Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

not the measure between law and grace? But for theGood News of God's redeeming grace how frightenedwe would be if He were merely to appear before usin silence? Says Luther with fervor, "We are condemnedand killed by the law, but Christ justifiesand restores us to life. The law astonishes us, anddrives us from God: but Christ reconciles us to God,and makes for us an entrance that we may boldlycome unto Him."Rome was only capable of presenting a God whocould never be satisfied with His subjects. He terrifiedthem with His Holy Presence. Only in the Wordcould they read of grace spilling freely upon themthrough God's Son. Ulrich Zwingli testifies to themajor principle of the Reformation. "We shouldhold the Word of God in the highest possible esteem. . . and we should give to it a trust which we cannotgive to any other word. For the Word of God iscertain and can never fail. It is clear, and will neverleave us in darkness. It teaches its own truth. Itarises and irradiates the soul of man with full salvationand grace. It gives the soul sure comfort in God.It humbles it, so that it loses and indeed condemnsitself and lays hold of God. And in God the soullives, searching diligently after Him and despairingof all creaturely consolation. For God is its only confidenceand comfort. Without Him it has no rest:it rests in Him alone."Thus Zwingli finds he truly fears the Lord. Alldesires to run away from God have vanished. Indeed,to fear God is to rest in Him, and finding"confidence and comfort" in so doing.How else can we explain the Reformers' zeal fortruth than by acknowledging that they "stood inawe" of God? Such was their "high" view of DivineMajesty; their reverence for His Person and respectfor His Presence, that brandish the truth they must.No privation was too severe, no cost too great. Theywere confident in their God for they sheltered inHis shadow. They feared Him, for they loved Him.They loved Him, for He first loved them. To Himthey owed everything.To fear the Lord is to be a true and worthy worshiper.It is to see Him as He is clearly defined inScripture; it is to relish His doctrines; it is to expoundthem by lip and life; it is to be humbled beneaththem; it is to breathe them; it is to rejoicein them. John Huss shows us how. "Truly this isthe most holy and chief Roman pontiff, sitting atGod's right hand and dwelling with us. . For thatperson, Christ, is everywhere present, since He isthe very God whose right it is to be everywhere withoutlimitation. . He is the one who makes us priests. .He performs the Sacrament of the eucharist. . Thisis He who confirms the faithful ones. . He it is whofeeds the sheep by His Word and example and by6the food of His body. . He is the pontiff who inadvance makes the way easy for us to the heavenlycountry. . He is the Pope because He is the wonderfulPrince of Peace, the Father of the future age.For indeed, such a pontiff became us who, sinceHe was in the form of God, did not think it robberyto be equal with God, but emptied Himself. ." Husscontinues long after this. We must stop.Like the apostles, these true God-fearers wereunashamedly caught up in their Saviour. Merewords were inadequate to express their loving fear ofHim. God was everything. The worshiper wasnothing. Hence Huss states, "Holy men, when theyhave been praised by men, have humbled themselvesand have burdened their minds with fear, lest praiseshould cast them down from a merit still moreworthy." In the light of this quotation I do notthink these great men are enjoying all that iswritten here!How can men die so bravely? We are told thatCranmer "came to the stake with a cheerful countenance.." We hear Latimer say to Ridley, "Be ofgood cheer, Master Ridley. . ." Was it not becausethey had exercised the prerogatives given them byGod? He who had bidden them to "come boldly untothe throne of grace" meant what He said. They hadcome. At first, fearfully. "Being aroused by fear,"as Calvin puts it, they had learned humility. Theywere not sentimentalists swayed by emotions. Theywere men governed by the truth. They were not"amateurs" playing games for fun. They were"professional" soldiers of Christ enduring hardship.They were not "nice" men bending over backwardsto please all. They were not soft and winsomecharacters looking for friends in every direction."1 never work better than when I am inspired byanger," wrote Luther.They feared the Lord. Everything must revolvearound Him. To him be the praise and to Him bethe glory. Secondary things must remain second.As we enter the 1970s may evangelicals learnto fear God. The Arminians — who ever breathedown our necks! — have thought too much of man.To uplift man is to fear him. In fearing God manwill feel insulted. He will react accordingly. Do wefear that reaction? Pray God we will grow moresensitive to the sovereign claims He makes uponus.". . .1 am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted,"cries Luther at the Diet of Worms," and my conscienceis captive to the Word of God. I cannotand will not retract anything, since it is neithersafe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot dootherwise, here I stand, may God help me, Amen."This, is the fear of the Lord. It is always fearlessof men.—The Churchman's MagazineCOVENANTER WITNESS