“Procrastination is the thief of time,” is an old proverb and a true one: and time lost means opportunities lost, and the advantages and privileges which went with the opportunities, also lost. If Christian people (all the truly consecrated) could get the proper view of the divine plan, and could see clearly, with the eyes of their understanding, the great work which God is now doing amongst mankind, and could see their privileges in connection therewith, life would become much more real, much more earnest, to them than it is. We do not mention the world in general, but recognize it as having no hearing and no sight for divine things now; – being blinded by the god of this world, and deafened by the babel and clamor, which he induces and perpetuates for this purpose. Thank God for the gracious promises of the Word: that in the new dispensation, under Christ’s Millennial Kingdom, all the blind eyes shall be opened, and all the deaf ears shall be unstopped. (Isa 35:5) But, seeing that the world is blind and deaf, we pause not to attempt a miracle with its children; but follow the Lord’s injunction, and speak, so far as possible, only to those who have ears. “He that hath an ear, let him hear.”

Those who have heard in any measure, – who have seen to any extent, – who have tasted to any degree, that the Lord is graciously extending his favor toward all those who come unto him through the Redeemer, and who have thus come into the household of faith, – are privileged far beyond the masses of our race who are still aliens and strangers and foreigners to God. But one difficulty is, that through false doctrines instigated by the Adversary, many believers have gained so wrong a conception of the divine plan, and of the divine character formulating that plan, that they not only do not love God with all their heart, but, on the contrary, they desire to have as little to do with him as possible; – as little as will secure their everlasting escape from an eternity of torture (in the flames of Hell), which they have been taught to believe he has prepared for the great mass of his creatures.

We cannot blame people, who view God and his plan from this false standpoint, if they take comparatively little interest in studying the Bible, which they erroneously believe is the revelation of these horrible preparations, – predetermined before the world was made. Our first effort in approaching the average professing Christian should be to anoint the eyes of his understanding with “the oil of joy,” by briefly explaining to him the way of the Lord more perfectly (Not as it is commonly taught in the professing church, the church nominal, but as it is taught in the Holy Scriptures). It is well to begin where God begins, and where the apostles begin the story of salvation; viz., with the cross of Christ.

It is well to impress,

1) that as a race we are all under condemnation through original sin, and that there is no escape for any, except through the Redeemer whom God has provided.

2) to show just what the penalty is, that it IS NOT eternal suffering, – torment; but eternal death, a death from which there could be no recovery, – annihilation.

3) to show God’s compassion in providing the Savior, who paid for us the very penalty against us – that in his flesh he “suffered, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18): that he did not suffer eternal torment, but the very penalty against us; viz., eternal death.

4) to show that although the flesh of Christ was thus given up eternally, as man’s ransom price, God nevertheless raised him from the dead, giving him a new life, a new being, – making him a “new creature;” and that accordingly he is no longer a man in the flesh, but is again a spirit being, however now of the divine nature, far above angels, principalities and powers (far above that position which he previously held prior to becoming a man). – Eph 1:21; 1 Pet 3:22.

5) it will also be proper to show how the death of Christ could affect ALL mankind; – that it was because Jesus took the place of father Adam, and thus redeemed his life; – and because the whole race was condemned in Adam, therefore his personal redemption would imply, legally and justly, that the penalty was sufficient for the sins of the whole world condemned in him, – and not condemned on their own account.

6) Next in order we should show that the object in this purchase of the world, was, and still is, that every member of Adam’s race might have an opportunity, as Adam had, of showing the Lord his willingness to be obedient to him and to his laws, and thus to obtain at his hand the great gift of everlasting existence.

To Adam only this will be really a second chance, as his race has had no chance yet; – being born in sin and under its penalty of death.

By this time your hearer should be ready to see that the trial which God proposes to give mankind is not such a trial as comes to a felon, a convict, before a criminal court, – to determine whether he is guilty or not guilty; for, on the contrary, in the case of mankind God already has determined that “all are guilty,” that “there is none righteous, no not one.” It is because such a trial would be a useless mockery, that nothing of the kind is proposed by the Lord, though this is the unreasonable thought common among his professed people.

Seeing that we are hopeless as respects clearing ourselves, God has by his own plan and arrangement already paid the penalty for every man, – through the sacrifice of his Son. Hence, the whole world of mankind, when put on trial for life everlasting, will not stand trial as convicts, but as redeemed freed-men whose release from the original death sentence has been fully paid by the ransom-sacrifice of Christ. Their trial then will be to determine their choice of lasting life or death – on God’s terms – as Adam made choice in his trial; – to determine which they would choose after gaining a knowledge of sin and its penalty, everlasting death, – and a knowledge of righteousness and the reward of righteousness, life everlasting; – their choice being indicated by their obedience or disobedience to the divine mandates.

Whoever follows the plan thus far, is prepared to see that God has not yet given to mankind in general the great trial, or opportunity secured for all by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, – for testing their worthiness or unworthiness of life everlasting. All who are not grossly blinded by error and prejudice can see that a full, fair opportunity for judging between right and wrong, and for choosing the right and rejecting the wrong, has not yet come to the world as a whole. They can see that ignorance, prejudice and superstition are blinding the world still; and looking back along the aisles of history they can see that such blindness has been in the world for centuries; – since before the redemption price of the world was paid.

If your hearer be of an inquiring mind he will now be questioning when or how a full knowledge and opportunity, or trial will, or could be extended to mankind; and this will be the favorable opportunity for reminding him of the Apostle’s words,

“God hath appointed a day [still future] in the which he will judge the world [not condemn the world, for the world is already condemned, for which reason Christ died for the ungodly; – but he will judge the world in the sense of granting all a trial] in righteousness [under righteous, favorable, just, reasonable conditions] by that man whom he hath ordained [the great Messiah, the Royal Priest, whose reign is to bring blessing and uplift to whomsoever will of all the families of the earth].” (Acts 17:31)

It is of these times of blessing and restitution that the Apostle Peter declares that all the holy prophets since the world began have spoken. (Acts 3:19-21) And no wonder, since they spoke as oracles of God; for God has had this very purpose from the foundation of the world; – knowing in advance the course that sin would take, and the course which man would take under the delusions of sin, because of experience.” (R3167)

We will continue with our next post.