Editorial
July/August, 2000
Volume 35, Number 4
Many Brethren have read the children’s book called The Middle Man. It is a very elementary description of the life of Elder John Kline. John Kline was “a preacher of righteousness” (page 44, Some Who Led). He was born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in 1797, and died when caught in an ambush on June 15, 1864. Kline’s family had moved to Rockingham County, Virginia in 1811 when he was fourteen years old.
In 1827, John Kline was chosen to serve in the deacon’s office by the Linville Creek congregation in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. He was called to the preaching ministry in 1830. The writer in The Brethren Encyclopedia says that “according to his (Kline’s) records, he may have covered as much as 100,000 miles during his lifetime, mostly on horseback.” John Kline traveled many miles in ministering to the needs of people. He had studied and practiced the medical procedures of Dr. Samuel Thompson of Vermont. Thus Elder Kline was a firm believer that the sick could benefit from his medical skills as well as his counsel in spiritual matters.
John Kline was also noted for his writings, including a 74 page publication defending Brethren views on baptism. He wrote letters to political authorities expressing opposition to slavery and to military service. See the index of Rufus Bowman’s The Church of te Brethren and War for details about these writings.
Elder John Kline served on a number of special committees assigned by Annual Meeting to deal with some of the new ideas that were developing within the expanding brotherhood during the early nineteenth century. John Kline was Moderator of the Brethren’s Annual Meeting in 1861, 1862, 1863, and 1864. His leadership undoubtedly helped to keep the Brethren from dividing into northern and southern entities as happened to many other denominations. Brethren today need a good portion of his spirit as we deal with equally divisive issues in our nation and church.
Elder Kline kept an interesting and detailed diary of his many travels–the people visited, the sermons preached, and the baptisms performed. The major source book for information about John Kline’s diary and sermons is Benjamin Funk’s Life of John Kline.
During the Civil War, Kline was many times distrusted because he seemed willing to render medical aid to men on both sides of the battle lines. In the summer of 1864, shortly after returning from Annual Meeting, he was killed near his home–his body pierced by several bullets. Kline was known as a loving brother, a wise counselor, and a pillar of the church.
Brother Norman Harsh, a retired Church of the Brethren pastor, currently living in Roanoke, Virginia/Lorida, Florida–believes that every Church of the Brethren pastor should choose one of John Kline’s recorded sermons to preach before an audience. Printing one of Brother Kline’s messages will hopefully stir some new interest in these messages from earlier years.
The sermon reproduced in this issue of the BRF Witness, with only very minor editorial changes, was preached by Elder John Kline at Orkney Springs, Virginia, nearly a century and a half ago, on August 2, 1857. Orkney Springs was known for its “healing” springs located in the heart of a strong German Lutheran community. Kline preached the sermon at the hotel to a gathering of almost all classes of people. There are dozens of quotations from the Scriptures, most all without citing the reference. The chapter and verse citations here, and the sectional divisions, have been supplied by the Witness editor. Readers will note the emphasis on obedience in Elder Kline’s sermon. Seeking eternal salvation by merely giving assent to belief in the blood atonement accomplished on the cross, is often called “cheap grace.” Already in the second century, Justin Martyr said that those who are saved “do not just talk, but they also do the corresponding works.” The Brethren put “works” back into Christian teachings, not to obtain salvation, but as a fruit of salvation.
Righteousness, Temperance, and Judgment to Come
A Sermon by Elder John Kline
In the forty-fifth Psalm David says, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the scepter of thy kingdom is a scepter of righteousness. Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness.” A “scepter” is a kind of staff borne by kings as an emblem of their authority. It is a comfort to know that the scepter of Jehovah, as King of the universe, is a scepter of righteousness.
This world does not give a clear testimony to the righteousness of God. The wicked bear rule and the nations tremble. Evil often overcomes good and wrong triumphs over right. Disease or accident lays the good man low in death, while the wicked nearby is left to exult in the strength of his own arm. I say it is comforting to know, in the midst of these apparent contradictory evidences of the just government of the world, that God is nevertheless righteous. And although iniquity largely bears rule in the present, God still hates wickedness. God does not acquiesce in the injustice and wrong that is being perpetrated in the world. He merely permits it; and He permits it for the reason that He cannot arrest and put an end to it without destroying man’s freedom. Man is free as to his own will and understanding–free to believe what is false and to do what is wrong. But he is just as free to believe what is true and to will what is good. This freedom is what makes him capable of being reformed and saved.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS
It is self-evident that righteousness, which is right doing from right willing, is the basis of all true order and happiness in earth and heaven. God loves righteousness because it is good, and hates wickedness because it is evil. But man has fallen from his primeval state of righteousness, and therefore he is not in a condition of mind and heart, fit for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, nor capable of enjoying the divine presence in the society of the pure and good. Righteousness and holiness are related to each other very much as the fruit is related to the tree that bears it. Holiness corresponds to the sap, fiber, life, and whatever else makes the tree good; and righteousness corresponds with the fruit the good tree bears. We read in Hebrews 12:14 that “without holiness no man shall see the Lord.”
EASY RIGHTEOUSNESS CONTRASTED WITH TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS
But probably no subject in the line of human thought has given rise to so many different opinions as the subject of how righteousness is attained. The Jewish leaders in our Lord’s day on earth were very exact in their outward lives. They kept clean the outside of the cup and of the platter. Their external conduct was ordered by a rigid conformity to the divine law. They endeavored to establish a righteousness of their own; and, to all human appearance, they succeeded. For the Lord himself said to them, “Ye make clean the outside”—as vessels may appear clean externally. He also compared them to beautiful monuments of marble sculptured after the highest style of art and polished to shining perfection, set up over the dead. But of this very class of men, he said, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven.” This proves that the righteousness which they had, was not the righteousness of the kingdom of heaven.
Self-respect, or self-love, inclines almost everyone (except the very abandoned) to make a show of righteousness; that is, they want others to think they are living right lives. No man who holds himself up to respectability is willing to be called a thief, or a liar, or an adulterer, or any other thing that is vile. He may be any or all of these–yet he is not willing that it should be known, or even suspected. Even he desires to make a fair show in the flesh.
Others who make no profession of religion, but who yet believe in a supreme God and a future state of existence desire to be righteous before God and man. They are not like the scribes and Pharisees, who attracted virtue and merit to their rigid observance of the ceremonial law or ordinances in their religion. These that I now speak of are simply good moral men who are honest in their dealings and careful of the conduct of their lives generally. These do not really desire to make any display of their righteousness. They wish rather to be esteemed for their real worth, and not for any fancied excellencies. They desire to live above the just reproaches of men, and the condemnation of God. They persuade themselves to think their righteousness is all that God can require.
TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS IS BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
But the most numerous of all the classes that seek after righteousness is composed of those who trust in the righteousness of faith. Righteousness (or justification by faith) was the password of the Reformation. Martin Luther, misapplying Paul’s utterance that “a man is justified (or made righteous) by faith without the deeds of the law”–set a large part of Europe going with the impression that salvation is attainable on the easy terms of merely assenting to the statement that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Many passages can be adduced from the epistles to support this theory of salvation. Although it is incomprehensible how the righteousness of Christ can be applied to each individual on the ground of his merely giving assent to the doctrine of the atonement through the merit of Christ’s death on the cross–still it is the leading dogma of what it popularly called orthodoxy. But I must confess before all here today, that I have “not so learned Christ,” nor Paul either. “Not everyone that SAITH unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom, but he that DOETH the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
At the close of the Sermon on the Mount, in which is given all necessary instruction and encouragement for living a righteous life from holy love in the heart, the Lord Jesus-says, “Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and DOETH them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock.” And he said to Peter, “Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The “rock” is the great TRUTH that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This truth involves every good affection and thought and work of man. It takes in and requires obedience to every divine command, and compliance with every divine precept. When anyone complies with these conditions of salvation through the faith that sees and knows that God’s Word is true, he is righteous in the sight of the Lord. He is then to “let his light shine before men, that others seeing his GOOD WORKS may glorify our Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
JUDGMENT TO COME IS A MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S LOVE
For want of time, I must pass over the subject of temperance, to say something about “judgment to come,” and right here there are all sorts of ideas and conjectures. But of all the subjects in the universe, that involving the judgement, is the most momentous to man, because it is there that his eternal destiny will be disclosed to him. We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. It is no wonder that Felix trembled under the weight of this great truth. God’s Word will be the basis for judgement. Says our Lord, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I speak, the same shall judge him in the last day.” Every part of God’s truth points to that great day for which all other days were made. All the parables and miracles of our Lord point to this great central truth of man’s experience and existence.
But friends, let us imbibe no erroneous views and impressions regarding the judgement to come. Let us not regard it as being an occasion for the display of God’s wrath, but let us rather look upon it as the sublimest manifestation of His love. Draw a comparison here: Good human laws are not a terror to the good. A jury is impaneled. A criminal is arraigned before it. Testimony is received and evidence drawn from it–respecting the innocence or guilt of the accused. When the balance of the testimony is altogether in his favor, he is acquitted. That trial is a joy to the criminal because it sets him right, as to character, before the world. But suppose he is found guilty. Is it a joy then? It is not. It is a grief. Why? Because his sin has found him out. His real character is laid bare. But in their consignment of him to punishment prescribed by the law, do the jury and the judge act from wrath? They do not. Instead, they act from a love of good will for all. The law that condemns may have the appearance of wrath to the condemned, but never to the innocent.
Judgement and reward will be according to works, and never according to professions of faith–except where the professions are genuine and lead to good works. I have met with some who have manifested dread in contemplating the majesty of that great day, the day of “a judgement to come.” I feel warranted in making the assertion that no one whose purpose in life is to do the will of our Father in heaven has any just ground whatsoever to dread the coming day. Justice never condemns the innocent. Just and wise laws are never a terror to the good, and such are all the laws of God. In the book of Revelation we read about those “who had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints” (Revelation 15:3). These are exulted in the prospect of a judgement to come, because they had gotten the victory over the adversary of their souls, and were ready for trial before the King of saints whose ways are just and true.
I once read of a criminal who was deeply distressed at the near approach of his trial. A friend tried to soothe his agitated feelings by telling him that justice would be done him, and that he consequently had no cause to fear. But the criminal was honest enough to confess to his friend that JUSTICE was the very thing he was afraid of. I have no doubt that this very same fear was what made Felix tremble before Paul.
The Son of man, on the judgement seat, will be the very same in every particular that he is now on the mercy seat. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forevermore.” By viewing him now as he is on the mercy seat, we may see what he will be on the judgement seat. The trembling waters of Galilee became a pavement under his feet, and his disciples were thrown into consternation by this miraculous approach of the Lord. But he instantly dispelled their fears by the assurance, “It is I, BE NOT AFRAID.” Peter, James, and John, on the holy mount, feared as they entered the cloud and saw his glory, but he most tenderly said to them, “FEAR NOT.” John, on the isle of Patmos, beholding the glory of his unveiled face, “fell at his feet as dead.” But he laid his right hand upon him and said, “FEAR NOT, I am he that liveth and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore” (Revelation 1:17-18).
These thoughts lead to the further consideration that there will be no arbitrary or despotic power exercised in “the judgement to come.” “My words shall judge you in the last day” is given by our Lord as the standard of judgement. Is there one here who desires to know how he will bear the searching ordeal on that day? If there is, let me say to such a one, you can decide that question here in this world for yourself. You have the Lord’s word for this: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgement, but hath passed out of death into life” (John 5:24). To hear is to hearken, and to hearken is to obey, to form a right faith in God. If you believe that this book which I hold in my hand, called the Bible, is the revealed truth of God, and if from the heart you are willing to obey its precepts under a sense of love and duty to do the will of your Father in heaven therein revealed–and continue faithful unto death–you have the assurance therein given, that the judgement to come will be a day of triumphant joy to your soul. But if you have no desire to obey its precepts you can have no such assurance. And I am compelled to repeat in your ears these terrific words of an apostle: “if we sin willfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth (Editorial note: i.e. in denying that Jesus is the only way), there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins; but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversary” (Hebrews 10:26-27).
ONE WHO IS SAVED BY GRACE WILL FOCUS ON DOING GOOD
“This is the judgement, that light is come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, because THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL. Everyone that doeth evil hateth the light…lest HIS DEEDS should be reproved. But he who DOETH TRUTH (Editor’s note: i.e. that which is true and right) cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, because THEY ARE WROUGHT IN GOD” (John 3:19-21). “If ye know these things, HAPPY ARE YE IF YE DO THEM” (John 13:17). “He that hath my commandments AND DOETH THEM, he it is that loveth me…and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him;…and will come to him, and make my abode with him” (cf. John 14:21). “Ye are my friends, IF YE DO WHATSOEVER I COMMAND YOU” (John 15:14). “I have chosen you,…that ye should bring forth fruit, AND THAT YOUR FRUIT SHOULD REMAIN” (John 15:16)
I must drop a word of comment upon this last quotation. By “fruit remaining” it is to be understood that it goes with the child of God through the judgement into heaven, and remains to eternity. In Revelation we read these words: “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and THEIR WORKS DO FOLLOW THEM” (Revelation 14:13). A book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to those things which were written in the book, EVERYONE ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS” (Revelation 20:12).
I might continue the multiplication of Scripture passages to a much greater number, but time forbids. Every passage I have quoted bears with directly or indirectly upon the judgement to come. It remains a thing of choice with every intelligent human being, whether he will be prepared to face the shining judgement throne with joy, or quail before it in terror. The Lord says to all: “Seek my face.” What a blessed response it would be for each one to answer as did the young prophet Samuel, “Thy face, Lord, will I seek.”