River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-08-13


them ticket to proper destination.
Necessity For knowledge.
knowledge of God, the Bible de-
clares, is Indispensable for the attain
ment of the great Prize of the High
Calling. Thus Jesus said, This is life
eternal. that they might know Thee,
the only true God. and Jesus Christ,
whom Thou hast sent John 17:3.)
We are not to understand this to sig
Nifty that any one who has merely been
made acquainted with the fact that
there is one Creator, and that Jesus
Christ is His Son, is ON account of this
knowledge to be granted everlasting
life. Some apparently think to be able
to make void the various Scriptures
which tell Of the necessity of making
our calling and election sure by 80
running as to obtain the prize.
Our Lords words do not refer to
knowledge about God but to knowl-
edge of God and His Soma personal
acquaintance with them. And such an
intimate acquaintance is not obtained
merely by an. Introduction, but by com
partnership. 1t signifies an intimacy of
mountaineering, a familiarity. Ev-
erytbing in the Divine Word encour-,
ages those who accept the Divine in
vitation to draw near to God, to come
into fellowship with Him.
But this knowledge of God which
will bring sanity few to salvation on
the highest plane stands related to
Gods Word-the teachings of the BIZ
BILE; for thus God exalted His Word,
by making it the channel for spiritual
refreshment and personal acquaintance
ship with Himself.
Thus Jesus prayed for us, His follow
ers, "Sanctify them through Thy
Truth; Thy Word is Truth" Any who
neglect the Divine Word will fail of
the sanctifying power and thus fail
of the ultimate acquaintanceship with
God which alone will guarantee ever
lasting life. The reason why the Lord
has thus arranged the matter and
made knowledge Of the Scriptures es-
sential is, doubtless, that thus His
faithful people may be benefited; and
they alone may receive the instruction
which will profit them alone, but which
would more or less injure others. Thus
| it is written, ''Ye shall know the Truth,
and the Truth shall make you free"
To this class our Lord says today, as
He said to His Jewish followers eight
cen centuries ago, To you it is given to
know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of
God; but to all outside these things are
spoken i'll parallels and dark sayings,
that seeing they might see and not per-
ceive, and hearing they might hear and
not understand. To the outsiders-the
Doctors of Divinity-is not committed
| the Key of Knowledge
What Constitutes the Key.
The Key of knowledge consists of
the faithful study of the Word of God,
with an honest purpose to know the
things that are freely given unto us of
God. This implies a conservation of
heart; for none others would really
desire that they might do the Divine
will This also implies a faith in our
Lords promise that "if any man will
| do Gods will, he shall know of the
doctrine" 1t is this conSecrated, con-
scientious Bible study that is lacking
today-that is being discouraged by the
| great teachers and Doctors of Divinity
Everything designed to help Bible
study, to get rid of the darkness of the
creeds and superstitionS of the past, is
opposed-but not openly. The Doctors
of Divinity of our day, like those of
Jesus day, are wise and act as though
they do know. But they do not know;
they oppose real Bible study-not open
ly, but secretly, "for fear Of the peo-
ple." Mark 1872; 12:12) The great
| religious leaders of the Jews were
marked by our Lord as being less con-
scientious, less honest, than the masses
Of the people. Concerning the people
compassion when He beheld the multi
tude, that they were like sheep with
out a shepherd"
And is it not SO today also? Are not
many of the Lords people hungering
and thirsting for the Truth, and great
~ perplexed and. discouraged because,
going time after time to the religious
leaders, they have received a stone in
stead of bread, a serpent instead of a
fsh--haVe received false doctrine, a
devilish misrepresentation of Gods
Character and Of His Plan respecting
humanity? These devilish doctrines of
the Dark Ages st. Paul calls doe
trines of demons; for the demons, the
fallen angels, evidently have propa-
gated them. They are to be found
amongst all the heather, but nowhere
in so bad form as amongst Chris
tians of all denominations. Is there
not therefore a great responsibility
testing upon every conscientious min
lister Of the Gospel, that he should step
out from amongst the mass of the
Doctors of Divinity, who are hiding
the Key of knowledge and are mis-
leading the Lords trusting sheep of
nominal Christendom?
Impossible to Deceive the Very Elect.