1903

July 1903

“‘Are You Weak? Do You Need Strength?’” The Life Boat 6, 7, pp. 175, 176.

ATJ 

A. T. JONES 

“Created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” Ephesians 2:10. The object of all creation is good works. He who is not created in Christ to good works can never do them, and he who is created and does not do them denies his creation. LIBO July 1903, page 175.1

Christianity comes as a result of creation as truly as the worlds came in the beginning by creation. It is a process of creation rather than evolution. “In the beginning God created the heaven ‘and the earth.” Genesis 1:1. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Hebrews 11:3. The same is true of all that was made during creation week; vegetation, the atmosphere, Iight, the animals—all were created, not evolved. LIBO July 1903, page 175.2

This should be the experience of a Christian. As far as good works are concerned, the life of man is as utterly void as was the world before its creation. God in Christ Jesus has sent the creating Word which takes man from nothingness, and creates him in the image of God. Naturally, man is dead and lost in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:13) but in Christ Jesus he is created unto good works. Yet, when the first step in creation is taken, that man’s life is as utterly chaos as was the world after the first day’s work of creation. The Spirit of God brooded over that creation, to bring it into accordance with God’s thought, so with the man whose life is utterly devoid of good works, the Spirit of God is brooding over his life to cause the good works to appear. This process must go on to perfection. Each successive step in Christian experience must come as truly by creation through the word of God as did the first step. It is natural for us to think we can do things without God, but anything that shall ever appear in you or me which we might think was good, can never be good without the inspiration of the Spirit of God. When the man came to Christ and called him good, Christ said, “Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one; that is God.” Matthew 19:17. LIBO July 1903, page 176.1

All that is good is from God, therefore every individual must become the fruit of the creative power of God, so that God shall be in the life and shall be the inspiration of that person. “The fruit of the spirit (not fruits) is Iove, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness ... against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22. In other words, against everything except this there is a law. Then the source of our conduct is not the law, but God, through the Holy Spirit, and when God by the Holy Spirit becomes the inspiration of the life, the product is what the law demands. When there is anything in the life contrary to law, it is because the spirit is not in the life. LIBO July 1903, page 176.2

The person who says, “I have tried and tried to overcome this thing and that, and cannot do it,”—that person is an evolutionist. When Christ said, “Let there be light,” did He stop and wonder if there would be light and hope it would come after a while? Light did not come that way; He spoke and it was. The same word which God has spoken is given you to enable you to be more than conqueror. There is no cause for anyone who has named the name of Jesus having his “ups and downs.” LIBO July 1903, page 176.3

An orange grower in Florida tells of a disease among orange trees. They will attain a great growth one year, but the next year the trees do not grow at all. The year following they again make a great show and the next year fall back again. They call this the “die back disease.” Such trees bear no fruit. They have their “ups and downs.” A great many Christians have this same experience. He that is created through the word of God will find that the power in this word will carry him straight through without having his “ups and downs.” LIBO July 1903, page 176.4

Are you weak? Do you need strength? God’s word is “Be strong.”—Read that word; accept that word be your strength. 1 Corinthians 16:13. “We live henceforth not unto ourselves, but unto Him.” It will never do to spend our lives simply for our selves, doing no good to others. He has washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God. Revelation 1:6. The world’s idea of a king is one who sits on a throne, and whom everybody serves. The right kind of king is he who serves everybody. “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Matthew 23:11. LIBO July 1903, page 176.5

Every Christian king will have some one to rule, and that is himself. Get control of your own spirit, and the evil that is within you. To the extent that you are master of your evil tendencies—that is true kingship. “He that ruleth his own spirit is greater than he that taketh a city.” Proverbs 6:32. LIBO July 1903, page 176.6

(Extracts from a talk given in Chicago, June 6, 1903.) LIBO July 1903, page 176.7