure standing in his favor; present peace; renewal also of nature; a new heart; a right spirit; a new prin ciple of holy loyalty implanted in us, namely, love to Him who first loved us; the gift, moreover, of the Holy Ghost; His indwelling in us, to shed abroad in our hearts the love of God to us; to quicken our love to God; to cry in us, Abba, Father; to witness with our spir its that w.e are the children of God; and if the children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ; to be thus in us the earnest of our inherit ance, giving us more and more, in our growing sense of God’s fatherly love to us, and our growing exercise of filial love to God,— in our advancing likeness to Him, and our increasing capacity for knowing, trusting, and delighting in
Him,—an ever brightening foresight, an ever deepening foretaste, of the eternal blessedness of heaven. Such salvation is there in “ the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received and wherein ye stand.” Surely, then, it is not a gospel to be lightly aban doned, or superseded, or changed. Why Not Hold On to It? 3. So the apostle, in substance, pleads, when he puts it, as it were, to the Corinthians to say if they mean to “ keep in memory," or rather simply to keep, to retain and hold fast, "what he preached unto them.” Is it not worth the keeping? Is it not still, as at the first, “ a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation” ? If it is a gospel which you once received; if it is a gospel which is of such power to “ strengthen, stablish, settle you,” to give you a firm - footing and sure standing in the favor and in the family of Heaven; and if it is a gospel which conveys and secures to you, in present possession and in future prospect, such a fullness of saving bene fits; is it to be supposed possible that you will hesitate about keeping it? Depart from this faith and you are at sea again. Questions that concern your best interests for time and for eternity— questions which once seemed to be well adjusted— are again involved in all their old perplexing uncertainty. You have to begin the search for saving light and solid peace anew. And the probability is that, if you yield to the temptation, you may become like those who are “ ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth.” Keep therefore the message once for all de clared. Hold fast that which is good. When at any time you are in danger of being seduced from your steadfastness, let the still small voice of Christ sound in your ear, “Will ye also go away?” And let your reply be prompt, “ Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.”
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