The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-06-01

to JesuS' resurrection. Recount
ing those who had seen our Lord after
His resurrection, ct, Paul says, Last
Of all He was seen Of me also, as Of
one born before the time" Jesus ap-
pearsd TO st. Paul in the glory Of His
spirit being, shining above the bright
ness Of the sun" at MONDAY. The
sight caused injury to saul's eyes.
The Pastor then pointed out how in
appropriate and unsatisfactory such a
manifestation would have been If the
Redeemer had 50 appeared to the Elev-
en- during the forty days following His
resurrection. They could not possibly
have identified the glorious Parsonage
who shone above the brightness of the
MONDAY gun with the LORD Jesus, their
Friend, their Teacher. But to Saul Of
Tarsus, the revealing in fiery light,
above the MONDAY glare, was very ap-
proprtate. It convinced him in a. a
ner that no human appearance could
have eQualled that Jesus was no long
or a man and that He was no fmpos-
tor. st. PauFs conversion was instan-
taneous.
1t should not cause US to marvel
that Jesus ascended, 40 He declared,
"up to where He was before" said the
Pastor. It shouId not surprise us that
the Apostle declares that our Lord as
cended in dignity and station far
above angels, municipalities and pow
ers, aud above every name that IL
named. On the contrary, It would be
both equitable and Godltke that the
great Jehovah should highly honor Hts
faithful Son, the First and the Last,
the Beginning and the Ending OF the
creation of God. Could we, he asked,
for one moment suppose that our great
Creator would permit this faithful
Son. or any servant, to hay Down life
in the Divine service and to suffer
loss as a consequence Of his obedt-
ence7 Is 1t not much more rational TO
believe, as the Scriptures declare, that
Him hath God highly exalted"7
Extreme Humiliation and Exalt@tien.
Pastor Russell called attention TO
the Apostles phraseology In the con-
text-that the One who ascended had
previously descended, and that the de-
scending and the ascending were re-
lated as cause and effect. The One
who has assembled on High completely
oils the highest position IN the great
Divine Government of the Universe
as Head of municipalities and powers,
angels and msn-next to the great Je.
hovah. Yet, "a the Apostle waFns us,
we must not identity this glorf1ed
One with the One who I'm obedience to
the Fathers VIII came down from
Heaven and as a man BUNDLED Him
self unto death, even the ignomtnious
death Of the Cross. The Apostle calls
attention to these two extremes Of hu
milia6on and exaltation-both accom-,
pliShed In the Son Of God, the LogOs
the Messiah, the Christ.
The Pastor then showed that II som
Of az at time had supposed tina
our Lord Jesus assembled to Heave1
in a physical condition, as a man, W,
had entirely misunderstood the Scrip
lures. To suppose that Jesus went t.
Heaven a man, the Pastor maintained
is to mistake the significance Of Hi
title, the Son OF Man, which He pre-
serves as identifying Him with HI
great redempttve work-as one Of Hi
many titles. To suppose that Jesus l
in Heaven a human being, he declared
is to suppose that He Is still, as whel
on earth, "a little lower than the an
GELS" whereas the Scriptures stat
that He has assembled far higher, s.
that not only men, but Also all the an
gels Of God, are commanded to won
ship Him. To suppose Jesus In Heav
en- a human being is to suppose Hin
out Of all harmony with Heavenly suE
roundings and spiritual conditions.
Moreover, the speaker queried, ar
we not told that the Church Of Chris
will be changed from the human COZ
dition to the spiritual condition in tn
resurrection; and that this change wi
make them like their Redeemer, 8
that they may see Him as He IS, nc
as He WAS-that they may see HiE
In glory, honor and immortality-e1
altation-and not as the One who 1
humiliation was made flesh that Fl
might sacrifice His flesh ON behalf Q
the race Of Adam? Answering hi
= own question, he declared that whe
we 30 thought we forgot the Scripture
, assertion that flesh and blood cannC
inherit the Kingdom Of God" Thi
7 statement of Scripture implies that a
who become partakers Of the Dtvin
nature and share In the Heavenl
Kingdom with their Lord and Redeem
> err must be made like Him by the pow
= er of the First Resurrection.
Difficulties OF UnbeIie~erS.
The Pastor declared that he ha
: Sound w~oridly-wise people very seept
1 cal respecting the descent OF the Logo
. the Son OF God, to earthly condition
but that Christians e to have mol
difficulty than do the world to couaDr
bend the ascension of Jesus 10 tt
y spirit plane and Its excellent gacr,
Both points, however, . impOPtan
J. Whoever is unable to see that I'll
Logog, the glorious Son Of the HigI
est, humbled Himself, Invested Hin
self Of the spirit nature and took Il
stead the human nature, cannot 81
that Jesus was sinless. And these VIZ
. cannot recognize that He was hol
harmless, undehled and separate fro
sinners, cannot believe In the sacrffS'
Of Jesus az being q Ransom for Adam
p to effect his release and that of his 20
D lterity from condemnation to death.
DnnAom Ehannrnil mani into nnnnAdAs.