September 1924
T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
603
in crimson capital letters on the heights of Culp’s hill at Gettysburg, and every white star in the blue field of the flag was made whiter by the purity of American patriotism; not till every red stripe was deepened by the heart’s blood of the best life of this land; not till authority took the place of uncertain partnership, did this country draw the breath of a definite governmental life. What is a religion without authority? It is as a government without author ity— it is anarchy, rebellion, confusion, conflict. What is religion without authority? It is as a man without back bone. There must be backbone, there must be framework on which to build muscle and tissue and organs if you would have a symmetrical, living man. Religion must have bones in it. It must be full of bones, and these bones must radiate from a central backbone. There must be a skeleton, a framework on which to build muscle and tissue and organ if you would have a symmet rical, living religion. To talk about a religion without authority is as childish as to talk about building a house without foundation, or tying a knot in a rope of sand. A religion without authority is an indescribable fallacy. It is fallacious to set up a religion which denies the deity of Christ. Admit tha,t Christ was not God, then he was either the most arrant imposter the world ever knew or a poor, weak, degenerate, self-deceived brain. In either case He is not fit to be the head of a religion. And yet we are toid with all seriousness that in propor tion as we set aside the deity of Christ, relieve Him from the burden of miracles, bring Him out of the realm of the super natural and grade Him in the category of a good, but natural man, we shall exalt Him into the wider love and fuller apprehension of the sons of men. How can you exalt an impostor or a weakling in the estimation of men? And if Jesus Christ was not God He was one or the other. In the language of the street I might wéll say, “What are you giving us?’ ’ Is. it thought we have no books, that we are confined in our reading to a five-foot shelf, or that there are no thought forces outside the Areopagus of New England? It is a fallacy to seek to build a Christian religion which denies thè Trinity. What is the Trinity? The next time God gives you one of those clear days which makes everything within you vitfel and vigorous, recognize it as due to the presence of that all-embracing mystery we call light. And what is light? Light is one substance with three properties, the actinic, luminiferous and calorific. In spite of the fact that the properties of light are distinct they cannot be separated from each other, Where the one is the others are. Where •the actinic is the luminiferous and the calorific are. Where the luminiferous is the actinic and the calorific are. Where the calorific is the actinic and the luminiferous are. The ^actinic can neither be seen nor felt. The calorific cannot be seen but may be felt. The luminiferous is both seen and felt and is the revelation and expression of the other two. What an absurdity it would be to reject any two of these properties and call the remaining one light. Nay! light is one and yet three. Light is three and yet one. And Holy Scripture says, “God is light.” God is one being— -one God and yet three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In spite of the fact that the person-
alities are distinct they cannot be separated from each other. Where the one is the others are. Where the Father is the Son and the Spirit are. Where the Son is the Father and the Spirit are. Where the Spirit is the Father and the Son are. The Father can neither be seen nor felt. The Spirit cannot be seen but may be felt. The Son can be both seen and felt and is the revelation and the expression of the other two. What an absurdity it would be to reject any two of these persons of the God-head and call the remaining one God. Nay! God is one and yet three. God is three and yet one. And these three distinct persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one Godj in which we neither confound the per sons nor divide the substance. And these three in the one infinité Godhead work out in their indivisible unity, redemption, righteousness and final glory, in the name of Christ and in their unity alone make Christianity possible. A mystery! Beyond all question. And what is a God without mys tery? Whatsis a God whose infinity a finite mind can grasp ? But between a mystery and a puzzle there is an Atlantic Ocean difference. The Trinity is a divine mystery, the simplest statement concerning which may well call upon all the intellect and heart in a human being: But a “multipli cation of infinities” is a vulgar puzzle which might well pro duce laughter in the bottomless pit. It is a fallacy to set up a religion based on the processes of personal evolution and seek thereby to bring forth the divinity in an individual life! You might as well attempt to gather grapes of thorns and figs of thistles, or turn a stone into a Son of God. “ Biola Best Books” Character Studies Delightfully readable, furnishing rich pastures of thought. You will begin with “Reuben, the Unstable” and interested, pass on to “Judah, the Prodigal Son,” Dan, the Subtle,” “ Gad, the Undaunted,” “Joseph, the Greatly Blessed,”—;---- Get this fascinating book of Character studies! The Sons of Jacob and their Tribal Blessings Rev. Thomas Tully, M. A. Cloth $1.75
The Life of Alexander Whyte G. A. Freeland Barbour The study of the life of this great man of God is soul inspiring. Order it Now! Cloth $6.00 The Christ of the Logia A. T. Robertson Cloth $2.00
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B I O L A B O O K R O O M Bible Institute, Los Angeles, Cal.
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