Pending
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SKÚMANIE XI
TÝ
TRI CESTY |
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| Ta širokká cesta ku zničeniu.—Uzka cesta ku životu.-- Čo je ž ivot?—Príroda božská.—Príbuznost božskéj a ludskéj prirody.—Odmena na konci téj úzkéj cesty.—Vysoké povolánie obmedzene na vek Evanjeliumový.—Tažkosti a nebezpečie téj úzkéj cesty.—Hraska cesta svatosti |
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 The downward path is becoming more glazed and slippery with sin. |
Three ways, the "broad road," the "narrow
way" and the "highway," are thus brought to
our attention in the Scriptures.
The Broad Road to Destruction This road is thus named because it is most easy to the degenerate human race. Six thousand years ago, as a sinner condemned to destruction, Adam (and the race represented in him) started upon this road, and after nine hundred and thirty years he reached its end--destruction. As years and
centuries have rolled on, the downward path has become more and more
smoothly worn, and the race has sped more and more rapidly to
destruction, the way becoming daily more glazed and slimed and slippery
with sin. And not only does the way grow more slippery, but mankind
daily loses the power of resistance, so that now the average length of
human life is about thirty-five years. Men now reach the end of the
road--destruction--nine hundred years quicker than did the first man. |
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For 6,000 years, |
For six thousand years the race has steadily pursued the broad, downward
way. Only a few, comparatively, have tried to change their course and
retrace their steps. In fact, to retrace all the steps, and reach the
original perfection, has been impossible, though the effort of some to
do so has been commendable, and not without beneficial results.
For six
thousand years sin and death have reigned relentlessly over mankind, and
driven them upon this broad road to destruction. And not until the
Gospel age was a way of escape brought to light. Though
in previous ages rays of hope were dimly seen in types and shadows,
which were joyfully hailed and acted upon by a few, yet life and
immortality were not brought to light until the appearing of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the proclamation by the apostles of the
good tidings of redemption and remission of sins and a consequent resurrection
from the destruction. 2 Timothy 1:10 |
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Jesus
called |
The teachings of Jesus and the apostles bring to light life--a
restitution or restoration to life for all mankind, as based upon the
merit and sacrifice of the Redeemer; and they show this to be the
significance of many Old Testament types. They also bring to light immortality,
the prize of the high calling of the Gospel Church.
Although a way of escape from the broad road to destruction has been brought to light through the gospel, the great mass of mankind heeds not the good tidings, because depraved by sin and blinded by the Adversary. Those who now
gratefully accept the promise of life, restoration to human existence,
through Christ, have pointed out to them a new way which has been opened
up, by which consecrated believers may go beyond the human nature and be
changed to a higher nature--the spiritual. This new way "consecrated
for us"--the royal priesthood (Hebrews 10:20)-- our Lord
called |
| Because
of its narrowness, many prefer to avoid it.
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"The Narrow Way to Life." Our Master tells us that it is because of the narrowness of this way that the many prefer to remain on the broad road to destruction. "Strait [difficult] is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Before
considering this way and its dangers and difficulties, let us notice the
end to which it leads--life. As already seen, life may be enjoyed on
various planes of being, higher as well as lower than human. Life is a
broad and comprehensive term, but here our Lord uses it in reference to
that highest form of life, pertaining to the divine nature
--immortality--the prize for which he invited us to run. |
| What is life? |
What is life? We not only realize it in ourselves, but we see its
operation in lower animals, and even in vegetation, and we are told of
its existence in higher forms, angelic and divine. How shall we define a
term so comprehensive? |
| Jehovah
is the great fountain of all life. |
While we may not be able to discover the secret springs of life in all,
we may safely assume that the Divine Being, Jehovah, is the great
fountain of all life, from which all these springs are supplied. All
living things result from and depend on him for life. |
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The divine nature is life independent, unlimited, exhaustless. |
All life, whether in God or in his creatures, is the same: it is an
energizing principle, not a substance. It is a principle which inheres
in God, but which in his creatures results from certain causes
which God has ordained, and of it he is therefore the cause, the author
or fountain. Hence the creature is in no sense a part or an offspring of
the Creator's essence or nature, as some imagine, but he is God's
handiwork infused with life.
Recognizing the fact that only in the divine nature is life independent, unlimited, exhaustless, ever continuous and neither produced nor controlled by circumstances, we see that of necessity Jehovah is superior to those physical laws and supplies which he ordained for the sustenance of his creatures. It is this quality, which pertains only to the divine nature, that is described by the term immortality. As shown in the
preceding chapter, immortal signifies death-proof, consequently
disease and pain-proof. In fact, immortality may be used as a
synonym for divinity. From the divine, immortal fountain proceed
all life and blessing, every good and perfect gift, as from the sun the
earth receives her light and vigor. |
 The sun is the fountain of light to the earth. |
The sun is the great fountain of light to the earth, illuminating all
things, producing many varieties of color and shades of light, according
to the nature of the object upon which it shines. The same sunlight
shining upon a diamond, upon a brick, and upon various kinds of glass,
produces strikingly different effects.
The light is the same, but the objects upon which it shines differ in their capacity to receive and to transmit it. So with life: it all flows from the one exhaustless fountain. The oyster has life, but its organism is such that it cannot make use of much life, just as the brick cannot reflect much of the light of the sun. So with each of
the higher manifestations of life, in beast, fish and fowl. Like the
various kinds of glass under sunlight, so these various creatures show
forth differently the various organic powers they possess, when life
animates their organisms. |
| Man
does not possess inherent life.
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The polished diamond is so adapted to the light that it appears as
though it possessed it within itself, and were itself a miniature sun.
So with man, one of the masterpieces of God's creation, made only "a
little lower than the angels." He was so grandly formed as to
be able to receive and retain life by the use of the means which God
supplied, and never grow dim.
Thus was Adam
before he fell grander than any other earthly creature, not by reason of
any difference in the life principle implanted, but because of a
grander organism. Yet, let us remember that as the diamond can
reflect no light except when shone upon by the sun, so man can possess
and enjoy life only as the supply of life is continued. |
| The
beginning of human life –
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Man has not inherent life: he is no more a fountain of life than a
diamond is a fountain of light. And one of the very strongest evidences
that we have not an exhaustless supply of life in ourselves, or, in
other words, that we are not immortal, is that since sin entered, death
has passed upon all our race.
God had arranged that man in Eden should have access to life-sustaining trees, and the paradise in which he was placed was abundantly supplied with numbers of "every [kind of] tree" good for food or for adornment. Genesis 2:9,16,17 Among the trees of life good for food was one forbidden. While for a
time forbidden to eat of the tree of knowledge, he was permitted to eat
freely of trees which sustained life perfectly; and he was separated
from them only after transgression, that thereby the death-penalty might
go into effect. Genesis 3:22 |
| As
the diamond loses its beauty when light is withdrawn, so man loses life without God. |
Thus the glory and beauty of humanity are seen to be dependent on the
continued supply of life, just as the beauty of the diamond is dependent
on the continued supply of sunlight. When sin deprived humanity of the
right to life, and the supply was withheld, immediately the jewel began
to lose its brilliancy and beauty, and finally it is deprived of its
last vestige in the tomb.
His beauty
consumes away like a moth. Psalms 39:11 As the diamond loses its beauty
and brilliancy when the light is withdrawn, so man loses life when God
withholds the supplies from him. |
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Man is
to have
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But since a ransom has been found, since the death penalty has been
provided by the Redeemer, the jewel is to have its beauty restored, and
is again to reflect perfectly the Creator's image when the Sun of
Righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings. Malachi 4:2 It is
because of the sin-offering, the sacrifice of Christ, that
There shall be a restitution of all things; first an opportunity or offer of restitution to all, and ultimately the attainment of human perfection by all who will obey the Redeemer. |
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Divine
nature "Who only |
This, however, is not the reward to which Jesus refers as the end of the
narrow way. From other scriptures we learn that the reward promised to
those who walk the narrow way is the "divine nature"--life
inherent, life in that superlative degree which only the divine nature
can possess--immortality. What a hope! Dare we aspire to such a height
of glory? Surely not without positive and explicit invitation could any
rightfully thus aspire.
From 1 Timothy 6:14-16 we learn that the immortal or divine nature was originally the possession of divinity only. We read:
All other beings, angels, men, beasts, birds, fish, etc., are but vessels holding each its measure of life, and all differing in character, capacity, and quality according to the organism which it has pleased the Creator to provide for each. Further, we learn
that Jehovah, who alone possessed immortality originally, has highly
exalted his Son, our Lord Jesus, to the same divine, immortal nature;
hence he is now the express image of the Father's person. Hebrews 1:3 So
we read, |
| Immortality
is now offered to the Bride of Christ.
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Since the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, then, two beings are immortal; and, amazing grace! the same offer is made to the Bride of the Lamb, being selected during the Gospel age. Yet not all of the great company who are nominally of the Church will receive this great prize, but only that "little flock" of overcomers who so run as to obtain it; who follow closely in the Master's footsteps; who, like him, walk the narrow way of sacrifice, even unto death. These, when
born from the dead in the resurrection, will have the divine nature and
form. This immortality, the independent, self-existent, divine nature,
is the life to which the narrow way leads. |
| The
Church class is to be raised with spiritual bodies. |
This class is not to be raised from the tomb human beings; for we are
assured by the Apostle that, though sown in the tomb natural bodies,
they will be raised spiritual bodies. These all shall be "changed,"
and even as they once bore the image of the earthly, human nature, they
shall bear the image of the heavenly.
But "it
doth not yet appear what we shall be"--what a spiritual body
is; but "we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like
him," and share in "the glory to be revealed."
1 John 3:2; Colossians 1:27; 2 Corinthians 4:17; John 17:22; 1 Peter
5:10; |
| The
Gospel Age is designated exclusively for this call. |
Not only is this high calling to a change of nature confined
exclusively to the Gospel age, but it is the only offer of this age.
Hence our Lord's words quoted at the beginning of this chapter include
on the broad road to destruction all who are not on the way to the only
prize now offered.
All others are
still on the broad road--these only have as yet escaped the condemnation
that is on the world. This, the only way of life now open, because of
its difficulty, finds few who care to walk in it. The masses of mankind
in their weakness prefer the broad, easy way of self-gratification. |
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path from death to life is a "Narrow Way" today.
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The narrow way, while it ends in life, in immortality, might be called a
way of death, since its prize is gained through the sacrifice of the
human nature even unto death. It is the narrow way of death to
life. Being reckoned free from the Adamic guilt and the death penalty,
the consecrated voluntarily surrender or sacrifice those human
rights, reckoned theirs, which in due time they, with the world in
general, would have actually received.
As "the man Christ Jesus" laid down or sacrificed his life for the world, so these become joint-sacrificers with him. Not that his sacrifice was insufficient and that others were needed; but while his is all-sufficient, these are permitted to serve and to suffer with him in order to become his bride and joint-heir. So, then, while the world is under condemnation to death, and is dying with Adam, this "little flock," through the process of faith reckonings and sacrifice, already described, are said to die with Christ. They sacrifice
and die with him as human beings, in order to become partakers of
the divine nature and glories with him; for we believe that if we
be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we
suffer with him, we shall also be glorified together.
Romans 8:17 and 2 Timothy 2:11,12 |
| With
the end of the Gospel Age, the Narrow Way will close. |
In the beginning of the Millennial age, those who now walk the narrow
way will have gained the great prize for which they ran, immortality;
and being thus clothed with the divine nature and power, they will be
prepared for the great work of restoring and blessing the world during
that age.
With the end of the Gospel age, the narrow way to immortality will close, because the select "little flock" that it was designed to test and prove will have been completed. "Now is the accepted [Greek, dektos, acceptable or receivable] time"--the time in which sacrificers, coming in the merit of Jesus and becoming dead with him, are acceptable to God--a sacrifice of sweet odor. Death, as the
Adamic penalty, will not be permitted forever; it will be abolished
during the Millennial age; as a sacrifice it will be acceptable
and rewarded only during the Gospel age. |
| "For
if ye live after the flesh, YE SHALL DIE; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, YE SHALL LIVE. "For as many as are
led by the Spirit of God, |
It is only as "new creatures" that the saints of this
age are on the way to life; and only as human beings are we consecrated
to destruction, as sacrifices. If, as human creatures, we be dead with
Christ, as new, spiritual beings, we shall live with him. (Romans 6:8)
The mind of God in us, the transformed mind, is the germ of the new
nature.
The new life would be easily choked; and Paul assures us that when begotten of the spirit through the truth, if we live after the flesh, we shall die (lose our life), but if we, through the spirit, do mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body (the disposition of the human nature), we (as new creatures) shall live; for the sons of God are those led by the spirit of God. Romans 8:13,14 This is a thought of utmost importance to all the consecrated; for if we have covenanted with God to sacrifice the human nature, and if that sacrifice was accepted by him, it is useless to attempt to take it back. The human is
reckoned of God as dead now, and must actually die, never again to be
restored. All that can be gained, then, by turning back to live after
the flesh, is a little human gratification at the expense of the new
spiritual nature. |
| There
is another class; it is partially overcome by the world, the flesh, or the devil. |
There are, however, many consecrated ones desirous of the prize,
and who have been begotten of the spirit, who are partially overcome by
the allurements of the world, the desires of the flesh, or the arts of
the devil. They partially lose sight of the prize set before us, and try
to walk upon a middle road--to keep the favor of God and the favor of
the world, forgetting that "the friendship of the world is
enmity with God" (James 4:4), and that the instructions to
those running the race for the prize are, Love not the world, and, Seek
not honor one of another, but that honor which cometh from God only. 1
John 2:15; John 5:44 |
 Purified by the fire of affliction. |
These, who love the present world, but who have not wholly forsaken the
Lord and despised their covenant, receive a scourging and purifying by
the fire of affliction. As the Apostle expresses it, they are delivered
over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit (the
newly begotten nature) may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 1
Corinthians 5:5 And if rightly exercised by the discipline, they will
finally be received into the spiritual condition. |
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The
rugged, steep,
The
difficulties |
They will have everlasting, spirit life as angels have it, but will lose
the prize of immortality. They will serve God in his temple, and stand before
the throne, having palms in their hands (Revelation 7:9-17); but though
that will be glorious, it will not be so glorious as the position of the
"little flock" of overcomers, who will be kings and
priests unto God, seated with Jesus in the throne as his bride
and joint-heir, and with him crowned with immortality.
Ours is a rugged, steep, narrow way, and were it not that strength is furnished for each successive step of the journey, we could never reach the goal. But our Captain's word is encouraging: Be of good cheer; I have overcome; my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. John 16:33; 2 Corinthians 12:9 The difficulties of this way are to act as a separating principle to sanctify and refine a "peculiar people" to be "heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ." In view of
these things, let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need, while we fight the
good fight of faith and lay hold on "the crown of glory"--
immortality, the divine nature. 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4 |
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way to the world’s restitution will not be sacrifice, but proper enjoyment of human rights. |
The Highway of Holiness While the special hope of the Gospel age is so surpassingly glorious, and the way to it is correspondingly difficult --narrow, hedged in by hardships and dangers at every step--so that few find it, and obtain the great prize at its end, the new order of things in the age to come is to be entirely different. As a different hope is held out, so also a different way leads to it. The way to
immortality has been a way which required the sacrifice of the otherwise
lawful and proper hopes, ambitions and desires--the sacrifice forever of
the human nature. But the way to human perfection, to restitution, the
hope of the world, requires only the putting away of sin: not the
sacrifice of human rights and privileges, but their proper enjoyment. It
will lead to personal purification and restoration to the image of God
as enjoyed by Adam before sin entered the world. |
| There
will be a highway, specially prepared for easy travel.
The Narrow Way |
The way back to actual human perfection is to be made very plain and
easy; so plain that none may mistake the way; so plain that "the
wayfaring man, and those unacquainted therewith, shall not go
astray" (Isaiah 35:8 --Leeser); so plain that none will
need to teach his neighbor, saying, Know the Lord, for all shall know
the Lord from the least unto the greatest. Jeremiah 31:34
Instead of being a narrow way that few can find, it is termed "a highway," a public roadway--not a narrow, steep, rugged, difficult, hedged byway, but a way specially prepared for easy travel-- specially arranged for the convenience and comfort of the travelers. Verses 8 and 9 show that it is a public road, open to all the redeemed --every man. Every man for whom Christ died, who will recognize and avail himself of the opportunities and blessings purchased by the precious blood, may go up on this Highway of Holiness to the grand goal of perfect restitution to human perfection and everlasting life. Nor will these be reckoned justified and granted a reckoned standing of holiness and perfection in the sight of God; when started upon this highway of holiness they may go up thereon to actual perfection, as a result of endeavor and obedience, to which all things will be made favorable by their Redeemer, then reigning in power. Each individual will, according to his necessities, be aided by the wise and perfect administration of the new kingdom. This, as will occur to some, is the legitimate result of the ransom. Since our Lord, the man Christ Jesus, gave himself a ransom for all, and desires all to come to a knowledge of the truth, and thereby to actual perfection, why does he not at once make a good and broad highway for all? Why does he not remove the obstructions, the stumbling-stones, the pitfalls and snares? Why not help the sinner back to full harmony with God, instead of making the way narrow, rugged, thorny, hard to find, and still harder to walk in? A failure rightly to divide the Word of truth, and to see that the present narrow way leads to the special prize, and is for the trial and selection of a little flock of joint-heirs, the body of Christ, which, when selected and exalted with their Head, shall bless all nations, has led some to very confused ideas on the subject. Failing to see God's plan, many try to preach a highway of holiness, an easy way to life, in the present age, when no such way exists, and they confuse and compromise the matter to fit the facts and the Scriptures with their mistaken theories. On the highway
soon to be opened, only sinful things will be prohibited, while those
who travel the narrow way must deny themselves and sacrifice many things
not sinful, as well as war continually against besetting sins. This is a
pathway of sacrifice, as that of the coming age is to be a highway of
righteousness. |
| Ignorance and superstition will be past.
Righteousness
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Of that highway it is significantly stated in symbolic language that "No
lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon; it
shall not be found there." Isaiah 35:9 How many frightful lions
are now in the way of those who would be glad to forsake sinful ways,
and to pursue righteousness! There is the lion of a degenerate public
sentiment, which deters many from venturing to obey the dictates of
conscience in matters of everyday life--dress, home, and business
arrangements, etc.
The lion of temptation to strong drink hinders thousands who would be glad to see it removed. Prohibitionists and temperance workers now find a Herculean task on their hands, which only the authority and power of the next age can remove; and the same may be said of other worthy efforts at moral reform. "Nor shall any ravenous beast go up thereon." No giant corporations, organized to advance selfish, individual interests at the expense of the general good, will be tolerated. "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain" (kingdom) saith the Lord. Isaiah 11:9 Though there will be difficulties to labor against in overcoming propensities to evil, etc., yet, in comparison with the narrow way of this age, that will be an easy way. The stones (stumbling-stones) shall all be gathered out, and the standard of truth shall be lifted up for the people. Isaiah 62:10 Ignorance and superstition will be things of the past, and righteousness will receive its due reward, while to evil will be meted out its just deserts. Malachi 3:15,18 By wholesome chastisements, fitting encouragements and plain instructions, as returned prodigals, mankind will be trained and disciplined up to the grand perfection from which father Adam fell. Thus |
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Broad Road |
Our Lord referred to but two of these ways, because the third was not yet due to be opened up--just as when announcing the good tidings, he said, "This scripture is fulfilled in your ears," but omitted mentioning the "day of vengeance," because it was not then due. Compare Luke 4:19 and Isaiah 61:2. Now, however, as the narrow way draws to a close, the grand highway of righteousness begins to be seen more and more distinctly, in the light of the dawning day. Thus we have found a "Broad Road," on which at present the masses of mankind travel, deluded by the "prince of this world," and led by ed tastes. We have found that it was opened up and that our race was started in its headlong course upon it by "one man's disobedience." We have found that the "Highway of Holiness" is to be opened up by our Lord, who gave himself a ransom for all and redeems all from the destruction to which the "Broad Road" leads, and that it will, in due time, be accessible and easy for all the redeemed ones whom he bought with his own precious blood. We have found,
furthermore, that the present "Narrow Way," opened up
by the merit of the same precious blood, is a special way leading to a
special prize, and is made specially narrow and difficult as a test
and discipline for those now being selected to be made partakers of the divine
nature and joint-heirs with our Lord Jesus in the Kingdom of glory soon
to be revealed for the blessing of all. Such as have this hope--who
see this prize--may count all other hopes as but loss and dross in
comparison. Philippians 3:8-15 |
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