Newspaper Page Text
4
THE E£?ROT)UCTION 01 CHEIST
Tabernacle Sermon by Reb. Len G. Rroughton, D. D.
Steuographically reported for The Golden Age. —Copyright applied for
Text: “But grow in grace and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’’
WISH I might be considered in giving
this message as simply giving you a
heart to heart talk about this, perhaps
the most important subject for Chris
tian people that I could bring to you.
We hear a great deal about growth in
grace. Perhaps it is the most frequent
ly used theme for Christian people of
all the other themes that we have con-
1—
sidered. It is a very popular theme in our prayer
meetings, and in the meetings of our different so
cieties whenever they come together. We find it easy
to talk about growth in grace. Perhaps this is due
to the fact that everybody recognizes the importance
of it, and yet, my friends, from what I observe, it
is the one theme more than all others that we ex
emplify least in our lives. We talk a. great deal
about it but manifest very little of it in our lives.
Perhaps someone would like to ask, “How can
you tell whether one is growing in grace or not?”
My answer is this, I can tell whether I have grown
in grace, or whether you have grown in grace just
in the same way that I can tell whether a tree has
grown in stature. If I were asked to tell you
whether a tree in the yard had grown, I would pro
ceed to measure that tree. First, I would measure
its trunk, and then its branches, and when I have
finished and compare my measurements with some
that I have taken in times past, I am able to find
whether that tree has grown or not. This is also
true of Christian development. It is just as easy for
us to tell whether we have developed and are de
veloping as whether that tree has developed or not.
If we want to know whether we have grown in
grace or not we begin by measuring ourselves. We
use God’s standard of measurement and when we
have finished the measuring process, then we com
pare ourselves with what we were at some period
in the past and by such a process it is very easy
for one to tell whether he has made any progress
or not.
THE TEST OF GROWTH.
For example we start out to measure ourselves
with reference to our orthodoxy. We ask ourselves
first, Are we any more orthodox than we were?
Have we grown in the knowledge of the truth ? Do
we have a firmer grip upon the great eternal veri
ties of the Word of God and of the doctrines of
grace than we did at some time in the past? Then
we take another branch of the Christian life, our
prayer life, and we ask ourselves, Do we enjoy
prayer any more than we used to? Or do we find
that it is harder for us to pray than it was former
ly? Do we take less interest in prayer than we
used to? Do we find it easier to retire at night with
out praying? Do we feel willing to start out the
day without prayer? Or do we find the reverse of
that? Do we find that we are growing more and
more in our dependence upon prayer? Do we find
that we are not willing to undertake a thing with
out prayer? Do we actually enjoy prayer? Are
our prayers answered more than they used to be?
How about our prayer life as compared to our
prayer life of yesterday?
In such a test as this we will always find some
thing that will be of help to us in determining the
question of our growth in grace.
Take the question of liberality. Do we find that
we are more liberal with our means than we used
to be? Do we find it easier to give than we used to
find it, or is it the reverse?
What about our daily life? Compare that life
with that of yesterday or some period in the past
and it will help us to see whether or not we have
grown in grace. If we would know for a fact
whether or not we are making any progress in the
Christian life, we must now and then, as the busi
ness man would, take stock, and see how we stand,
The Golden Age for August 20, 1908.
comparing what we now are with what we were.
But when we start out with that process, I am
afraid that some of us will come out rather discour
aged and rather pessimistic. I have asked myself
recently from what I observed of the lives of many
people, Has there been any progress in grace in that
life within the recent months? And I tell you, I
become somewhat discouraged. Here and there is
one whom I see is making progress, but on the other
hand, it seems to me that a great many of them,
from what I can observe, are making steady and
definite decline. Why is this? Why is it that
men and women, who know the Lord, are so slow to
see and realize and appreciate the importance of
progress in their lives?
It cannot be that they do not want to be better.
I do not believe there is a man who has tasted of
the Christian life who does not want to be a better
man, to live a better life. It is not because we de
preciate Jesus Christ. There is not one of us that
does not fully appreciate Jesus Christ. Why is it,
therefore, that there is so little progress in the
Christian life —so little growth in grace?
I think that it is due to one of three things.
In some cases I think it is due to the fact that
there is nothing to grow. If a seed is to grow and
in time bear fruit, there must be something within
it that will germinate and grow. The mere plant
ing of the seed will not bring forth the plant. There
must be the germ of life in the seed; and if the
Christian is to make progress there must be the
Christian germ within his soul; that germ which we
call the new life, which is imparted by the Holy
Ghost. I believe that the reason there is no prog
ress in the life of so many professed Christians is
the fact that there is no new life, no impartation on
the part of the Holy Spirit.
ASSURANCE of salvation.
If this be true, then the first question is the
question of our salvation. Are we saved ? I am
not asking whether we are members of the church,
but are we saved, and do we know that we are
saved? Ido not hesitate to put emphasis upon the
knowledge of this fact, for it is possible for us not
only to be saved but for us to know that we are
saved.
John in his Gospel says, “I write these things
unto you that ye may know that ye have passed
from death unto life,” and so it is possible for ev
ery man and woman in the church to be saved, and
to know that we are saved. How may we know that
we are saved? Just as the Christian knows any
thing else. It is taught in the Bible. We are told,
1 ‘ Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye
have eternal life.” The people to whom that was
said were people who had an idea that in the Bible
itself was salvation, and this was said to correct
that impression. “Search the Scriptures, for in
them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are
they which testify of me.” Eternal life will not
be found in the Scriptures, but in the One to
whom the Scriptures testify. Search in order that
you may be corrected of error. Search in order that
you may find the roads that lead unto the Savior
of man.
So, if I am asked to answer the question, How
can I know that I am saved? I would say, Search
the Scriptures to see the roads that lead from
death unto life and see whether you are traveling
those roads. I remember a woman once came to me
and said: “I am afraid I am not a Christian. 1
have been a member of the church for ten years.
I recently heard a preacher say that a Christian
should have the assurance of his salvation, and as
I have not, I am afraid I am not a Christian.”
I told her to search the Scriptures. I thought
certainly she would search the Scriptures with ref
erence to the question in hand, but she came back
a few days later, saying, “I have done what you
told me, and I am even more in doubt than ever.”
“What Scriptures have you searched?” I asked.
“Well, I began at the first of Genesis, and I have
read through three books.”
“I did not tell you to search the Scriptures to
see how man was created and how the earth was
formed. I wanted you to search the Scriptures with
reference to your salvation. You go and obtain a
good concordance and read everything that you can
find on the subject of salvation and the conditions
therefor. ’ ’
She came back a little later saying that she had
done what I suggested, and found that she had
complied with all the conditions and that she was
sure therefore of her salvation. That was what I
wanted to bring her to see; and if you are in doubt
about your soul’s salvation, you need not try to un
derstand the philosophy of Christian development.
All you want to do is to stop here and now and set
tle the question. Have you complied with the con
ditions that underlie salvation? Have you definite
ly accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and
Master? Have you confessed Him before men? If
you have, then let all the devils in hell come and
howl their criticisms against you, you are saved; so
rest upon that fact.
A WRONG CONCEPTION.
Another reason why men do not make more prog
ress in grace is because of the wrong conception of
grace itself. This word grace translated into Eng
lish is the same word in the Greek that refers to
holiness of character, and it may just as w’ell be
translated grow in the character or the holiness of
Jesus Christ. A great many people confound the
word character with the word characteristics. Char
acter has characteristics. Characteristics are the
indications of character. Just as grace has graces,
Grace has many graces, but no one of them may
be looked upon as grace.
For example, take the question of punctuality
upon the service of God’s house. One man may
feel that he has grown in grace because he has be
come more regular in his attendance upon church
services. He says, “I am never absent. I am al
ways on hand,” and he thinks that because of that
fact he has made progress in grace, while he may
have deteriorated in many other respects, and there
might be another man who, for some reason, could
not go to church; so the first man could not
count his attendance upon services as an evidence of
growth in the face of deterioration in every other
respect, and the second could not say that he had
not .grown in grace simply because providence had
kept him away from church, if that were the only
thing to be considered.
Take the question of liberality. Some men think
that the only thing to be considered in the ques
tion of growth in grace is whether or not they are
willing to part with their money. True, this is one
phase, growth in grace would naturally result in lib
erality, but there are other things to be considered.
A man might be willing to give, and yet he might
be cross and mean in his home. Would the fact that
he was willing to give signify a growth in grace?
On the contrary, liberality is often used as a salve to
tlie conscience; some think that, so long as they
give, it excuses other things that they might do.
So we might go through with the entire list of
the characteristics of grace and when we had fin
ished be forced to the conclusion that even though
we were improving in one or two of those character
istics, that does not betoken a growth in grace.
M hat is meant by growth in grace here is growth
in the likeness of Christ—growth in the character
of Christ; growth in the likeness of Christ with
reference to the attitude toward things that we all
have to come in contact with on this earth. Yon
know what that attitude was. It can be found in
the history of His life in the four Gospels.
First, Jesus practiced denial of self. With Him
while He was on this earth, the will of His Father
was supreme. Never for one moment did he act
independently of that will. He was always under
