Quiet Talks by Samuel Dickey: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks About Our Lord's Return: 79. The Purpose

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Quiet Talks by Samuel Dickey: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks About Our Lord's Return: 79. The Purpose



TOPIC: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks About Our Lord's Return (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 79. The Purpose

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The Purpose

Judgment is a sore subject. Teaching about it has swung to both extremes. It is popular today to believe that there is no hell. It has been preached in a most aggressive, ungodly way, and we have all felt the inner recoil against such teaching. I remember hearing Mr. Moody say to a group of Bible Institute students, "Well, whenever you do preach about hell, let it be with tears in your eyes." There is much confusion as to just what the truth is. It's a great relief to have a Book that speaks with authority, and not as do some of the modern scribes. The subject is intimately connected with our Lord's return. So we want to try to gather out what the Book teaches.

Judgment is God's way of dealing with sin. It is not directed against man, but against sin. It is true that man and sin get so desperately mixed up that only divine power can ever get them apart. And when they are not gotten apart, when the man insistently holds on to the sin, then the man is carried down in the judgment upon the sin. Yet the one thing aimed at in judgment is, not the man, but the sin. And yet judgment takes man into account in its action against sin. It comes upon some, at times, not only because of their own action, but for the sake of others. And it should be noted most keenly, that when God has acted in judgment, and when He will again, it is always and only with unutterable pain in His great heart.

There can be no question as to the fact of judgment. That fact is scarred into the earth's surface so deep that centuries have not worn away the scar. The Dead Sea is the great sin-scar in nature. The very earth itself mutely tells of the horrible clutch of sin. The bitterness of those waters tells of a yet more terrible bitterness. The fact of judgment is written plainly in the oldest traditions of the nations. The water mark of the Flood can be found among the oldest nations, as well as the youngest. That fact is woven into the fabric of common life everywhere. For pain is sin's index finger pointing faithfully to the results sure to come wherever there is a break in God's rhythm of life.

There is a purpose in judgment, and it is always a purpose of love. There is a deep, clear purpose in everything that God does. And His love for us, deep and tender, is the fire burning under that purpose. The character of God must be kept ever in mind. The leading trait in His character is expressed, not by the word "purity," nor "righteousness," nor "justice," but by the word "love." Though if we knew the real meaning of "love" we would find it includes these others, and more.

The purpose in judgment is twofold. It is a purpose toward sin, to get rid of it. And God's attitude here is relentlessly uncompromising. No exceptions are ever noted. And there is a purpose toward men. Now regarding the purpose toward men there are four items to note. It is disciplinary. The whole thought is to change the man. It is love working, love for the man. But this is true up to a certain point only. There does come a time when the line is crossed over into the incorrigible stage. A man may, if he will, stick so persistently to his sin that the uncompromising attitude toward it includes him. Yet we shall find even here that it is love that is at work, love for the others involved.

The purpose is the same as the surgeon's. He thrusts in his keen-edged blade, not to destroy life, but to save it. He is driving hard against the disease. The knife that cuts and hurts is held steady by the kindly purpose in the heart. The little son of a friend of mine had one of his eyes seriously injured. The surgeon urged its removal, in order to save the other eye. But the hope of saving both eyes overruled his judgment. Now both eyes are quite gone. The surgeon was right. Severe treatment would have saved one eye.

The English word "hell," in the New Testament, usually stands for the word "gehenna" underneath. That was the word used for the place outside Jerusalem, where the refuse of the city was burned. Of course the gehenna fires of Jerusalem were for the health of the city, to burn up what would endanger health and life. Judgment is sometimes surgical in its purpose and character.

And it is meant to deter others. It is a kindly, gracious, warning signal to hold others back. It is a well-known fact in military records that the officer who is a stern disciplinarian executes fewer offenders than he who is more lax in his discipline. Apparently the lax man is kinder hearted. Actually the severe man is the kinder friend. The certainty of a just punishment coming deters men from wrong. Fear is actually the strongest motive with most men in regulating conduct.

But the fourth item already noticed should have the emphasis of repetition. Judgment goes past the disciplinary stage. There comes a time, when the man who utterly hardens himself against loving plea and warning, becomes as his sin. The relentlessness toward the sin comes to include the man. Yet the action that finally decides the case is his, not God's. These are the four words to put down under purpose,—disciplinary, surgical, warning, incorrigible stage.