The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 76

February 28, 1899

“The Sermon. Creation or Evolution, Which?” ¹ The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 9, p. 132.

A. T. JONES
(Continued.)

WHEN the Lord said, “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear;” also when he said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit, ... it was so.” Then God set two great lights in the heavens, and made the stars also; and when he spoke the word, “it was so.” He said, “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, the fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament;” and it was so. When God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, the beast of the earth after his kind,” it was so. When he spoke, it was always so. That is creation. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.1

You see, then, that it is perfectly logical, and reasonable enough, too, for evolutionists to set aside the word of God, and have no faith in it; for evolution itself is antagonistic to creation. When evolution is antagonistic to creation, and creation is by the word of God, then evolution is antagonistic to the word of God. Of course the genuine, or original, sound evolutionist did not have any place for that word, nor for the half-and-half evolutionists,—those who bring in creation and the word of God to start things. It takes so long a time, such indefinite and indeterminate ages, for evolution to accomplish anything, that it does away with creation. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.2

The genuine evolutionist recognizes that creation must be immediate; but he does not believe in immediate action, and therefore does not believe in creation. Do not forget that creation is immediate, or else it is not creation: if not immediate, it is evolution. So touching again the creation at the beginning, when God speaks, there is in his word the creative energy to produce the thing which that word pronounces. That is creation; and that word of God is the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever; it lives and abides forever; it has everlasting life in it. The word of God is a living thing. The life that is in it is the life of God—eternal life. Therefore it is the word of eternal life, as the Lord Jesus said; and in the nature of things it abides and remains forever. Forever it is the word of God; forever it has creative energy in it. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.3

So when Jesus was here, he said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” The words that Jesus spoke are the words of God. They are imbued with the life of God. They are eternal life, they abide forever; and in them is the creative energy to produce the thing spoken. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.4

This is illustrated by many incidents in the life of Christ, as narrated in the New Testament. I do not need to cite them all; but I will refer to one or two, so you can get hold of this principle. You remember that after the sermon on the mount, Jesus came down, and there met him a centurion, saying, “My servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.” The centurion said: “I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.” Jesus turned to those standing about, and said, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.5

Israel had the Bible; they knew the word of God. They boasted of being the people of the Book, the people of God. They read it; they preached in their synagogues, “My word... shall accomplish that which I please.” They said, when they read that word: That is all right; the thing ought to be done. We see the necessity of it, and will do it. We will accomplish what it says. Then they did their best to accomplish it. It took them a long while, so long indeed, that they never did it. Their real doing of the word was so far away that the greatest of them were led to exclaim, “If but one person could only for one day keep the whole law, and not offend in one point—,nay, if but one person could but keep that one point of the law which affected in the due observance of the Sabbath,—then the troubles of Israel would be ended, and the Messiah at last would come.” So, though they started in to do what the word said, it took them so long that they never got to it. What were they? ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.6

There was the word of God, which said, “It shall accomplish that which I please.” It was spoken thus of the creative power. And though they professed to recognize the creative energy of the word of God, yet in their own lives they left that all out, and said, We will do it. They looked to themselves for the process which would bring themselves to the point where that word and themselves would agree. What were they? Are you afraid to say, for fear you have been there yourself? Do not be afraid to say that they were evolutionists; for that is what they were, and that is what a good many of your are. Their course was antagonistic to creation; there was not creation about it. They were not made new creatures; no new life was formed within them; the thing was not accomplished by the power of God; it was all of themselves; and so far were they from believing in creation that they rejected the Creator, and crucified him out of the world. That is what evolution always does; for do not forget that “evolution is directly antagonistic to creation.” ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.7

Now these were the people upon whom Jesus looked when he made this statement about faith in Israel. Here was a man who was a Roman, who had grown up among the people who were Jews, and who set at naught the teachings of Jesus. That centurion had been around where Jesus was, had seen him talking, had heard his words and had seen the effect of them, until he himself said, Whatever that man speaks is so; when he says a thing, it is done. Now I am going to have the advantage of it. So he went to Jesus, and said what is written. Jesus knew perfectly well that the man had his mind upon the power of his word to do that thing; and he replied, Very well, I will come and heal your servant. O no, my Lord, you do not need to come. You see this man was testing the matter, to see whether or not there was any power in the word. Therefore he said, “Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.” Jesus replied, “As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed.” When that word went forth, “so be it done unto thee,” how long before the man was healed? Twenty years”—No. Didn’t he have to go through many ups and downs before he was certainly healed? Honest, now?—No, no! When the word was spoken, the word did the things that was spoken; and it did it at once. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.8

Another day Jesus was walking along, and a leper some distance from him saw and recognized him. He, too, had got hold of the blessed truth of the creative energy of the word of God. He said to Jesus, “If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” Jesus stopped, and said, “I will; be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.” Mark 1:41, 42. We are not allowed to put a moment of time between the speaking of the word and the accomplished fact: “immediately” the leper was cleansed. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.9

Now you see that the word of God at the beginning of creation had in it the creative energy to produce that thing which the word pronounced. You see that when Jesus came into the world to show men the way of life, to save them from their sins, he demonstrated, over and over again, here and there and everywhere, to all people and for all time, that that same word of God has that same creative energy in it yet; so that when that word is spoken, the creative energy is there to produce the thing. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.10

Now are you an evolutionist, or are you a creationist? That word speaks to you. You have read it, you profess to believe it. You believe in creation, as against the other evolutionists; now will you believe in creation, as against yourself? Will you put yourself upon that platform to-day where you will allow nothing to come between you and the creative energy of that word—no period of time whatever? ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.11

Jesus said to a certain person, “Thy sins are forgiven.” How long before it was so?—There was no length of time whatever between the word “forgiven” and the thing. That same word, “Thy sins are forgiven,” is spoken to you to-day. Why do you let any time pass between this word, which is spoken to you, and the accomplishment of the thing? You said a while ago, that anybody who let a minute, or even a second, pass between the speaking of the word of God and the producing of the thing, is an evolutionist. Very good; that is so. Stick to it. Now I ask you, Why is it that when he speaks forgiveness to you, you let whole days pass before forgiveness gets to you, before it is true in you? You said the other man is an evolutionist. What are you, I want to know? Are you going to stop being evolutionists and become creationists? ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.12

This day will be one of special importance to many here, because it is a time when many will decide this question one way or the other. If you go out of this house an evolutionist, you are in danger. It is to you a matter of life or death just now. You said that evolution is infidelity, and that is so; therefore if you go out of this house an evolutionist, where do you stand? What is your choice? And if you go out of this house without the forgiveness of sins, you are an evolutionist, because you allow time to pass between the speaking of the word and the accomplishment of the fact. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.13

From what I have read, you see that whoever lets any time time pass between the word spoken and the thing done, is an evolutionist. The word of God to you is, Man, “thy sins are forgiven thee.” Woman “thy sins are forgiven thee.” [Elder Corliss: “Didn’t it say, Thy sins shall be forgiven?”] No, sir; “thy sins are forgiven thee,”—present tense, with an emphasis,—“Thy sins are forgiven.” I thank God this is so, because the creative energy is in the word “forgiven” to take away all sin, and create the man a new creature. I believe in creation. Do you? Do you believe in the creative energy that is in the word “forgiven” spoken to you? Or are you an evolutionist, and do you say, I can not see how that can be, because I am so bad? I have been trying to do right, but I have made many failures; I have had many ups and downs, and have been down a good many more times than up. If that is what you say, you are an evolutionist; for that is evolution. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 132.14

(Concluded next week.)

“Editorial” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 9, p. 136.

FAITH comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.1

Therefore the word of God is the only means of faith. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.2

Therefore, where there is no word of God, there can not be any faith. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.3

And where the word of God is, faith is entire dependence upon that word for the accomplishment of what that word says. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.4

From all this, which is the truth, it is perfectly plain that in order for any one to ask in faith, he must first of all be sure that he has the word of God for what he asks. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.5

Having the word of God for what he asks, he, like David, can find it in his heart to pray with perfect confidence, which is only in perfect faith. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.6

He who thus prays knows that he is asking according to the will of God; for he knows that he has the plain word of God for it. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.7

Therefore he knows that God hears him; and knowing that God hears him, he knows that he has the thing for which he has asked; because the sole basis of his hope for it is the word which has spoken it, and which is the sole basis of his asking. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.8

The Lord tells us thus to pray; and thus he has made provision for the steady, strong, and continuous growth of faith. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.9

Many people pray, but do not know whether it is the will of the Lord that they should have what they pray for, and so do not know whether they can certainly claim it; and not knowing whether they can claim it, they are all at sea as to whether their prayers are answered or not. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.10

The Lord does not want anybody to move uncertainly. Therefore he has given his word, which thoroughly furnishes every one unto all good works, and by which are given all things that pertain unto life and godliness. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.11

And any one who seeks in the word of God the things which God has there provided for all, and upon that specific word prays for that thing, thus asking according to the plainly expressed will of God, knows that his prayer is heard, and that he has the thing for which he prayed. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.12

So doing, the prayers will be always certain, the life will be filled with the direct gifts of God, and the faith will be sure and strong, and will be ever increasing in strength. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.13

Many pray the prayer of the disciples, “Lord, increase our faith.” This is well. Yet along with this, it must never be forgotten that faith comes only by the word of God. Therefore, as certainly as your faith shall be increased, it can be only by there being in you an increase of the word of God. And the only way that there can be in you an increase of the word of God, is by your harkening to that word, praying to the Lord for the thing which that word says, depending wholly upon that word for that thing, and thanking him that you have received it. Then and thus that word is received by you, and lives in you. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.14

Thus while we can pray, “Lord, increase our faith,” at the same time we must remember that we are to build up ourselves on our most holy faith. Jude 20. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.15

This is how to exercise faith. Faith can be exercised only on the word of God, and by the word of God; for where there is no word of God, there can not be any faith. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.16

And “understanding how to exercise faith, this is the science of the gospel.” ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.17

“Editorial Note” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 9, p. 136.

OF the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, “He shall take of mine, and show it unto you.” ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.1

To show a thing is to call special attention to it, to point out its attractions and its value. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.2

This is what the Holy Spirit does to us with the things of God. he takes the things of God, and presents them to our view, makes them plain to our understanding. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.3

This must needs be, because these great things are so far beyond our view and our comprehension that “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.4

But in his mercy and his gentleness, the Lord gives all these things into the charge of the Spirit, to “show” unto us; “for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.5

Nor is it only that he “searcheth all things,” but he is to show us “all things;” for Jesus said, “All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.” ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.6

All the wealth, all the glory, all the beauty, of all the wonderful things of God are free to us; nothing is kept back. That we might know all these things, is one reason that the Holy Spirit is given. These things are of eternal depth and infinite compass, and only “the eternal Spirit” can fully fathom them. “The things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11, R.V. Therefore it is he to whom it is given to show them to us. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.7

“The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.8

What a wonderful Teacher! What a wonderful school! A university, yes, the university, indeed. Have you entered the school? Have you this wonderful Teacher? ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.9

“Ask, and it shall be given you.” “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” “For every one that asketh, receiveth.” “Be filled with” “the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Bless the Lord! ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.10

Or more than a year, in the demonstration and power of the Spirit, the message has been going to this people, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” And what is its office?—“Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” The day of redemption is right at hand. Would you be sealed? Then now, just now, surrender to the instrumentality that will accomplish this result. ARSH February 28, 1899, page 136.11

“Back Page” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 9, p. 144.

“HERE are they that keep the commandments of God.” “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them.” A man must have the commandments before he can keep them. Have you the commandments of God? and do you keep them? “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: ... and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” ARSH February 28, 1899, page 144.1

The death of “Father Chiniquy” brings to mind the universal belief among Catholics that a priest retains till death the powers conferred upon him by the unction at his ordination to the priesthood. This idea naturally causes an attempt to be made to obtain some word from such a one who may have left the Church of Rome, from which a recantation may be claimed, or at least construed. In this case the archbishop of Montreal wrote to Dr. Chiniquy’s son-in-law, suggesting and paving the way for the doctor’s return to the church, saying: “I can not forget that he always remains [a priest] in the eyes of the church; and I consider it a duty of my pastoral charge to write to you that should he desire to see me, I should be happy to comply with his wish.” ARSH February 28, 1899, page 144.2

But “Father Chiniquy” remained firm in the position he had taken. In the reply to this letter, these words are given: “I am thankful to the archbishop, but I have definitely retired from the Church of Rome. I am perfectly happy in the faith of Jesus Christ. God and Jesus suffice me.” ARSH February 28, 1899, page 144.3