April 1930
184
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
The foregoing information is provocative of specula tion as to where the Indians came from and when and how they lost the knowledge of the true God and of His deal ings with men. These speculations increase when we see the figure of a cross in one of the ruins of an ancient In dian city in southern Mexico. We wonder, too, if Ophir was. another name for South America, and if Solomon’s ships, in quest of gold, landed in Peru and left there some spiritual treasure which, like the gold they took back to Solomon, has disappeared from view. But these specula tions are vain. We know that these millions of Indians exist and that they have a yearning which cannot be sat isfied by their idolatry, sacrifices, and pagan rites, nor by the Romish mockery which whitewashes their sin and superstition. We know that they are included in the “every creature” program of our blessed Saviour. We know that apart from Him they are without hope. We know that He is going to return, probably very soon, from His journey to a far country, and when He returns He will call us before Himself and ask us to render an account of our stewardship. We know that the Good News which He has entrusted to us as messengers is for Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth, and that everywhere that it has been preached in its purity and power it has proved to be the POWER OF GOD unto salvation to everyone that believeth. The millions of In dians in near-by Latin America constitute our Samaria, and yet we have utterly neglected them while engrossed in affairs at home or in more distant lands. he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (1 Pet. 2:22, 23). The writer to the He brews testifies that He “hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). Jesus Him self challenged His adversaries in these words: " Who of you convicteth me of sinf” (Jno. 8:46) ; but no one is known to have accepted the .challenge. Truly, He was the Lamb of God, “without blemish and without spot”! (1 Pet. 1:19). The fact that there is none like Him in this respect is brought out further by such statements as these: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way” (Isa. 53:6) ; and, we have “all sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Steven son’s Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde illustrate the experience of every unregenerate heart. The nobler aspirations of life gradually become weaker and thfe baser beqome stronger, unless the power of Christ enters the life. 2. He was sinless in nature. Gabriel called the child that was to be born of the Virgin Mary, “the holy thing which is begotten” (Luke 1 35) The-Greek verb gennao may as well be translated “bear” as “begat” ; and looked at as a futuristic present passive, the expression would read, “that which is to be born” (Robertson’s Trans, of Luke, pp. 16, 145). Jesus Himself testifies that “the prince of this world cometh: and he hath nothing in me” (Jno. 14:30). On this statement Hovey says: “Nothing that pertains to him as prince of this world. Jesus is, in no respect, in no degree, subject to him. This is probably
hills and the valleys. There exists a double priesthood, there being priests of the sun who function as seers and prescribe what is to be done to recover from illness, and also priests of evil who bewitch folks and bring about their harm or death. Both types direct in worship of their respective supernatural influences. The first are called aj-kij and the others are called aj-itz. Often the double priesthood converges in the same man or woman. They use candles, a native incense called pom, pebbles, curious trinkets, and rum to conjure with. They also construct altars out on the mountains and before great cliffs. Upon these altars they used to sacrifice human beings, as well as animals. Now the offerings generally consist of food and rum and the sacrifice of a chicken or two. The shedding of blood in worship was constantly practiced by the In dians of Central America and Mexico. The Indians also believe that the soul continues to exist after death. The worship of stone idols was prevalent before the Spanish conquest; but the priests of Rome, aided by the arms of Spain, zealously overthrew them and taught the Indians to worship the images of Mary and the saints instead. An old chief once told me that when he burned candles before St. Francis he was worshiping the govern ing spirit of Volcano Agua. Even when an old stone idol is found today the Indians are apt to worship it. This shows how thin their veneering of Catholicism is. The Indians also believe in demons ( aj-tzayi ) which are said to enter people. A demoniac is called an aj-tzayirinek. HE ancient world had its seven great wonders, and so has the modern world; but greater than either are the three wonders set forth in 2 Cor. 5:21. These wonders are greater because they affect our eternal destiny, whereas the former chiefly inspire awe and admiration for the handiwork of God, without conferring any blessing on us. There is a constant tendency for the great facts of our holy faith to begin to seem commonplace. Even Chris tians need again and again to look intently at them in order to keep a fresh sense of their importance and to experience their power. There are many wonders in the Christian religion; but three of them are outstanding. They are found in the words of our tex t: “Him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; that we might ' become the righteous- ness of God in him.” Let us look somewhat minutely at each of them. I. A S inless S aviour “Him who knew no sin.” The Scriptures tell us that “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10), and that “in many things we all stumble” (Jas. 3 :2) ; but here is an exception. Here is One who “knew no sin”! The word for “know” ( ginosko ) used here means that He did not come to any experimental knowledge of sin. He knew what it was to be tempted; He knew sin as an enemy of God and of man; but He did not know it as ah act of His or as a principle in Him. 1. He was sinless in conduct. Peter says that He “did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth : who, when S^W The Three Greatest Religious Wonders 2 Cor. 5 :21 B y H. C. T h iessen
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