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STUDY XI
THE THREE WAYS--THE BROAD WAY,
THE NARROW WAY, THE HIGHWAY
The Broad Road to Destruction--The Narrow Way to Life--What is
Life?--The Divine Nature--The Relationship of the Divine and Human
Natures--The Reward at the End of the Narrow Way--The High
Calling Limited to the Gospel Age--Difficulties and Dangers of the
Narrow Way--The Highway of Holiness.
"WIDE is the gate of destruction, and broad that way leading
thither; and many are they who enter through it. How narrow is
the gate of life! how difficult that way leading thither! and how
few are they who find it!" Matt. 7:13,14, Diaglott
translation
"And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called
the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall
be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err
therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up
thereon, nor be found there; but they that walk there shall be delivered."
Isa. 35:8,9
Three ways, the "broad road," the "narrow way" and
the "highway," are thus brought to our attention in the
Scriptures.
The Broad Road to Destruction
This road is thus named because it is most easy to the degenerate
human race. Six thousand years ago, as a sinner
condemned to destruction, Adam (and the race represented
in him) started upon this road, and after nine hundred and
thirty years he reached its end--destruction. As years and
centuries have rolled on, the downward path has become
more and more smoothly worn, and the race has sped more
and more rapidly to destruction, the way becoming daily
more glazed and slimed and slippery with sin. And not only
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does the way grow more slippery, but mankind daily loses
the power of resistance, so that now the average length of
human life is about thirty-five years. Men now reach the
end of the road--destruction--nine hundred years quicker
than did the first man.
For six thousand years the race has steadily pursued the
broad, downward way. Only a few, comparatively, have
tried to change their course and retrace their steps. In fact,
to retrace all the steps, and reach the original perfection,
has been impossible, though the effort of some to do so has
been commendable, and not without beneficial results. For
six thousand years sin and death have reigned relentlessly
over mankind, and driven them upon this broad road to
destruction. And not until the Gospel age was a way of escape
brought to light. Though in previous ages rays of hope
were dimly seen in types and shadows, which were joyfully
hailed and acted upon by a few, yet life and immortality
were not brought to light until the appearing of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the proclamation by the
apostles of the good tidings of redemption and remission of
sins and a consequent resurrection from the destruction. (2 Tim. 1:10)
The teachings of Jesus and the apostles bring to light
life--a restitution or restoration to life for all mankind, as
based upon the merit and sacrifice of the Redeemer; and
they show this to be the significance of many Old Testament
types. They also bring to light immortality, the prize of
the high calling of the Gospel Church.
Although a way of escape from the broad road to destruction
has been brought to light through the gospel, the
great mass of mankind heeds not the good tidings, because
depraved by sin and blinded by the Adversary. Those who
now gratefully accept the promise of life, restoration to human
existence, through Christ, have pointed out to them a
new way which has been opened up, by which consecrated
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believers may go beyond the human nature and be
changed to a higher nature--the spiritual. This new way
"consecrated for us"--the royal priesthood (Heb. 10:20)--
our Lord called
"The Narrow Way to Life."
Our Master tells us that it is because of the narrowness
of this way that the many prefer to remain on the broad
road to destruction. "Strait [difficult] is the gate and narrow
is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that
find it."
Before considering this way and its dangers and difficulties,
let us notice the end to which it leads--life. As already
seen, life may be enjoyed on various planes of being,
higher as well as lower than human. Life is a broad and
comprehensive term, but here our Lord uses it in reference
to that highest form of life, pertaining to the divine nature
--immortality--the prize for which he invited us to run.
What is life? We not only realize it in ourselves, but we see
its operation in lower animals, and even in vegetation, and
we are told of its existence in higher forms, angelic and divine.
How shall we define a term so comprehensive?
While we may not be able to discover the secret springs of
life in all, we may safely assume that the Divine Being,
Jehovah, is the great fountain of all life, from which all
these springs are supplied. All living things result from and
depend on him for life. All life, whether in God or in his
creatures, is the same: it is an energizing principle, not a
substance. It is a principle which inheres in God, but which
in his creatures results from certain causes which God has ordained,
and of it he is therefore the cause, the author or
fountain. Hence the creature is in no sense a part or an offspring
of the Creator's essence or nature, as some imagine,
but he is God's handiwork infused with life.
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Recognizing the fact that only in the divine nature is life
independent, unlimited, exhaustless, ever continuous and
neither produced nor controlled by circumstances, we see
that of necessity Jehovah is superior to those physical laws
and supplies which he ordained for the sustenance of his
creatures. It is this quality, which pertains only to the divine
nature, that is described by the term immortality. As
shown in the preceding chapter, immortal signifies death-proof,
consequently disease and pain-proof. In fact, immortality
may be used as a synonym for divinity. From the
divine, immortal fountain proceed all life and blessing, every
good and perfect gift, as from the sun the earth receives
her light and vigor.
The sun is the great fountain of light to the earth, illuminating
all things, producing many varieties of color and
shades of light, according to the nature of the object upon
which it shines. The same sunlight shining upon a diamond,
upon a brick, and upon various kinds of glass, produces
strikingly different effects. The light is the same, but
the objects upon which it shines differ in their capacity to
receive and to transmit it. So with life: it all flows from the
one exhaustless fountain. The oyster has life, but its organism
is such that it cannot make use of much life, just as the
brick cannot reflect much of the light of the sun. So with
each of the higher manifestations of life, in beast, fish and
fowl. Like the various kinds of glass under sunlight, so
these various creatures show forth differently the various
organic powers they possess, when life animates their
organisms.
The polished diamond is so adapted to the light that it
appears as though it possessed it within itself, and were itself
a miniature sun. So with man, one of the masterpieces
of God's creation, made only "a little lower than the angels."
He was so grandly formed as to be able to receive and
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retain life by the use of the means which God supplied, and
never grow dim. Thus was Adam before he fell grander
than any other earthly creature, not by reason of any
difference in the life principle implanted, but because of a
grander organism. Yet, let us remember that as the diamond
can reflect no light except when shone upon by the sun, so
man can possess and enjoy life only as the supply of life is
continued. Man has not inherent life: he is no more a fountain
of life than a diamond is a fountain of light. And one of
the very strongest evidences that we have not an exhaustless
supply of life in ourselves, or, in other words, that we are not
immortal, is that since sin entered, death has passed upon
all our race.
God had arranged that man in Eden should have access
to life-sustaining trees, and the paradise in which he was
placed was abundantly supplied with numbers of "every
[kind of] tree" good for food or for adornment. (Gen. 2:9,16,17)
Among the trees of life good for food was one forbidden.
While for a time forbidden to eat of the tree of knowledge,
he was permitted to eat freely of trees which sustained
life perfectly; and he was separated from them only after
transgression, that thereby the death-penalty might go into
effect. Gen. 3:22
Thus the glory and beauty of humanity are seen to be dependent
on the continued supply of life, just as the beauty
of the diamond is dependent on the continued supply of
sunlight. When sin deprived humanity of the right to life,
and the supply was withheld, immediately the jewel began
to lose its brilliancy and beauty, and finally it is deprived of
its last vestige in the tomb. His beauty consumes away like a
moth. (Psa. 39:11) As the diamond loses its beauty and brilliancy
when the light is withdrawn, so man loses life when
God withholds the supplies from him. "Yea, man giveth up
the ghost [life] and where is he?" (Job 14:10) "His
sons
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come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are
brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them." (Verse 21)
"For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom,
in the grave whither thou goest." (Eccl. 9:10) But
since a ransom has been found, since the death penalty has
been provided by the Redeemer, the jewel is to have its
beauty restored, and is again to reflect perfectly the Creator's
image when the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with
healing in his wings. (Mal. 4:2) It is because of the
sin-offering,
the sacrifice of Christ, that "All that are in their graves
shall come forth." There shall be a restitution of all things;
first an opportunity or offer of restitution to all, and ultimately
the attainment of human perfection by all who will
obey the Redeemer.
This, however, is not the reward to which Jesus refers as
the end of the narrow way. From other scriptures we learn
that the reward promised to those who walk the narrow
way is the "divine nature"--life inherent, life in that superlative
degree which only the divine nature can possess--immortality.
What a hope! Dare we aspire to such a height of
glory? Surely not without positive and explicit invitation
could any rightfully thus aspire.
From 1 Tim. 6:14-16we learn that the immortal or divine
nature was originally the possession of divinity only.
We read: "He [Jesus] in his time [the Millennial age] will
show who is the blessed and only potentate--the King of
kings and Lord of lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling
in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no
man hath seen nor can see." All other beings, angels, men,
beasts, birds, fish, etc., are but vessels holding each its measure
of life, and all differing in character, capacity, and
quality according to the organism which it has pleased the
Creator to provide for each.
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Further, we learn that Jehovah, who alone possessed immortality
originally, has highly exalted his Son, our Lord
Jesus, to the same divine, immortal nature; hence he is now
the express image of the Father's person. (Heb. 1:3) So we
read, "As the Father hath LIFE IN HIMSELF [God's definition
of "immortality"--life in himself--not drawn from other
sources, nor dependent on circumstances, but independent,
inherent life], so hath he given to the Son to have LIFE IN
HIMSELF." (John 5:26) Since the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, then, two beings are immortal; and, amazing grace!
the same offer is made to the Bride of the Lamb, being selected
during the Gospel age. Yet not all of the great company
who are nominally of the Church will receive this
great prize, but only that "little flock" of overcomers who so
run as to obtain it; who follow closely in the Master's footsteps;
who, like him, walk the narrow way of sacrifice, even
unto death. These, when born from the dead in the resurrection,
will have the divine nature and form. This immortality,
the independent, self-existent, divine nature, is
the life to which the narrow way leads.
This class is not to be raised from the tomb human
beings; for we are assured by the Apostle that, though sown
in the tomb natural bodies, they will be raised spiritual
bodies. These all shall be "changed," and even as they once
bore the image of the earthly, human nature, they shall
bear the image of the heavenly. But "it doth not yet appear
what we shall be"--what a spiritual body is; but "we know
that when he shall appear, we shall be like him," and share
in "the glory to be revealed." 1 John 3:2; Col. 1:27; 2 Cor. 4:17;
John 17:22; 1 Pet. 5:10; 2 Thess. 2:14
Not only is this high calling to a change of nature confined
exclusively to the Gospel age, but it is the only offer of this
age. Hence our Lord's words quoted at the beginning of
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this chapter include on the broad road to destruction all
who are not on the way to the only prize now offered. All
others are still on the broad road--these only have as yet escaped
the condemnation that is on the world. This, the only
way of life now open, because of its difficulty, finds few who
care to walk in it. The masses of mankind in their weakness
prefer the broad, easy way of self-gratification.
The narrow way, while it ends in life, in immortality,
might be called a way of death, since its prize is gained
through the sacrifice of the human nature even unto death.
It is the narrow way of death to life. Being reckoned free
from the Adamic guilt and the death penalty, the consecrated
voluntarily surrender or sacrifice those human
rights, reckoned theirs, which in due time they, with the
world in general, would have actually received. As "the
man Christ Jesus" laid down or sacrificed his life for the
world, so these become joint-sacrificers with him. Not that
his sacrifice was insufficient and that others were needed; but
while his is all-sufficient, these are permitted to serve and to
suffer with him in order to become his bride and joint-heir.
So, then, while the world is under condemnation to death,
and is dying with Adam, this "little flock," through the
process of faith reckonings and sacrifice, already described,
are said to die with Christ. They sacrifice and die with him
as human beings, in order to become partakers of the divine
nature and glories with him; for we believe that if we be
dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we suffer
with
him, we shall also be glorified together. Rom. 8:17and
2 Tim. 2:11,12
In the beginning of the Millennial age, those who now
walk the narrow way will have gained the great prize for
which they ran, immortality; and being thus clothed with
the divine nature and power, they will be prepared for the
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great work of restoring and blessing the world during that
age. With the end of the Gospel age, the narrow way to immortality
will close, because the select "little flock" that it
was designed to test and prove will have been completed.
"Now is the accepted [Greek, dektos, acceptable or receivable]
time"--the time in which sacrificers, coming in the
merit of Jesus and becoming dead with him, are acceptable to
God--a sacrifice of sweet odor. Death, as the Adamic penalty,
will not be permitted forever; it will be abolished during
the Millennial age; as a sacrifice it will be acceptable and
rewarded only during the Gospel age.
It is only as "new creatures" that the saints of this age are
on the way to life; and only as human beings are we consecrated
to destruction, as sacrifices. If, as human creatures,
we be dead with Christ, as new, spiritual beings, we shall
live with him. (Rom. 6:8) The mind of God in us, the transformed
mind, is the germ of the new nature.
The new life would be easily choked; and Paul assures us
that when begotten of the spirit through the truth, if we live
after the flesh, we shall die (lose our life), but if we, through
the spirit, do mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body
(the disposition of the human nature), we (as new creatures)
shall live; for the sons of God are those led by the
spirit of God. (Rom. 8:13,14) This is a thought of utmost
importance to all the consecrated; for if we have covenanted
with God to sacrifice the human nature, and if that
sacrifice was accepted by him, it is useless to attempt to take
it back. The human is reckoned of God as dead now, and
must actually die, never again to be restored. All that can
be gained, then, by turning back to live after the flesh, is a
little human gratification at the expense of the new spiritual
nature.
There are, however, many consecrated ones desirous of
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the prize, and who have been begotten of the spirit, who are
partially overcome by the allurements of the world, the desires
of the flesh, or the arts of the devil. They partially lose
sight of the prize set before us, and try to walk upon a
middle road--to keep the favor of God and the favor of the
world, forgetting that "the friendship of the world is enmity
with God" (James 4:4), and that the instructions to those
running the race for the prize are, Love not the world, and,
Seek not honor one of another, but that honor which
cometh from God only. 1 John 2:15; John 5:44
These, who love the present world, but who have not
wholly forsaken the Lord and despised their covenant, receive
a scourging and purifying by the fire of affliction. As
the Apostle expresses it, they are delivered over to Satan for
the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit (the newly begotten
nature) may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Cor. 5:5)
And if rightly exercised by the discipline, they will
finally be received into the spiritual condition. They will
have everlasting, spirit life as angels have it, but will lose the
prize of immortality. They will serve God in his temple, and
stand before the throne, having palms in their hands (Rev. 7:9-17);
but though that will be glorious, it will not be so
glorious as the position of the "little flock" of overcomers,
who will be kings and priests unto God, seated with Jesus in
the throne as his bride and joint-heir, and with him crowned
with immortality.
Ours is a rugged, steep, narrow way, and were it not that
strength is furnished for each successive step of the journey,
we could never reach the goal. But our Captain's word is
encouraging: Be of good cheer; I have overcome; my grace
is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in
weakness. (John 16:33; 2 Cor. 12:9) The
difficulties of this
way are to act as a separating principle to sanctify and refine
a "peculiar people" to be "heirs of God and joint-heirs
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with Jesus Christ." In view of these things, let us come
boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need, while we fight the
good fight of faith and lay hold on "the crown of glory"--
immortality, the divine nature. 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4
The Highway of Holiness
While the special hope of the Gospel age is so surpassingly
glorious, and the way to it is correspondingly difficult
--narrow, hedged in by hardships and dangers at every
step--so that few find it, and obtain the great prize at its
end, the new order of things in the age to come is to be entirely
different. As a different hope is held out, so also a
different way leads to it. The way to immortality has been a
way which required the sacrifice of the otherwise lawful
and proper hopes, ambitions and desires--the sacrifice forever
of the human nature. But the way to human perfection,
to restitution, the hope of the world, requires only
the putting away of sin: not the sacrifice of human rights
and privileges, but their proper enjoyment. It will lead to
personal purification and restoration to the image of God
as enjoyed by Adam before sin entered the world.
The way back to actual human perfection is to be made
very plain and easy; so plain that none may mistake the
way; so plain that "the wayfaring man, and those unacquainted
therewith, shall not go astray" (Isa. 35:8--Leeser);
so plain that none will need to teach his neighbor, saying,
Know the Lord, for all shall know the Lord from the least
unto the greatest. (Jer. 31:34) Instead of being a narrow
way that few can find, it is termed "a highway," a public
roadway--not a narrow, steep, rugged, difficult, hedged byway,
but a way specially prepared for easy travel--specially
arranged for the convenience and comfort of the travelers.
Verses 8 and 9show that it is a public road, open to all the
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redeemed--every man. Every man for whom Christ died,
who will recognize and avail himself of the opportunities
and blessings purchased by the precious blood, may go up
on this Highway of Holiness to the grand goal of perfect
restitution to human perfection and everlasting life.
Nor will these be reckoned justified and granted a reckoned
standing of holiness and perfection in the sight of God;
when started upon this highway of holiness they may go up
thereon to actual perfection, as a result of endeavor and obedience,
to which all things will be made favorable by their
Redeemer, then reigning in power. Each individual will,
according to his necessities, be aided by the wise and perfect
administration of the new kingdom. This, as will occur to
some, is the legitimate result of the ransom. Since our Lord,
the man Christ Jesus, gave himself a ransom for all, and desires
all to come to a knowledge of the truth, and thereby to
actual perfection, why does he not at once make a good and
broad highway for all? Why does he not remove the obstructions,
the stumbling-stones, the pitfalls and snares?
Why not help the sinner back to full harmony with God,
instead of making the way narrow, rugged, thorny, hard to
find, and still harder to walk in? A failure rightly to divide
the Word of truth, and to see that the present narrow way
leads to the special prize, and is for the trial and selection of
a little flock of joint-heirs, the body of Christ, which, when
selected and exalted with their Head, shall bless all nations,
has led some to very confused ideas on the subject. Failing
to see God's plan, many try to preach a highway of holiness,
an easy way to life, in the present age, when no such way
exists, and they confuse and compromise the matter to fit
the facts and the Scriptures with their mistaken theories.
On the highway soon to be opened, only sinful things will
be prohibited, while those who travel the narrow way must
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deny themselves and sacrifice many things not sinful, as
well as war continually against besetting sins. This is a
pathway of sacrifice, as that of the coming age is to be a
highway of righteousness.
Of that highway it is significantly stated in symbolic
language that "No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous
beast shall go up thereon; it shall not be found there." (Isa. 35:9)
How many frightful lions are now in the way of those
who would be glad to forsake sinful ways, and to pursue
righteousness! There is the lion of a degenerate public sentiment,
which deters many from venturing to obey the dictates
of conscience in matters of everyday life--dress, home,
and business arrangements, etc. The lion of temptation to
strong drink hinders thousands who would be glad to see it
removed. Prohibitionists and temperance workers now find
a herculean task on their hands, which only the authority
and power of the next age can remove; and the same may
be said of other worthy efforts at moral reform. "Nor shall
any ravenous beast go up thereon." No giant corporations,
organized to advance selfish, individual interests at the expense
of the general good, will be tolerated. "They shall not
hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain" (kingdom) saith
the Lord. (Isa. 11:9) Though there will be difficulties to labor
against in overcoming propensities to evil, etc., yet, in
comparison with the narrow way of this age, that will be an
easy way. The stones (stumbling-stones) shall all be gathered
out, and the standard of truth shall be lifted up for the
people. (Isa. 62:10) Ignorance and superstition will be
things of the past, and righteousness will receive its due reward,
while to evil will be meted out its just deserts. (Mal. 3:15,18)
By wholesome chastisements, fitting encouragements
and plain instructions, as returned prodigals,
mankind will be trained and disciplined up to the grand
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perfection from which father Adam fell. Thus "the ransomed
of the Lord shall return [from destruction, by the
grand highway of holiness]...with songs and everlasting
joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isa. 35:10) Our
Lord referred to but two of these ways, because the third
was not yet due to be opened up--just as when announcing
the good tidings, he said, "This scripture is fulfilled in your
ears," but omitted mentioning the "day of vengeance," because
it was not then due. (Compare Luke 4:19and Isa. 61:2.)
Now, however, as the narrow way draws to a close,
the grand highway of righteousness begins to be seen more
and more distinctly, in the light of the dawning day.
Thus we have found a "Broad Road," on which at present
the masses of mankind travel, deluded by the "prince of
this world," and led by perverted tastes. We have found
that it was opened up and that our race was started in its
headlong course upon it by "one man's disobedience." We
have found that the "Highway of Holiness" is to be opened
up by our Lord, who gave himself a ransom for all and redeems
all from the destruction to which the "Broad Road"
leads, and that it will, in due time, be accessible and easy for
all the redeemed ones whom he bought with his own precious
blood. We have found, furthermore, that the present
"Narrow Way," opened up by the merit of the same precious
blood, is a special way leading to a special prize, and is
made specially narrow and difficult as a test and discipline
for those now being selected to be made partakers of the divine
nature and joint-heirs with our Lord Jesus in the Kingdom
of glory soon to be revealed for the blessing of all. Such
as have this hope--who see this prize--may count all other
hopes as but loss and dross in comparison. Phil. 3:8-15
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