King's Business - 1917-11

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THE KING’S BUSINESS every request even of the believer/ It does teach that God grants to the true believer in Jesus Christ, whatever he asks when he asks according to God’s will (1 John 5:14, 15). Of course it is not the will of God to give victory to both sides in any war or in any battle. Sometimes in His infinite wisdom it is not His will to give victory to either side. So, of course, it is impossible for a German believer to pray according to the will of God for victory for the German forces, and at the same time an English believer to pray according to the will of God for victory for the English forces. If the English believer is really abiding in Christ and the German believer is really abiding in Christ, they will not both pray unconditionally for victory in the same battle. This constantly recurring objection to the Bible doctrine of prayer is singularly shallow and unintelligent. be right, and, therefore, that God is under, obligation to immediately give decisive victory to the side that is in the right, and thus end the war. But the truth is that there is no nation on earth today that is right with God ; there is no nation on earth today, the majority of whose people acknowledge God, not merely with the lip.s, but by their conduct. It is true that the British people have not been guilty of the appalling atrocities and outrages of which the Germans and their allies have been, beyond a question, guilty. Nevertheless, the British as a people, as truly as the Germans, and the Americans as truly as the English, are rebels against God. The vasi majority in all nations today have rejected Jesus Christ, they have not accepted Him as their Saviour and surrendered absolutely to Him as their Lord and Master, and the one thing that God demands of men is to believe on His Son, Jesus Christ (John 6:28, 29; Heb. 11:16; 1 John 3:23). As a nation the English and Scotch are rebels against God; the Americans are rebels against God; the French are rebels against God ; the Germans are rebels against God ; and so is every other nation on earth a rebellious nation. Why should God come to our help? God’s holy book, the Bible, they either reject, ignore or disobey, God’s holy day they keep for their own pleasure. God’s Holy Son, Jesus, they trample under foot. On the Lord’s Day, the house of God is deserted, while the parks, beaches, and mountains, and movies are crowded. The god the mass of the people are wor­ shipping is not the one true God, thè God of the Bible, but the god of pleasure, and the god of money getting, and the god of lust. How can God hear our prayers as a nation? When we repent of our sins and confess them humbly before God, and turn unto God with humiliation and fasting and confession of sin and real renunciation of sin, then we can expect God to hear our prayers and not until then. God in His gracious unmerited mercy may see fit to give us victory and peace before we do this ; but we have no right to expect it, much less demand it. The great need of America, England and France, and every other nation today is not more money or larger preparedness, but genuine repentance before God. The only use the average man has for God, is not to worship Him and obey Him, but to make a convenience of Him, to look to Why does not God give decisive victory, either to the Entente Allies or Central Powers, and Thus End the War ? There are many who are either openly or cov- ertly blaming God for the continuance of this awful war. They think that either one side or the other must Why Does Not God Give Decisive Victory?

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