Peace: True and False.

Inasmuch as salvation is the bringing o a sinul creature into right relations to God, it necessarily ollows that that salvation, in all its parts, must ever be viewed rom two sides: the Divine and the human. God is the Savior, a human being the one saved. In the work o salvation, God does not deal with allen men as inanimate and irresponsible entities, but as moral and accountable agents. The power which He puts orth in the realm o grace is quite dierent rom that which He exerts in the sphere o material creation: the one is spiritual, the other is physical. God works in us so that we are moved to will and to do o His good pleasure. Thus, by noting the eects produced through us, we are able to trace the cause wrought in us: the ruit attests the root.

Inasmuch as salvation is the bringing o a sinul creature into right relations with God, it necessarily ollows that that salvation, is both an objective and a subjective thing; that is to say, it is both legal and experimental. Or, in simpler language still, it is both something which is done or us and something which is wrought in us. A salvation eected by a vicarious satisaction rendered to the Law, but which let the sinner unchanged personally, would be a salvation at the expense o holiness. On the other hand, a salvation which eected the requisite change in the sinner but ignored the demands o the Law, would be a salvation at the expense o justice. Thus, justiication and sanctiication are inseparable.

Inasmuch as salvation is the bringing o a sinul creature into right relations to God, it necessarily ollows that or peace to be adequately established, both the claims o Divine justice and o Divine holiness must be met and maintained. Now this is only another way o saying that the wrath o God must be appeased, and also that the enmity o men must be slain: the curse o the law must be removed, and a love or the law implanted in the human heart. The sword o Divine justice must be sheathed, and the sinner must be made to throw down the weapons o his rebellion against the Law-Giver. Nothing short o this could be a satisactory peace between the Creator and the creature. "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3). No indeed. Then what ellowship can there possibly be between a guilty rebel and a righteous but rowning Judge? Sin has severed the riendship which originally existed between the Creator and His creatures. As it is written, "But they rebelled, and vexed His Holy Spirit: thereore He was turned to be their Enemy, and He ought against them" (Isaiah 63:10).

In consequence o this, "he who believes not the Son shall not see lie, but the wrath o God abides on him" (John 3:36): note the present tense—the holy indignation o God will not only be upon the wicked in the Lake o ire, but it rests upon them now; it cannot be otherwise, or "the wrath o God is revealed rom Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness o men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Rom 1:18). "The carnal mind is enmity against God: or it is not subject to the law o God, neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:7).

"Their enmity against God does not lie still, but they are exceedingly active in it. They are engaged in a war against God. Indeed they cannot hurt God, He is so much above them; but they do what they can. They oppose themselves to His honor and glory: they oppose themselves to the interests o His kingdom in this world: they oppose themselves to the will and command o God: they oppose Him in His government. While God is doing one thing, they are doing the contrary, and as much as in them lies, counter-working; God seeks one thing, they seek directly the contrary. They list under Satan's banner, and are his willing soldiers" (Jonathan Edwards).

God has a controversy with the world, and bids His sinul and rebellious creatures cease their controversy with Him. Because they will not, He requently gives signs o His displeasure and portents o the uture storm o Divine judgment which shall yet burst upon the wicked and wholly engul them. Every epidemic o disease, every severe storm on land and sea, every pestilence and amine, every earthquake and lood, is a mark o the Creator's anger, and presages the Day o Judgment. They are Divine calls or men to cease ighting against God, and solemn warnings o His dreadul and uture vengeance i they will not.

But God is not only just and righteous, but gracious and merciul. Accordingly He has Himsel laid a oundation or sinners to be at peace with Him. This is made known in the Gospel, which is designated "the Gospel o peace" (Eph. 6:15). In the Gospel an announcement is made both o what God (in His grace) has done, and o what God (in His holiness) requires rom sinul rebels. In that Gospel God has made known the terms upon which amity with Him may be obtained. But, sad to say, we are living in times when the Gospel, like everything else, has been grievously perverted: when that aspect o it which is acceptable to the carnal mind has been made prominent, but when that aspect which is repellent to the lesh has been guiltily concealed. The more clearly God enables the writer to discern this, the more impelled is he to declare and expose it.

There are a great many tracts being circulated today the substance o which purports to give a conversation between an evangelist and some earnest soul who has not yet entered into the ull assurance o aith. The latter is represented as "seeking to make his peace with God," whereupon the ormer lippantly replies, "You are two thousand years too late." The evangelist is then pictured as asking the one to whom he is speaking, to open the Bible and read Colossians 1:20, "Having made peace through the blood o His cross." Then the assertion is made, "All that is required rom you is to believe that statement and rest upon the inished work which Christ did or you."

We greatly ear that thousands o precious souls have been atally deceived by such supericial and aulty dealings with them. irst o all, let it be duly recognized that Colossians 1:20 was not addressed to unsaved people, but instead to "the saints and aithul brethren in Christ" (Col. 1:2). Any man who makes it his custom to take the "children's bread" and "cast it to the dogs" at once demonstrates that he is totally unqualiied to deal with souls about Divine and eternal matters. O how many such are now running without being sent o God! How many "novices" (1 Tim. 3:6), are bringing the holy Truth o God into disrepute by a leshly zeal which is not according to knowledge! ar better or "young converts" to keep their mouths closed altogether, than to open them to the dishonor o God. "Let every man be swit to hear, slow to speak" (James 1:19), is a much disregarded word these days o everish activity.

In the second place, let the interested and earnest reader (who desires to please the Lord, rather than ollow or be admired by men) turn to the book o Acts, and see i the Apostles ever preached to unsaved people anything resembling Colossians 1:20. I that important book be read through, it will be ound that the message which the Apostles delivered to promiscuous crowds was radically dierent rom the "evangelistic" preaching o these degenerate days. Even to Cornelius and his household, who had reverently gathered together to hear "all things that were commanded by God," Peter declared "preaching peace by Jesus Christ: He is Lord o all" (Acts 10:36). Peace comes to the sinner not simply by his believing on Christ as "Savior," but irst by his bowing to Him as Lord: compare Colossians 2:6.

In the third place, to dwell exclusively on that aspect o truth declared in Colossians 1:20, is to ignore what has been pointed out in the opening paragraphs above, especially the second and third. Colossians 1:20, like Romans 5:1 and Ephesians 2:13-16 treats only o the legal and objective side o the subject, telling o what Christ did or those who repent and believe. But is it right, is it honest, is it pleasing to God, is it helpul to perishing souls, to remain silent upon the experimental side o reconciliation, and to say nothing o what God requires rom rebellious men beore any o them can have applied to them what Christ did or His people? Such men are either handling the Word o God "deceitully" (2 Cor. 4:2), or in great ignorance.

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