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that the Lord, by the omission of the key word of the kingdom, would lead us to see that
we are dealing with the teaching belonging to a different dispensation?
If we turn to Heb. ix.14 we shall find that the apostle, who told them to leave
"repentance from dead works," had a thoroughly satisfactory reason. "How much more
shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead works." Reader, which is
better? The oft-repeated "repentance" or the once completed purgation from dead works
by the blood of Christ? This is the teaching of such passages as Col. ii.13, "Having
forgiven you all trespasses." We shall not think lightly of sin if we have abandoned all
hope of deliverance by our repentance. We shall find as we study these verses that they
all turn the eye of the believer away from himself and others unto the Lord Jesus Christ.
Shall we not then gladly leave these elements of kingdom truth, and enter into the
blessedness of the dispensation of the grace of God to the Gentiles? Shall we not "go on
unto perfection," to find our rest, our peace, our all in Christ? "For he that is entered into
his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works" (Heb. 4: 10). Let us realise the fulness
of the gospel committed to us. Let us remember that the "god of this age" would fain
have us emphasizing repentance, if by so doing he can keep us occupied with anything
else than "the gospel of the glory of Christ" (II Cor. 4: 4). Let us "leave" and "go on
unto perfection."
2. Faith toward God.
Here again we must take into consideration the people and the period. We may be
perfectly sure that the apostle, who so wonderfully preached justification by faith, is not
here advocating its abandonment. Let us look through his other epistles. The epistle to
the Galatians is perhaps the anti-Judaic letter, Romans being the more lengthy treatise
following. Galatians emphasizes the apostle's meaning in the words, "Leaving .. faith
toward God."
"The faith of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 2: 16).
"The faith of the Son of God" (Gal. 2: 20).
"By faith of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 3: 22).
"By faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3: 26).
"Your faith in the Lord Jesus" (Eph. 1: 15).
"By faith of Christ" (Phil. 3: 9).
"Your faith in Christ" (Col. 2: 5).
"The faith which is in Christ Jesus" (I Tim. 3: 13).
"Through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (II Tim. 3: 15).
If the context be read, these passages will show that all the blessings of the gospel are
vitally connected with faith, but it is faith which rests in Christ. The Jews, by their very
nationality, laws, and customs, had God, the God of their fathers, continually before
them. Jehovah was the God of Israel. Every Jew prided himself on the fact, so much so
that Paul had to write, "Is He not the God of the Gentiles also?" But this national faith,
though it fed their pride, could not save them, nor justify them. In the parable of the
Pharisee and Publican we have a vivid example. The pharisee had faith toward God;
otherwise he would never have troubled to pray as he did. The publican realized that