KESWICKISM.
One of the most dangerous enemies of the experience of holiness
which has re-arisen in the last few years clothed in modern apparel
is what is commonly called "suppression." Its advocates teach that
the heart of man is such an unfathomable depth that while one may
honestly think that he is delivered, yet hidden below the line of
consciousness depravity always lurks and will spring up when
provocation comes. The housekeeper must not think that she can clean
her house, that would be presumption and self-righteousness, she can
only keep the dirt hidden or suppress it. This is the Keswick
doctrine and is championed by some of the world's most noted
preachers.
The danger is all the greater since the poison is concealed by
tempting sweets. The advocates of this theory are often very pious
and are quite successful in their line of work. They talk sweetly of
God, grace and holiness, but they must be allowed to put their own
interpretation on the word holiness, for they give us to understand
that such a thing as the entire eradication of the carnal nature
from the soul is an impossibility in this world. Some of us prefer
to believe the teachings of the Bible which says, "Christ loved the
church, and gave himself for it (the church) that he might sanctify
and cleanse it (the church) with the washing of water by the word
and present it (the church) to himself a glorious church, not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it (the church) should
be holy and without blemish" -- Eph. 25-27.
The time and fact of this sanctifying operation was confirmed by the
oath of God, and whoever denies its possibility in this world makes
God a perjurer. "The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that
he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of
our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and
righteousness before Him, all the days of our life. " -- Luke
1:73-75.
Rev. R. A. Torrey says: "The baptism of the Holy Spirit has no
direct reference to cleansing from sin. This is an important point
to bear in mind for many reasons. There is a line of teaching on
this subject that leads men to expect that, if they receive the
baptism of the Holy Spirit, the old carnal nature will be
eradicated. There is not a line of Scripture to support this
position."
Rev. F. B. Meyer says: "On this platform (Keswick) we never say self
is dead; were we to do so, self would be laughing at us around the
corner."
Rev. H. W. Webb-Peploe says: "It is ever taught at Keswick, as in
every part of God's Word (In what part of God's Word? It is easy to
make statements. -- H. A. B.), that there are, to the very last hour
of our life upon earth, powers of corruption within every man which
defile his very best deeds, and give even to his holiest efforts the
nature of sin."
The writer has no desire to enter into a discussion of the original
text as such a course would be of no value to the popular reader and
would prove practically nothing but what is proven in our English
Version. But we will give one quotation from Daniel Steele which is
to the point. "It is a remarkable fact that while the Greek language
richly abounds in words signifying repression, a half-score of which
occur in the New Testament, and are translated to bind, bruise, cast
down, conquer, bring into bondage, let, repress, hold fast, hinder,
restrain, subdue, put down, and take by the throat, yet not one of
these is used of inbred sin (the carnal mind) but such words as
signify to cleanse, to purify, to mortify, to kill, to crucify, and
to destroy."
The word of God abounds with exhortations, entreaties and commands
to get rid of the old man, not suppress him, but cast him out, not
hide him behind the door like a dirty housekeeper does the filth,
but let the Spirit of God kill him and rid the house of his
presence. To copy these passages would take more space than the
limits of this little work would allow. We will cite a few and the
reader can look them up for himself. Gal. 4:22-30; Col. 3:8-10; Eph.
4:22-24; Co. 2:11; Heb. 12:1; 1 Peter 2:1; 1 Thes. 5:23-24; 1 Thes.
3:10; Eph. 4:11-14; 2 Cor. 7:1; etc.
As to whether sin remains so deeply hidden that no person can ever
know he is delivered is mainly a question of individual experience
and of how much dependence one can put in the operations and
testimonies of the Holy Ghost. True, man's heart is a depth
unfathomable to himself, but on the authority of God's Word (Luke
2:35) and of the testimony of many unimpeachable witnesses we can
unhesitatingly say that God reveals this depth, and many persons
declare that they were shocked when the Holy Spirit began to turn up
the sod. Note this fact: As to whether any person ever saw all the
depths of his soul is not material since we do not depend on sight
for evidence, but the direct testimony of the Holy Spirit; our sight
might fail and deceive us, but the Holy Spirit -- never. When the
Spirit takes us down through the depths of our soul and says, "Thou
art all fair my love, there is no spot in thee," or "Thou art holy
and without blame before me in love," who am I that I can call him a
liar? He knows all things and "his testimony is true." Let all men
stand back when God speaks; he says, "What God has cleansed call not
thou common or unclean," and if they do they are fighting against
God and will receive their reward. |