October, 1941
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The Purifying Hope By DOUGLAS WHITE*
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Clarkesville, Georgia
N OT MANY of God's children are Interested in prophetic teaching, but among those who are inter ested, there is tragedy in the fact that many too evidently fail to profit by their understanding of predic tive prophecy. To fail to comprehend and be governed by the claims of Christ relative to His return is to miss com pletely the practical value of this teach ing. “Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” applies to revelation of prophetic as well as other truth. The failure of those who profess to be possessed of this knowledge to pro duce something better and higher in the. realm of Christian character has brought the teaching of some devoted servants of Christ into disrepute. The disciples were motivated by curiosity when they asked the Lord, “Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). The reply which He gave to this question does not suggest displeasure* that His followers should be interested in the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. But it does show the Lord’s purpose to divert their attention to that which was of immediate and practical importance. “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons . . . But ye Shall receive power, . . . and ye shall be witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:7, 8). To Him, the more important issue was the reception and exercise of p o w e r rather than the knowledge of "times” and “seasons.” Witnessing unto Him, not witnessing to a program, was to be the thing of all-absorbing interest. On the’ other hand, the Lord Jesus did not deny any possibility that this resto ration would come to pass, nor did He say that the disciples were to be left in darkness concerning the event. ; He was merely placing the emphasis where it belonged. A little later, these same men received the full answer which they sought. The revelation came immedi ately after their risen Lord’s ascension into heaven. Heavenly messengers in formed His astonished disciples, as they
stood looking at the cloud which had received Him out of their sight, “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus [apart from whom there is no kingdom], . . . shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go i n t o heaven” (Acts 1 : 11 ). The Spirit-esjpowered witness “unto the -uttermost p a r t of the earth” is the concern which should claim our attention in view of Christ’s promised re
turn. Our business is to complete the witnessing with all possible haste. Therefore, if the signs which are to precede the Lord’s return are visibly apparent upon the prophetic horizon, it simply means that we must redouble our efforts to complete that witness. Th e Reason fo r P roph ecy It is very significant to note what fs said by the other .writers of the New Testament as they record the words of Jesus or write under the direction and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Almost invariably, when they give forth information about the sec ond coming, they exhort believers to deny “ungodliness and worldly lusts” and to “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” as they Continue “looking for t h a t blessed h o p e , and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” It was for the purpose of re deeming us “from all iniquity,” and to "purify unto himself a peculiar peo ple, zealous of good works” that Christ “ gave himself for us” (Tit. 2:12-14). It also will be for such a people that He will return. The apostle of love, who penned the Revelation, reminds us in his first Epis tle .that a life of intimate fellewship with Christ is dependent upon abiding in Him, “that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming” (1 John 2:28). So then, “every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth him self, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). Unless our prophetic enthusiasm pro
duces a life of purity and separation from the world, creating a zeal that causes us to be “steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,” and a consuming love that con strains us to lay our all upon"the altar of sacrifice, we have gained only the knowledge that “puffeth up” but does not edify.. How sad it is that this great truth, for the teaching of which many of us are religiously ostracized and treated with scorn, should become to some that hold it a mere intellectual intrigue—fascinating but not inspiring, a bone of contention instead of the backbone of conviction! • What a travesty it is that the one thing that will keep us militant and loyal when all else gives way, should be corrupted to such an extent that the prejudiced point the finger of scorn at the inconsistency, and refuse to give the matter even a brief consideration! In our teaching of prophetic truth, there is great need to give an admoni tion to conform to the demands involved in the reception of such truth. How a Japanese Learned A missionary in Japan was encour aging the native converts in the mem orization of Scripture. The missionary felt, and rightly so, that nothing would bring forth fruit in the lives of those babes in Christ more readily or effec tively than the assimilation of the Word of God. He prepared a course of mem ory work for one bright intelligent man of mature years who had evidenced a very remarkable and genuine conver- [ Continued on Pagt 404]
'Pattor, Firtt Baptist Church,
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