Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary: Collated from his Diary by Benjamin FunkKline, John
Religion
Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary: Collated from his Diary by Benjamin Funk
Kline, John
Kline, John, 1797-1864
Some may think lightly of baptism, but if it "became" the King of
glory to be baptized in water to fulfill all righteousness, how can
any one esteem it lightly, who has any regard for his soul? Since he
himself is the way, can we rationally conclude that he would do
anything for a guide to us that is unimportant? He had no sins to
confess, it is true; but still he must be baptized to fulfill all
righteousness. How important, then, must it be for us to submit to
this ordinance, who are all defiled with sin!
"Ashamed of Jesus! yes I may
When I've no sins to wash away:
No guilt to shun, no good to crave;
No love to give, no soul to save."
But now I must call your attention to his Sermon on the Mount. This is
the most instructive, truth-abounding and love-abounding sermon the
world has ever heard. It is a summary of the love, the truth, the
purity of heart, the humility of soul, the poverty of spirit, the
hungering and thirsting for righteousness, the forgiveness, the
charity, the meekness of the true child of God. Hence our blessed Lord
says right at the close: "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and
doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house
upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the
winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was
founded upon a rock." I want to tell you right here that Jesus
fulfilled every jot and tittle of its truth in all its varied and
minute applications, in the pure and holy life he lived on earth. He
thus became the way.
I have sometimes been accosted by others on this wise: "You teach a
doctrine of works! You teach that people must do so and so to be
saved. I understand the Word to teach that Christians are saved by
faith without works." I have occasionally answered such accusations, I
fear, perhaps, in not the true spirit of meekness, by retorting that
if some professing Christians are ever saved at all it will surely be
without any works on their part. But usually, when I am rightly at
myself, or better, when my heart is with the Lord, both in answering
and preaching, I say, We as Brethren believe and teach that "faith
without works is dead." All good works are done in faith. And no man
can believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with his heart, without loving
him; because faith is a loving acceptance of all the truth revealed by
the Lord to man. Our heartfelt reception of that truth leads to
obedience, and obedience is good works. For "by works faith is made
perfect." When he says: "This DO, and thou shalt live," he does not
lose sight of the loving faith in which it is to be done. When he
says: "So let your light shine before men, that they may see your GOOD
WORKS, and glorify"--YOU? No!--"your Father, which is in heaven." It
is by good works, then, that we are to glorify our Father which is in
heaven.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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