God's Plan with MenMartin, T. T. (Thomas Theodore)
Religion
God's Plan with Men
Martin, T. T. (Thomas Theodore)
Salvation
self-opinionated, to consider the following words from Prof. James Orr
in his "The Resurrection of Jesus" ("the modern mind" is very careful
not to attempt a thorough reply to Professor Orr's "Problem of the
Old Testament," nor his "Resurrection of Jesus"--for obvious reasons)?
"The question is not, Do natural causes operate uniformly? But _are
natural causes the only causes that exist or operate_? For miracle, as
has frequently been pointed out, is precisely the assertion of the
interposition of a _new_ cause; one, besides, which the theist must
admit to be a _vera causa_."
If when we become God's children, we are no longer under the law (Rom.
6:14), we are redeemed from all iniquity (Titus 2:14), we are no more
servants but sons (Gal. 4:7), the question arises, why pray to Our
Father in Heaven to be forgiven? The child does not ask his father's
forgiveness in order to be his child, but to have the disturbed
fellowship restored. The unforgiven child is still a child, but will
be chastened. It is fellowship of the Heavenly Father with the child
that is restored by forgiveness, and is sought in forgiveness, and not
a destroyed relationship. On this point hear James Denny in his "The
Death of Christ": "Christ died for sins once for all, and the man who
believes in Christ and in His death has his relations to God once for
all determined not by sin but by the Atonement. The sin for which a
Christian has daily to seek forgiveness is not sin which annuls his
acceptance with God."
There needs to be kept in mind, in considering that God chastens His
children, the distinction that while chastenings are sufferings, all
sufferings are not chastisements. The expression, "whom the Lord
loveth he chasteneth" (Heb. 12:6), has been widely misused and sadly
misapplied. Because David's babe was taken from him as a chastisement
(2 Sam. 12:14), many thoughtlessly conclude that every babe's death is
meant for a chastisement for the father and mother; and many apply
"Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" to all of the sorrows and
sufferings of God's children. But there is another purpose
accomplished by some sufferings, in "that the trial of your faith
being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be
tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the
appearing of Jesus Christ."--1 Peter 1:7. "And he shall sit as a
purifier and refiner of silver."--Matt. 3:3. The silver is not to
blame for the dross; nevertheless, it needs to be burned out. A child
stole a piece of bread; the father chastised the child for it. That
chastening was suffering. But the same child was born a cripple. In
straightening the foot, the father forced many weeks of fearful
suffering on the child, but the suffering was not chastisement.
Chastisements are sufferings of God's children for wrongdoing to
correct them; but there are sufferings that are not chastisements for
wrongdoing, but are to take out of us defects, or to develop us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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