THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH Part 2b

THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH Part 2b Spiritual Practical By Herbert McClellan Riggle, D.D. Author of Beyond the Tomb; The Cream of My Life’s Work; Christ’s Second Coming and What Will Follow; The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day; Christ’s Kingdom and Reign GOSPEL TRUMPET COMPANY Anderson, Indiana      CHAPTER 12 THE CHURCH THE BRIDE, THE LAMB’S WIFE UNDER this heading we have two very striking and distinct aspects of the Christian church. These are in no sense contradictory. They simply present to us the church in two well-defined phases. We will take them up in their order. First, the present spiritual relationship between the church and Christ is expressed by marriage. Christ, the husband—his church, the wife or bride. Thus, “He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom.” Of this relation the Old Testament seers prophesied: “For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name . . . . the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall he be called” (Isaiah 54:5). Again, “As a bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” “Thou shalt be called Hephzibah [my delight is in here], and thy land Beulah” (which means married) (Isaiah 62:4-5). This is fullfiled in the Church of God which Christ “purchased with his own blood.”  Thus Jesus came to earth to purchase for himself a bride. He purchased her with his precious blood, and under this figure she became his. Just as a man leaves father and mother and cleaves to his       wife, Jesus left the eternal glory of his Father, and came to earth to obtain for himself a wife. A woman, in order to take upon herself the solemn obligations of marriage and be­come the wife of her husband, must forsake parents, home, and everything for him. This is exactly what Christ now requires of his people. We must forsake all to become his holy bride. This is the real meaning of ecclesia - “called-out one.” We are called out from the world and sin, robed in the garments of salvation, clothed with his own righteousness, and this is termed “pure linen, clean and white.” Paul, in Romans 7:1-4, draws a beautiful analogy between a couple joined in the sacred bonds of wedlock and the present relation between Christ and his people: “That ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead.” Again in Ephesians 5 :23-33 the same apostle clearly shows a present relation between Christ and his church, and that which exists between the husband and the wife in natural matrimony. As the husband is the head of the wife, Christ is now the head of the church. As the wife is to be subject to her husband, so the church is now subject to Christ. Husbands are exhorted to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Husbands are exhorted to nourish and       cherish their wives even as the Lord does the church. As a husband and wife are no more twain, but one flesh; so we “are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” After giving a detailed description of the various relationships between a husband and wife in the normal state of marriage, the apostle unmistakably tells us the point he is stressing: “I speak concerning Christ and the church” (vs. 32). Yes, as a true wife loves her husband and lives in true affection with him, so we love Christ “because he first loved us.” In Song of Solomon 4:7 we read, “Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.” And again (chapter 6:9), “My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother.” It is generally held by commentators that these texts, at least in a secondary sense, point to the New Testament Church of God. Here we have the blessed unity and purity of this institution presented. Christ has but one bride, one wife, hence, but one true church. In the light of this truth a multiplicity of institutions, a number of distinct religious bodies called churches and bearing various titles, all claiming relationship to Christ, is absolutely wrong and really an insult to the divine Savior. May the Lord awaken his people clearly to see this truth. Instead of her husband standing over her, emphasizing his demands with “thou shalt,” having his hands full of rocks ready to stone her if she disobeys him in the least, he tenderly, affectionately says to his wife, “If you love me, you will”; and with her heart burning with this divine principle, she responds, “For the love of Christ constraineth us.” This is delightful service. As a good husband, he supplies all her needs. In Philippians 4:19 we read, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Yes, “thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies” (Psalms 23 :5). This table is spread with the dainties of heaven, rich things of the kingdom of grace; the willing and obedient are enabled to “eat the good of the land,” and are “abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house.” He even makes them to drink of the rivers of his pleasures (Psalms 36:8). What a good husband! He not only feeds his wife on the very best that heaven can afford but clothes her with the beautiful garments of salvation. The Lord has also become the light of his church and people. “The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.” To her he also says, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” When a heavy task is laid upon her, he shares in it by saying, wife, “I am a present help in every time of need.” Glory to God for this blessed, intimate relationship and sweet association now enjoyed by the saints. Under this figure the New Testament church is our spiritual mother. Accordingly, we read that “Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all.” (Galatians 4:26). The church being the spiritual mother, she travails for the salvation of the lost world and brings forth children, a numerous family (Isaiah 66 :8). As a good mother, the Scriptures tell us, she bears us upon her sides and dandies us upon her knees” (Isaiah 66:12). She satisfies her children “with the breasts of her consolation,” and they are permitted to “milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory” (Isaiah 66 :11-12). Every one of her “newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that they may grow thereby” (1st Peter 2 :2). As seen in the previous chapter, as a true wife she should honor and reverence her husband by bearing his name. How consistent, then, the name given her by the Lord, the only name that is used as a church title to be found in the New Testament—the CHURCH OF GOD. Second, our future and eternal union with Christ, our personal association with him in the new heaven and new earth, which begins at the time of his second advent, is also expressed by the term, “the marriage of the Lamb.” Under this figure the church in her present state is said to be betrothed, or as we commonly term it, engaged, a state of espousal. Accordingly we read in 2nd Corinthians 11:2: “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” Under this       aspect the bride of Christ is being made ready, and the time is the entire Christian dispensation. This is expressed in Revelation 19 :7-8: “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteous­ness of saints.” Jesus, in his description of the second coming and the judgment, speaks of this great event in Matthew 25:1-13, as the time of “the marriage.” His coming is the appearing of “the bridegroom.” He comes to receive his wife to himself. This is called “the marriage of the Lamb.” “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.” What that supper will consist of we are not now able to tell, but then will be fulfilled the words of Jesus when he said he will “drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” The joys and glories of our present experience of full salvation in perfected holiness and Christian perfection is but a mere fore­taste of what that will be when “they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Revelation 7 :16-17). In anticipation of all this it is no wonder Paul broke forth in the following language, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

CHAPTER 13 THE CHURCH AS A VINE AND ITS BRANCHES JESUS was the greatest teacher and preacher of all time. One of the chief characteristics of his ministry was the simplicity of his messages. By using illustrations and lessons from nature that could be easily understood by the common people, he presented some of the deepest and most profound truths that ever fell from human lips. In John 15:1-8 we have an example of this. The Holy Land has always been a country of vineyards. The people in general perfectly understood the cultivation, care, and fruitage of the vine. So Jesus in this lesson draws a beautiful comparison between the vine and its branches and the intimate relationship between himself and his followers. He starts out by saying, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman” (vs. 1). Husbandman here means the vine dresser, and the one who gathers the harvest. In carrying his illustration further, he says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches” (vs. 5). Some modern theologians teach that Christ here likened himself to the vine, and the various denominational bodies today are the branches. And referring to       these human institutions, they say people should join and belong to some branch of the Christian church. Multitudes have been educated to believe this kind of teaching. But this is absolutely wrong, and there is not one fragment of evidence or proof in this lesson that Jesus gave to sustain such a position. Centuries before any of the modern denominational bodies, called churches, came into existence, Jesus said, “I am the vine, YE are the branches.” This language was addressed directly to his own disciples. It was a part of a sermon he delivered to them after instituting the sacred Lord’s Supper in that upper room in Jerusalem. But it not only applied to those to whom he spoke directly, but to every Christian in all the world to the end of time. Every child of God constitutes a branch, or a member of Christ. Paul speaks of these branches as “members of Christ”; and this is identical with membership in the church. In other words, membership in Christ is membership in the New Testament church. It follows, then, that the church in its universal phase includes all the members of Christ, every true Christian. But there is an implied truth here worthy of our consideration. This is not true of the world in general. It cannot be said of the myriads of unregenerate, un­converted people that they are members of Christ. Jesus said of such, “Ye are of your father the devil” (John 8 :44), for “he that committeth sin is of the devil” (1st John 3 :8). In the eleventh chapter of Romans Paul presents the same truth under the figure of a wild olive tree and a good olive tree. “For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree” (vs. 24). Fruit growers fully understand this. If a scion is cut out of a wild, or sour tree and grafted into a good, sweet tree, it brings with it the wild and sour nature of the original tree from which it is taken. After the graft­ing, while it partakes of the sweet life of the new tree, it still bears sour fruit after its original nature. But in the kingdom of God we are grafted “contrary to nature.” This simply means that while we bring with us into the new relation the original wild nature, the sweet life and grace of God of which we partake enables us to bear sweet fruit or the fruit of the Spirit of God. Then to become branches of the true vine or members of Christ, his church, people must be cut out from the wild tree and vine of sin and ungodliness, and be en-grafted, through the work of regeneration and a sound conversion, into Christ, the true vine. A radical moral change must take place. Now the question arises, Who does this engrafting? Is it the preacher? If so, then the minister can take members into the church. But a moment’s reflection here will convince any reasonable person that no preacher on earth has the power to take man out of the kingdom of darkness and sin and trans­plant and engraft such into Jesus Christ and his spiritual kingdom. This is absolutely the work of God through the Holy Spirit. This is beyond all question the only scrip­tural method of church membership. Going back to John 15, we note that one purpose of this engrafting into Christ and being branches of the true vine is that we “bear much fruit.” This, of course, refers to the unmixed fruit of the Spirit as found in Galatians 5:22-23. In order to bear this fruit and demonstrate our religion in a practical way to the world, Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (John 15:4). In 2nd Corinthians 5:17 we are told, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Then all members of the true New Testament church are new creatures in Christ Jesus. Their lives have been changed. The “things” of sin that they formerly indulged in entirely disappear, and a new life begins. In verse 2 of the fifteenth chapter of John, Jesus speaks of two kinds of branches, one class “that beareth not fruit,” and the other class “that beareth fruit.” We will consider these in their order. First, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away.” Note the fact that these branches are “IN CHRIST.” This implies that a radical change has taken place in their hearts and lives. They are not mere professors, but Christians. They have been grafted, converted, regenerated, and made new creatures. But they are in an abnormal condition. While they are “in Christ,” yet they are not laden with fruit—”beareth NOT fruit.” This must be possible or Jesus would not have said so. There must then be causes, certain things that bring about this abnormal state. Having been a fruit grower myself, I have observed three outstanding causes why some branches in a tree or vine do not bear fruit, and these natural causes find a parallel in our spiritual relation in the church. In a local assembly of God’s people we often find those largely barren of fruit, and others richly laden with the fruits of the       Spirit of God. Then again whole congregations will be found that are not so fruitful as they should be, while other assemblies are rich in the fruits       of the Spirit. Now as to the cause. One natural cause is accident. A limb or branch may be bruised, the bark broken, and this naturally hinders the sap from flowing through and vitalizing the branch so that it may produce fruit. Now for a spiritual analogy. Young converts are tender. Just like a baby they need to be nurtured, cared for, and dandled upon the knees of the mother church. Sometimes, and too frequently, the older saints require too much and demand these newborn babes to measure up in every respect to the high standard to which they have attained, but they forget that it took years of struggle, effort, and growth to reach the high plain to which they have attained. Under such extreme teaching the young, tender branches are bruised and rendered fruitless. Then young converts who are not properly taught may unguardedly do wrong under sudden provocation. They should repent quickly, for not to do so will hinder growth and fruitfulness. And unless properly taught, these tender branches, through discouragement, accusations of the devil, wrong religious teaching, or unwholesome environment may lose the victory of faith, and become fruitless. There is much need of fervent, earnest prayer, and the seeking of divine wisdom and grace in order to be fruitful in the things of God. Another cause of fruitlessness in the orchard and vineyard, and probably the most common cause, is frost. The tender buds become frostbitten usually about the blossoming period. On this point there is a striking spiritual analogy. Some congregations of professed Christians are below the freezing point. But in the warming-up period of a revival, someone is really, soundly con­verted. But oh, too often the young convert gets a chill almost as soon as he has experienced regeneration. The dead, lifeless congregation with divisions rife among the people, too much talkativeness, and perhaps a lack of confidence soon render the delicate new convert fruitless. The new engrafted branch needs food—sap—in order to grow and produce fruit. But too often the pulpit deliverances are so lifeless, foodless, the sermons contain no vitamins,       and often the general services, the singing, praying, and witnessing are       so conventional and formal that the new convert begins to “wither” (vs. 6), dry up, and the result is no fruit. Thus the new life, enthusiasm, and zeal of the young convert is hushed; it meets with a rebuff, and soon, very soon, Such are consigned to the fruitless class. This is because the new spiritual life is actually robbed of its chance of expression. The social life of some churches may also be loose, the entertainment programs too worldly, and the young, tender, sensitive branch may thus be nipped in the bud—frostbitten. Another natural cause for fruitlessness is insect pests, borers, scale, and blight. These sap the life of the branch either in vine or tree, and render them fruitless. There is likewise a spiritual analogy to all this. There are many things that will sap the spiritual, inner life, and prevent fruitage. Carelessness—in prayer, attending services regularly, being baptized, taking an active part in church work, keeping busy for God, tithing, and going on into the experience of perfected holiness and entire sanctification—these and many other related things are borers that enter into the very inner life of people and sap out spirituality, so that there is no fruit.  Then worldliness is a pest, a scale, and blight that will render any person barren, and wither up the soul. Under this heading could be mentioned many things, such as covetousness, worldly dress, attending movies, theaters, and keeping company with worldly, sinful companions. People are usually known by the company they keep and too often unconsciously they become like their company. Backsliding is a gradual process. Just as sickness and disease steal upon the body until the crisis is reached, and a person comes face to face with death, so these members of the church, branches in Christ, can gradually dry up, wither, become lifeless and fruitless. To kill the insect pests, scale, blight, etc., on the vines or trees it is necessary to spray with a solution that is poison to these things. A live ministry, a wide-awake church should follow the spraying process by preaching, witnessing, and practicing the clear, definite truth of God’s Word, also by keeping filled with the Holy Spirit of God. The tragedy of all this is expressed in the sixth verse of the lesson: “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” This is the pruning process. The husbandman cuts off all the withered, fruitless branches, and then they are gathered for the burning. The once saved, for the above and many other reasons, were rendered worthless. And in the great day of judgment and eternity, “the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:49-50). Second, we will now consider the fruit-bearing branches. “Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” The word purgeth here is from kathairo rendered in Young’s Analytical Concordance, to cleanse. Fruit-bearing branches in Christ are to be cleansed, and the purpose of this is that they “may bring forth more fruit”—not a different kind of fruit, but more abundance of the same kind, for Jesus said, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear MUCH fruit.” This takes us back to the natural process of grafting, and for emphasis I repeat a fact already stated. A scion or graft taken out of a sour crab-apple tree and grafted into a golden, sweet apple tree retains its original sour nature, and because of this will never bear anything but sour crab apples. Before it could bear golden, sweet apples that scion would have to be purged or cleansed from its original sour nature. Now in the spiritual realm, in the work of salvation, when we are converted we are taken out of the wild tree of sin, completely severed, and engrafted into Jesus Christ the true vine. We partake of the sweet life, the new life of Christ. But as Paul expresses it in Romans 11, “contrary to nature” we bear sweet fruit, the fruit of the Spirit. This is the justified life and experience. Now mark the fact that this implies a definite work of divine grace wrought in the human heart and life. Taking us out of the kingdom of sin and transplant­ing us into the kingdom of God, cutting us clear from the wild tree and engrafting us into Jesus Christ, making us new creatures in him, fruit-bearing branches of the true vine, is a positive work of divine grace. Now these are the individuals spoken of when Jesus said, “Every branch that BEARETH FRUIT.” Mark the fact, these are fruit-bearing branches in Jesus Christ. In other words, saved men and women. For them is pro­vided a second, definite work of divine grace. This is called “purging” or “cleansing.” From what, we in­quire, do newborn babes in Christ need to be cleansed? From that old, sour nature—carnality (1st Corinthians 3:1-3), and when thus cleansed by the blood of Christ, these fruit-bearing branches are made “partakers of the divine nature” (2nd Peter 1:4). This experience and work is entire sanctification, and this text with many others is decisive proof that the cleansing in sanctification is a second work of grace. Conversion constitutes us members of the New Testament church and all such are eligible for the experience of perfected holiness. This is proved by the fact that sanctification is not for sinners, but is for church members. Read Ephesians 5:25-27. When sanctified holy, we possess not only the divine life but the divine nature, and are enabled to bring forth more abundant fruit of the Spirit of God in our lives.

CHAPTER 14 THE RELIGION OF THE CHURCH RELIGION is almost, if not altogether as universal as sin. You may go where you will, to the darkest corners of the earth, to the heart of Africa, or to the cannibal tribes in the South Sea Islands, and you will find some traces of religion. Originally God created man with a moral nature and conscience within that made him accountable to a Supreme Being. Sin has not been able entirely to erase this from man’s spiritual moral nature. God is “the Father of spirits.” He “formeth the spirit of man within him,” for “there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Lord giveth him understanding.” At death, we are told that “the spirit shall return unto God WHO GAVE IT.” Thus we are “the offspring of God.” This definitely and clearly differentiates between man and the animal creation about us. Man possesses a rnoral, spiritual nature by which he stands associated with God and things eternal. This is why the human family as a whole has an inward consciousness of a Supreme being: I used to think that the pagans, when they fall down before certain objects made of wood, stone, or other material, worshiped that particular visible object as God. But after studying heathen philosophy, and also from my own observation in world travel, I am fully convinced that this is not true. The apostle Paul clearly states the pagan philosophy. These people are conscious of, and have a vague knowledge that there is a Supreme Being. In their own inward conscience they feel the guilt of sin and that they have offended this Supreme Being. That is why they try to appease the wrath of their gods and remove the guilt from their souls by washing in rivers, torturing themselves, and offering sacrifices on pagan altars, etc. But what of these objects before whom they fall? Some are attractive, others are hideous monstrosities. The apostle told the Athenians that “The unknown God, whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.” In the first chapter of Romans the same apostle tells us that they have “changed the glory of the uncorruptible God” into visible images “made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.” The thought is, they are conscious of a Supreme Being but have lost a true conception of him, so in their worship they liken him to these various objects. In our own Christian land most people want a religion of some sort. If they will not have it while they live, realizing the importance of eternity and the solemn, awful realities of the future, they usually want to have it before they die. Those who think little of religion in their hours of health and activity often send for the minister when they are about to die. But it is a poor religion that a person may put on as if it were his shroud to be buried in. We want a religion not merely to die with, but to live by. In Christianity is comprehended the religion of the New Testament church. But since we have true and false Christianity today, true and false religion, it is absolutely necessary that we investigate and become possessors of true and genuine religion, the one religion of the one and only true Church of God. We can well afford to be mistaken in a thousand of the transitory things of earth and time, but in this matter of religion we cannot afford to be mistaken. There is too much at stake. There is too much involved. It is a problem of eternal moment, because our eternal destiny is involved. WHERE IS TRUE RELIGION TO BE FOUND?  I will treat this point after the old Puritan method. First, negatively, second positively. It is not to be found in old ecclesiastical systems which contend that theirs is the genuine because they are ancient and date back not far this side of the apostolic period. On March 22, 1922, while a missionary in Syria and the Holy Land, Ibrahim Shelida Maloof, my translator, and I visited Meshtaiah, Syria. We were on a tour of evangelistic work in the interior of that country where evangelical Christianity had never been preached. In the above city was a large Greek Catholic convent. Through the influence of Dr. Elias Obeid I had the privilege of preaching in this institution on the Lord’s Day. On this particular Sunday the archbishop of the diocese was present. Just before I entered the pulpit he called me into his private office and addressed me as follows: “Mr. Riggle, before you enter our pulpit I want       you clearly to understand that you are now face to face with the church of Jesus Christ as founded by him and in the very country where he established it. You hail from a new country not five hundred years old, therefore, we assume that yours is a new religion. Ours, we claim, is the       genuine.” A few moments later in the presence of this same dignitary, about fifty priests, and several hundred worshipers, I entered the pulpit and preached from Romans 1:16. My subject was “True Religion.” In this sermon I stressed the fact that no religion of our time can lay claim to being identical with the religion of Christ and the apostles because they are ancient, and can trace their existence back through many centuries of succession through popes, bishops, and church councils. I showed that there was room for apostasy, and that down through the centuries such had actually taken place. I stressed the historical fact that some of these old, established, ecclesiastical bodies in their contention that they are genuine, in order to make others conform to their religion, persecuted, imprisoned, tortured, and even put to death millions of those who differed from them. Then with all the power at my command I boldly presented the incontrovertible fact that the only way any religious body of people can lay claim to being identical with the primitive church is by comparison. That body of people today who possess and demonstrate in actual experience, life, and teaching, the characteristics of pristine Christianity can lay claim to being identical with the apostolic church. This is the truth of the matter. In sharp contrast with the old established formal churches we have a lot of new companies of well-meaning people who have broken away from these older religions and some of them excommunicate all others but themselves. But to affiliate one­self with any of these religious bodies, either old or new, will not make him a recipient of, an actual true possessor of genuine New Testament religion. Naturally the question arises then, and every earnest truth seeker has a right to ask, Where shall I go to find true, genuine religion? On this point we have a positive, definite answer. Go back to the spring and fountain of all truth, of Christianity as revealed in the gospel. If I am thirsty and want a drink of pure water, I will not go down along the stream and dip my cup into its muddy waters. Too many little tributaries from different sources empty into that stream. I will go to the spring and fountain and there dip my cup into the pure sparkling waters as they issue from the rock. In religion, that spring is Jesus Christ. The only source of genuine religion is he. He is the fountain from whom flows the truth of the gospel, the promises of full salvation, and all the blessings comprehended therein. Everything in the plan and work of human redemption emanates from Christ. There is absolutely no need to go to any other source. Friend, unless you come into vital relationship, into direct con­tact with Jesus Christ, the world’s only hope, your religion is vain. WHAT TRUE RELIGION IS NOT A great number of things have been substituted for Bible religion. I will here mention a few. It is not the observance of religious rites or ordinances. Under both the old and new covenants we have “ordinances of divine service.” In the Christian dispensation we observe a number of these that were instituted and enjoined by Christ himself. They are very important, and are intended to be strictly observed by the church; but to substitute these ceremonial rites for true vital religion is a very sad and serious mistake. Some denominational bodies are built around the observance of one or more of these ordinances; and to subtract these would leave them with practically no religion. But these observances are only the symbols, the outward signs of spiritual truths. They are but helps to religion, and teach us by figure the meaning of true religion. They are the kindergarten of the church, and this is all that Jesus really intended by their institution. The outward ordinance of circumcision did not save the Jew, neither will water baptism or the Lord’s Supper save men in this dispensation. It is not the mere observance of outward forms of religious service and worship. Forms may be useful, and are beneficial along with the reality. Forms, however, will not and cannot save. They may be likened to a shell without a kernel. Without the vital principle of Christian religion in the soul, that which changes man’s inward nature as well as his outward life, forms are useless. Religion is not mere outward reforms, because that would make it external, the product of man himself. This was the philosophy of such great men as Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle—a religion of self-culture, out­ward pruning, the result of human effort; but the true religion of Jesus Christ, as revealed in the New Testament, is of God, divine, and internal. It first cleanses that “within . . . . that the outside . . . . may be clean also.” It is not a life regulated by the opinions of men. Too much present-day religion is the worship of human opinion. Jesus expressed it thus, “After the command­ments and doctrines of men,” for “they love the praise of men more than the praise of God.” This kind of religion reaches its end in this life, and will have poor results in eternity. Human influence, authority, rank, and advantages count for little when it comes to Bible religion. False religions have cursed the world from the beginning of time. These religions are perversions and distortions. They are human. Every religion that has not its origin in God and does not harmonize with the whole truth is false, and such religions are dangerous, vain, and empty. We might inquire then as to what are some of the marks of a false religion. I will enumerate a few. Any religion that will not completely save and keep from sin in this life is false. A religion that opposes holiness in experience and life is erroneous. True religion will always produce a clean life, an honest life in the home, community, and world at large. A religion that rejects any part of the gospel of Christ is a spurious religion. As before observed, a religion of outward ordinances without spiritual life in the soul is a sham. Without divine life and power within, all religious acts are a delusion. It is a deception for people to practice an appearance of religion, when in reality they have none. Jesus must be the very center and soul of our religion, for the Christian life is from God, with God, to God in the power of the Spirit. The way to discern a false religion is by the following rules. They are mere systems, and their devotees are mere system worshipers. This kind of religion does not build any substantial moral structure. It is a mere out­ward scaffolding that is sure to fall. A religious structure merely built om system will finally be swept away in the wrath of God. False religion is usually characterized by a display of outward polishing and a desire to parade itself. The further people get away from the truth, the more anxious they are to make a showy display. The Bible terms this “a fair show in the flesh.” Such worshipers care for drill only on review days, because they “love the praise of men more than the praise of God.” But right in the face of all this, allow me to say that the power and beauty of a soul possessed of spiritual life cannot be imitated by the greatest zealot of outward reforms. A living man in poor clothing is a million times ahead of a corpse in costly array. The fruits of false religion always have been and always will be manifest. They make void God’s command­ments by substituting human traditions. They cause people to oppose the truth. They have martyred probably more millions than all the wars of history. They blind people to the truth and these folk are the hardest to reach with the pure gospel. They cause poor innocent children to walk in the religion of their parents and thus bind millions for eternal burnings. But, thank God, there is a way of escape. Be honest with your own soul. Investigate the truth with unprejudiced mind, and be willing to know the whole truth at the cost of sacred tradition. Then when you fully arrive at a satisfactory knowledge of the same, walk in all the light of God even though in so doing, like Paul, “what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” and his salvation. Even though it may mean bitter persecution and suffering, it will pay immensely. WHAT TRUE RELIGION ACTUALLY IS It is an experience of the heart and spirit. Much present-day theology teaches that we are to be imitators of Christ. But the essential and vital principle is usually left out. We must be PARTAKERS of him. No one can walk in the footsteps of our Savior until he first partakes of his love and grace. We must be Christians in heart and life. This is what the old folks used to call experimental, heart-felt religion. This is the need in our day. The religion of Jesus Christ is a purifying of the fountain of life, a quickening of the soul into a vital, spiritual relation with God. Regeneration is the work of the Spirit, and “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” It is not the outward man that undergoes this great moral change, it is man’s spirit, his soul, “the inward man” of the heart. Suppose the reservoir or water supply of a city is impure, unclean. Suppose a great flock of geese and a herd of swine frequent that place and keep the waters continually roiled up and unfit for use. Would it not be the height of folly to go to the enormous expense of erecting filtering plants down along the stream that flows into the city in order to give the people clean, wholesome water? Would it not be wiser and better to remove the trouble from the source of supply, from the fountain itself? Much of our modern religion can well be illustrated by the filtering-plant system. True Bible religion goes to the fountain, and purifies that. That fountain of man’s life is the heart, “for out of it are the issues of life.” The blood of Jesus Christ washes and cleanses the heart from all sin, both acquired and inherited. Jesus expressed it thus: “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Paul declared it to be an experience in which “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Peter informs us that people who have attained this blessed experience can “love one another with a pure heart fervently.” A clean, holy, and righteous life is the natural result of this inward condition. Jesus thus expressed it: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good.” This is true religion. Eternal grace is joined to outward performance. A Christian life is regulated by the gospel, and is the out-flow of an inward condition. The outward observance is the actual, visible fruits of the hidden life within. Thus true religion has two sides—the spiritual and practical. A Christian is not one outwardly, but he is a Christian who is one inwardly, in the heart and in the spirit. I want to emphasize this point that in true religion the outward life is the result, the natural result of the inward condition. Its characteristics are an enlightened understanding, a balanced judgment, a submissive will, and a thing of principle. It is a religion that is earnest, diligent; it exhibits the Christ character, where the Lord’s approval crowns a holy life. It is void of hypocrisy and shallow­ness. It is real, solid, and deep. It does not go by spurts and jumps, but is an all-around everyday religion. It is as pure in the secret life as in the public. It demonstrates itself in the everyday home life, hence is a family religion, and enables its possessors first to “show piety at home.” It is a religion that produces confidence in your own experience, and commands the confidence and respect of others. It is attractive and fulfills in the church the declaration of David, “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.” Yes, this religion will stand by you and sustain you amidst all the changing scenes and circumstances, the adversities and disappointments, the trials and temptations of life, and then when the shadows of death begin to surround you and the scenes of earth and time fade forever from your view, and the solemn, awful realities of eternity break in upon you, it will stand by you in your dying hour and will admit you into heaven at last.