 |  |
THE APOSTLE OF THE RECONCILIATION
122
must also renounce the former, for God uses the same word for each. `The obedience of faith' is in no wise superior
to an obedience of conscience, when the different conditions of the two classes are considered. And so God tells us
as to the day of judgment, and how it stands related to those who have not the law by nature, the heathen:
`To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal (aionion)
life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth (observe, the nations had the truth apart from
Scripture, chapter 1:18-25), but obey unrighteousness (such as those who "held down the truth in
unrighteousness"), indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the
Jew first, and also of the Gentile; ... for there is no respect of persons with God' (2:7-11).
That there will be a judgment according to the works of the individual Revelation 20:12 testifies, which is to be
carefully distinguished from the judgment that follows it, relating to the book of life. Or again, the Lord Himself
declared:
`... the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that
have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation
(judgment)' (John 5:28,29).
Would any one have the temerity to apply to the Lord's words here the same system of so-called interpretation
adopted in Romans 2, and reply to the Lord, There will be no resurrection of life, for none have ever done good!
Yet if mere texts of Scripture are a sufficient argument they can soon be found.
A feature of God's dealing with men that has not received sufficient attention is this: during the period covered
by the law of Moses, and the gospel of Christ, God is dealing with man along the line of election and predestination.
Not one is saved by `works of law' or by `doing good'. His very faith is a part of the gift of God. This principle of
election deals only with the few. It does not follow that the many are forgotten, or that they are lost. The day is yet
to come when `whosoever will' shall sound out. It is the Spirit and the bride that say `come', and `whosoever will',
an elect church being used to invite the non-elect in that day. It is the attempt to tie the Lord down to one course of
action only - and that in quite an undispensational manner - that is at the bottom of the problem. While we maintain
all the truth of the utter inability of man to save himself, we do not infer or imply that the gospel as at present
proclaimed is the limit of God's dealings. The Scriptures already cited speak otherwise, and having long ago
abandoned all `Creeds', we earnestly desire a faith that can accept all Scripture without confusing things that differ.
Take another instance, viz: Matthew 25:32-46. There the nations are dealt with, and the ground of judgment is
their attitude to the Lord's brethren. They knew not Christ, and even in their kindness did not consciously do their
acts of benevolence unto him. Nevertheless, He who judges more by the heart than the action accepts the kindness
to His brethren as done unto Himself. Without ever knowing the Lord Jesus, and therefore never having `believed',
these nations pass on into aionion life and the kingdom prepared for them. In Matthew 25 Christ the future judge
indicates the lines upon which He will judge. He is clearly not judging the actions merely, but the motives, in other
words `the secrets of men'.
The apostle now brings to bear his teaching upon the Jew. If such be the case with the Gentiles, how much more
shall it be with those who possess the oracles of God, have been taught by type and symbol, and who make a boast
that they are guides to the blind and instructors of the foolish? Shall not God demand the more from those the more
enlightened? and shall He not credit the lesser acts of the unenlightened Gentiles who `by patient continuance' put to
shame their more favoured brethren? The awful list of Romans 1:29-31 can give the Jew no feeling of superiority,
for the apostle extracts from their own Scriptures sufficient to close every mouth:
`... There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not
one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their
lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are
in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we
know that what things soever the law saith, IT SAITH TO THEM WHO ARE UNDER THE LAW' (Rom. 3:10-19).