03.07. The Touchstone of TRUTH
07. The Touchstone of TRUTH At different periods in the world’s history there have been attempts made by one and another to ascertain what is the truth as regards man’s eternal destiny. There has been an anxious yearning in many minds to have such questions as these answered:
What is truth?
How can I grasp it? Where is the casket that contains it?
How is it to be found?
Thank God, we Christians need not make these vague inquiries. God’s truth has once and forever been revealed to us. He, who ’at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past unto the fathers — has in these last days spoken by His Son!’ Christ has come to this dark and erring world of ours, declaring ’I am the truth!’ He is the very embodiment of truth — the great Torchbearer to us on our midnight journey — the Light of the world. No doubt there are many things which we shall never know — many things too which we long to know, but our inquiries will never be satisfied. Many matters of science, for instance — many hidden, locked-up mysteries, to which we would gladly find the key. And in such cases all we can do is to make our guesses. A discovery is made today — and an opposite discovery tomorrow — and yet even these may be questioned! So that there is much that, after all, remains behind, still held back from us. We cannot reach it. There are some paths which we can never enter, and some limits which are impassable — they baffle us, and turn us back. But happily it is not so with those higher truths which concern our salvation. God has in His mercy revealed them to us. He has given us His Holy Spirit to ’guide us into all truth.’ ’the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.’ There is not an earnest inquirer, asking his way to Zion, with his face thitherward — who need fail to discover it. There is not a real seeker who will be disappointed: ’He who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds.’
If we desire to serve God and live near to Him — the path is clearly marked out for us. We have our plain directory. If we have grown tired of sin, and long to be forgiven — the one remedy is declared — not many remedies, from which we may select the best, but the one heaven-devised remedy. And if to that great and all-important question, ’What must I do to be saved?’ an answer is sought, that answer is given to us with the utmost plainness: ’As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so shall the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life!’
There are certain other great and leading truths, which every thoughtful one among us feels to be of vast importance to his soul’s comfort and his soul’s safety. And on these points our souls can find no rest unless they are cleared — but it is on these points happily that God’s revelation is plain. There may be a dimness about other matters — but here the light shines with unmistakable clearness. And yet the truth does not force itself upon us. It is not equally clear to every mind. We are in the position of men with defective sight. The road is plain, so that wayfaring men, though fools, may walk therein. The path is distinctly marked out. There is light — but it may be we have not eyes to see it. We grope as in the dark — and so miss the way.
What we need, all of us, in order to understand heavenly things, is the enlightening grace of God. He who at the first commanded the light to shine out of darkness — must shine into our hearts, ’to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’ There must be a direct revelation of God to our individual souls. He must shine, not only upon the page of Scripture — but in our hearts. Christ must manifest Himself unto us, as He does not unto the world. He must bring home His own truth to us. This is what we all need — ministers and people, learned and unlearned. We must submit ourselves to God’s teaching, and learn from Him. But do we not find that, although there is a promise from our Lord that ’the Holy Spirit shall teach us all things’ — that Christians differ about the truth of God, even the most earnest and devout men? The fact is, that the Holy Spirit is able, and also ready, to guide each inquirer. But He has to deal with very imperfect minds, and with very slow learners — so that the failing is on our part, not on His. Yes, so it is. And as the mariner may err, with the compass in his very hand, from not reading its bearings rightly — so the Christian will often err, mistaking the impulse of his own mind, or the emotion of his own heart, or the dictate of his own conscience — for the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. And here inferior helps come to our aid. We take the Bible into our hands, knowing that it was given by inspiration of God, and that in it the Holy Spirit speaks to us. But we need further assistance to enable us to understand it rightly. The holiest man, the man of prayer, even he who is full of the Holy Spirit — needs to confer and take counsel with his brethren. He needs to be instructed, informed, and helped. It is clearly intended that it should be so. Thus Saul, when converted, received instruction from Ananias; Apollos from Priscilla and Aquila; and the Eunuch from Philip. And if we are wise, we shall thus profit by the help of others. God has not left us to ourselves, to grope our way as best we can through this difficult and dangerous world. He has given us the teaching and the teachers that we need. He has banded us together, and made us helpers one of another. He makes us feel that we are brethren, united by the holiest bonds of common truth and of brotherly love. And here it may be asked, ’In what respect may the Church be regarded as our teacher?’ We often hear of ’the teaching of the Church.’ And it is well clearly to understand whether she may be looked upon as our teacher; and if so, in what respect she teaches. Most assuredly every Church claims to be the teacher of her children — and ours undoubtedly does so. The Church is spoken of in Scripture as ’the pillar and ground of the truth.’ But she does not lord it over us, bidding us to receive her own particular doctrines with blind submission — as if she had a right of her own to frame them. She does not act as a stern mistress, forcing us to bend our will to hers, and our views to those which she at any time may lay down. But as a loving parent she takes us by the hand, guiding, molding, regulating, and balancing our judgments; whispering to us in loving accents, ’This is the way — walk in it;’ ever reminding us that there is but one well-spring of truth, the Word of God — and that whatever is derived from other sources is worthless and unreal.
One word then of advice. Prize the truth — God’s truth, the truth which He has in mercy revealed to us. Be thankful that you belong to a Church which holds that truth definitely, firmly, and lovingly — a Church whose principles are not swayed by the ever-varying circumstances of time and place, but are fixed and unalterable. But at the same time, be not satisfied with a mere reception of the doctrines which the Bible reveals to us, and which the Church has embodied in her formularies. Do not be satisfied with being a sound Churchman — sound as regards the truth which you profess to hold. Do not until you have received those truths into your heart — and, above all, until you have received Christ and His atonement as the great central truth which gives life to the soul. Doctrines, however clearly rooted in the mind, cannot save you — but Christ can. The one is only a skeleton — the other is the substance. One is only a code of words — the other is a living Person — the Friend of your soul. It is not enough to know that the sun is shining, we should receive its warmth into our bosoms. In these days, when knowledge runs to and fro, bear in mind that the best, the truest, the highest knowledge — is to know God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. Pray that you may know Him as your daily, hourly Companion, the Sun of your system, the Polestar as you steer your way towards the wished-for haven. And when you sometimes think of all the doubts and controversies that are going on around us, you will do well to fall back upon the pure and simple truths of Scripture. It will be like turning from the flickering and dancing of a meteor — to the fixed stars that shine forever, and are of a brightness that never fails. And what is of more consequence, in that day when you are called to part with life, when all else seems to be worthless and uncertain — oh, then grasp firmly the precious truth of God. Let that be the anchor of your soul, both sure and steadfast. Rest your feet securely on that solid rock, remembering that Christ and His Word are unchangeable.
What I desire for you, dear reader, and for myself — is that we may thankfully receive the truth, being taught by the Lord Himself. That we may love the truth and walk in the truth — until we reach that world where there will be no error, but all will be as the glow of the midday sun — where all will be light and love!