The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 77

October 30, 1900

“The Third Angel’s Message. The Faith of Jesus” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 77, 44, p. 696.

“THE law is spiritual,” and “the carnal mind [the natural mind, the minding of the flesh] is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh can not please God.” Romans 7:14; 8:7, 8. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.1

How then shall we please God? How shall we become subject to the law of God? The Saviour says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh;” and we have just read in Romans that “they that are in the flesh can not please God.” But the Saviour says, further, “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.2

Therefore it is certain that except we are born of the Spirit, we can not please God; we can not be subject to the law of God, which is spiritual, and demands spiritual service. This, too, is precisely what the Saviour says: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God.” ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.3

We know that some will say that the kingdom of God here referred to is the kingdom of glory, and that the new birth, the birth of the Spirit, is not until the resurrection, and that then we enter the kingdom of God. but such a view is altogether wrong. Except a man be born of the Spirit, he must still remain in the flesh. But the Scripture says, “They that are in the flesh can not please God,” And the man who does not please God will never see the kingdom of God, whether it be the kingdom of grace or of glory. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.4

“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of God.” The kingdom of God, whether of grace or of glory, is “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17. Except a man be born again, he can not see, nor enter into, the peace of God, which passes all understanding; and except he be born of the Spirit of God, how can he see, or enter into, that “joy in the Holy Ghost”? ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.5

Except a man be born again—born of the Spirit—before he dies, he will never see the resurrection unto life. this is shown in Romans 8:11: “If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.6

It is certain, therefore, that except the Spirit of Christ dwells in us, we can not be raised from the dead to life. But except his Spirit dwells in us, we are yet in the flesh. And if we are in the flesh, we can not please God. And if we do not please God here, we can never see the kingdom of God, either here or hereafter. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.7

Again: it is by faith that we are the children of the first Adam; and if we shall ever be children of the last Adam, it must be by a new birth. The first Adam was natural, and we are his children by natural birth; the last Adam is spiritual, and if we become his children, it must be by spiritual birth. The first Adam was of the earth, earthy, and we are his children by an earthly birth; the last Adam is the Lord from heaven, from above; and if we are to be his children, it must be by a heavenly birth, a birth from above. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.8

“As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy.” The earthy is “natural”—of the flesh. And “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God;” “because they are spiritually discerned,” and “they that are in the flesh can not please God.” Such is the birthright, and all the birthright, that we receive from the first Adam. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.9

But, thank the Lord, “as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.” The heavenly is spiritual; he is “a life-giving Spirit;” and the spiritual man receives the things of the Spirit of God, because they are spiritually discerned. He can please God because he is not in the flesh, but in the Spirit; for the Spirit of God dwells in him. He is, and can be, subject to the law of God, because the carnal mind if destroyed, and he has the mind of Christ, the heavenly. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.10

Such is the birthright of the last Adam, the one from above. and all the privileges, the blessings, and the joys of this birthright are ours when we are born from above. “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born from above.” “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born from above, he can not see the kingdom of God.” With the argument of this paragraph, please study 1 Corinthians 15:45-48; John 3:3-8; 1 Corinthians 3:11-16; Romans 8:5-10. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.11

“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. As a new creature he lives a new life, a life of faith. “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” But it is a faith that works; for without works faith is dead. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.12

In Christ nothing avails but a new creature; he lives by faith; it is a faith that works, and the work is the keeping of the commandments of God. Thus saith the Scripture:— ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.13

1. “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” Galatians 6:15. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.14

2. “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” Galatians 5:6. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.15

3. “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.” 1 Corinthians 7:19. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.16

Again: it is “faith which worketh by love,” that avails; and “this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” 1 John 5:3. And “love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10. Therefore, in Christ Jesus the faith that avails is the faith that keeps the commandments of God, the faith that fulfills the law of God. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.17

Once more: “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10. “Created in Christ Jesus,” is to be made a “new creature” in Christ Jesus. But we are created in him “unto good works,” and these good works are those which God had before ordained that we should walk in them. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.18

That is to say, God before ordained good works in which we should walk. But we have not walked in them. Now he creates us anew in Christ, so that we may walk in these good works in which before we failed to walk. These good works are the commandments, the law, of God. These commandments express the whole duty of man, but man has failed to do his duty; “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” But now Christ is manifested to take away our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, “that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.19

We are made new creatures in him, that in him and by him we may perform acceptable service, and do the duty, keep the commandments of God, which before we failed to do, and which, out of him, all must ever fail to do. For he himself said, “Without me ye can do nothing.” This is according to that which we have before shown: “What the law could not do,” “God sending his own Son” did, “that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:3, 4. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.20

Therefore when the Third Angel’s Message calls, as it now does call, upon all men to “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus,” it simply calls all men to the performance of the whole duty of man—as he now exists. And when, under this message, we urge men to keep the commandments of God strictly according to the letter, we mean that they must be kept strictly according to the spirit, too. When we press upon all the obligation of keeping the commandments of God, it is always the obligation of keeping them the only way in which they can be kept, that is, by faith of Jesus Christ; it is always the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus; it is that all must be made perfect by his perfect righteousness; and that all our righteousness must be the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ, and that righteousness witnessed by the law and the prophets. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.21

“Studies in Galatians. Galatians 6:3” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 77, 44, pp. 696, 697.

“FOR if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.” ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.1

It is bad enough for a man to be deceived by another; but it is worse to be deceived by himself. But this verse gives the true corrective and preventive of self-deception—and it is found in a man’s thinking himself truly what he is; that is, nothing. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.2

But this is not natural. The natural thing is for each one to think himself something; and then continue so to think until he becomes more and more something, and the chiefest of all. That is simply the secret and the spirit of self-exaltation. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.3

But the truth is that of himself man is nothing; and the true way for any man to find this truth is to confess that be is nothing. That is simply the way of self-abnegation. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.4

And then he can become something. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.5

Now the reason of all this is that man is separated from God; and this separation was accomplished by his accepting the suggestion, and following the way, of the one who originally in his self-exaltation, declared; “I will be like the Most High.” And the end course, with that one, is that he shall be absolutely nothing. For of him at the end of his course it is written: “Never shalt thou be any more.” Ezekiel 28:19. And when he entered upon that course which inevitably ends only in his being absolutely nothing, then it is certain that at the beginning of it he practically made himself nothing, and that all through his course he was truly nothing. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.6

It is so also with the man who accepted the leadership, and followed in the way, of this one. By this the man made himself nothing. And so it is written: “All nations before him are as nothing: and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.” Isaiah 40:17. And “they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of naught.” Isaiah 42:12. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.7

Yet the original leader, and, from him, all who are led in this course, really think themselves to be something, when, in very truth, they are nothing. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.8

Now there is a way out of this nothingness into that which is something, and in which each one shall be truly something. And this was in the way of Christ—the way of the cross. Christ is the example: he has led the way; for “he emptied himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Thus he gave himself up to be, and to become, lost and nothing, that he might redeem those who are lost and nothing. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.9

Therefore all are exhorted: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery [a thing to be seized upon and to be held fast] to be equal with God: but emptied himself,” and became nothing. And because he did this, and through his doing it, “God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things under the heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.10

Therefore the first of all things for any man to do to help himself, to set himself in the way of deliverance from nothingness, is to recognize truly that he is nothing. Then, in Christ he becomes something, and shall be something, even though, in himself, he is ever nothing. As it is written: “In nothing am I behind the very apostles, though I be nothing.” 2 Corinthians 12:11. This, because we are not “sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.” 3:5. “As God hath said, I will dwell in them and they shall be my people.” 6:16. This is “the mystery of God;” God manifest in the flesh: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” ARSH October 30, 1900, page 696.11

And these things are written “that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” 1 Corinthians 4:6, 7. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 697.1

When it is true of every man that he has nothing, absolutely nothing, even to his existence, which he did not receive from God; then, without God, what is he?—Plainly, he is nothing. And that is just the condition of men as they are in the world, naturally, “without God in the world.” Ephesians 2:12. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 697.2

Thus, it being strictly true, in the nature of things, that, without God, any creature is nothing; man, being without God, is truly nothing. Then, when, in this condition, man thinks himself something, in that very thing he asserts self-existence—equality with God. And this is true of man in his condition of sin and separation from God; because that was the very thing which was asserted to him and expected by him when sin entered: “Ye shall be like God.” ARSH October 30, 1900, page 697.3

But self-existence is not true of any creature: self-existence is true only of God. All persons and things are from him, and by him; and in him all things “live, and move, and have their being:” each in itself nothing, but in him something, according as his mind, his will, his purpose, is manifest therein. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 697.4

Thus the self-deception of a man in his thinking himself to be something, when, in absolute truth, he is nothing, is the worst and most destructive of all deceptions, because it is the deception of asserting of himself self-existence,—divinity; “showing himself that he is God,“—the only end of which is to become, indeed, absolutely nothing, in the awful consummation that is declared. “For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.” Psalm 37:10. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 697.5

But only let a man accept, in his heart and life, the truth that he is nothing; let him accept the manifestation of Christ, which alone can ever hold him in the place where he shall know that, in truth, of himself he is nothing; let Christ live in him; let God be manifest in his flesh; let the mind, the will, the purpose, of God thus be manifest in him,—and of him it will be also true that, because of this, “God also hath highly exalted him.” For it is written: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Revelation 3:21. Jesus said, “Without me ye can do nothing.” This is so because, without him, ye are nothing. For to be without Christ is to be “without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12); and to be without God is to be nothing. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 697.6

Only the way of Christ, the way of the cross, is the way of life, the way of something. Any other way is only the way of death, the way of nothing. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 697.7

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who ... emptied himself.” ARSH October 30, 1900, page 697.8

“Editorial” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 77, 44, p. 697.

IN the Rock River (Ill.) M. E. Conference, October, Bishop Thoburn, speaking on “expansion,” said:— ARSH October 30, 1900, page 697.1

God’s manifest plan is to do away with all small nations, and build up great empires. The time is coming when there will be only a few great nations. I predict that within one hundred years the world will embrace only six or seven great empires. Among them will be the great United States of America, which I might say will extend from Cape Horn to the north pole. There will be the United States of Europe, the empire of Germany and Austria, the Russian Empire, the empire of Great Britain, the empire of Africa, the empire of eastern Asia, and the empire of western Asia. When this point in the world’s progress is reached, the petty strifes of nations will cease. It will be a time when nations will learn no more of war. Such a condition is only possible when the petty small nations are absorbed by the big empires. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 697.2

Is it true that it has been only the “petty small nations” that did the fighting throughout history? Has it not been the great and mighty nations—the world empires—that have invariably gone to ruin? ARSH October 30, 1900, page 697.3

“Editorial Note” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 77, 44, p. 698.

IN 1890 the present Emperor William called a congress of educators in Berlin, and directed it to prepare a schedule for the high schools of Germany, which would make the pupils “not good Greeks or good Romans, but good Germans.” The immediate result was a reduction of the Latin course by twenty per cent. and of the Greek by ten per cent. The emperor would not send the crown prince to a classical school, but sent him to a technical school. And now the young man is to enter the University of Bonn, “without any knowledge of Greek, and with but little of Latin.” And finally, up to date, only a short time ago two conventions were held in Germany, “attended by the leading schoolmen from the whole of Germany,” both of which demanded that graduates from the high schools and the scientific schools shall be admitted to full university privileges and examinations without classical standing, and even without any knowledge of Latin or Greek, except candidates for the theological courses. “Thus,” says the Independent of August 30, from which this information is gathered, “practically the entire educational world of Germany, at least officially, favors a more or less radical innovation in the direction of non-classical preparatory work for the universities.” If only people would observe and think, they might without much difficulty detect the secret of Germany’s clear and powerful leadership among the nations, which has been so rapidly attained, and is so strongly held, under the reign of the present young emperor. ARSH October 30, 1900, page 698.1