"And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger." (Luke 2:10-12)
Let the following facts that are stated in this text be carefully noted and remembered.
1. The "good tidings of great joy," that is, the good and joyful news, which is what the word "Gospel" means, consists in the announcement of a Saviour.
2. This Gospel or good news of salvation is "to all people."
3. This Saviour of the world, over whom "a multitude of the heavenly host" (Luke 2:13) were rejoicing, was but a helpless babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger because its parents were not able to command a better resting place.
From this last fact we may learn that:
"God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty And base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are; That no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:27-31)
Nothing in this world is weaker than a new-born baby, and no one was more despised than Jesus was by the world, nor was any baby ever born whose birth attracted less attention by the world; yet He was: "The power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:24)
He is the One whom "of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Corinthians 1:30)
So as no flesh has any cause to glory before God, no flesh has any ground for discouragement. No flesh can be weaker than was the Saviour of mankind. Even when grown to manhood He said: "I can of my own self do nothing." (John 5:30) "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come; and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." (Revelation 14:6-7)
In this text let us note:
1. This everlasting Gospel is to all people, just as the angel said to the shepherds.
2. Since there is but one Gospel, (Galatians 1:7-8) we know that this everlasting Gospel, which is to "every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," (Revelation 14:6) is the good news of a Saviour, "which is Christ the Lord," (Luke 2:11) who shall "save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:31)
3. This Gospel calls for the glory--all glory--to be given to God, to whom alone it belongs. (See Matthew 6:13) As already learned, we are to give Him the glory, because there is nothing that man has wherein to glory.
We are to give God the glory, instead of man, because: "It is He that has made us, and not we ourselves." (Psalm 100:3)
He is worthy of all glory, because He is the Creator of heaven, and earth, and all things that are in them. Our acknowledgment of His glory as Creator puts us into the right relation to Him--we as His subjects, and He as our Saviour. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation unto everyone that believes." (Romans 1:16)
As we read this, let us remember that the Gospel of Christ is the good news that Jesus is a Saviour from sin. The power by which He saves, is the power of God working in Him. He came as a helpless babe absolutely unknown to the world. He had no beauty, that anyone should desire Him, and was "despised and rejected of men." (Isaiah 53:3)
By taking our flesh, He voluntarily assumed a place where He was unable to help himself. Yet we need not be ashamed of this Christ, weak and despised as He was, because He was "the power of God,"--the perfection of God's power shown in weakness. "That which may be known of God is manifested in them (that is, in ungodly men); for God manifested it unto them. For the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even His everlasting power and Divinity; that they may be without excuse." (Romans 1:19-20)
This text should be studied with great care, until the following facts contained in it are indelibly impressed on the mind:
1. Ever since the creation of the world, the invisible things of God,--all that may be known of God--are clearly to be seen.
2. The things which may be known of God are His everlasting power and Divinity.
3. These things are manifested in "the things that are made," that is, in creation.
Since we have seen the Gospel--the everlasting Gospel--to be the power of God unto salvation, and God's everlasting power is revealed in the things that are made, it follows that:
4. The everlasting Gospel is preached by every created thing.
That is, by everything that God has made, He shows us His Divine and everlasting power to save us from our sins. That is why no one has any excuse for ungodliness.
"His Divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness." (2 Peter 1:3)
Taking all these texts into consideration, we can understand why the preaching of the everlasting Gospel from heaven calls upon us to "worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." (Revelation 14:7)
In them is seen the power of God unto salvation. Whoever recognizes that fact must worship God, because "Power belongs unto God." (Psalm 62:11)
No man has any power, nor any thing in which to glory. "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as Head above all. In your hand is power and might; and in your hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all." (1 Chronicles 29:11-12)
Lastly, let us ever remember that, since all things that are made reveal the power of God;--since the power that is manifested not simply to create but to uphold everything in the universe is the power that is working to save men;--and we see the Gospel in all creation, the story of creation was written for no other purpose than to teach us the Gospel, to show us God's power to save us from sin.--Present Truth, June 23, 1898.