Graham guardian., 1916-07-14

According to the PaStor, not only our
Lord Jesus Christ, but every individual
member Of His Church, has suffered
violence In some form during their
earthly course. All who are of this
class have taken q firm stand for God
and His Truth, and have rejected all
theories and doctrines which are un-
scriptural As n result. they have been
opposed, maligned, misrepresented and
prosecuted, not only by the worldly,
but chiefly by those who have form
Of godliness while denying the power
thereof. This condition will not always
obtain, however
Our earth Is the only part Of the
Universe In rebellion against our Crea.
tor, the speaker explained. That rebel
lion has continued ever since Father
Adam disobeyed Gods command. and
brought upon himself and his posterity
a sentence Of death-nOt eternal tor.
ment. That sentence was, Dying.
thou shalt die" no matter how much
we may have been taught to the con-
trary. Genesis 2:l7 Romans G:23:
CLthltl 1Csf, %VI tlNsl "Ou pSi-
mitted sin to take Its course during
these six thousand years, in order that
mans experience with its results shall
be a valuable lesson to all Gods In.
telligent creatures throughout eternity,
demonstrating the unwisdOm of dis
obedience to the Divine Law.
But God has also purposed to give
the entire human family one full Op-
portunity as individuals to return TO
harmony with Him. This fact is the es.
sence Of the Gospel. duke 2:l0: Ga.
latians 3:S, 16. 20: | Timothy 2:5. g.
st. Peter declares that this opportunity
will be given during the Times
[yearsl of Restitution" (Acts 3:19-
81 Other Scriptures show that this
will be during the MesSlanic King
dom, when Satan shall be bound and
when everything will be under Mes.
siah's control for the purpose of eradi-
eating sin, helping mankind up out Of
their fallen condition back to the i'm
age Of God and to harmony with Him.
Il Corinthians 15:242S,
Violent Opposition to the Kingdom.
In due time God sent His Son. the
prospective King Of earth, into the
world to tell mankind that God has
mercy on them and wishes to bless
them. Although He came to the most
favored nation of that time, yet they
rejected and crucified Him. Thus viO-
lence was done to the Kingdom Of
Heaven; for Jesus was the rightful
King. He gave up His life. permitted
II to be taken from Him, knowing this
humbled Himself. even unto the death
OF the Cross. Wherefore also God hath
highly exalted Him"-Phil. 2:S-ll.
After our Lord ascended on High,
the Kingdom continued to suffer vio-
lence; for there was a class establish
ed who had accepted His terms and
were walking I'm His footsteps. All
down the Gospel Age this Church class
have suffered with their Lord; and In
them. as representatives of the King
dom, has the Kingdom suffered vio-
lence. OF Jesus and His disciples 1t
was said that they were under the
power Of the Adversary; and so 1t has
been said of Gods people ever since.
(Matthew 10:2J) The religious people
of the Masters day said that He had
a devil merely because He did not join
In with their leaders, the PhariSees.
Jesus stood for God and the Truth,
and therefore could not endorse their
theories, their doctrines. and could
not walk In their ways. AS a result,
they opposed, maligned and prosecuted
Him.
There is wide and radical differ
ence between the worlds ideas and
the Divine Program. Consequently the
Kingdom class have suffered violence
throughout the Age, sometimes in one
form, sometimes In another. Many
good people have had misconception
OF things. They have thought that the
Kingdom is already here, that 1t was
set up centuries ago. There has been
a duplicate Kingdom In existence for
over thousand years. The founders
OF this duplicate Kingdom thought
that they were doing Gods will In set
ting 1t up; but the Adversary deceived
them. Our Lord Is not now reigning
over the world; and the Church has
been suffering violence at the hands Of
earth's rulers. But the time is at hand
when our Lord viii take His great
power, and set up the true King
dom.