“What think ye of Christ?”
WHILST God by His Spirit, through many and varied instruments, is causing the light of the knowledge of His glory in the face of Jesus Christ to shine into men’s hearts, Satan is seeking to blind their minds and thus keep them in darkness. One of the enemy’s devices is the subtle doctrine of Unitarianism. Some servants of the Lord had been addressing a small crowd of listeners on the quay of a fishing town, nearly all of whom were evidently seafaring men. The speakers departed, but the hearers still lingered, when a well-dressed man stepped forward and requested to be heard.
He also spoke of Jesus, but not as the little band of Christian workers had done, or as He is presented to faith in the Scriptures, ― “The only begotten Son, Which is in the bosom of the Father.”
As a good man, an example for men, he spoke of Him, but of His eternal glory as Son of God, yea, God Himself, not a word.
Closing his discourse, the stranger intimated his readiness to answer any questions his audience wished to put.
Although it was not difficult to see that his remarks were far from being appreciated by the simple-minded hearers, no one came forward, and the crowd was beginning to disperse, when an old fisherman, strongly built and gray-bearded, laid his hand on the stranger’s shoulder, saying, “Sir, may I ask you a question?”
“Certainly. What is it?”
Slowly the old man repeated those searching words uttered in the Temple―.
“What think ye of Christ?”
“Oh,” was the reply, “he was a very good man.”
The old man fixed his eyes on the speaker’s face and solemnly said―
“Sir, remember He is the Son of God.”
Making no reply, the stranger walked away, while the little crowd gathered around our old friend, inquiring what had passed.
For many years George K― had trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as His Saviour and believed on Him as the Son of God, and, though unlettered in this world’s learning, God’s Spirit had made Christ’s love a very real thing in his heart.
Whether the arrow of God’s Word reached the Unitarian’s conscience the Day will reveal; but, dear reader, your salvation depends on the answer your heart and mouth give to the old fisherman’s inquiry and text―
“What think ye of Christ?” W. H. B.
Extract. ― “There were evil spirits, who sought to creep in among the Christians, and to speak or act, pretending to be the Spirit of God, and thus to confound everything. Christians of the present day hardly believe in such efforts of the enemy as these. Spiritual manifestations are, no doubt, less striking now than at the time of which the apostle speaks; but the enemy adapts his means of deception to the circumstances in which man and the work of God are found.” J. N. D.