1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org 1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

11.07.2015 Views

more quarrelsome in disposition, but will affect himalso in respect to his spiritual vision. As the enlightenmentof the Holy Spirit gives him a better knowledge ofthe deep things of God, so, in proportion as this Spirit islost, the knowledge of the deep things will vanish, untilthere will be gross darkness. The individual will then bein the same condition as the world in respect to spiritualthings. No matter what he once knew and saw, he willnot henceforth be able to understand these things; for"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him."--reverence Him. (Psa. 25:14.) To whatever extent welose the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of love, loyalty andobedience, to that extent we lose its illumination.The Apostle Paul speaks of the "Mystery," which isexplained as the peculiar relationship existing betweenChrist and the Church. (Eph. 3:3-6.) No one canappreciate this Mystery unless he is begotten of the HolySpirit. If one loses the Spirit of his begetting and goesinto darkness, how great is that darkness! He loses allknowledge of that Mystery.--Matt. 6:23.Perhaps all have noticed that we may sit in a roomdimly lighted and not particularly heed the darkness.But if we go to an adjoining room which is brilliantlylighted, and then re-enter the dimly lighted room, it willseem darker than when we left it. For a time at leastwe cannot see anything. The eye must become accustomedto darkness gradually. So it is with those who receivethe light of Truth and afterwards lose it. Theyseem to go into grosser darkness than before they hadthe light.CHRISTIAN STANDARD VERY HIGHIn the heathen world there is gross darkness. Withevery step of civilization comes a clearer view of the differencebetween right and wrong, and a general progresstoward the right. Sometimes we find people in theworld who have not been begotten of the Holy Spirit andwho, not having the light in them, are still in darkness,but who try to regulate their conduct by certain principles.They say, "This is right and that is wrong. WeR5100 : page 291will do this, but not that." They make rules of righteousnessfor themselves, although they are not willing tolive up to the drastic laws which the Lord has establishedas His standard. They say, "We will do what themajority of people think is right." These people form amoral code of their own, based upon what others think.They have no standard other than public opinion. Whereverthey go they practise what the majority of theirneighbors think to be right.But the Christian takes the extreme view which Godsets before him--full consecration unto death. He isconsidered an extremist, a fanatic, by the world who

hate his course and think it foolish. They say, "YouChristians raise the standard too high. We are willingto live up to the standard of the majority in our community,but not to yours. You have such peculiar views."The Lord's people gauge their views, not by whatothers think, but by what the Word of God teaches.They say, "To my Lord I must be true." To everythingelse they decline to conform. Thus they are led by theHoly Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Love,which actuates them. But if this Spirit be extinguished,a mind once under its control will be in a worse conditionthan that of a worldly mind; for the latter, not havingthe special direction of the Lord's Spirit, has for itsstandard the opinion of others. The Lord's people havelost the fear of man, and if they lose also the mind ofthe Lord, they have no fixed principle to govern theircourse. Then their natural disposition will assert itself;and the light in them having become darkness, "how greatis that darkness!"St. Paul tells us (Heb. 6:4-6), that "It is impossible...to renew again to repentance" any who arewilful sinners against full light and knowledge. Thesehave committed the "sin unto death"--the Second Death--from which there will be no recovery.--I John 5:16.Let us then, while rejoicing in Divine favor, see toit that we act circumspectly. Our walk in life is not tobe "after the flesh," which leads more or less directly todeath, but "after the Spirit," which leads to everlastinglife with our Great Redeemer. "This is the will of God,even your sanctification."--I Thess. 4:3.====================R5101 : page 291THE NEW CREATURE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DIVINE LAWPART II--EXPERIENCE OF THE NEW CREATURE EDUCATIONALTHE NEW CREATURE is represented by thewill, the mind; but there can be no NewCreature without a body. God does notgive the New Creature its own body in thepresent life, but permits it to practise on theold body. And according to the New Creature'sfaithfulness in the old body will beits reward--either as a member of the LittleFlock or of the Great Company or--for unfaithfulness,its punishment, Second Death.The New Creature owns the mortal body, possessesthat body. The body is not the New Creature's body exceptin a possessive sense. If one were living in a cabintemporarily while his house is being built, and someoneelse were to ask, "Is that your house?" he would say,"No; I am staying here merely until my house is built."So the New Creature occupies the old body. That body

more quarrelsome in disposition, but will affect himalso in respect to his spiritual vision. As the enlightenmentof the Holy Spirit gives him a better knowledge ofthe deep things of God, so, in proportion as this Spirit islost, the knowledge of the deep things will vanish, untilthere will be gross darkness. The individual will then bein the same condition as the world in respect to spiritualthings. No matter what he once knew and saw, he willnot henceforth be able to understand these things; for"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him."--reverence Him. (Psa. 25:14.) To whatever extent welose the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of love, loyalty andobedience, to that extent we lose its illumination.The Apostle Paul speaks of the "Mystery," which isexplained as the peculiar relationship existing betweenChrist and the Church. (Eph. 3:3-6.) No one canappreciate this Mystery unless he is begotten of the HolySpirit. If one loses the Spirit of his begetting and goesinto darkness, how great is that darkness! He loses allknowledge of that Mystery.--Matt. 6:23.Perhaps all have noticed that we may sit in a roomdimly lighted and not particularly heed the darkness.But if we go to an adjoining room which is brilliantlylighted, and then re-enter the dimly lighted room, it willseem darker than when we left it. For a time at leastwe cannot see anything. The eye must become accustomedto darkness gradually. So it is with those who receivethe light of Truth and afterwards lose it. Theyseem to go into grosser darkness than before they hadthe light.CHRISTIAN STANDARD VERY HIGHIn the heathen world there is gross darkness. Withevery step of civilization comes a clearer view of the differencebetween right and wrong, and a general progresstoward the right. Sometimes we find people in theworld who have not been begotten of the Holy Spirit andwho, not having the light in them, are still in darkness,but who try to regulate their conduct by certain principles.They say, "This is right and that is wrong. WeR5100 : page 291will do this, but not that." They make rules of righteousnessfor themselves, although they are not willing tolive up to the drastic laws which the Lord has establishedas His standard. They say, "We will do what themajority of people think is right." These people form amoral code of their own, based upon what others think.They have no standard other than public opinion. Whereverthey go they practise what the majority of theirneighbors think to be right.But the Christian takes the extreme view which Godsets before him--full consecration unto death. He isconsidered an extremist, a fanatic, by the world who

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