THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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thought to be a piece of arrogant as sumption if any man were to say, “ Come unto Me, and I will give you rest” ? (Matt. 11:28). ‘‘I give unto My sheep eternal life” (John 10-:28). “ Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life” (John 5:24), “ I am the door, by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved” (John 10:9). Do not these words speak for themselves and tell us that Deity is speaking? If the New Testament teaches anything it teaches this, that no one can be saved who denies the Deity of Christ, for only Deity can save us: Spiritualism denies Christ’s miracu lous birth, without human intervention. The foreword of prophecy about Christ was that the seed of the woman*sbould bruise the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15). I recognize that “ seed” is often used in the sense of describing that which is produced, that is, a race of people pro duced by their progenitor, such as Is raelites being of the “ seed of Abraham,” but in its primary significance seed de notes that which produces, such as the life in the grain produces the plant. But it seems to me the pregnant point in the first prophecy about Christ is that we have a natural contradiction to prove a Divine revelation. Woman has not the power to beget, but man has. Yet Christ is not the seed of man, but the seed of woman. How can it be ex plained? There is no explanation from the natural standpoint, but there is from the Divine. The Word says: “ The Holy Spirit” came upon Mary, and the result was “ that Holy Thing.” which was “ born” of her was “ the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). If Christ in His origin as a man was as other men, then, as they, He would be a sinner; but since He was supernaturally produced, though natu rally born, then, while He is a man, He is a perfect man and God. Spiritualism denies the vicarious atonement of our Lord. To be clearly
understood we ought to explain the word “ vicarious.” The word “ vicar” denotes one who acts for or represents a rector, therefore vicarious denotes the truth of one person acting on behalf of another, or in his stead. Again let us hear what the Spiritist says. One says: * “ Sin is remediable by repentance and atonemejnt and reparation personally wrought out in pain and shame.” An other professes to have had a visit from his old pastor, who told him: “ That all crime was unpardonable, and could only be wiped out by personal and not by vicarious atonement, as he had falsely taught when on earth.” And yet another declares that: “ Salvation by a vicarious atonement” is “ a wicked and soul-destroying de lusion.” Spiritism, like several other cults, has no place for the atoning sacrifice of our Lord, therefore it should have no place in our thought and life. There is no Gospel in it, for the clarion note of the Gospel is “ Christ died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:3), and rose again according to the Scriptures. Unless the purpose of Christ’s coming into this world is ap prehended, namely, “ to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26), His coming is fruitless as far as bene fiting mankind is concerned; but we believe His star of destiny was His death on Calvary. The emphasis of the Holy Spirit is always on the fact that “ Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8), “ Christ died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:3), and that His Blood “ was shed for the re mission of sins” (Matt. 26:28). You can’t make a dollar go farther or accomplish more, than to send K. B. subscriptions as Christmas gifts to your friends.
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