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Someday, and if God wills, may it be soon, Peace will come. And then for that World of Tomorrow let the Bible with its life saving messagebe takento everyhome—ineveryland. The American Bible Society is ready to act for you in the necessary work of Bible distri bution, of supplying Bibles, New Testaments or portions of the Scriptures wherever they are needed and in whatever language. You can help in this glorious work with actual aid to yourself by securing an Ameri can Bible Society Annuity Agreement which returns as high as 7%. Investigate this Plan of Christian giving at once! Send for the booklet “A Gift That Lives”—find happiness and lifelong security in its pages. . MAI L THE C O U P O N TODAY Please send me, without obligation, your bookletKB26 entitled “ A Gift That Lives!’ Name.. Address ......... ..................... ........ ......... City ............................. State ..... — i American Bible Society, Bible House, New York, N. Y.
j/ie Jaitfi of a child . . .-the peace of a Christian . . . time to enjoy the rich blessings of life. Many Christians, like Mr. R., above, have brought a little bit of heaven on earth to their own hearthstones by means of m o o d y a n n u it ie s . By placing savings in annuities they have secured for themselves regular checks for the rest of their lives, and the deep satisfaction that their Yes, please tell me all about Moody Annuities. Dept. K-704 □ Also send booklet A. I am under 20. Name________________________ S?r<’c[___________________________ City & state MOODY- BIBLE INSTITUTE » 753 INSTITUTE PLACE • OffIC'ÀGO money is being used to help train young men and women for Christian work. What task more noble could your money perform? It’s a simple, sound plan. Send the coupon for details.
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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
The Scroll of the Law
T h e K i n g ' s B u s i n e s s Volume XXXIII October, 1942 Number 10 The True-to-the-Bible Family Magazine
Motto: “ Unto him that loved us. and washed us from our sins in his own blood." (R ev. 1:5).
TABLE OF CONTENTS • C o v e r P h o to gra p h b y U. S. A rm y S ig n a l C orps
Bible study group photographed at Camp Joseph T. Robinson. Arkansas: Left to right : 1st Sgt. D. L. McEntire, Cpl./T Paul Groody, Pvt. Clifford R. Paulsen, Sgt. James H. Kidwell. Pvt. William F. Rose', Pvt. Alvin E. Barrows, Chaplain E. E. Paulson (Biola ’23), Ransom D. Marvin, Staff Artist Around the King’s 'Table— Louis T , Talbot ...................................— ........... 362 Significance of the News — Dan Gilbert .... ..................................................... 363 •Where Soldiers See Prayer Answered - ...... -................................................... 364 The Responsibility for Prayer......... J............................................................... 365* The Missing Note of Repentance— W . S. Hooton ...... ................................. 366 Christians’ Attitude Toward the Seven-Day Week — A Symposium......... .... 368 Driven by Thirst — Paul Hutchens........ ..... ...:................................................ 370 Bible Institute Family Circle....... ................... ................................................. 372 Junior K ing’s Business —Martha S*H ooker ............. .................................. . 373 International Lesson Commentary...:............................................................... . 375 Notes on Christian Endeavor — W illiam W , O rr, W alter S . M ille r, Chester Padgett, Robert James Devine ............... 389 Daily Devotional Readings.......... ..................................................................... 395
The Scroll Is the most Sacred thing in the Jewish Synagogue. Christ read His introductory message from the scroll in the Synagogue. Every Bible Student ought to have one of these miniature scrolls. Our Offer We want you to read The Chosen People, edited by Joseph Hoffman Cohn, son of the late ExRabbi Leo pold Cohn, and considered by many Bible students the most helpful paper on prophecy and the Jew published in America. It gives you inspiring reports of the world-wide activities of the American Board of Missions to the Jews, Inc. Also, we want you to read the life story of ExRabbi Leopold Cohn, written by himself in a six ty-page booklet—one of the most thrilling stories you have ever read. Jews are really accepting the Lord Jesus Christ. The price of the Scroll is 50 cents, and The Chosen People is 50 cents a year. Mr. Cohn’s autobiog raphy is 30 cents. Send us $1 and we will mail you ALL and enter your name for a year’s subscrip tion for The Chosen People; if not satisfied we’ll return your money without a question. And may we remind you also of the continuous need of our Mis sionary undertakings. Our work merits your e v e r y confidence. It is a program of world-wide Gos pel testimony to the Jews. Youi fellowship in prayer and gift is always welcomed and appreciated. The Chosen People is of course
The Official Organ of THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Inc. LOUIS T. TALBO T ' M ILDRED M. COOK Editor-In-Chief Managing Editor
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mount with their g r e a t H i g h Priest, the Son of God, and plead that for God’s own name’s sake He w ill bring t h e i r c o u n t r y through to righteous victory, not for her sake, but for righteous ness’ sake, and for the sake of His name among the heathen?” From a True Soldier of Jesus Christ A reader of THE KING’S BUSINESS recently sent to the Editors a copy of “ a gospel letter written by a godly young R. A. F. cadet and sent to about two hundred of his buddies.” The letter,* which is a personal testi mony of this young man’s own faith in Christ and a plea to his friends likewise to accept Him, begins thus: “We have been reminded late- . ly that all of us must leave this world some day—perhaps sooner '' than we would like. What then? Have we anything to fear in death? ‘Of course not,’ we say ir- . ritably, and try to forget the ques tion. But is this answer correct? For. those who love the Lord Jesus Christ, it is certainly so, for He has said, ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And 1 give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man piuck them out of my hand’ (John 10:27, 28). • For one who has been born again inte the family of God by faith in ‘the blood of Jesus Christ'his Son [which] cleanseth us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7), death is in reality the door leading into the many mansions where He has prepared a place for us. But to those who do not love the Lord Jesus. Christ as their own personal Saviour, God says, ‘It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the \ . judgment’ (Heb. 9:27). . . . Oh trust your life into His keeping, and you w ill have forgiveness for those wrongs which are keeping you from God, and you w ill have g. new force to live the abundant, healthy life of a man at peace with his Creator.” In e Cpersonal letter to a friend, the cadet wrote: “Two more of our boys were killed last night—both instanta neously. How these poor perishing • souls need the Saviour! My heart bleeds for them, and the Lord is stirring me .to more and more prayer. Praise His name: things will happen—2 Timothy 1:12.” Are thefe not Christians who read these lines who w ill give themselves anew to faith and prayer on behalf of jsuch witnesses for Christ as this earnest young cadet? • Copies of this letter. In tract form, mag be obtained from Harry A. McGimsey (home missionary ), P. O. Box 1743. Phoenix. Ariz.
A round the K ing 's Table LOUIS T. TALBOT) Editor-in-chief
people because there is no na tional repentance, no national crying to God in this hour of crisis. It seems to me that because of lack of national appeal to God, God’s Children are too disposed to settle down to think that Gotf cannot intervene or stretch out His hand on their behalf. I note that England’s sins are empha sized—and rightly so—but there seems no national response. I my self felt paralyzed in prayer on this very account. I could not see how to pray. God must deal with national sin, as well as in dividual sin. How could we then ask Him to intervene? “But the burden for England grew heavy. Then came to me with great power the story of Moses’ intercession (Exodus 32), and the light flashed, that Israel, absorbed in the worship of the golden calf, did not nationally repeiit or turn to God; but, never theless, the nation was saved be cause of the intercession of Moses. Moses said, ‘Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of thé earth?’ “Then I turned to a similar passage in Numbers £14:13, 14. Israel was sinning against God again, and this time on the edge of the Promised Land. Once again Moses interceded, and he said: ‘The Egyptians shall hear it . . . and they w ill tell it to the in habitants of this land.’ “A ll this applied itself with power to my mind in connection with Britain. I thought of the native chiefs in Africa, India, Egypt, and other parts of the world to Whom the name of Eng land stood for all they knew of God and liberty¿‘-In spirit I could see England, not in her sins [though these- Unquestionably ex ist and need forgiveness], but as she stood for God and liberty to countless multitudes across the seas. I remembered not her sins, but how numbers in land after land owe their knowledge of God to God’s servants in England. “W ill God deal with England according to the m a s s e s who know Him not, or according to the cry of the elect of the nation? Cannot His praying ones, like Moses, stand before Him in the
How to Pray for Nations One who loves God, and loves also his native land of Britain, has written significantly on the subject of praydr for the nations. The comments Were . published anonymously in the Bible League Quarterly, in Sussex, England. They contain pertinent suggestions for all the Lord’s praying people: “There has been a heavy bur- | den of prayer upon me recently for England. I notice there is a great depression a m o n g God’s Biola's Widening Opportunities in China Recent word that eleven hundred children were attending daily classes sponsored by the Hunan Bible Insti tute at Changsha, China, has brought joy to the school's friends in America. Charles A. Roberts is Superintendent «1 the school in Hunan, which consti tutes the China Department of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. He re- pprts the continued testimony of the Biola Evangelistic Bands (itinerating groups of devoted Chinese evangelists and personal workers), the Corre spondence Course Department, and a * large amount of relief work. The school for poor children drew together eleven hundred boys and girls for a six-weeks' course. These children re ceived rice daily, several hours of in struction, and above all, a definite gospel witness. Along with increased opportunity, Mr. Roberts described his problems and the Lord's provision concerning some of the needs. Among the diffi culties, Mr. Roberts must face serious inflation, with the cost of necessities rising very sharply. As far as the school itself is concerned, uncertain conditions in Hunan Province prevent reopening the Bible Institute for a regular term for training Christian young people. Furthermore, communi cation from the homeland is very in adequate. In July, for example, Mr. Roberts had received no letters from his family in America since February. But as to encouraging factors in his work, Mr. Roberts wrote of the help he had received from David M. Campbell (Biola '24), who had agreed to stay for two summer months to assist with the accounts and other administrative details. V For an unknown future, Mr. Roberts and his Chinese coworkers will need the Lord's promised grace and the prayerful support of friends at home.
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Significance of the New s By DAN GILBERT Washington, D. C., and San Diego, California *
" I Will Come Again" By R. E. NEIGHBOUR He said, "And, if I go, I'U come again"; And so— I echo back a loud Amenl And say— Lord, quickly come. And catch away Thine own! The hour, dear Lord, is growing late; The world reels on in war and hate; How long, O Lord, how long? Must we march on, Apd look, and watch, and wait, • Till Thou dost open heaven's gate? Let not the din Of sword and shield and sin Forever blast the air I The blare Of bursting bomb and cannon Ev'rywhere Is wreaking vengeance. Rend the heavens! Lord, arise! Break through, and bend the vaulted slqes; And quickly come! Come, catch Thy ratisomed to Thy home! Now, let Thy judgments earth enthrall. Till men shall tremble And shall call For Thy salvation; Till thqy be Prepared to welcome and to follow Thee. O Lord, the Jews are praying yet For their Messiah; Come to Olivet! O take Thy throne and reign! Take Thou from off the earth Its desert wastes, its dearth. Its sorrows' and its pain; Let wars and famines ever cease. O come. Thou God eternal. Prince of Peace. DEMOCRACY OF THE SPIRIT: • Our Lord Jesus Christ thanked His Father in heaven for hiding heavenly truth from the wise and prudent, while revealing it to babes. “Not many wise men after the flesh,” not many mastei minds, not many giant intellects, are chosen to enter into a knowledge of the things of God. But God has re vealed His truth to every pure and humble heart, every trusting and be lieving soul, who comes to Him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The meek .of mind are rewarded with an understanding of divine truth which is hidden from the big of brain and haughty of spirit. There are illiter ate scrubwomen who know more abou’ God than , does the greatest thinker who ever denied the deity of Christ. There are country preachers who haVe [ Continued on Page 367] Lord, hasten down Thy saints to crown;
THE GOD OF DEMOCRACY: • The religion of the Bible, the Christian faith, is the only religious basis our democratic people ever did have, or ever could have. When the common people, in America or any where else on earth, are robbed of their faith in the Bible and the God of the Bible, they are divested of all religious motivation, made dead to all spiritual appeals, made indifferent to all religious values. For the masses of men, there can be no substitute for Bible Christianity. They will—they must—believe the Bible or believe nothing. They will— they must—worship the God of the Bible or 9hey will worship no god at all. ROBBING THE COMMON PEOPLE OF FAITH: • The tendency in this scientific age is to rob man of the God who walked with our fathers, who answered their prayers, who carried their burdens, who was their Friend, Companion, and heavenly Father. The common man— like many of his leaders^—has been stripped of an all-sufficient faith in the God of the Bible—whom all men of faith can know and love. He has been denied the one God who is real to him. In His place, he has been of fered a god wh'o is unreal, unlovable, and unknowable. Even such a thinker as Walter Lipp- mann has confessed that many of the “modern concepts of God” are hope lessly incomprehensible to him. The average man will bonder whether even Professor Whitehead can grasp the meaning of his own definition of God: “God is a Factor of Limitation or Determination which makes it possible for the blind abstract flux of ‘creativity’ and the unchanging but transcendent ‘eternal objects’ to unite and give us the actuality of our concrete world.” The masses of men are intellectually incapable of believing in the “new Tods” of the scientific age. The highly Nationalized “faith” concocted in the ?ducational world makes no appeal to ‘hem. When the men of our time were iobbed of their faith in the God of the Bible, the ‘vast majority, of them were left without any faith at all. They did not have even the artificial and man-made “faith” which human ism offers. When the common stream of humanity was shut off from the
Scriptural Source of spiritual re sources, the milk of human kindness began to dry up in the breast of “ordi nary” humanity. Decency, honesty, love, brotherhood began to lose their meaning for the average man. Self- discipline and moral restraint became rare phenomena. CHALLENGE TO DEMOCRACY: • Communism, Nazism, and Fascism represent the system of “mobocracy,” as opposed to democracy. These isms have made their appearance every where that men have been divested of their faith in Bible Christianity and have been abandoned spiritually to starve. Social scientists have described this subversive process, as “the revolt of the masses.” THE BETRAYAL OF THE PEOPLE: • As* we survey what has happened to the masses of men in Europe, and what threatens to happen to them in our own. countfy, we can paraphrase the words of Edwin Markham: “Who made him dead to-rapture and despair, A thing that grieves not and that never hopes, Stolid and shunned, a brother to the ox?” • Who made the masses of men dead to the things of the spirit and blind to moral values? The answer is clear: those who took Christ out of the com mon man’s heart; those who deprived him of the Bible, the only Book which could ever uplift and ennoble him. Who made the common man a prey to the propagandists of hatred and strife? Who led him to believe that he can do as ,he pleases, that he can rob and steal and kill? Who made him pleasure mad? The answer is clear: those who taught him to turn his back upon the Word of God; those who led him to scorn the authority of the Scriptures over thought and conduct. THE COMMON PEOPLE'S FAITH: • The Bible is the only Book in th^ wo#ld that is written in such a mar velous and miraculous way that its truth is made available to the intel lectually lowly on an equal basis with the mentally mighty. That is one of the proofs that the Bible is the product of supernatural power. Only Infinite Wisdom Himself could write a Book which can impart His own wis dom to finite beings of the most lim ited intelligence.
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Where Soldiers See Prayer Answered
free to spend any or all of their off- duty hours. Some of the fellows call it the Welcome House,!’ he added with a smile. They entered the wide hallway as he spoke, and he motioned his com panion to the lounge at the left. “ I’ll look Up a train schedule while you have a bite to eat, since soldiers are known to be perpetually hungry,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “Fall to and have all thè cake and coffee you want. It is free,” he Of- t fered quickly. “I’ll get that schedule,” and he hurried from the room. The soldier, somewhat dazed by his good fortune, was not slow in -ac- . cepting the food that was served him by one of the women giving volun tary service in the kitchen. -Dr.'Palmer soon reappeared with a train schedule, and with something, else in his hand. “Here is your fare,” he said, handing the soldier eleven, dollars. He had not given gifts Of. money to the service men’ before— if was not the usual thing. But this, man’s need was not the usual need, either. “It comes from people who love and serve the Lord Jesus,” he hastened to say before the soldier could re monstrate, “ as does all the service in this Center. It is yours; you seem tb have a rather special need just now.” Then, o v e r a cup of coffee, Dr. Palmer began to speak of the pri mary purpose -of the Morning Cheer Center—that of presenting the Lord Jesus Christ and His way of salva tion. H e . found, as is so often the case among soldiers, that this one bad a Christian mother, and that he knew the plan of - salvation but had
all my life, but I never had been there before. I had a longer i e a v e this time than usual, so I decided on a quick trip to the city to see the bright lights, get a taste of night life, and so forth. I had plenty- of money— hadn’t had leave for a long time. I didn’t know anybody there, but I was ready for a good time—just to see what it was like. Well—there'was a girl who was easy to meet—we \ had a cocktail and that is the ' last thing I remember. Believe it or not, I woke up next morning in a dump, and out of my $261.00 there was just 31 cents in my •pocket. A lot of money for a trip to North Carolina! It’s my own fault, of course, but that doesn’t make t it any easier.” Dr. Palmer had listened to the bitter recital While the miles of New Jersey countryside slipped by. He made a ■quick decision. “If you w ill come, with me,” he said, “I think I can help you. You won’t get to Fort Bragg on time, but it may help.” i They soon came to the residential district of Wrightstown which lies just outside the limits of Fort Dix, New Jersey, and Dr. Palmer stopped the car before an attractive building. A sign above the doorway, on which -the word “Welcome” had been painted in large letters, attracted the soldier’s, attention. “What place is this?” he a s k e d curiously. “ This is the Morning Cheer Center for Service Men,” Dr. Palmer replied. “Here all service men are welcomed. They can relax, play games, eat, en tertain fheir friends and relatives. In short, it is -a place, where they; are
T I K E A LIFT, Soldier?” George ■ Palmer* called to the man in 1 J khaki walking at the edge of the wide highway. In every olive-drab uniform these days, he saw the figure of his own son, twenty-year-old George, at camp in Kentucky, and he could not pass one by. , ;» ; Something in the face of this sol dier caught Dr. Palmer’s attention. It was more than physical weariness. It was numb dejection that had. not cóme from a. long hike. , ‘‘Going to Fort Dix?” ':.hp,.,asked\as the câr gathered speed oñ the New Jersey highwaÿ. The soldier smiled grimly. “I wish I had only that far to go. No, I’m from Fort Bragg.” “ Fort Bragg! You’re a long way from home, aren’t you?” “ Yes, and I’m due there, at 11:00 to night. Oh, I’ll never make it;” he.an swered the amazement in the other’s face. “And you know what that will linean,” . ; “ You’ll ; lose t h o s e stripes, won’t,, you?” Dr. Palmer asked sympatheti cally, noting that his companion was a top ’sergeant. / ; “ Yes. And I’ve been èleven years earning them.” g $ ajm “ But why didn’t you start for your camp ¿earlier?” . ■ ■ “That’s a long story.” ; “ It is?” . ? -, \ “ Yes. I’ve lived near New York City *A récent speaker at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles ' and the Church of the--i Operi Door , and the recipienti on June 1Î, 1942 , of the honorary degree. of Doctor of-Diiriniïÿ on the occasion^ of the Institute’s commencement exercises. ’•v •„ • ’ • /
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slipped far from those early teach ings. He would make no open de cision, now, but unmistakably his heart had b e e n touched and God would prosper the Word. The History of Morning Cheer Center The question asked by this soldier is one that is presented several times a day in varied forms. “What is Morn ing Cheer Center and, who provides the money for it—for the commodious building, the recreational equipment, the food that is served fifteen hours a day?” Thè history of this effort toward soldier evangelism is truly a record of God’s working. The first seed for the permanent work Was sown last summer when Sam Coleman, who is now Associate Director of the Morning Cheer Center, began work as a street preacher at Wrightstown. He was working under the auspices of the Philadelphia Fundamentalists who had seen the need to reach the soldiers with thè gospel. They were unable to under take a permanent work, and they asked Dr. Palmer whether he would take it up.* . Attracted'.by the prospect of min istering to. the many thousands of sol? diers .o f. Fort Dix, Dr. Palmer pre sented the project to his radio parish, where his ministry has extended over a period of ten years. The response was amazing. More than twenty thou sand different persons sent in gifts of money." A committee, surveying the field, had decided that $10,000 would meet the need for a renovated building. But when God gives, He gives the best. Four weeks after the project was f i r s t presented to the radio audience, $26,000 had been re ceived! A program far more extensive than the initial plan had become pos sible. Support bn the part of God’s chil dren did not lapse with the initial gifts and with the erection of the building that is the result of those gifts. It is not only money that is given to maintain this work. For in stance: ninety-six cakes were delivered at the Center in one day! Thousands of cookies come in every week and go out each week. Fifty thousand cups of- coffee were served in one month, Using over 900 pounds of sugar, and 2,500 cans of milk — all distributed free. , Dr. Palmer s e r v e s as “Chief-of- staff” for the Center and devotes much o f ’ his radio time to reports of the work among the men in thè ranks. A l most every night lie is on hand at Morning Cheer Center to greet the boys and to see that their needs are supplied. As its director, Morning Cheer Center has been privileged to have the services of Harry R i m m e r, well-known scientist, Bible teacher,
and writer. Dr. Rimmer’s own exten sive experience in somewhat similar work in the previous World War has peculiarly fitted him for this. As gym instructor, evangelist, and teacher of the Bible class for the new converts, he has won .the; hearts of the men, who affectionately address him as “Doc.” Purpose and Provision Recreation is a great problem in any Army post, especially in the East dur-' ing the winter months. Men who are off duty do not enjoy sitting about in a cold tent with little to do. So the Center was planned with two primary objects in view. The first: to provide a Christian club, where boys away from home could rest and play, in a wholesome environment, at no cost
to themselves, and where they might have the fellowship of, other Chris tians. The second: to keep the light of evangelism burning -brightly where men '•in uniform may be led to find Christ and to become children of God. Accommodations were made for 250 men, and it was hoped that some day there would be a group that large who would desire such a place, God answered “ abundantly a n d above,” and in one day there -have been Over 1,500 men in uniform t a k i n g ad vantage of this recreational center. A l ready more rooms have been added. The motto of the Morning Cheer Center is: “Everything Free: Including the Gospel!” Men, , coming for the first time, are rather bewildered at so mueh given free. But when cold, tired [ Continued on Page 371]
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Responsibility for Prayer
requested that their names be added to this group. An additional number represents men and women—many of them unsaved—who are in military service and for whom some one in the “family” of the church, the In stitute, and the radio congregation has a burden of interest and concern.' Many letters similar to the follow ing one have been received: “ I would like to have my son’s ' name listed with those who are in the service of our country, and to have him remembered in ■ prayer. He is a seaman and has just gone on his first trip. Please pray that God will guide and pro tect him, and that he will be saved." The plaques bearing the names of [ Continued on Page 394]
ICTORY—and prayer! These two necessities, and the vital relation between them, are kept constantly before the hundreds of worshipers in the Church of the Open Door. Above the pulpit in the main auditorium is the “Victory Flag,” as prominently displayed as is the missionary map on which the fields of service of s o m e 331 mis sionaries of the church and of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles are in dicated. Not only 'does the flag, with its accompanying name panels, represent persons who have gone from the fe l lowship of the church or of the In stitute to serve in the armed forces of the United States. Besides these, there are many who have been listeners to the radio broadcasts is suing from this center, and who have
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
October, là tz
M ANY H A V E supposed that they have preached the full gospel of the grace of God they have proclaimed the Saviour’s invitation, “ Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden” (Matt. 11:28), or when they have urged their hearers only to believe or to decide for Christ. But the gospel of the grace of God is for those who see their need of His grace. Personal sin, and per sonal helplessness, must be realized. How is this realization to be awak-' eried? Clearly Emphasized or Implied The example of our Lord and His apostles shows us the way. The first recorded word in St. Matthew’s ac count of the preaching of our Lord is “Repent.” It had been also the prom inent message of His forerunner. And it is the first recorded word of the in spired instruction of St. Peter to the convicted multitudes on the day of Pentecost. The c a l l to repentance wa s , of course, coupled with the call to faith. It is the combination of the two that is powerful and effective under the blessing of the convicting and con verting Spirit of. God. “Repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mk. 1:15) was the preaching of our Lord. And Paul states for us the substance of his testimony as “ repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20 : 21 ). We have spoken of New Testament passages. But how constantly does the same call to repentance sound forth through the Old Testament prophets! How deep is the penitential- note which is s t r u c k in many of t h e Psalms! And how eloquent are the historical narratives of the Old Testa ment as to the need for repentance, in the individual and in the nation alike! Perhaps it may be felt by some tihat one or two l e a d i n g passages which set forth the gospel do not make this matter so prominent. But it would be difficult to find any where it is not either distinctly implied or [TTie call to repentance is even more needful today than it was when this searching.article ' was first printed, several years ago,- in The Life of Faith, London, England ,— E d ito r .] l\ VK
through our Lord Jesus Christ when
The Missing Note % ’ - . ' _■ •■"'l' p , . ' ■■ •.'v
s. HOOTON
By W.
tacitly assumed. Two leading exam ples may be taken. Paul said to the jailer at Philippi, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and fhou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).' Nothing about repent ance is included in that saying. But- the man was already awakened. His agonized cry was evidence of his deep conviction. Scripture narratives do not record everything in connection with the incidents n a r r a t e d , and Paul would not omit what he shows, only four chapters later (in a passage a l ready quoted) was the very substance of his testimony. Again, repentance is not definitely mentioned in John 3:16, which is usu ally taken as the essence of the gos pel. But that verse follows closely on the uncompromising •declaration, “ Ye must be born again” (John 3:7)—an inexorable necessity which involves complete change of heart with regard to sin. It is recognized by all sound inter preters that scripture must be com pared with scripture. Not every pas sage includes every aspect of truth which is essential to the full procla mation of truth; but there is no ques tion about the' necessity of proclaim ing the call to repentance along with the invitation to “receive” the Sav iour. Indeed, He can only be received by turning to Him, and away from sin. Repentance is n o t merely re gretting sin, but forsaking sin. Making the Good News Cheap The penalty of omitting this call to repentance is the creation of an im pression' that the gospel is not only free, but cheap. That is a fearful
thought, when we recall-at what price its message was purchased. But the danger is by no means a remote one, human nature being what it is. The writer, in the early days of his experience, was once speaking to a woman with regard to attendance at church when she suddenly said some thing like this: “Yes, but I could be saved he/e in this room if I liked.” “Saved if 1 liked”—is not* that what many people are thinking, even if they do not so bluntly express it? And are not we to ■blame for their fateful misunderstanding? Do we not dishonor our Master and degrade His kingly message if we run so great a risk of making it seem cheap, as well as free? Facing the Fact of Sin Thete is a real risk of creating the impression t h a t surrender saves — something we do, rather than what is done for us by Christ in the free grace of God, not to speak of the accom panying danger of overlooking the keeping power which alone can make any decision effective and perma nent: And this matter is, in reality, connected very closely with our sub ject of repentance. For a “ decision” which looks to the future does not always take full' account of past sin. Many have never fully faced the prob lem of sin—past sin and -its pardon, and the present power of sin. So, be cause t h e y are urged to “ decide,” many do decide, in all sincerity, and before long they wonder why they fail—or else other people wonder. Alexander Maclaren put the point
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T H È K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
October, 1942
and lofty One that inhabiteth eter nity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the hum ble, and to revive the heart of thè contrite ones!.’ (Isa. 57:15). • ; ^ “ I dw e ll. m to revive . . . to revive.” But “ I dwell” with whom? “ To re vive” whom? The answer is: with the contrite, with the humble. May God awaken us anew to the awful reality of sin and the necessity of turning constantly from it. Only thus can we experience the gracious ness of revival in our own spirits as believers, in our churches, in our na- tion. , • . SIGN IFICANCE OF THE NEW S [Continued from Page 363] greater knowledge of spiritual things than has the most erudite university professor who ever scoffed at the miracles recorded in the Bible. THE STRENGTH OF A PEOPLE'S j g j GOVERNMENT: • If the masses of the people are to be made «a fe for democracy; if they are to be made secure in their devo tion to democracy; if they are to be made proof against the inducements and incitements to revolution; if they are to be safeguarded against the counsel and conspiracy of demagogues —then they must be given back the Word of God. The boys and girls of today, the citizens of tomorrow, must be given back their rightful heritage of a simple trust in the faith of the fathers. Democracy cannot endure on any foundation except a Biblical basis. Horace Greeley said, “It is impossible to enslave a Bible-reading and a Bible- believing people.” The Bible is the common people’s guarantee of freedom. The defense of American liberty requires that we shall again become a Bible-reading and a Bible-believing people.
of Repentance
“ To ca ll. . . »inner» to repentance.n
That is plain enough: and it covers all heart-sins, including ill-feeling as well as inconsistency of the life and lack of real devotion. Again, in the first chapter of Isaiah, Where the Word of God so terribly exposes the hollowness o f a religious service which is contradicted by the life, there is t h e s a m e warning: “When ye spread forth your hands, I w ill hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear" (Isa. 1:15). 1 How urgently follows the call to repentance: “W a s h ye, make you clean; put away the evil of your do ings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well” (Isa. 1:16, 37 ). What is it that the church needs to repent of, in order that blessing may come? How much there is! But let us not blame “the church.” We are all members of it. What is the call to us, to each one personally, individually, for repentance? The same prophet, Isaiah, in the later part of his book, has two won derful passages which w ill add point, in conclusion, to our twofold view of the call to repentance—the call to the world, and the call to the church. One is in the great “Evangelical Chapter” (55). “S e e k ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: iet the wicked forsake,his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he w ill abundantly pardon” (vs. 6, 7). The other is found only two chap ters later. “ For thus saith the high
forcibly in one of his Expositions (Isa. 1-48; p. 41): ' “ A trust ih Jesus Christ,” he said, ‘‘which is unaccompanied by a profound penitent consciousness and abhorrence of one’s own sins, and a resplve to turn away ftom them for all time to come, is not '■a faith which will bring either pardon or cleansing. We do not need to have l e s s s a i d about trust; we need to have a great deal more said about repentance.” But repentance, like salvation, is itself a gift. That is made clear by two remarkable passages in the Acts, referring respectively to Jew and to Gentile (Acts 5:31 and 11:18). Relation of Repentance to Revival It is not only the unconverted who need the call to repentance. It is also a call which frequently had to be sounded, in the early church, to mem bers of that church. It is needed now. Many Wonder why revival tarries. Is it because the people of God them selves need to repent? Many are the calls tq more prater for revival, and more believing and fervent prayer. Have we forgotten t h a t sometimes prayers cannot be answered because of the sins of those who offer them? Two searching reminders of t h i s fact are to be found, one as it applies to individuals, and the other as a warning with reference to u n i t e d prayer—or which is at least capable of application thus, no less than in dividually. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord w ill not hear” (Psa. 66:18).
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October, 1932
T H ET K I N G ’ S ' BU'SINTE'S'S
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Chr istian s ' A t t itu d e Tow ard The S e v e n -D a y W e e k
A Symposium
cerning the present subject he makes these observations: “Many years ago, when drivers of the great plains of the West, in the absence of railroads in that day, were compelled to drive their sheep and cattle long distances to market, they found that those who stopped one day in every seven and let their cattle and sheep rest, arrived at the market with their animals in better condition and ahead of those who were driven con tinuously. “ It is a significant fact that even machinery works better and lasts longer if it is given periodic rest. Therefore the locomotive, on the com pletion of its trip, is not immediately driven out, but is placed in the round house to cool off and become prepared for another trip. “However; over and above the mat ter of preserving the body are even greater values—moral and spiritual— that can only be maintained by an observance of God’s laws. “ Rationalistic France, a century and a half ago, struck at God’s law of the Sabbath as she struck at everything else that was holy in that day 'when skepticism and atheism were in the ascendancy in that nation. France proposed to change God’s command ment, appointing one day in ten in stead of one day in seven as a day of rest, but it did not work, and France, disobeying this and others of God’s laws, became a moral cesspool. “ Rationalistic Germany today has also defied all the holy laws of God, including the Lord’s Day. Should Ger? many win the war, who would want to live amid the moral and spiritual darkness of that unhappy land? “There has been.a great breakdown in recent years in the moral and spiritual values in our own America. Just how much the breakdown of the observance of the Lord’s Day has had to do with this, only God knows.” Facts to Ponder •R. E. Neighbour, whose Bible-teach- ing and writing ministry has extended
Recognizing Man’s Need for Worship
The people of any nation at war may expect to make adjustments to new schedules of work. When the United States entered the present world war, and when the President, soon after that event, declare^ the necessity for an observance of a seven-day week In order to speed wartime production, the seriousness of the situation was apparent. Naturally, Christian people would View with alarm any program that threatened either the maintenance of health and vigor with which God Himself is concerned (1 Cor. 6:19, 20) or that overlooked God’s right to receive the worship of every in dividual (Psa. 45:11b). In the intervening months since the original order was given, there has come, in many industrial cen ters, a readjustment of schedules so that at least one free day in seven is granted to each workman. A t the same time, production is intensive and continuous. In these rearranged programs of work many individuals feel they have found their own questions answered regarding their relation to the seven-day week. For m a n y others, however, perplexity still exists. The comments that follow are in tended merely to stimulate prayer ful thought among the Lord’s peo ple; they do not purport to present a full discussion of this many-sided problem. Each reader must make his own personal deductions. — THE EDITORS.
“I am not a Sabbatarian,” declares W. L. Pettingill, one of the foremost Bible teachers of the country. “I am not under law, but under grace. The weekly Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, was given to Israel along with the rest of the Law at Sinai, but it was a temporary covenant, endur ing only until the Seed (the Lord Jesus. Christ) should come, to whom the promise was made (Gal. 3:19). “Therefore, the first day of the week is not a Sabbath. The first day of the week is the Lord’s Day, on which we celebrate His resurrection by assem bling for worship and for feeding to gether upon His Word. We are com manded to thus assemble, and of course we could not do so unless a common time were agreed upon; and from the beginning of the Christian era the Lord’s Day has been the time set apart for the purpose of worship. I believe that the setting apart of such a day for rest and worship is according to God’s will, and that to neglect it is displeasing to Him.” Authority to be Respected Arnold Grunigen, Jr., Executive Manager of the U. S. Treasury Victory Fund Committee, San Francisco, Calif., and himself an outstanding Christian leader, sends this straightforward comment: “To rest from all or any labors or pursuits on the Lord’s Day means bet ter work done on the other six days. I believe this with all my heart. On the other hand, let us take a realistic, common sense approach. We are cit izens of the United States of America. Our beloved country is at war. Our President is Commander in Chief. We are to be subject to the powers that be.” Lessons from History . Known to most KING’S BUSINESS readers is Louis S. Bauman, Pastor of the First Brethren Church, Long Beach, California. His articles on prophecy have been widely appreciated. Con
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around'the world, adds his testimony concerning the Lord’s Day: “I believe that the way to an early victory is by getting back to God in humble confession of out sins, and with a realistic and practical obedi ence seeking to know and to do all of God's will. God holds the winds and waves in His hands, and He will work miracles of deliverance for those who please Him, and who put their • trust in Him. ‘ “I would respectfully suggest that our President and others in authority should consider several matters: •.. “They need to weigh with caution whether a seven-day week for work ' at home or for soldiers on the battle field is the Wisest policy. “The spiritual side o f this matter should not be overlooked. In this con nection, we -db well to remember that Christ healed on the Sabbath day, and that He approved labor under certain exigencies—the ox in the ditch, for example. Our President doubtless feels that the ox is in the ditch. He cannot be said to have repudiated God’s one day of rest, therefore, in his temporary order for a seven-day week. “We should remember that there is no command to the church to keep the seventh day, the Jewish Sabbath. As a matter of privilege the first day is set aside by saints in memory of Christ’s resurrection, as a day for worship and rest. Certainly the ob servance of Sunday has no saving e f ficacy. ‘By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:* it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast’ (Eph. 2:8, 9), “We should also remember that merely ceasing to work does not even remotely suggest that the masses would worship •God. It means only that the children of God would have opportunity to carry on in their churches—and of course- this implies that there would be a time for the prayer and confession, and the touch with God our Saviour which is so much needed for victory. Perhaps the people as a whole fail to know how vital a place the spiritual life of our people holds in the success Of our .armed forces. “Here is a practical suggestion: Even if the President and his associ ates should feel that Sunday work is a necessity, why should there not be a quiet ten minutes or so on Sundays, as the workmen gather, for the read ing of a chapter from the Bible and a word of prayer at the various plants?, This certainly would show our work men that our government does recog nize that we must have God with Us to have the victory that we need. “What we are urging is that a mere formal recognition of the Lord’s Day is not enough. We need to quicken the consciousness of- our citizens to their relation to Jehovah.’’
ticular surrender to Him for fellowship and for witnessing bn His day is not somethirig that ‘just happened.’ It meant a new personal adjustment of the life to the Saviour, “ In, the present world turmoil there are many of God’s children who are unable to meet together in a service of-worship—those in the armed forces on the active battle front, mission aries in concentration camps, arid the native Christians of occupied, lands who dare not gather for worship. Yet encouraging word continually comes of the evidence of spiritual growth on the part of individuals in these cir cumstances. It is not impossible to honor the Lord even in environments not conducive to the spirit of worship.- It is harder, but it is possible. “ Sunday work does not prevent Christians from ‘assembling ourselves together.’ This fact should be stressed. Such ‘assembling’ must be. planned for, of course—and here again, it is not accomplished by taking the course of least resistance. The evening meal must be ready promptly (in the case of a day-shift worker). There can be no lingering over the meal as one might wish, and the natural desire to relax after work must be resisted if one gets ready for the evening service in time. But the renewal of spirit, mind, and body that comes from the hour spent in the quiet atmosphere of the church is well worth the effort. Any employee, whether he works the day shift, 'swing' or 'graveyard' shift, can attend one service each Sunday if he really desires to do so. “Much has, been Said and written about the nation’s peril if the Lord’s Day is not honored. A ll this is true. The first day of the week, the day on which Christians remember the Lord’s resurrection from, the grave, is con tinually desecrated by the mass of people—and, sadly, among the num ber are many Christians. This should not be. “But with all the evidence of our nation’s having forgotten God, it is well for us to remember instances that show an honoring 'of His day. In at least one war production plant this year, the employees went to work aS usual on the Fourth of July—one of the most significant days in the na tional calendar—and this year that day was a Saturday. But Sunday, the fifth, was given as a holiday and the men were free for that extra Sunday. Perhaps very few appreciated this day, but some at least praised God for whatever had moved those in author ity to grant the Lord’s Day as one free from work, rather than the pre ceding holiday.” A Closing Word This is a time -for every child op God to take a firm stand for the Lord' [ Continued on Page 394J
How Shall the Day Be Used? “The question of a Christian’s work ing on Sunday has been troubling many of God’s children today when war production has made it necessary for plants to run continuously,” de clares a Christian who is at present a part of a great defense industry. “Without going into a discussion of the Christian’s privilege under grace, we recognize that what is expedient in a national and international emer gency suqh as we face now, might not be so during times of peace. 'There fore, on^’s consideration of such a problem as this must be on a differ-,, ent basis than, in ordinary times, and it is a matter for individual decision on the Christian’s part, as he prayer fully considers the problem. “ Though production has been or dered for seven days a week, most if not all of the industrial plants have sufficient relief men in their employ to enable each worker to have one day free in seven. It does not always fall on Sunday. But in each week there is one day free for spiritual and phys ical refreshment for those who desire it. Where the family can cooperate, this one day each week can be spent in feeding upon the Word, in rest of mind and body, and in a general re freshing, just as much as though the day came on Sunday, even if one can not attend the regularly appointed services at the house of God on that day. “ For a long time my reluctance to work on Sunday •shadowed that day. It did not seem like Sunday at all, and I found myself showing rebellion of spirit that made the day a burden. Then I realized that it was possible to go to the job, fresh from an at- ■ mosphere of prayer and trust that surrounded one with a special sense of His presence and that made the day, in very truth, 'a holy day, even though it was spent amid the clamor of machinery and the oaths of men who have no respect for the Lord’s Day or for Him. But this sense of communion with the Lord and of par-
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