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THE TRUTHS OF CHRIST IN A DIALOGUE SECOND DIALOGUE Article 2

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THE TRUTHS OF CHRIST IN A DIALOGUE SECOND DIALOGUE Article 2

Strong Christian

13 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

All that Concerned has mentioned cannot be contradicted. A man confesses that God is a King, but nevertheless he likes to rule himself and is an atheist in practice. Those that have come to conversion continually behold those remains of evil in their heart and deeds; but they know and bewail them, confess them, seek atonement for them, and strength against them by the Lord. Just read Psalm 73 and see how Asaph acted herein. In the meantime, it is certain that they learn to know and experience other things concerning this. I just happened to think of the remarkable words I have read of Calvin in the first book of his Institutes, Chapter 1. He says: “We cannot come and seek God earnestly unless we first begin to abhor ourselves. For what man would not desire to rest upon himself?” Then he goes on to say: “We have an innate pride, so that we at all times imagine ourselves to be righteous, and upright, and wise, and holy, unless we are overcome by public evidences that we are unrighteous, disgraceful ,foolish and unclean. And we are not overcome if we only have a true sight of ourselves, and not of the great Lord also. But it is when we may begin to raise up our thoughts to God, and to consider Who He is, and how complete the perfection of His righteousness, wisdom, and power is, acording to which rule we must direct ourselves, that all that which pleased us before by pretence of a false righteousness, shall stink as extreme folly; that which had an appearance of strength and power shall be found to be nothing else than a miserable impotence.” And after he has shown that for this reason the holy men were very much frightened when they had some evidences of the Lord’s greatness, he dien continues: “And what would a man do, who is but rottenness and a worm, while the seraphims even cover their faces with fear before the great majesty of God? Verily, this is what the prophet Isaiah refers to when he says, chapter 24:23: “Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion.” And thus is the situation with dlis matter we are speaking about, friends. As long as a natural sinner, without the Spirit in his heart, does not receive an impression and sight of die Lord’s adorable highness, he is high himself and his own god; but if the greatness and highness of God has made an impression upon his heart, then his own “highness” falls, and in that sight he melts into a nothing, acknowledging “that God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him,” Ps. 89:7. But in the natural sinner it is: “He will not behold the majesty of the Lord.” Isa. 26:10.

Ignorance

Our friend, Letterwise, has certainly shown the greatness of the sovereign rule of the Lord, and also confessed the game.

Concerned

It is, however, one thing to merely speak of the Lord’s greatness, and something altogether different to behold this by a spiritual experience. For example, you can read in history and talk with others about the greatness and grandeur of the Turk, the Moguls (Mohammedan conquerors of India in the sixteenth century), the Persian, etc, without ever having seen them. But if you had been in their courts ,in their service and power, then you would have feared them; and they were only poor earthworms, as you also are. Are we not all dust and ashes, worms of the earth? And thus it is in this respect: A man can surely read of the greatness of God, and talk very much about it, without ever feeling and really believing with his whole heart that he is a creature and born subject of the Lord of Hosts, being in His powerful hands as clay in the potter’s hands. And does he not show much more fear and respect for a man, his fellow-creature, than for the great Lord? Oh, what a vast difference there is if a soul has by experience learned to say: “By reason of His highness I could not endure,” Job 31:23, and, “I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes,” chapter 42:5 and 6.

But I would request Strong Christian to say a little more about this important point.

Strong Christian

It is impossible to show a natural sinner in his real being or form, since that can be learned only by experience. And he who has found it to be thus, cannot teach any one to have a right conception of this important matter if that person lacks this knowledge by experience. I will, however, mention a few things about it. If a soul is convicted by the light of grace, the existence and greatness of God is vividly before her; also the greatness of the glory of His majesty, that God is God, and she a miserable creature, a born rebel, hostile towards the Lord and His infinite greatness, yea, an enemy, who has declared war against her God and Creator. She stands amazed over the infiniteness of God and admires His long-suffering wherewith He has tolerated her. She loses herself in this sight, and fears not to find grace in His eyes; she comes to the full realization that she has idolized herself and all sins which were a consequence of this, and kindled His anger therewith. She now sees Him with the sight of the eye in His glory and majesty, so full of holiness and righteousness; yea, also of goodness and mercy, having rendered unto her so many benefits as a sinner. It was His almighty hand and goodncss by which she was created as a rational creature; only His goodness by which she was kept and protected in the reign of Him, Who is God the Almighty; it is His earth upon which she may dweil, and His creatures by which she is fed and covered; it is His sun and moon and stars which shine upn her and give light; it is His air which she may breathe; it is His strength which enables her to stand and be strong. All that she is and all that she has are the Lord’s goods. She is not worthy the least thereof, for she has lost all right to His benefits through sin. This makes her little, and in the clear view of the highness of God she melts into a nothing, confessing as Jacob not to be worthy the least of His mercies. All these works of God she beholds with awe and reverence, and according to the knowledge she obtains of them, she considers them with great wonder and admiration. She only dares to think about them with the greatest awe and respect. She sees in them now the marvelous perfections of God: His infinite Wisdom, His eternal Almightiness, His unspeakable Goodness, so that she must exclaim: “O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches.” Ps. 104:24.

She beholds and follows the wonderful rule of God in her as a person particularly, from the time that she was a child up to the present time, realizing how the Lord has directed all things for her good. And while in the past she did not know the reason therefor, she can now trace why it had to be thus and not otherwise. In all this she worships God in His wonderful arrangement and leading. She sees with deep humiliation how often she has rebelled against the good and wise management and direction of God. Heaven and its Government and blessed inhabitants appear unto her so heavenly, so holy, so blessed, that she would gladly extol the Lord’s glory in the midst of the seraphims. Oh, if she was only permitted to do so! The dealings and ways of the Lord seem so just to her, so becoming, so Divine, that she considers it the greatest honor and the highest happiness to be in His service, and she now wishes with her whole heart to be submissive unconditionally unto the Lord Almighty. She now observes with amazement that “the heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.” Psalm 19.

All works of God, even up to the least blade of grass, appear unto her divine and wonderful, while she will acknowledge that she understands only a little portion of Him; and who then shall understand the power of His thunder? Job. 26:14. She therefore now thinks and speaks with reverence about the counsel of the Lord, acknowledging that it is too high for her. She says with David: “Such knowledge is too wnderful for me; it is high. I cannot attain unto it.” Ps. 139:6.

She experiences not only that the Lord is God, and that all without Him are only creatures, very dependent upon Him in all things: that He is alone the Lord so high, so great, so awful, so full of majesty and glory; but also that He cannot be all-sufficient unless He is the Three-in-One God. It is a truth that the perfections or attributes of His righteousness and holiness, grace and mercy, cannot be revealed fully and perfectly amongst creatures in this present body, while He manifests therein His glory, Exodus 33:18–23. But, in a word, the soul does experience now that God truly is God, that the creature is only a creature, a worm of the dust, and that God rules, being clothed with glory and majesty. And she thus loses herself in the highness of God, and unconditibnally wishes to be submissive to the wise, hf£h, and holy will of the Lord; she desires to say in both prosperity and adversity: “He is the Lord: let Him do what seemeth Him good.” I Sam 3:18.

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Concerned

Oh, what a great difference it shall be for a soul to talk about the reign of the Lord, or to really experience the truth thereof! But no one can ever express in words what it is if a soul receives the impression that God is God, and how she loses herself in the highness and glory of God. But I yet want to ask a question, namely: Should a quickened soul be indifferent as to how the Lord deals with her in prosperity or adversity?

Strong Christian

Gertainly not. Indifference and insensibility are not virtues. Then the Lord would not be thanked in prosperity, and not sought in adversity. It would be as we read in Jer. 5:3: “Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction.” And this would be contrary to nature, in which a sigh for its welfare has been created; against the whole Word of God, which teaches us the contrary in promises and threatenings, penalties and blessings, examples and instances; against the purpose of God, Whose will it is to be sought and glorified therein. But a godly man must seek to submit himself to the will of the Lord in adversity as well as in prosperity, and to pray therein for grace and strength to justify such dealings and to be content in all these ways, just as fesus did, Matt. 26:39: “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” In all His visitations the Lord has His wise intentions, which the soul may not be able to see presently, but which she will learn afterwards, because “no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” Hebr. 12:11.

Concerned

How should a true subject of this Kingdom of God conduct himself in respect to the supreme rule of the Lord?

Letterwise

I think that this is easy to conclude from all that has been said:

1. He must be satisfied with God’s holy will; at all times and in all his ways his language should be: “Speak, Lord; for Thy servant heareth.” I Sam. 3.

2. He should expect all things from the hand of God, in adversity as well as in prosperity; he should pray in adversity, and thank God in prosperity. Yes, his speech should be like that of Job: “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job. 1:21.

3. In all his ways and in all things he must trust in the Lord, Who alone is wise, good, and mighty; he should cast all his cares upon Him, and recommend all cases unto Him, Who will make all things well, Matt. 6:25. We know that a man can avail nothing with all his needless cares, even when he uses the common means.

4. And then learn that He reigns over all creatures and directs them; and that all men and beasts, without the Lord’s direction and permission, will be of no avail against us. The devil can go no further against Job than God wills it; Abimelech can not touch Sarah, nor Laban Jacob; Balaam can not curse Israel, even when he had a great desire to receive the reward of unrighteousnes; the fire can not harm Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the least, nor the lions Daniel; yes, the very hairs of the head are all numbered, Matt. 10:30.

Ignorance

I can understand that all of this is reasonable; that the government belongs to God, and that the creature is obliged to obey Him. I shall, therefore, try to resign myself to that and practica it.

(To be continued)

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Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 augustus 1961

The Banner of Truth | 12 Pagina's

THE TRUTHS OF CHRIST IN A DIALOGUE SECOND DIALOGUE Article 2

Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 augustus 1961

The Banner of Truth | 12 Pagina's