Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-29


the Father" Now If Jesus had not been
what He professed to be, the Son of God,
true God, would God have given Him power
to perform the great miracles He has per-
the dead if He had been deceiver? Would
God thus have accredited a decever? Ger
tanly not. The miracles of Jesus. and par
ticularly His resurrection, are ample proof
that He is the Son of God, that the Father
seeks His honor and glory, and thar, there
fore, "at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow. of things in 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"
What is the glory Of Jesus which His
Father seeks? Wherein does it consist? 1t
is a threefold honor and glory, according
to our text. The first Jesus points gu.
when He says. (which of you convinceth
me of sin?" He was sinless He did no
sin, as Peter says. God demands of us that
we honor Christ by believing and confess
ing that His, and only His conception and
birth Were Immaculate. that never sinful
thought arose in His heart, never a sinful
word passed His lips; that His life was
never polluted by sinful act
Another honor and glory due to Jesus is
indicated in the words Verify, verify, 1
say unto you, before Abraham was, 1 am
Now Abraham lived 200 years before
Jesus came into the flesh. and Sill Jesus
says that He was before Abraham. Here
Jesus soemnly declares that He is God
from everlasting to everlasting. Therefore
this also belongs to the honor and glory
due to Jtsus that we acknowledge Him to
De true God. equal to the Father, God and
man in one person. We must believe and
confess that not only according to His di-
vine nature Jesus is to be worshiped as
true God. but that His humanity by its per
sonal union with the divinity has been ex-
allied to divine honor and glory and re-
ceived into the holy Trinity, ana that, there
fore, the man Jesus also Is our Lord and
the greatest teacher of religion and our ex-
amplar; if they deny His divinity they dis
honor Him.
But Jesus also says in the verses before
US, Verify, verify, 1 say unto Won If
man keep my saying. he shall never see
death" Here Jesus indicates clearly that
we must honor and glorify Him by believ-
Ing and confessing that by faith In His
word alone we overcome death and obtain
eternal life. We must honor Jesus by ac-
cepting His atonement for our sins. and Nv
looking to Him alone for salvation. Rut If
we attempt to atone for our own sins and
trust to our own works for salvation we
dishonor Christ.
And with those who dishonor Christ ar d
trample upon His glory God will reckon
severely. For Jesus says. There Is one
that seeketh and judgeth"
The world certainly makes light or the
sin of Withholding from Christ the honor
due OF Him. Let man steal commit adu1-
terry or murder and the like and even the
children of the world will admit that he
commits great sins. But let him DENY ire
divinity of Christ. let him reject tho 60
vior, deny His atonement. deny the doc
trine Of salvation through faith in Jes,s
and the world takes no notice of it.
can there be greater blindness than tbiso
1t is true every transgression of Cod.s oar,
ihahomehts is sin, whereby God is griev-
ousiy offended and moved to infiict se,.ore
punishment. But to reject Christ to danv
Ills atonement, to look to any other than
to Him for salvation is the greatest ~ all
SINS the sin which condemns man rbus
does the sinner reject forgiveness. life and
which God offers to him and the
wrath of God must abide upon him. "a,
there be greater blindness, follv. wiclxad-
ness? Great beyond the powers of exnros-
sion is Gods love which moved Him to
give up to suffer and to die His only he-
gotten Son. Terrible must be His wrs,,
II we despise this love and its Gift No
pend upon it. God will resent this conta,,,n.
as the greatest crime.
Oh. would you deprive Jesus of tbo ,oror
ana glory that He alone is our Savior? Re
ware of the fatal consequences. All onr
righteousness are as filthy rags. Womb
you appear before God in such GARD? No
cast those rags aside, accept Christ ano
the righteousness He wrought out for xor.
let this be your dress, thus honor and
glorify Him in this life. and He will crown
you with eternal honor and glory in
heaven.