June 21, 1897

“The Science of Salvation” ^{1An address delivered at the recent General Conference.} The Bible Echo 12, 25, pp. 193, 194.

ATJ

EVERYBODY knows that this is a very scientific age, at least in name, in profession, and in aspiration. God wants His people always to be up with the age. More than that: He wants His people always to be ahead of the age. Particularly He wants them to be reformers, and for a person to be a reformer, he must be ahead of the age. Then, as this is a particularly scientific age, in profession and otherwise, God’s cause, His people, must be scientific to meet the demands of the age. That is the statement of the proposition to the study to which I invite your attention.BEST June 21, 1897, page 193.1

But you say, Salvation is the work of God’s people, the one cause of the Lord; and the Scriptures say we are not to know anything but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. You say that: yes, and I say that. I say that the work of the people of God—all that the cause of God is in the world—is the work of salvation. But salvation is science.BEST June 21, 1897, page 193.2

More than that: salvation is not simply science, it is not simply a science: It is the chief, the key, the centre of all sciences. It the most scientific of all things that are dealt with by the minds of men in this world. So that when God’s people take the salvation of God as it is in God: when His cause of salvation in the world shall stand as representing indeed His ideas of salvation, then there will be revealed to the world the science that is above all other sciences. Then God’s people can stand before the very kings of science, and not be ashamed, in a scientific age.BEST June 21, 1897, page 193.3

Now, I am thoroughly committed to that truth. And I want you to see how completely it is the truth. I want you to see by the Bible—the book of all truth—that salvation is science.BEST June 21, 1897, page 193.4

First, then, I want you to think soberly, and see for yourself not only that salvation is science: but that it is the highest of all sciences.BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.1

WHAT SCIENCE IS

The word “science” means, literally, knowledge. The science of botany is the knowledge of botany. The science of astronomy is the knowledge of astronomy. So that one scientist has defined science to be “the product of thinking.” All the knowledge—the science—that the world has is the product of the world’s thinking.BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.2

Now salvation is the knowledge of God: “This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the living and true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.” It is therefore science. But this knowledge is not the product of man’s thinking: it is the product of God’s thinking. For “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” Therefore salvation, being the product of God’s thinking, is not only science, but is the highest of all sciences.BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.3

Again: That which is recognised by the world as science is the product of men’s thinking. It is with the mind that men think. It is with the mind, then, that men deal with all these sciences. But salvation deals with the mind itself. Which, then, is the higher, that which deals with all other things, or that which deals with that which deals with all other things?—The latter, to be sure. Then as with the mind men deal with all other sciences, and salvation deals with the mind itself, it is perfectly plain, not only that salvation is science as certainly as any other science, but that it is higher science than all other sciences. It is the highest science that can be known to the mind of man.BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.4

And who is it that in salvation deals with the mind?—It is God Himself. Then as it is God Himself who works out, who makes known, this science; and as this science is the product of God’s thinking; it follows again that the science of salvation is the highest, the deepest, the broadest, science that is known, not only to the mind of man, but to the whole universe.BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.5

Let us read a few Scriptures. “Be not conformed to this world : but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2. “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God.” Romans 7:25. “We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us a mind.” “We have the mind of Christ.” The only way the Lord can reach us is through the mind. He deals with us only through the mind. He governs us only through our minds. Look: “With the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” And the first of all the commandments is this: “Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” “The carnal mind enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” The carnal mind that cannot be subject to the law of God—cannot be—must be changed, must be exchanged for another mind which always serves the law of God. That change of mind is salvation. That renewing of the mind is wrought by God in the work of His salvation, and it can be wrought by no other. Therefore it is the highest of all sciences—the highest that is known to the mind of man, the highest that is known to the universe.BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.6

Do you not begin to see why it is that the Testimonies ^{2Writings of Mrs. E. G. White.} speak of “the science of salvation”?BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.7

HIGH AUTHORITY

I want you to see that I am not alone in this; that for this position we have authority—scientific authority—the authority of persons who understand science.BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.8

If I could bring to you evidence that those who understand all other sciences testify that they see more in it worthy of their consideration than in all the other sciences, would you not say then that I am safe in talking as I do—from a scientific standpoint? Well, I have just such authority—a company that understands all other science, and, as stated, that they are more interested in this science than in all the others put together.BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.9

In 1 Peter 1:10-12, the apostle is speaking of salvation and there I read follows:—BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.10

“Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the ANGELS DESIRE TO LOOK INTO.”BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.11

What things do the angels desire to look into?—The salvation of God when it is preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. The Greek word for “desire,” here means “to set ones heart upon.” And the Greek word for “look into” means, “to look carefully into, to inspect curiously—of one who would become acquainted with something.” Such is the attitude of the angels toward the subject of salvation.BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.12

Now, it is perfectly safe to say that all the angels understand all other sciences infinitely more thoroughly than any man understands, or ever understood, any one single science. But the angels are more interested in the subject of salvation than in all the other sciences. They who know the most of all others, are most interested in this one. We are in the best of company—yes, the best of scientific company; and I am not making a play on the word “science.” The salvation of God is truly a scientific thing, not falsely so-celled, but genuinely, supremely scientific.BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.13

WHAT THE ANGELS LEARN

But this is not all: not only do the angels desire to look into this, as those who would become acquainted with something; but they do learn by looking into this and studying it. Turn to Ephesians 3:8-11, and you will see this thought expressed:—BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.14

“Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all [I leave out the word men, because that is supplied] see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ; to the intent [Look, now, I am to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ in order to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which has been hid in God, and that is to the intent, for the purpose] that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.15

The angels, the principalities, and powers, earnestly desire to look into this Gospel of salvation when it is preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. And as they study the power of God in saving men they learn new revelations of the wisdom of God—the manifold wisdom of God—according to His eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.16

A STUDY FOR ETERNITY

But God is from eternity to eternity. Now, from eternity to eternity there was, there is, a purpose—His eternal purpose which is purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. How long will it take the angels to get to the depth, to exhaust the study, of that eternal purpose?—To eternity. That is plain enough. Then as that purpose is revealed in the Gospel, is made known through the mystery of God, which is, “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” it is plain enough that the angels are studying it. And as they look into it, they see there revealed the manifold wisdom of God, according to His eternal purpose. They desire to look into it. They do so, and thus learn.BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.17

Well, then, as they understand all other sciences more than any man understands any one, when they are more interested in this than in all the others, and learn from this; is not that a fact upon which you and I can with safety trust ourselves? Then is not this, too, a subject more worthy of our thought, our highest thinking, than all others put together? And cannot we set our hearts upon this, and give our whole soul to it without being unscientific? Yes, we can! Let us do it.BEST June 21, 1897, page 194.18

A. T. JONES.

(To be Continued.)