QUESTIONS OF THE HOUR

Evening Star, Issue 19666, 20 September 1927, Page 4

QUESTIONS OF THE HOUR

KNOX CHURCH LECTURE . Dr Pettit continued liis scries of lectures on ‘Questions of. the Hour’ at Knox Church last evening, his subject being ‘ The Teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ Concerning His Death.’ The Rev. Mr Simpson was in the chair. In explaining that this question was the most profound and the most momentous of all those solemn issues with which the word of God confronted the soul of man. Dr Pettit said that there were two things in the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ which were absolutely unique. The first was that as He stood face to face with the biggest needs of the human heart, His message centred in Himself. To the hungry He said “ I. am the Bread of ’Life”; to the lost “I am the Good Shepherd”; and to-those subject to 'death “1 am the Rcssurcction and the Life.” The second outstanding leature of His teaching was that He regarded His death as the supreme purpose, the crowning achievement and the final,glorious triumph of His matchless life. All other men were born to live; ’Christ was born to die. In the case of other men death ended the activities of life. Not so with Him. The supremo significance of the death of Christ was seen in the fact that so large a portion of 'the Gospel records dealt with, the last week of His life. In Mark’s gospel six chapters out of a total of sixteen dealth with the events attendant upon his crucifixion, In the sublime passage of Scripture recorded in the third chapter of John the Lord unveiled the meaning of His death. “As Moses’ lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Lor God so loved the world that Ho gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” In these words the Lord Himself interpreted to them the brazen serpent as a type of that One Who, though He “ knew no sin, ’ was “made sin for us” that we might be “ made the righteousness of God in Him.” “He that believeth not the Son shall not sec life, but the wrath of God abideth in him.” This was God’s verdict regarding every man, -But infinite love had found a ransom, and the soul that was awakened tc understand its need found life and rest and satisfaction in the Cross of Christ. This was the message which ran like a scarlet thread through all the 8c .’’p’ tures. . , ' Of all tins Modernism knew nothing. On the foundation of evolutionary philosophy it denied the fall. It regarded man as having embarked on an age-long march of progress, rising ever higher in tho scale of moral and spiritual values. In such a philosophy there could bo no room for the great truth that in His death the Lord Jesus Christ took tho place of sinful blimanitv under the righteous judgment of a holy God, Tho Word of Cod offered the man no ground of redemption but the redeeming work o, the Cross’ of Christ. ’ From the Divine viewpoint tho Cross was tho centre of the .universe, the pivot of history of all the ages. There, in accordance with the eternal purpose of God’s redeemin''’ Ipve, tho eternal Son of God was “made sin for us.” There “Jehovah made to meet on Him the iniquity of us all.” In that dreadful hour God was in Christ reconciling tho world to Himself. There God’s holiness was revealed in the awfulness of His judgment against sin.' There that judgment ,was fully borne by the Son of God Who f‘ loved us and washed us from our sms in His blood.” ■ “He died for (on behalf of) all,” and the offer of His grace flowed out to all men everywhere. He “gave His life a ransom for (instead of) many ’’—many who, confessing their sinfulness and lost condition, accepted tho offer of Divine grace. In the afternoon Dr Pettit addressed the students at Teachers’ Training College on the question of ‘Evolution and Creation.’ ... ~ Dr Pettit will proceed to Invercargill Jo-morrow to give two lectures.