697
November 1927
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
arates them into two classes. His human appearance, which caused some to stumble and to pronounce His pre tensions of judging men absurd, turns out to be the very qualification which makes judgment one of His necessary functions,-:v: Here is a solemn truth for all who are still outside of Christ. They must some day face Him. If He is faced now -M‘the accepted time — the day of salvation,” He will be found a loving Savior, and those who receive Him “shall not come into judgment” (Jno. 5:24). If He is rejected, He must be faced as Judge, and His Word will be, “Depart from me; I never knew you.” In His death He is our sacrifice, satisfying for our sin|t>« In His resurrection He is our Conqueror, guar
The Irresistible Christ jHERE are many who readily think of I Christ as the meek and lowly Naza- J rene Who came into the world and | went about doing good. There is also | much in present-day preaching and W literature about His coming again as = Bridegroom to receive the saints unto 1 Himself. How little, however, we hear and read of His coming to exer cise the office committed unto Him by the Father—-(hat of the Judge of the quick and thè dead ! The New Testament places strong emphasis upon the teaching that both saved and unsaved must stand face to
anteeing the justification of all who believe. In His ascension He is Head of the Church, His spiritual Body. In His intercession He is the High Priest of His people. In His com ing again for the saints, He will be the Rewarder of the faithful. But in the final judgment day He will be thè Judge, Who will need only to point to the record of the words He spoke while upon earth—the words which thousands today are rejecting. ^>14. I H 1 1 8■ Thanksgiving—The Christian’s Business “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks unto His name" (Heb. 13 :15). T HE writer of this Epistle has been showing that the propiti
face with Jesus Christ. “All that are in- the graves shall hear HIS'Hoice and shall come forth; they that hqve done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil Un to the resurrection of condemnation” (Jno. 5:22). He was “ordained o f God to be the Judge” (Acts 17:31). The certificate provided (both for the certainty of a future judgment day and for the certainty that Jesus Christ will be the Judge) was His resurrection (Acts 10:31). This proved Him “the ,Son o f -God with power” (Rom. 1 :4) and guarantees that the final destinies of those who spurn His salvation shall be at His disposition. “He that rejecteth me,” said our Lord, “and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him : the word
that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (Jno. 12:48). Men who scorn the New Testament now will see it opened as one of the books at the Judg ment throne (Rev. 20:12). The words designed to bring life, will rise up as an avenger. The condemnation which even now hangs over the head of His rejecters (Jno. 3;18, 36) will, in that day, appear in final, irresistible, manifested result. The lost will come forth, not to a second chance, but fi> “the resurrection of damnation the “second death.” /'. A striking statement appears in John 5 :27, showing the reason that judgment is committed to Jesus Christ. “The Father hath given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of man.” Some have taken this to mean that He will be Judge because men should be judged by One Who shares their human nature. It means much more than this. Jesus is necessarily Judge because as the Son of Man He appeared as God’s Messenger to the world and because, as “God manifest in the flesh,” He died to provide everlasting life for all. He lives in human form as the very embodiment of the love and life of God. As Son of man, He revealed God’s good will to men and opened wide the gates of salvation. The very presence of such an One sifts men and sep
atory sacrifices of the old law had been forever consum mated in Christ. “There remaineth therefore no more sacrifice for sins.” 7 .7 -^ . For the commemoration of our redemption, provided once for all, another sacrifice has arisen—praise, the fruit of our lips, This is thè true offering of the redeemed soul. Angels and saints in heaven give themselves contin ually to praise. It will be the everlasting work of all who reach heaven. It is not a work which should be saved up until the Thanksgiving season. The more we are in it now the more we become like what we shall be hereafter. Only those who have seen in Jesus Christ their all- sufficient sacrifice know what real thanksgiving is. It is redemption which gives rise to the most profound praise to God. The very first song of thanksgiving of which we read in the Bible (recorded in Exodus) was for redemp tion. Since the fall of man, only those who have expe rienced redeeming grace have had the song of praise to God in their hearts. The Christian’s thanksgiving must always begin with Christ and His redeeming love. Sometimes the heart of the Christian becomes forgetful of the Lord and His marvelous love. Strange to say, the most deficient in thanksgiving are not the suffering, bed ridden, afflicted Christians, but those who have the most
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