Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 76:304 (Oct 1919)
Article: The Victorious Life (II.)
Author: W. H. Griffith Thomas

BSac 76:304 (Oct 1919) p. 455

The Victorious Life (II.)

W. H. Griffith Thomas

III

I have now endeavored to comment on some of Dr. War-field’s statements and also to express in general the meaning of the Keswick Movement. I now proceed to call attention to two witnesses to this position. The first of these is the Bishop of Durham, Dr. Moule, whose saintliness, sanctified common sense, and scholarship none who know him will question. It so happens that at the Keswick Convention of July, 1918, the Bishop spoke on the distinctive message of the Convention, and discussed, “What Keswick stands for.” After pointing out its basis in the Divine Person and Atoning Work of Christ received by faith for salvation, he went on to say that

“ ‘Keswick’ stands distinctively for this — Christ, our righteousness upon Calvary, received by faith, Christ our holiness in the heart that submits to Him and that relies upon Him, and that uses Him (which we say in brief in the watchword ‘Holiness by faith’) —that is the inmost distinctiveness of the ‘Keswick ‘message upon one side. It does not for an instant say that it exists for, though it stands upon, the preaching of the truth of pardon; but it does humbly say that it stands as a witness for the oft-forgotten, oft-misunderstood, oft-misapplied, but blessed and living truth, ‘Holiness by faith’; Christ our power for internal simplicity and cleansing, as He is received, in submissive trust, as the soul trusts Him and entrusts itself to Him to have His way, to do His work, to act the very springs of thought and will to put out His blessed, loving power, fulfilling the promise, ‘I will subdue their iniquities, I will write My laws in their hearts and put them in their minds,’ but having first — not last — cast their sins and their iniquities into oblivion at the Cross.”

Then followed this reference to Holiness: —

“Holiness may come out in great feats and acts of sacrifice and suffering, and it often does. But in ten thou-

BSac 76:304 (Oct 1919) p. 456

sand thousand instances it just means the sacrifice of self in a little thing, though it may mean a big sacrifice of the self-spirit which asserts itself so desperately — a quiet putting of that down in the name of the Lord Jesus; the delightful discovery that the temper can be sweetened, and that the tongue can be cleaned, of what is evil, what is false, and what is unkind; that the very thoughts can be kept, though they have been all too long and guiltily allowed play on forbidden fields — that they can be kept by this wonderful power of the God who reveals to us holiness by faith.”

This, in turn, naturally led to a statement about faith:...