"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!"
John 1:29. I repeat the words of John, "Behold the Lamb of God!"
We are to contemplate the character of Christ. We are to meditate
upon the cross of Calvary; for it is the unanswerable argument of
Christianity. God's message to the impenitent, His warning to the
backslider, is, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin
of the world!" Those who bring the message to the soul may turn
aside from the truth, but he who would be saved must keep his eye on
Christ. By beholding, his faith is made strong, and he comes to
know "the only true God, and Christ the Messiah, whom Thou hast
sent." John 17:3. The sinner sees Christ as He is, full of
compassion and tender love, and by beholding this manifestation of
God's great love toward fallen man in Christ's sufferings on Calvary,
he is transformed in character.
While our salvation is wholly dependent upon Christ, yet we have a
work to do in order that we shall be saved. The apostle says,
"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is
God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure." Philippians 2:12-13. The work that we are to do is not
independent of what God is to do, but a work of CO-OPERATION WITH
GOD. The power and grace of God are to be wrought into the heart by
the divine Worker; but some go astray here, claiming that man has a
work to do that is wholly independent of any work of God. Another
class take the other extreme, and say that man is free from all
obligation, because God does the whole work--both the willing and
doing. But the true ground to take is that the human will must be
in subjection to the divine will. The will of man is not to be
forced into co-operation with divine agencies, but must be
voluntarily submitted. Man has no power of himself to work out his
own salvation. Salvation must be the result of co-operation with
divine power and God will not do that for man which he can do for
himself. Man is wholly dependent on the grace of Christ. He has
no power to move one step in the direction of Christ unless the
Spirit of God draws him. But the Holy Spirit is continually drawing
the soul, and will continue to draw until by persistent refusal the
sinner grieves away the tender Messenger of God.
In the heavenly councils it has been decided by what means and
methods the grace of Christ shall prove effectual in saving the soul.
And it is clear that unless the sinner consents to be drawn, unless
he will co-operate with divine agencies, the end will not be attained.
The work to be done is a united work. The divine and the human are
to work together, and the sinner is to depend upon grace, while
rendering willing obedience to the dictates of the Spirit of God.
"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God
which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure."
God has endowed men with reason and with intellectual faculties, but
if these are untrained, left uncultivated, men will become like the
savage heathen. The mind must be cultivated, and it is necessary
that teachers present line upon line and precept upon precept,
guiding and training the free-will moral agent so that he shall
understand what it is to co-operate with God. God works in the human
agent by the light of truth, and the mind, enlightened by the truth,
is capable of seeing truth in distinction from error. Open to the
light of truth, free from prejudice, unbound by the opinions and
traditions of men, the enlightened mind clearly sees the evidences of
the truth, and believes it as from God. The man enlightened by truth
will not call falsehood truth, and light darkness. The Spirit reveals
to the mind the things of God, and to him who co-operates with God is
the realization that a Divine Presence is hovering near. When the heart
is open to Christ and the mind responds to the truth, Christ abides
in the soul. The Spirit's energy works in the heart, and leads the
inclinations toward Christ. By living faith, the Christian places
entire dependence on divine power, expecting that God will "will" and
"do" that which is according to His good pleasure. As fast as the
soul resolves and acts in accordance with the light that is revealed,
the Spirit takes the things of God and gives more light to the soul.
"As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believed on His name." "And the Word was
made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory
as of the Only-begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth."
John 1:12, 14. The Spirit of God is not commissioned to do our part
of the work, either in willing or doing. It is the work of the human
agent to co-operate with divine agencies. As soon as we incline our
will to harmonize with God's, the grace of Christ is supplied to
co-operate with our resolve. But it is not to be a substitute to do
our work-- to work in spite of our resolutions and actions.
Therefore, our success in the Christian life will not be because of
an abundance of light and evidence, but will depend upon our
acceptance of the light given, upon the rousing of the energies, and
operating with the heavenly ministers appointed of God to work for
the salvation of the soul.
If the sinner or the backslider settles himself in sin, the light of
heaven may flash about him to no purpose, as it did about Saul when
the bewitching power of the world's deception was upon him. Unless
the human agent inclines his will to do the will of God, as finally
Saul did, the light will shine in vain, and a thousand-fold more
light and evidence would do no good. God knows when the sinner has
sufficient evidence, and says to such, "They have Moses and the
prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the
dead." Luke 16:29, 31.
Paul had a terrible awakening when the light from heaven flashed upon
him, and a voice said to him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?"
Paul answered, "Who art Thou, Lord?" And He said, "I am Christ
whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."
And the Lord said, "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be
told thee what thou must do." Acts 9:4-6. The Lord always gives the
human agent his work to do. Paul was to work in compliance with the
divine command. But if he had said, "Lord, I am not in the least
inclined to follow your directions in working out my salvation,"
then, should the Lord have showered upon him light tenfold as bright,
it would have been useless. It is man's part to co-operate with the
Divine. Here is where the conflict is to be sternest, hardest, and
most fierce-- in yielding the will and way to God's will and way,
relying upon the gracious influences which God has exerted upon the
human soul throughout all the life. The man must do the work of
inclining. "For it is God that worketh in you both to will and do."
The character of the actions will testify what has been the nature
of the resolve. The doing was not in accordance with feeling and
natural inclination, but in harmony with the will of the Father in
heaven. Follow and obey the leadings of the Holy Spirit; obey not
the voice of the deceiver, which is in harmony with the unsanctified
will, but obey the impulse God has given. This is what the heavenly
intelligences are constantly working to have us do-- the will of our
Father which is in heaven.
The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought.
The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires
a struggle, but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed
in holiness.
God does not force the will of His creatures. He cannot accept an
homage that is not willingly and intelligently given. A mere forced
submission would prevent all real development of mind or character;
it would make man a mere automaton. Such is not the purpose of the
Creator. He desires that man, the crowning work of His creative
power, shall reach the highest possible development. He sets before
us the height of blessing to which He desires to bring us, through
His grace. He invites us to give ourselves to Him, that He may work
His will in us. It remains for us to choose whether we will be set
free from the bondage of sin, to share the glorious liberty of the
sons of God.
What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is
the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or
of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The
power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You
cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its
affections; but you can CHOOSE to serve Him. You can give Him your
will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His
good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the
control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered
upon Him; your thoughts will be in harmony with Him.
Through the right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made
in your life. By yielding up your will to Christ, you ally yourself
with the power that is above to hold you steadfast, and thus through
constant surrender to God you will be enabled to live the new life,
even the life of faith.
Everything is at stake. Will the human agent co-operate with divine
agencies to will and to do? If a man places his will on the side of
God's will, fully surrendering self to do His will, the rubbish will
be cleared from the door of the heart, the defiance of the soul
will be broken down, and Christ will enter to abide as a welcome
Guest.
