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Under
this head an extensive field of thought is opened up.
Every minutia of the system of divine truth might be
examined and found in harmony with pure reason. But we can
only take space to call attention to a few points.
1. The Incarnation and, Suffering of Christ. This
exhibition of divine wisdom men and angels could never
have conceived. Angels desired to look into the plan by
which God would redeem our race (1 Pet. 1: 10, 11), but it
appears they could not comprehend it until Christ was born
in Bethlehem. Then they understood, and with joyful
strains sounded the news to earth. Luke 2: 9-11. Though
human reason could never have given birth to such a plan,
it is nevertheless perfectly philosophical.
The laws of a just and unchangeable God had been broken.
Death—natural, and spiritual, or separation from
God—was the penalty. Both the justice and immutability
of God demand the penalty must be executed, either upon
the violator of the law, or some one in his stead. Who can
offer his life as a ransom for man? God, being a spirit,
can not die. A creature sacrifice would necessarily elicit
all the glory; hence would leave man still unrestored to
his original object, namely, to glorify God his Maker.
How, then, could man be redeemed 7 Who but the Infinite
could have devised a plan? When a creature sacrifice was
insufficient, and the Creator, as a spirit, could not die,
the Deity clothed himself with a suffering nature in the
person of his Son; put on a mortal body, that he might die
on our behalf. "God was manifest in the flesh.
"—1 Tim. 3: 16. Oh how wonderful! Thus we have a
Savior who, " By the grace of God, tasted death for
every man."—Heb. 2:9. "For Christ also hath
once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he
might bring us to God."—2 Pet. 3:18. "And that
the abundant grace might, through the thanksgiving of many
redound to the glory of God." ID short, we have a
Savior who came into the physical conditions of man, that
we might be well assured of his sympathy and love for us,
and who could die in our stead, and thus satisfy the
demands of the law and of justice; and yet divine; one
with the Father, so that we can render all praise and
honor and glory to his name, without detracting from the
glory of the Father. Oh the wonders of redeeming wisdom
and love!
2. Salvation is perfectly reasonable in its conditions.
First, it is free. It is God, and " God is
love." And "If a man would give all the
substance of his house for love, it would utterly be
contemned. "—S. of Sol. 8: 7. Salvation can no more
be bought than can love. It is purely the gift of divine
love and mercy. And who can find fault with such an
overflow of divine goodness? Thousands would purchase
salvation at most any price if it could thus be obtained.
But that would be incompatible with the Divine Goodness,
and also rob him of the glory. It would also leave man an
occasion to boast in self, and so be a detriment to him.
But salvation is free. So it is available for all men, and
God gets all the glory; and justice and reason approve the
wondrous plan.
As it can not be bought by money, so likewise, it is
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy, he saved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.
"—Tit. 3: 5, 6. Good works are excluded from having
any part in obtaining salvation, for the same good reasons
that money is no consideration.
Repentance is the first condition of salvation. It means a
godly sorrow for sin, confessing and forever forsaking
sin. To repent is to cease from all sinning in the future.
"Repentance is unto life."—Acts 11: 18.
"Unto salvation."—2 Cor. 7:10. It is sure to
bring the soul to the point where faith grasps the boon of
eternal life. It is the gift of God, to the Jew first,
Acts 5: 3, also to the Gentile, Acts 11:18.
The necessity of repentance arises from man's wrong
attitude toward the Creator, and his God dishonoring deeds
of sin. The rebellion of the wicked against the government
of God justly provokes his wrath. And man is wholly to
blame for the deplorable alienation between him and his
Maker. For, though he has striven against the Almighty,
blasphemed his holy name, and trampled upon his righteous
laws; "Nevertheless he left not himself without
witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from
heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food
and gladness."—Acts 14:17.
Therefore it is reasonable that men should repent of their
sins. Yea, " The goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance."—Rom. 2:4. Shame on the man or woman
who can breathe the breath God opens his hand of love to
give you (Isa. 42:12. Job. 12:10), walk about upon his
beautiful footstool, enjoy the sunbeams that he has
created, and live upon his bounties, and yet live in open
sin in his sight! Oh the awful presumption of sin, the
shameful ingratitude of the sinner! Be astonished, O
heavens, at the wickedness of earth !
A thousand reasons demand repentance of rebellious
mankind. First, the Almighty commands it. John began the
good news of the kingdom of heaven on earth with the cry,
"Repent." And "After that John was put in
prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of
the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled and
the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the
gospel."—Mark 1: 14, 15. Yea, " Except ye
repent ye shall all likewise perish. "—Luke 13: 3,
5. And when he commissioned his disciples, "They went
out, and preached that men should repent. "—Mark 6:
12. Alluding to the ignorance and darkness that enveloped
the earth prior to the coming of Christ, the faithful
apostle to the Gentiles said, "And the times of this
ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men
everywhere to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in
the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that
man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance
unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the
dead."—Acts 17: 30, 31.
God knows that no sinner can stand before his holy
presence. Hence, in view of the awful judgment day, he
commands all men to repent. And what reason under heaven
can men give for not obeying the voice of love and mercy,
that only seeks the happiness of mankind ?
Again, faith is the great condition upon which salvation
is suspended. In every way it may be viewed it is
perfectly just and reasonable. Man lost the image and
favor of God by doubting his word; hence he can only be
re-instated by believing the same. Salvation by faith in
Christ Jesus is reasonable also, because his truth
endureth forever, and it is impossible for him to lie. Can
it be said in truth that there is anything difficult or
unreasonable in believing Him who is the very embodiment
of truth? Is it hard to credit the words of a man who has
never lied? Surely not. Then "believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Salvation in
all its principles, provisions, conditions and operations,
is indeed consonant with the highest claim) of reason.
Why, then, O sinner, are you not saved.
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