Some things are true and others are false but
there are many persons who evidently do not believe this. The
principle of the age seems to be that black is white, and white is
black according to circumstances, and it does not particularly
matter which you call it. Now our forefathers were particular about
maintaining landmarks: they had strong notions about fixed points of
doctrine, and were very tenacious of what they believed to be
scriptural. Their fields were protected by hedges and ditches.
Sadly, their sons have grubbed up the hedges, filled in the ditches,
laid all level, and played leap–frog with the boundary stones.
Brethren, we have a faith to preach, and we are sent forth with a
message from God. We are not left to fabricate the message as we go
along. We are not sent forth by the Master with a kind of general
commission—‘as you shall think in your heart and invent in your
head, so preach. Keep abreast of the times. Whatever the people want
to hear, tell them that, and they shall be blessed’. No, there is
something definite in the Bible. It is not a lump of wax to be
shaped at our will, or a roll of cloth to be cut according to the
prevailing fashion. Some so–called preachers evidently look upon the
Scriptures as a box of letters for them to play with and make what
they like of, or a wizard’s bottle, out of which they may pour
anything they choose.
Believing, therefore, that there is such a
thing as truth, and such a thing as falsehood, that there are truths
in the Bible, and that its teaching consists in something definite
which is to be believed by men, it becomes us to be decided as to
what we teach, and to teach it in a decided manner. We have to deal
with men, eternal souls, who will certainly not be helped by
erroneous doctrine. We stand in a very solemn position, and ours
should be the spirit of old Micah, who said, “as Jehovah liveth,
even what Jehovah shall say to me, that will I speak” (1 Kings 22:
14). Neither less nor more than God’s Word are we called to preach
and in a spirit which lets those before us know (whatever they may
think of it) that we believe God and are not to be shaken in our
confidence in him. Everything in the Bible we shall preach with
decision. If there be debateable questions which are comparatively
unimportant, we shall speak about them undogmatically. But points
which are foundations of the faith, which are essential and
fundamental, will be declared by us without apology and without
reference to our own views. We ought to preach the Word, not as our
views at all, but as the mind of God—the testimony of God concerning
his own Son. If we had been entrusted with the making of the Bible,
we might have altered it to suit the taste of this modern century,
but not having been employed to originate the good news, but merely
to repeat it, we dare not go beyond the record. What we have been
taught of God we teach. If we do not do this, we are not fit for the
position. If I had a servant in my house, and I send a message by
him to the door, and he amends it on his own authority, he may take
away the very soul of the message by so doing. He will not long
remain in my employment for I need a servant who will repeat what I
say, as nearly as possible, word for word; and if he does do so,
then I am responsible for the message, and he is not.
How are we to show this decision for the truth?
We need not worry about this question, for our decision will show
itself in its own way. If we really believe a truth, we shall be
decided about it. If you really believe the Bible, your very tone in
preaching will betray your sincerity, you will speak like a man who
has something to say and which he knows to be true. But if are going
to show decision for the truth, we must not only do so by our tone
and manner, but also by our daily actions. A man’s life is always
more forcible than his speech—when men take stock of him they reckon
his deeds as pounds and his words as pence. If his life and his
doctrines disagree, the mass of lookers–on accept his practice and
reject his preaching. A man may know a great deal about truth, and
yet be a very damaging witness on its behalf because he is no credit
to it. We must also show our decision for the truth by the
sacrifices we are ready to make. We must be ready to give up
anything and everything for the sake of the principles which we have
espoused, and must be ready to offend our best supporters and to
alienate our warmest friends. We must be ready to be beggars in
purse, and offscourings in reputation, rather than act treacherously
to God and His Word. We can die, but we cannot deny the truth. Above
all we must show our zeal for the truth by continually, in season
and out of season, by power, life, energy, and vigour preaching the
Word. We must throw our whole selves into it, and show that the zeal
of God’s house has eaten us up. May we be decided!
