18. “Μ. F.,” Loudwater. Your question involves the very foundations of Christianity. We give you, in reply, one brief but comprehensive statement of holy scripture. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Again, “ As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.” (See Rom. 6, 7; Gal. 3) If we are to be taught by scripture alone, then we learn that the believer is “dead to the law.” He died in Christ. So the New Testament teaches us in manifold places. Now, what has the law to say to a dead man? or what has a dead man to say to the law? Is the law binding upon a dead man? The idea is absurd. “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”
True it is—blessedly true, that a Christian, walking in the Spirit, fulfills the practical righteousness of the law. (Rom. 8:44That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:4).) But if you put a Christian under the law, you put him under the curse, for the apostle declares that as many as are on that ground, not merely as many as have not kept the law, are under the curse. In short, the entire teaching of Romans and Galatians is flatly opposed to the notion of putting Christians under the law whether for justification or as a rule of life. So far from its being the ground of justification, it is the ground of condemnation; and so far from its being a rule of life, it is a rule of death. (See Rom. 7:1010And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. (Romans 7:10); 2 Cor. 3)
Does anyone in his right mind need to be told that a Christian is not to steal or commit murder? Surely not. But let us remember that christian morals rest on a christian, and not on a legal, basis. The law was given to man in the old creation, to test him and prove him, and cause the offense to abound. The Christian, on the other hand, is not in the old creation, but in the new. (2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17).) He is not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. (Rom. 8:99But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9).)
Are these things mere figures of speech? or are they divine statements concerning the very foundations of Christianity? Let us look well to it, dear friend; lot us see where we are. A person who, in his actual experience, is under the law, must be a stranger to the peace and liberty of the gospel; and, moreover, must be wholly ignorant of the true character of Christianity. If we trace the history and the writings of the great apostle of the Gentiles, we shall find that there was nothing that so grieved and pained him—nothing he so strongly denounced—as the attempt to put Christians under the law in any shape or form, or for any object whatsoever. When he speaks of himself as “being under the law to Christ” (1 Cor. 9:2121To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. (1 Corinthians 9:21)), any competent person may see that the word is, “under rule or authority to Christ,” and has nothing to do with being under the law of Moses, which the apostle everywhere denounces in the most unmeasured terms. The law-teachers get no quarter whatever from Paul. This is as clear as anything can be. Hence, if we are going to submit to scripture, the law question is easily settled. But if any man refuses to submit to that authority, we do not sec that there is much use in talking to him.
1!). “F.,” Blackheath. Procure a copy of “Lectures on the Second Coming and Kingdom of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” By W. Kelly. Published by Broom, Paternoster Row.
We feel constrained to give the following extract of a letter from a dear friend in Wiltshire, in reference to the blessed work of Sunday school teaching. We give it simply for the encouragement of all who are engaged in that service. Our brother writes as follows, “I have no doubt but that you will be glad to hear a little of the way we are getting on with our Sunday school, about which you so kindly gave us a little advice when you were here. We commenced it on the 6th of December, with about 35 or 36, and we have had four or five added to our number since. Both teachers and scholars, so far, seem quite hi earnest; and we have gone on very happily together in the work. You will rejoice to hear that the Lord has most graciously given us the seal of His blessing. Two little boys, of about twelve or thirteen years of age, have been converted; one of them a very clear decided case. He has gone on very nicely ever since, and is now desiring to come to the Lord’s table. Several of the other scholars are also manifesting concern; and we trust the Lord has given us an earnest of the blessing He intends to pour out.” May the foregoing cheer the hearts of Sunday school teachers; and may it stir up many of our dear young friends to enter, as earnest workers, upon a deeply interesting but sadly neglected field of labor. We specially note these words: “We have gone on very happily together.” This is an essential point. There must be cordial and prayerful fellowship among the teaches, if any good is to be done; and nothing so tends to promote this as the fact that each teacher really has at heart the one grand object, namely, the glory of Christ in the salvation of the dear children. When this is the case, the earnest worker is not hindered and harassed by that miserable spirit of crotchety hair-splitting as to the mode of doing things, which is the death blow to all real usefulness. May God bless this Wiltshire Sunday school, and all other Sunday schools throughout the world!
20. “M.,” Montrose. 2 Tim. 2:2121If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. (2 Timothy 2:21), “If a man purge himself from these,” refers, unquestionably, to the dishonorable vessels of the previous verse. This is the bounden duty of every one who desires to be a vessel sanctified and meet for the Master’s use.
21. “E. S.,” Kent. We can only say, the Lord be praised for the help ministered to you though our little serial. It was very kind of you to write.
22. “A Simple One,” Oxford. We are at a loss to see your difficulty as to Phil. 2:6, 76Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2:6‑7). Assuredly our blessed Lord was a real servant in every sense of the word. He was as really a servant (δούλοι), as He was really God over all blessed forever. He was very God and very Man—the veriest and only perfect servant that ever trod this earth. The more simple you are, the more clearly you will see this.
23. “A Tempted and Suffering One.” You have our fullest sympathy. We have met many of God’s dear children in precisely your condition. Indeed they have, in stating their exercises, used your very words. “This,” you will say, “is poor comfort for me.” And yet it may not be so. We know a very dear saint of God who was under exercise for years, and the only thing that gave him the smallest comfort was the eighty-eighth Psalm. And why? Because there was not a single bit of comfort in it. Yet it was written by a saint of God; and therefore he might be a saint, though he was thoroughly miserable. We write not thus, dear friend, to lead you to be content in your present dark and unhappy condition. Far from it. We beseech you to look off from your feelings, your experiences, your evidences, yea, and your very faith itself, and rest in Christ and His finished work. God is satisfied with Christ on your behalf. Is He not enough to satisfy you? Do you want to add something of your own to Christ? This is really the question. May God bless you!
24. “J. V.,” Hereford. We did receive a letter containing a query as to whether a Christian could consistently play chess or checkers; but we really did not think it needful to reply to such a question. Surely, dear friend, you do not suppose that we presume to lay down rules for christian conduct. It must be a question between a man’s own conscience and the Lord. Whatever cannot be done with a pure conscience, with the testimony of an ungrieved Spirit, and to the glory of God, had better be left undone. Furthermore, if we cannot ask God’s blessing on what we are about to engage in, we had better let it alone. Beyond this we do not feel it to be our province to go. We generally find that when a man’s conscience is at ease as to this or that pursuit, he has no occasion to apply to his fellow for counsel. Oh! to walk ever in the fear and love of God!
25. “I. P.,” Rathmines. In Matthew you have our Lord presented as the Messiah. In Luke you have Him as Man. Hence the difference in the two narratives. All that is perfectly human you get in Luke. It is important to seize the grand object of the Spirit in each Gospel. In Matthew you have the “Son of David, Son of Abraham.” In Mark you have the Servant—the Workman. In Luke, the Man. In John, the Son—the eternal Word. Now, in each Gospel, everything falls in perfectly with the main design of the Spirit therein. Thus in John you have no temptation in the wilderness, no transfiguration on the mount, no agony in the garden. These subjects would not fall in with the scope of that glorious Gospel. So also of other things upon which we cannot enter now. As to 1 Cor. 9:2727But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (1 Corinthians 9:27)—a passage over which so many have stumbled—we take it in its full, solemn force. Not all the gifts, not all the preaching power, not all the success of a Paul can ever do away with the necessity of keeping nature in subjection. It is not a question of eternal life in Christ, but of subduing the body. Let us never seek to weaken scripture or turn aside its keen edge from the conscience. May the Lord greatly bless you, beloved brother, and keep you in the shadow of His mighty hand continually!
26. “A Perplexed Sister.” Our reply to “A Tempted and Suffering One” may help you. Your cases are very much alike. We merely add to you, dear friend, that the brother who considers it a sine qua non to be able to tell the exact moment of your conversion is, in our judgment, completely mistaken. If that were so, it would unchristianize hundreds of God’s dear saints. Your spiritual disease is self-occupation. The remedy is occupation with the love of God; the person and work of Christ; and the testimony of the Holy Ghost in scripture.