Not "Looking" Alone

NOT "LOOKING" ALONE!
By Duane V. Maxey

       In this message, I shall use the first part of the July 1, Devotional in "The King's Allowance," by George Brubaker Kulp.  I appreciate the author's opening poem, but think the final line could be wrongly interpreted. -- DVM

JULY 31.

       "I asked the roses as they grew
       Richer and lovlier in their hue,
       What made their tints so rich and bright,
       They answered, 'Looking toward the light.'
       Ah, secret dear, said heart of mine,
       God meant my life to be like Thine
       Radiant with beauty heavenly bright,
       By simply looking toward the light."

       NO! I believe the closing line of the above poem is faulty.  I say this not to discredit the wisdom of G. B. Kulp, but rather to discredit the idea that all we need to do is "LOOK to Christ" in order to be saved.  Too many in "The Easy Believism Crowd" have this notion!

       Read the last line of the above poem: -- "A flower may blossom and become beautiful by simply "LOOKING Toward The Light."  Yes, A FLOWER may thus blossom brightly, but  A MAN can only be saved by BOTH "LOOKING toward the Light" AND "Walking in the Light!"

       It is true that Holiness folks exuberantly sing the Hymn "Look and Live," but the sanctified do not mean to say that all one needs to do to be saved is "Look to the Light"!  Nay! for one must also "Walk in the Light" to be truly saved!

       But Bro. Maxey, Henry Godden Jackson wrote in his hymn:

       "If you from sin are longing to be free,
       LOOK TO THE LAMB OF GOD;
       He, to redeem you, died on Calvary,
       LOOK TO THE LAMB OF GOD."

       Doesn't that sound like simply "Looking to Christ" brings one salvation?  I say NAY!  H. G. Jackson was an American Methodist, and if he agreed with M. E. Church doctrine, he DID NOT insinuate by those words that "Looking to Christ" is ALLit takes to be truly saved.

       To be genuinely saved, one must obey "The Whole Counsel of God."

       PART of the Whole Counsel of God DOES INDEED tell us to "Look Toward the Light of Christ":--

       Isaiah 45:22 -- "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else."

       Also, speaking of Himself as the fulfillment of The Brazen Serpent, Jesus said in John 12:32 -- "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."  When an Israelite in the wilderness was bitten by a serpent, if he "Looked" to the Brass Serpent, elevated atop a pole, he was immediately and miraculously saved from the fatal effects of the serpent's poison.

       In N.T. times, lost souls are suffering from the fatal spiritual poison of the serpent in Eden, and, unless men LOOK To The Crucified Christ, they shall suffer the Second Death in Hell.  But Jesus did not declare that by simply "Looking to Him" a sinner is immediately saved, WITHOUT ANY OTHER REQUIREMENT.  Nay! Jesus said that His Crucifixion fulfilling the Old Testatment type, would "DRAW ALL MEN" to Himself as the only Source of Salvation!

       Thus, "Looking to the Light" IS INDEED PART of what is absolutely necessary to be saved!  But, it is ONLY PART of what is required.

       But, Bro. Maxey, when the Philippian Jailor asked Paul, "What must I do to be saved?" didn't Paul reply, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house?" (Acts 16:30-31).

       Yes, that is true, but let me assure you, when Paul told him that, he was confident that the Jailor was then perfectly willing thereafter to accompany his repentance with all that God required of him.

       Well, what more WAS required of him?

       I answer: -- Following his "Looking To" Christ in Faith, that Jailor had to also "WALK IN THE LIGHT" Christ shed on his pathway. Like many, his conversion was sudden. Some such persevere, and go on to "Walk in the Light, but numbers of those who are quickly forgiven and born again, forfeit their salvation when they meet trials and problems.

       They are like those Christ spoke of Mark 4:5-7 -- "5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit."

       Those quickly forgiven and born again, who are "Stony Ground" or "Thorny Ground" converts, soon forfeit their salvation by failing to "Walk in the Light."  Christ initially saved them, for at the time they MEANT to "Walk in the Light," but soon, being pressed with problems and trials, they cease walking in the Light, forfeit their salvation, and many such die in that backslidden state.  We know not whether the Philippian Jailor later proved to be a "Good Ground" Christian, or not.  I hope he did.

       Saul of Tarsus was also saved quite quickly, but he apparently expected that God would require his "walking in his New-Found Light," for "he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me TO DO? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and IT SHALL BE TOLD THEE WHAT THOU MUST DO" (Acts 9:6). He was a "Good Ground" convert, who both "Looked to the Light" and "Walked in the Light" till the day of his martyrdom. Hallelujah!

       NOW, let me present a few more scriptures pointing to the fact that beyond "Looking To The Light," one must also "Walk in the Light" in order to "continue in the faith" and also be finally saved.  I shall present them randomly:

       Psalm 89:15 -- "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: THEY SHALL WALK, O LORD, IN THE LIGHT of thy countenance."

       Isaiah 50:11 -- "Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: WALK IN THE LIGHT OF YOUR FIRE, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow."  Those who refuse to walk in Christ's Light, "walk in the light of their own fire!" and shall lie down in the Eternal Sorrow of Hell!

       Isaiah 2:5 -- "O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us WALK IN THE LIGHT OF THE LORD.

       1 John 1:7 -- "But if we WALK IN THE LIGHT, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

       Ephesians 2:10 -- "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM."

       Ephesians 4:17 -- "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth WALK NOT AS OTHER GENTILES WALK, in the vanity of their mind.."

       Ephesians 5:8 -- "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT."

       Philippians 3:18 -- "For MANY WALK, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they ARE THE ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST."

       Romans 6:4 -- "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so WE ALSO SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE."

       1 John 2:6 -- "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so TO WALK, EVEN AS HE WALKED."

       John 12:35 -- "Then Jesus said unto them, YET A LITTLE WHILE IS THE LIGHT WITH YOU. WALK WHILE YE HAVE THE LIGHT, LEST DARKNESS COME UPON YOU: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth."

       Revelation 21:24 -- "And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it." Christ is "the Light of it."

 Even in the Old Testament, God required that Israel WALK in obedience to His commandments:

       Exodus 16:4 -- "Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, WHETHER THEY WILL WALK in my law, or no."

       Exodus 18:20 -- "And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them THE WAY WHEREIN THEY MUST WALK, and the work that they must do."

       Would God require LESS of those whom He forgives and saves in New Testament times?  I think not.  YEA, I KNOW HE WOULD NOT!

       A number of more scriptures could be listed proving that one must BOTH "Look to the Light," and Walk in the Light" in order to be saved, but... here I forbear.