Publication date
11/15/03
Volume
24
Number
22
The WatchTower
Views From the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1903/22/1903-22-1.html
 
 
NOVEJUU 
15. 
1903 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(435-436) 
was 
prospering 
him 
in 
the 
matter 
to 
which 
he 
had 
called 
him, 
he 
evidently 
was 
full 
of 
joy 
and 
satisfaction 
and 
peace. 
So 
it 
should 
be 
with 
all 
the 
Lord's 
people 
who 
have 
been 
called 
to 
be 
heirs 
of 
God, 
joint-heirs 
with 
Jesus 
Christ 
their 
Lord, 
for 
"an 
inheritance 
incorruptible, 
undefiled 
and 
fadeth 
not 
away, 
reo 
served 
in 
heaven 
for 
you 
who 
are 
kept 
through 
faith 
and 
by 
the 
power 
of 
God 
unto 
salvation, 
ready 
to 
be 
revealed 
in 
the 
last 
time." 
They, 
too, 
should 
realize 
that 
the 
proper 
way 
to 
show 
their 
appreciation 
of 
the 
Lord's 
promised 
blessings 
is 
by 
a 
manifestation 
of 
faith 
in 
him, 
confidently 
trusting 
and 
rejoicing 
in 
these. 
Wherever 
we 
find 
fear, 
trepidation, 
unrest, 
we 
may 
know 
that 
these 
are 
symptoms 
of 
some 
spiritual 
mal- 
ady; 
because 
whatever 
may 
be 
the 
outward 
disturbances, 
troubles, 
vexations, 
it 
is 
the 
privilege 
of 
those 
who 
are 
the 
Lor~'s 
to 
have 
~he 
peace 
of 
God 
which 
passeth 
all 
understanding 
contmually 
rUlIng 
in 
their 
hearts. 
It 
is 
their 
privilege 
to 
real­ 
ize 
fully, 
thoroughly 
that 
all 
things 
are 
working 
together 
for 
good 
to 
them 
because 
they 
love 
the 
Lord, 
and 
with 
this 
thought 
of 
their 
call 
to 
the 
kingdom 
and 
of 
the 
Lord's 
willingness 
that 
they 
should 
serve 
therein, 
and 
with 
the 
assurance 
that 
he 
will 
give 
grace 
and 
glory 
and 
no 
good 
thing 
withhold 
from 
those 
who 
walk 
uprightly, 
we 
certainly 
have 
reason 
for 
thankfulness 
and 
heart-rejoicing 
before 
him. 
VOL. 
XXIV 
ALLEGHENY, 
P 
A., 
DECEMBER 
1, 
1903 
No. 
23 
"HALLELUJAHl 
WHAT 
A 
SAVIORl" 
CHRIST, 
THE 
INSTRUCTOR, 
JUSTIFIER, 
SANCTIFIER 
AND 
DELIVERER 
OF 
HIS 
PEOPLE. 
"Who 
of 
God 
is 
made 
unto 
us 
wisdam, 
and 
rigMeQ'lJ,SneS8, 
[justification], 
a.nd 
sanctification, 
and 
redemption 
[deUverance]." 
-1 
Cor. 
1:30. 
CHRIST 
OUR 
W1SDOM 
is 
the 
particular 
class 
referred 
to 
in 
this 
scripture-"who 
of 
Since 
God's 
dealings 
with 
his 
creatures 
recognize 
their 
God 
is 
made 
unto 
us 
justification," 
or 
righteousness. 
wills, 
the 
first 
step 
in 
his 
dealings 
with 
tllem, 
therefore, 
is 
to 
(4) 
How 
God 
has 
arranged 
or 
caused 
Christ 
to 
be 
our 
give 
them 
knowledge, 
or 
"wisdom," 
as 
it 
is 
translated 
in 
the 
"righteousness," 
or 
justification, 
is 
not 
here 
explained' 
but 
above 
Scripture. 
It 
is 
for 
this 
reason 
that 
preaching 
was 
the 
what 
we 
know 
of 
divine 
law 
and 
character 
assures 
us 
th~t 
the 
first 
command 
of 
the 
Gospel 
age. 
To 
the 
worldly-minded 
the 
principle 
of 
Justice, 
the 
very 
founda.tion 
o~ 
divine 
government, 
preaching 
of 
forgiveness 
on 
account 
of 
faith 
in 
the 
crucified 
must 
someho~ 
have 
been 
fully 
satisfied 
In 
all 
of 
its 
claims. 
Jesus 
did 
not 
seem 
the 
wise 
course. 
To 
them 
it 
would 
have 
And 
other 
sCrIptures 
fully 
substantiate 
this 
conclusion. 
They 
seemed 
better 
for 
God 
to 
have 
commanded 
something 
to 
be 
as~ert 
tha~ 
God 
so 
arranged 
II;s 
to 
have 
the 
price 
of 
man's 
sin 
done 
by 
them. 
But, 
as 
Paul 
says-"It 
pleased 
God 
to 
save 
paid 
for 
him; 
and 
that 
~he 
pr~ce 
paid 
w~s 
an 
exact 
equivalent, 
those 
who 
believe 
by 
[knowledge 
imparted 
through 
what 
the 
a 
rans?7l?' 
or 
c?rrespo~dtng 
prwe, 
offsettmg 
in 
every 
particular 
worldly 
consider] 
the 
foolishness 
of 
this 
preaching."-1 
Cor. 
th? 
~mgm~l 
sin 
and 
Just 
penal~y, 
death, 
as 
it 
came 
upon 
the 
1 
:21. 
ongmal 
smner 
and 
through 
him 
by 
heredity 
upon 
all 
men. 
The 
first 
gift 
of 
God 
to 
our 
redeemed 
race, 
therefore 
was 
(Rom. 
5: 
12, 
18-20) 
He 
tells 
us 
that 
this 
plan 
of 
salvation 
was 
knowledge. 
adopted 
because 
by 
it 
"God 
might 
be 
[or 
continue] 
just 
and 
(1) 
Knowledge 
of 
the 
greatness 
and 
absolute 
justice 
of 
[yet 
be] 
the 
justifier 
of 
him 
[any 
sinner] 
that 
believeth 
in 
the 
God 
with 
whom 
we 
have 
to 
do. 
This 
knowledge 
was 
pre- 
Jesus"-tllat 
Comes 
unto 
God 
under 
the 
terms 
of 
the 
New 
pared 
for 
by 
the 
Mosiac 
Law, 
which 
was 
a 
"schoolmaster," 
or 
~ovenant, 
o~ 
which 
Christ 
Jes~s 
is 
the 
mediator, 
having 
sealed 
pedagogue, 
to 
lead 
men 
to 
Christ. 
And 
Christ. 
by 
his 
obedi- 
It, 
or 
made 
It 
a 
covenant, 
by 
hIS 
own 
precious 
blood.-Heb. 
13: 
ence 
to 
that 
law, 
magnified 
the 
law 
and 
showed 
its 
honorable- 
21; 
10:29. 
ness, 
its 
worthiness; 
and 
thus 
honored 
God, 
the 
authOr 
of 
that 
(5) 
While 
the 
benefits 
of 
this 
gracious 
arrangement 
are 
law, 
and 
showed 
his 
character. 
only 
for 
"us," 
for 
"believers," 
for 
those 
who 
come 
unto 
God 
by 
(2) 
Knowledge 
of 
his 
own 
weakness, 
of 
his 
fallen, 
sinful 
Christ-under 
the 
provisions 
of 
the 
*New 
Covenant-these 
ben­ 
and 
helpless 
condition, 
was 
also 
needful 
to 
man, 
that 
he 
might 
efits 
.a~e, 
nevertheless. 
made 
applicable 
to 
all; 
for 
God's 
spcdal 
appr('ciate 
his 
need 
of 
a 
Savior 
such 
as 
God's 
plan 
had 
pro- 
prOVISIOn 
for 
the 
whole 
world 
of 
sinners 
is 
that 
all 
shall 
"come 
vided 
for 
him. 
to 
a 
knowledge. 
0t 
the 
tmth( 
that 
they 
may, 
if 
then 
they 
will 
(3) 
Knowledge 
of 
how 
the 
entire 
race 
of 
Adam 
fell 
from 
accept 
the 
conditIons 
of 
~od 
~ 
covenant, 
be 
everlastingly 
saved. 
diYine 
favor 
and 
from 
mental, 
moral 
and 
physical 
perfection, 
A 
knowledge 
and 
a 
reJection 
of 
error-of 
false 
doctrines 
through 
llim, 
was 
also 
necessary. 
'Vithout 
this 
knowledge 
which 
misrepresent 
the 
divine 
eharact('r 
even 
thOlwh 
thcy 
be 
we 
could 
not 
have 
seen 
how 
God 
could 
be 
just 
in 
accepting 
the 
mixed 
with 
a 
little 
misconstrued 
truth-will 
not 
~ 
constitute 
one 
life, 
of 
Christ, 
as 
the 
ransom 
price 
for 
the 
life 
of 
the 
whole 
grounds 
for 
condemnation; 
but 
a 
knowlcdgc 
of 
the 
t1'uth 
and 
a 
world. 
rejection 
of 
it 
will 
bring 
condemnation 
to 
the 
second 
death. 
. 
(4) 
Without 
knowledge 
as 
to 
what 
is 
the 
penalty 
for 
sin 
The 
Greek 
te~t 
states 
this 
much 
more 
emphatically 
than 
our 
-that 
"the 
wages 
of 
sin 
is 
death"-we 
never 
should 
have 
been 
common 
Enghsh 
translation. 
It 
says, 
"come 
to 
an 
aCC1lrate 
able 
to 
understand 
how 
the 
death 
of 
our 
Redeemer 
paid 
the 
knowledge 
of 
the 
truth."-l 
Tim. 
2 
:4. 
penalty 
against 
Adam 
and 
aU 
in 
him. 
(6) 
The 
provision 
macIe 
was 
sufficient 
for 
all 
me'n. 
Our 
(5) 
Knowledge, 
in 
these 
various 
respects, 
was, 
therefore, 
Lord 
gave 
himself 
[in 
death] 
a 
ransom--a 
corresponding 
price 
absolutely 
necessary 
to 
us, 
as 
without 
it 
we 
could 
have 
had 
-for 
all; 
he 
was 
a 
"propitiation 
[or 
sufficient 
Ratisfactionl 
for 
no 
proper 
faith, 
and 
could 
not 
have 
availed 
ourselves 
of 
God's 
the 
sinR 
of 
the 
whole 
world." 
(I 
John 
2:2) 
As 
a 
conse­ 
provision 
of 
justification, 
sanctification 
and 
deliverance 
through 
qucnce, 
he 
iR 
hoth 
ahle 
and 
willing 
"to 
Rave 
unto 
the 
uttermost 
Christ. 
[i. 
e., 
to 
save 
from 
sin, 
and 
from 
divine 
disfavor, 
and 
from 
Most 
heartily, 
therefore, 
we 
thank 
God 
for 
knowledge 
or 
death, 
and 
all 
these 
everlastingly] 
all 
that 
come 
unto 
God 
by 
wisdom 
concerning 
his 
plan. 
And 
we 
see 
that 
this 
wisdom 
him." 
(Heb. 
7: 
25) 
And 
inasmuch 
as 
God's 
provision 
is 
so 
came 
to 
us 
through 
Christ; 
because. 
had 
it 
not 
been 
for 
the 
broad, 
that 
all 
shall 
come 
to 
an 
exact 
knowledge 
of 
the 
truth, 
plan 
of 
salvation 
of 
which 
he 
and 
his 
cross 
are 
the 
center, 
it 
respecting 
these 
proviRions 
of 
divine 
mercy 
under 
the 
terms 
of 
would 
have 
been 
useless 
to 
give 
the 
knowledge, 
useless 
to 
the 
New 
Covenant;-inasmuch 
as 
the 
provision 
is 
that 
all 
preach, 
because 
there 
would 
have 
been 
no 
salvation 
to 
offer. 
the 
.sin 
and 
prejudice-blind~d 
eyes 
shall.be 
opened, 
and 
that 
the 
deVil. 
who 
for 
long 
centurIcs 
has 
decClved 
men 
with 
his 
mis- 
CHRIST 
OUR 
JUSTIFICATION 
representations 
of 
the 
truth. 
is 
to 
be 
bound 
for 
a 
thousand 
That 
Christ 
is 
made 
unto 
righteousness 
or 
justification 
years, 
so 
that 
he 
can 
deceive 
the 
nations 
no 
more; 
and 
that 
then 
implies,- 
a 
highway 
of 
holiness 
shall 
be 
cast 
up 
in 
which 
the 
most 
stupid 
( 
1) 
That 
we 
are 
unjust, 
or 
unrighteous 
in 
the 
sight 
of 
cannot 
err 
or 
be 
deceived; 
and 
in 
view 
of 
all 
this 
provision 
God 
God, 
and 
unworthy 
of 
his 
favor. 
declares 
that 
all 
men 
will 
be 
saved 
from 
the 
guilt 
and 
penalty 
(2) 
That, 
in 
view 
of 
our 
unworthiness, 
God 
had 
in 
some 
incurred 
through 
Adam's 
sentence. 
Because, 
when 
all 
of 
these 
manner 
arrang'ed 
that 
Christ's 
righteouflness 
Rhould 
stand 
,l!ood 
blessed 
arrangements 
have 
been 
carried 
into 
effect, 
there 
will 
for 
"us," 
and 
thus 
give 
"us" 
a 
standing 
before 
God 
which 
be 
tl-O 
reason 
for 
a 
solitary 
member 
of 
the 
human 
family 
re­ 
we 
could 
not 
otherwise 
have 
because 
of 
our 
imperfections-our 
maining. 
a 
stranger 
and 
alien 
fr?m 
God's 
family 
except 
by 
his 
unrighteousness. 
O'l.lin 
chfJ'lce 
or 
preference 
for 
unrI.l!hteousness, 
and 
that 
with 
an 
(3) 
This 
scripture 
does 
not 
imply 
that 
Christ's 
righteous. 
accurate 
knowledge 
that 
all 
unrighteousness 
is 
sin. 
Such 
as, 
of 
ness 
covers 
every 
sinner, 
so 
that 
God 
now 
views 
everv 
sinner 
as 
their 
own 
preference, 
knowingly 
choose 
sin, 
when 
the 
way 
and 
thoug-h 
he 
were 
righteous, 
and 
treats 
all 
as 
his 
children. 
No, 
mean'! 
of 
becoming 
servants 
of 
God 
are 
clearly 
under~tood 
by 
it 
refers 
merely 
to 
a 
special 
class 
of 
sinners-sinners 
who, 
hav- 
them, 
are 
wilful 
sinners 
on 
their 
own 
account, 
and 
will 
receive 
ing 
come 
to 
a 
knowledge 
of 
sin 
and 
righteousness, 
and 
having 
the 
second 
death 
sentence 
as 
the 
wages 
of 
their 
own 
opposition 
learned 
the 
undesirableness 
of 
sin, 
have 
repented 
of 
sin, 
and 
to 
God's 
righteous 
arrangements. 
sought 
to 
flee 
from 
it 
and 
to 
come 
into 
harmony 
with 
God. 
This 
• 
See 
June 
IS, 
1919, 
issue. 
for 
critical 
examination 
of 
Covenants. 
[3279] 
NovemBer 15, 1903 was prospering him in the matter to which he had called him, he evidently was full of joy and satisfaction and peace. So it should be with all the Lord’s people who have been called to be heirs of God, joint-heirs with Jesus Christ their Lord, for “an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled and fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept through faith and by the power of God unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.” They, too, should realize that the proper way to show their appreciation of the Lord’s promised blessings is by a manifestation of faith in him, confidently trusting and rejoicing in these. Wherever we find fear, trepidation, unrest, we may know that these are symptoms of some spiritual mal Vou. XXIV ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, PA., (435-436) ady; because whatever may be the outward disturbances, troubles, vexations, it is the privilege of those who are the Lord’s to have the peace of God which passeth all understanding continually ruling in their hearts. It is their privilege to realize fully, thoroughly that all things are working together for good to them because they love the Lord, and with this thought of their call to the kingdom and of the Lord’s willingness that they should serve therein, and with the assurance that he will give grace and glory and no good thing withhold from those who walk uprightly, we certainly have reason for thankfulness and heart-rejoicing before him. DECEMBER 1, 1903 No. 23 “HALLELUJAH! WHAT A SAVIOR!” CHRIST, THE INSTRUCTOR, JUSTIFIER, SANCTIFIER AND DELIVERER OF HIS PEOPLE. “Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, [justification], and sanctification, and redemption [deliverance].” —1 Cor. 1:30. CHRIST OUR WISDOM Since God’s dealings with his creatures recognize their wills, the first step in his dealings with them, therefore, is to give them knowledge, or “wisdom,” as it is translated in the above Scripture. It is for this reason that preaching was the first command of the Gospel age. To the worldly-minded the preaching of forgiveness on account of faith in the crucified Jesus did not seem the wise course. To them it would have seemed better for God to have commanded something to he done by them, But, as Paul says—“It pleased God to save those who believe by [knowledge imparted through what the worldly consider] the foolishness of this preaching.”—-1 Cor. 1:21, The first gift of God to our redeemed race, therefore was knowledge. {1} Knowledge of the greatness and absolute justice of the God with whom we have to do. This knowledge was prepared for by the Mosiac Law, which was a “schoolmaster,” or pedagogue, to lead men to Christ. And Christ, by his obedience to that law, magnified the law and showed its honorableness, its worthiness; and thus honored God, the author of that law, and showed his character. (2) Knowledge of his own weakness, of his fallen, sinful and helpless condition, was also needful to man, that he might appreciate his need of a Savior such as God’s plan had provided for him. (3) Knowledge of how the entire race of Adam fell from divine favor and from mental, moral and physical perfection, through him, was also necessary. Without this knowledge we could not have seen how God could be just in accepting the one life, of Christ, as the ransom price for the life of the whole world. “ (4) Without knowledge as to what is the penalty for sin —that “the wages of sin is death”—we never should have been able to understand how the death of our Redeemer paid the penalty against Adam and all in him. (5) Knowledge, in these various respects, was, therefore, absolutely necessary to us, as without it we could have had no proper faith, and could not have availed ourselves of God’s provision of justification, sanctification and deliverance through Christ. Most heartily, therefore, we thank God for knowledge or wisdom concerning his plan. And we see that this wisdom came to us through Christ; because, had it not been for the plan of salvation of which he and his cross are the center, it would have been useless to give the knowledge, useless to preach, because there would have been no salvation to offer. CHRIST OUR JUSTIFICATION That Christ is made unto righteousness or justification implies,— (1) That we are unjust, or unrighteous in the sight of God, and unworthy of his favor. (2) That, in view of our unworthiness, God had in some manner arranged that Christ’s righteousness should stand good for “us,” and thus give “us” a standing before God which we could not otherwise have because of our imperfections—our unrighteousness. (3) This scripture does not imply that Christ’s righteousness covers every sinner, so that God now views every sinner as though he were righteous, and treats all as his children. No, it refers merely to a special class of sinners—sinners who, having come to a knowledge of sin and righteousness, and having learned the undesirableness of sin, have repented of sin, and sought to flee from it and to come into harmony with God. This is the particular class referred to in this scripture—“‘who of God is made unto us justification,” or righteousness. . (4) How God has arranged or caused Christ to be our “righteousness,” or justification, is not here explained; but what we know of divine law and character assures us that the principle of Justice, the very foundation of divine government, must somehow have been fully satisfied in all of its claims. And other scriptures fully substantiate this conclusion. They assert that God so arranged as to have the price of man’s sin paid for him; and that the price paid was an exact equivalent, &% ransom or corresponding price, offsetting in every particular the original sin and just penalty, death, as it came upon the original sinner and through him by heredity upon all men. (Rom. 5:12, 18-20) He tells us that this plan of salvation was adopted because by it “God might be [or continue] just, and {yet be] the justifier of him {any sinner] that believeth in Jesus”—that comes unto God under the terms of the New Covenant, of which Christ Jesus is the mediator, having sealed it, or made it a covenant, by his own precious blood.—Heb. 13: 21; 10:29. (5) While the benefits of this gracious arrangement are only for “us,” for “believers,” for those who come unto God by Christ—under the provisions of the *New Covenant—these benefits are, nevertheless. made applicable to all; for God’s special provision for the whole world of sinners is that all shall “come to a knowledge of the truth,” that they may, if then they will accept the conditions of God’s covenant, be everlastingly saved, A knowledge and a rejection of error—of false doctrines which misrepresent the divine character even though they he mixed with a little misconstrued truth—will not constitute grounds for condemnation; but a knowledge of the truth and a rejection of it will bring condemnation to the second death. The Greek text states this much more emphatically than our common English translation, It says, “come to an accurate knowledge of the truth.”—1 Tim. 2:4. (6} The provision made was sufficient for all men. Our Lord gave himself [in death] a ransom—a corresponding price —for ail; he was a “propitiation [or sufficient satisfaction] for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2) As a consequence, he is both able and willing “to save unto the uttermost {i. ¢., to save from sin, and from divine disfavor, and from death, and all these everlastingly] all that come unto God by him.” (Heb. 7:25) And inasmuch as God’s provision is so broad, that oll shall come to an exact knowledge of the truth respecting these provisions of divine mercy under the terms of the New Covenant;—inasmuch as the provision is that all the sin and prejudice-blinded eyes shall be opened, and that the devil, who for long centurics has deceived men with his misrepresentations of the truth, is to be bound for a thousand years, so that he can deceive the nations no more; and that then a highway of holiness shall be cast up in which the most stupid cannot err or be deceived ; and in view of all this provision God declares that all men will be saved from the guilt and penalty incurred through Adam’s sentence. Because, when all of these blessed arrangements have been carried into effect, there will be no reason for a solitary member of the human family remaining a stranger and alien from God’s family except by his own choice or preference for unrighteousness, and that with an accurate knowledge that all unrighteousness is sin. Such as, of their own preference, knowingly choose sin, when the way and means of becoming servants of God are clearly understood by them, are wilful sinners on their own account, and will receive the second death sentence as the wages of their own opposition to God’s righteous arrangements. * See June 15, 1919, issue, for critical examination of Covenants. [3279]

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