Correspondence

WHATEVER we may think of the work and methods of the Salvation Army, no one would look to them for clear exposition of Scripture, or sound interpretations of the truth. But they are not the only ones who teach that a truly converted person may after all be lost. It is the common doctrine of Wesleyanism, but very far indeed from the truth of the gospel.
The Spirit came upon him as a prophet; but this in no wise proves that he was converted. At conversion a man is born of the Spirit, and then indwelt by the Spirit. But God may use a wicked man like Balaam as His mouthpiece (Num. 24:22And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him. (Numbers 24:2)); and Saul was thus used, not only at the beginning of his career, but even after God had rejected him as king (1 Sam. 19:2323And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. (1 Samuel 19:23)). We read of many who will say in a coming day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you,” &c. (Matt. 7:21-2421Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: (Matthew 7:21‑24)). Mark it does not say, “I knew you once,” but “I never knew you.”
One clear verse of Scripture is better than all man’s reasonings: “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:2828And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28)).
Many years ago when the blessed emancipating truth of the gospel was recovered by God’s grace for the present generation, a dear and pious saint of God was groaning out his misery, still under the bondage of the law, and ignorant of the liberty of grace. He had been saying that God had withdrawn the shining of His countenance from him. The one who had been the chief instrument in God’s hands of this recovery of truth replied, “God never withdraws the shining of His countenance from a true believer, for all believers are in Christ, and God cannot withdraw the light of His countenance from Christ.” “Ah,” replied the other, “but I turn my back upon Him.” “Then,” came the quick rejoinder, “God will shine upon your back.” Yes, He has made us accepted in His beloved Son (Eph. 1:66To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)), and believers stand always in His favor (Rom. 5:22By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2)).
The doctrine of “falling away” denies the Word of God, dishonors the work of Christ, and destroys the true character of the gospel.
But it remains ever true that the believer is called upon to walk consistently with the grace that has so richly blessed him. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him” (Col. 2:66As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: (Colossians 2:6)).
ED.
~~~
Bristol.— “Did God die?” and other papers.
While there is much that is true and good in the papers you have marked, yet I feel that the ground is too holy for controversy.
The person of Christ is inscrutable — “no man knoweth the Son but the Father;” and while it is of the very essence of the Christian faith to hold firmly that in that blessed Person both God and man are found united, though never confounded, yet we must beware of endeavoring to analyze, dissect, and separate. He is the perfect and inexhaustible object of worship and adoration, not the subject for speculation and reasoning.
We learn a much-needed lesson from the service of the sons of Kohath in Numbers 4, and one which has been ignored by those who in recent years have lightly and flippantly discussed this holy mystery.
In the journeyings of the children of Israel through the wilderness it fell to the lot of the sons of Kohath to minister about the “most holy things” of the sanctuary. They had to bear the ark and the vessels of the tabernacle. Now all in the tabernacle typified our blessed Lord in some way or other — a deeply interesting study, too long for this reply to your question.
But we are told that the sons of Kohath were not to “touch any holy thing, lest they die” (ver. 15). Now, inasmuch as they were the appointed carriers of these holy things, it looked almost like an impossibility that they should not touch them. But God, who even in the type took care of the blessed Person of the Lord, entrusted to Aaron and his sons the task of taking down the covering vail, and of covering the ark and all the vessels of the sanctuary and of putting in the staves. In other words, it is in their priestly character as worshippers that the people of God should handle these holy things.
Furthermore, it is said that they were not to go in and see when the holy things were covered, “lest they die.” Now on two occasions in the after-history of the people of Israel we find these plain commandments of the Lord ignored. The men of Bethshemesh were smitten “because they had looked into the ark of the Lord” (1 Sam. 6:1919And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. (1 Samuel 6:19)). Is the sin any less grievous in the sight of the Lord because the dispensation is that of grace and not of law? Surely not.
Again, we find the anger of the Lord kindled against Uzzah for putting forth his hand to touch the ark, and as he no doubt thought to protect it (2 Sam. 6:77And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. (2 Samuel 6:7)). Now it is quite possible that the writer of the articles in question may have thought that he was defending the Lord’s person against the attacks of others, but I feel that he has fallen into the same snare, which I deeply regret.
And this has led him to a very serious error, as I believe, in separating entirely the deity of Christ from the work of atonement.
It amounts to this, that the atoning work of the cross was an exclusively human work. The Man who performed it may have been perfect, but according to the author of these articles the work was human and not divine.
Scripture says that Christ “offered Himself.” Who dare say that there was nothing but the manhood of Christ in this? Again Scripture says, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9, 109In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:9‑10)). Who would venture to exclude His deity from those verses? May God deliver His people from the entanglement of these fleshly reasonings!
In conclusion I would say that I have invariably found utter deadness of conscience as to all this sort of rationalism amongst those who have fallen under its power.
“Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou,
That every knee to Thee should bow.”
ED.