Historic Brief of Pentec05talism-p. 4 Sunday School Contest Results-p. 6 The Operations of ,Divine Grace-p. 7 Further Tributes to Dr. Siade-p. 11 Turbulence and Truth-p. 13 It
. Vol. 53, No.8 13'0 Gerrard $t. E., July11, 1974 Whole Number 2387'"
Locating the Sting of ·De.ath , '. A Sermon preached in Ja~is Street Baptist Church, Toronto by DR. IAN K. PAISLEY, N. Irel~d, Sunday Evening, May 19, '1974, the evening aftet: the Memorial Service for Dr. H. C.Slade.
I am going to ask you to' 'stand for prayer, please. II CORINTHIANS 15:55: Gracious Heavenly. Father, we thank Thee. from the "0 death, where is thy sting? 0 grave, where, is thy depth of our hearts that the Lord Jesus Chr~st is the victory?" sole Head of His Church, that He doeth all thmgs well. IF I WERE asked for a subject for my message this We cannot understand with our finite minds. and our .' limitations why 'He calls' one home so unexpectedly; but, evening, I would caN it, "Locating the Sting ·of Death." Lord, we bless Thee that it is' the Lord's hand that has The question is, Where is death's sting? ' done it,. and we can see His hand, and we can trust when !I. we cannot .see. One day we know we will bless the hand I FIND STING OF' DEATH FIRSt OF ALL, that guided and we will bless the heart that planned. TIm We thank Thee that we can say tonight, Is there anyone iN THE DEATH OF EVERY UNGO:[~LY, UNRE 'can help us, one who understands our need when the GENERATE MAN AND WOMAN. Could we stand for a moment in the dark shadows of the ungodly death thorns of life have pierced us till we bleed; one who chamber? Could we see the soul 'withootQhrist grappli?g sympathizes with us, who iii wondrous love imparts j~t with the great enemy 'of death as the shadows of eternity the very blessing that we need? We bless Thee th~t ·every saint" of God, no matter what the circumstances are, can gather and tJhe sands of time on a mort~'s sbul are say, Yes, there is One, only One, the blessed, blessed running out? There is n'O hope here for Chnst, the Hope JesuS, He is the One. When afflictions press the soul, when of sinners, has been rejected. There is n~ peace here the waves of trouble' roll,' And you need a friend to help. ror Christ, the Prince .of Peace, has ,been rejected. There you. He is the One. Father, draw near and give. to us . is no ·liWt here for Christ, Who i.s t~e Light o~ the :vorld, has been rejected; and the soul wlthou~ Cm:ISt, wl~hout beauty for ashes, the oil of j9Y for mo.urning, and ~e garment of' praise for the spirit of heavmess. Keep thiS peace; 'without hope, in the darkness ,IS" .. bemgushered great Church in the spirit of prayer, and. raise up men down the dark corridor of death, and the great doors of eternity are about to open, and that soul is about to and women to stand in the gap in these eVil days, so th~t Thy great Name ·shall. be honoured ..We pray tOnig.ht enter. into tJhe great untracked and unfathomable dep~ for the preaching of Thy Word. We need not the WIS of a lost eternity. What e~pressions ,of grief come from dom that man teaches; we need the power and the dem the lips of sinners in the a~y of death's path! onstration of the' Holy Ghost. Grant to us that power. I am reminded of the great Queen Eliza:beth I, wh~n: To this end I take the promised Holy Ghost, the blessed she came 'to die. The royal bed-chamber was steeped ~n power of Pentecost, to fill me to the uttermost. Thank datk' and terrible silence, and courtiers stood there m Godl He, undertakes for me. In Jesus' name, Amen and their grief, and from th.e royal !'ed t~ere ca,me a shriek, Amen. the shriek of a royal smner dymg WIthout a royal par- /' / don. I "All my possessions," she cried, "for one more moment of life!" There you have the sting pf death. Could I bring you to the death-bed of Hobbes; the great ,English infidel? Death has come to seize upon his soul, and the summons of eternity has been served in the death-ohamber, and he cries in the agony of the death time, "I am taking a leap into the dark, I am taking a DR, T, T, SHIELDS - FOUNDER AND FIRST EDITOR (1922:1955) leap into the dark:" Oh, men fast dying in the agony DR, H. C, SLADE:"'- (1955·1974, of ~at cry, a cry of darkness, a cry without hope, a cry without solace a cry without comfort! I find that the Published bi.weekly on Thursday for the propagation of the sting of death. Or shall I bring you to the end of a Evangelical principles of the Flrotastant Reform.tlon .nd In misspent life, the life of Byron, tlhe great English poet, defen'ce of the faith onc. deliv~red to the Saints.
how ..he- burned himself out in folly, in lust and in sinful 54.00 Per -Ye.r. Postpaid to .ny," addre' ... 20¢ Per Slnglll Copy pleasure? He takes up with trembling .fingers his pen, Sterling Countries £1.7 (2 y.... 3,£) pay. bill to C.n.di.n Imperl.1 and he writes: - Bank of Commerce, 2 Lombard Street, London, England "1 am not ashaqted of the gospel of Christ.. ...,....Romans 1: 16 My days are in t!he yellow leaf; The flowers and fruits of love are gone; EDITOR: Oliva' Clark, Ph.D. The wonn, th,e canker, and the grief MANAGING EDITOR: flev. W. P. Bauman, B.A., B.D. Are mine alone! - CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Rev. George B. Fletcher, D.O. Where is death's sting? I find it in the death of every Rev. J. F. Holliday, D.O. ungodly person. Registered Cable Address: Jarwltaem, Canada 130 Gerrard Street East, Toronto • Canada IT. MSA3T4 "0 ,deallh, where is thy sting?" I find no sting of death Second clan mail registration number 1465 , in the death of the believer. How differetllt is the deat!h chamber of the child' of God! How sweet' are those passages of the Word of God t!hat tell me something of elf mourning; we have all stood ana wept our bitter tears the passing of a soul redeemed by precious blood! in the day that death triumphed in our homes; and no "Mark the peI1fect man, and behold the liprilght: for t!he doubt, before the end of the jOurney, the experience will end of that man is peace." "Blessed, are the dead that be repeated time and time. again. There comes to us die in the Lord." "Precious in the sight of the Lord is this i~pired Word, this good question of the Book, "0 the death of His saints."- There is a peace, there is Ii death, where is thy sting?" Where can I locate the sting calm,' there is a heavenly atmosphere, there is somethirig of death? I locate, it amongst those that are left behind. that reminds one of Paradise regained in the death of every child of God. III. When D. L. Moody, the great evangelist, came to BUT IF I WOUlD REALLY FIND THE STING die they listened to his death whisper, and what did he OF DEATH, I, MUST PONDER THE PASSION OF say? J:fe said, "Earth is' receding, Heaven' is opening, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. If I w{)uld' really know Christ is coming, I must go." What did John Wesley say how deep that sting is,how poisonous that sting is, how when death cailled him to the upper regions to receive . terrible that sting as it inflicts its pang, I must come and his reward? He w:hispered the words of the Psalmist, "I gaze upon the' bleeding, battered, broken lxldy of God's shall be satisfied 'when I awake in His likeness." dear Son in the outworking of His, great redemptive pur- pose. \-' When I arrived in your city, thefiIst place I went was to tbe Funeral Home, ,and as I looked' upon the eart!hly . I go tonight to the shadows of Get!hsemane's Garden. remains of tJhe Pastor of this great Church and a dear I stand. amidst the Olive Groves. I see one group of brother beloved in Christ,' I could see no sting of death disciples, and they are on the fringe of the Garden. I there, and J said in my heart, "asleep in Jesus." Happy pass another gr{)UP, Peter, James and John a little . is the soul that dies a death that is stingless and that is farther in beneath the olive shades. Then yonder, a:bout a gateway to everlasting life! I find no sting of death in . a stone's throwaway, there is the Son of Man and the the death of the child of God~ , Man of Sqrrows; and in agony He prays earnestly and "0 death, where' is thy sting?" I FIND THE sweat as drops of blood are falliIlJg down to the ground. STING OF DEATH AMONGST THOSE STILL· As those purple drops _ooze out from t!he pores of God's dear Son and cover His body with the crimson of His LEFT BEHIND. Oh yes, tonight there are those amo~gst us who feel the sting of. death, the dear ones who long own precious blood, I say, "Where is death's jsting?" for the touch of the vanished hand and the sound of the I see it in the sweat of the Son of God, th~ bloody sweat voice that is still. In the silence and the loneliness and of Gethsemane.' in !Ihe dismay and In the disillusIonment and in the dis- I come farther along the road of the Redeemer's jour appointment and in the depression, what do they feel? ney to Calvary, and I stand now in Gabbatha, the place They feel the sting of death. Yes, iit is reail in thei.r hearts. of the pavement. I hear the crack of the Roman whip Grief brings a silence to aur souls; and we sit in the as it falls upon the quivering flesh of"-the Lord Jesus silence, and our loved ones are no longer with us, the Christ. -I see l'he nerves of 'that sinless body that feels chair in the home is empty, and the sweet voice 'that has more of a pang than our sinful bodies could feel, and cheered us and comforted us cheers and comforts us no . as every nerve is set on fire and the whole body is more. We. say, "0 death, where is thy sting?" and ~e "plunged into a baptism of 'grief as He gives His back will keep the 'sting of death amongst those stilil left be- to the smiters and His oheeks to those that plucked off hind. We hav~ all, from time to time, put on the garments t1he hairs. I ask this question, Where' is' death's sting?
2 (138) The Gospel Witness, July 1-1, 1974 -'
I have seen it in the sweat of God's Son, I see it now IV. in the scourging of God's Son. " Buit finally, "0 death, where is thy sting?" I FIND But I come a .little farther along the road. I go out TIlE STING OF DEATH IN THE WORM THAT through the city gate and beyond the old waR of ancient NEVER DIES IN HELL, and in the groans of damned Jerusalem. I go wibh the cr~d to that place, somewhat souls in the place of everlasting doom. Friends, let me ascending, to the hill of Calvary, to Golgotha, and there say from this pulpit with all the authority of Heaven, / I 'see them strip the body of my Lord from. al!l His gar there is a Hell. Hell is reall: its fire is real to men, its ments. He despised the shame as before that motley torments are real torments, its anguish is real anguish, crew my Lord was stripped naked for the sacrifice. I its tears are real tears, its cries are real cries, its darkness say, "0 death, where is thy sting?" I have seen it 'in the is -real darknes.s, its despairs are real despairs. Could I sweat of Christ, I have seen it in the scourge of Ohrist, draw aside the curtain that divides life from death and I see it now in this Shame of Jesus. I locate that sting this scene of time and the scene of eterllli.ty; could I in the shame of my blessed Lord. approach. the death-ridden doors of the dungeons of Then l hear the sound of the hammer swung low, they 'the damned; could I open the everlasting locks and are nailing my Lord to the tree. As the spikes pierce unloose the eternal chains; could I put my ear towards His hands and His feet, and as I see that precious body the cries that come out of the darkness of the ddOmed and its only garment is the crown of thorns; as I hear and the damned; as I hear their shrieks, as I hear the the duB thud of the butt of the cross into the crevice oa~hs, as I 1isten to those sobbings, I see, I fear, I feel of the rocks, and every bone is out of joint, and His vhe sting of death, the sting of eternal death. tODigue cleaves to the roof of His mouth, and His heart is melted like wax in, His bowels,' I say, "0 death, where V. is thy sting?" I have seen death's sting in His sweat, in His scourging, in His shame. I see it now in His suffer "0 death, where is thy sting?" Tell me, why can I ing. No words of mine could describe the suffering of ,not find the sting of death in ~he death of the believer? God's dear Son. Oh, the bleeding of the Lamb of· Cal Because THE STING OF THE BEUEVER'S DEATH vary! HAS BEEN LEFT, IN THE DEATH OF JESUS. The death of death is in the death of Christ. That sacrifice Bearing shame and scOffing rude, is an "instead of me" sacrifice. The very heart of the In my place condemned He stood; . Gospel, the very pith and marr{)w of the Gospel is the Sealed my pardon with His blood: doctrine of substitution. He took my place, He died for Ha!ll:elujah! what a Saviour! me. I deserved HeN, Jesus endured my Hell. I deserved . to be damned. ,With one tremendous act He died for me. I see death's sting in the sufferings of Jesus. The wrath of God was poured out upon Him, and by But that is not all. Around that Cross there arise 'His stripes I am healed. There is no room fur judgment; like tlhe waves of the sea, the sneers of unbelieving men. for Christ has been judged for me. In the Old Testament I hear again ili'e hiss of the Serpent. You remember in " types you will remember that t:h:e fire always bUllled ~ the wilderness the Devil said, "Ilf thou be the Son of upon the altar and every lamb Ilbat was· lain upon the God"; and the Devil is always chaNenging the Deity of altar was burned in sacrifice. The fire on the altar con Jesus. When a man stands up in the pUlpit and professes sumed the lamb. How different on the Cross! On the to be a man of GOd, a minister of Christ; and challenges Cross the LamJb consumed the fire, apd the fire no longer the Deity of Jesus yO!! can know t1bat the Serpent is burns. Part-payment God will not twice demand, first speaking, and he is not a child of God but a: child of at my bleeding Surety's hand, And then again at mine. HeN. " . The believing child of God bas a blood-right to Friend, at the Cross they said, "If thbube the Son Heaven, to peace,~ to pardon and to hope. My friends, of God, come down from the cross . . . and we will we are not going through the back door to Heaven, we Qelieve.:', As I hear the mocking of uDibelieving, ungodly . nJ, th f h·gh sinners, I see the sting of death in the sneers that were are gOlDg. thro\1.s:u . e ront gates, we ave ant to· hurled at the Lord Jesus Christ. But that is not all. Heaven. Why? Because we are the children of God, we are the heirs of Glory, we are partners with Christ, we· . Well might the sun in darkness' hieJe, are l)1embers of His body. Because all that was needed And shut his glories in, was accomplished on the Cross. Have you ever knelt at When Christ, the migbty Maker, died that Cross? Have you ever bowed YOJll'self before the For man the creature's sin. Tree, have you ever asked God to forgive you and pardon you for His Son's sake? How terrible would be this sting God hung around the Cross the great blankets of the Of death, unbeliever, in the d~rkQ.ess of eternal Hell for shadows of a darkness that c'ould not, be penetrated by you! How terrible for you who have heard the Gospel, 'human eye; and out of the depth of that darkness there you who have listened to the claims of Ghrist, you who came a cry, and if you would find out the strength of have rejected the Lord Jesus, freely offered to you in the death's sting, if you would know the pang that the sting Gospel! Oh, come sinner, come! Accept the' proffered inflicts, Hsten to the cry from the Cross. It reaches the grace, for death may soon be caNing you into her cold highest Heaven, it echoes through !!he caverns of the embrace. The, harvest will be ended, this sUIIl1i:ter will . deepest HeN. It causes the rocks to tremble and the be past. Your lamentlati'on then will be, "My soUl is lost very foundation of this wodd to be moved. "My God, at last." May the Lord save you froman'unready death my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" I see the sting bed, may the Lord save you from '~ Obristless Hell! May of death in the separation that took place at Calvary. you this night trust in Christ and go away rejoicing in Ilf I would fiDJd the sting of death I must pIonder the the blood--bought pardon of the Cross! May it be so, for passion 6f the Saviour. Jesus' sake, Amen and Amen. '
The Gospel Witne~s, July 11, 1974 (139) 3
/ , I
/' An ~ Historic Brief' of Pentecostalism This Article is, extracted from thepubiication, The Charismatic Movement in thi Light of the Word of God, by J. J. Dubois' P. Favre and J. H. Alexan,del now in preparation. Published in Le'Temoin, Geneva, Switzerland, March, 1974. Translated by Rev. R F. MacEwen HEiGHTS AND PRECIPICES ny THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
THE MARCH of Christendom acros's, the centuries can- ists. But, while preaching to the ri:lUlt~tudes, Wesley in not be represented 'upon a graph by an ascending curve: sisted on, "the sec'ond blessing", as an expeDence the ,It is expressed rather by a curved line, where' the sum- be.1iever should expect, one which' bases itself on what . mits' of true awakening descend the valleys of disobed- is called "Methodist perfectionism." , iences, worldliness, indifference or spiritual slumber. The most blessed times have often' been heights overhanging The Awakenings of the;Nineteenth Century 'profound abysses-deviations frQni ,the doctrinal plan, 'The llidustrial Rev61utiori progressively plunged the periods of defeat anq obscurity. How often the tempter masses into materialism and indifference.' Then 'God , after the m'ost authentic spiritual, awakenings has exerted ,raised up remarkable', me~ who by. their campaigns of himself to compromise the blessing of them!, awakening from slumber and 'by their p~wer ,led the , h rriasses back to the' faith~ Following the tracks, of the Already in the, glorious days of the primitive churc , Wesley' bro~hers (18th ceo ntury)" men'lik.e .C.harles Fin exx:esses disturbed the faith of new-bom,~assemblies. Among the Corinthians ,the, highest spiritual gifts did ney, John N. Darby, L. Gaussen,' DWight L. 'Moody, not prevent the, grossest sins. Ttw .fault did not lie' in ,William Booth, ,Reuben A: Torrey and others proclaimed the apostolic teaching nor in lack 0'£ knowledge, but in ~he evan'gel in the power of the Holy Spirit: they de-: the-profound gap separating sound doctrine from daily nounced sin and error, then established their converts Christian experience. The Apostle denounced the dis- upon the rock of Scripture. God's Spirit worked in these order ,in severe terms. He did not stop' at 'giving rep'ri- salvation campaigils, which ,were organized ,on a vast mands, he demonstrated also the danger of a certain scale. He ' subdued sin and confirmed the Divine Word' imbalance among the believers who were more inclin~ as proclaimed by'the mouths of His, servants. Souls were • ~t.. gif h . Chr' really, born again and grew in Christ. These spiritual to' exerCIse L'Ue ts t an to maintam a: true ,Istian movements of the 19th centu'ry have left indelible traces wa-tf~ry' often dec~iving and, treacherous fringes make which one finds everywhere to-day, principally in the summit stops dangerous. While ascending the heights Anglo-Saxon countries: ' some remarkable servants of God, as Tertullian, Origen, Biblical instruction.assured to young converts a healthy Anthony of Padua, Martin Luther and others have often- equilibrium; in the majority.:of cases·their spiritual life 'approached the dangerous 'precipices. Numerous have devel9ped harmoniously and sanely. ,But certain dis ,been the religious awakenings in -the course of history. ciples went further than. their teachers; ,putting experience Also there have been in the 17th and 18th centuries above Bible kno,vledge, they occupied 'themselV'5!s in a' glorious times among the Covenanters or. among the systematic' researcb of 'holiness and spiritual .fu1ness, ex- Camisards; the Holy Spirit worked with power under the posing themselvesms9. to serious dangers~ . ' \ire of per.secution; but !he Ceve~es (Camisard) proph- 'In the margiri of authentic awake~gs prodUCed by ets spoke 10 tongues; the young people among the Ceven- the' Holy Sp~rit some regrettable counterfeits' developed nes or the young people of the'Scottish mountains had which Were injurious to the normal growth of the Chris- , their visions;. these were probably speciail provisions of , tian Church. Some men improvised themselves as preaoh- , God for a definite time, when souls were, not able to be ers; under their influences some 'entire assemblies 00- , nourished from the sacred Scriptures. 'But 'it is always carrie entangled with perfect;ionism,~ while' some others thaUhe enemy would profit by the absence of methodi- gave themselves up to a psychosis of'waiting to the point cal Scriptuml teaching.to sneak in and encourage psychic of promoting artificially the, spectacular manifestations manifestations which captivate ,the 'crowds. Yet in spite to which they aspired. The "Holiness Mbvement," which pf all, God takes, care of His people who come out vic- was very prolific in the United States, is the outcome furious from the test: the suMerings endured for Christ of this confusion. One of its principal spokesmen was worked as a balancing factor among these giants of 'the Benjamin Irwin. Propounding the "third blessing" (the, 'faith, many of whom were martyrs. 'fire baptism), he founded' the Fire BaptiZed Holiness The Reformers had opposed the religion ~f works with Church., ,. 'the liberating principle of justification by faith ..CertainIn a book entitled Bright Wind' aithe Spirit, Steve' of their contemporaries, however, went further preach-:- Durasoff, who was for many years the organizer of t'h~. ing a: subjective justificatibn. where eJGperience had its campaighs of preacher Orail ~oberts, recorded the history, role- to play. TheY,opened also the way to, the heresy of ' of Pentecostalism. We borrow therefore from a work in perfectionism in which the. Pietists of Germany and cer:' essence Penfecostalist some very significant information, tain revivalists of the Anglo-Sax'on world joined, with which presents for us the charader' Of true confessions. them. At the end of the 19th century the United States Later caine some remarkable men: John Wesley in counted 23 different Denominations dependent upon the England, Whitefield and Jonathan E9wards in America, Holiness Movement. At that time two men played a pre to name the principal ones. These were powerful evagel- ponderating role: a Scotchman, John Alexander Dowie,
4 (140) The Gospel Witness, July 11, 1974 and an American, Charles. F. Parham. They encouraged works on sanctifi~ation signed by, p'ersonaHties whose speaking in tongues, gifts . of healing, grouping abuut . authority no one would challenge in l'he Evangelical tiliem numerous adepts. Their evident . consecration inr world. It is proper to remark here that certain Christian spired corufidence in multitudes who· took them for .authors had been unconsciously placed on a shaky ter aposdes of holiness and truth. Apart from. the official rain in proposing to their readers the seeking of a secorid churches they established th'eir own centres for teaching: ~lessing or waiting for deeper spiritual experiences., . thesewete the "Tabemacleof Shiloh" in tlhe "City of Zion," near Chicago, where Dowie wis'hed'to establish Scime statements of Charles Fi.niJ.ey, Mrs. Penn-Lewis" an ideal kingdom; and Bel'hel Institute at Topeka, near Torrey, Evan Roberts or stiII others, taken out of their Kansas City, which was the first Pentecostalist Bible context and knowingly used wrongly had apparently ad School of history. vocated Pentecostalist doctrine in certain of its applica tions. Ooser to us even the mystical experiences ~f , , THE SITUATION AT THE TIfRESHOLD OF THE Watohman Nee were able to pose problems of his biog " raphy: Angus Kinnear, Against the Tide - the Story of 20th CENTURY Watchmen Nee (in particUlar pages 103-105) . . In the spring of 1906 the generail headquarters of the , movement moved to the 'buildings of the Azusa Street On one side research into "holiness as an end in-itself MiSSIon in Los Angeles. The progress of the work was exposes the .believer. to the dangers of a spiritual life, then hindeJ;ed. by financial scandals which did much founded upon experiences, and not upon knowledge of . damage.! ' the Scriptures .. On the other side research into holiness in ifself op~ns the door for introspection and self':ac Then came along Aimee Semple, a young woman who cusation, the Christian qesiring always to raise his level had discovered the gift of tongues in Pentecostalist gath- . of sanctification a'nd to measure its function with that erings. After her marriage she set out for China as a of others., It is then that· the chl!.rismatic experiences in miSSIonary. There her husband succumbed to malaria, their modem form come as, an answer, in a way to fill and Aimee found herself alone on hostile soil, expecting the emptiness of anxious hearts'and to satisfy fully their , a baby. She returned to the United States, married again, aspirations placing always before ·her second husband one condition: "If.the Lord calls me to preach the gospel, I must leave' WORLD EXPLOSION OF PENTECOSTALISM you to follow my mission." Next Aimee Semple Mac- '. . , / . Pherson fell seriously ill; the physicians were not able After the Second World War-Pentecostalism experi- to relieve her. In her condition of extreme. weakness she enced a new flight. Certain preachers I made world tours had a visil()n (that is a seduction, Ed.) and believed ..... proposing, heaJlings and charismatic gifts. Making use that the Lord called her to consecrate her life to preach- of considerable means, Pentecostalist works proliferated, ing. Experiencing immediate physical' relief she left her. especially since the founding of the association "Full. husband to give herself entirely to her new task. She Gospel Business Men's FeHowship International" (not soon founded the International Church of the Four to be confused with the association, "Christian Business Square Gosp~1. Now this organization played a determin- Men's Committee." which has no affiliation with Pente ing role in the preparation of Pentecostalist pastors, who costal ism ). At' the, basis of FGBMFI there are two during the first thirty years of the 20th century traversed n'
The Gos'pel Witness, July 1~, 197,4 ,. to. the Methodist Church, after having preached Pente feet .. Thank you for the effbrts put forth and the co costaJ1ist doctrine in ,all latitudes, founded in 1967 Oral operation of all participating schools. . Rqberts University at Tulsa, Oklahoma. This institution The seven other Bible Schools in the 8-week contest prepares hundreds of Pentecostalist pastors at university (April 14 to June 2) are listed' alphabeticably: level to send them afterwards in every direction. Bethany Baptist Church, Harriston, Ontario; Bethesda It is not then an exaggeflation. tt? affitm that Pente Baptist Cnurch, Delhi, Ontario; First Calvinist Baptist costalism has propagated itself in a flashing manner. A paraNel movement, however, has taken shape some years Churoh, Oromocto, N.B.;· First. 'Maugerville Baptist s!,nre. Some of its peculiarities justify l1he title "Neo Ohurch, Fredericton, N~R; Jarvis St. Baptist Church Pentecostalism." This will JJe the subject of, the next (Ambassadors' Class) , Toronto; Miliken Baptist ohapter cif our enquiry .. Church, Milliken, Ontarip; New Testament Baptist Church, Leamington, Ontario. . -A.' AttenbOrough All of our Sunday Schooi in the Association Contest report increases -in enrolment and in many cases the' SUNDAY SCHOOL CONTEST increase is being held. Four Ischolars who worked really RESULTS hard won all-expenses paid:, 12 days at opr bea)Jtiful. \ Camp Saugeen. These are as follows: I
THE DR. T. T. SHIELDS' MEMORIAL Jack ~drewsof Mitchelll Square Baptist Church SUNDAY ,SCHOOL. TROPHY . with 231 ~points' . - AND A $100.00 CHEQUE FOR S.S. EQUIPMENT Janice Noble of Bethany Baptist (Harriston) was won by the ~ible School of ' with 18~ points FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH, BELLE EWART, ONT. Cecelia Clements'of Milliken Baptist Church whOse attendance rose from a first week total of 3 visi with 110 points tors and 20 at. Sunday School to the final week's scOre Lori Wilkinson of First Mauger;ille Baptilst Of 37 visitors and 52 at Sunday School. Their church (Fredericton, N.B.) wi~h 110 pOints. \ attendance folliOwing the B~ble School was 8 on the first r We wish to congratulate these young people for their week of the contest and 47 on'the last week. efforts. .. Pastor Pao[ Bowman was greatly encourage(;i' by MUs -Rev. B. R. Oatley-Willis, Secretary special effort of the school and said in ltis filial return of contest figures, "Contest was a huge success. Helped , . us greatly .. '. we feel that we shall enjoy lasting benefits . from the effort that was put forth ...." , ~ . THE JARVIS STREET' PULPIT , The secloI1d prize' winner of $50.00 was the Bible School of MITCHELL SQUARE BAPTIST CHURCH, July 14-11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Hawkestone, Ontario (Rev. A. Mitcihell, pastor) whose Rev. George Olley, Ottawa average attendance of 30 at S.S. rose to 73 on the final week. Their visitors' increased from 15 to 40 and one JULY 21- " . lad, Jack Andrews, a visitor himself who was extremely . 11 a.m. Rev. W. P. Bauman eager to win a free' sessiloo at Camp SaugeellJ brought lin 7 p.m, Dr. J. F. Holrliday a total of 24 different new ones (children and aduas) over th'e period of the contest. JULY 28~ iJln third place was, veteran contest competitor 11 a.m. Rev. G. A. Adams , BROWNSBURG REGULAR BAPTIST BmLE 7 p.m. Rev. W. P. Bauman SCHOOL, BroWnsburg, Quebec, whose fine efforts won them $25.00 towards Sunday School equipIJlent. Rev. AUGUST 4- Geol1ge B. Hicks gave each schiOOl a wise final word, 11 a.m Rev. B. R. Oatley-Willis "The harder job for.all of us still lies ahead - that of 7 p.m. Rev. S. A. Tulloch keeping these new ones coming." . I And so, in the words of many dontenders, it was a AUGUST Il- good contest. The· prizes will be officially presented on 1,1 a.m. Rev. S. A. TuNoch behalf oLThe AsSociation of Regular Baptist Churches (Canada) in the near future. Mthough the' Dr. T. T. 7 p.m. Rev. G. A. Adams Shields' Me~orial Sunday School Contest closes another AUGUST 1~ ohapter (the first one beingreciorded in 1958), we be- lieve l'asting benefits will prevail as' a totaa of 1,007' 11 a.m. Rev. S. A. Tulrloch attendances by, visitors were made throughout the ten 7 p.m. Rey. B. R. Oatley-Willis competing Bible Schools. Such vistors undloubtedly heard ' r the Word of God and the Gospel of our lJor4 Jesus AUGUST 25- Christ proclaimed faithfully a1).d . not; ~thout eternal ef- 11 a.m. and 7 p .. m, Rev. R. J. Reed
6 (142) I' The Gospel Witness, July 11, 1974 \ h,$~et'ttt0tt6 9!'J)tj ~«:S1ticl6~ THE OPERATIONS' --OF / DIVINE GRACE (Stenographically Recorded) "And think not to say within yourseives, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." -Matthew 3: 9. - THESE words were spoken by John the Baptist. He standards of life are natural, their outlook, their whdle came preaching in the wilderness of J udaea and saying, prospect is that of a natural man. Their correspondences "Repent ye: for the kingdom of iheaven is at hand." are wholly; natural; they are in communication only Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees came ready to with natural resources; they 'live on the natural carnal receive his message, ready to become his disciples. But plane, and have no true conception of spiritual religion he greeted them strangely, saying, "0 generation of at all. ' vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" He did not include them in 'the divine family; Ilt may be there are some here to-day like that. You he did not compliment them upon being members of the have never been numbered among the godless. No un household of God. He discerned their spirit: he properly seemly word was ever' known to drop ITom your lips, characterized them as a generation of vipers, notwith and' certainly, the name of God has never by you- been standing their religious pride, notwithstanding their taken' in' vain. You have not only been emin'ently 'loud profession of religiousness. And then he added / respectable. but eminently religious as weN., You have read a great many books that deal with the higher powers. these words: "And think not to say within yourselves, You are not wholly ignorant of the letter of Scripture. We have Abraham to our father: for ~ say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise VP Cihildren unto But I remind you tihatreligio'IlJ is not history, or at least that Christianity is not; that we (do not find admission, Abraham." access, to the heavenly kingdom by any natural birth, or I. by any special advantages which early religious educa That verse has in it certain very profound and practi tion may have given- to us. "Think not to say within cal truth, or truth of great practical value. And I would yourselves, ,We have Abraham to our father." Do not begin my exposition this morning with a very simple boast of a religious parentage, nor assum'e that all is, observation: NATURAL RELIGIOUSNESS CAN well wi~h y{)U because you were brought up in a home :NEVER BE SUBSTITUTED FOR VITAL GODLI where there was a family altar. Such religiousness is 1W NESS. substitute for that which comes from God only. It can I neyer take the plac~ of vital godIlness, 'of a renewed There are people who are naturaHy religious: as a spiritual nature, of ,the second birth that is from above. matter of fact, all people are by nature religiOUS. The The children of the, promise are counted for the seed; , religions of the world are false religions, but they are and . Ishmael can never be accepted in place of Isaac. reJIigions; and they involve a recognition of man's re sponsibility to whatever god there is. But ,even among Will you look for a moment or two at some of 1Jhe those who have been born and brought up in a Christian evidences, some of the marks, some of the symptoms, if country-so-called-under Christian influence~, there is you like" of this natural religiousness? Usually it is not a good deal of natural religiousness. There are people easily abashed. We have known many people who were who show but little interest in the house' of God, or the very reticent, very reserved, somewhat retiring as a , Word of God, or vhe'day of God. But there are many rule. But this religion of the natural man is invariably others like the J ~ws to whom John the Baptist spoke. bold and aggressive; it never apologizes for itself; it is These people had been cradled in religion; the history of never afraid to make its confession. To talk about the their race was a religious history; every tribe, and every Person of Christ, and to confess to- an inner experience family of every tribe, - and every individual of every 'of grace is one thing, but to be proud of our Church con family had such a tradit,ion behind him or he!". They nection, of our Denominational affiliation, of our ,associa were, in fact, proud of their religious ancestry. They tion with certain devout people, is quite another thing. had Abraham_ to their father, if you please;! They were You wiJII find not a few people who are utterly dumb in , the -children of Abraham!' They were speciaHy and respect to these deeper experiences of the soul, who can peculiarly' privileged! They supposed that they, enjoyed never be drawn out to an acknowledgment that they have a: certain religious superiority because of their religious 'had to come, to the Mercy Seat and j\ind forgiveness of , an tecedents! sin, who are loud in their religious profession, proud How many there are just like that to-day, who are 'df their Church, and of their minister. Oh, they can brought up in religious homes, who have always at discuss the Prayer Book. Th.ey can discuss the resJ1ective tended Sunday School, and who have made it a habit,' merits of the preachers in town! They are well instructed regU']larly, to attend some place of worship on the Lord's ,in respect to the fine lines of' demarcation between the Day! They boast that they are naturally religious -- and various Denominations. They are full of Churchianity it is true that their religion is wholly nat.ural.' ~eir but they have nothing to say whatever about the great
The 'Gospel Witness, July 11, 1974 (143) 7 matter of fellowship with God, and that marvellous will profit you nothing at all. Our rellationship to God miracle which the Bible descdbes as a _birth ,from above. depen9s upon something that is far deeper than. that. I wonder if there are any such here this moming? Let But somebody says, "I am not an Anglican;' I am a me just sound a simple word of warning, and suggest to Presbyterian. They are all pghtr' • . you that we should regard with _extreme care any creed Thank God: for ~housands of Anglicans. Some of the or_ any religious system which ministers to one's c~al godliest men I have ever known have been Episcopa- . security: Anything that ministers to hilman pride, to a . lians. Some 'of the truest men in this Gty to-day, men sort of religious self-complacency, anything _that makes who are truest to God in their preaching-a:Ihtough for us to feel superior -to oth~rs is to be deprecated, and to some inexplicable. reason they still teach the children be shunned. - , the Catoohism-I say some of the most excellent preach 1 wO'U'ld not speak unkindly, I have no such intention ers in the City today, are Anglicans. I am not speaking when I direct your attention to one or two cardinal of their fundamentals now: I am. speaking of those who errors which result in leading people to depend upon are cherishing this fal~ hope. - such religiousness as I have described, instead of ground On the other hand, our Presbyterian friends may justly' ing their hope upon the salvation which is in Jesus Christ. .be proud of their -l:teritage; and of the.- ~eat army of The teaching -of the Catechism, for instance! Some of God who have borne tIDat name, and ministered in that you were brought up in tJhe _EpiScopal Church. You .Church. But the conception that the Church is com learned the Catechism from your youth; and you have posed of believers and their famiNes has. in it the very imbibed its teaching: it' has become a part of you; you error which John the Baptist. denied. We are not saved have assumed that it is true. There is much truth in it. by famjJjes any more thar,. we are saved by tribes and by - But observe for a moment ~ the initi.al questiOn. "What race. Salvation is an individual matter. I beg of you, do is thy name?" You -give the answer. "Who -gave thee . not trust to membersrup in a Church on the :ground that that name?" "My -godfather and my godmother in my you were brought into the Church by -baptism, and be baptism, wherein I was made, a member of Ohrist, -a long to the Church because you came of a godly line. child of God, and an- inheritor of the kingdom of heaven." That will not save anybody. 'Think not to say within The OIrly fault I have to find with ~hatansw~r 'is that yourselves, We have Abraham to our father.:' . tlhere is not an inlfinitesimal -atom of truth in it! That is all! That is not much! But I have known -not a few That is my first simple word: to warn you against a~ people proud of the fact that Mr. So-and-So was their semblance of trust in a natural religiousness. . godfather. I observed yesterday that His Majesty the \ King, whom we all delight to honour, had expressed his , II. desire to be godfa~her to a certain little babe that had Let me further remark that THE OPERATIONS OF recently arrived. Any ohNd might be gla9 of association DIVINE GRACE ARE NEVER PREVENTED. NE With one of such exalted station, and with one who is. so CESSARILY BY SPIRITUAL INSENSIBItlTY. Where eminently and manifestly a good man, and we delight to .shall God £ind material out of which to -make this honour him. -But I, do not think anyone will derive any spiritual race? "Oh," -said John, "He will -be at no loss special advantage from having anybody for a godfather to find . that; for God is aJble ·of these ~tones to raise up or a g-odmother --:- I do not qu"ity: know what it means children unto Albraham. -God can do anything." - myself! Of course these godparents make certain promjses in behalf of these ohildren, and promise that they will That is our first question. WhC!re is God? What' is grow up in the fear of the Lord, and so on. ' your relationship to God? Whll;t ·is your view of ~al,:a tion? Where does it come from? Whose work IS It? I ·think it was Mr. Spurgeon who once said that ·they Where does it begin? By what power is it continued? To might just as safely promise that they would grow up with whose perseverance is its ftrial consummation in glory auburn hair and Roman noses; for they are just as able to be' ascribed? Wrhat sort of salvation do you want? to secure the one as the other! "God is able df these stones to raise· up ohildren unto "In my baptism,- wherein I was made a member of Abraham." Christ." Nobody. was ever- made a member of Christ by I should like to forget the rest of the text for about baptism: never; _at any time, anywhere! "A child Of an "hour, and try to speak on those three words: "GOD-- God"! Nobody was ever made it child of God by bap IS---:-ABLE." .' tism. "An inheritor of the kingdom of heaven"!" No one was ever made an heir of .1!1ory by baptism. Baptism is Many people seem to have no God: no c~ception Of nothing but an outward confession of a spirituaJl ,experi . God; or if they have, He is a little God; He is a God Who has shut Himself up within the world that He has ence; and unless the spiri.tual experierice is ther~, bap- . tism means nothing at aN; it has rio value. There is no made. He isa God Who is .limited and circumscribed; efficacy in the water,baptism .itself is nothing but a a God Who is far removed from human experience, and' confession of faith, an outward avowal of allegiance to from human need. Who is God? What .do you know Jesus Christ.· And yet, 1 have met multitudes of people about God? And who is this man who speaks about God? -He is the herald of rhe Coming One. He- i.s the who trust to their baptism in infancv: ~ause thev were baptized they believe they are made children of God, forerunner -of Him Who is to be God manifest in the members of Christ, and inheritors of the kingdom- of fle'sh. He would have them think of God in terms of Christ's revelation of God. - heaven. I declare in the name of the Lord that that is '- rubsOilutelv untrue: .and thattJhere is not a vestige of Oh, what a God we have! No; we must not push Him Scriptural warrant for it at all! It is wholly a man':'made, hack "as far as oossible." as somebodv; said. He is not a human invention: I beg of you. do not trust in it: "Think God afar off; He' is a God Who is nigh. And GOD IS, not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our in spite of Russia, in spite of the University professors. father"-or -your godfather either, fo~ that malter! It Th~re is a God over all, blessed forever. Arid being God, .. 8 (144) The G9spel Witness, July 11, 1974 He is at~le, able for anything. I challenge you to name utterly irreligious, who does not wap.t any God at all7 me anything that God cannot do. " Any qope for tlhat person? No; not if he or, she is depe.n- Now, "He that cometh to God must believe that he is, dent upon the preacher's ministry, or the teacher, or and that he is, a rewarder of them thatdiHgently seek anyone else. God may use anybody, or anything He him." John was a man sent from God. He had heard ~es. Thougli-they be as dead as stones, God is able ,to the voice of God; he had feit the touch of God; he knew raise up children unto Abraham. God. He was not beholden to those religious leaders, the Do YQu know it has ever been, God's way specially to ' Scribes and the Pharisees and the Sadducees with aM display His sovereign grace by peculiar and -surprising: their false' professions, and their vain speculations. He selections? Ah, do we not sing it sometimes? ' said, "God does not need you; He is independent of you; He is able Of these stones. to raise up children unto "Ah, grace'! into unlikeliest hearts; Abraham.'~ It is Thy boast to come, Nowadays we hear men ~alking about the difficulty' The glory ofT,hy light to ftnd of bhe tiriles, saying, "No use to preach the old-fashioned In darkest spots a home." Oospel any mo're, becaus'e people will not accept 1t"! How often we have seen people who were Jike these "Utterly vain to' expect people to be converted"! "That n1aturally religioos people, chHdren of Abraham after the is entirely an obsolete con~eption of things"! "Religion flesh, without God! And, sometimes we see what grace bas fallen upon evil times, and if we are Jo have the can be in a godless home, and Under circumstances that respect of the world, then we must behave ourselves'v.ery are wholly antagonistic to grace. Why should we limi! , circumspectly;' we must see to it: that we conform to the our, expectations to people who seem to' be' religiously world's requirements"! "The' preacher had better be a 'inclined? My plea is,dear friends, that the most hard good mixer. He had better join all the clubs and ~e ened sinner in Toronto is not beyondtbe help ~f God. fraternal societies-the Masons, and ~he Oddfellows, and the Orangemen, and everything else-and then he wiI1 To-night at our opep. air service we may have hundreds get somebody to come to Church." God help the man of people who never go to Church; they ,never cross the who is dependent upon that for the success of his min- threshhold of a place of worship, -They'may stand a istry! But tha,t is the popular thing, you know. And so littlle while to hear the singing, and perhaps to hear the -we are taught bhat we must' make every possible conces- message. What shall we expect God to do with them? sian to men on the natural plane, or else the Church What is your ex,pectation? Can you say with the Psalm will go out of business. Well, if it is a Church without ist, "My expectation is" - where?' "From Him;" "I am God, it will! ' expecting great things from Him. N.c, not from, the Listen: "GOD IS ABLE." I wish I could just ring it preacher, not from the worker; my expectation is from like a bell so that all week long, wherever you go, it will Him." Why?' Because "God is able of these stones to just rittg in your mind, in the face of every difficulty, raise up children unto A:braham." every emergency, every burden, no matter what it ii>. I pass on these simple words of comfort to some ,Say it over, and over again. Say it aloud ~ow. Let us mother who. is praying for an utterly godless ~on. You say it together: "God is able." T'hen you can fill in any" have almost aost heart. Years have passed and the boy thing you like. . 'has shown no ,interest in religion at all. A husband, per:- I should not like to give you a cqeque for yeu to3iIl haps, is praying for his wife who will not' go to Church. in. My bank probably would not honour it. I do not She' has no religious interest. A wife is praying for her, know what you would fill in. But whatever the human husband who wiIInot -go fo Church,' and ,he is very cross need--.:be it individu~l, domestic, national, intemational, Ibecause, she goes. If he -had his way he would not permit worlds b~ide, and write it all' after that simple sentence: . her, even to go to the place of prayer. I could describe all "God is able" to do anything.' S?rts of ~elationships. Even as Lmerely, suggest them a plctur~ nses before your mind, and you say, "I know: III. there IS So-and-So. Why, that person is as far removed Well then" OUR' EXPECTATION AND OUR from God as anybody' can be! He is as cold"~what is ' EFFORTS SHOULD'NO]' BE LIMITED TO PEopLE your simile now? What is your figure? "As cold as a WHO ARE RELIGIOUSLY DISPOSE D. Men are not stone. I have tried again and again, but there is no re saved because they have a naturally religious disposition. sponse. His 'heart is as hard as" - what? "As a stone! Men are. not made Christians because naturally they And when I sought to awaken some religious interest, have a' capacity for being Christians, not at all. The to sound him out to-see if there were any capacity for ~eaching of this verse is that God is able of stoncs, if He religion there, I found him as~ead as a stone"! "Yes; wants to, to make spiritual childre'n unto Abraham. He I pray." Do you? That prayer has become mechanical. does not ask f~r any capacity; He does not look for any You 'have repeated it year after year. But ~He you still prc-disposition. Our Sovereign God-because He is, He putting your heart in it? Are you expecting God to do is ~o"ereign, and being sovereign He is' independent of something, ,or are you merely saying your 'prayers? Will time and place and everything else-is able to do what- you take this promise this morning; and lay it before ever He wants to do. God once again, and say, "0 Lord, that person for v. hom For, whom do you pray? Whose c()nver~ion do you I have been praying is -just like a stone: but I, have learned from Thv word that Thou art-able even of stones expect? "WeN; I am very much interested in a certain to raise up children unto A:braham, Wilt Thou, not man, because he has begun The Gospel Witness, July 11,1974, (145) 9 .. ' t'heGos~1." And is He shut'up to' that? "Why yes, Faith salvation is: fust God coming into these hearts of ours cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." and making us new creatures, energizing us"'" by His Quite so; but God can make him hear. if He wants to. creative Spirit, and' never. letting us go until He presents "But he is deaf!" Deaf is he? Deaf as-what is it? Stone us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceed- deaf we say! Deaf as a stone! Very well, God is able of ing joy. . , these stones to raise up children unto. Abraham; He can "I hear the Saviour ~ay, make even the stone deaf to hear. ," 'Thy strength indeed is small; Did we not read this morning about the. bones, dry, Child ohveakness, watch and pray, lifeless, bleached, there ,in the valley? There were very Find in Me thy all ,in aN.' " many, and, they were very dry. I have always liad a August 16, 193 L. great deal of sympathy for Ezekiel. Who in t4e world \ would want to accept a call.ole a congregation like that? But he got a call, and after he had received a call to REMEMBER SAUGEEN CAMP preach he went to visit his congregation. And:he passed Second Period: Junior Camp-+Monday, July 15 to roundabout, and he said, "It 1S a big congregation; there Saturday, July 20.' are very many of them, and they are very dry; just a I . congregation of bones." Not much inspiration in that, is Third P.eriod: Girls' Camp-Monday, July 22 to ~ there? You take iliat' thirty-seventh chapter of Ezekiel Friday, August 2. when YO.\l go home and read it over half a dozen times 1 to-day, and see how God addresses the prophet. He did Youth Week~Friday, August 23 to not say, "Are you a pretty good pryacher?" ·He did not Fri~ay, August 30. 1 ask him to pass an examination on the poets, and an Youth Week-end-Friday, August 30 to that sort of thing. He asked him this great question, Monday, Seprember 2. "Can these bones live?" Ezekiel was too wise to say, "Certainly!. Certainly!" It is easy to talk like that. But Ezekiel said, in effect, "Wdl, Lord, as J look upon all my' VACATION BIBLE SCHOOLS IN JAMAICA 1 resources, and my ability and then look upon this great This sumrrier seven Vacation Bible Schools will be multitude of dry bones my answer would be in the conducted in Jamaica .under the leadership of Miss negative; I should say, 'No!' But I remember the ques tion has come from God, and so I t!hrow it back upon Marion Veit. Miss Anne Ford of Jarvis Street, Toronto, God, 0 Lord Thou knewest; I do not. For myself I along with Miss Ena Johnson of Clarksonville, Miss shou!ld say, 'No!"" "Well then," the Lord said, "You do Monica Rodney, gradu.ate of Toronto Baptist Seminary who has returned to her teaching post in Kingston, and as I tell you; Prophesy unto. the bones." And Ezekiel Mr. Hubert Hail], student of'Toronto Baptist Seminary did. kn~ You the story. By and by the wind came, and who, has returned to assist Dr: J. W. Knight this summer the bones stood up upon their feet, a great army. . in the. Clarksonville circuit will be actively engaged in God is able, ! tell you. He is able to do "exceeding the work of these Vacation Bible Schools. Each summer abundantly above all that we ask or think, . according to hundreds of children. and young people are reaohed with"",,' the power that worketh in us." . .the Gospel of Christ through these schools. Pray for' an I have told you the story I think more thM once, but abundant harvest - ad' souls and daily strength for the I tell it again, of the young student whO' asked for an workers. / interview with Mr. Spurgeon. He said, "I should like to The schedule is as follows: know, Mr. Spurgeon, why it is ·th3t when I preach nobody is converted, and whenever you preach hundreds . July 8-12:'- Tweedside, Anderson'Town are converted. I try to preach the same Gospel. I am July 15-19: - Mount Moriah, Abourkir one of your students in the coll~ge; and I am learning July 22-26: - Clarksonville, May Pen, and from you. I try to do the same thing; I try to preaoh Cross Roads, Kingston the same truth, and nothing happens And when you I preach many are saved." Mr. Spurgeon said, "Young man, do you expect God to save souls every time you epen your mouth to preach?" "Oh no; I wOllld not expect 9th ASSEMBLY OF TIIE LAACC TO MEET that." "Weill, you get what you expect, do you not? 1 IN RECIFE,' BRAZIL alwavs expect it. That is why I prea~h." Shall we expect 'J1his Congress is/meetiDig at a very criticail tiine when it? Shall we challenge Ood? Shall we believe God? Shall New-Evangelicalism is attempting to make inroads into we ask Him to put His word to the 'pmof'? God is able. South American regions., Many missionaries and pastors Thentbis very simple word: Perhaps there is some are concerned and want information. Dr. Israel Gueiros . man here who sees men as trees walking; he is livin[ is President of the Latin American Alliance' of Christian in a dim religious light, if he has any light at all.' And he' Churches. The dat~s are July 23rd to July 28th. A fulil says, "1 would long ago have committed myself to,Christ, repOrt of the proceedings will be given i:i1J a later issue sir, but oh, it is such a rough road; and it is such a steep of TIIE GOSPEL WITNESS. Please remember the Con hHI; ,and I have so many besetments, and so many diffi gress. and speakers in your p~ayers. Jarvis Street,Baptist culties that I do not see how I could possibly be a Church was to have been r,epresented by Rev: S. A. Christian." Well, you could not if salvation depended TuUoch, however, owing to increased responsibilities ,upon your being or doing anything. It would be beyond which have oom.e upon him. since the home-going of you entirely. But my word -to you is. God is able; and Dr. H. C. Slade, his place will be taken by Rev. B. R. all He asks of you is that yeu trust ~im. Commit your Oatlev-Willis who wiill be giving an address on the sub-, . self to Him, and He will do all lh.e Test. That is what New Evangelicalism. . . . . 10 (146) The. Gospel Witness, 'July 1" 1974 / FURTHER TRIBUTES TO DR. H. C. SLADE We share excerpts from letters received since the Slade. You mayor play not remember having met me in publicatiolJ. of the Memorial Issue. Jacksonville several years ago whenever your husband ailways been an admirer of your bel qod for Mrs. Dawe joins me in Christian love, and we prll:Y the privioJege of having been able to stand by ~IS .slde ~d that you may know the preciousness of the Lord ,in this share the blessings ef his. tremendeus .assoclatlOn with· time of your deep serrew.· _. . l'he Lord. We will not only be in prayer for you and I shall publish ail appropriate tribute in the next issue yeur family but likewise for the church to know God's of The B.C. Regular Baptist, of which I .am editor. will and to be led by the Holy Spirit to select God's man -Rev. and Mrs. George R. Dawe, to be/your husband's successor, even as he was selected Vancouver, B.C. by the Holy Spirit to be the successor to the late Dr. , Shields. " . .'. there is a prince and a great man fadlen -Dr. R. C. Gray this day in Isdel" (from 2 Samuel 3:38) .. Jacksenville, Rorida. Our family was deeply teuched as 'we heard the news ever the radio of the· passing df your dear husband, Wei were indeed shocked to hear of Dr. Slade's sud father and minister, Harold C. Slade. We 0[ course im den call to higher service. I am sure you have experi mediately thought first upon his close family and rela enced l'he preciousness of God's presence in a new way._ tives. Our prayers went up for you at our brealciast table Heaven becomes much more real to us at times like these .. and we phoned Mrs. Beedom and her daughter Mavis. I am sure that there has been or will be set up some On Sunday merning it was a privilege to give a special kind of MemoriarI Fund to honeur Dr. Slade's ministry. ./ werd in memory of Dr. Slade's ministty and what he Would you be so kind as to include this little contribu meant to us personally as a dear brether in Jesus Christ. tion from us? \. . }.f the loss is felt so keenly by us who are after all so far May the Lord ~ontinue to upho~d you in the ~ifficult removed, hew much more must this mean to. yeu who days that lie ahead, and may HIS peace and Jey be were nearest and dearest to him. God bless you. and sus yours. tain yeu. We here are only too. grate~lto our Heaven~y -Rev. and Mrs. W. H. Frey, Father to haveallewed us to know han and,to share hiS Montreal, Quebec. friendship. and ministry. . Our hearts alSIOgo eut to the great church fami1y at . Our hearts are ser~ewfull in yeur l.oss.· We pray yeu Jarvis Street. May the Lord who is by the Apostle Peter will continually knew the cemfort which only the God called "the Shepherd and Bishep of our Souls" be yeur of-all-comfort can give yeu. cemfort today. May He continue to lead you "in green pastures . . . beside the still waters." Y eurs has been the Doctor Slade's passing has left a vacancy not enly. in great privilege to live under t!he saintly ministry ef two his home but also in the Twentieth-Century ReformatI~n great' men, first Dr. T. T.Shields and' until new his of whioh he was such a vital part. We pray God ~Ill guide and provide' laborers to continue the werk whioh successor Dr. H. C. Slade. • I he has left. _ .. "And I heard a voice frem heaven saying unto. me, Write, Blessed are the. dead which die in the Lord Wetbank the LOrd fer DOCtor Slade's life of service fremhenceforth: Yea, saitb the Spirit, that they may to Him and for the testimony he leaves behind _of faith rest from tJheir labeurs; and' their werks db follew fulness to His Werd in these days 0[ confusion and t,hem."-Revelation 14:13. apostasy. . -Rev. and Mrs. Mark Buch, May Qur 10vfugHeavenIy Father provide fer all. your needs and rest you in His love. "Weeping may endure Vancouver, B.C. for' a rught, but joy cometh in t!he morning." . (Psalm 30:5c.) ,.~~ Y eu cannot imagine hew shocked I was t'o read in In olosing, we should like to share wil'h you two verses The Christian Beacon this week abeut the sudden death of it hymn with which we' know you feel one in heart of your devoted husband and my friend, Dr. H. C. with the writer: ' The Gospel Witness, July 11, 1974 (147) 11 Thy way, not mine, d 'Lord, We regret that due to' our postal service some tributes However dark it be; 'have been delayed. Partor Clarke's 'tribute' was p6st-· Lead me by Thi'ne own hand, . marked May 27th an~ was" received· at "The Gospel, . OhoOse oilt the path.fornie. Witness" office a month later on Jurie· 27, 1974~The letter from p~tor Solanas was" equally as long in, reach- . Take-Thou my cup, and-it ingus. ' . . -' With joy or sorrow fill, As be~tto Thee may seen; . We were saddened' at the loss' of our beloved brother QtooseThou my good ~d ill. , in the Lord, Dr. H. C. 'Slade. -Horatius Bonar . One of our first. ~pressioi1s of Dr.' Slade in' coming -c Evelyn C~rrell, ' into'the AssOciation DiRegular Baptist Churches was his -.f;,xecutive Committee, Republic of Chin'a Councitl at . genuine interest in us and the work of ,the Lord at Beth- Christian Churches of I.C.C.C., Taipei, Taiwan. 'any Baptist.,. .-, . " . , He carried this interest in people in 'other areas along . "How are ~he mighty fallen." What a loss to the king- With his burden for the work a.t Jarvis St. Baptist Church. 'dom of Goo 4t Canada. He was a voice for God through We shalf miss,hi~ fellowship in spiritUal matters .. out the land, and 'a con§cience for the city' of Toronto. .Itcan't ,be the same without him. The ~epercussions of ~Rev.David A. Clarke ,his homecal'l will, be felt throughout the Christian world B~thany Baptist Church, Harriston. and we shall sadly miss his leadership. It is many years. since I visited Jarvis Street, but his fellowship and friend ship is something I shall a.llways remember. We were v~ry touched 'by the news of the sudden departure of Dr. H. C. Slade for the H~me' above. Please accept my' sincere sympathy on your loss. At of , ~he same time his hornecall is a' glorious triumph, be-, On behalf of M. Jolaguier and a!ll' the members Iieving as we do that Christ is' on I!he throne and, He l'he Baptist. Church, La Bonne Nouv~Ile (The, Gqod wiN look i1fter His own. ' ,News) of Ninies, 1- wish to ·expres~ our heartfelt and' . -Dr. I. D. E. Thomas, deep sympathy in the bereavement which has struck you . Maywood; California. ,We share your grief and your hope., " , The recent 'visit wh,ich Dr. Shide made among us leaves in the heart .of each '9'ne 'a blessed -rean~branCe. When I returned to New Delhi today I was. shocked May our· God and· Father be your strengt'h, your com- . to hear of Dr. Slade's leaving us so suddenly. .' forter and your guide.' . I want to assure you of· our prayers 'for you in this With all our he~rt we express all our .affecbion in Jesus hour of sorrow and adjusbment knwing that the Lord Christ. Himself wiN comfort your heart through His Word and -Pasteur Albert Solanas, His Spirit. ' , ' : , ' Eglise Evangelique Baptiste, Nimes, France. I remember with much joy my association' with you " and your husband ~ last when I visited you in Toronto. in ,1968, and' you took me out to Sunday dinner. It was with deep sorrow that we' read of the sudden home-going, Di Dr. Slade. The Christian world has truly May, our 10viIllg Lord uphold you' and make His way lost a great. leader. . plain to you.' I _' WiIIYQu' please convey to Mrs. Slade our heartfelt Romans,8:28; 1 Cor. 10: n. ' sYJ:I1pathy. We will be remembering .her and 'the mem ~] ohn L. Dorsey, bers of the Jarvis Street Church family' at this time. New Delhi, -India. --Rev. C.W. W, Cook, Puerto Rico.- . ' I' have been shocked by the -news of the sudden Home Call of Dr. H. C. Slade. ' '. ' . " " , He was a great Pastor and Leader in the Refor,mation Movement. But he entered into the eternal joy of his Master. My deepest sympathy to you aU, and may 'GaP 'give .tORONTOiBAPTIST you GOmfort and consolation. . , '-Pastor Saeed Beshoi, Heliopolis West, Egypt. ',:.:, ' ..::-:.,: ·:.SEMINARY' ',.,." ':, ,', • '. , 4 ~.. • .' ',..,.. , ' " ,. ,:'F.QUNDER DR.T:"[ SHIELDS : '. .',' ...... - . : ,- . -- ~ ~ ...... ,0" " ', ....'.j ,:", ,',' " SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS 'Residential Degree' Courses '~,,'.~ . /', ,'.'.,' '.. also -' , ' '. '. " " ',., ' Becau'se of thy two recent Special Issues of' The Gospel Witness featuring Toronto Baptist 'Seminary and ·-the' ,::',·:~Correspo"~e ... ce CourSeS, . Dr. H. C. Slade Memorial Issue, it was not possible to . f~·· .' . ~ ..'. -.' .' . • '" " print the two regular instalments of th~ Sunday School 33iJ~n;is'Streef,Tor6rit6iO~ta~io M'SB ,2C7 . Lesson Outlines. We therefore inolude three lessons in . .". ',. ! '. . ',' .•.. " this issue and regret any' inconvenience to the Sunday ,_' > ' ,;, ; .:: G:'!~,ar;' :,'>,',:' ,,::':.,:,:'.::: :/ -: : < School teachers using the'lesson helps. . _ ' 'v '12 (148) The July 11, 1974 I • Gosp~IWitness,• , A' BIBLICAL LOOK AT rODAY'S WORLD by R8V. Jobn F. Hol/idsy, B.A •• O. O. A POLISHED SHAFT-Isaiah 49:2 convictions will -influence Anglicanism, is unpredictable, "He hid me and made me a polished shaft." God has but 'the change from· 126 years in whiohthe leadership. His secret weapons to defeat .. error and evil. Hidden in of the Churoh of England has been in the hands of "High a Low-Church Pr·imate, seems to indi th~ shadow of His hand, concealed from, the eyes of . Churcmnen," to His -enemies, He possesses instruments that are "mighty. cate a' general desire for something better. At the least, ... to the pulling 90wn of strongholds" (11 Corinthians the Ecumenical and Romanizing pressures are likely to 10: 4 ). Those arrows of the Divine Archer are not blunt be weakened. . . sticks, but POLISHED SHAFTS. Israel, the servant-. nation, is an example; Israel's Servant-Saviour is "the ,THE PRICE OF.A DRINK \ - supreme example.' By His grace w~ too can 'be HIS No! This is not an article on the increased cost of POLISHED SHAFT, prepared for His use in the ,crisis some particular variety of alcoholic beverage. These-para . conditions of a lawless era~ , , graphs are penned 'to he1p the readers of "Turbulence" . to assess the fearful price which a nation pays for a!1co- A NEW LEADER 'FOR ENGLAND'S ANGLICANS holic abuse and alcoholism. The price_of .a drink multi- . Archbishop Michael Ramsay, the present Primate of ..plied to indicate ~he effects of this saboteur of national ,England, has been watched apprehensively by Bible-' life is positively terrifying. believers inside and outside the Church of England. The statistics which we wiU summarize are facts gath., In the judgment of many his advocacy of Ecumenism'ered by the National Institute. on Aloohol Abuse and his Policy of rapproachement to the Papacy, and his en- Alcoholism in the U.S.A. If a recent Canadian' Press dorsement of some radical political developments, have report is, correct in stating that 80 per. cent of adUlt taken the Anglicans further and further away from the Canadians over 15 years of age are drinkers, this coun Reformation principles which at one time characterized try's drinking 'problem is far worse' than that of our the position of the Church' of England. Archbishop Ram- Sou~em neighbour. - . . . say's retirement, F.hich becomeseJifective in November, indicates the possrbility of a change for the better. Here are the"facts' about the pIjce of liquor a:buse in . , . the U$.A. as published in the April 22, 1974, issue of In accordance with Anglican procedure, the Queen Time Magazine: ." . , has made' an official nomination of 'a successor.to the present Primate. Her choice, which is no doubt influ 1. Mter heart-disease and cancer, 'alcoholism is the . enced by her advisors on these matters, is F. Donald country's biggest health problem. Coggan, a member of the Low-Church party. This section 2. In half of ail murder~·in the U.S., either the. of England's State Church is often reiferred to as "Evan kiNer or the victim - or. both have been drinking. gelical." Its personnel have usually adhered to Biblical . , authority" Calvinistic theology, the need of conversion, 3., A fourth of all suicides are -found tt> have signifi-, ~riptunil, moral standards and an ~mphasis upon preach- cant amounts of alcohol in their 'blood ,streams. . ing rather than liturgy. . ' 4. Peorple who abuse alcohol are seven -times more How far the new Primate will go in his stress upon ,The Gospel 'Witness, July 11, 1974 (149) 13 \ 5. From the lost work-time in business, industry II. Practising the Grace of God: Philemon 1-19. and government, the dollar cost of alcoholism may be During the Apostle Paul's first imprisonment in Rome he as much ~s $15 billion per year. was encouraged by faithful cO-workers,' and among. these ·6. At least half of each year's 55,500. automobile was a fugitive slave Onesimus", belonging to a wealthy deaths anid haM' of the 1 million major injuries suffered Christian of Colosse named Philemon. Apparently Onesimus, in alit.o accidents can be traced directly to a driver or after robbing his master, fled to Rome, where he was saved pedestrian under the influence. through the instrumentality of Paul. His growth was such 7. The cost> to youth is fearful. Arrests of young that he showed signs of becoming useful in the public min people for drunken drivirig have sky-rocketed since istry of the Word. P~ul knew that Onesimus still belonged states began lowering the drinking age. Michigan re to his master and should return, but would Philemon forgive ported a 141 per~cent increase in the first year. and receive him? The Apostle, gave this letter of recOm-. Where are the - 'leaders in community, . provincial (or mendation to Onesimus, urging Philemon to restore the state) and national life, who ought to be ohallenging the Christian slave to favour, and offering to repay the money most costly and diabolical business of our day? . which had- heen stolen. In .those. days slavery still existed, but ,when the Gospel had its way, slavery was largely done away with. In the meamtime, Christian slaves and Christian masters had certain rules by which -they should Bible School 'Lesson Outline be governed. OLIVE L..CLARK, Ph.D. (Tor.) There are those who are always most anxious to assert their rights, but. not so the h}lmbleApostle Paul. ·In his Volume 38 Fourth Quarter Lesson 2 July 14, 1974 official, capacity as Apostle of the Gentiles, and as the spiritual father of Philemon" he might have demanded that THE GRACE OF GOD the slave be forgiven· and restored, as we are commanded to forgive those who have wronged us (Matt. 6:12-15); but _ Lesson Text: Titus 2:11-15; Philemon 1-19. he chose rather to make. his appeal- as a friend to a friend Golden Text: "Not by wor~s of righteousness which we have on the ground of love. Also, being now aged and in prison; done, but according to his mercy he saved us."-Titus 3:5. I he might not make many more requests; this one should be . granted . I. Taught by the Grace of God: Tit. 2:11-15. The key-note of this Epistle is "the truth which is accord . Onesimus, whose name means "Profitable" had been any ing to godliness" (1 Tim. 6:3; Tit '1:1). Sound doctrine must thing but profitable to his master in the past, but by becom be balanced by holy? living. The exhortation was especially ing a Christian and repenting, he was now profitable to the appropriate, in that the Cretans, although living on an Apostle Paul, and would 'be to Philemon (Col. 4:9; 1 Tim. ancient, island noted for· its beauty and culture, were notori 6:2). "Receive him as though he 'were of my own flesh and ously unstable, untruthful, intemperate and :licentious. blood," writes the Apostle. There is no tie so strong as that /which binds together those who, have heen a mutual blessing The strongest argument for the necessity of holy living to one another in the Lord. is that we are not saved by ~ny good works, but by the grace of God (Eph. 8:4-9; 2 Tim. 1:9). Left to ourselves, we No doubt 'Philemon had reckoned it a disaster 'when his would all have perished, for there is nothing within to com- slave had defrauded him and fled. But the Apostle reminded . m~ndus to God (Gal. 3:22). But God, in His infinite mercy, him that "all things work. together for good to those who Hunself provided a, way whereby His banished should not love God" (Rom. 8:28). The slave's departure had brought be expelled for ever, but might return to the Father (2 Sam. about his contact with the Apostle and the Gospel. Without 14: 14; Tit. 3:5-8). Somone inight imagine that since grace this short absence, no such complete and lasting. -reconcilia is the channel of salvation, men might be free to sin. Not tion might ·have been possiDle (Gen. 45:5, 8). Hitherto the so! The grace which saves also keeps, and we are given a pagan slave had been but a piece of property to his owner, new nature, with new desires toward holiness and new but as a Christian, he was now -a brother in the Lord, bound power· by theHoly Spirit to enable us t~ walk as we shouid to Philemon by fleshly ties and also spiritual ties. (Rom. 6: 1-6). The very grace of God teaches us that all The phrase "more unto thee. . . in the flesh ·and in the sin is to be put aside, and that we are to live righteously. Lord" has given rise to the stiggestion that Onesimus !pay Another incentive to holy living is the blessed hope of the have been a natural blood brother to Philemon, as not in Saviour's return. Our eyes are fixed on the Saviour, whom frequently in those days people were enslaved or imprisoned we love and long to see. We would not be shamed before· for debts toward members of th.eir own family. Him at His Coming (1 John· 2:28). He will reward us for The Apostle's intercession on behalf of Onesimus,that he all our good works (2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 22:12). We· know, might be forgiven, provides an: excellent illustration of. the too, that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, pure, with doctrine of substitution (verses 17, 18). "Receive him as every stain removed (1 John 3:1-3). The glorious appearing myself." All of Paul's merits he would transfer to the fugi of our great Gpd and Saviour is the day of consummation tive slave, while at the same time he was willing that all for which we would prepare ourselves, as a bride adorns the slave's debt should be transferred to his account. So herself for her husband (Rev. 21:2). did our Saviour assume all our liabilities and pay in full God is grace. Grace, in the Person of our Saviour; came all our debt (Isa. 53:4-6; Rom. '4:22-25; 5:1-11). He also is to this earth to put away sin' once and for all, to redeem willing to place to our account .the sum total of all His own us from its penalty. He now appears in the presence of God perfect righteousness (Rom. 8: 1+4: 2 Cor. 5:21). On this just to deliver us from its power, and one day He will appear ground forgiveness is posSible for the sinner (Rom. 3:21-26). again to deliver. us for ever from its presence (2 Cor. 1:10; And how powerful and how unceasing is our Saviour's inter Heb. 9:26-28). ceSsion on behalf of the sinner :who trusts Him (Reb. 7:25)1 I 14 (150) The Gospel Witness, July 11, 1974 , Volume 38 Fourth' Quarter Lesson 3 July 21, 1974 ary, vicarious atonement. He is the p-fecious Lamb of God to take away our sin (John 1:29). THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE GREAT , The high priests were allowed to enter the Holy of Holies mGH PRIEST but once a year" entering and coming out the same day. Lesson Text: Hebrews 9:1-14,24-28; 10:1-22. The ministry of Christ is for ever, and His sacrificial offer ing of Himself need not be repeated each year, month or Golden Text: "wp.erefore he is able also to save them to day. He made one sacrifice for. sins for ever, and that is the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever sufficient; He need never again die for us (Rom. 6:10). Nor liveth to make intercession for them."-Hebrews 7:25. can man add to His atoning death. The Roman Catholic Introduction: ' teaching of the Mass contradicts, the teaching of Scripture. In the original Greek of this Epistle the name of the , On the Day of Atonement as the high priest solemnly Apostle Paul is not mentioned, but it is generally accepted entered the tabernacle, the people worshipped outside and that he wrote it under the inspiration of ,the Holy Spirit watched with solicitude for him to emerge, which would about 64-67 A.D. be a token that their sacrifice had been accepted (Lev. 16: 17; This Epistle is not addressed to any individual, as Titus Luke 1:10, 21)'. He would then pronounce a benediction. and Philemon, nor to a Church, as Colossians or Corinth 'And in like manner,' our Saviour, having once died for our ians, but rather to a group belonging to the Hebrew race. sins, and having entered into Heaven to intercede for us, Although primarily written to believing Jews in Palestine will come again in due time to bless His people with His who were being persecuted, the author 'evidently had in presence for evermore. I ' view also the wider circle of people who by birth or train- The First Advent of, Christ was marked by humiliation -~ing were associated with Judaism. Many had heard the and suffering, whereas His Second Coming will be charac Gospel and were' on the fringe, as it were, of the Christian terized by exaltation ancl gfory. The first time He came as Church. These must be exhorted to follow on to know 'the a Si,n-Offering, but the second time He will come without Lord and were warned against falling back into Judaism 'or apart from a sin-offering ("without sin'" - verse 28), for (e.g. ,Heb. 6:1"8; 10:26-38). our redemption will then be complete. According to the The Epistle to the Hebrews is a Divine commentary on 'rules of Greek Grainmar, verse 28 would read as follows: the Book of Leviticus. It deals with the superiority of "Unto them that look for him unto (for) salvation shall he Christ, His Person, and Mediator of tne New Covenant, to appear a second time without sin (apart from. a sin-offer ing)." the Old Economy with its founders, priests and mediators~ The key, word "better'" occurs some' 13 times. II. The Superior Priest and Offering: Heb. 10:1-22. I. The Superior Sanctuary and Service: Heb. 9:1-14, ~4-28. Under ,the Old Economy the man who had sinned put his The tabernacle in the wilderness with its Shekinah glory /hand upon the head of the animal, signifying that this animal symbolized the presence of' God in the midst of His people; was taking his place (Lev. 4:4, 24, 29) and his sin was being He had promised to dwell among them aDd be their God transferred, as it were, to 'the animal. When the animal was ,(Exod. 25:8; 29:45, 46), but their constant sinning separated slain, this was regarded as removing the penalty due to the them 'from Him. Provision m~st be made for thei! cleansing man. But the man would sin again, so that countless offer: that they might worship Him in th'e beauty of holiness. The ings were necessary. His deliverance was partial, temporary tabernacle, priests, ordinances and sacrifices were all estab and limited. The atoning death of Christ, however, purchased lished to take aW,ay sin. But the sacrifice made by our for us redemption that was complete, final and eternal - Saviour was superior to these, since it was performed by a "ONE SACRIFICE FOR SINS FOR EVER" (Heb. 5:9). Superior High Priest who waS sinless (Reb. 7:26-28), sym pathetic (Reb. 2:17; 4:15), powerful (Reb. 7:16), ordained In eternity past our Saviour made provision for our salva byGod (Heb. 5:1-6) and live4 for ever. He would bring to tion: .the Cross of Christ was no' accident, no after-thought pass the will of God for our complete redemption. (Acts 15:18; 1 Pet. 1:20; Rev. 13:S). The Lord Jesus Christ voluntarily offered Himself for us (Psa. 40:6-8). He would The Saviour miriisters in a superior tabernacle, in the true take upon Himself our humanity, in order to become sub and heavenly sanctuary of which the tabernacle was but a ject to death on our behalf. Thus, He fulfilled the Old 'type and imperfect. This earthly tabernacle was made by Covenant of Law and .J , ' Uncleanness would disqualify the Jew under the Law from The Law was external, a written commandment to be :worshipping God; These defilements were largely physical obeyed. Christ by grace through faith gave us a new nature in character, as the means for their remov~ were chiefly on so that the believer would gladly; willingly obey His com a material plane, but they symbolized moral and spiritual mandments (Ezek. 11:19, 20; 36:26, 27; Heb. 8: 10). !Cleansing, possible only because of the sacrificial . offering of Christ through the Holy Spirit, as with His own blood The Lord Jesus Christ, who entered ipto Heaven for us, there intercedes on our behalf (Reb. 7:25). Tht! Levitical our Saviour purged. us fro~ sin. high priests had no power to admit others to the Holy of ,The blood of the sacrificial animals occupied the chief Holies, but our Saviour by His death opened Heaven for place in the Old Economy, since it 'looked forward to the all believers. Through Him we have access into the Father's\ :death of Christ, the crowning act of our redemption. The presence (Eph., 1 :6). The veil of the temple, which separated blood of Christ atoned for the souls of men and is the the HQly Place from the Most Holy Place, was rent asunder :medium of God's grace; not of course the actual blood, when Christ died, signifying that through Him believing sin but \Yhat the blood of Christ stands for - His substitution- ners may now confidently appro.ach our Holy God. The Gospel Witness,July 11, .1974 (151) 15 an undisclose~ land at the command of God (GenJ 12:i, 4). VoIwne 38 Fourth Quarter Lesson 4 July 28, 1974 1 .When he arrived in that land, he believed the word of God that this land 'waS not his final home. Daily he manifested THE HEROES OF FAfI1I' faith' iii' that· promise by Iivfug ill: tentS as a·sojourner, a ~on Texl:Hebrews 11:1-29. . '" passing stranger" a travelling .pilgrim (Gen. 12:8; 13:3, 18; 18:1); his eyes fixed on the Eternal City (Heb. 12:22; 13:14). Golden Text: "For without . faith it is .impossible~o please The unseen world became real to him, imd this is the, func- God."-Hebrews 11:6. , ' , ,tion of fafth. . , . I. F~thEx!uDiteiin Worship and Fellowship: verses 1-6. When tested, Abraham w~;: willing t~ obey' the word' of the Lord to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, the child of promise, I~ the Book of Hebre~s are numerous· examples of the leven though this seemed to imply that God's promise 'of his. difference, between the' mere profession of religion and the lineage through. Isaac would be difficult to fulfil (Gen. 21: possession of true fruth in Christ. The Hebr:ews are exhort~d 12). But Abraham believed that God could raise his son " not to' be' content with an intellectual ,knowledge of the way from the dead; if necessary, in order to 'fulfil His word. In , of life and not to draw back from the conviction that Jesus type this happene~,' for as,Jar as Abraham was concerned, is the Christ, but ,they are exhorted to accept theimp!icationS he' had given up Isaac; but God restored to him' his beloved . ,of the truth as it had bee.ri preached to them and yield to son (Gen. 22)-14; Jas. 2:21-2~). ..0 Christ. III. Faith - Exhi~ited ,in Bless~g and Prophesying: ._ The previous chapter concludes with the momentous. words . verses 20-22. ' , with. which Luther stirn~Q the world: "The:just shall live by . faith." This chapter discusses' thena;ture ,of faith and illus-' In blessing 'Jacob, Isaac prayed that his son might prosper 'trates its operation in the, lives of the saints.,,. . . and be powerful, and then he rep(;!ated the promise given l by ,the Lord to Abraham (Gen.: '12:3; 27:28, 29), thus show 'I " Faith is discredited among . those who call 'themselves ing his faith that God would fulfil His word. He also prophe "practical," as thou~ it were some vagUe. thing .. , On, ¢.e· sied that Esau w'ould be, prosperous, but· that he and his l contrary; .the Lord teaches.us that faith gives reality, to the descendarits (the Edomites) would serye Jacob and' Judah; ~ things of the Spirit..it bridges the gap b.etween ,the material and would·then rebel (2 Sam. 8:14; 2 Kings ~:20-22). ," and immaterial realms. . Joseph beJieyed the word 'of God that' was gi~en' to ' ."Falth is giving substance to things hoped for." p;Uth is Abraham that after their period of servitude in Egypt, the ' , that .firm ,reliance. upon the promises of God which counts Lord would restore them to their own land. wi~h: great pos them as real, as though already possessed. The 'Greek word sessions (Geri. 15:13, .14; 50:24, 25; Exod. 13:19). ' . translated "substance" (v. 1, margin, "~ubstantiating") is a le'gal term used of a "deed of evidence" like the title-deed IV. Faith Exhibited in Separation and Suffering: : of 'property. A man who holds such a document has tangibl~ , v.erses 23-29. . " evidence 'that the groilQd is his in :reality, al~ough he may', Among the heroes of faith "in this roll-caiI is the name never have set foot' on the land. Faith is also defined 'as the of .Moses, to whom the Lora spoke~as friend, to, friend' proof of the existence ()f'.things we .cannot see. :me word (Exod. 33:11). ,His' parents, Jochebed and Anlram (Ex~, "evidence" in the Greek is also a legal term, equivalent. to ,6:20), believed in .'Godwhen they refused to surrender their oUf word "conviction." It is a valid conclusion, based upon child to be' slain by the' order ()f the mighty Pharaoh (Ex~. reasonable evidence. 2: 1-3; Acts 7: 17-205.' They believed that he was destined it is by faith in Christ' that we are saved and justified 'to bea prophet of the Lord. ' . , before God; and made acceptable in,His sight (Rom. '1:17; . Wondrou'sly Saved and pres'erved in the very pal!iCe of 3:21-28). " " ". the king by the sovereign wisdom and plan of God,..: the . time came when Joseph was to be anriounced as the heir Abel, the son of Adam, worshipped God by faith (Gen. to 'the throne of Egypt (Acts 7:21, 22): But because, of his, 4:1-15). He obeyed the will of God as:revealed to him by faith in God he renounced his'high station, separated from '. 'word and· by action (Gen. 3:21). God ,had indicated that: the' rOY1!-l circle and took his place be.side the despised, .perse- ' approach to Him as a Holy Being..yas possible to sinners cuted, captive Jews, knowing' that thereby he would be only on 'the' groUhd of the shed blood, a token that si,n had among those 'whom the Lord had promised to bless (Exod. been atoned for in symbol (Lev. '1.7:.11)" A,bel offered stich .' 2:10-12; Acts 7:24-35): He chose sorrow, trial and suffering 'a'sacrifice; whereas Cain bro!lght ,a bloodless off!!ring, the with the people ,of God rath~r th'an' earthly riches, .high , fruit of· the groun'd.· station and sinful pleasure among those wpo lmew, not God ' (Heb .. 13:13; f Pet. 4:14-18). 'By faith he was enabl~d to. II .. Faith' Exhibited in Righteousness and Obedience; verses 7-19.' ., see and to choose the higher' reward of spiritual blessing- .and joy. . , . . ." .-Noah believed the warning of God concerning the judg Moses also' showed faith when he perfectly obeyed the . menf', of 'the flood. Moved- by reverential .awe, love and Lord's directions concerning the Passover (Exod. 12:21, 22) .. ," obedience, he prepa,redfor that judgment, notwithstanding . Salvati<:>n through the blood ()f:: Christ, as shed, applied and . the jeers and ridicule of his contemporaries '(Gen. 6:1-22; appropriated,. is well illustrated by this incident. . 1 Pet. 3:20). He was c'ounted as a righteous 'man because . ;. he took God at His word and acted accordingly (Rom; 3:21, At the Red Se!,l,' God. gave His people sudden a~d mir 22). He and his family were saved; but. the unbelieving aculous deliverance. MoseS believed and obeyed the word multitude pe~ished because they refused the offer of 'de' of the Lord at that time (Exorl;. 14:1-25). Faith in God will ." enaple the ,Christian' to' venture _upon the promises of God, 'liveran~, graciously provide,d by the mercy of God. , - , regardless of the seeming difficulties, 'knowing' that God 'Abraham, the father of the faithful, exercised faith in God is ever tru~ arid faithful (Lam.. 3:22; 23; Ezek. 12:25; Rom. . ,when he was willing' to_ leave home and kindred to' go to 4:21). ' . 16,(152) The Gospel Witness, Jul~ 11, 1974