414
December, 1933
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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^ C lie C 0 r e e m t n e n i B y W . W . CATHERWOOD* RiversidêpCalifornia
he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things • , •_ imi t t cn
- he Apostle Paul was writing to the church at Colosse. The theme o f his letter was: “ The Person and Work o f the Son o f God and the Position and Walk of the Sons of God.” He summed it all up in the words of my text, found in Colossians 1:18: “ That in all things Tie might have the preeminefrcer1 Living as we do, far down the stream o f human his tory, when, as some one has said, “ the name of Christ has long since attached itself to and associated itself with all that is most classical in literature, most refined in art, most exquisite in poetry, most advanced in civili zation,” when the cross, no longer a word of shame or a brand of ignominy, has become the badge of honor and the banner o f progress, it is difficult for us to pro ject ourselves into that far-off century and to estimate the strangeness with which these words must have fallen upon the world o f Paul’s day— that Jesus, the despised Nazarene, He of the manger cradle and the crucifixion cross, should in all things have the pre eminence. Yet that is the place prophesied of Him and predicated for Him. D ivine A uthentication Christ is preeminent in the voice of divine authen tication. When He came to the Jordan, with the years o f preparation behind Him and the work of His min istry before Him, heaven’s silence was broken, and the sovereign voice and verdict of God was heard: ‘ This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” When His body had finally been placed in a borrowed grave, and when hell was gloating and glorying over its seem ing triumph, God vindicated both His claim and His cross, both His person and His passion, by raising Him again from the dead. What you and I may think o f Christ matters little. What God says matters much. God authenticated the person, program, and passion o f His holy Son. P reeminent in E arth ’ s O rigination . Christ is preeminent in the work of earth’s origina tion. “ In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” How simple, satisfying, and sublime! “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God------All things were made by him ; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”? The Creator of Genesis was the Christ of the Gospels. In the Colossian letter from which the text is taken are these words: “ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” He is both the agent and the object. He wrote His revelation first in sparkling stars, in splashing brooks, in blazing sun, and in blooming flowers. “ The heavens declare the glory o f G od ; and the firmament showeth his handiwork.” He is preeminent in the work of creation. P reeminent in R evelation Christ is preeminent in the Book of inspired revela tion. *“ And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, *Pastor, First Baptist Church.
W. W. C atherwood
concerning himself. He fills all the pages o f the Book. He fulfills their prophecies. He is the expectation o f the prophets, and the explana tion o f the Epistles. He is the center and the circum ference of the sixty-six books of the Bible. Finding Him, you find the heart and brain of divine revelation. The Old Testament said, “ He is coming.” The Gos pels say, “ He came.” The Epistles and Revelation re veal that He is coming again. Take Christ out o f the Scriptures, and they are messageless and meaningless. To use His own words, these “ are they which tes tify o f me.” , P reeminent in S alvation Christ is preeminent in the plan o f human salva tion. “ The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” “ Neither is there salvation in any other.” The cross is the illumination o f divine revelation from Eden’s gloom to Revelation’s glory. The Bible is a bloodstained and cross-marked Book. The scarlet thread o f redemption’s story runs through its every page and prophecy. When Jesus Christ, of virgin birth and virtuous life, offered Himself in vicarious death, He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and made salvation possible for every sinning soul of Adam’s race. With John, the last great prophet of the old economy, we cry ou t: “ Behold the Lamb o f God, which taketh away the sin o f the world!” P reeminent in A dvocation Christ is preeminent in the work o f ever-living ad vocacy. There are three appearings of Christ refer red to in Hebrews that cover the whole sweep of redemption’s story. He appeared once in the end of the. age to put away sin by the sacrifice of H imself; that is atonement. He has gone into heaven now, to appear in the presence o f God for u s ; that is advo cacy. Unto them that look for Him, shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation; that is advent. In the first of these appearings, He was a Prophet. In the second, He is a Priest. In the third, He will be a King. It is with the second that we are now con cerned. “ Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” “ If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” “ Consider,” saith the writer to the Hebrews, “ the Apostle and High Priest o f our He hath made a full atonement, Now His saving work is done. He hath satisfied the Father, A T Who accepts us in His Son. Oh, glad and glorious gospel, With joy we now proclaim A full and free salvation Through faith in Jesus’ name!
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