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The Science Of Health.
"Be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."—3 John 2.
In this day of general awakening and
independent thinking, many are coming to realize the wonderful power of the
mind over the body. They fancy that this is something new, and some even
appropriate as a name for their theories the "New Thought." Other
names are Christian Science, Mental Healing, Hypnotism, Mind Cures, etc. Peculiarly
enough, all these writers find the best expression of their sentiments in the
language of Scripture, although they ignore the Scriptural teachings as a whole
and very evidently do not understand them. For instance, favorite amongst their
quotations are these: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Pr
23:7); "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds" (Ro 12:2);
"Changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the
Lord" (2Co 3:18), and again, "Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he
also reap."—Ga 6:7; Pr 4:20-22.
But, notwithstanding tributes to the teachings of the Bible, so far as we can
discern few of these "mind-cure" teachers are really
"believers" in the Scriptural sense of the word. We have yet to find
any of them willing to accept the Bible teachings connected with the very
passages just quoted. Very generally, while referring to Jesus in a respectful
manner, they give evidence that they do not accept Him as the only Teacher—the
Sent of God. Rather they seem to class Him with Plato, Socrates, Confucius, and
others of the good and great, and to accept His teachings as on a parity with
theirs. As for the Apostles these teachers quote their words, but generally
ignore their teachings. (Col
2:3.) The advocates of these false doctrines are surprisingly active
everywhere.
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ON A FALSE FOUNDATION
We do not claim that these various theories are wholly bad, wholly false. Satan
himself is aware that nothing that is wholly false could succeed; hence the
Apostle says there is a "deceivableness of unrighteousness," and
"Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." (2Th 2:10; 2Co
11:14.) Having kept the world in darkness for long centuries, as the Apostle
explains, "The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that
believe not," Satan now realizes that it is impossible to shut out the
light of the incoming Day. Hence his transformation, by which he becomes a
leader, teacher, is along what might be termed good lines in many respects. He
would be a teacher of gentleness, quietness of spirit, good thoughts, pure
thoughts. He would teach the downwardness of every evil thought, every evil
passion, every impurity of mind, word, and deed, and theoretically he would be
an angel of light. In this capacity he now is flooding the world with spurious
teachings, and making a special point of mental healing. Indeed we cannot doubt
that he even stands prepared to assist these theories which he is now
promulgating by granting blessings of health and relief from disease to those
whom he would more particularly associate with himself and his theories.
This power is manifest to some extent in the healings done in the name of
Mormonism, in the name of Christian Science, in the name of Spiritism, in the
name of Occultism, in the name of Mind Cure, etc.
But what motive could Satan have in so doing? Is there any power in respect to
disease under his control?
We answer the last question first. The Scriptures everywhere not only recognize
Satan as a malevolent being, opposed to God and to righteousness, but they
declare that he does possess certain power for evil. In olden times these were
known as occult powers, and the Apostles wrote about those who were afflicted
of the devil. Our Lord said of one poor woman whom He healed, "Whom
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Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years." (#Lu 13:16.) Mrs. Eddy’s son,
in a published newspaper interview, declared his belief that his mother was
under occult influence, and that she herself acknowledged this to him years
ago.
Answering the other question: God declares in His Word His ability to control
sin completely, and promises that ultimately He will do this—that Satan shall
be bound during the thousand years of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, during
which time the world will be blessed and uplifted from sin and death and from
the malevolent influences that are now upon mankind. They declare that even in
the present time God will permit the wrath of man and the malevolence of Satan
only so far as He can use these ultimately for good, and that the remainder He
will restrain. In other words, God at the present time is gathering out of the
world the "little flock," the Bride of Christ, whom He designates His
"jewels"; and He uses Satan, evil men and the malevolent conditions
of the present time to try, to prove, to test, to polish these saints whom He
is preparing for the Heavenly Kingdom—for joint-heirship with His Son in the
work of the Millennial age—the work of uplifting humanity, so many as will
return.—Isa 66:18.
We might say, then, that the adverse influences of the present time constitute
the grindstone upon which these jewels are polished, and that Satan through his
various agencies is used of the Lord in turning this grindstone.
And this is the Scriptural thought. Note the experience of Job, and how God in
his case gave Satan permission to try, to prove, to test that noble man—to
polish him.
Note that the Apostle similarly refers to his own experiences, saying that a
certain adverse condition of the flesh was used of Satan to buffet him, but
that the Lord assured him, "My grace is sufficient for thee; for My
strength is made perfect in weakness." (2Co 12:9.) Therefore, says the
Apostle, I will glory in my infirmities,
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since I shall have correspondingly more of the grace of God wherewith to resist
them and be profited by them.
For, he declares, the light afflictions of this present time are working out
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look away
from the things seen to the things that are unseen.—2Co 4:17,18.
DECEITFULNESS OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS
In these words the Apostle points out that Satan will be granted by the Lord
special power in the end of this Age, and that as a result there will be
special, severe testings upon the people of God. We are to discriminate closely
between Divine permission and Divine authorization.
We are to remember that "God tempteth no man" (Jas. 1:13), and that
it is a totally different matter that He permits Satan to tempt. The Divine
thought as interpreted by the Apostle is that the Lord’s people of our day have
had special opportunities, privileges, mercies, blessings and assistances in
respect to the Divine Word.
Such as have been of the right disposition of heart profited by these
opportunities, and became strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
They have put on the whole armor of God, and are therefore strong, and can
stand much more of testing than others could have done, less favored in the
past. It will be no injustice to these that after they have been better
qualified they should be expected to fight the good fight more valiantly than
others can do.
But why will these tests come when the Lord knows that a "thousand shall
fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand," as He has foretold
by the Prophet?
We answer that He wishes some to fall. They will not be falling into eternal
torment, nor falling into the Second Death, but merely falling away from a
Christian profession and a nominal faith, which in many respects have been mere
forms of godliness without real meaning or power. Thus the Lord would separate
the wheat class from the tare class, and not only so, but divide the wheat
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class into two portions, two classes—a "little flock" of "more
than conquerors," and a "great company," loyal at heart but not
sufficiently zealous to be counted worthy a place as members of the Bride of
Christ. These are represented as the "virgins," the
"companions" of the Bride, who also shall be brought near before the
King in due time, and who shall have an honorable place beyond the veil.—Ps
45:14; Re 7:9.
So much for the reasons why God permits Satan now to masquerade as the champion
of pure thoughts and righteous living, and to deceive and lead astray all those
who, having the Word of God in their hands, have loved the error rather than
the light. Or, as the Apostle puts it, "They receive not the Truth in the
love of it"; therefore now there come to them strong delusions that they
may believe a lie, that they all may be condemned—that it may be manifested
that they were not worthy of the glorious things which God has in reservation
for those who love righteousness and hate iniquity, who love the Truth and hate
falsehood.—2Th 2:11,12.
SELFISHNESS AND FALSEHOOD REWARDED
We are not uncharitable but truthful when we say that in the case of many of
these false teachings the reward of health is sought from selfish motives
purely.
Nor are we too severe when we say that the health is frequently secured as a
reward for systematic falsification.
The very teaching is that the facts are to be denied and that the denial, the
untruth, is to be insisted upon until it becomes a very part of one’s being.
Those who take this evil mind-cure are taught to lie to themselves as well as
to others, and to say, "I have no pain, I have no aches, I am well,
thoroughly well." This systematic lying is no doubt rewarded by the father
of lies who, if he had the power to inflict with all manner of diseases in
olden times, doubtless has considerable of the same power today; and if he has
power to inflict he would also have
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power to release somewhat from his affliction. Very different from this is the
plan which the Lord gives through His Word; yea, the Word of God, the Truth,
stands forth pre-eminently. As our dear Redeemer said: God’s very name is
Righteousness, "Thy Word is Truth." The power of selfishness in this
system is seen in the fact that, for the sake of relief from the aches and
pains, many, very many, are willing thus to deny the Truth, to deceive others
and to deceive themselves.
But, do you say, how could Satan be interested in such a propaganda? We reply:
(1) That all who follow this prescription and learn to lie thoroughly to
themselves thereby vitiate their own minds and consciences so that thereafter
they cannot reason correctly because they have lost the foundation of Truth.
Their minds are in confusion, upon every religious subject at least. With them
the entire Word of God has become warped and twisted.
Their minds are perverted. It is impossible to influence them with the Truth.
They are wholly captives to the error and caught by their love of relief from
pain and their willingness to have relief at the cost of the Truth.
(2) By this so-called new light, new thought, new mind, science, etc., the
Adversary directs and draws away from the true light, the true science, the
Word of God. He kept it hidden under a foreign language for centuries, called
the "dark ages"; then, subsequently, as the Reformation light broke
in, he endeavored to turn it aside, and to twist it and to misrepresent it. So,
now, when the true light is shining forth, showing that the Word of God is
grand, beautiful and harmonious, and that our difficulties in the past were
mistranslations and misinterpretations of the Word, Satan draws attention away
from it entirely to what his unwitting votaries style the power of the new
thought, the new mind.
(3) Those whom Satan is using in this direction, as we have already seen, quote
Scriptures freely wherever they can pervert them to an apparent support of
their theories. But they do
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not really believe the Scriptures, neither do they really believe in Christ.
Does this seem a hard saying?
We answer that by their words they deny Christ; for although they use His
name—as, for instance, Christian Scientists—they really deny the foundation of
His teachings.
They deny, for instance, that man was ever perfect, in the image of God; they
deny that he ever fell from perfection into sin; they deny that a death penalty
was upon him. They declare that there is no such thing as sin and death, that
belief in these are merely mental delusions that should be put away. And if
they deny sin and death, of necessity, logically, they must also deny a
redemption from sin and from death; and if they deny the redemptive work of
Christ they as surely deny that He is the Redeemer. I call your attention to
Mrs. Eddy’s latest published statement, so far as we know. It appeared in the
"Christian Science Sentinel," copied from the "New York
American" and endorsed as true. In it she says, "If there had never
existed such a person as the Galilean Prophet, it would make no difference to
me."
This statement was no doubt made inadvertently, but the spirit of it runs
through everything that is written along the lines of Christian Science, New
Thought, Mind Cure, etc. The essence of all this teaching is, "Every man
his own savior," by transforming his own thoughts from evil to good, from
disease to health, etc.
"LOOK UNTO ME AND BE SAVED"
We are opposed to Satan and all his healing falsehoods and to all the various
delusive arguments by which he is now seeking to put darkness for light, and to
make the true light of God’s Word appear to be darkness. It is time that every
soldier of the cross should see to it that he is lifting high the royal banner,
not only as respects his own heart and experiences but also as respects his
influence upon fellow-soldiers of the cross, that all may put on the whole
armor of God and be able to withstand the attacks of the Adversary in this evil
day, and fighting
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the good fight of faith, to be esteemed as more than conquerors by our dear
Redeemer, through the Word of His testimony. While, therefore, others are
looking to Mind-Cures, Hypnotism, Christian Science, Spiritism, Occultism, and
other "isms" selfishly, for the cure of their maladies, let us
hearken to the voice from Heaven, saying, "Look unto Me, and be ye
saved." (Isa 45:22.) Let us be content to have what the Lord has promised
us in His Word and to desire no more. And, on the other hand, let us not be
content with anything less than He has promised us. God promised typical Israel
health, wealth, prosperity, in proportion as they would be obedient and loyal
to Him. But those blessings were all to an earthly people and were earthly
blessings. Spiritual Israel enjoys God’s favor during this Gospel Age, and is
promised health, wealth and prosperity of a spiritual kind.
Indeed the Spiritual Israelite is exhorted to have such an appreciation of the
spiritual blessings proffered him that he would gladly surrender all of the
earthly blessings that he may have the Heavenly—even to the extent of laying
down wealth, strength, life itself in the service of the Lord and on behalf of
the brethren. "We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren," says
the Apostle.
(1Jo 3:16.) And the laying down of life frequently means the laying down of
health and strength. It means self-denial in the interests of others. It is the
reverse of seeking first physical health and personal advantage.
Its rule is, Seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all
earthly blessings shall be added unto you according to the Heavenly Father’s
wisdom of what would be for your highest welfare. Of those who make the earthly
interests the chief concern of life, physical health and prosperity the chief
aim, the Apostle says, "Whose god is their belly, and whose glory is their
shame, who mind earthly things."—Php 3:19.
True Christians, the Elect, are urged to set their affections on things above
and not on the things of the
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earth; for they are reckoned as dead to the world and as having become alive as
New Creatures in Christ and as therefore enjoying with Him superior joys—seated
in the Heavenlies with Christ Jesus. These can thank God often for earthly
adversities, and can say with the Apostle, "These light afflictions that
are but for a moment are working out for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory"; and again, with the Prophet, "Before I was
afflicted I went astray." (2Co 4:17; Ps 119:67.) They have afflictions and
trials which to others may seem wonderfully severe but to these—because of the
grace of God and because their affections are set on High—these are esteemed to
be light afflictions and as only momentary, because the Lord’s grace is
sufficient for them. As the Lord permitted Satan to have some power over Job,
so He has permitted him to put some of His saints on the grindstone, and to do
for them a grand polishing work, as the result of which, under the Lord’s
supervision of their interests, they shall sparkle and shine gloriously by and
by.
"BE IN HEALTH—EVEN AS THY SOUL
PROSPERETH"
Our text presents another side of this question which many of the Lord’s dear
people evidently have overlooked.
On account of this oversight many of them are perplexed by the teachings of the
Adversary respecting the power of the mind in the care of the body, in its
comfort, its joy, its prosperity. Had they properly studied and properly
appreciated the wonderful teachings of the Bible they would be ready to say at
once to these mind-healers, etc., "O my dear friend, we Christians have
full instructions along those lines in the Word of God, and much clearer and
much better than you have them, because on a much better foundation of reason
and logic, built upon the Redemption Sacrifice of Christ and the blessings
which God’s Word assures us flow from it."
The Scriptures acknowledge sin, sorrow, pain, suffering, death; and they teach
us to sympathize with those
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who are thus afflicted. They show us that all these are the works of the flesh
and the Devil, that Satan was a murderer from the beginning, that it was
through his lie that our first parents were led into disobedience. They show
that Satan’s course since has been to lead men downward through error, through
falsehood, through the perversion of their minds with all manner of untruth and
impurity. They show God’s condemnation of sin and His declaration of sympathy,
and the manifestation of that sympathy and love in the providing of Christ as
man’s Redeemer. They show that ultimately the Redeemer is to be the King of the
world and to take His great power and bind Satan, destroy all unrighteousness,
and lift up the poor fallen race during the Millennial Age, called in the
Scriptures the "Times of Restitution of all things which God hath spoken
by the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world began." (Ac
3:19-21.) They tell us that this will be accomplished at the Second Coming of
Christ and that in the interim between the sacrifice and the time of the
establishment of the Kingdom in power and great glory a special work is in
progress; namely, the selection of a Little Flock of footstep-followers who,
hearing of the grace of God, have been so moved thereby to love righteousness
and hate iniquity that they have accepted the Master’s invitation to walk in
His footsteps of self-denial, self-sacrifice, under the promise that if they do
so faithfully they shall be sharers with Him in His glory, honor, immortality
and work of blessing and uplifting the race during the Millennial Age.
"A MORE EXCELLENT WAY"
We have been surprised that Christian people of considerable development and
experience have been attracted by the literature and theories of Mind Cure,
etc., when we have heard them comment upon the good, helpful advice given in
some of these writings. We have been astonished that they did not seem to know
how much better advice is given in the Word of God, in comparison with
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which all such writings are but as twaddle and nonsense.
The little truth they contain is so mixed with error as to remind us of a story
told by an African missionary, that, traveling through a torrid country almost
destitute of streams, himself and family and several natives came upon a pool
of water almost dried up. The natives jumped in and splashed and cooled
themselves from head to foot with the wet mud; and the missionary and his
family were glad to take some of the same after it had been thus washed in, and
squeeze the water out to get a drink. If, in the illustration, the water
represented Truth, and the wet mud error, it seems as though a considerable
number of people with the Bible in their homes know not of the spring of living
water which it contains, useful for their refreshment in every way. If they
knew of this surely they would not stop to squeeze the few drops of water from
the mud and slime of the various "New Thought" books, tracts,
articles, etc.
In illustration: These various "New Thought" instructors give out as
a piece of news, as something thoroughly original with themselves, the
declaration that fear is the basis of much of the pain and sorrow and disease
of mind and body which prevail. There is truth in this beyond a doubt, a truth
that was recognized and taught long ago by physicians of every school; namely,
that to fear a disease is to induce the disease; and the same lesson in much
its best form is taught in the Scriptures. For centuries they have been telling
such as have the ear to hear that while "the fear [reverence] of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom," the "fear of man bringeth a snare."
Do they not again declare that "fear hath torment" or trouble? Do
they not exhort God’s people saying, "Fear not their fear, neither be
afraid, but sanctify the Lord God in your heart, and let Him be your fear and
Him be your dread." In other words, fear nothing except what would be
displeasing to God, and therefore wrong and injurious toward yourself and others.
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On the other side of the question do not the Scriptures hold out hope and
courage in a way that no other writings in the world ever did? Do they not say,
"Be of good courage and He shall strengthen thine heart?" Do they not
apply this mental medicine to all of life’s affairs and interests, as, for
instance, assuring us, "The Father knoweth what things ye have need
of," and He "is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask
than are earthly parents to give good gifts unto their children?"
Do they not assure us that "As our days so shall our strength be?" Do
they not tell us that "No good thing will He withhold from them that walk
uprightly?"
Is it not written, "The eternal God is thy Refuge, and underneath are the
Everlasting Arms"? Again, "Thy help cometh from the Lord";
"Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid";
"Take no anxious thought for the morrow"; "Cast all your cares
upon Him; for He careth for you"; "It is God that girdeth me with
strength"; "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with
thee; and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee"; "Surely I
will be with thee"; "My strength is made perfect in weakness";
"If God be for us who can be against us?" "He hath said, I will
never leave thee nor forsake thee"; "When He giveth peace who then
can make trouble?" and again, "Let the peace of God which passeth all
understanding rule in your hearts, and be ye thankful."
THEIR ROCK IS NOT AS OUR ROCK
What a rock foundation is thus presented in the Word of God for those who have
the proper faith and can claim these promises! How wishy-washy and puerile in
comparison are the words of the worldly-wise of our day, who are attempting to
give the world the "New Thought"—attempting to take away their fear
and instead to give them hope and courage. We might say without fear of
contradiction that the only strength their position contains is gained from the
occasional
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misapplication of Scripture. We say misapplication of Scriptures advisedly; for
the Scriptures are applicable only to the class who have made their peace with
God according to His own terms, and are not applicable to the world, which the
Scriptures declare "lieth in the Wicked One" and are still
"children of wrath."
The messages of peace which the Bible extends are not for the world. On the
contrary, we read, "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."
(Isa 57:21.) The peace, the joy, the rejoicing, the blessing, the comfort, the
refreshment, the rest of heart set forth in the foregoing expression of
sympathy and love and assurances of help are all and only for the Lord’s
beloved ones, His saints, His holy ones—those mentioned through the Prophet,
saying, "Gather together My saints unto Me; those who have made a covenant
with Me by sacrifice."
(Ps 50:5.) "They shall be Mine, saith the Lord, in that Day when I come to
make up My jewels." (Mal 3:17.) "But unto the wicked God saith, What
hast thou to do to declare My statutes, or that thou shouldst take My covenant
into thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction and casteth My words behind
thee."—Ps 50:16,17; Mt 11:28-30.
CLEANSED, TRANSFORMED, RENEWED
These "new thoughts" are antagonistic to the Bible, and
anti-Christian in that they teach unregenerate men and women to ignore the sin
which separates them from God, and to claim to be God’s children and to
appropriate promises of peace and of Divine favor—thoughts contrary to the
doctrines of devils, which ignore Him who is the Way, the Truth, the Life; and
aside from whom none can come unto the Father nor under Divine blessing, nor
properly have peace with God.
These philosophies of men seem to parallel the Truth on a false basis. This is
another evidence that they are not merely of human origin, but that the father
of lies has had to do with their arrangement and propaganda.
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They give out as a brand new thought that all disease is the result of filth,
mental, physical or both; that the proper course for man is to put away sinful
thoughts, impure affections, from his mind, and to fill it instead with good
things; that his body similarly should be cleansed by an abundant use of water,
inwardly and externally; that the system should not be clogged by gluttony,
else the blood will become impure and sickness result; that the air we breathe
should be pure and plentiful; and that physical exercise is necessary to proper
health. To all this we agree. It is all good, it is all useful, and we wish
that all mankind—the world and Christians—might appreciate it and obey its
suggestions.
But it would be a mistake to suppose that these things are new to a Christian
who is informed respecting the teachings of the Word of God. Is he not therein
taught by the Apostle, "Cleanse yourselves from all filthiness of the
flesh and the spirit [mind]?" Is he not urged to be abstemious and
instructed—"Let your moderation be made known unto all men?" Is not
purity of thought, word and deed inculcated by the words of Jesus and the
Apostles? Are we not taught that the beginning of the cleansing work, the
purifying work, the transforming work is in the heart, and that if we get the
heart right, the effect will be a proportionate cleansing and purifying of the
flesh? Did not the Master teach this when He said, "Blessed are the pure
in heart; for they shall see God?"—Mt 5:8.
Did not the Apostle teach the same when he taught that out of an evil heart
proceedeth enmities, murders, blasphemies, etc.? Did not the Master Himself say
that an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil
fruitage in his life? and that a good man out of the good treasure of his heart
bringeth forth good fruitage of kindness, mercy and love—good works? Did not
our Lord go further than any good teacher ever went before or since when He
declared that whoever in his
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heart hateth his brother, is in heart a murderer? that he who in heart desires
adultery is in effect an adulterer?
and that he who in his heart covets the things of another is in effect a thief?
Is it not the Scriptures which enunciate the now well-known proverb, "Out
of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh?" Is not this the reason
why the Scriptures everywhere exhort—not the world, but those whom they
address, who will appreciate good from the right standpoint, and are building upon
the only foundation which He can recognize, on the redemptive work of Christ—to
be pure in heart? For such Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them through Thy Truth;
Thy Word is Truth."—Joh 17:17; Mt 12:34.
The "New Thought" teaching that anger, by its effect upon the nerves,
throws off into the blood a poisonous element which tends toward disease, and
therefore that anger should be avoided, but that correspondingly good and
loving thoughts produce healthful currents in the system, which make for peace
of mind and of body and for health and strength, may be inculcating something
that will be beneficial to the world, but certainly not to the Lord’s saints.
The latter should all know that this is the teaching of God’s Word; and all
should have realized in considerable measure the advantageous results in their
own experience. That is to say, all Christians should know that the Scriptures
direct that their minds should be transformed—that they should put away all
these, anger, malice, envy, hatred, strife (Col 3:8), and that they should put
on instead the fruits and graces of the Lord’s Holy Spirit—meekness,
gentleness, patience, long-suffering, brotherly kindness, love. (1Ti 6:11.)
They should remember the Apostle Peter’s words, "As obedient children, not
fashioning yourselves according to the former desires in your ignorance; but as
He that has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of living."
—1Pe 1:14,15.
The general teachings of the Word of God for those
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who have made the consecration of themselves is that they should set their
affections on things above and not on things of earth; that they should be
transformed by the renewing of their minds; that they should seek to prove, to
know, the good and perfect and acceptable will of God. What does this mean but
a purifying of the thoughts, the lifting of them from sensual, earthly things
and fixing them upon the higher and nobler things which accord with the Divine
character and the wonderful Plan of God of which our present high calling is a
part—to be heirs of God, joint-heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord in His Kingdom,
and as heirs of the great Abrahamic Covenant thereunder bless all the families
of the earth during the Millennial Age? Well does the Apostle say of this
cleansing, "If a man cleanse himself from these he shall be a vessel fit
for honor and meet for the Master’s use."—2Ti 2:21; Ps 15.
"THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY"
It is not a new thought that love should be the guiding, the controlling
impulse amongst men everywhere.
But the Bible first of all presented this teaching—love for God and the
brethren, love for kindred, love for our neighbors, yea, even love for our
enemies. It is the Bible that pre-eminently teaches that perfect love filling
our hearts will cast out fear and selfishness; and that relieved of these—which
are the representatives of darkness—our whole bodies may be full of light and
be refreshed and reinvigorated and strengthened, and that thus we may be
blessed, not only in the life to come but also in the life that now is. But we
hold, with the Scriptures, that while a kind of love may be possible to the
world, the real genuine love which is of God can come only through the
begetting of the Holy Spirit, and all other loves are merely fragments or
imitations of this true love. This love alone will stand the careful inspection
and criticism which the Apostle gives us in #1Co 13.
In concluding this subject we urge upon all who have
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approached the Father through the new and living way opened by the Redeemer’s
sacrifice to exercise more and more of faith and trust in His goodness and in
His wonderful provision for all those who are seeking to know and to do His
will. As we come to understand His Word more fully we find that He has made
provision—not merely for those whose eyes and ears are now open to hear His
message—but that eventually all the families of the earth will be pleased to
know of His gracious provision and offer, through Christ, of eternal life. This
should give us a rest and peace of heart which the world little understands.
And in respect to our own affairs shall we not apply the gracious promises?
Shall we not rest upon them? Shall we not allow the peace of God to rule in our
hearts? In proportion as we do this we shall be refreshed, reinvigorated in mind
and in body.
VALUE OF GOOD THOUGHTS
In proportion as we by faith grasp the promises, and in proportion as we daily
strive to live so as to maintain our relationship with the Father and with the
Son and with their gracious promises, in that same proportion our faces will
show all these—joy, peace, patience, love.
These will gradually become more and more written in the lineaments of our
faces, visible to all. And more and more will our health and strength prevail,
spiritual and physical. It is proper in this connection to remember the
instruction of the Apostle, that we should not think about the evil and
undesirable things, but think about the pure, good, noble things. Undoubtedly a
poisonous effect upon the system is engendered by thinking about sinful or
injurious things of any kind. Undoubtedly also the body and mind are both
strengthened by thinking about things noble, good and pure. The Apostle’s words
are, "Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good repute, think on these
things."—Php 4:8; Joh 13:34,35; Ro 13:8-10.
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As daily and hourly we seek to cultivate this spirit of love, and to allow it
to dominate in our words and deeds, in the same proportion will be the measure
of our blessing, because in this we shall be "doers of the Word and not
hearers only." We are not, however, to place too high an estimate upon the
present life, and health and earthly blessings and joys. Rather we are to be
content with such things as we have, and to realize the Divine supervision of
our affairs and to allow all of life’s experiences to bring us more and more of
the peace of God which passeth all understanding and which should continually
rule in our hearts. But while not seeking to save the present life, but
rejoicing in the privilege of laying it down prudently in the Lord’s service as
opportunity offers, we shall, nevertheless, find that the rest and peace of
mind which comes through believing and through following the Lord will be a favorable
influence as respects our physical health, peace, joy, blessing. We who believe
enter into rest now, and yet, as the Apostle declared, "There remaineth a
rest for the people of God."
(Heb 4:9.) We shall attain that in our change in the First Resurrection—we
shall be satisfied when we wake in His likeness.—Ps 17:15.
"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." This is not to be
understood as meaning that whatever a man thinks is true. That is a false
definition; the correct thought respecting this statement is that what a man
may seem to be outwardly is not necessarily a correct view of his real
character—his heart, his will, his intention, the real man as God sees him. If,
therefore, our hearts condemn us not, we have peace with God; but if our hearts
condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things.
Then we should not have peace, but should repent of the wrong-doing and come
again into harmony with God, where we may enjoy true peace.
The Apostle illustrated this, saying, "If any man seem to be religious and
bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth
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his own heart, that man’s religion is vain." (Jas. 1:26.) Outwardly he
might have seeming piety, might be a church attendant, etc., but so surely as
his heart is changed, so surely as he is begotten of the Holy Spirit, so surely
as the Spirit of love dwelleth in his heart and more and more abounds richly,
it will affect not only his actions but also his looks and his words. He will
seek to bridle his tongue, to bridle all of his passions, to be emptied of his
former ambitions and desires, and to be filled with the noblest, purest and
best which come to us from the fountain of grace and truth in God’s Word.
The majority of mankind, fearful and discouraged, fail to make the best
possible use of their talents and opportunities.
The Scriptures instruct those who have entered the School of Christ that the
will is the first matter to be settled—that a double-minded man, who has never
a settled purpose in respect to his life, is unstable in all his ways. They
urge positiveness—a full consecration of heart, mind, body, talents, everything
to the Lord. To those who take this position of a full consecration the
Scriptures give valuable assurances which should strengthen every fiber of the
human body. As the Apostle expresses it, "Gird up the loins of your minds
and hope to the end," as again he says, "Be strong in the Lord and in
the power of His might," and again, "According to thy faith be it
unto thee." O what marvelous power has come to weak and fainting hearts
through the fixing of the will—the conversion of the will to do and to be in
harmony with the Lord at any cost—and the appropriating then of these promises,
exceeding great and precious, which, belong to none others than this class!
How many have found that thus the
Lord’s strength was made perfect in their weakness after they had taken the
proper step of consecration—after they had exercised the faith which He called
for, and which is necessary for our development! No wonder these can rejoice in
the Lord—no wonder the Apostle says that they are able to rejoice in
tribulation!—Ro 5:1-5.
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