THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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—not even death—shall separate us from th e love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. viii. 39), he implies th a t God and His people are united in love, th a t they cleave to each other so elosely th a t noth ing shall divide them . Love ever seeks possession of and fellowship w ith its ob ject (John xiv. 21, 23). God is th e foun ta in of love. ‘‘We love Him because He first loved u s,” and love to God aspires afte r Him, finds in Him its exceeding joy. Can a sta te of insensibility be consistent w ith such love? W ill alm ighty love p er m it such a state? Would it satisfy the h eart of Him who died th a t we m ight live w ith Him? M M YES, H E ’S COMING N o t by proxy, b u t in p erso n : fo r “ th e L o rd H im self sh a ll descend from h e a v e n .” N ot in silence, b u t “w ith a sh o u t”— a “ sig n al s h o u t” (1 Thess. 4: 1 6 ). N ot in w eakness, as a t H is first ad v en t, b u t “ w ith pow er.” N ot in h u m iliatio n , b u t w ith “ g re a t g lo ry ” (M att. 2 4 :3 0 ; L u k e 9 :2 6 ; T itu s 2 :1 3 ). Not alone, b u t a tte n d e d by “ all H is holy a n g e ls” (M att. 2 5 :3 1 ; 2 4 :3 1 ). N ot to be despised an d fo rsa k e n , b u t “ to be glorified in H is p a in ts, and to be adm ired in a ll th em th a t believe” (2 Thess. 1 :6 -1 0 ). N o t to be given a cross, b u t a th ro n e . N o t to be ju d g ed a n d condem ned, b u t to ju d g e a n d reign fo rev er on e a rth ren ew ed a n d redeem ed. N ot w h en everybody is expecting H im , b u t “ su d d en ly ”— “ a s a th ie f in th e n ig h t” to a careless w o rld , a n d w hen th e c ry of “ peace an d sa fe ty ” is h e a rd (M att. 2 4 :3 7 -4 4 ; M ark 1 3 :3 3 -3 7 ; 1 Thess. 5 :1 -6 ). I t is th u s th e B ible af firm s H e w ill come. S hould H e come now , how w ould it b e w ith you? A re you read y ? R em em b er th e p arab le of th e te n v irg in s: “ A nd th e y th a t w ere re a d y w en t in w ith h im to th e m a rria g e , a n d th e door w as sh u t.” (M att. 2 5 :1 0 ). I t w ill m a k e a g re a t and e te rn a l dif ference w hich side of th e door we a re on in th a t day.— J. M. O rrock.
ju st reply to public topics condemning Christian Science, and bear tru e testimony to th e facts pertaining to th e life and char acter of our P asto r Em eritus.” 'P . 75. M rs. E d d y C an F ir e A nybody on E a rth . r‘The P asto r Emeritus of the Mother Church shall have th e righ t to remove a reader from th is office in any church, both in America and foreign nations, or to ap point the reader to fill any office.” P . 57. —K . L. B. M m SOUL SItEEP goes into a protracted unconscious state. The following thoughts from the Word of God may serve to answer th is teaching: The union of Christ w ith H is people en sures th e ir conscious blessedness. This union is vital, spiritual, and inseparable (John xiv. 19, xv. 1-8; 1 Cor. vi. 17; Ephes. v. 30; Colos. iii. 3). They live in Christ, and He livés in them (John vi. 55; Gal. ii. 20). A sta te of unconsciousness would mean th a t th is union was only forensic, representative, and prospective, whereas the Scriptures represent it as a living and abiding reality. The fa c t of regeneration is against an unconscious state. Believers are born again of incorruptible seed (1 P eter i. 23). They are created anew in righteousness and tru e holiness •(Ephes. iv. 24). Our Lord says of th e inner spiritual life th a t it shall be in them a well of living w ater springing up into everlasting life (John iv. 14). I t is also spoken of as a life of progress and grow th (Phil. i. 6; iii. 13-14; 2 P eter iii. 18). W hat becomes of this new and eternal life, if upon th eir depar ture believers enter into a state of uncon sciousness and in activ ity ? Is all progress arrested .for an indefinite period? A re not grace and glory united in th e Word of God? Can there be a chasm between? The m utual love of God and H is people means conscious communion. When Paul asserts his full persuasion th a t nothing EVERAL recent books have re newed th e erroneous teaching concerning ‘‘soul sleep,” mean ing th a t the believer, a t death,
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