Part 9

The answer is not hard to find. The foremen and the workmen have access to plans and specifications. The plans are minute, and the specifications in detail. The workmen may then see for themselves how the building is to be erected. If only they read right, and interpret correctly, they may go ahead indefinitely. It is because they are prone to misinterpret, and sometimes tempted to defraud the owners, that the architect has to make his regular rounds and watch carefully.

[Sidenote: The plan of eternal life.]

It is just so with those who are building life eternal. The Indian chief was right. He was looking for the plans and specifications of eternal life, furnished by the Great Architect. The Indian chief did not find them. He did not enquire at the right wigwam. The plans and specifications of eternal life constitute the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The presence and the practice of that Gospel--in fulness and in simplicity--in the {162} Church of Christ, form the third mark of its divine authority.

[Sidenote: The necessity of plans.]

Why are plans and specifications necessary? Ordinary plans and specifications accomplish three very important things. First, they direct what is to be done and how it is to be done. Secondly, they furnish a basis of judgment whereby to determine whether or not the work of the contractors fulfills the terms of agreement. Thirdly, they furnish a standard of judgment whereby to determine whether or not the materials used, the proportions mixed, the measurements taken, and all else, are of the quality and fulness required by the builder, and agreed to by the contractor.

[Sidenote: The application.]

So also, the teachings of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ are necessary to man for very important reasons. It is through the Gospel, that we learn of God and His work--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. It is through the Gospel that we learn of Christ's wonderful atoning sacrifice. It is through the Gospel that we learn to know what is man's duty to God, and man's duty to man. The Gospel, too, then directs men what to do and how to do it. It furnishes a basis of judgment whereby to determine whether a man's actions are good or bad. It furnishes a standard of judgment whereby to determine the true and exact quality of the structure of eternal life which he has built up.

[Sidenote: The principles of the Gospel.]

It is not the purpose of this lesson to review all the principles of the Gospel. Faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, by one holding authority from God, the {163} conferring of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands of men holding authority, are fundamental principles and initiatory rites. All the teachings contained in this little book, and many more besides, belong to the Gospel of Jesus. The true Church of Christ must hold strictly to all that Jesus taught. "After that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God."

[Sidenote: Men judged by the Gospel.]

Of the Gospel--the plan of eternal life--the Great Architect was jealous. "He that rejecteth me," asserted Jesus, "and receiveth not my words, hath One that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day," And the end can not come till all have heard the plans and specifications of eternal life. Said Jesus again, "This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

[Sidenote: The three marks.]

Like the chieftain of the Flatheads, others, too, may come over a trail of many moons, from the setting sun. They may come from a land of darkness, in search of Light. They may need the Book of Heaven to make the way of eternal life plain. Surely, the scroll may be found in only one place--The Church of Jesus Christ. It is founded upon the rock of revelation; it is ribbed by the quorums of the priesthood of Aaron and of Melchizedek; and it is clothed in the teachings of Jesus--the Gospel of the Son of God.

These are the three never-failing marks of the Church of Christ.

{164} THE REFERENCES

Mark 1:14, 15. John 12:48-50.

Matt. 24:14.

THE QUESTIONS

1. What is the significance of the speech of the Flathead chief?

2. Why does an architect prepare plans and specifications for a proposed building?

3. How is the Gospel like such plans and specifications?

4. What is the Gospel?

5. How did Jesus show His great concern for the Gospel?

6. What are the three never-failing marks of the Church of Christ?

{165}

{166} PICTURE: CONSIDER THE LILIES, Lejenno

{167}

XXII

SINGLE MINDED LOYALTY

[Sidenote: A supreme privilege.]

It is indeed a privilege beyond measure to belong to a Church founded upon divine revelation, presided over by the Lord Jesus Himself and conducted by a divinely appointed priesthood, and regulated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ--the divine plan of salvation. Not many people appreciate fully what a priceless blessing is within their reach. They clamor and struggle, sometimes, for membership in some secret brotherhood or other, which will avail them nothing when they shall pass into that other world; and they neglect--nay, ignore--membership in the open brotherhood of Jesus the Christ, which might be made to profit them much upon the earth, and which would give them hereafter free access into the larger kingdom of God. Is not the vision of man imperfect?

[Sidenote: The true worth of membership.]

Jesus, however, recognized the true worth of membership in the kingdom of heaven. "The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field," He declared; "the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

These are pretty parables, but what do they mean? Why, simply, that a man who has found the Church of Christ should be willing, if necessary--indeed, he {168} will be willing, if necessary--to give up every material possession in order to attain membership therein. It is a blessing, of course, to possess sufficient of this world's goods; but it is far better to have secure one's place in the kingdom of God.

[Sidenote: Conditions of membership.]

This lesson Jesus taught always. To gain entrance into the kingdom, one must forsake all personal, unworthy ambitions. "The time is fulfilled," Jesus cried on His preaching tours, "and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." And when the disciples of Jesus would stop the parents from bringing their children to the Master, Jesus said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." This all teaches that to secure the coveted membership, we must not only renounce all the evils of our past, but we must put ourselves in the attitude of little children, eager to receive the divine word of God, and to help in its establishment upon the earth.

[Sidenote: Single-minded loyalty.]

Now, it needs no long explanation to show that those who have succeeded in placing themselves in the attitude of little children, are also in an attitude of single-minded loyalty to God. Jesus insisted that men must be loyal to God, and that, too, with singleness of purpose and singleness of thought. You have learned in your daily lives which associates you can trust and which you cannot trust. You know very well that if a boy's thoughts are always good, he is not very likely to become guilty {169} of any seriously wrong act. You know that if a girl's motives are good, she is not likely to become guilty of evil. Jesus knew these truths, too. He was anxious, therefore, that the minds of men should become filled with thoughts of God--that the dominating motive in their minds should be to serve God. For He knew very well that a man dominated by the motive of Godly service would be arrayed against sin; whereas, one not so dominated might easily be overcome by the wily suggestions of the tempter.

[Sidenote: No man can serve two masters.]

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is there will your heart be also."

When we learn that, in the Jewish belief, the heart was the seat of thought and intelligence, then this saying of the Teacher becomes plain indeed. It is impossible for anyone to have two chief centers of interest. If a man devote his thought and intelligence to the laying up of wealth, he will of course neglect his duty to God. For, said Jesus, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon."

[Sidenote: A simple application.]

Everyone knows how true this saying is. Let us apply it to some of our own likes. All boys and most girls like baseball. Every boy and every girl should like {170} to keep the Sabbath holy. Now, if a boy begins to yield to the temptation to play baseball on Sunday, it is not long, ordinarily, before his surrender is complete, and the playing of baseball on Sunday becomes for him a regular practice. What has then happened to his attendance at the Sunday School and the sacrament service? The boy is scarcely if ever seen there. Do you ask why? This boy started by trying to serve both God and Mammon. But the things of God are displeasing to Mammon; and the things of Mammon are displeasing to God. Oil and water, you know, will not mix. As the boy grew in his love for baseball on the Sabbath, he grew also in his hatred for the duties he owed to his God. As he held tenaciously to his baseball on the Sabbath, he despised the service of the great King. Truly, one cannot have two chief centers of interest. "Ye cannot serve God and Mammon."

[Sidenote: A parable in point.]

And the folly of the worship of Mammon is so clear, that it is surprising that men will ever fall into error. Jesus illustrated this truth with an excellent parable. "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him. Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things {171} be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

[Sidenote: The light of the body.]

Again, Jesus said when speaking of laying up treasure in heaven, and serving God and Mammon, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" In the Old Testament, the evil eye stands for avarice and greed, the good eye for generosity. Is there anyone, then, who does not see that if a man fosters thoughts of selfishness and greed, he blinds himself, to all the better and higher things, and gropes in darkness.

[Sidenote: A summary.]

In this way, then, Jesus taught that men should serve God with single-minded loyalty. In His sayings and parables, He presents four reasons: (1) The life of man is in the hands of God. He gave it and He will take it away. No one is sure how long he may be privileged to enjoy worldly pleasures. But the life of the spirit is everlasting. Its joys shall never end. (2) Worldly goods and pleasures are perishable and fleeting. We may lose them when we think we have them most securely. The things of the spirit are eternal. They can not be taken from us, so long as we worship in spirit and in truth. (3) It is impossible for man to hold two equally important and equally cherished objects of interest. One of the two will inevitably be neglected. (4) If a man's motives are selfish and worldly, his soul becomes darkened to truth, and to spiritual things.

{172} [Sidenote: A paraphrase.]

For these excellent and sufficient reasons, man should cultivate an attitude of single-minded loyalty to God. Instead of toiling and sweating for things of passing value only, man should strive for the things of permanent joy and satisfaction. Jesus's message, as has been aptly said, may be paraphrased thus:

"Look up. Get a goal before you that is worth while. Let the one passion of your life be loyalty to God. Then your joys will be wholesome and permanent, and you shall walk in the light, not in darkness."

THE REFERENCES

Matt. 13:44-46. Matt. 6:13-21.

Mark 1:13, 14. Matt. 6:24.

Mark 10:13-16. Luke 12:13-15.

Matt. 6:22-23.

THE QUESTIONS

1. How does man show himself short-sighted when considering the things of God?

2. What is the significance of the parable of the treasure and the pearl of great price?

3. What do we learn from Jesus's attitude toward little children?

4. Name and discuss the first two reasons given by Jesus why we should cultivate single-minded loyalty to God.

5. Name and discuss the second two reasons why we should cultivate single-minded loyalty to God.

6. Name as many instances as you can in which we might practice single-minded loyalty in our own lives.

{173}

{174} PICTURE: CHRIST AND THE RICH YOUNG RULER, Hofmann

{175}

XXIII

RICHES AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD

[Sidenote: A liberal man.]

When Matthias Baldwin, who built the first American locomotive, had made good and had accumulated a fortune, he was wont to distribute liberal gifts freely among those who had been less prosperous than he. So generous, indeed, was he that when he had not the cash by him he would give personal notes instead. "Nobody hesitates to sign promises to pay in the future in order to get capital for business," he would say. "Are we to trust the Lord to take care of our affairs, and not His own?" Sometimes, it is said, this practice would get Mr. Baldwin into small difficulties; but on the other hand it often helped him when he needed business notes for himself. Said one bank president to another, once, "You refuse to help him because he does not know what to do with his money. We will stand by him because he is determined to do good with his money. His collaterals are God's promises." And that bank president was right.

[Sidenote: An unnatural doubt.]

Now, the teachings of the previous lesson may have aroused some questions in your minds as to whether or not there will be found a place in the kingdom of heaven for the rich man--for him who has devoted much time apparently to the service of mammon. Perhaps you have heard from some one that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God;" and you have therefore concluded that heaven is for only the poor. There are some people who hold {176} so narrow a notion. In this lesson, however, we shall learn how riches should be used; and that poverty is no larger guarantee of salvation than are riches.

[Sidenote: The case of the rich young ruler.]

One day, not long after Jesus had blessed the little children brought to Him, there came to Him a rich young ruler, who said, "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"

"And He said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but One, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

"He saith unto Him, Which?

"Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

"The young man saith unto Him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

"But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions."

[Sidenote: The difficulty of sacrifice.]

This simple little story reveals to us the truth. The rich young ruler was essentially a good young man. From his youth up he had striven to observe the law of Moses. He had committed no gross offense; he was guilty of no heinous sin; as he understood the law, he loved his neighbor as himself. But the more perfect law of the Gospel, which Jesus taught, called for sacrifice. The things the young man had done had been easy. He had {177} refrained from evil, because he loved not evil. But when he was bidden to part with his wealth, and to give it to others more needy than he, the center of his affection was touched. For he loved his riches. It was not the riches, then, that stood between him and eternal life. It was the love of those riches. The thing he loved he could with difficulty give up.

[Sidenote: The conclusion of Jesus.]

Therefore did Jesus say to His disciples, "Verily I say unto you. That a rich man shall hardly (with difficulty) enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

[Sidenote: The amazement of the disciples.]

Naturally, such a statement puzzled the disciples just as it has puzzled men from that time to this. So the disciples asked, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus answered only, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."

[Sidenote: The power of God.]

While this answer may seem evasive, yet one can readily see in it the possibility implied. Of course, with God all things are possible. He can touch the heart of man so that it shall not be centered on wealth--so that the chief affection of man shall not be, Midas-like, the love of gold. Riches in themselves are of no value; but riches as a means of service may be righteously desired. And the Lord Jesus has Himself promised the blessings of the earth to those who honestly seek Him.

[Sidenote: A promise of worldly blessings.]

"Seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink," urged Jesus, "Neither be ye of doubtful mind. {178} For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."

[Sidenote: The object of the world's desire.]

Riches, then, should be righteously acquired; and the acquiring of them should be made secondary to the learning to know God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent. It is natural that every boy and girl should plan for the future, and that the plans should include the accumulation, if possible, of some of this world's goods. But Jesus would not have those who know him to be like the nations of the world. They seek after the riches of the world merely for the sake of the riches themselves. They love money--and Paul said, you know, that, "the love of money is the root of all evil." The disciples of Jesus will never serve mammon; they will make mammon serve them, and use riches for good. Money itself will not be the object of their love, but the service that money can be made to render. Jesus taught this lesson in a parable often misunderstood.

[Sidenote: The parable of the unjust steward.]

"There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods, and he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself. What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship. I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may {179} receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him. Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another. And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him. Take thy bill, and write four score. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you. Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."

Now, Jesus did not approve of the actions of the steward. They were decidedly dishonest, and Jesus calls him an unjust steward. But from the conduct of this steward, Jesus draws a profitable lesson. The steward was a man of the world. The children of the world are wise in their generation. When, therefore, the steward was in trouble, he made the mammon of unrighteousness his servant, and secured for himself a comfortable living when he should be put out of the stewardship. A somewhat similar use should the children of light make of such wealth as they are appointed stewards over. They should look after the poor, care for the needy, shed comfort and cheer, and make for themselves friends by means of their wealth. First must come obedience to the commandments of God, and a diligent seeking after Him. Then worldly goods must be made to serve in helping to prepare a habitation in the eternal home.

{180} Paul, again, who seemed always clearly to comprehend the teachings of the Master, put it thus: "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."

In the teaching of Jesus, then, riches are not a bar to eternal life. The terms of salvation are the same to the rich and the poor alike. It is not poverty that saves a man, but humility of spirit and obedience. So it is not riches that condemn a man; but love of riches, and disobedience. Many there are who, like the rich young ruler, turn and go their way because they have great possessions. Many others there are who, like Matthias Baldwin, exclaim, "I feel more thankful for the disposition to give largely than for the ability to give largely; for I know that immense wealth can be acquired a great deal easier than the heart to use it well. My money without a new heart would have been a curse to me."

THE REFERENCES

Matt. 19:16-22. Luke 12:29-31.

Luke 18:22. 1 Tim. 6:10, 17-19.

Luke 16:1-10.

{181} THE QUESTIONS

1. What disposition did Matthias Baldwin develop with the accumulation of riches?

2. Why do some people think that heaven is not for the rich man?

3. Why could not the rich young ruler follow Jesus?

4. What did Jesus mean by the statement concerning the rich man and the camel?

5. What use should be made of riches?

6. What is the root of all evil?

7. What lesson did Jesus teach in the parable of the Unjust Steward?

8. Why have the poor no greater assurance of salvation than have the rich?

9. Which is the great gift, wealth or the disposition to give?

{182} PICTURE: LAZARUS AT THE RICH MAN'S HOUSE, Dore

{183}

XXIV

SUCCEEDING WITH WHAT ONE HAS