December 1928
T h e K i n g ' s B u s i n e s s
759
would suit them, we know, but it does not suit those who believe the Word of God. As the son of Mary, Jesus is of the royal line, but not heir to the Throne. When Joseph becomes the husband of Mary, Christ is then heir, apart from the curse pronounced on one of that line. 3. T h e H oly O n e The Bible declares that Christ became a Man in all points like ourselves, yet "holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners” (Heb. 7:26). "That Holy Thing” is the designation of Christ given by the angel in Lk. 1: 35. To be such at His birth He cannot be born as other men are. Read David’s description of his own birth in Psa. 51 :5 : "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Every other man was born as David was. Then to be called holy at His birth, Christ could not have been born as other men. To deny His virgin birth robs Him of that unique divine and human holiness that nowhere exists unless it exists in Him. And it must of necessity be in Him that He might be a sacri fice for our sin. Infinitely holy in His birth when He be came human, as He was the infinitely holy and eternal God from all the ages. No man shall rob us of our glorying in the virgin birth of Christ, for His spotless holiness made possible His sacrifice for our sins. "He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the riqhteousness o f God in Him” ( 2 Cor. 5 :21). Which Would You Have Said? Two old ladies were walking down by College Green when they saw an elderly clergyman playing with a little terrier, jumping the little dog backward and forward over his cane. “That’s the archbishop of Dublin,” said one. “Isn’t he the dear old soul to be playing so innocent with the little creature!” exclaimed the other. “I mean,” went on her companion, “it’s the Protestant archbishop.” “Oh,” replied the other in disgust, “isn’t it a won der the old fool wouldn’t go home and find something decent to do with his time?” The contributor of the above says he has been asking himself a pointed question: “What conduct do I praise in Methodists which I should dislike in Episcopalians?” Say ing “Yes” to Satan “Without the grace of God,” says Augustine, “what is man other than what Peter was when he denied Christ?” Therefore, examine thyself whether thou hast still any confidence in thine own self, whether thou art trusting to thine own power to resist any temptation. Whenever we step out of the clear path which God’s Word and promise give to us, and walk in paths where we have no sure word of God under our feet, then let Peter’s fall be a warning to us. And when we have once wounded our conscience, and said “Yes” to the tempter, then let Peter’s second and third fall be a warning- and a terror to us, lest we also allow ourselves to be dragged on from one sin to another. “Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear,” and “Hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you” ; both these exhortations should be impressed upon us with additional force by the 'fall of the man who uttered them.— Rudolph Besser.
Unanswerable (Contributed)
3
I N reading the many articles that have appeared on the subject of the Virgin Birth of Christ, it has seemed to the writer that the three great fundamental, and un answerable facts of the case have not been fully em phasized. Many have taken in hand to write in defense of the great truth, and have deducted numberless reasons for our faith; but there are THREE which, if any Chris- tain will hold and use them against the enemy, can leave no fear of defeat. 1. P la in B ible S ta tem en t . It is customary to base the main argument in this dis cussion on the word “virgin” as used in Matt. 1 :23 and quoted from Isa. 7:14. Noted Bible scholars have made the statement that the word means only “a young woman” and not necessarily unmarried. We do not believe this, but it is useless to prolong the controversy. What we do claim is that in Matt. 1:18-20, we have the divine, de tailed description of the birth of Christ, which can mean nothing else than that He was born of Mary, entirely apart from Joseph or any other man. Let me quote the whole passage: 18 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, be fore they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David,: fear not to take unto thee Mary thy w ife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” Notice how this account begins. It might be paraphras ed thus; “This is how Christ was born;” You may stop and say, “Now I am to hear God tell how Jesus was born!” Read carefully and you find God saying that Mary was found with child, and Joseph was surprised and ashamed until told by an angel it was the work of the Holy Ghost. What are all the reasonings of men against the clear word of God? Our faith is not balanced on the fine edge of the meaning of a word, but under neath our feet is the eternal Word of God. 2. T h e G enealogies . There are two genealogies of Jesus given in the New Testament. The first is in Matthew 1, which gives the royal line of David through Solomon down to Joseph, who became the husband of Mary after Jesus was con ceived in her by the Holy Ghost. The other is in Luke 3 and shows the line of David to Mary through Nathan, another son of David. Now the genealogy in Matthew contains the name of one Jechonias (Matt. 1:11), on whom a curse had been pronounced by the prophet Jer emiah (Jer. 22:28-30). That curse was, “No man of his shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David.” This curse is on the line that runs to Joseph. Now Luke 1 :32 plainly states that Christ SH A LL sit on the throne of his father David. If Christ is the son of Joseph, as the Modernists declare, then He never can have David’s throne. This
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker