1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org
1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org 1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org
a half years in actually giving it up--spending it in the service ofothers and finally ending it on the cross. When he consecratedhimself unto death (at baptism), he received his begetting of thespirit to the new life--the divine, immortal life; and at hisresurrection he was born to that new nature and life, a spiritualbody, and never again took the human, which he had given as "aransom for many." In all of this he is the pattern, or leader of allthe "little flock," who consecrate and sacrifice the human, and"become partakers of the divine nature."Thus "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures"-- "Abody hast thou prepared me for the suffering of death," etc.,"and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself untodeath, even the death of the cross." Thus he died as a man formankind, or as Paul expresses it: "Since by man came death, byman came also the resurrection of the dead."--1 Cor. 15:21. Hedied the just [man] for the unjust [men] that he might bring us toGod.--1 Pet. 3:18. We next notice, that the thing given for thelife of the world, was the life of Jesus (the man): "ForR280 : page 141the Son of Man came...to give his life a ransom for many"[lives].--Mark 10:45. Notice again that the life Jesus gave wasall the life he possessed--it was his life. In the parable of thetreasure hid in the field, (Matt. 13:44) "the Kingdom of Heavenis likened unto a treasure hid in a field ['the field is the world' ofmankind--the bride of Christ, the hidden treasure,] which, whena man [Jesus] hath found, he goeth and selleth all that he hathand buyeth that field." Jesus gave his all and so must those whowould be joint-heirs with him, walk in his footsteps and sacrificeearthly life.----------*Such a transference, or change of life, from one condition toanother, will occur, when "we, who are alive and remain, shallbe caught up to meet the Lord," "changed in a moment" fromhuman to spiritual conditions. In Jesus' case the life wastransferred from a higher to a lower plane of being; in our case,it will be from the lower to the higher. Our life will beswallowed up of immortality, or perfection of life.Now, as an immortal being cannot die, it seems clear that Jesusdid not have immortality when he died. It would be impossiblefor an immortal being to suffer pain or to die. But Jesus assuresus that "the Father hath given unto the Son that he should havelife in himself."* When was it given unto him? Paul tells us itwas after he died,--at his resurrection. Hear him: "Christ Jesus,who being in the form of God [a spiritual being] thought it notrobbery to be equal with God; [to speak of himself as being amember of God's family--the Son of God"-- John 10:35,36] butmade himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of aservant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedientunto death, even the death of the cross. "WHEREFORE,[because of this obedience--death on the cross, etc.] God alsohath highly exalted him, and given him a name, which is aboveevery name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,both of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under theearth, ['they that are in their graves'--the dead], and that everytongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory ofGod the Father."--Phil. 2:6-11. "That all men might honor theSon, even as they honor the Father."-- John 5:23.From this and other Scriptures it seems evident, that, while Jesushad held a very high position in the spirit world before takingthe human nature and form, yet the position occupied by himsince he ascended up on high, is a much higher one--"Him hathGod highly exalted," etc.,--and the word wherefore, (on thisaccount) used by Paul, clearly shows that the high exaltationcame as a reward for the self-sacrifice and obedience even untoR280 : page 142death. This high exaltation consisted in part of the glory ofpower, which will be fully displayed and exercised during theMillennial age. But who can doubt that one of the chief elementsof that high exaltation was immortality, heretofore possessedonly by "the King of kings and Lord of lords, the only wiseGod?"----------*Jesus, after he had consecrated himself and had been begottenof the new, divine nature, spoke of the new life which waspromised him, and which he received fully at the resurrection asthough he had already received it; just as it is said of us--"Hethat believeth...hath everlasting life."This mighty one--Jehovah--received our Lord, the perfect one,whose life and death were one grand expression of love to Godand to men, into oneness of life, as well as of glory and powerwith himself, which would imply his becoming the son of God,with power, (in a higher sense than before) and a partaker of thedivine nature. How fitting, too, that he, whose work it is torestore the human race again to perfection of earthly being,should be a fountain of life!Every action should have a motive; and when Jesus came intothe world and died for our sins, it was the result of one or moremotives. And so we find Paul, in exhorting the church to a lifeof self-sacrifice, pointing to the prize of our high calling as amotive or incentive to energy and perseverance; and he refers toJesus as our example, saying: "Consider him that endured --...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who,for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the
- Page 337 and 338: Some other powers of angels can be
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- Page 341 and 342: expressed his belief that many of t
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- Page 345 and 346: of the old nature and newness of li
- Page 347 and 348: period of the judges until Samuel,
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- Page 351 and 352: mountains, [place of power], and sh
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- Page 355 and 356: illion four hundred million) could
- Page 357 and 358: poured on the head ran down over th
- Page 359 and 360: PART VI.----------THE PLAN OF THE A
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- Page 363 and 364: But Paul, surely God would not acce
- Page 365 and 366: (f) represents the (fire) trial thr
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- Page 371 and 372: in his due time become his Bride an
- Page 373 and 374: chief nation of earth--at the head
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- Page 377 and 378: the dead to the perfect new nature,
- Page 379 and 380: R277 : page 130 ago, the body very
- Page 381 and 382: learn that the texts referred to (a
- Page 383 and 384: perfectly, and filled with life. He
- Page 385 and 386: (and thus), lay hold on eternal lif
- Page 387: Now let us notice the difference be
- Page 391 and 392: -the Lamb's wife--"To him that over
- Page 393 and 394: The words Incorruptible, Incorrupti
- Page 395 and 396: a mediator--a person who stands bet
- Page 397 and 398: God actually takes man's sins away
- Page 399 and 400: from among the people."--Acts 3:22.
- Page 401 and 402: learn that when in that parable he
- Page 403 and 404: off) for your sakes: but as touchin
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- Page 407 and 408: now, inasmuch as you are an heir of
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- Page 411 and 412: In harmony with this same thought w
- Page 413 and 414: This earthly part of the kingdom is
- Page 415 and 416: As we saw in the July number, in th
- Page 417 and 418: And as we saw some time since (Arti
- Page 419 and 420: We care not Lord for earthly fame,I
- Page 421 and 422: disappointed once and consequently
- Page 423 and 424: and to become his bride. "The Bride
- Page 425 and 426: The Lord's answer to those knocking
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- Page 431 and 432: probably designed as a ripener to s
- Page 433 and 434: out their consecration vows--the bo
- Page 435 and 436: one member suffer all the members s
- Page 437 and 438: Found the free Methodist's very fai
a half years in actually giving it up--spending it in the service ofothers and finally ending it on the cross. When he consecratedhimself unto death (at baptism), he received his begetting of thespirit to the new life--the divine, immortal life; and at hisresurrection he was born to that new nature and life, a spiritualbody, and never again took the human, which he had given as "aransom for many." In all of this he is the pattern, or leader of allthe "little flock," who consecrate and sacrifice the human, and"become partakers of the divine nature."Thus "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures"-- "Abody hast thou prepared me for the suffering of death," etc.,"and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself untodeath, even the death of the cross." Thus he died as a man formankind, or as Paul expresses it: "Since by man came death, byman came also the resurrection of the dead."--1 Cor. 15:21. Hedied the just [man] for the unjust [men] that he might bring us toGod.--1 Pet. 3:18. We next notice, that the thing given for thelife of the world, was the life of Jesus (the man): "ForR280 : page 141the Son of Man came...to give his life a ransom for many"[lives].--Mark 10:45. Notice again that the life Jesus gave wasall the life he possessed--it was his life. In the parable of thetreasure hid in the field, (Matt. 13:44) "the Kingdom of Heavenis likened unto a treasure hid in a field ['the field is the world' ofmankind--the bride of Christ, the hidden treasure,] which, whena man [Jesus] hath found, he goeth and selleth all that he hathand buyeth that field." Jesus gave his all and so must those whowould be joint-heirs with him, walk in his footsteps and sacrificeearthly life.----------*Such a transference, or change of life, from one condition toanother, will occur, when "we, who are alive and remain, shallbe caught up to meet the Lord," "changed in a moment" fromhuman to spiritual conditions. In Jesus' case the life wastransferred from a higher to a lower plane of being; in our case,it will be from the lower to the higher. Our life will beswallowed up of immortality, or perfection of life.Now, as an immortal being cannot die, it seems clear that Jesusdid not have immortality when he died. It would be impossiblefor an immortal being to suffer pain or to die. But Jesus assuresus that "the Father hath given unto the Son that he should havelife in himself."* When was it given unto him? Paul tells us itwas after he died,--at his resurrection. Hear him: "Christ Jesus,who being in the form of God [a spiritual being] thought it notrobbery to be equal with God; [to speak of himself as being amember of God's family--the Son of God"-- John 10:35,36] butmade himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of aservant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found