Schoolmaster to Christ
DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 5

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 5 (KJV)

''And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgements which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.''

Let us carefully note these four words, so specially characteristic of the book of Deuteronomy and so seasonable for the Lord's people at all times and in all places; "hear,'' "learn," "keep," and "do" – words of unspeakable preciousness to every truly pious soul; to every one who honestly desires to walk in that narrow path of righteousness so pleasing to God and so safe and happy for us.

The first word, ''hear,'' places the soul in the blessed attitude in which anyone can be found. "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." "I will hear what God the Lord will speak." "Hear; and your soul shall live." The hearing ear lies at the foundation of all true, practical Christian life. It places the soul in the only true and proper attitude for the creature. It is the real secret of all peace and blessedness.

It is surely not needful to remind the serious student of the Bible that when we speak of the soul in the attitude of hearing, we are assumed that what is heard is simply the Word of God. Israel had to hearken to "the statutes and judgements" of Jehovah, and to nothing else. It was not to the commandments, traditions, and doctrines of men they were to give ear; but to the Words of the living God Who had redeemed and delivered them from the land of Egypt, the place of bondage, darkness, and death.

Bearing this in mind will preserve the soul from many a snare, many a difficulty. In certain quarters, one hears about obedience; and about the moral fitness of surrendering our will and submitting to authority. All this sounds good; and has great weight with a large class of very religious and highly moral people. But when someone speaks about obedience, we ask the question, "Obedience to what?" When someone speaks about surrendering the will, we inquire, "To whom are we to surrender our will?" When one speaks about submitting to authority, we must insist on knowing the source or foundation of the authority.

There are too many sincere and earnest people who enjoy being saved from the trouble of having to think for themselves, who enjoy having their sphere of action and line of service laid out for them by wiser head. It seems a restful and pleasing thing to have each day's work laid out by some master hand. It relieves the heart of a great load of responsibility, and it looks like humility and feels like self-distrust submitting to some authority.

We are bound before God to look closely at the basis of the authority to which we surrender ourselves, else we find ourselves in a false position. For example, there is no authority in the New Testament for monasteries or convents. The teaching of Holy Scripture is opposed to anything that takes men and women out of the place and relationship in which God has set them and in which they are designed and fitted to move – anything that forms them into societies that are subversive to true Christian obedience.

We are called to obedience; called to "hear;" called to bow down in holy and reverent submission to authority. And here we take issue with infidelity and its lofty pretensions. The path of the devout and lowly Christian is removed from superstition on one hand and infidelity on the other. Peter's noble reply to the council in Acts 5 embodies a complete answer to both – "We ought to obey God rather than men." We meet infidelity in all its phases, in all its stages, and in its deepest roots with this one weighty sentence, "We ought to obey." We meet superstition in every garb in which it clothes itself with the all-important clause, "We ought to obey God."

Here in the simplest form is revealed the duty of every true Christian – obey God. The infidel may contemptuously smile at a monk or nun and marvel how any rational being can so completely surrender reason and understanding to the authority of a fellow mortal or submit to mortal rules and practices. The infidel glories in his fancied intellectual freedom, imagining that his own reason is a sufficient guide. He does not see that he is further from God than any monk or nun whom he so despises. He does not know that while priding himself in his self-will, he is really led captive by Satan, the prince of this world. Man is formed to obey – formed to look up to someone above him. The Christian is sanctified unto the obedience of Jesus Christ. In other words, sanctified to the same character of obedience as that rendered by our Lord and Savior Himself.

Understanding true Christian obedience is the secret of deliverance from the infidel’s self-will, and the false obedience of superstition. It is never right to do our own will. It may be wrong to do the will of our fellow. It is always right to do the will of God. This was what Jesus came to do; and what He always did. "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God." "I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart."

We are called and set apart to this blessed character of obedience, as we learn from the inspired apostle Peter in the opening of his first epistle, where he speaks of believers as "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."

This is a great privilege, as well as a holy and solemn responsibility. We must never forget that we have been elected by God and the Holy Spirit has set us apart, not only to the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, but also to His obedience. Such is the obvious meaning and moral force of the words just quoted – words of unspeakable preciousness to every lover of holiness – words that effectually deliver us from self-will, legality, and superstition. Blessed deliverance.

But perhaps the pious student feels disposed to call attention to the exhortation in Hebrews 13: "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account; that they may do it with joy and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you."

There is another passage in 1 Thessalonians: "And we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake" (5:12, 13). And again in 1 Corinthians 16:15, 16: ''beseech you, Brethren – ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry [or service] of the saints – that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us and laboureth'' (emphasis added).

To these we add another passage from the first epistle of Peter: ''The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of Glory that fadeth not away'' (5:1-4).

We may be asked, "Do not the above passages set forth a principle of obedience to certain men? And, if so, why object to human authority?" The answer is simple. Wherever Christ imparts a spiritual gift, whether it is the gift of teaching, the gift of rule, or the gift of ministry, it is the duty and privilege of Christians to recognize and appreciate such gifts. Not to do so, would be to forsake our own mercies. But we must also bear in mind that in all such cases the gift must be a reality – a plain, palpable, bona fide, divinely given thing. It is not a man assuming a certain place or position, or being appointed by his fellow to any so-called ministry. All this is worthless – worse than worthless; it is a daring intrusion on a sacred domain that will, sooner or later, bring down the judgment of God.

True ministry is of God. It is based on the possession of a gift from the Head of the church – Jesus Christ; so that we may truly say, no gift, no ministry. In all the passages quoted above, we see gift possessed and actual work done. Moreover, we see a true heart for the lambs and sheep of the flock of Christ; we see Divine grace and power. The Word in Hebrews 13 is "Obey them that guide you" (hegoumenois). There is one grand essential ingredient in a true guide: he always goes before us in the way. It would be the height of folly for anyone who is ignorant of the way to assume the title of guide. Who would think of obeying such?

So also when the apostle exhorts the Thessalonians to "know" and "esteem" certain persons, on what does he base his exhortation? Is it on the mere assumption of a title, an office or a position? No; nothing of the kind. He bases his appeal on the actual, well-known fact that these persons were "over them, in the Lord," and that they admonished them. And why were they to "esteem them very highly in love"? Was it for their office or their title? No; but "for their work's sake." And why were the Corinthians exhorted to submit themselves to the household of Stephanas? Was it because of an empty title or assumed office? Not by any means; but because "They addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints." They were actually in the work. They had received gift and grace from Christ, and had a heart for His people. They were not boasting of their office or insisting on their title, but giving themselves devotedly to the service of Christ, in the persons of His dear people.

This is the true principle of ministry. It is not human authority, but divine gift and spiritual power communicated by Christ to His servants; exercised by them in responsibility to Him; and thankfully recognized by His saints. A man may set up to be a teacher or pastor, or he may be appointed by his fellows to the office or title of pastor; but unless he possesses a positive gift from the Head of the church, it is all the merely sham, a hollow assumption, an empty conceit; and his voice will be the voice of a stranger that the true sheep of Christ do not know and should not recognize.¹

On the other hand, where there is a divinely gifted teacher, a true, loving, wise, faithful, laborious elder watching for souls, weeping over them and waiting on them like a gentle, tender nurse, able to say to them, "Now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord" – where these things are found, there will not be any difficulty in recognizing and appreciating them. How do we know a good dentist? Is it by seeing his name on a brass plate? No; by his work. A man may call himself a dentist ten thousand times over, but if he is only an unskillful operator who would think of employing him?

So it is in the ministry; so it is in all human affairs. If a man has the gift, he is a minister; without the gift, all the appointment, authority and ordination in the world could not make him a minister of Christ. It may make a minister of education or involvement; but a minister of Christ and a minister in the church of our Lord are two different things. True ministry has its source in God; it rests on Divine authority – its object is to bring the soul into His presence, linking it to Him. On the contrary, false ministry has its source in man; it rests on human authority and its object is to link the soul to itself. This demonstrates the immense difference between the two. The former leads to God; the latter leads away from Him. The former feeds, nourishes and strengthens the new life; the latter hinders its progress and plunges it in doubt and darkness. In other words, true ministry is of God; it is through Him and to Him. False ministry is of man; it is through him and to him. The former we prize more than we can say; the latter we reject with all the energy of our moral being. Hopefully, enough has been said to satisfy the mind regarding the matter of obedience to those whom the Lord may see fit to call to the work of ministry. In every case, we are bound to judge by the Word of God, and to be assured that it is a Divine reality and not a human sham – a positive gift from the Head of the church, Jesus Christ, and not an empty title conferred by men. Where there is real gift and grace, it is a privilege to obey and submit, because we discern Christ in the person and ministry of His beloved servant.

To a spiritual mind, there is no difficulty in recognizing real grace and power. We can easily tell whether a man is seeking to feed souls with the bread of life, leading in the ways of God; or whether he is seeking to exalt or promote himself and his personal interests. Christians who live near the Lord can readily discern between true power and hollow assumption. Further, a true minister of Christ is never found parading his authority or vainly displaying personal worth or attainments, boasting or displaying what he is, what he has, or what he has done. He never uses bragging assertive speech; is never boastful, vainglorious, or proud – he does the work and leaves it to speak for itself. Again and again, we find the blessed apostle Paul referring to the plain proofs of his ministry – the unquestionable evidence afforded in the conversion and blessing of souls. He could say to the misguided Corinthians, when under the influence of some self-exalting pretender, they foolishly called in question his apostleship, "Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me . . . examine yourselves."

This was close, pointed dealing with the Corinthians. They were living proof of his ministry. If his ministry was not of God, what and where were they? But it was of God and this was his joy, comfort and strength. He was "an apostle, not of man, nor by men; but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him from the dead." Paul gloried in the Source of his ministry; and regarding its character he could appeal to a body of evidence sufficient to convict any right mind. In Paul's case, it could truly be said that it was not the speech, but the power.

So, in measure it must be in every case. We must look for the power. We must have reality. Mere titles are nothing. Men may undertake to confer titles and appoint to positions; but they have no more authority to do so than they have to appoint admirals in the Navy or generals in the army. If we were to see a man assuming the style and title of an admiral or general, without the country’s commission, we would no doubt pronounce him an idiot or lunatic. This is a feeble illustration to point out the folly of men taking on themselves the title of ministers of Christ without one atom of spiritual gift or Divine authority.

How many times are we told not to judge? Yet, we are bound to judge – "Beware of false prophets." How can we beware if we are not to judge? But how are we to judge? "By their fruits ye shall know them." Can the Lord's people be expected to tell the difference between a man who preaches in the power of the Spirit, gifted by the Head of the church, full of love, earnestly desiring and seeking true blessings for others – a holy, gracious, humble, self-emptied servant of Christ; and a man who comes with a self-assumed or humanly conferred title, without much trace of anything divine or heavenly, either in his ministry or life? Of course they can.

We may further ask, what is the meaning of those words of the venerable apostle John? "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world." If we are not to judge, then how are we to try the spirits; how are we to discern between true and false? Again, the same apostle writing to "the elect lady," gives her the following solemn admonition, "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed; for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." Was she responsible to act on this admonition? Certainly she was. But if we are not to judge, how could she? Was it regarding whether those who came to her house were ordained, authorized, or licensed by a man or body of men? No, the one great and all-important question for her was regarding the doctrine. If they brought the true, the Divine doctrine of Christ, the doctrine of Jesus Christ come in the flesh, she was to receive them; if not, she was to shut her door against them with a firm hand, no matter who they were or where they came from. If they had all the credentials that man could bestow on them, still, if they did not bring the truth she was to reject them with stern decision. This might seem harsh, narrow minded, even bigoted; but with this she had nothing whatsoever to do. She had to be just as broad and narrow as the truth. Her door and heart were to be wide enough to admit all who brought Christ, and no wider. Was she to pay compliments at the expense of her Lord? Was she to seek a name for largeness of heart or breadth of mind by receiving to her house and table the teachers of a false Christ? The thought is horrible.

Finally, in the second chapter of Revelation we find the church at Ephesus commended for having tried those who said they were apostles and were not. How could this be if we are not to judge? Surely it is evident that some have made false use of our Lord's words in Matthew 7:1, "Judge not that ye be not judged;" and also of the apostle's words to the Corinthians, "Therefore judge nothing before the time." It is impossible for Scripture to contradict itself; therefore, whatever is the true meaning of our Lord's "judge not," or the apostle's "judge nothing," it is certain they do not interfere with the solemn responsibility of all Christians to judge the gift, the doctrine, and the life of all who take the place of preachers, teachers and pastors in the Lord's church.

We believe the words "judge not" and "judge nothing" simply forbid judging motives or hidden springs of action. With such we have nothing whatsoever to do. We cannot penetrate below the surface; and thanks to God we are not asked to do so; in fact, we are forbidden. We cannot read the counsels of the heart; it is the province and prerogative of God alone to do this. But to say that we are not to judge the doctrine, the gift or the manner of life of those who take the place of preachers, teachers and pastors in the Lord's church, is simply to fly in the face of Holy Scripture, ignoring the instincts of divine nature implanted in us by the Holy Spirit.

With increased clearness and decision we can now return to our thesis of Christian obedience. It seems plain that the fullest recognition of true ministry in the church, and the most gracious submission of ourselves to those whom our Lord Christ may see fit to raise up as preachers, pastors, teachers and guides in our midst, can never interfere with the fundamental principle revealed in Peter's magnificent reply to the council, "We ought to obey God, rather than men."

It will always be the aim and object of true ministers of Christ to lead those to whom they minister in the true path of obedience to the Word of God. Chapter five, as throughout Deuteronomy, plainly shows us how Moses always sought and diligently labored to press the urgent necessity of implicit obedience to all the statutes and judgments of God on the congregation of Israel. He did not seek any place of authority for himself. He never lorded it over God's heritage. From first to last, his one grand theme was obedience. Obedience was the burden of all his discourses – not to him, but to his and their Lord. He rightly judged that this was the true secret of their happiness, moral security, dignity and strength. He knew that an obedient people must of necessity also be an invincible and innumerable people. As long as the Word of God governed them, no weapon formed against them could prosper. In a word, he knew and believed that Israel's province was to obey Jehovah; as it was Jehovah's province to bless Israel. It was their one simple business to "hear"; "learn"; "keep"; and "do" the revealed will of God. By doing so, they could confidently count on Him to be their shield, strength, safeguard, refuge, and resource – He was all in all to them. The only true and proper path for the Israel of God is that narrow path of obedience on which the light of God's approving countenance always shines. The same is true for all who, through grace, tread that path. They, too, will find Him "a guide, a glory, a defence, to save from every fear."

This is surely enough. We have nothing to do with consequences. These we may confidently leave to Him Whose we are and Whom we are responsible to serve. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." If we are doing His will, we will always find His Name a strong tower. But, on the other hand, if we are not walking in a path of practical righteousness; if we are doing our own will; if we are living in habitual neglect of the plain Word of God, then it is utterly vain for us to think that the Name of the Lord will be our strong tower; rather His Name will be our reproof, leading us to judge our ways, and to return to the path of righteousness from which we have wandered.

Blessed be His Name, however we may have failed and wandered, His grace in all its precious fullness and freeness will always meet us in the place of self-judgment and confession. We may have to say with the psalmist, "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice; let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared."

But, a soul crying to God from the depths and getting forgiveness is one thing; and a soul looking to Him in the path of practical righteousness is another. We must carefully distinguish between these two things. Confessing our sins and finding pardon must never be confounded with walking uprightly and counting on God. Though both are true, they are not the same thing.

We now proceed with chapter five of Deuteronomy.

At the second verse, Moses reminds the people of their covenant relationship with Jehovah; He says, "The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. The Lord talked with you face to face, in the mount, out of the midst of the fire, (I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to show you the word of the Lord; for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount) saying . . ."

We must distinguish and understand the difference between the covenant made at Horeb, and the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They are essentially different. The former was a covenant of works, in which the people undertook to do all that the Lord had spoken. The latter was a covenant of pure grace in which God pledged Himself with an oath to do all that He promised. Human language fails us in presenting in every respect the immense difference between these two covenants. In their basis, character, accompaniments, and practical result, they are as different as any two things could possibly be. Fulfillment of the terms of the Horeb covenant rested on human competency – a fact sufficient to account for its failure. The fulfillment of the terms of the Abrahamic covenant rested on divine competency – thus the impossibility of its failure.

We have already considered the law in Exodus, endeavoring to point out the divine object in giving it; as well as the impossibility of attaining life or righteousness by keeping it. No doubt, for one taught by Scripture, it seems strange that confusion of thought pertaining to a question so distinctly and definitively settled by the Holy Spirit, should prevail among professing Christians. Were it merely a question of Divine authority of Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5 as inspired portions of the Bible, we would not have a word to say. We believe these chapters to be as much inspired as John 17 or Romans 8.

But this is not the point. All true Christians receive, with devout thankfulness, the precious statement that, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God." Further, they rejoice in the assurance that "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning; that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Finally, they believe that the morality of the law is of abiding and universal application. Murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and covetousness are always and everywhere wrong. Honoring parents is always and everywhere right. In Ephesians 4 we read, "Let him that stole, steal no more." Again, in Ephesians 6 we read, "Honour thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."

This is plain and divinely settled. But when we look at the law as a ground of relationship with God, we get into an entirely different region of thought. In many places and in the clearest possible manner, Scripture teaches that as Christians, children of God, we are not on that ground at all. The Jew was on that ground, but he could not stand there with God. It was death and condemnation. They could not endure that which was commanded. "If so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart. And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake." The Jew found the law to be a bed on which he could not stretch himself, and a covering in which he could not wrap himself.

But, the Gentile was never placed under law. In the opening of the epistle to the Romans, his condition is expressly declared to be "without law" (anomos). "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law . . ." had, "As many as have sinned without law shall perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law."

In the matter of their dispensational position, the two classes are here brought into sharp and vivid contrast. The Jew, under law; the Gentile, without law. Nothing can be more distinct. In the person of Noah the Gentile was placed under government; but never under law. Should one feels disposed to call this in question, then let him search and see if a single line of Scripture can be produced to prove that God ever placed the Gentiles under the law. It is of no possible use to argue, reason, and object. It is vain to say, "We think" this or that. The question is, "What saith the scripture?" Let the passage of Holy Scripture that says the Gentiles were put under the law be produced. Without hesitation, we declare it says the reverse. It describes the condition and position of the Gentile as "without law" – "having not the law."

In Acts 10, we see God opening the kingdom of heaven to the Gentile. In Acts 14:27, we see Him opening "the door of faith" to the Gentile. In Acts 28:28, we see Him sending His salvation to the Gentile. But, from cover to cover of the blessed Book, we search in vain for a passage where Gentiles are placed under the law.

We earnestly entreat the Christian student to give this interesting and important question serious and calm attention. We encourage laying aside pre-conceived thoughts, and examining the matter simply in the light of Holy Scripture. We are aware that these statements will no doubt be regarded by some as novel, if not heretical. It is our desire and goal to always be taught absolutely and exclusively by Holy Scripture. We pray God for strength to never lean on or bow to the opinions, commandments, and doctrines of men. Where we are concerned, dogmas of the various schools of divinity must just go for what they are worth. We demand Scripture. A single line of inspiration is sufficient to settle this or any question, forever closing all discussion. That is why we say, show us from the Word of God that the Gentiles were ever put under the law, and we will at once bow. However, because we cannot find it there we reject the notion altogether, and pray serious students do the same. In describing the position of the Jew, the language of Scripture is, "under law;" while describing the position of the Gentile it is, "without law." This is so obvious that we can only marvel how any student of the Bible can fail to see it.²

In Acts 15, we have the first attempt to put Gentile converts under the law. The apostles and the whole church at Jerusalem met it. The question was raised at Antioch; and in His infinite goodness and wisdom, God ordered that it should not be settled there, but that Paul and Barnabas should go up to Jerusalem and have the matter fully and freely discussed – definitively settling it by the unanimous voice of the twelve apostles and the whole church.

No doubt, we can see that even though approved by Paul and Barnabas, the decision of a local assembly such as Antioch would not carry the same weight as that of the twelve apostles assembled in council, at Jerusalem. But the Lord took care that the enemy would be completely confounded; and that the law-teachers of that day and every other day would be distinctly and authoritatively taught that it was not according to His mind that Christians should ever be put under law.

This subject is so important that we feel obligated to consider a few more passages. Hopefully, we will be refreshing to refer to the soul-stirring addresses delivered at the most remarkable and interesting council that ever sat.

"And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved" How awful; how terribly chilling What a death knell to ring in the ears of those who had been converted under Paul's splendid address in the synagogue at Antioch. "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man [without circumcision or works of law of any kind whatsoever] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all that believe [irrespective altogether of circumcision] are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses . . . And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath" (emphasis added).

Such was the glorious message sent to the Gentiles by the lips of the Apostle Paul – a message of free, full, immediate and perfect salvation – full remission of sins and perfect justification through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. But, according to the teaching of the "certain men which came down from Judea," all this was insufficient. Without circumcision and the Law of Moses, Christ was not enough. According to them, Gentiles who had never heard of circumcision or the Law of Moses must add the keeping of the whole law to Christ and His glorious salvation.

How must Paul's heart have burned within him to have those beloved Gentile converts brought under such monstrous teaching. He saw in it nothing short of the complete surrender of Christianity. If circumcision must be added to the cross of Christ, if the Law of Moses must supplement the grace of God, then all was gone.

But, our God caused a noble stand to be made against such deadly teaching. When the enemy came in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord raised up a standard against him. "When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem, unto the apostles and elders, about this question. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring [not the circumcision but] the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy unto all the brethren" (emphasis added).

The brethren were in the current of the mind of Christ – in sweet communion with the heart of God. Therefore, they rejoiced to hear of the conversion and salvation of the Gentiles. We may rest assured it would have afforded them no joy to hear of the heavy yoke of circumcision and the Law of Moses being put on the necks of those beloved disciples who had just been brought into the glorious liberty of the Gospel. But to hear of their conversion to God, their salvation by Christ, their being sealed by the Holy Spirit, filled their hearts with a joy that was in lovely harmony with the mind of heaven.                                                                                                            

"And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."

Who made it "needful"? Surely not God, because in His infinite grace, He had opened the door of faith to them without circumcision or any command to keep the Law of Moses. No; it was "certain men" who presumed to speak of such things as needful – men who have troubled the Lord's church from that day to the present – men "desiring to be teachers of the law; knowing neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." Law teachers never know what is involved in their dark and dismal teaching. They do not know how hateful their teaching is to the God of all grace, the Father of mercies.

But thanks be to God, the chapter from which we are now quoting affords the clearest and most forcible evidence that could be given regarding God's mind on the subject. Beyond all question, it proved that putting Gentile believers under the law was not of God.

"And the apostles and elders came together, for to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing [how soon it began] Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear [not the Law of Moses or circumcision, but] the word of the gospel, and believe. And God which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as unto us. And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear" (emphasis added)?

Carefully consider this. The law had proved an intolerable yoke for the Jews. Putting that yoke around the neck of Gentile Christians was nothing short of tempting God. Would that teachers of the law in our age would open their eyes to this fact. Also, the Lord's beloved people need to see and understand that being put under law is in positive opposition to the will of God. The apostle adds, "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ [not by law] we shall be saved, even as they" (emphasis added).

This is uncommonly fine, coming from the lips of the apostle of the circumcision. He does not say, "They shall be saved even as we;" but, "We shall be saved even as they." The Jew had to be content to come down from his lofty dispensational position, and be saved after the pattern of the uncircumcised Gentile. No doubt, in stunning force those noble utterances fell on the ears of the law party, leaving them, as we might say, without a leg to stand on.

"Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them." The inspiring Spirit decided not to tell us what Paul and Barnabas said on this memorable occasion; and we can see His wisdom in this decision. Evidently, His object was to give prominence to Peter and James, whose words would surely have more weight with the law teachers than those of the apostle to the Gentiles and his companion.

"And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me. Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles [not to convert them all, but to take out of them a people for his name]. And to this agree the words of the prophets [here he brings an overwhelming tide of evidence from the Old Testament to bear down on the Judaisers]; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up that the residue of men might seek after the Lord. And all the Gentiles [without the slightest reference to circumcision, or the Law of Moses, but] upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God" (emphasis added).

The Holy Spirit, the twelve apostles, and the whole church definitively settle this question. We are struck with the fact that at this most important council no one spoke more emphatically, distinctly, or decidedly, than Peter and James – Peter, the apostle of the circumcision; James, the one who specially addressed the twelve tribes, whose position and ministry gave great weight to his words. Both these eminent apostles were clear and decided in their judgment that the Gentile converts were not to be "troubled" or burdened with the law. In their powerful addresses, they proved that to place Gentile Christians under the law was directly contrary to the Word, the will, and the ways of God.

We can see the marvelous wisdom of God in this. The words of Paul and Barnabas are not recorded. We are simply told that they rehearsed things God had done among the Gentiles. That they should be opposed to putting the Gentiles under the law was only what might be expected. But, finding Peter and James so clearly decided, would carry great weight with all parties. But if we would have a clear view of Paul's thoughts on the question of the law, we should study the epistle to the Galatians. In words of glowing earnestness and commanding power, under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this blessed apostle pours out his heart to Gentile converts. It is perfectly amazing how anyone can read this wonderful epistle, and still maintain that Christians are under the law in any way or for any purpose. Following a brief opening address and with characteristic energy, the apostle plunges into the subject that fills his heart – his large and loving, though grieved and troubled heart.

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into [the Law of Moses? No,] the grace of Christ into a different gospel which is not another [heteron euaggelion ho ouk estin allo] but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed" (emphasis added).

Teachers of the law in our age should seriously ponder these burning words. Do they seem strong and severe? Let us remember that they are the Words of God the Holy Spirit. Yes, God the Holy Spirit hurls His awful anathema at anyone who presumes to add the Law of Moses to the Gospel of Christ – anyone attempting to place Christians under the law. In the face of such words, how is it that men are not afraid to contend for the law? Are they not afraid of coming under the solemn curse of God the Holy Spirit?

However, some seek to meet this question by saying that they do not accept the law for justification, but as a rule of life. But this is neither reasonable nor intelligent, because we may lawfully inquire who gave us authority to decide regarding the use we are to make of the law? We are either under the law or we are not. If we are under it at all, it is not a question of how we take it, but how it takes us.

This makes all the difference. The law knows no such distinctions as those contended for by some theologians. If we are under the law for any object whatsoever, then we are under the curse. It is written, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." To say that we are born again, we are Christian, will not meet the case at all; for what has the law to do with the question of New Birth, or Christianity? Nothing whatsoever. The law is addressed to man, as a responsible being. It demands perfect obedience, and pronounces its curse on everyone who fails to render it.

Further, it will not do to say that, though we have failed to keep the law, yet Christ has fulfilled it in our stead. The law knows nothing of obedience by proxy. Its language is, "The man that doeth them shall live in them." Nor is it merely on the man who fails to keep the law that the curse is pronounced; but, as if to put the principle before us in the clearest possible light, we read that "as many as are of works of law are under the curse."³    That is, as many as take their stand on legal ground (as many as are on that principle) in other words, as many as have to do with works of law, are of necessity under the curse. Thus, at a glance we see the inconsistency of Christians maintaining the idea of being under the law as a rule of life, but not being under the curse. It is simply flying in the face of the plainest statements of Holy Scripture. Blessed be the God of all grace, Christians are not under the curse. But why is this true? Is it because the law has lost its power, its majesty, its dignity, its holy stringency? No. To say so is to blaspheme the law. To say that any "man" – call him what you please, Christian, Jew, or Heathen – can be under the law and not be under the curse, is to say that he perfectly fulfils the law or that the law is abrogated – make null and void. Who will dare say this?

But how does it come to pass that Christians are not under the curse? It comes to pass because they are not under the law. And how have we passed from under the law? Is it by another having fulfilled it in our stead? No; we repeat that throughout the entire legal economy there is no such idea as obedience by proxy. How is it then? Here it is in all its moral force, fullness and beauty: "I through law, am dead to law, that I might live to God."⁴

If, as the apostle said, it is true that we are dead to law, then how can the law be a rule of life to us? It proved, to those who were under it, to only be a rule of death, curse and condemnation. Can it prove to be anything else to us? In the history of any son or daughter of Adam, did the law ever produce a single cluster of living fruit or the fruits of righteousness? Hear the apostle's reply: "When we were in the flesh [that is, when we were viewed as men in our fallen nature] the motions of sins which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death" (emphasis added).

It is important for us to understand the real force of the expression, "in the flesh." In this passage, it does not mean, "in the body." It simply sets forth the condition of unconverted men and women responsible to keep the law. In this condition, all that was or ever could be produced was "fruit unto death" – "motions of sins." No life, no righteousness, no holiness, nothing for God, nothing right.⁵

But, as Christians, where are we now? Hear the reply, "I through law am dead to Law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh" – here it means in the body – "I live" – How? It is by the law as a rule of life? No; there is not a hint at such a thing, but "by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

This, and nothing else, is Christianity. Do we understand it? Do we accept it? Do we enter into it? Are we in the power of it? There are two distinct evils from which we are completely delivered by the precious death of Christ: legality, on one hand; licentiousness, on the other. Instead of those terrible evils, it introduces us into the holy liberty of grace; liberty to serve God; liberty to "mortify our members which are upon the earth"; liberty to deny "ungodliness and worldly lusts"; liberty to "live soberly, righteously and godly"; liberty to "keep under the body and bring it into subjection."

Let us ponder the words: "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." The old "I" dead – crucified, buried; the new "I," alive in Christ. Let us not mistake this. We know of nothing more awful, nothing more dangerous, than for the old "I" to assume the new ground; or, in other words, the glorious teachings of Christianity taken up in the flesh, unconverted people talking of being free from the law, and turning the grace of God into lasciviousness. We confess that we would rather have legality than licentiousness. It is the latter that many of us have to watch against, with all possible earnestness. It is growing around us with appalling rapidity, paving the way for that dark and desolating tide of infidelity presently attempting to roll over the length and breadth of Christendom.

To talk of being free from the law in anyway save by being dead to it and alive to God, is not Christianity at all, but licentiousness, from which every pious soul must shrink with holy horror. If we are dead to the law, then we are dead to sin also; and hence we are not to do our own will, that is only another name for sin; but the true holiness of God's will.

Further, let us ever bear in mind that if we are dead to the law, then we are also dead to this present evil world, and linked with a risen, ascended and glorified Christ, Hence, we are not of the world, even as Christ is not of the world. To contend for position in the world is to deny that we are dead to the law; for we cannot be alive to one and dead to the other. The death of Christ has delivered us from the law, from the power of sin, from this present evil world, and from the fear of death. But then all these things hang together and we cannot be delivered from one without being delivered from all. To assert our freedom from the law while pursuing a course of carnality, self-indulgence and worldliness, is one of the darkest and deadliest evils of the last days.

As Christians we are called to prove in daily life that grace produces results that law could never reach. One of the moral glories of Christianity is that it enables a person to surrender self and live for others. Law could never do this. It occupied a man with himself. Under its rule, every man had to do the best he could for himself. If he tried to love his neighbor, it was to work out his own righteousness. Under grace, all is blessedly and gloriously reversed. Self is set aside as a thing crucified, dead, and buried. The old "I" is gone, and the new "I" is before God in all the acceptability and preciousness of Christ. He is our life, our righteousness, our holiness, our object, our model, our all. He is in us and we are in Him; and our daily practical life is to be simply Christ reproduced in us, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hence, we are not only called to love our neighbor, but our enemy; and not to work out our own righteousness, because we have become the righteousness of God in Christ. Rather, it is simply the outflow of the life that we possess, which is in us; and this life is Christ. As Christians, we should live Christ. A Christian is neither a Jew, "under law;" nor a Gentile "without law;" but "a man in Christ," standing in grace, called to the same character of obedience as that rendered by the Lord Jesus Himself.

We will not pursue this subject further; but earnestly entreat the serious student to attentively study the fifteenth chapter of Acts, and the epistle to the Galatians, drinking in the blessed teaching of these Scriptures. We feel assured that a clear understanding of the great question of the law will be discovered, revealing that the Christian is not under the law, for any purpose or in any way whatsoever. The Christian’s life, righteousness, and holiness are on a different ground or principle altogether. Attempting to place the Christian under law in any way is to deny the foundations of Christianity, contradicting the plain statements of the Word. From the third chapter of Galatians, we learn that to put ourselves under the law is to give up Christ, the Holy Spirit, faith, and the promises.

Tremendous consequences! But there they are mainly set forth before our eyes; and truly when we contemplate the state of the professing church, we cannot but see how terribly those consequences are being realized.

May God the Holy Spirit open the eyes of believers to this truth; leading us to study the Scriptures and submit to their holy authority in all things. This is the special need of the age in which we now live. Since we do not sufficiently study Holy Scripture, how can we be governed by it? Since we do not see the absolute necessity of testing everything by the light of Scripture, how can we reject all that will not stand the test? Sadly, far too many of us go along with a quantity of things that have no foundation whatsoever in the Word – many of which are even opposed to it.

What is the end of all this? We tremble to think of it. We know that our Lord Jesus Christ will soon come and take His beloved and blood-bought people home to the prepared place in the Father's house, to forever be with Him in the ineffable blessedness of that bright home. But what of those who will be left behind? These are solemn questions that must be weighed in the presence of God in order to have His answer. If we ponder them there in all tenderness of heart and teachableness of spirit, then the Holy Spirit will lead us to the true answer through His inspired and holy Word.

We now resume our study of the fifth chapter of Deuteronomy. In it we have the Ten Commandments; but not exactly as we have them in the twentieth chapter of Exodus. There are some characteristic touches that demand our attention.

In Exodus 20 we have history; in Deuteronomy 5 we have not only history but commentary. In the latter, the lawgiver presents moral motives and makes appeals that would be out of place in the former. In one, we have naked facts; in the other, facts and comments; facts and their practical application. In other words, there is not the slightest ground for imagining that Deuteronomy 5 is intended to be a literal repetition of Exodus 20; and thus the miserable and baseless arguments that infidels make based on their apparent divergence crumbles into dust beneath our feet.

For instance, compare the two Scriptures in reference to the subject of the Sabbath. In Exodus 20 we read, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the Sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."

In Deuteronomy 5 we read, "Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence, through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm; therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day" (vv. 12-15).

Notice the difference between the two passages. In Exodus 20 the command to keep the Sabbath is grounded on creation. In Deuteronomy 5 it is grounded on redemption without any allusion to creation. In short, the points of difference arise out of the distinct character of each book, and are plain to every spiritual mind.

With regard to the institution of the Sabbath we must remember that it rests wholly on the direct authority of the Word of God. Other commandments reveal plain moral duties. Every man knows it is morally wrong to kill or steal; but, regarding observance of the Sabbath, no one could possibly recognize it as a duty had it not been distinctly appointed by God's authority; hence its immense importance and interest. Both in our chapter and in Exodus 20, it stands side by side with all those great moral duties universally recognized by the human conscience.

We also find in various other Scriptures that the Sabbath is singled out and with special prominence is presented as a link between Jehovah and Israel; a seal of His covenant with them; and a powerful test of their devotedness to Him. Everyone could recognize the moral wrong of theft and murder; only those who loved Jehovah and His Word would love and honor His Sabbath.

Thus, in connection with the giving of the manna in Exodus 16, we read, "And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man; and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you, to be kept until the morning . . . And Moses said Eat that to day; for to day is a Sabbath unto the Lord; to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass [they were little capable of appreciating the high and holy privilege of keeping Jehovah's Sabbath] that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws [Their neglect of the Sabbath proved their moral condition to be wrong, and proved them to be astray regarding all the commandments and laws of God. The Sabbath was the great touchstone, the measure and gauge of the real state of their hearts toward Jehovah]? See, for that the Lord hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day [they found rest and food on the holy Sabbath]" (emphasis added).

At the close of chapter 31, we again have a remarkable passage in proof of the importance and interest attached to the Sabbath in the mind of Jehovah. A full description of the tabernacle and its furniture had been given to Moses and he was about to receive the two tables of testimony from the hand of Jehovah. But, as if to prove the prominent place the holy Sabbath held in God’s mind, we read, "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death; for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord; whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed" (Ex. 31:12-17).

This is a very important passage, distinctly proving the abiding character of the Sabbath. The terms in which it is spoken of are sufficient to show that it was no mere temporary institution, "A sign between me and you, throughout your generations"; "A perpetual covenant"; "a sign for ever."

Let us carefully note these words. First, beyond all question they prove that the Sabbath was for Israel. Secondly, that in the mind of God the Sabbath is a permanent institution. It is necessary to bear these things in mind in order to avoid vagueness of thought and looseness of expression regarding this interesting subject.

The Sabbath was distinctly and exclusively for the Jewish nation. It is emphatically spoken of as a sign between Jehovah and His people Israel. There is not even a remote hint of it being intended for the Gentiles. There is not so much as a single sentence of Scripture to show that the Sabbath had any reference to the Gentiles.

Some teach that because we read of the Sabbath day in Genesis 2, it must have a wider range than Jewish. But let us turn to the passage and see what it says. "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."

This is simple enough. There is no mention here of man. We are not told that man rested on the seventh day. Men may infer, conclude or imagine that he did so; but the second of Genesis says nothing about it. And not only so, but we look in vain for any allusion to the Sabbath throughout the entire book of Genesis. The first notice we have of the Sabbath in connection with man is in Exodus 16, a passage already quoted. There we distinctly see that it was given to Israel, as a people in recognized covenant relationship with Jehovah. That they did not understand or appreciate it is plain. That they never entered into it is equally plain, according to Psalm 95 and Hebrews 4. But we are now speaking of what it was in the mind of God; and He tells us it was a sign between Him and His people Israel; a powerful test of their moral condition and the state of their heart toward Him. It was not only an integral part of the law as given by Moses to the congregation of Israel, but it is specially referred to and singled out, again and again, as an institution holding a peculiar place in the mind of God.

Thus, in the book of the prophet Isaiah, we read, "Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people; neither let the eunuch say, Behold I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; even unto them will I give in mine house, and within my walls, a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger [here viewed, of course, in connection with Israel, as in Numbers 15 and other Scriptures] that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer, their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people" (emphasis added).

Again, "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it" (Is. 58:13, 14).

The foregoing quotations are sufficient to show the place the Sabbath holds in the mind of God. It is needless to multiply passages; but there is just one to which we must refer in connection with this subject, Leviticus 23. "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. Six days shall work be done; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings" (vv. 1-3).

Here it stands at the head of all the feasts given in this marvelous chapter that foreshadows the entire history of God's dealings with His people Israel. The Sabbath is the expression of God's eternal rest into which it is His purpose yet to bring all true believers, when their toils, trials, and tribulations will have passed away – that blessed "Sabbath keeping," (sabbatismons) which "remaineth for the people of God." In various ways, God sought to keep this glorious rest before the hearts of His people; the seventh day, the seventh year, the year of jubilee – all these lovely sabbatic seasons were designed – were in a sense a type setting forth that blessed time when the Lord Jesus Christ shall return to take His people home to rest with Him eternally.

This naturally leads us to the second point in connection with the Sabbath: its permanency. This is plainly revealed by such expressions as, "perpetual," "a Sign for ever," and "throughout your generations." Such words would not be applied to merely a temporary institution. This is probably why Israel never truly kept the Sabbath according to God – they never understood its meaning, never entered into its blessedness, never drank into its spirit. They made it a badge of their own righteousness; they boasted in it as a national institution, and used it for self-exaltation – but never celebrated it in communion with God.

Of course, we speak of the nation as a whole. No doubt, there were precious souls who enjoyed the Sabbath and entered into God's thoughts about it. But as a nation, Israel never kept the Sabbath according to God. Hear what Isaiah says, "Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting" (1:13).

Here we see that in their hands, the institution of the Sabbath given as a sign of Jehovah's covenant with His people had become an abomination, intolerable to God. Opening the pages of the New Testament, we find the leaders and heads of the Jewish people continually at issue with our Lord Jesus Christ regarding the Sabbath. For example, look at the opening verses of Luke 6. "And it came to pass on the second Sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath days? And Jesus answering them, said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungered, and they which were with him; how he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the showbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat, but for the priests alone? And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath."

And, again, we read, "It came to pass also on another Sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue, and taught; and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the Sabbath day, that they might find an accusation against him [an accusation for healing a poor, afflicted fellow mortal]. But he knew their thoughts [yes, He read their hearts, through to their very center], and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose, and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he did so; and his hand was restored whole as the other. And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus" (emphasis added).

What an insight we have here into the hollowness and worthlessness of man's Sabbath keeping. Those religious guides would rather let the disciples starve than to interfere with their Sabbath. They would allow the man to carry his withered hand to the grave rather than have him healed on their Sabbath. It was indeed their Sabbath, not God's. His rest could never comport with hunger and withered hands. They had never correctly read the record of David eating the showbread. They did not understand that legal institutions must give way in the presence of God's grace meeting human need. In its magnificence, grace rises above all legal barriers and faith rejoices in its luster. However, mere religiousness is offended by the activities of grace and the boldness of faith. The Pharisees did not see that the man with the withered hand was a striking commentary on the nation's moral condition, living proof of the fact that they were far away from God. If they were as they should have been, there would have been no withered hands to heal; but they were not; and hence their Sabbath was an empty formality, a powerless, worthless ordinance; a hideous anomaly, hateful to God, and utterly inconsistent with the condition of man.

Consider another instance in Luke 13: "And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath [the Sabbath was no day of rest to Him]. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God" (emphasis added).

Here is a beautiful illustration of the work of grace in the soul and the practical result. All on whom Christ lays His blessed hands are "immediately made straight,'' and enabled to glorify God.

But man's Sabbath was touched. "The ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day." He was indignant at the work of healing, though indifferent regarding the humiliating case of infirmity – and he "said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work; in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day." This hollow religionist had no idea that he was in the presence of the Lord of the true Sabbath. How insensible he was to the moral inconsistency of attempting to keep a Sabbath while man's condition cried out for divine work.

"The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite! doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?"

What a withering rebuke. What an opening up of the hollowness and wretchedness of their whole system of Judaism. Think of the glaring incongruity of a Sabbath and a daughter of Abraham bound by the cruel hand of Satan for eighteen years. There is nothing in all this world so blinding to the mind, so hardening to the heart, so deadening to the conscience, so demoralizing to the whole being, as religion without Christ. Its deceiving and degrading power can only be thoroughly judged in the light of God's presence. Left to the synagogue ruler, that poor woman might have gone on to the end of her days bowed together and unable to lift herself up. He would have been content to let her go on as a sad witness of the power of Satan, provided he could keep his Sabbath. His religious indignation was not excited by the power of Satan as seen in the woman's condition, but by the power of Christ as seen in her complete deliverance.

But the Lord gave him his answer. "And when be had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed [as well they might]; and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him" (emphasis added). What a striking contrast. The advocates of a powerless, heartless, worthless religion, unmasked and covered with shame and confusion, on one band; and on the other, all the people rejoicing in the glorious actions of the Son of God Who had come into their midst to deliver them from the crushing power of Satan, and fill their hearts with the joy of God's salvation, and their mouths with His praise.

We turn now to the Gospel of John for further illustration of this subject; earnestly desiring that this vexed question of the Sabbath should be thoroughly examined in the light of Scripture. We suspect there is more involved in it than many professing Christians are aware.

At the opening of John 5 we are introduced to a scene strikingly indicative of Israel's condition. We will not attempt to go fully into the passage; merely referring to it in connection with the present subject.

The pool of Bethesda or "house of mercy" (while it was undoubtedly the expression of God's mercy toward His people) afforded abundant evidence of the miserable condition of man in general, and Israel in particular. Its five porches were thronged with "a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water." What a sample of the human family, and the nation of Israel. What a striking illustration of their moral and spiritual condition, as viewed from God's standpoint. "Blind, halt, withered;" such is man's real state, if he only knew it.

But there was one man in the midst of this feeble, helpless, impotent throng whose case the pool of Bethesda could not meet. "A certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?"

There is grace and power in this question. It went far beyond the stretch of the impotent man's thoughts. He thought only of human help; of his own ability to get into the pool. He did not know that the Speaker was above and beyond the pool, with its occasional movement; beyond angelic ministry, beyond all human help and efforts; the Possessor of all power in heaven and on earth. "The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man when the water is troubled, to put, me into the pool; but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me" – a true picture of all who seek salvation by ordinances. Each one doing the best he can for himself. No care for others. No thought of helping them. "Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath."

Here again we have man's Sabbath. It was no longer the seal of Jehovah's covenant with the seed of Abraham, but the badge of man's self-righteousness, "The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the Sabbath day; it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed." No doubt, it was lawful enough for him to lie on that bed week after week, month after month, and year after year, while they were going on with their empty, worthless, hollow attempt at Sabbath keeping. If they had possessed one ray of spiritual light, they would have seen the flagrant inconsistency of attempting to maintain traditional notions regarding the Sabbath in the presence of human misery, disease and degradation. But they were blind; and hence when the glorious fruits of Christ's ministry were being displayed, they had the temerity to pronounce them unlawful.

Nor this only; but "therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath day." What a spectacle. Religious people, leaders and teachers of religion – guides of professed people of God seeking to slay the Lord of the Sabbath because He had made a man whole on the Sabbath day.

But note our Lord's reply: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." This brief but comprehensive statement gives us the root of the whole matter. It opens up the real condition of mankind in general, and Israel in particular. It presents the grand secret of our Lord's life and ministry. He had not come into this world to rest. How could He rest; how could He keep a Sabbath in the midst of human need and misery? Should not that impotent, blind, halt, and withered multitudes thronging the porches of the pool of Bethesda have taught "the Jews" the folly of their notions about the Sabbath? That multitude was a sample of the condition of the nation of Israel, as well as the whole human family. How could God's love rest in the midst of such a condition of things? In a scene of sin and sorrow, love can only be a worker. From the moment of man's fall, the Father had been working. Then the Son appeared to carry on the work. The Holy Spirit is now working. In a world like this work, not rest is God's order. "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."

The Lord Jesus went about doing good on the Sabbath day as well as every other day. Finally, having accomplished the glorious work of redemption, He spent the Sabbath in the grave, and as the First-begotten from the dead He rose on the first day of the week, the Head of a new creation in which all things are of God. One who understands the meaning of death and resurrection can never sanction the observance of "days and months, and times and years." The death of Christ put an end to all that order of things. His resurrection introduces us into another sphere where it is our high privilege to walk in the light and power of those eternal realities that are ours in Christ, and which stand in vivid contrast with the superstitious observances of carnal and worldly religiousness.

But here we approach an interesting point in this subject: the difference between the Sabbath and the Lord's Day or first day of the week. These two are often confounded. Some pious people use the phrase, "Christian Sabbath," an expression found nowhere in the New Testament. It may be that some who make use of it mean a right thing; but we should not only mean right; we should also seek to express ourselves according to the teaching of Holy Scripture.

We are persuaded that the enemy of God and His Christ has had more to do with the conventionalisms of Christendom than many are aware; and this makes the matter even more serious. Perhaps some may feel disposed to pronounce use of the term "Christian Sabbath" as mere hair-splitting. But we may rest assured it is nothing of the sort. On the contrary, if we will calmly examine the matter in the light of the New Testament, we will find that it involves questions not only interesting, but also weighty and important. There is a common saying: "There is nothing in a name;" but in this matter there is much in a name.

As stated earlier, our Lord spent the Sabbath in the grave. Is this not a telling and deeply significant fact? We cannot doubt it. In it we read the setting aside of the old condition of things and the utter impossibility of keeping the Sabbath in a world of sin and death. Love could not rest in a world like this; it could only labor and die. This is the inscription we read on the tomb where the Lord of the Sabbath lay buried.

But what about the first day of the week – is it not the Sabbath on a new footing; the Christian Sabbath? It is never so called in the New Testament, in fact there is not a hint of anything of the kind. Looking through the Acts of the Apostles we find the two days spoken of in the most distinct way. On the Sabbath, we find Jews assembled in their synagogues for the reading of the law and the prophets. On the first day of the week, we find Christians assembled to break bread. The two days were as distinct as Judaism and Christianity. There is not so much as a shadow of Scripture foundation for the idea that the Sabbath was merged into the first day of the week. Where is there the slightest authority for the assertion that the Sabbath is changed from the seventh day to the first day of the week? There is none.

Let us remember that the Sabbath is not merely "a" seventh day, but "the" seventh day. It is well to note this, because some entertain the idea that public ordinances of public religion providing a seventh portion of time for rest is sufficient and it does not matter what you call it; thus, different nations and different religious systems have their Sabbath day. But this can never satisfy anyone who desires to be taught exclusively by Scripture. The Sabbath of Eden was the seventh day. The Sabbath for Israel was the seventh day. But the first day leads our thoughts forward into eternity. In the New Testament, it is called 'the first day of the week," indicating the beginning of that new order of which the cross is the imperishable foundation, and a risen Christ the glorious Head and Center. To call this day the "Christian Sabbath" is simply to confound things earthly and heavenly. It brings the Christian down from his elevated position as associated with a risen and glorified Head in the heavens, occupying him with the superstitious observance of days, the very thing that made the blessed apostle stand in doubt of the assemblies in Galatia.

In short, the more we ponder the phrase "Christian Sabbath," the more we are convinced that, like so many other religious formularies, its tendency is to rob the true believer of New Testament truths that distinguish the Lord's church from all that went before, and all that follows after. Though on the earth, the church is not of this world, even as Christ is not of this world. It is heavenly in its origin, character, principles, walk, and hope. It stands between the cross and the glory. The boundaries of its earthly existence begin with the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down to form it, and end with the coming of Christ to receive it to Himself.

Attempting to enjoin the Lord's church with the legal or superstitious observance of "days and months, and times and years," is to falsify the Christian position; mar the integrity of God's revelation, and rob true believers of the place and portion belonging to them through the infinite grace of God and the accomplished atonement of Christ.

Does anyone consider this statement unwarrantably strong? If so, ponder the following passage from Paul's Epistle to the Colossians; a passage that should be written in letters of gold. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil [or make a prey of] you through philosophy and vain deceit [the combination is not flattering to philosophy] after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ, For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power [what more can we possibly want]. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it" (emphasis added).

Magnificent victory; gained single handed for us – universal and eternal homage to His peerless Name. What remains? "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." What can one who is complete and accepted in a risen and glorified Christ have to do with meats, drinks or holy days? What can philosophy, tradition or human religiousness do for him? What can passing shadows add to one who by faith has grasped the eternal substance? Surely nothing; and hence the blessed apostle proceeds,

"Let no man beguile you of your reward, in a voluntary humility, and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore, if we be dead with Christ, from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances [such as 'touch not,' 'taste not,' 'handle not' – which, after the commandments and doctrines of men, perish with the using]. Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour, to the satisfying of the flesh [not giving the measure of honor due to the body as God's vessel, but puffing up the flesh with religious pride, fed by a hollow and worthless sanctimoniousness]" (Col. 2:6-23; emphasis added).

Understanding this marvelous passage provides settlement of the Sabbath question. The Christian who understands his position is forever done with all questions of meats, drinks, days, months, times, and years. He knows nothing of holy seasons and holy places. He is dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world – delivered from all the ordinances of religious traditional. The true believer belongs to heaven, where new moons, holy days, and Sabbaths have no place. He is in the new creation, where all things are of God; hence he sees no moral force in such words as "touch not; taste not; handle not" – they have no application to him. He lives in a region where the clouds, vapors, and mists of monasticism and asceticism are never seen. He has given up all the worthless forms of mere fleshly pietism; exchanging it for the solid realities of Christian life. His ear has been opened to hear; his heart opened to understand the powerful exhortation of the inspired apostle, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth."

Some of the glories of true, practical, vital Christianity are unfolded here in striking contrast with all the barren and dreary forms of carnal and worldly religiousness. Christian life does not consist in the observance of certain rules, commandments or traditions of men. It is a divine reality. It is Christ in the heart and Christ reproduced in the daily life by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the new man formed after the model of Christ Himself, and displaying itself in all the minutest details of our daily history – in the family, in the business, in association with others; in our temper, spirit, style, and deportment; in everything. It is not a matter of mere profession, dogma, opinion, or sentiment; it is an unmistakable, living reality. It is the kingdom of God set up in the heart, asserting its sway over the whole moral being, and shedding its influence from day to day on the entire sphere of our earthly existence. It is the Christian walking in the footsteps of Him Who went about doing good; meeting, as best we can, every form of human need; living not for self but for others; finding delight in serving and giving; ready to soothe and sympathize wherever we find a crushed spirit or a bereaved and desolate heart.

This is true Christianity, without all forms of legality, traditions, and superstition. How different from unintelligent and unmeaning observance of days, months, times, years, abstaining from meats, forbidding to marry, and such-like. How different from the vaporings of mystics, the gloom of ascetics, and the austerities of monks. How different from the unsightly union of high profession and low practice – lofty truths held in the intellect, professed, taught, discussed, and worldliness, self-indulgence, and unsubduedness. New Testament Christianity differs from all these things. It is the divine, heavenly, and spiritual, displayed amid the human, earthly and natural. May it be our purpose to be satisfied with nothing short of that morally glorious Christianity revealed in the pages of the New Testament.

Hopefully, this will help us see the place the Sabbath holds in the dispensational ways of God; that it has direct reference to Israel and the earth – a sign of the covenant between Jehovah and His earthly people and a powerful test of their moral condition.

Israel never really kept the Sabbath, understood its import, or appreciated its value. This was evident in the life, ministry, and death of our Lord Jesus Christ Who performed many of His works of healing on the Sabbath, and at the end, spent that day in the tomb.

As we have seen, there is a difference between the Jewish Sabbath and the first day of the week, the Lord's Day. The latter is never called the Sabbath in the New Testament. On the contrary, it is constantly presented in its own distinctness; it is not the Sabbath changed or transferred, but a new day altogether – having its own special basis and peculiar range of thought.

Perhaps this is the place to offer a few words on the place the New Testament assigns to the Lord's Day, first day of the week. Though it is not the Sabbath; and though it has nothing to do with holy days, new moons, or "days and months, and times and years;" it does have its own unique place in Christianity. This is evident from manifold passages in the New Testament Scriptures.

Our Lord rose from the dead on that day. He met His disciples again and again on that day. The apostle and brethren at Troas came together to break bread on that day (Acts 20:7). The apostle instructs the Corinthians to lay by their offerings on that day; thus distinctly teaching us that the first day of the week was the special day for the Lord's people to assemble for the Lord's Supper, and the worship, communion and ministry connected with that most precious institution. The blessed Apostle John expressly tells us that he was in the Spirit on that day, and received that marvelous revelation that closes the Holy Word of God.⁶

Thus we have a body of Scripture evidence that should be sufficient to prove to the spiritual mind that the Lord's Day must not be reduced to the level of ordinary days. To Christians it is neither the Jewish Sabbath or the Gentile Sunday; it is the Lord's Day – the day on which His people gladly and thankfully assemble around His Table to keep that precious feast, showing forth His death until He come.

It should be needless to say that there is not a shade of legal bondage or superstition connected with the first day of the week. To say or think so denies the entire circle of scriptural truth to which that day is connected. There is no direct commandment regarding observance of the day; but the passages already referred to are amply sufficient for the spiritual mind. Further, we conclude that the instincts of God's nature should lead Christians to honor and love the Lord's Day – reverently setting it apart for worship and service to God.

Perhaps it will be said that Christians should devote every day to the Lord. This is certainly true, because in the fullest and highest sense we are the Lord's. All we have and all we are belong to Him. To this we totally, fully, and gladly agree. We are called to do everything in His Name and to His glory. It is our high privilege to buy and sell, eat and drink; to carry on our business under His eye and in the fear and love of His holy Name. With full confidence, we should be able to ask the Lord's blessing on anything we put our hand to on any day of the week.

Surely, every Christian joyfully accepts this as a daily way of life. But, without a doubt, the Lord's Day has a unique place in the New Testament; it is marked off for us in a most distinct way; and it has a significance and importance that cannot be claimed for any other day in the week.

The Lord's Day is a marvelous blessing, a profound retirement from worldly things. Its exercises are so refreshing and precious to the spiritual mind, assembling around the Lord's Table to remember Him, showing forth His death and celebrating His praise. What human language can adequately set forth the spiritual value and interest of Lord's Day? The Lord's Day is anything but a day of bodily rest to His servants, who are often more fatigued on this day than any other; still, it is a delightful and blessed fatigue.

We now turn from the subject of the Sabbath and the Lord's Day and quote the remarkable paragraph closing this chapter of Deuteronomy. Having laid the Ten Commandments before the people, the lawgiver proceeds to remind them of the solemn circumstances accompanying the giving of the law, together with their own feelings and utterances on the occasion.

"These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice; and he added no more; and he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me. And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness – for the mountain did burn with fire – that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; and ye said, Behold, the Lord our God hath showed us his glory, and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire; we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth. Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, then we shall die. For who is there of all flesh that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have and lived? Go thou near, and hear all that the Lord our God shall say; and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it. And the Lord heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the Lord said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee; they have well said all that they have spoken. O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! Go say to them, Get you into your tents again; but as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgements, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it. Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you; ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess."

Here the grand principle of Deuteronomy shines out with uncommon luster. It is embodied in those touching and forcible words, forming the core of the splendid passage just quoted. "Oh that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!"

What precious words; setting before us the secret spring of that life which as Christians we are called to live from day to day; the life of simple, implicit and unqualified obedience; a heart fearing the Lord; fearing Him, not in a servile spirit, but with that deep, true, adoring love that the Holy Spirit sheds in our hearts. This delights the heart of our loving Father. His Word to us is, "My son, give me thine heart." When the heart is given, everything follows in moral order. A loving heart finds its deepest joy in obeying God's commandments; and nothing is of any value to God except that which springs from a loving heart. The heart is the source of all the issues of life. Hence, when it is governed by the love of God there is a loving response to all His commandments. We love His commandments because we love Him. Every Word of His is precious to the heart that loves Him. Every precept, statute, and judgment; His whole law is loved, reverenced, and obeyed, because His Name and authority is attached to it.

In Psalm 119, we find an uncommonly fine illustration of the special point now before us; a striking example of one who answered to the words quoted above – "Oh that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always." It is the breathing of a soul who found its deep, unfailing, constant delight in the law of God. Under one title or another, there are no less than one hundred and seventy allusions to that precious law. Scattered along the surface of this marvelous psalm, in rich profusion, one finds such gems as:

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."
"I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches."
"I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways."
"I will delight myself in thy statutes; I will not forget thy word."
"My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgements at all times."
"Thy testimonies also are my delight, and my counsellors."
"I have stuck unto Thy testimonies."
"Behold, I have longed after thy precepts."
"I trust in thy word."
"I have hoped in thy judgements."
"I seek; thy precepts."
"I will delight myself in thy commandments which I have loved."
"I remembered thy judgements."
"Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage."
"I turned my feet unto thy testimonies." "I have believed thy commandments."
"The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver."
"I have hoped in thy word."
"Thy law is my delight."
"Mine! eyes fail for thy word."
"All thy commandments are faithful."
"For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.''
"I will never forget thy precepts."
"I have sought thy precepts."
"I will consider thy testimonies."
"Thy commandment is exceeding broad."
"O how love I thy law; it is my meditation all the day."
"How sweet are thy words unto my taste? yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth."
"Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; for they are The rejoicing of my heart."
"I Will have respect unto thy statutes continually"
"I love thy commandments above gold, yea, above fine gold."
"I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right."
"Thy testimonies are wonderful."
"I opened my mouth, and panted, for I longed for Thy commandments."
"Upright are thy judgements."
"Thy testimonies . . . are righteous, and very faithful."
"Thy word is very pure."
"Thy law is the truth."
"The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting."
"All thy commandments are truth."
"Thy word is true from the beginning; and every one of thy righteous judgements endureth for ever:"
"My heart standeth in awe of Thy word."
"I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil."
"Great peace have they that love thy law."
"My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly."
"I have chosen thy precepts."
"Thy law is my delight."

It does the heart good and refreshes the spirit to transcribe such utterances as the foregoing, many of which are the suited utterances of our Lord Himself, in the days of His flesh. He always lived on the Word. It was the food of His soul; the authority of His path, the material of His ministry. By it He vanquished Satan; silenced Sadducees, Pharisees and Herodians. By it He taught His disciples. To it He commended His servants as He was about to ascend into the heavens.

Psalm 119 is so important for us; intensely interesting and deeply practical. What a place it gives the Holy Scriptures. How strengthening, refreshing and encouraging to note the way our Lord uses the Holy Scriptures – the place He gives them, and the dignity He puts on them. On all occasions, He appeals to them as a divine authority. Though Himself God and Author of the Volume, He took His place on the earth as man, and, with all possible plainness set forth our duty and high privilege: to live by the Word of God – bowing in reverent subjection to its divine authority.

Here we have a complete answer to the oft-raised question of infidelity, "How do we know that the Bible is the Word of God?" If indeed we believe in Christ; if we accept Him to be the Son of God, God manifest in the flesh, very God and very man, we cannot fail to see the moral force of the fact that this divine Person constantly appeals to the Scriptures as a divine standard – to Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. Did He know them to be the Word of God? Undoubtedly. As God, He had given them; as Man, He received them, lived by them, and accepted their paramount authority in all things.

What a weighty fact is here for the Lord's church. What a withering rebuke to all those so-called Christian scholar who have presumed to tamper with the grand fundamental truth of the plenary inspiration of Holy Scriptures in general, and the five books of Moses in particular. How terrible to think of professing teachers daring to designate as spurious, the writings our Lord and Master received and accepted as divine.

In our age, the degrading absurdities of ritualism and the blasphemous reasoning of infidelity are increasing around us. Further, we observe that even where these influences are not presently dominant, there is growing evidence of cold indifference, carnal ease, self-indulgence, and worldliness. In this present age, if people are not led away by infidelity or ritualism, it is probably due to the fact that they are too occupied with pleasure and gain to think of anything else.

We are unable to shake off a conviction that the combined testimony of observation and experience oppose the notion that things are improving. To cling to such a theory in the face of an array of evidence to the contrary can only be regarded as the fruit of unaccountable credulity.

Let us lay aside our preconceived ideas, all religious conventionalisms, all ordinary phraseology of the religious world, all dogmas of the schools of divinity, and with the simplicity of a little child come to the pure fountain of Holy Scripture, and drink in its heavenly teaching. If we will do this, we will rise from the study with a clear and settled conviction that the world will not be converted by the means now in operation; by man's dogmas, teaching, schemes, plans, traditions, creeds; his organized religious institutions.

Should we deny the good that is being done? Should we be insensible to it? No, far be the thought. We should heartily bless God for every atom of it, rejoicing in every effort put forth to spread the precious Gospel of the grace of God. We should render thanks for every soul gathered within the blessed circle of God's salvation. We should delight to think of many millions of Bibles scattered over the earth. What human mind can calculate the results of a single copy? We earnestly pray for every true-hearted missionary who goes forth with the glad tidings of salvation to the most distant parts of earth.

In going forth to their work, the apostles of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had this commission: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

This was to the twelve. The world was their sphere. The aspect of their message was to every creature; the application was to those who believed and were baptized. It was pre-eminently an individual thing. Conversion of the whole world was not their object. Their object was to go and preach the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit did not come down to convert the world, but to "convict" (elegxei); to demonstrate the world's guilt in having "rejected the Son of God."⁷ The effect of His presence was to prove the world guilty; the grand object of His mission was to form a body composed of true believers from among both Jews and Gentiles. The Spirit has been occupied with this for hundreds of years. This is "the mystery" of which the Apostle Paul was made a minister, and which he so fully unfolds in his epistle to the Ephesians. It is impossible for anyone to understand the truth revealed in this marvelous document and not see that the conversion of the world and formation of the body of Christ are two totally different things that could not possibly go on together.

Carefully ponder the following passage: "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is given me to you-ward; how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men [not made known in the scriptures of the Old Testament; nor revealed to the Old Testament saints or prophets] as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets [that is, to the New Testament prophets] by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his Promise in Christ by the gospel: whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see, what is the dispensation of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in the heavenlies might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God" (Eph. 3:1-10; emphasis added).

Take another passage from the epistle to the Colossians. "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the church; whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to complete the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus; whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily" (Col. 1:23-29).

From these and numerous other passages, we can see the special object of Paul's ministry. Obviously, he had no thought in his mind that it was to convert the world. True, he preached the Gospel in all its depth, fullness and power; preached it "from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum"; "preached among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;" but with no thought of converting the world. He knew better. He knew and taught that the world was rapidly ripening for judgment; that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse;" that, "In the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God had created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."

Further, this faithful and divinely inspired witness taught that "in the last days"; far in advance of "the latter times" – "Perilous [or difficult] times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" (emphasis added; compare 1 Timothy 4:1-3 with 2 Timothy 3:1-5).

What a picture! It brings us back to the close of the first of Romans, where the same inspired pen portrays the dark forms of heathenism; but with this terrible difference that in 2 Timothy it is not heathenism but nominal Christianity – "a form of godliness." And is this to be the end of the present condition of things? Is this the converted world of which we hear so much? There are false prophets abroad. There are those who cry peace, peace, when there is no peace. There are those who attempt to daub the crumbling walls of Christendom with untempered mortar.

But it will not do. Judgment is at the door. The professing church has shamefully failed. She has grievously departed from the Word of God; revolting from the authority of her Lord. There is not a single ray of hope for organized religious institutions. Such are dark moral blots in the wide universe of God, and on the pages of history. The same apostle from whose writings we have already quoted, tells us that "the mystery of iniquity doth already work" – it has been working for centuries.

"Only he that now hindereth will hinder until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the troth, that they might he saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2:7-12).

In our age, the Lord's church is under strong delusion from listening to the dreams of false preachers and teachers who talk about "the bright side of things." Thank God, there is a bright side for all who truly belong to Christ. To them the apostle speaks in bright and cheering accents: "We are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 2:13, 14).

Here we certainly do have the bright side of things; the bright and blessed hope of the Lord's church; the hope of seeing "the bright and morning Star." All rightly instructed Christians are not on the look out for an improved or converted world, but for their coming Lord and Savior, Who has gone to prepare a place for them in the Father's house; and is coming again to receive them to Himself, that where He is, there they may be also. This is His sweet promise that may be fulfilled at any moment. Peter tells us He waits in long suffering mercy, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But when the Holy Spirit has incorporated the last member into the blessed body of Christ, then the archangel's voice and the trump of God will summon all the redeemed from the beginning to meet their descending Lord in the air to forever be with Him.

This is the true and proper hope of the Lord's church; a hope the enemy has succeeded in robbing from a large number of the Lord's people. For centuries it was almost blotted out from the church's horizon. Some think that it has partially recovered within the last hundred years. Where do we hear about it throughout the length and breadth of the professing church? Do our pulpits ring with the joyful sound, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh"? No, even those few beloved servants of Christ who are truly looking for His coming, hardly dare to preach it, fearing it would be rejected. And probably it would. We are persuaded that in the majority of cases, men who should preach the glorious truth that the Lord is coming for His church would probably lose their audience, their salaries, and thus their pulpits.

What a solemn and striking proof of Satan's blinding power. He has robbed the Lord's church of divinely given hope; and in its place has given her a delusion – a lie. Instead of looking out for "the bright and morning Star," he has set her looking for a converted world. He has succeeded in casting such a haze over the future, that the Lord's church has completely lost bearings. She does not know where she is. She is like a vessel tossed on the stormy ocean having neither compass nor rudder, seeing neither sun nor stars, only darkness and confusion.

How can this be? Simply because the Lord's church has lost sight of the pure and precious Word of her Lord and instead has accepted bewildering creeds and confessions of men that mar and mutilate the truth of God. In this present age, Christians seem to be at sea regarding their proper standing and hope.

How can this be – they have the Bible in their hands! True, but so did the Jews and yet they rejected the blessed One Who is the great theme of the Bible from beginning to end. In John, this was the moral inconsistency with which our Lord charged them, "Ye search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me; ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."⁸

And why was this? Their minds were blinded by religious prejudice. They were under the influence of the doctrines, teaching, and commandments of men. Hence, although they had the Scriptures and boasted of having them, they were as ignorant of them and as little governed by them as the heathen around them. It is one thing to have the Bible in our hands, in our homes, and in our assemblies, and quite another to have the Bible truths acting on our hearts and consciences and shining in our lives.

For instance, take the subject that has led us into this lengthy digression. The New Testament plainly teaches that the end of the present condition of things will be terrible apostasy from the truth, and open rebellion against God and the Lamb. The Gospels, Epistles and Revelation all agree and set forth this solemn truth with such distinctness and simplicity that a babe in Christ can see it.

Yet, comparatively speaking, few believe it. The majority believes the reverse. They believe, openly promote, and invest in the concept that by the means of various agencies now in operation, all nations can be converted. In vain we call attention to the Lord's parables in Matthew 13 – the tares, leaven, and mustard seed. How do these agree with the idea of a converted world? If the whole world is to be converted, then how is it that tares are found in the field at the end of the age? How is it that when the Bridegroom comes there are as many foolish virgins as wise ones? If the whole world is to be converted by the Gospel, then on whom will "the day of the Lord so come as a thief in the night"? Or what mean those awful words, "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape"? In view of a converted world, what is the correct application, the correct moral force of those solemn words in the first of Revelation? "Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him"? Where are all those wailing kindreds to be found, if the whole world is to be converted?

It seems clear as a sunbeam that the two things cannot stand together. It seems plain that the theory of a converted world is diametrically opposed to the teaching of the New Testament. Why do so many professing Christians persist in holding on to that concept? Could it be that many of us do not truly bow to the authority of Scripture? Though sad to say; though selected parts of the Bible are read in religious services; the truths of the Bible are obviously not believed. They are, in fact, persistently rejected. And all this in view of the oft-repeated boast that "the Bible, and only the Bible is our religion."

Though weighty and important, we will not here pursue this subject further, trusting the student may be led by the Spirit of God to feel its deep solemnity. We believe the Lord's people need to be thoroughly roused to a sense of how the professing church has departed from the authority of Scripture. We may rest assured that here lies the real cause of the confusion, error, and evil in our midst. We have departed from the Word of the Lord, and from Him. Until this is seen, felt, and accepted we cannot be right; and should make no claim of such. The Lord looks for true repentance, real brokenness of spirit in His presence. "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."

When the soul is in this truly blessed attitude, there is no limit to the blessing. But it must be a reality. We must be in the condition of being "poor and contrite. It is an individual matter – "To this man will I look"

Under the action of His word and in His infinite mercy, may the Lord lead every one of us into true self-judgment. May our ears he opened to hear His voice. May our hearts be turned to Him and to His Word. May we once and forever turn our backs on everything that will not stand the test of Holy Scripture! We are persuaded this is what our Lord Christ looks for on the part of all who belong to Him, amid the terrible and hopeless debris of the religious world.

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