The Oberlin Evangelist
Holiness of Christians in the Present Life--No. 1
January 4, 1843
PROVE ALL THINGS.
Modernized by Cliff
Collins
“Test all things; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thess 5:21)
In speaking from this passage, let me say:
1. This passage commands that we fundamentally and
thoroughly question all religious subjects.
This passage requires us to know the reason for our faith and practice,
so that our piety may not be superstition, but the result of AN intelligent
conviction that comes from a thorough investigation.
2. In order to fulfill this requirement, our mind
must be free from all prejudices on religious subjects. As long as we have prejudices, it is
impossible that we will examine religious opinions with the kind of spirit that
will obey this passage. The more our
mind is closed and prejudiced, the more perverted our views will be.
3. This passage assumes the fact that we are able to
‘test all things’. That requirement
always implies that we have the ability to comply with it. Otherwise, the command is unjust.
4. This command implies that we need the correct
information on all religious subjects.
The feeling that it doesn’t really matter what our opinions are, seems
to be very popular these days, but this is clearly wrong. No one can expect us to remain rooted and
grounded in the truth if our opinions are not true. Our observations and our experiences prove this, and this is also
what the Bible reveals.
5. This command is given to everyone; not only to ministers,
but to laymen and women as well. Each
person is required to examine for himself, and you should call no man master,
in the sense that you believe and accept everything someone says as gospel. This passage requires that each person
should know for himself why he has faith.
6. Most people don’t like to think about serious matters. They would prefer to do almost anything else. They are like schoolchildren who avoid doing their homework, and go to class to learn without studying their lesson. What the teacher tells them, they forget before their next class.
7. In today’s message, I will address myself to
those, and only those, who will take the time to think about what I am
saying. To address anyone else would
only be a waste of time and energy.
Those who will not think cannot be saved.
8. I will not waste my time, nor endanger your
souls, by random exhortations and appeals, but I will strive to follow the
spirit of today’s passage.
9. My purpose is not controversy; I hope to
completely avoid any spirit of controversy, and, as much as possible, even its
form. On the other hand, it will be my
goal, as much as possible, to present what I honestly believe to be the truth
for those who are honest enough and truth-loving enough to think about what I am
saying.
10. There is very little obedience today to the
requirement in today’s passage, and as a result, there is a lot of ignorance
and error on many fundamentally important questions. There are very few today who can intelligently explain to you
what constitutes sin and holiness, what is moral obligation, or what is the
responsibility of the human race.
11. Few people today properly define the words that
represent the attributes of Christian character, or what we commonly call the
Christian graces. Most people don’t
have a clue what they are. In fact, the
definitions that they do give rarely represent the right ideas of such things
as love, faith, repentance, self-denial, and humility. It is clear that only a few people know how
to define them. Why? Because most people have not complied with
the requirement of our passage, which says, “Test all things; hold fast what is
good”. And because no one properly
defines these attributes of holiness, they are misunderstood, and the result is
that these attributes are not demonstrated in the lives of Christians. We see one picture drawn in the Bible, and
quite another drawn out in real life.
The picture we look at in the Bible is beautiful and glorious; what we
see in real life is sadly deformed.
Why? It is because multitudes of
people, in churches today, are mistaken, and they are mistaken because they
have incorrect views concerning the nature of true piety.
12. We should understand and appreciate the
tremendous and wonderful difference between natural and revealed theology. Indeed, it is fundamental to understanding
the Bible, because the Bible both assumes the truths of natural theology, and
that we understand those truths. For
example, the Bible assumes that we exist, that God exists, that we are moral
agents, that we have natural abilities, and that we know the difference between
right and wrong. Therefore, we don’t
and can’t rightly understand the Bible, unless we understand the fundamental
truths of natural theology, which the Bible assumes that we already know.
13. Natural theology consists in those truths that
we may learn from the book of nature.
God has presented us with two books, the book of nature, and the book of
revelation, which is the Bible. Both
are equally authentic, and they mutually confirm each other.
14. The Bible not only assumes, and in various ways
confirms the truths of natural theology, but also adds many truths that our
unaided reason cannot discover.
However, we recognize them as truths as soon as the Bible suggests them to
us.
15. Many err in thinking that, just because we see a
truth to be truth when we see it in the light of its own evidence, we could
have discovered that truth without inspiration. There are clearly multitudes of truths revealed in the Bible,
which we could never discover any other way, but, now that we’ve seen these
truths, we see that these truths are perfectly reasonable. It is one thing to understand and recognize
truth when God reveals it to us, but it is another thing to discover that truth
on our own.
I ask for your prayers and attention, while I
proceed to show,
I. How we know anything.
II. How we know everything that we know.
III. Some things that we know about ourselves, the
truth and the knowledge of which inspiration takes for granted.
I. How we know anything.
1. Consciousness is a condition of all
knowledge. Consciousness occurs when
our mind recognizes our own existence, our own choice, our own thoughts, and
our own feelings. Consciousness is a
knowledge of our selves that takes place in our minds. Our mind doesn’t first notice that it is
functioning, and from that conclude that it exists. If you were to try to prove this, you would have to assume that
certain things are doubtful which you know are true. Yet, you have to regard these things, that you know are true, as
doubtful, in order to conclude or prove that they are true. However, we know that we exist, and our
consciousness tells us that we exist, by saying, “I exist, I think, I feel, I will”. Our consciousness reveals to us both the I
and its phenomena, that is, it reveals to us our choices, thoughts, and
feelings, together with whether they are free or not free. Without consciousness, knowledge would be
impossible for us, because there is no other way to obtain knowledge. How and what could you know, without knowing
that you know? What knowledge would
something be, if you have no knowledge of it?
II. How we know everything that we know.
1. Since our consciousness reveals all our mental
acts and states to us, it is clear that we know everything that we know by our
consciousness. For example, suppose I
have a sensation: How do I know that I have it? I know by my consciousness.
The same is true with all our emotions, desires, choices, judgments,
affirmations, denials, hopes, fears, doubts, joys, and sorrows. Our consciousness shows all of these things
to us. You all know that what I am
saying is true.
2. The only way something outside of us becomes
known to us is that it makes an impression on our minds. This impression is revealed to us by our
consciousness.
3. What we know by our consciousness we know with
certainty, that is, we know that our existence, acts, thoughts, and feelings
are real.
4. Therefore, our consciousness is the highest
possible evidence we can have. We do,
and must rely on our consciousness as conclusive evidence. If I think, if I feel, or if I act, I know
that I think, I know that I feel, or I know that I act, and I absolutely know
it. From our constitution, which was
created by God, it is impossible to doubt its testimony.
5. However, we should carefully distinguish between
what our consciousness really reveals to us, and conclusions that we draw from
such revelations. We may be wrong about
the cause of a sensation, but not the sensation. When God spoke to Christ from Heaven, the people who heard were
conscious of the sensation on the auditory nerve. There was no doubt about that.
However, they didn’t understand its cause. They said that it thundered.
Therefore, in forming our various judgments and opinions, we may be
wrong, but when our consciousness testifies to the fact that we judge or form
an opinion, we cannot be wrong about that.
III. Some things that we know about ourselves, the
truth and the knowledge of which inspiration takes for granted.
1. We know that we exist, and we know it so
certainly that to ask for evidence is absurd.
In order to ask for evidence, you would have to assume that we don’t
know that we exist. But, we have to assume
that we know we exist in order to prove that anything is true.
2. We know that we perform certain mental acts, and
are the subjects of certain mental states.
For example: we know that we make our own choices and conscious
decisions, and that we are the subjects of thought and feeling.
3. Hence, we know that we possess certain faculties
and abilities, that is, we are able to act, think, and feel.
4. We know that these faculties, and those things
that these faculties produce, can be classified. All men naturally classify them.
People never confuse thinking with feeling, feeling with willing, or
willing with thinking or feeling. Even
children don’t confuse these things.
Nor do they confuse the power of thinking, or of feeling with that of
willing, or with one another.
5. Therefore, all men, although they may not
understand the terms used by philosophers to represent the natural faculties,
they fully understand what these terms intend.
They know that they have intelligence or what we call our mental
faculties. They also know they have
emotions and free will. We think, feel,
and will, and therefore we know that we have the faculties of thinking,
feeling, and willing. Mental philosophy
is nothing more than an analysis of what all men are already aware of. Under the general term, intelligence, we
include consciousness, reason, and understanding. All thoughts, affirmations, intuitions, judgments, and inferences,
are the product of our intelligence.
6. We are all aware that we have free will, in the
sense that we have the ability to choose in any direction when something is
presented to us that forces us to make a decision. In other words, we have the ability to choose or refuse any
object of choice. We know this with
absolute certainty. This is a first
truth of reason revealed by our consciousness, and no matter how often men may
deny their own free will in theory, they always act on the assumption that
their will is free.
7. We know that we can voluntarily control some of
our capabilities, and we cannot control other capabilities. A good example is the control of our
voluntary and involuntary muscles. If I
will to move my arm, my arm must obey my will and move; but if I will that my
heart must stop beating, it still continues to beat regardless of my will. Likewise, we know that some of our capabilities
are directly under the control of our will, and some are only indirectly under
the control of our will.
8. We know by our consciousness that our muscular
action is directly effected by our will, that there is a necessary connection
between a conscious decision and its corresponding outward physical
action. Some have made freedom to
consist in doing whatever we please, or as we will; but there is no freedom in
the corresponding physical action.
Everyone knows that this is true, for when I will to move my arm, or
when I will to perform any other physical action, that action must take
place. As long as my conscious decision
exists, the appropriate physical action must take place.
9. We also know by our consciousness that our
thoughts and feelings are only indirectly subject to our will. Suppose, for example, you want to transfer
your thoughts from one object to another.
You cannot do this directly, and yet you know that you can do this
indirectly by refocusing your attention.
Hence, directing your attention to any given subject
that you want to think about automatically results in specific thoughts. Therefore, if you draw your attention away
from an object that you do not want to think about, you will indirectly draw
your thoughts away from that object.
Even children know this. The
same is true with feelings of every kind.
We know that we cannot directly feel by willing to feel. Suppose, for example, you want to create
feelings of love, hope, fear, joy, or sorrow.
You know that you can’t, by directly willing, create these feelings, or
even modify them. However, you do know
that you can indirectly regulate your feelings to a great degree. For example: If you want to experience the
emotions produced by the beautiful, simply turn your attention to a beautiful
object, and the proper emotions will naturally arise. On the other hand, by turning your attention to an offensive
object, you can indirectly produce disagreeable emotions in your own
minds. The same law operates concerning
all religious feelings. However, you
can only indirectly regulate your feelings by your will through your attention,
but never directly.
10. We know by our consciousness that whatever we
can do at all, we can do by willing and that whatever act or state is not
connected with the action of our will we cannot do because of the law of cause
and effect. Suppose,
for example, I will to move, but suddenly the nerves that would trigger my arm
to move suddenly became paralyzed, so that they will not obey my will. Suddenly, it is impossible for me to move my
arm. The same is true of thoughts and
feelings. If I will to expel certain
thoughts and feelings from my mind, and produce others, I draw my attention
away from those objects that it is resting on and direct it to other objects.
This action will universally change the existing thoughts and feelings, but if
they don’t change, then it is impossible for me to change them. The same is true with everything else. Whatever we cannot accomplish by willing, we
cannot accomplish at all. This is everybody’s
experience.
11. We know that we possess, in our mind, a faculty
that we call our reason. Our reason is
our intuitive faculty, by which we perceive and affirm absolutely certain
truths that carry with them their own evidence. Our reason gives us, when certain conditions are fulfilled, all
necessary, absolute and universal truths.
Our reason is so infallible, and uniform in the things it affirms, that
whenever a person understands the terms of a proposition, he will agree with
everyone else who understands that same proposition. For example, mathematical truths, such as two plus two equals
four, or things that are equal to the same thing are equal to each other. These affirmations are so absolute that we
cannot doubt them.
12. Among these obvious truths are all the first principles of morals. These are:
(1.) There is right and wrong. The difference between them is fundamental.
(2.) The existence of right and wrong implies moral law.
(3.) Men have moral character.
(4.) Moral character implies a moral obligation.
(5.) Moral obligation implies moral law and moral agency.
(6.) Moral agency implies natural ability.
(7.) Natural ability implies the existence of intelligence, feelings or emotions, and free will, that is, moral agents actually know, feel, and will. We don’t ask to prove these things, but we know they are absolute truths, and the Bible therefore assumes that all these things are true. The Bible assumes that all moral agents know, feel, and will.
(8.) Moral character does not and cannot belong to our physical constitution. It cannot belong to either our body or our mind, since it is impossible that the physical aspect of a moral being can be either praiseworthy or blameworthy. Therefore, moral character cannot belong to our physical constitution.
(9.) Our constitutional appetites, desires, and passions can have no moral character all by themselves, because they are involuntary. For example, let’s look at our appetite for food. Suppose you are hungry and food is in front of you. Your appetite will naturally demand food. God made you that way. Your appetite is part of your physical constitution. Your appetite is not moral. Therefore, your appetite cannot have moral character all by itself. The same is true for your desires and passions whenever you are in the presence of something that stirs your desires and passions up.
(10.) When our will consents to gratify any of our appetites, desires, or passions under forbidden circumstances, our intuition lets us know that we sin. For example, when Eve saw the fruit, her appetite naturally craved it. There was nothing wrong with her natural craving. But, when she consented to gratify her appetite, in spite of the fact that it was prohibited, that was supreme selfishness. If God had not prohibited it, her gratification would have been proper, but since it was prohibited, it was sin. The same is true concerning the gratifying of any desire or passion whatever.
(11.) Our intuition tells us that our moral character cannot belong to any involuntary act or state of mind whatever, nor to any outward actions. If I stab a man, the moral character of the act does not belong to the dagger, nor to the hand which held it, nor to the muscles of my arm, nor to the conscious decision which propelled my arm, but to my intention.
(12.) Our intuition also tells us that moral character cannot belong to our emotional states, that is, to our various emotions or feelings, for these are involuntary. Nor can moral character belong our intelligence. There is no virtue in simply knowing truth. Devils, and wicked people, as well as good people, know truth, and, no doubt, they have correct thoughts on many subjects, and their reason affirms moral truths, but there is no virtue in this.
(13.) Our intuition also tells us that our moral character cannot belong to our conscious decisions. Now our conscious decisions are different from our will. Our will must produce conscious decisions as long as we are exercising our will.
(14.) However, our intuition tells us that our moral character belongs to our ultimate intention. Our ultimate intention is the choice of our goal, or our purpose in life. Our ultimate intention is the last or ultimate goal chosen. Our ultimate intention is the foundation from which springs everything we choose to do.
Let me illustrate the difference between ultimate and proximate intentions. Suppose a young man is working, and you ask him why he is working. He says, “to earn money”. This is one goal. But, you ask again, “why do you want to earn money”? He says, “to buy books”. This is another goal. You ask again, “why do you want to buy books? He says, “to gain knowledge”. This is another goal. However, you continue questioning, “why do you want to gain knowledge”? He says, “So I can preach the gospel”. This is still another goal. But, you can still pursue your line of questioning. “Why do you want to preach the gospel?” He replies, “to do good, because the good of the universe is important all by itself”.
This is his final goal. This is his ultimate intention, and all his previous goals are only means to his ultimate goal. These other goals are called proximate goals. But, in this case, the moral character of the whole process clearly belongs to his ultimate intention. In this, all ethical philosophers worthy of note these days, agree. It is clearly the doctrine of the Bible, and thus the Bible and natural theology completely agree. The truth is, even children understand that true character consists in their ultimate intention. “Dad”, the child says in self-justification, “I didn't mean to do it”. And the question between the child and his parent revolves around the child’s intention. The same is true in courts of justice. They always ask for the intention. In short, all men, whatever their theory may be, understand and act on the truth of this doctrine. If a physician gave medicine with the intention to cure, he would be universally acquitted of blame, even though instead of curing the disease, it should take the life of a patient. In fact, this doctrine is so certain that you could not believe the Bible if it disagreed with this doctrine.