Do we want to live for ever?
We can safely assume that every reader of the Caribbean Pioneer heartily desires to live forever in the Kingdom of God.
To have any chance whatsoever of living forever in that Kingdom, we must have a robust scriptural faith. As our forerunner in faith, Isaac Newton, expressed it: “God’s covenant with Abraham was a promise that his seed should inherit the land of Canaan for ever, and on this promise was founded the Jewish religion, and on that is founded the Christian faith. This ought to be understood by all men who pretend to the name of Christian.” As 17th century Polish Brother Andrzej Wiszowaty expressed it: “Jesus the Christ is the Anointed One of God promised of old to the fathers. He alone was begotten by divine power in the womb of a virgin. He alone has been raised by God to immortal life. To learn from God’s word is to be impelled to confess him before many witnesses and to be reborn in baptism, imitating the humility, death and resurrection of the Lord. Baptism is useless unless it is accompanied by an understanding of the true Faith and a humble spirit in the heart.” More importantly, as the apostle Peter expressed it: “God has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (II Pet. 1:4 NIV). As the apostle Paul expressed it: “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached unto you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain” (I Cor. 15:2).
A sound faith
Christadelphians have a sound faith, in a tradition of biblical interpretation and understanding that began with the Lord himself, and has continued unto I this day. Jesus stated clearly that his words would never pass away, that his “church” would never, and could never, be destroyed, and the darkness would never overcome the true Light (Mark 13:31; Matt. 16:18; John 1:5). Recent historical research and hundreds of documents from men of faith through the ages have amply confirmed his words.
So we know that belief of the good news of the Kingdom of God, repentance, and immersion into the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins are all essential if we are to be saved eternally. Without these, we will perish. Foolish is the man or woman who hears this “word of the Kingdom” but does not “put it into practice” (Luke 6:49).
In July, 1892, it was reported that “an ecclesia has been formed in the Island of Barbados” with twelve members. The basis on which our second Caribbean ecclesia was established 110 years ago was taken verbatim from John Thomas. “If, upon divine testimony in the word, a man believes that Jesus of Nazareth was the suffering and risen Christ and Son of God, he then and only then, believes the apostolic gospel. If he obeys, it is able to save him from sin, and therefore from death. The only way to become a Christian is by being buried in water into the similitude of his death for the remission of sins. Unless a man is pardoned thus, there is no remission for him in this or the world to come. He is entitled to his wages — death. But if he no longer works sin, that very instant he becomes entitled to everlasting life through Jesus. But he may forfeit that title, and therefore lose his life. We can only preserve this title by persevering in well doing. For God will render eternal life to those Christians only who seek after immortality by patient continuance in well doing. He will transform their humbled bodies into a like form with the body of his glory. Should death overtake such before he comes, they will fall asleep for a while, and rest from their labors, cares and troubles here. But on the sounding of the trumpet voice, they will burst their prison house and come forth to meet him in the air. How glorious, splendid, and brilliant, then, will be the true Christian’s lot! Who would not endure tribulation, aye, would not, if needs be, surrender his life as a drink offering in the faith of so magnificent and ennobling a hope?”
This is the good news
This is the good news which called me from episcopalian darkness to the light of scripture truth 57 years ago. This is the good news which Sis. Mary and I preached nearly half a century ago unafraid in the streets and lanes of Kingston which today echo to the incessant gunfire of the terrorists. This is the good news which we have proclaimed without fear or favor ever since. This is the good news which at this hour is drawing courageous and sincere seekers after truth to the Christadelphian brotherhood in Iran and Bosnia, Jordan and Israel, Mongolia and Malta, Rwanda and Vanuatu, Latvia and Panama.
This is the grace of God
This is the grace of God in which we stand and by which we are saved. But there is a danger which faces every convert to the true gospel. The danger is this: the grace of God is so amazing, and so magnanimous and unconditional is His forgiveness, that we can be tempted to take it for granted. We can treat it with such indifference that we become arrogant and ungrateful, thinking that because we “have the Truth,” the gate to eternal life stands wide open for us. We imagine that we are the elect, that we are somehow holier than others, and that we only have to be a Christadelphian to be assured of a place in God’s coming kingdom.
For 1,500 years, the Roman Church was the sworn enemy of Bible truth. For the past 500 years Calvinism (a characteristically West European capitalist perversion of Christianity) has become a far more subtle adversary. The most dangerous of all Calvinist dogmas is “blessed assurance.” We have been seduced by this to convince ourselves that if we believe and obey a creed, or pass an “examination” on a list of doctrines, and then are baptized, our salvation is assured. Intellectual knowledge of true doctrine becomes the guarantee of salvation. Even our enemies know that this simplistic concept is unscriptural, and mock us when they see that we are deceived by it. What about John’s demand that we “produce fruit in keeping with repentance”? (Matt. 3:8).
In the present exciting phase of worldwide witness and growth, it is easy for Christadelphians to be complacent about their denomination. Moses warned Israel repeatedly about the dangers of complacency. It poses a great hazard for our individual salvation and our corporate acceptability to him who walks in the midst of the lamp stands (Rev. 1:13).
“Amazing grace” or “blessed assurance”?
The Bible doctrine of God’s amazing grace is that He will “blot out” the transgressions of truly repentant sinners — you and me — count our faith for righteousness, and receive us with open arms as faultless and blameless at the day of judgment. The “blessed assurance” heresy is a subtly plausible form of the serpent’s lie. It distorts the grace of God into the lie that God so loves the world that as long as we are in Christ and members of “the church, which is his body” (Eph. 1:22-23), we are “free” to live exactly as we like. But the purpose of God’s adoption is “so that we will be holy and blameless in His sight” (1:4).
We dare not assume that by being a branch of the true vine we have “blessed assurance” of salvation. Evangelical Calvinism tells us: “once saved, saved for ever.” The Lord Jesus tells us something vastly different: “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches [of the true vine] are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned.”
How can we identify the true church?
However, can it come about that some true believers will eventually suffer such a tragic end? Because a Christadelphian without the love, mercy, compassion, and pity of God is not a real “Brother in Christ” at all. “Anyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” And John continues with a vivid example which is especially searching in these days when so many of our brothers and sisters are exactly in the state described. “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother or sister in need but has no pity, how can the love of God be in him?” And he goes on to say that this pity and love must express itself “with actions and in truth” (I John 3: 15-18). How can we identify the true church? “By this,” says Jesus, “all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
Actually, if we are honest about our Bible reading, we will recognize that the list of the things that will keep us out of the Kingdom is far longer than the list of things that will ensure that we get in. A moment’s thought will indicate that this is exactly as it should be. How could God have ever thought of making it possible to share His nature as if it were an item on cheap “special” at our local convenience store?
Perhaps it may seem that our final editorial is negative. It is certainly not. It is simply realistic. The Lord Jesus does not offer salvation on the cheap. Unless we take up our cross daily, and love the Lord with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, we will never reign with him on the earth.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One