Читать книгу The Glad Tidings онлайн

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Luther, in his monk’s cell, whither he had gone to escape from the world, found his sins more grievous than ever. Wherever we go, we carry the world with us; we have it in our hearts and on our backs,—a heavy, crushing load. We find that when we would do good, “evil is present” with us. Rom. 7:21. It is present, always, “this present evil world,” until, goaded to despair, we cry out, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?” Even Christ found His greatest temptations in the desert, far away from human habitations. All these things teach us that hermits and monks are not in God’s plan. God’s people are the salt of the earth; and salt, no matter how good it is, is of no use if shut up in a box; it must be mingled with that which is to be preserved.

Deliverance.

That which God has promised, He is “able also to perform.” He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Eph. 3:20. He “is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.” Jude 24. He gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us, and He did not die in vain. Deliverance is ours. Christ was sent “to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.” Isa. 42:7. Accordingly He cries out to the captives, “Liberty!” To them that are bound He proclaims that the prison doors are open. Isa. 61:1. To all the prisoners, He says, “Go forth.” Isa. 49:9. Each soul may say, if he will, “O Lord, truly I am Thy servant; I am Thy servant, and the son of Thine handmaid; Thou hast loosed my bonds.” Ps. 116:16. The thing is true, whether we believe it or not. We are the Lord’s servants, even though we stubbornly refuse to serve; for He has bought us; and, having bought us, He has broken every bond that hindered us from serving Him. If we but believe, we have the victory that has overcome the world, 1 John 5:4, R. V.; John 16:33. The message to us is that our “warfare is accomplished,” our “iniquity is pardoned.” Isa. 40:2. We have but to shout, as Israel did before Jericho, to see that God has given to us the victory. God “hath visited and redeemed His people.” Luke 1:68. Out of Zion has come the Deliverer, to turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Rom. 11:26. “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”