210. Ⅶ. 사람은 스스로 생각하고 스스로 모든 것을 지시한다는 가상이 들지 않으면 이 모든 일은 하나도 이루어질 수 없는 것.

[1] 앞에서 충분히 입증한 것은 사람은 자기 스스로 사는 것이 그에게 보이지 아니하면, 그러므로 그 스스로 생각하고 뜻하고 말하고 행동하는 듯 보이지 아니하면 사람일 수 없을 것이라 하였다. 이로써 사람은 그 자신의 분별력으로 그의 직업과 생활에 속한 모든 것을 지시하는 듯 보이지 아니하면, 그는 하나님의 섭리에 의해서 인도되거나 지시를 받을 수 없는 것이 분명하다. 왜냐하면 그는 축 늘어진 손을 하고, 입은 벌린 채, 눈을 감고, 숨은 들이마시고, 줄 것이나 기다리고 우두커니 서 있는 사람과 같을 것이기 때문이다. 이리하여 그는 스스로 살고, 생각하고, 뜻하고 말하고, 행동하는 듯 보이는 지각과 느낌을 갖는 인간성을 스스로 포기할 것이다. 그는 또 그것이 있어 짐승과 구분되는 자유성과 합리성의 두 기능까지도 포기할 것이다. 이 가상이 없으면 사람에게는 받아들이고 협력하는 어떠한 기능 곧 영혼불멸도 갖지 못할 것이라는 것은 이 책 위와 <하나님의 사랑과 하나님의 지혜> 안에서 입증한 바 있다.

[2] 그러므로 여러분이 만일 하나님의 섭리를 따르려 한다면 주인의 선을 착실하게 실천하는 종과 하인처럼 분별력을 쓰시기만 하면 될 것이고, 이 분별력은 그것을 가지고 장사하라고 하였으나 그 빚을 갚아야 하는 달란트인 것이다 (누가복음 19:13-25; 마태복음 25:14-31).

분별력 자체는 사람에게는 그의 것같이 보인다. 그리고 그는 하나님과 하나님의 섭리에 그것을 자기 것같이 믿는다. 이것은 나면서부터 모든 사람의 내성에 자리 잡고 있다. 만일 여러분이 그것을 알아차리지 못한다면 (그것은 알려지려 하지 않기 때문에) 그것은 안전하게 거처하여 사람이 그 문을 열거나 그리하여 주께서 그것을 밖으로 내던져버리지 않도록 문을 잠그고 있는 것이다. 사람은 그가 주님으로부터 한다는 인식 아래 스스로 하는 듯 악을 죄로 알고 끊음으로써 이 문을 열어젖힐 수 있다.

483. V. Without free will in spiritual matters the Word would not be of any use, nor in consequence would the church be.

It is well known throughout the Christian world that the Word is, broadly speaking, the Law, that is, a book of laws in accordance with which a person must live, in order to be granted everlasting life. Is there anything it says more often than that man must do good and not evil, and he must believe in God and not in idols? The Word is also full of commands and exhortations to these actions, with blessings and promises of rewards for those who do so, and curses and threats of punishment for those who do not. Unless man had free will in spiritual matters, that is, in matters concerned with salvation and everlasting life, what would all this be but empty words serving no use? And if anyone were to cling to the idea that he lacked any power or freedom in spiritual matters, so that he was without any will-power in these matters, would not Holy Scripture look to him like a blank piece of paper with no letters on it, or like a piece of paper over which a whole pot of ink had been emptied, or just serifs and dots with no letters, that is to say, a book with nothing in it?

[2] There would hardly be any need to prove this from the Word, but since present-day churches have plunged so deeply into mental inanity in spiritual matters, citing certain passages in support which they have wrongly interpreted, I am obliged to quote some passages which tell men how to act and believe. These are:

The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that produces its fruits, Matthew 21:43.

Produce fruit worthy of repentance; at any moment now the axe is put to the root of the tree. So every tree which does not produce good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire, Luke 3:8-9.

Jesus said, why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and not do what I say? Everyone who comes to me and listens to what I say and does that is like a man building a house upon rock. But one who listens and does not do it, is like a man building his house on soil with no foundation, Luke 6:46-49.

Jesus said, My mother and my brothers are these who hear the Word of God and act upon it, Luke 8:21.

We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone worships God and does His will, He listens to him, John 9:31.

If you know these things, you are blessed if you act upon them, John 13:17.

He who possesses my commandments and does them is the one who loves me, and I will love him, John 14:21.

In this is my Father glorified, by your bringing forth much fruit, John 15:8.

You are my friends, if you do whatever I bid you. I have chosen you to bear fruit, and for your fruit to keep, John 15:14, 16.

Make the tree good; by its fruit the tree is known, Matthew 12:33.

Produce fruit worthy of repentance, Matthew 3:8.

The one who sowed seed on good land is the one who hears the Word and bears fruit, Matthew 13:23.

He who reaps receives his wage, and gathers the fruit for everlasting life, John 4:36.

Wash yourselves, cleanse yourselves, put away the wickedness of your deeds; learn to do good, Isaiah 1:16-17.

The Son of Man is to come in the glory of His Father, and He will then deal with each according to his deeds, Matthew 16:27.

Those who have done good deeds will go forth to be resurrected to life, John 5:29.

Their deeds accompany them, Revelation 14:13.

Behold, I come soon and my reward is with me, so that I may give to each according to what he has done, Revelation 22:12.

Jehovah, whose eyes are open, to give to each in accordance with his behaviour; He deals with us according to our deeds, Jeremiah 32:19; Zechariah 1:6.

[3] The Lord teaches the same lesson in the parables, many of which imply that those who do good are accepted and those who do evil are rejected: as in the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 21:33-44), that of the talents and minas, with which they had to trade (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:13-25). Likewise Jesus said about faith:

He who believes in me shall never die, but live, John 11:25-26.

This is the Father's will, that everyone who believes in the Son should have everlasting life, John 6:40.

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; he, however, who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him, John 3:36.

God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life, John 3:15-16.

Furthermore:

You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And you are to love the neighbour as yourself. The law and the prophets depend upon these two commandments, Matthew 22:37-40.

These are a minute selection from the Word and like a few pints of water drawn from the sea.