God's Plan with Men

ll never perish."-John 10:28.-"Lay up for y

s the gift of God; not of works, lest any one should boast."-Eph. 2:8, 9.-"E

k shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide whi

hee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he tha

ted if he shall gain the whole world and forfeit his life, or what shall a man give in exchange for his life? For the Son of man shall c

d is with me, to give each one accord

nd of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee,"-Matt. 11:22, 24), and according to sin ("Every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward,"-Heb. 2:2), commends itself to the judgment, to the conscience, of every honest man. The companion teaching to

distinction equally clear. "By grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast."-Eph. 2:8, 9 (R. V.).-"Each man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor."-1 Cor. 3:8. But by rewards for service God's word does not mean God's blessings on the faithful Christians in this life. It means rewards beyond this life. Je

the lives of others by what we teach or do, or whether he makes a turn and applies it to every man and his building in his own life, he draws the clear distinction between the foundation on which the building rests and the building built thereupon, between salvation alone through Christ, and rewards for service: "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it; because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he sha

no one loses his soul for the Saviour's sake. Following immediately He says, verse 26, "For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world and forfeit his life? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?" In verse 27 the Saviour makes plain how a man who would save his life, loses it, and how the one who shall lose his life for the Saviour's sake shall find it,-in the rewards that he loses by trying to save his life, or gains by losing his life for the Saviour's sake, "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds." What deeds? Deeds of losing his life for the Saviour's sake. For all eternity he will have no reward for the life he lived here-he has lost his life. Now, the Saviour says that if a man "shall gain the whole world," and in doing so shall "forfeit his life,"-shall have no reward in eternity as a result of his life (the principle laid down by Paul, whether of preachers

then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"-Luke 12:16-20. At once many rush to the conclusion that he was lost, that he went to Hell; and they proceed to warn men against laying up treasures in this life and losing their souls. But God said, "This night thy soul shall be required of thee," not "this night thy soul shall go to Hell." Let the Saviour make His own application: "So is he that layeth up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God."-Luke 12:21. "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward" (1 Cor. 3:14), he is rich toward God; "if any

aid to you, I am ashamed to say that I am a Christian, but now that the time has come, I must not deny my Saviour. Long years ago, back in the old red hills of Georgia, when I was a young man, one Sunday in an old country church I heard a Baptist preacher preach, and I understood him. He showed that God honestly loves this world, that Jesus Christ, God's Son, died for our sins, and that He died for all of our sins; and that every one who would repent and trust Christ to save him was certain to go to Heaven. Out there in that old country church in the red hills of Georgia I accepted Jesus Christ as my Redeemer and Saviour that Sunday morning, and trusted Him to save me. I came west and became overwhelmed in business and politics. I have wasted my life." Just then the negro man returned and handed the Bible to the dying statesman. He turned the l

nd case

came to me and told me that you were called to preach. I told you then that you were a fool. What a fool you have been! Do you remember that rich farm of a thousand acres you saw this afternoon? Paid for with honest money, John. This comfortable home for my old age, paid for with honest money, John. The fifty thousand dollars I have in the bank in the city where I am president of the bank, every dollar of it honest money, John. John, you could have had as much as I have. What a fool you have been! Why, I had to send you the three hundred and fifty dollars to bring you and your family that I might see them before I die. And look at your daughters; they are dressed in such a shabby way that I am ashamed for my neighbors to see my children's cousins. And look at you with your old seedy, worn suit and your patched shoes; I am ashamed to take you to town day after to-morrow and introduce you to my business associates. What a fool you have been! Now, John, I am not saying this to wound your feelings; for I love you, John. But I don't want you to let any of your boys be such fools as you have been. You know you have been a fool, John." Then there was silence for some time. The tears were trickling down the cheeks of the old country preacher. At last he broke the s

o you that this poor widow hath cast in more than all they that have cast into the treasury."-Mark 12:42, 43. In an American city, one morning a man apparently sixty or seventy years of age, dressed as a plain business man, walked into the dining-room of one of the leading hotels and sat down to breakfast. Some men at the adjoining table were talking of a sad case of suffering, as reported in the morning paper; a poor widow with five children was very sick, who had, since her husband's death a few years before, struggled and made a living for herself and children; but now, having been down sick for some time, everything was gone and they were suffering. The stranger listened to the sad story; and, having finished breakfast, he called a newsboy and bought a paper. The account gave the street address of the poor widow. He went to the street address, a street of poor cottages, and, knocking at the door, was led into the sick room by a child. He saw the condition of affairs and heard the widow's story. Sitting by the bedside, he talked in a fatherly, cheerful way and tried to encourage the poor widow; and quietly slipping something under the pillow, as he was talking, he told the widow to use that as she needed it. Then taking out a little book from his pocket, he wrote something and tore the paper out of the little book and slipped the paper under a book and told the widow to use th

se, though nev

with a care

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worth and work

tial pensman p

e nor care, bu

k; thy thoughts a

w good God is!" How little men consider God's goodness. How good God is to have ever brought us into being! How good God is, though we have all sinned against Him (Rom. 3:23), "that he might be just and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus" (Rom. 3:26), to have provided complete redemption for us from all iniquity (Titus 2:14)! How good God is to have "in love predestinated us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself"!-Eph. 1:5. How good God is to chastise us in love (Heb. 12:5, 6) instead of punishing us in Hell for our sins after we b

in Hell; with the redeemed, in added rewards in Heaven. And they need to realize that with both classes this applies to the smallest deeds: "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account th

ling to an unworthy motive. Jesus taught it (Matt. 6:20), Paul taught it (1 Cor. 3:11-15), Mose

the boy's love. The father tells the boy that, though not of age, he may have the full reward of his labor on the farm, beginning at once. This does not destroy the motive of love. So, the Saviour, having died fo

s the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have received their reward. But when thou doest alms let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; that thine alms may be in secret; and thy Fa

e shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven."-Matt. 5:19. The teaching seems to be th

that there are no different rewards in Heaven; that all are rewarded alike. But not only does God's word elsewhere teach different rewards in Heaven, but the Saviour made His teaching on this point very plain. In the parable of the pounds, the servant who with one pound gained ten pounds is rewarded with authority over ten cities. But the one who with one pound gained only five pounds is rewarded with only five cities (Luke 19:16-19). This shows clearly a difference in rewards. If, now, this passage in Matthew teaches no difference in rewards, then we have a positive contradiction. But consider the two parables: the parable of the pounds is where men have the same opportunity, each one a pound; then they are rewarded according to what they accomplish. The parable of the vineyard is where the laborers work different lengths of time; in the morning, boys and girls, six, eight, ten, twelve years of age, becoming Christians and going into the vineyard; the third hour, young people, fifteen, eighteen, twenty years of age, becoming Christians and going into the vineyard; the sixth hour, young men and young women, twenty-five, thirty, thirty-five years of age, becoming Christians and going into the vineyard; the ninth hour, men and women past middle life, forty, forty-five, fifty years of age, becoming Christians and going into the vineyard; the eleventh hour, old men and women, sixty, seventy, eighty years of age, becoming Christians and going into the vineyard. But does the Saviour mean all old men and women who become Christians in old age and begin working in the vineyard? No, for He limits it to those in old age who can say, "No man hath hired us." Then the Saviour means by the eleventh

equal opportunity in life (each one a pound) and teaches that their reward will be in proportion to what they accomplish. The second is the parable of the vineyard, representing the length of time of service when the laborers were not to blame for not entering the vineyard earlier; showing that they shall not lose because they could not get into the vineyard to work earlier. The third is the parable of the talents, w

forts; "each man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor."-1 Cor. 3:8. Again, what Paul was striving not to be a castaway (or rejected) from, is something that one receives after the race is finished; but salvation comes at the beginning of the race course, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life,"-John 3:36; "by grace have ye been saved."-Eph. 2:8. Rewards do come after the race is finished;-"thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."-Luke 14:14. Again, in saying "I buffet my body," he has no reference to buffeting his body to keep it from sin, but from comforts and privileges that are not sinful. In the entire chapter he has referred only to his not eating and drinking; not leading about a wife as well as other apostles and the brethren of the Lord and Cephas; not being supported by those to whom he preached (1 Cor. 9:4-14); and in each case he says that he has a right to these things. Was Paul buffeting his body against having a wife lest he should be a castaway (or rejected) from salvation? Then only the Roman Catholic priests, among the preachers, will be saved. Was Paul buffeting his body against being

h I am free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more."-1 Cor. 9:1

mission envelope from an orphan newsboy was found a note written in a child's awkward handwriting, "Starved a meal to give a meal." He would not have been a castaway from salvation had

he protested, saying that it was too much for a poor crippled man to give. As a matter of fact, it meant weeks of sacrificing, sometimes with no meat on the table. As the tears trickled down the black cheeks, the negro said, "Oh, B

d while working lead his fellow-Chinamen to be saved. He had no support from those to whom

mforts and privileges of a wife and home and gave himself for th

elf and is not rich toward God."-Luke 12:20, 21. "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward.