Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 December 1912 — BROOKLYN TABERNACIE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BROOKLYN TABERNACIE

KNOW OF THE DOCTRINE. Dec. 29. ••If any man tcilleth to do Bis will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of Ood, or whether 1 speak of Myself."—John t Hi, rr. CHE word doctrine seems to be offensive to the majority of Christians. Each denomina-. tion realizes that its doctrines are undefendable. Hence by mutual consent Christians seem disposed to Ignore doctrines, believing that the matter never will be clear to anybody. All this is a mistake; the doctrines of Christ, as presented by the Great Teacher and His Apostles, were a great Message, of which none were ashamed. The difficulty is that we gradually fell away from those doctrines into bondage to human traditions and creeds. We need the doctrines of Christ and the Apostles to

break down our creed fences, which have separated God’s people into various denominational folds, contrary to the Divine arrangement; for God has but one fold for all Hlb “sheep” of this Age. If as God's people we put away 1 sectarianism and the creeds of our fore-

fathers, and go with sincere hearts tx> the Lord and His Word, we shall there find the “oue Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father over aM, and one Lord and Savior Jesus dhrist” and one “Church of the First-Born, whose names are written in heaven.” The Doctrines of Christ. What .God's people need is to put away other gospels, other messages of hope, aside from the one which the Bible presents. Theosophy is one of these, Evolution another. New Theology another. These hold out a different gospel from that of Jesus and the Apostles—the one given to us for our sanctification. The doctrines oT Christ are those presented in the Bible by Jesus and

the Apostles. These doctrines relate to the Church and to the world, and God’s blessing for each: to sin and its forgiveness: the terms of that forgiveness, the basis of that forgiveness the death of Jesus and the hope of that forgiveness, release from Divine condemnation, fellowship with God,

and everlasting life through resurrection of the dead. Someone may inquire. Why are the doctrines of Christ so misunderstood that six hundred different denominations have resulted from the differences of theory respecting them? The explanation is that, shortly after the death of the Aposties. the Adversary sowed the seeds of false doctrines, using human lilts and pens in his service, through pride and ambition. The darkness became so great that we speak of the period as the “Dark Ages.” The various denominations of Christendom are evidences of honesty, perseverance and love of the Truth, because our forefather’s who made thesecreeds: Were each trying to get back into the true Light. They all made tbe mistake, however, of holding too much to the creeds and theories of the past. God, who foretold through the Prophets this darkness, and who has blessed and guided His children throughout it. has promised that with the End of this Age will come a great enlightenment upon His people, scattering the darkness. “The wise shall understand, but none of the wicked shall understand.” We are in the dawning of this New Age, and see clearly the Divine character and Plan for human salvation., . Willeth to Do His Will. Today’s study Is a message from the Master’s own lips. He gives us the key to a clear knowledge of His doctrines; namely, that the student must be fully consecrated to God and fully desirous of knowing His 1 will and His Plan. In order to see the Truth, from the standpoint of Divine Revelation, , we must draw near to God in the ' spirit of our minds, consecrated In our heart. We must will to do His will. God’s will represents actual perfection of thought, word and deed toward* God and toward all mankind. This is the Divine Standard, but we are no more able to fulfill its demauds than were the Jews: The best we can do Is to will to do right, and to the best of our ability carry out that covenant. But for those who have come Into harmony with God through Christ, their Advocate, a provision has been made whereby all desiring to do the Divine will and mauifestiug endeavors so to do. are counted as righteous—as though they did the Divine will perfectly. This class are the prospective members of the Body of Christ. To these the promises of our text apply. They shall know if *our Lord merely made up these teachings, or whether He Was the active Agent of .Jehovah. Onl the threshold of a new year shall we not determine to give our hearts fully to tbe Lord—to do God’s will? If so, we shall doubtless be enabled fully to understand the doctrines of Christ—the deep things of God. revealed to this Class by the Spirit of God.

“The doctrines of Christ will break down our creed fences.”

‘‘Wise virgins will be able to understand the deep things of Ood."