THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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la r massacre is not chronicled by any secular historian, Jesus discerned its prophetic significance. The carnage due to- P ilate’s sword is only the prelude to th a t which will be carried out by th e Roman Army th roughou t Palestine. F o rty years la ter th e nation expiated its impenitence. Jesus also mentions ano th er d isaster which he applies to the inh ab itan ts of Jerusalem . This w arn ing was also justified fo rty years later in th e fall of th e city. When a dis aster befalls an individual, th ere is a disposition among men to seek its cause in some special gu ilt of th e victim. Jesus tu rn s His hearers back to human gu ilt in general and th e ir own in par ticu lar and from th a t derives a motive to hum iliation and conversion. In the figure of th e fig tree, th ree years rep re sent th e tim e of grace gran ted to Israel. The parable shows th a t th e tim e of respite graifted to Israel is nearing its end. P au l apparen tly alludes to this saying in Rom. 11:22 when he admon ishes Gentile Christians, as the branches of th e wild olive tree. The inevitable resu lt of impenitence is destruction. WEDNESDAY, May 21. Isaiah 1:10-20. Necessity of Repentance. Repentance means a change of mind. The word has reference to a m ental act or process. To tra n sla te th e word “rep en t” by “ do penance” as in Douay version, it is to do violence to th e ori ginal, since penance is an outw ard act. Much so-called exposition is merely imposition. P au l • declares th a t the m ind of th e flesh is death bu t th e m ind of th e Spirit is life. Rom. 8:6. This reveals th e necessity of repentance. The m ind of the n a tu ra l man m ust be changed in order to have the m ind of Christ. The reversal of the m ental and sp iritu al machinery is so radical and revolutionary th a t S cripture represents it as being the work of th e Spirit of God. Je r. 31:18. Ezek. 36:26; Matt. 7:17, 18; Jno. 6:44-65; Eph. 2:5-10; Phil. 2:13. Nevertheless men are exhorted in S cripture to change th e ir own m ind and to m ake themselves a new h ea rt since ability determ ines obli gation. Ezek. 18:26, 27, 31, 32; Matt. 11:28-30; Acts 2:38 and 3:19. We may possibly reconcile these app aren t contradictions by assum ing th a t in the case of sinners Divine grace always tak es th e iniative,, not because th e sin ner can not bu t because he will no t of him self tu rn unto th e Lord.
THURSDAY, May 22. P sa. 51:1-17. David’s Repentance. David is called in th e Scriptures a man a fte r God’s own h eart, not because he never sinned bu t because his sin was always followed by repentance. He sinned frequently and grievously b u t he was pardoned and restored upon con fession and repentance. A man should be judged no t by th e number of times he falls bu t by th e number of times he rises again. Those who condemn David unsparingly for his g reat sin, should p u t th e fifty-first Psalm before the thirty-second which m arks his absolu tion. The self-abhorrence and remorse of th e penetential Psalm could only have been felt by a tru e child of God. Here is the difference between th e sin ner and th e saint. The ¿inner lives in sin and loves it. The sain t lapses into sin and loathes it. 2 P et. 2:22. There is a sense indeed in which it may be said th a t one never really repents un til he becomes a Christian for only th en can he have an adequ ate and clear con ception of th e enorm ity and heinous ness of sin. The story of th e prodigal may be summarized in six successive stages. Self-will— “F a th e r give me th e portion of goods th a t falleth to me.” H is requ est showed discontent, an unfilial sp irit and a desire to have th e fa th e r’s bounty w ithout th e fa th e r’s presence. It would be a m isfortune to have some of our prayers answered. Psa. 106:15. Self- indulgence— “He wasted his substance in riotous living.” W ant always fol lows wastefulness. If self-indulgence is th e way into th e far country, self- denial is the way out. Self-degrada tion—5»“He began to be in w an t.” The pleasures of sin are for a season only. He would not live w ith his fath er. He was compelled to live w ith swine. “No man gave unto him .” The swine were b etter off th a n he. Self-discovery— “When he came to him self.” He had been beside himself. Sin is no t only m oral obliquity. It is m ental abera- tion. H ell is no t only a penitentiary. It is a lun atic asylum. Self-surrender — “ I will arise and go to my fa th e r.” His resolve resu lting in action was th e tu rn in g point. .It was as prompt as it was wise. Self-recovery— This begins w ith confession of guilt, not general b u t personal. Salvation comes th rough FRIDAY, May 23. L uke 15:11-24. The P rod ig al’s Repentance.
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