Editorial:
MY SHEPHERD
The Lord Jesus Christ is referred to in Scripture as the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, and the Chief Shepherd.
As the Good Shepherd He "giveth his life for the sheep." As the Great Shepherd He is the One "brought again from the dead," who ever liveth to keep His sheep. As the Chief Shepherd He "shall appear" to gather His sheep unto Himself.
Jesus Christ is all of this to His own. He died, He lives, He is coming again. But even better, He is all of this to me. The Lord is MY Shepherd. He gave His life for me; He lives on high for me; He is coming again for me.
"The LORD is MY Shepherd; I shall not want.
HE maketh ME to lie down in green pastures: HE leadeth ME beside the still waters.
HE restoreth MY soul: HE leadeth ME in the paths of righteousness for HIS name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for THOU art with ME; THY rod and THY staff they comfort ME.
THOU preparest a table before ME in the presence of MINE enemies: THOU anointest MY head with oil; MY cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow ME all the days of MY life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever" (Psalm 23).
Is the Lord YOUR Shepherd? HE could be. HE died for you, HE lives for you, HE will come for you if He is your Shepherd. Are you one of His sheep? His sheep believe on Him, they hear His voice, they follow Him. And He gives unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone pluck them out of His hand. "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom" (Isaiah 40:11).
It is not enough for you to say of the Lord Jesus that He is the Good and Great and Chief Shepherd, but you must be able to say from a heart of faith, love, and devotion: "The LORD is MY Shepherd." Then what He accomplished at His dying, what He accomplishes in His living, and what He will accomplish at His coming, are YOURS, for HE is yours and YOU are His.
Oh, that you might hear His voice speaking to you through this brief message! Oh, that you might find it in your heart to believe on Him and to begin as of today to follow Him!
One of HIS sheep,
Art Gordon
**********
"The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 6:23
**********
The following letter is a witness by a missionary to the faithfulness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, upon the occasion of the Home-going of his devoted wife and faithful co-worker in the Gospel. For his wife's testimony during her illness see the April, 1963, issue of "Triumph."
Christ's College
Tanshui, Formosa
July 28, 1963
"TO THE PRAISE OF THE GLORY
OF HIS GRACE"
Richard A. Webster
It was about one o'clock in the morning when I was awakened by a rap on the window. I opened the front door and saw it was Dr. West. As he came in he said he had just received a phone call from Dad Falconer telling that Lucille was with the Lord. In a rather strange way the Lord had already begun to prepare my heart. The night before I had dreamed that Lucille had been taken and several times during the day the spiritual implications of such a possibility had come to my mind afresh. "What if today I were asked to lay down my tools and enter the presence of my Lord and Saviour the King of Glory?" Such thoughts caused me to appreciate again one of the great elements of Lucille's life. She lived every day with that day in mind.
A promise from the mouth of the Lord Jesus which has proven especially satisfying these last months, is the invitation He gave shortly before He went to the cross. "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink." So after Dr. West had prayer and left, I went into my study and took out a copy of the new translation, "Living Letters," and began to read through Paul's letter to the Ephesians. I hadn't used this translation for awhile, and it was with tears of inexpressible joy that I discovered Lucille had just gone through the whole Epistle and underlined all those good things which had so come to fill her own life. Another of her good traits was to feed on the good things of the Word of God. She couldn't have left me with a more precious bequest.
Every day I have also been reading portions of her Berkeley Bible which she left out here when she flew to the States. I just wish I could share her notations with you. As I read through the Letter to the Ephesians that night the thing which seemed to impress me most from her underlinings was her desire to live "to the praise of the glory of His grace." She loved to exalt His grace; His goodness to her; His "higher ways." It has all been just what I needed for these difficult days. She not only did everything for us while she was living, but even provided for the parting, and a rich spiritual annuity for the days to come.
After the decision was made to bring the casket back to Formosa for burial at the Mt. of Olives, a notice was prepared for the English newspaper. Reporters became so interested in the story of Lucille's life and the development of the Mt. of Olives, that articles appeared in all the Chinese newspapers and a long detailed account came over the Chinese radio. Though it was summer vacation there were about fifty student of Christ's College at the airport when the plane came in. They had a little service around the casket, there in front of the main entrance, and the Gospel was presented to the reporters and others who had gathered.
It had rained all week in Tainan, but the Lord gave a perfect day for the funeral. Friends had decorated the chapel so beautifully with local orchids and many pretty sprays. At the back of the platform was a huge floral piece 15 feet long spelling out Lucille's favorite verse in Chinese: "As for God, His way is perfect." The Lord was truly honored in the service, the gospel was clearly presented, all of us were encouraged and challenged, and many beautiful tributes were paid to Lucille.
The Lord so timed Lucille's call home that her funeral naturally came at the close of the main summer camp at the Mt. The students were very much moved. At one meeting twenty dedicated their lives to the Lord and at another service eleven accepted Him as their Saviour. I also had the joy of kneeling in prayer with the carpenter who has done most of the building at the Mt. and leading him to the Saviour. I had talked with him several times before, but he was so touched by Lucille's home-going that he seemed anxious to settle the matter. And to any of you who perhaps have not yet settled this most important transaction, let me quote the closing words of Lucille's final service. "You can only be blest and have peace and sweet rest, as you yield Him your body and soul."
**********
WHAT CHRIST IS TO US
The Shield from every dart;
The Balm for every smart;
The Sharer of each load;
The Companion on the road.
The Door into the fold;
The Anchor that will hold;
The Shepherd of the sheep;
The Guardian of my sleep.
The Friend with whom I talk;
The Way by which I walk;
The Light to show the way;
The Strength for every day.
The Source of my delight;
The Song to cheer the night;
The Thought that fills my mind;
The best of all to find, is Jesus.
-- The Church Builder
**********
MY SUBSTITUTE
By The Inventor of Chloroform
WHEN I WAS A BOY at school I saw a sight I can never forget -- a man tied to a cart and dragged before the people's eyes through the streets of my native town, his back torn and bleeding from the lash. It was a shameful punishment. For many offenses? No; for one offense. Did any of the townsmen offer to divide the lashes with him? No; he who committed the offense bore the penalty all alone. It was the penalty of a changing human law, for it was the last instance of its infliction.
When I was a student at the university, I saw another sight I can never forget -- a man brought out to die. His arms were pinioned, his face was already pale as death -- thousands of eager eyes were on him as he came up from the jail in sight. Did any man ask to die in his stead? Did any friend come and loose the rope and say, "Put it around my neck, I die instead?" No; he underwent the sentence of the law. For many offenses? No; for one offense. He had stolen a money parcel from a stagecoach. He broke the law at one point, and died for it.
I saw another sight I shall never forget -- myself a sinner, standing on the brink of ruin, condemned to eternal punishment in the lake of fire. For one sin? No; for many, many sins committed against the unchanging laws of God. I looked again, and behold Jesus Christ became my Substitute.
He bore in His own body on the tree all the punishment of my sin. He died on the cross that I might live in the glory. He suffered, the Just for the unjust, that HE might bring me to God. He redeemed me from the curse of the law. I sinned and was condemned to eternal punishment; He bore the punishment and I am free.
The law of God required a perfect righteousness which I never had. Again I looked unto HIM and found that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. The law required spotless purity and I was defiled with sin. Again I looked unto HIM who loved us and washed us from our sins in HIS OWN blood. I was a child of Satan, a child of wrath, but as many as received HIM, to them gave HE power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on HIS name. And I found in HIM not only my Substitute, but the full supply of every need of my life.
I long to tell you of this Saviour for there is none other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.
* * *
AN ENGLISH COACHMAN
A VERY CARELESS old man had, during a severe illness, been made to realize that he was a lost sinner. He dared not die as he was. The preacher for whom he sent became weary of visiting him, having told him all he himself knew of the way of salvation.
But one Sunday afternoon the coachman's daughter waited on the preacher, saying, "You must come once more, sir; I cannot see my father again without you."
"I can tell him nothing new," said the preacher; "but I may take the sermon I have been preaching, and read it to him."
The dying man lay as before in anguish, thinking of his sins, and whither they must carry him. "My friend," the preacher said, "I have come to read you the sermon I have just preached. First I shall tell you the text:
"He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed."
"Hold!" said the dying man, "I have it! Read no more; HE was wounded for my transgressions. HE suffered for me, and because HE died I shall live. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift."
(Christian Service, Inc., Richwood, NJ)
**********
THOUGH THE EARTH BE REMOVED
By Henry G. Bosch
God is our refuge and strength . . . Therefore will not we fear,
though the earth be removed . . . -- Psalm 46:1,2
IN A WORLD full of fears, rumors of war, and a thousand uncertainties, the Christian can draw special courage and comfort from this Psalm. Though all else be shaken, God is our sure refuge, a tower of strength into which we can run in the time of trouble (Proverbs 18:10; Psalm 61:3).
The traveler Humboldt give an interesting account of the first earthquake he ever witnessed. It occurred while he was in residence at Lumana, South America. He says the first shock came after a strange and ominous stillness. Not only was it physically devastating, but it overthrew in a moment all his lifelong notions about the safety of the earth. He could no longer trust the soil, which up to that day had felt firm under his feet. He had only one thought -- everything was unstable and headed for destruction. Even the crocodiles ran from the nearby river into the woods, howling with terror. The dogs and pigs seemed petrified with fear.
The houses were no shelter for man or beast, for they were falling into ruins. Humboldt turned to the trees for stability, but they were being uprooted. His next thought was to run to the nearby mountains, but as he looked they began to reel like drunken men. He glanced toward the sea. Lo! it had fled; and the ships, which a few moments before were in deep water, were rocking on the bare sand! He tells us that, being at his wit's end, he looked up and observed that the heavens alone were perfectly calm and unshaken! This reminded him that God was his refuge, and his fears were quieted by this assurance.
Amid the upheavals of life, when everything we ever leaned upon for security is being shaken and removed, there is One, Jesus Christ, who is "the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Friends and loved ones may die and leave us, organizations and governments change or disintegrate, but HE ABIDES! In Him our trembling faith finds stability!
(From "Our Daily Bread," copyright 1963 by Radio Bible Class, Grand Rapids, MI.)
**********
SERMON SERIES
Romans 8
No. 18
GOD . . . FOR US
"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" -- Romans 8:31,32
IN ROMANS EIGHT, the Christian is presented with tremendous truths concerning the working of the Triune God on his behalf. The Spirit's work is especially in focus in the first part of the chapter. The Father's work is most prominent in the middle portion. The Son's work is particularly in view in the latter part which is introduced by our present text.
Having considered the work of the Spirit and the Father, the inspired writer exclaims in awe, "What shall we then say to these things?" Among other things that the Spirit does, He gives life -- eternal life -- to the believer; He will raise up our mortal body at the resurrection in the last day; He leads us now into spiritual maturity as full-grown sons of God; likewise He helps our infirmities and intercedes with the Father for us. These are things the Spirit has done and is doing for us. The Father also has worked and is working for us. Among other things, He knew us beforehand; He appointed us beforehand to be conformed to the image of His Son; He called us with an effectual call, justified us, and even potentially glorified us. No wonder Paul pauses to ask, "What shall we then say to these things?"
ON OUR SIDE
Paul answers his question by asking another: "If God be FOR US who can be against us?" You cannot read this chapter from Romans and doubt that God is "for us." He was for us in eternity past, He is for us now, and He shall be for us forever.
This expression "God . . . for us" means that God is on our side. And since this is so, indeed "who can be against us?" There may be many who are against us, but what does it matter, since God is for us? All the "Who's Who" of the seen or unseen worlds may be against us, but that is no real concern to us, since God is on our side. "Because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world."
One day in ancient Israel this truth was to be graphically illustrated through the prophet Elisha. Ben-hadad, king of Syria, grew tired of Elisha's continual interference in his military expeditions against Israel, and set about to remedy the situation. Finding that Elisha was at Dothan, King Ben-hadad "therefore sent thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
"When the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city . . . And Elisha's servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
"And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (II Kings 6:14-17).
All the resources of heaven are at the disposal of the "man of God." Jesus said "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," and, "lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Let the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing; let the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed; we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. With God on our side, we are a majority.
The servant of Elisha had this fiery wall of heavenly protection around him the same as Elisha, but he didn't recognize it. Neither do we sometimes. His master had to pray that his eyes by opened. How many times must our Master in heaven pray for our spiritual illumination, that we might perceive Him near us to keep us? Has the fact that He is with us and near us and in us, and the fact that the hosts of heaven surround us for our protection -- has this fact of our God being on our side kept us from fretting and worrying about our seemingly-ill circumstances? Yes, it is true that God is on our side, it is true whether we recognize it or not, but how much more blessed is it to know it and to enjoy it. "Lord, open our eyes, that we might see Thee near us. May this spiritual insight encourage us and embolden us for the trials ahead." Truly, our side is greater in number and in power than that of our enemies, since God is on our side. "If God be for us, who can be against us?"
ON OUR BEHALF
Not only is God "on our side," He has also acted "on our behalf." "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up FOR US all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
The Father spared not His own Son, in order that He might spare us. If He had spared His own Son, He could not have spared us. How much easier it would have been to spare Him than us. However, He spared Him not, "but delivered him up for us all," As the judge delivers up the criminal to the executioner that the sentence of death might be carried out, so the Father and great Judge of the universe delivered up His own Son to the death of the cross. Why? Certainly not because He was deserving of such a fate. Not because He was a criminal. But "for us." We deserved the judgment of the cross. We deserved to die. We had earned by our sins this reward -- "the wages of sin is death," but the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Heaven chose rather to "deliver HIM up for us all."
Just think of it. "Him . . . for us." He who knew no sin, for us who were born in sin and shapen in iniquity; He who was the brightness of God's glory and the express image of His person, for us who have sinned and come short of the glory of God and marred His image; He who did always those things which pleased the Father, for us who were more concerned with pleasing men than God; He who returned the Father's love, for us who spurned the Father's love. Christ the holy One, for us the unholy; the lovely One, for the unlovely; the Faithful and Obedient, for the unfaithful and disobedient. "Him . . . for us." Christ Jesus . . . in our stead, on our behalf.
Why? I don't know. He loved us. Again, I don't know why. But I'm thankful He did. Are you glad God spared you? He spared not His own Son in order to spare you. Are you glad He delivered Him up in your stead? This is the only means of your salvation. You can come to God in no other way. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the JUST FOR THE UNJUST, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."
Death and judgment were not to be His lot forever. "Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." "God raised Him up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and crowned him with glory and honour, setting him at his own right hand in the heavenly places." This introduces us to the other side of the truth of our text. God poured out upon His Son the judgment that only we deserved; now God pours out upon us the glory that only Christ deserves. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all . . .
" . . . how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" It was, "Him . . . for us," now it is, "us . . . with Him." He bore our sins and judgment that he might share with us His "things." "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights." Every good thing belongs to God. (The only things God does not own in the world are sin, its originator, and its advocates.) Everything that belongs to God also belongs to Christ. And everything that belongs to Christ belongs to the Christian. Just name it -- and you have it.
All God's gifts are free. How could it be otherwise? What have we that we might barter with God? What does God need that we could supply Him in a trade? No, all His "things" He freely gives us. Do you suppose you can do anything great enough, pay a sum large enough, or work hard enough, to merit God's good gifts? Dismiss the thought. A gift is a gift. Either you just thankfully receive it, or you do not have it. So it is with God's gifts.
The prerequisite for us receiving anything from God is in the two little words, "with him." God the Father was definitely "for us" when He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. But the man who refuses and rejects Christ's sacrifice for sin, "let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." This man is not "with" Christ, and never will be. On the other hand, the man who receives Christ as his Saviour and Substitute, is "with Him" now and will be with Him for eternity. This man is an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ. With the Saviour all of God's "things" belong to him.
God's greatest gift is eternal life. "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Take the Saviour and you have eternal life. This is God's promise. Believe it. Receive Christ. Have eternal life, now, freely; it is yours for the taking. Having Christ and eternal life everything else of God's possessions are yours as well. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" The answer is obvious. He SHALL with Him also freely give us all things. This should make you glad that you are a Christian, or make you wish you were, as the case may be.
**********
