The Gospel is just as simple as God can make it. That there may be no misunderstanding about it, He has revealed its principles and working in nature, and the birth and growth of the plants teach us the way of life. "The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made." (Romans 1:20)
Men are to be born again, as children of God, just as the plants are. The seed which is sown in us is the Word of God. "Being born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which lives and abides for ever." (1 Peter 1:23)
It is not credit to the earth that the seed is sown in it, because it is by the will of the sower that it is done. So it is with men. "Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth." (James 1:18)
It is sufficient for us to know that God wills to make us His children. If we feel devoid of all desire to be such, this should not keep us back. If we will only let the seed be sown, we shall be filled with God's will. That does not change. Ours does.
Many get discouraged because of their weak, inconstant will to do right. That is because they do not recognize that it is not by their own will that they are born again, or kept, but by God's unchanging purpose. "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13)
Those who keep this in mind can always be confident, because God's will does not waver. The thought that He is not discouraged or shaken will fill us with courage.
Since then our Christian life is due to the fact that God begets us by the word of truth, how shall we grow? By continuing to hear the Word. "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God." (James 1:19-20)
Therefore when we are exhorted to be swift to hear, it must be because this does work the righteousness of God. "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness ["Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you." John 15:3], and receive with meekness the engrafted Word which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21)
The only reason why any who make a good beginning in the Christian life fail to keep it up, is because they depart from the simplicity of the way. It is not because the way gets harder, for it does not. At the outset, faith came by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) And that same faith, coming in the same way, will always overcome sin.
We are not to be forgetful hearers, but to look into the perfect law of liberty and continue therein, and since faith works, because the living Word works, we shall be "doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves." (James 1:22) "Brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." (Acts 20:32)
All that is possible in Christian life, and the attainment of the inheritance, is for those who hear the Word, and for them alone. The Word itself does the work. If men were required to do it they could not, and this truth is taught us in the growth of the plants. "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise, night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how." (Mark 4:26-27)
This is not only true, as far as our own experience is concerned, but it applies to anything we may seek to do for others. No one can give anything to another, unless he has it himself, and, because men in themselves are nothing, no man can give anything to another in any other way than he gets it himself. "He therefore that ministers to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Galatians 3:5)
So it is clear that everything depends upon our hearing the Word of God all the while, not occasionally or in small measure, for man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. "All things are possible to him that believes," (Mark 9:23) and, "Faith comes by hearing." (Romans 10:17) "Wherefore, let every man be swift to hear." (James 1:19) "Hear, and your soul shall live." (Isaiah 55:3) "He that has ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 11:15)--Present Truth, March 16, 1899.