August 1928
K i n g ’ s
B t; s i n e s s
T h e
474
mined beforehand the consummation and goal of history— this same God Himself has broken into human history and become a part of the stream! “ When the fulness o f the time was come God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, born under the law.” “ And the Word was made flesh and pitched His tent among us.” “ God was in Christ.” Search all the other religions o f the world, and you will find nothing like this. Here we have the surest proof that the history o f our race is more than a little “ froth” tossed up for a moment on the shores of eternity, destined soon to vanish and be forgotten. The entrance of God into a permanent identifi cation with humanity gives immense dignity to our little day-, and guarantees that its issues are at the last imperish able. T h e F a lse F o c u s T HE Biblical Recorder of New Zealand quotes the Bishop o f Durham as having said that “ the future of institutional Christianity is becoming uncertain.” By institutional Christianity, we understand Christianity as it is organized in church-forms; . W e have been hearing much talk o f this kind of late, both from liberals and ultra-conservatives. There are many devout people among us who have come to look upon organized churches as “ Babylon,” from which ¿they are called to separate themselves entirely. The editor of The Recorder wisely says :jj“ We ought to be careful not to exaggerate the difficulties of the pres ent situation. The times may have been as bad before, but the church visible still persists. There is always a ten dency to regard our own aga* as the corner-stone o f time and ourselves as those on whom the ends of the world have come. In consequence o f this we may view current events out of focus and in a false perspective. W e very easily forget the defects of the former days to which we look back with admiration and desire.” It was said of Dr. R. W . Dale, that he drove in his nails with such force that he often split the wood. There is great danger in persistently casting slurs upon the organized church. It is true that organized churches may sicken and die when error creeps in. He who walks among the golden lampstands has had to say to many a church: " I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candle stick out o f his place except thou repent.” ' W e believe organized Christianity must prevail if any great outstanding missionary program is to be carried out. Neither the extreme Liberalist, with his idea that Chris tianity will eventually be an atmosphere without an institu tion, nor the orthodox extremist with his idea that it is suf ficient to belong merely to the “ invisible church,” can be right. The fact that we believe our Lord’s coming near at hand should bind us all the more closely to. the visible church, provided ive are so situated that we can affiliate with an organization not given over to modernism, for are we not exhorted to “ forsake not the assembling o f our selves together . . . . and so much the more as we see that day approaching” ? The editor of The Recorder concludes ,that there never was a nobler opportunity for the visible church than today. “ I cannot think,” he says, “ o f any period in all the history o f the church of Christ when the times were more laden with the promise o f blessing than are these. The Spirit of the Lord is not straitened. His arm has not grown weary, the promises have not lost their verity.”
Daniel voiced the universal craving of his race. That is why, éven in this secular age, a discussion of “ prophecy” will always draw the crowd. Men are interested in the future. And this interest, at bottom, is not mere, cur iosity about the future,; it is rather a sincere craving for some assurance, some guarantee as to the final outcome of the world. Our Lord recognized this craving as a legitimate inter est o f the human heart, and devoted no small amount of teaching to it's satisfaction. Read His great'prophetic dis courses. Read His promise that the Holy Spirit would show them “ things to come.” Read the entire Book of Revelation which He gives personally from His throne in- the heavens. And, as you read; notice this striking fact : that in all His words regarding the consummation o f the age and the winding up of human affairs, it is not the Father, nor the Holy ¿Spirit, but Jesus-Christ Himself who holds the center o f the stage. He is the Coming Bridegroom, the Lord o f the Harvest, the Raiser o f the dead, the Judge of human destiny, the King of kings and Lord of lords. In other words, just as He is the Father o f history, the Moving Spirit in history, sd at the last Christ appears as the Consummator of history. In all He has the preeminence. And “ He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet.” Jesus Christ, then, is the guarantee of- the final outcome of human history. And if this be true, two things are settled forever. First; the final issue will be holy and good. And second, the final issue is certain. W e may not know all the mysteries of the future,-but thank God we know Christ, and like Paul we “ are persuaded that He is able to keep that which we have committed unto Him against that day.” One might easily suppose that this;¿truth, so full o f comfort and hope to the Christian, would be acceptable to all men. But no. You will find today a large group of influential thinkers who are decidedly against it. They-: argue, for one thing, that if the final Outcome of history be guaranteed in advance, it will paralyze human effort. This may be só dn the case, o f certain types of Idealistic philosophy. But the facts of human experience prove that Christian assurance does not destroy the springs o f human effort. More than that, I affirm that one o f the mightiest incentives to Christian service is this very thing that some have condemned as a paralyzer o f human effort. Let me read the Word o f our Lord : John 6:37, 39. “ All that the Father giveth me shall come to me ; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. . . . . And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that Of all which he hath given me I should' lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” The Greek word translated “all” in these two verses is not masculine, but neuter. The meaning, therefore, is very broad. Not merely all men, but all things —men, kingdoms, principalities, powers, rocks, streams, trees, moral values, even the cup of water offered in His name-— all that belongs to Christ He will get, and nothing that belongs to Him can be lost ! This is the glorious truth that keeps thé Christian steady and unafraid in the darkest hour. This is the guarantee that sends men out into the hard places of the earth, there to win for the Lamb all that belongs to Him. IV . C hrist is the R evealer of G od in H istory This, I contend, is the most astonishing thing of all. There is only time to state it. The Eternal God out of whose bosom the stream of history had its beginning, the Unseen God whose Hand guides the stream of history to its appointed course, the unchangeable God who deter
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