My Dear Brother:

I have had it on my heart to share with you a few thoughts in connection with the Lord’s
Supper_that solemn and precious remembrance of Christ. First of all, there is great importance
in seeing clearly the object and character of that great central meeting which gives its character
to all other meetings. It is described for us in a simple manner in The Acts, and there we see the
primary object of that meeting:"Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together
to break bread" (20:7). As the Passover had changed for Israel the order of the months, and the
year must begin with the sign of accomplished redemption, so, for Christians, each week must
begin with the joyful celebration of the love that has visited them.

The verse in Acts does not say, as we sometimes hear, "The disciples came together for a worship
meeting." There is no doubt that they would worship; but that was not what was uppermost in their
minds. It was their Lord who was before them_Him of whom the bread spoke.

The purpose of coming together should be distinctly before our minds. We must be simple in it.
In two opposite ways this simplicity may be destroyed, and the character of the meeting may be
lowered and souls suffer. Let us spend a little time in the consideration of this.

First, when we come together, after six days of warfare in the world (would that were always
spiritual warfare, and that we realized the world as an enemy’s country simply), we are apt to
come full of our spiritual needs to be refreshed and strengthened. We may not use the term, but
still the idea in the Lord’s Supper to us thus will be that it is a "means of grace." We bring jaded
spirits and unstrung energies to a meeting where we trust the weariness will be dispelled and the
lassitude recovered from. We come to be ministered to and helped. We require the character of
it to be soothing and comforting, speaking much of grace and quieting our overdone nerves for
another week before us. And we know too surely that we shall go through the same course
exactly, and come back next Lord’s day as weary as before, with the same need and thought of
refreshment. We come with the same self, in fact, as an object, and scarcely Christ at all, or Christ
very much as a means to an end, and not Himself the end.

This is the evil of this state of things:Christ is not in any due sense before our soul, but rather it
is our need which He is to be the means of supplying. No doubt there is a measure of truth in this
view of the Lord’s Supper. Can we ever come to Him without finding refreshment from the
coming? Does He not, blessed Lord, delight to serve us? Do not the bread and wine speak of
refreshment ministered_"Wine that makes glad the heart of man … and bread which strengthens
man’s heart" (Psa. 104:15)?

Surely all this is true. But true as it is, it is not this that gathers us. Does not "to show the Lord’s
death" have a deeper meaning? His own words, "Do this," are not for the regrouping of our own
strength, but "in remembrance of Me." Thus this sacramental use of Christ, as I may term it
(common as it really is, alas, among those who think they have outgrown sacraments) essentially
lowers the whole thought of the Lord’s Supper. The remembrance of Christ is something more and

other than what I get by the remembrance; something more than the strengthening and refreshing
of our souls by the body and blood of Christ.

I do not mean to deny that Christ is gracious and meets our needs oftentimes in unexpected ways.
He is sovereign, and gracious beyond expression. But if we make ourselves the object, will that
lead to blessing for us? What honor has Christ in all this? And what must be the character of
meetings to which languid and wayworn souls come, seeking a stimulating cordial to return to
what seems only too sadly indicated to be the main business of their lives?

Let us look now at the other way in which our souls may be tempted from the simplicity of the
remembrance of Christ.

When we look at the worship of heaven, in that attractive picture in Revelation 5, it is the simple
presence of the Lamb slain that calls out the adoration of those 24 elders who are our
representatives. Worship with them was no arranged, premeditated thing, but the pouring out of
hearts that could not be restrained in the presence of Him who had redeemed them to God by His
blood. And here is the mistake on our parts when we think we can make worship a matter of
prearrangement, while it is, in fact, a thing dependent upon the true remembrance of the Lord.

There will be blessing on the one hand and worship on the other in proportion as our eyes are
taken off ourselves and fixed upon the object which both ministers the one and calls forth the
other. There surely will be blessing, for how can the sight of Him do otherwise than bless? And
there will be worship, for this is the true and spontaneous response of the heart to the sight of One
who, being the Son of God, yet loved us and gave Himself for us. Therefore, the great point
pressed in Scripture is remembrance:"This do in remembrance of Me." "You do show the Lord’s
death."

Of course, we are not to forget that while our eyes look back upon the Lamb slain, it is from the
after-side of His resurrection that we contemplate this. "The first day of the week" speaks of
resurrection out of death, and gives Him back to us in all the reality of a living person. While we
remember His death, we do it in the glad knowledge of His resurrection, and with the Lord
Himself in our midst. Who could celebrate the Lord’s death but for this? Who could sound a note
of praise did He not Himself first raise it? He says, "In the midst of the Church will I sing praise
unto Thee" (Heb. 2:12; see also Psa. 22:22). Death, but death passed, do we celebrate; death
which, thus seen, is only the depths of a living love which we carry with us, unexhausted,
inexhaustible, unfathomed, and unfathomable.

"A Lamb as it had been slain" is the object of the elders’ worship (Rev. 5:6). The Living One
carries with Him forever the memorials of His blessed death. The cross is not only atonement
effected for us, but the bright and blessed display of God manifest in Christ, and for us, in every
attribute displayed.

(From Letters on Some Practical Points Connected with the Assembly.)

"And one of the malefactors who were hanged railed on Him, saying, If Thou be Christ, save
Thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked Him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou
art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds:
but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou
comest into Thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily, I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be
with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:39-43).

Behold the Lamb whose precious blood,
Drawn from His riven side,
Had power to make our peace with God,
Nor lets one spot abide.

The dying thief beheld that Lamb
Expiring by his side,
And proved the value of the name
Of Jesus crucified.

His soul, by virtue of the blood,
To paradise received;
Redemption’s earliest trophy stood,
From sin and death retrieved.

We too the cleansing power have known
Of the atoning blood,
By grace have learnt His name to own,
Which brings us back to God.

To Him, then, let our songs ascend,
Who stooped in grace so low:
To Christ, the Lamb, the sinner’s Friend,
Let ceaseless praises flow.

(By William Trotter (1818-1865) in Hymns for the Little Flock.)

"Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" (Gen. 5:24).

He "walked with God"! Could grander words be written?
Not much of what he thought or said is told;
Not where or what he wrought is even mentioned;
He "walked with God"_brief words of fadeless gold!

How many souls were succored on his journey_
Helped by his words, or prayers_we may not know;
Still, this we read_words of excelling grandeur_
He "walked with God," while yet he walked below.

And, after years, long years, of such blest walking,
One day he walked, then was not. God said, "Come!
Come from the scene of weary, sin-stained sadness!
Come to the fuller fellowship of Home!"

Such be the tribute of thy pilgrim journey;
When life’s last mile thy feet have bravely trod;
When thou hast gone to all that there awaits thee:
This simple epitaph_He "walked with God"!

The remembrance or breaking of bread meeting, the observance of the Lord’s Supper, is
principally for the purpose of drawing out our hearts afresh with praise, worship, and thanksgiving
in response to the memory of Christ’s sufferings and death on our behalf. How worthy is our
precious Lord and Saviour, how worthy is our God and Father, that we should devote this period
of time each week in worshiping the Father for giving "His only begotten Son" and in praising the
Son for giving Himself for us!

I believe that in addition to what we give to the Father and the Son in this meeting, there is
something God gives to us in this meeting. As a brother stated at a recent Bible conference,
"Christ ministers Himself to us through the bread and wine." It is true that we do not go to the
remembrance meeting with the express purpose of getting something out of it for ourselves. This
point is well stated in the preceding article by F.W. Grant. At the same time, how can we spend
an hour meditating upon the sufferings of Christ for our sakes and go away without our hearts and
lives affected by it?

The very hymns that we commonly sing in observance of the Lord’s Supper often illustrate ways
in which Christ may minister to us at this meeting. Let us look at a few examples from Hymns for
the Little Flock (denoted by "LF") and Hymns of Grace and Truth ("GT").

In the hymn, On That Same Night Lord Jesus, we find some beautiful expressions concerning the
Lord’s suffering:

The depth of all Thy suffering
No heart could e’er conceive;
The cup of wrath o’erflowing
For us Thou didst receive;
And oh! of God forsaken,
On the accursed tree,
With grateful hearts, Lord Jesus,
We now remember Thee.

We think of all the darkness
Which round Thy spirit pressed
Of all those waves and billows
Which rolled across Thy breast.

The hymn concludes with the suggestion of a practical response in our hearts to such meditations:

Till Thou shalt come in glory,
And call us hence away,
To rest in all the brightness
Of that unclouded day,
We show Thy death, Lord Jesus,

And here would seek to be
More to Thy death conformed,
Whilst we remember Thee.

A similar sentiment is expressed in the hymn, How Beauteous Were the Marks Divine. We quote
the last three stanzas:

O who like Thee so humbly bore
The scorn, the scoffs of men, before!
So meek, so lowly, yet so high_
So glorious in humility!

The hymn, We Bless Our Saviour’s Name, concludes with the stanza:

O let Thy love constrain
Our souls to cleave to Thee!
And ever in our hearts remain
That word, "Remember Me"

Lord Jesus! We Remember also concludes with the practical result in our lives:

From sin, the world, and Satan,
We’re ransomed by Thy blood,
And here would walk as strangers,
Alive with Thee to God.

In a similar vein, O My Saviour Glorified concludes with:

O my Saviour, glorified,

Turn my eye from all beside,
Let me but Thy beauty see_
Other light is dark to me.

Isaac Watts pointedly shows the incompatibility of the contemplation of the wondrous cross of
Christ and His transcendent love with our lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life:

When we survey the wondrous cross
On which the Lord of glory died,
Our richest gain we count but loss,
And pour contempt on all our pride.

The following hymn gives the response in our hearts and lives to the love, "so great, so full, so
free" shown to us by our Saviour:

O blessed Saviour, is Thy love
So great! so full! so free!
Fain would we have our thoughts, our hearts,
Our lives engaged with Thee.

In O Head Once Full of Bruises we meditate upon the insults heaped upon the Lord Jesus at the
cross. And the greatest torment of all for our precious Lord "was our sins’ heavy load" which He
did "pay in blood." The hymn writer leads us, as a result of such meditation, to conclude with the
prayer:

Grant us to lean unshaken
Upon Thy faithfulness,
Until, to glory taken
We see Thee face to face.

In Oh, My Saviour Crucified, as we abide near our Saviour’s cross, "Gazing with adoring eye on
[His] dying agony," our hearts respond in the last verse:

Yet in sight of Calvary,
Contrite should my spirit be,
Rest and holiness there find
Fashioned like my Saviour’s mind.

"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the
ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My
God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? (Matt. 27:45,46).

Amazing, holy mystery,
Unfathomed Sacrifice,
Where incarnate Love on Calvary’s tree,
Accursed for sinners, dies!
From His soul, poured out unto death, that cry
Utters sorrow and love unknown,
"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?"
O Sufferer, so wounded, so lone!

How couldst Thou_bruised, like crushed worm
Trod down in the dust of death_
O’er that scene of wrathful gloom and storm
Pour love’s sweet undying breath?
‘Twas our doom that wrung from Thy soul the plea,
Out of depths of the direful cross,
"My God, O why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
Forsaken, blest Saviour, for us!

For us Thy scars Thou wearest still_
Sweet mark of our Advocate!
Soon Thy Form of love our souls shall thrill,
Low bowed at Thy nail-pierced feet!
How Thy wounds shall speak! how Thy soul’s deep cry
Shall in echo forever fall,
"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?"
Lord Jesus! our Glory, our All!

(By Frank Allaben in Hymns of Grace and Truth.)

(Ed. note:This is the first of a series of three articles on Matt. 18:20 and the Lord’s Supper. All
three are based on lectures given at Bible Truth Hall, Nassau, Bahamas, April 1995.)

"Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and
him alone:if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then
take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be
established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church:but if he neglect to hear
the church, let him be to thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you,
Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on
earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as
touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven.
For where two or three are gathered together [unto] My name, there am I in the midst of them.
Then came Peter to Him and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive
him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times, but until
seventy times seven" (Matt. 18:15-22).

The power for believers to walk together in grace and truth is the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I think that is the basic truth that runs through this passage. We have in these verses broad
principles as to how God’s order or government in the assembly is to be carried out. These verses
have to do with the assembly’s gatherings together, the assembly’s corporate testimony to the Lord
as gathered unto His name.

What His Name Expresses

The name of the Lord Jesus Christ tells us who He is. Today, in our modern society, we do not
think too much about names and what they mean. But all through Scripture we are taught that
names are very important and have meaning. So the names and titles of the Lord Jesus Christ
express the whole truth about Himself. When we study our Bibles, it is not just to gain knowledge
from Scripture, but to learn more about the Lord Jesus Christ. His name tells us who He is. His
name also tells us about all the work He has done. His name includes all the truth that we are
called upon to walk in as believers.

What His Name Expresses Is Needed

We need to read Matt. 18:20 in the context of verses 15-22 to understand the full truth of that
verse. If things come in to upset or to spoil fellowship and testimony in holiness and truth, then
we must bring in all the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ in order to judge what is wrong and to
discern what needs to be done. In this way, our walk together in grace and truth can be restored
to what it should be.

The Church Is a Collective Testimony to Christ

I believe that God’s great purpose for the Church on earth is to be a testimony to the Lord Jesus
Christ. This testimony is a collective testimony. One believer, by himself, cannot be a complete
testimony to Christ. Surely he, as an individual believer and one who trusts the Lord, can honor
the Lord in his life, serve the Lord, and bring glory to God. Each of us as individuals can do that
and should do that. But the whole testimony to Christ is the testimony of the whole Church on
earth. Indeed, if every believer on this earth were walking according to the truth of God and under
His authority, pleasing the Lord, doing the work of God by the leading of the Spirit, giving God
all the glory, then we would have on earth a perfect testimony to Christ. That is why we are here.
This is the purpose that God has for us as he leaves us on this earth.

Power Is Dependent on the Spiritual State of the Assembly

There is power expressed in Matt. 18:19. As we agree as touching any thing, and we ask the
Father, He will do it. But of course the setting of this is our walking together to please Him, to
glorify Him. No selfish request will be answered. Realization of the power of God depends upon
the spiritual state of the assembly as seeking to do the will of God in order to glorify the Son who
is Head over all things to the Church.

A Spirit of Grace Is Needed

How many times are we to forgive our brother? Countless times! I think the seventy times seven
is not a literal number to be recorded till we get to that point. No, it is a number which would
almost say, "As often as your brother offends you, forgive him." Our passage in Matthew 18 tells
us about seeking restoration of the offending one. And how often we ourselves need to be
restored. This spirit of grace, then, is what should characterize us as we seek to walk in the truth
that the Lord has committed to us to hold for Him.

Responsibility to Hold and Walk in the Truth

We have a great responsibility. Much truth God has revealed. Much truth we have learned. We
are responsible to the Lord to be faithful to Him in holding that truth and walking in it. What
privileges we have in Christ. We have responsibilities too. It should be a glad thing for us to carry
out whatever responsibility the Lord puts into our hands, to be faithful for Him. We should
consider it a privilege to be God’s servant. May the Lord put into our hearts as our motive to love
to do this for His name’s sake_the One who did so much for us, who continues to serve us from
the glory, who leads us, who keeps us in the path, who gives us power to keep us from failing.
We approach the throne of grace and get the help we need at just the time we need it. The Lord
will not cease to help us as long as we are on this earth. Then on that wonderful day when He
comes and takes us home so we can be with Him where He is, "we shall be like Him, for we shall
see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). But until then, here we are, left on earth. We have had the truth
of Himself, of who He is, of His name, committed to us.
The Importance of Being Gathered Together

We can see then the importance of our being gathered together, and the strength and power that
we can derive from our fellowship together as the Lord works in our midst. We are not simply

individual Christians in this world, each of whom should be faithful to the Lord. We are a body
of believers joined together in an indissoluble relationship by the bond of God’s love that will
never be broken. What we experience here as members of the body of Christ, will become fully
appreciated by us when, in the glory, we shall be the bride of the Lamb. The relationship that
exists among us now according to God’s purpose will never cease to exist.

Gathered Together by the Power of the Spirit

We are in this world, then, to testify of Christ. Matt. 18:20 is the meat of this truth:"For where
[or wherever, that is, any place] two or three are gathered together [unto] My name." Let us look
at the two words "are gathered." My understanding is that this implies a power outside of
ourselves that produces in our hearts a desire to be gathered, and thus gathers us together. I am
sure we know what that power is. It is the Holy Spirit. He is the power working in us to gather
us together unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gathered Together unto the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ

The Holy Spirit only gathers the believers together unto the name of the Lord Jesus. The work of
the Holy Spirit is to take of the things of Christ and show them unto us, to take all His glories and
reveal them, make them plain and clear so that we can understand these things as much as is
possible in weak and failing bodies and minds (John 16:13-15). Little by little we are learning, we
are growing. The Holy Spirit gathers us together unto the name of the One whom He glorifies as
He ministers to us. He gathers us unto the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, unto His name. It is not unto
Him, as it were, in person, because, in person, He is not on the earth. He is in the glory, a Man
at the right hand of God. In His absence we are gathered unto His name, and yet we have Him in
the midst.

Implications of Being Gathered unto His Name

What does it mean to be gathered together "unto His name"? Is it just that we are redeemed by His
blood and therefore Christians? Is it that we all profess, "I am a Christian"? I think it is much
more than this because it is what the Holy Spirit is doing, gathering those who are redeemed by
Christ unto His name. First, He is the Lord. Would it not then mean that to be gathered together
"unto His name" would be to acknowledge His authority over us as Lord? He is Head over all
things to the Church. In the testimony of the Church there are many aspects of service. We come
together to remember the Lord in His death for us. Scripture gives us an order of worship that is
from God. The Lord taught the woman at the well that we are to worship God in spirit and in
truth. The nature of our worship is spiritual because God is spirit. And we must worship Him
according to the truth that the Holy Spirit reveals concerning who God is. So in acknowledging
the Lord, we are glad to know what the Lord teaches us from His Word as to how we should
worship Him. God has His order of worship for us. It is acceptable because it is according to the
truth that He has given us. So we would acknowledge God’s order of worship.

The Spirit’s Leading Is to Be Followed in Service

The Holy Spirit guides us in our service_in the use of the gifts that Christ has given us_as well
as our worship. "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences
of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same
God who worketh all in all" (1 Cor. 12:4-6).

These three verses show us that a person’s proper use of a spiritual gift is a demonstration of the
power of the Holy Spirit working through that person. There are different gifts but one Spirit.
These different gifts perform various services or ministries, as verse 5 says. And these various
services are to be carried out under the authority of the Lord. Then verse 6 tells us that there are
various operations, or things that are accomplished, through the exercise of one’s gift. But in
every case, it is the work of God that is accomplished in souls, whether the edifying of believers
or the salvation of the unsaved. These truths concerning the exercise of our spiritual gifts are very
important in connection with being gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We shall
discuss this in more detail later.

The Truth Concerning Christ Is to Be Preached

The name of the Son of God on earth is "Jesus". His name means "Jehovah Saviour". Another
name given to the Son of God as Man on earth is "Emmanuel," "God with us." There is no other
Saviour, there is no other salvation. If we are gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
we will preach the truth concerning God’s salvation. We will not preach a salvation of works. We
will not preach a salvation that brings people under the bondage of law. I would suggest that where
error like that comes in, then believers are moving away from being gathered unto the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ. They are denying the revealed truth of Scripture that gives us the testimony
of Christ, who He is and what He has done and what He is doing. When the believers are truly
gathered together unto His name, the truth concerning Christ is going to be preached, taught, and
practiced_though perhaps imperfectly at times. In the practice of truth we are very imperfect, if
not outright failing sometimes. But the Lord comes in to recover, and He does.

Is the Truth of Matt. 18:20 Our Motive for Gathering?

When we meet together as believers in Christ, are we consciously gathered together unto the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ? Are we there for Him? Are we there to be part of the testimony to who
He is, and all the glory of His person, insomuch as we can do that according to the knowledge that
we have? Are we there because of His great salvation for us and our love for Him, and because
we want to be part of that testimony of Christ in this world? Some may be there because they were
brought up there, all their family is there, or the people they know best and like best are there. All
these are good things; I do not want to take away from any of that. But "what is the bottom line?"
as they say today in business. Why are you really gathered where you are? I trust that each one
of our readers truly desires to be gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

No matter what happens to any others, God forbid that there be a falling away from this precious
testimony. Sad to say, we do see a falling away, but those who seek to be gathered to the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ have nothing to boast in. If it is our deep desire to remain true to this
precious testimony, the Lord will hold us together. We are not going to hold ourselves together.

We are not going to stay together because we agree to. No no, no. If we are gathered together by
the Holy Spirit for the sake of Christ’s name and His testimony, then the Lord will guide us and
keep us together.

There are Special Blessings When Gathered unto His Name

Let us look now at the wonderful benefit and blessing of being gathered together unto the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ:"There am I in the midst of them." He is not simply speaking of the
presence of the Holy Spirit, or of the fact that the Spirit dwells in every individual believer. It
means much more than that. There is a special blessing that believers have as they are gathered
together in assembly corporately unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can and do have the
experience of the Spirit of God leading us corporately, collectively, resulting in blessing that far
exceeds that which might be experienced in meetings prearranged according to some human order.

The Remembrance Meeting

As gathered together unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, believers remember the Lord on the
Lord’s day and wait for the Spirit of God to draw from hearts, as He is pleased to do, praise and
worship to the Father and His Son. What a blessing is experienced when the Holy Spirit is
permitted to have full control in orchestrating the various expressions of praise and worship from
whomever He wills. Those of us who are gathered in such a way have no reason to boast in such
activity. We are weak at best. But this is what the Lord would have us do. He will give us the
proof of His presence by the way He brings us blessing through the Spirit as we are yielded to
Him. Would that every remembrance meeting would happen this way. Would that each one came
with the eager anticipation of meeting the Lord there. Sometimes we may go to such meetings as
a matter of habit or routine or what is expected of us. And so we lose some of the preciousness
of it. Sometimes the meeting may turn out to be rather uninspired. This usually is evidence of
failure on the part of some or all to come in the proper spirit. But when we are gathered together
in expectation of meeting the Lord, really praising Him, thinking how we can honor Him, and
waiting on the Spirit to lead, the Spirit will lead, and it will be a most refreshing time.

When we have assembly meetings for ministry, we wait on the Lord to guide as to who should
speak and what he should say (1 Cor, 14:29). Very precious, wonderful times of ministry come
from waiting on the Lord, possibly with a period of quiet, letting Him put the ones of His
choosing on their feet to speak. On the other hand, when a brother seems to be in a great rush to
get up and say something because he has something he wants to say, the blessing may be wanting.
This happens at times and it can be rather discouraging. At best, we practice these things
imperfectly.

The same holds true in our assembly prayer meetings. We should only pray what the Spirit of God
lays on our hearts to pray for, not try to think of everything we should say and pray. There is
nothing wrong with repetition, brothers praying the same thing. But if we prayed according to how
we were burdened by the Lord, the prayer meetings would be much more powerful.

Value the Truth of Matt. 18:20 and Desire to Be a Testimony

Dear ones, as I think of this very important verse and all the truth that it contains, I think we
sometimes take things for granted. We sometimes miss the exactness of the way Scripture speaks
to us, and therefore we can miss a great deal of blessing. May our hearts be stirred up to engage
in a fresh reexamination of our ideas, our thoughts, our motives. Let us refrain from thinking of
what other Christians are doing in this regard. No, let us take this Scripture, and if what I have
said is the truth of it, let the truth of this Scripture search us out. Let us ask, "Is this where I am,"
and "Is this where I want to be?" May God help us to walk together in grace and truth, that which
came by Jesus Christ, that into which the Spirit of God will ever guide us. Then the name of
Christ will be the focus and the power of our testimony.

"If a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and you hang him
on a tree; his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but you shall in any wise bury him that
day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), that your land be not defiled" (Deut. 21:22,23).

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us:for it is written,
Cursed is every one who hangs on a tree" (Gal. 3:13).

Worthy, O Lord of death am I,
The just award of sin;
Unfit to live beneath Thy sky,
‘Tis right that I should hang, and die,
Guilty, condemned, unclean:
That cross of shame, that cursed tree,
Is the just doom of one like me.

Thy sun might justly seek to hide
His beams from eyes like mine,
Who, in my God-renouncing pride,
His Maker day by day defied;
Thy stars refuse to shine:
Yea, all good creatures might complain
Of one, like me, a loathsome stain_

Unfit to live on Thy fair earth,
Unfit to breathe its air;
A tainted traitor from my birth,
A discord to all holy mirth,
A blight on all things fair;
Worthy alone of death must be
One, that has sinned, O God, like me.

A hiding-place beneath its sod,
For one too vile to live;
That died beneath the curse of God,
Smitten by law’s most righteous rod,
Is all that earth could give,
Till that tremendous judgment-day,
When earth itself shall pass away.

Thy angels, who delight to praise
And serve their glorious King,
Whose will at once Thy will obeys,
Look down with horror and amaze,

On such a guilty thing;
And ready stand with flaming sword,
To crush the scorners of their Lord.

Oh, wretched man! where can I go?
What arm can help, or save?
I look behind, around, below_
Naught see, or hear, but deepening woe:
Before me yawns the grave;
Beyond the darkness of the tomb,
The horrors of eternal doom!

"Look unto Me," the Saviour cries.
Behold! upon the tree,
Between two thieves, Emmanuel dies,
The Lamb of God, a sacrifice,
He bears the curse for me_
Oh, love unsearchable, divine,
His life He gives to ransom mine!

Oh, hour most solemn! Hour alone,
In solitary might,
When God the Father’s only Son,
As man, for sinners to atone,
Expires_amazing sight!
The Lord of glory crucified!
The Lord of life has bled and died.

Oh, mystery of mysteries!
Of life and death the tree;
Center of two eternities,
Which look with rapt, adoring eyes,
Onward and back to Thee!
Oh, Cross of Christ, where all His pain
And death_is my eternal gain!

Oh, how my inmost heart doth move,
While gazing on that tree;
The death of the Incarnate Love!
What shame, what grief, what joy I prove,
That He should die for me!
My heart is broken by that cry,
"Eli, lama sabachthani?"

Worthy of death, O Lord, I am;

That vengeance was my due:
Thy grace upon Thy spotless Lamb,
Laid all my sins, and guilt, and shame;
Justice my Surety slew;
With Him I in my Surety died,
With Him I there was crucified.

When Thou didst make Him "sin" for me,
Thy Son Thou didst not spare;
Oh, what exceeding agony,
All needed, Lord, to set me free,
My Jesus, Thou didst bear!
Now peace and righteousness can meet,
And kiss Thy wounded hands and feet.

They bury, ere the setting sun,
In the new rock-hewn cave,
The body of Thy Holy One;
They set the watch; they seal the stone,
To keep Him in the grave:
Buried with Him myself I see,
So low He chose to lie for me.

But lo! His grave is empty now,
He sits at Thy right hand:
Honor and glory crown His brow,
Before Him all the angels bow,
And wait His high command:
The Lamb of God for sinners slain,
Lives as the Lord of all to reign.

Thy Righteousness the sentence spoke,
That sent Thy Son to die:
Thy Righteousness from death awoke,
And all the powers of darkness broke,
And raised Him up on high;
His spotless righteousness to own,
Thou hast exalted to Thy throne.

And now Thy mercy finds delight,
Right royally to prove
How precious He is in Thy sight;
And all the wondrous depth and height
Of Thy surpassing love:
With Him, who bore our sins alone,

Thy grace has made His ransomed one.

Quickened with Him with life divine,
Raised with Him from the dead,
His own_and all His own are Thine!_
Shall with Him in His glories shine,
His Church’s living Head:
We, who were worthy but to die,
Now with Him, "Abba, Father," cry.

"Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold, the veil of
the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom" (Matt. 27:50,51).

The veil is rent:our souls draw near
Unto a throne of grace;
The merits of the Lord appear,
They fill the holy place.

His precious blood has spoken there,
Before and on the throne;
And His own wounds in heaven declare
The atoning work is done.

‘Tis finished! here our souls have rest;
His work can never fail:
By Him, our Sacrifice and Priest,
We pass within the veil.

Within the holiest of all,
Cleansed by His precious blood,
Before the throne we prostrate fall,
And worship Thee, O God!

Boldly the heart and voice we raise,
His blood, His name, our plea;
Assured our prayers and songs of praise
Ascend, by Christ, to Thee.

(By James G. Deck in Hymns for the Little Flock and Hymns of Grace and Truth.)

Enoch

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had
translated him:for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God" (Heb. 11:5).

Enoch was one of only two men honored with being caught up to heaven without dying.
(Quick_who was the other one?) What did Enoch do to deserve such an honor? "He pleased
God."

Does not every true Christian please God one time or another? Yes, every true Christian will bear
fruit for God (John 15:2), and, on the other hand, one who has no works has no living faith (Jas.
2:17-26). But with Enoch there was more:"He had this testimony, that he pleased God." Enoch’s
works that pleased God were not done in a corner at midnight. They shone out at midday so that
everyone in the community could see them.

But wasn’t Enoch in the line of the faithful descendants of Seth, rather than the fleshly, worldly
descendants of Cain (Gen. 4:17-24)? Yes, it is true that Enoch was Seth’s great-great-great
grandson, and in fact, Seth was still living (857 years old) when Enoch was translated to heaven.
So why was Enoch picked out by God to be so honored?

Let me suggest two answers to this question. First, Enoch was translated only 69 years before
Noah was born (Gen. 5:21-29). In the days of Noah, "God saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every imagination of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5).
This wickedness was not confined to the descendants of Cain. How do we know this? Because of
what we know about the survivors of the great flood. Of all the hundreds of thousands of
descendants of Seth alive in Noah’s day, how many survived the flood? (You count them; see Gen.
6:10; 8:16.) Thus we may surmise that the great wickedness existing in Noah’s day must already
have been developing in Enoch’s day. What a bright light must Enoch’s testimony of pleasing God
have been in those darkening days.

For a second answer to the question of "Why Enoch?" let us turn to the miniature history of Enoch
published in the Old Testament:"And Enoch lived 65 years and begat Methuselah; and Enoch
walked with God after he begat Methuselah 300 years, and begat sons and daughters; and all the
days of Enoch were 365 years. And Enoch walked with God:and he was not, for God took him"
(Gen. 5:21-24).

Notice what we find in Genesis 5:"Adam lived … Adam lived … Seth lived … Seth lived … Enos
lived … Enos lived … Cainan lived … Cainan lived … Mahalaleel lived … Mahalaleel lived …
Jared lived … Jared lived … Methuselah lived … Methuselah lived … Lamech lived … Lamech
lived" (Gen. 5:3-30). But when we read of Enoch, what do we find? "Enoch lived … Enoch
walked with God." Yes, Enoch not only lived 300 years after begetting Methuselah, "Enoch
walked with God after he begat Methuselah 300 years."

Think of it:Walking with God_not just for that hour of quiet time, not just for those few days
during a Bible Conference or camp or retreat, not just for that month of vacation, not just for that
year of recuperation from the serious illness, but for 300 years!

An interesting link is found between the expression, "Enoch walked with God" in Gen. 5:22 and
24, and the expression, "He pleased God" in Heb. 11:5. The Greek word for "pleased" in Heb.
11:5 is euaresteo. The Greek Septuagint translation (around 250 B.C.) of "walked with" in Gen.
5:22 and 24 is the same word, euaresteo. This word means not only "to please," but "to please
well."

Let us dwell a bit on this matter of walking with God. The word for "walked" in Gen. 5:22 and
24 is found in the Old Testament in connection with man walking through a parcel of land to
explore and possess it (Gen. 13:17; Josh. 18:18; see also Job 38:16), or to a certain place to get
information (Esth. 2:11). Satan speaks of "walking up and down in the earth" to learn what
different people were doing, no doubt to see what mischief he could do (Job 1:7; 2:2). The word
is used of God walking in the midst of His people (Gen. 3:8; Lev. 26:12; Deut. 23:14; 2 Sam.
7:6,7; 1 Chron. 17:6). And it is used for God’s people walking before and with Him (Gen. 6:9;
17:1; 24:40; 48:15; 1 Sam. 2:30; Psa. 56:3; 116:9; Isa. 38:3).

Putting these usages of the word "walk" together, we see that walking with God involves
"exploring" Him or getting to know Him through the revelation of Himself in His Word_what
He is like, what His attributes are, what pleases Him and what doesn’t; going to Him and His
Word for information, wisdom, counsel, advice, and guidance; keeping our eye on Him so that
as He walks in the midst of His people, we will walk in step with Him, neither lagging behind nor
jumping ahead of Him; seeking to know and to do His will in all things (Col. 1:9,10); keeping our
eye on His eye since He guides us with His eye (Psa. 32:8).

Let me elaborate on walking in step with God. There is a verse that is often quoted badly out of
context by God’s people to justify their hasty actions:"The king’s business required haste" (1
Sam. 21:8). The intended application by those who quote this verse usually is that we need to act
quickly on some assembly decision or matter of church discipline. However, the context of this
verse shows us that David made this statement while running away from Saul and trying to deceive
the priest into thinking that he was engaged in an assignment for King Saul. All too often in our
zeal we run ahead of God, before we have all the needed information, or before God has done His
needed work in a soul. But just as often, in our laziness and apathy, we lag behind God, saying,
"Let someone else do it," "Others are more gifted, more capable, more experienced that I am,"
"I’m too busy (fishing? watching TV? making a living?) to visit that shut-in or to witness to my
neighbor." Enoch walked "with God," not ahead of God or behind God.

Let us try to illustrate some aspects of our walk with God by eavesdropping for a few moments
on a father and his son who are taking a walk together.

Daddy:What did you learn in school today, Bobby?

Bobby:I learned the difference between "through" and "threw." Oh yes, and we just started a unit

on long division. I think it’s going to be hard. But I’ve already started praying that the Lord will
help me to understand it.

Daddy:Good for you, Bobby! Let us try a simple problem while we are walking. How about 156
divided by 12?

Bobby (after a few moments of thought):Uh oh!

Daddy:What’s the matter, Bobby?

Bobby:There is a big bumblebee buzzing around my head. Can you chase it away?

Daddy:I’ll try.

Then Bobby notices a big, evil-looking man walking down the sidewalk in their direction. Bobby
snuggles closer to his father and watches the man warily. His father puts his arm around him. The
man passes without incident.

Bobby:That reminds me. There is this seventh-grader, Butch, who rides on the school bus. He
always teases me about my glasses and calls me a nerd and sometimes says bad things about you
and Mom. What should I do?

Daddy:What have you been doing so far, son?

Bobby:I just try to pretend I am reading a book and don’t hear him.

Daddy:And what does Butch do then?

Bobby:He usually gives up and tries bothering someone else.

Daddy:It sounds like you are doing just fine. Can you think of a Bible verse that says something
about this situation?

Bobby:Umm, something about loving your enemies or something?

Daddy:Yes, very good, Bobby. And it says, "Do good to those who hate you and pray for them."
So you should try to remember to pray for Butch that he might be saved. If you can find out when
his birthday is, maybe you could surprise him by giving him a bag of M and M’s and a gospel
tract.

Bobby (after pondering his father’s advice for a few moments):What causes an eclisp?

Daddy:The word is "eclipse," Bobby, and it is caused when the earth gets between the sun and
the moon, keeping the sun’s rays from reflecting off the moon."

Bobby:Ohh, I think I understand now. (Pause.) Daddy, I’m tired. Will you carry me?

Daddy:You are getting pretty big for that, but I’ll put you on my shoulders for a little bit.

A few minutes later Bobby is walking again. They are heading back toward home.

Bobby:What is that shiny thing on the other side of the road? (He starts to dart across the street.)

Daddy (as an oncoming car comes to a screeching halt):Stop!!

After giving Bobby a stern reminder about the importance of looking both ways before crossing
the street, the father instructs his son in some things he can do to get along better with his younger
sister and older brother. Before long, they are back home again.

Our walk with God has some parallels with Bobby’s walk with his father. We learn to talk with
God, bringing every matter to Him, no matter how huge or how trivial, whether a success or a
problem, a happy time or a bad time. We go to God for wisdom and guidance with respect to
difficult decisions or situations. We turn to Him for help and protection in times of perceived
danger. And even if God knows there is no real danger, He comforts rather than rebukes us. When
we are exhausted, either physically or emotionally or mentally (Question:Is it possible to be
exhausted spiritually?), we pray to God for the strength to get through another day.

Our walk with God is never perfect; no doubt even Enoch’s walk was flawed in some ways. But
when God shows us, through the Scriptures or through the testimony of others, ways that we can
please Him better, if we are truly walking with Him we will gladly accept the reproof, confess our
failure, and seek to make the necessary corrections in our life and ways. If we leave His side for
a moment, He may shout out a warning to us, though it may not be quite as obvious as Daddy’s
shout of "Stop!" to Bobby.

As we walk with God, He puts us through His school. We all know that to be promoted from one
grade to the next, we need to take examinations and get a passing grade. Just so, God gives us a
variety of tests as we go through His school. His tests may include difficult decision, having to
live or work or ride the bus with difficult people, having an accident or illness, suffering the loss
of a loved one or a job or a possession, having a difficult job or assignment to carry out, and so
on. If we are truly, consistently walking with God, each of these tests will cause us to draw all the
closer to God and depend all the more on Him.

Bobby’s father, has the task of gradually preparing his son to grow up into a responsible adult who
can live independently of his parents (Gen. 2:24). At the same time_if he is very wise_he will
train his son to become more and more dependent upon his heavenly Father instead.

Bobby’s walk was with a human father whom he could see with his eyes, hear with his ears, and
touch with his hands. Enoch’s walk with God was a walk of faith_not physically seeing, hearing,
or touching the One he walked with, but sensing His presence and communicating with Him at a
spiritual level. May we be encouraged by the example of Enoch to engage in such a steady,

consistent, long-term walk of faith with our God and Father.

We may not, like Enoch, be translated to heaven without passing through death; but then again,
maybe we will if Christ should return in our lifetime (1 Cor. 15:51-57; 1 Thess. 4:15-18). Even
while we are still alive on earth, the closer we walk with God, the more we will realize and enjoy
the blessing of being now raised up together with Christ and made to sit together in the heavenlies
in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6). The closer we walk with God, the more we shall become holy,
sanctified, separated from sin and uncleanness, changed into the image of Christ, carrying out
God’s will more completely, and filled with the Holy Spirit. In turn, all of this will result in our
beginning to experience the joys and blessings of heaven before we actually get there, for "In
[God’s] presence is fullness of joy; at [God’s] right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psa.
16:11).

The lesson of faith that we learn from Enoch is this: Faith walks with God, turns to God in
every circumstance, and pleases God well, even though not able to see, hear, or touch God.

Noah

"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark
to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the
righteousness which is by faith" (Heb. 11:7).

Many of the things we have said about Enoch can be said of Noah as well. If wickedness was
developing in Enoch’s day, it was full blown in Noah’s. Noah also, like Enoch, "walked with
God" (Gen. 6:9). And while Enoch was rewarded with being caught up to heaven while still alive,
Noah and his family were rewarded for their faithfulness by being the only survivors of a world-
wide flood. Every person living upon the earth today has descended from Noah as well as Adam.

Some of our readers may be the only born-again Christians in their class at school, or at their
place of employment, or on the athletic team, or in their family, or in their neighborhood. Yet,
all of us have been able to find many other Christians with whom we can enjoy fellowship and find
mutual encouragement. But consider poor Noah. In a world that may have had a population of
hundreds of thousands or maybe even a few million, how many God-fearing people did Noah find
to have fellowship with, or to encourage him? Precious few! Besides his own immediate family,
perhaps he could count on his father Lamech and grandfather Methuselah_both of whom died
shortly before the deluge_for encouragement. But it would appear that Noah and his family pretty
much stood alone during those 120 years of building the ark (Gen. 6:3). Noah was a "preacher
of righteousness" (2 Pet. 2:5), but how discouraging the results of his faithful preaching and the
testimony of his righteous life (Gen. 6:9; 7:1).

How easy it might have been for Noah and his family to fall in with the wicked masses all around
them. But he and his family remained faithful to God, and were wonderfully rewarded for their
faith.

What is the lesson of faith here? To put it in modern-day terminology, Faith is not influenced by

the philosophy of "everyone is doing it, why shouldn’t I?" Next time you are afraid of being
different from everyone else in the crowd because of your Christian beliefs and standards,
remember faithful Noah. God wonderfully rewarded Noah, and He will do the same for you if you
are willing to stand alone with Him in separation from the ungodly masses.

Isaac and Jacob

"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was
dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff" (Heb.
11:20,21).

We shall discuss Isaac and Jacob together because their actions of faith described in Hebrews 11
have some things in common. They also have in common the fact that much more space is given
in the scriptures to describing their "unfaith" than their faith.

Isaac developed a favoritism toward his son Esau over Jacob because of the venison Esau provided
him (Gen. 25:27,28). When he and his family lived among the Philistines in Gerar, Isaac lied and
told the people his wife Rebekah was his sister (Gen. 26:7). And when it came time to give
blessings to his sons, Isaac acted upon his feelings of favoritism along with adherence to cultural
tradition rather than seeking guidance from the LORD (Gen. 27:1-4).

Jacob’s life likewise followed a pattern of doing things his own way rather than God’s way. When
his twin brother Esau was faint with hunger, Jacob charged him a high price for some bread and
soup (Gen. 25:29-34). Jacob and his mother Rebekah conspired to deceive his father Isaac into
giving him the blessing of the firstborn (Gen. 27:5-29). And just as Isaac had a favorite son, Jacob
favored Rachel over his three other wives and Rachel’s two sons over his other ten sons (Gen.
29:30; 37:3; 42:4).

"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau." When Jacob and Esau were still in their mother’s womb,
the LORD revealed to Rebekah that "the elder shall serve the younger" (Gen. 25:23). Despite this,
or perhaps in forgetfulness of this, Isaac set out to give the older twin, Esau, the blessing of the
firstborn without seeking guidance from the LORD.

Now where do we find faith in this? When Esau bitterly informed his father that Jacob had tricked
him into giving him the blessing of the firstborn, Isaac did not carelessly cancel the blessing to
Jacob but "stuck to his guns." It would appear that Isaac finally remembered the prophecy given
to Rebekah about the older serving the younger. He realized that even though he had been
deceived, He had unwittingly done what God had wanted him to do all along. In faith and trust
in the LORD, Isaac let his less favored son Jacob keep the better blessing.

Jacob, like his father Isaac, also manifested faith at the very end of his life. Unlike his father,
Jacob was not deceived when it came to blessing the two sons of Joseph. In fact, for all of Joseph’s
trust and dependence upon the LORD throughout his life, and all of Jacob’s willfulness throughout
his life, in this instance Jacob’s faith outshone that of his son Joseph.

Joseph brought his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to his father Jacob to be blessed (Genesis 48).
Joseph placed firstborn Manasseh toward Jacob’s right hand and younger Ephraim toward his left
hand. However, Jacob crossed his hands and gave Ephraim the right hand of blessing (the better

blessing). Joseph was displeased with this action, saying, "Not so, my father, for [Manasseh] is
the firstborn." Jacob responded, "I know it, my son." Jacob had it right, even though it was
contrary to Joseph’s desires and contrary to the cultural tradition of giving the best blessing to the
firstborn son. Jacob finally, at the end of his life, was communing with the LORD and finding out
what the LORD wanted him to do. "By faith Jacob … blessed both the sons of Joseph … leaning
upon the top of his staff."

From these experiences of Isaac and Jacob we draw the following lesson of faith: Faith is noted
and honored by God even when it comes at the very end of a life that is characterized by the
lack of faith.

The account of Jacob in the waning years of his life gives us an additional lesson of faith: Faith
is not in bondage to, but rises above, the cultural traditions of the day.

Are you_am I_in bondage to cultural tradition, societal or peer pressures, clothing or hair
fashions? May the Lord help each of us to discern ways in which we may be in bondage to the
"tradition of men" (Mark 7:8; Col. 2:8).

What about our assemblies? are we bound to certain traditions in the ways we meet, pray, or
worship? What about the way the table with the bread and wine is set in our local assembly? In
my travels I find that almost every assembly does it a little bit differently. But do not many of us
think that our way of doing it is the right way, because that is the way we have always done it?

Many years ago I was told of an assembly in which the remembrance meeting could not begin until
a certain brother "opened it" by praying or giving out a hymn. I am almost certain that brother had
not decreed such a thing; maybe he was not even aware of it. What may have started with a
repeated practice over four or five meetings developed into a fixed tradition.

Even more years ago I was in a small assembly with only one other brother. I began noticing at
the remembrance meetings that if I gave thanks for the bread and cup one week, the other brother
would do it the following week. If he had done it the previous week, it seemed that nothing could
move him to do it again this week.

Then there is the common tradition of opening every meeting_whether remembrance meeting,
prayer meeting, ministry meeting, Bible study, or gospel meeting_with a hymn or two.
And I wonder if any of our readers have ever experienced a remembrance meeting opening with
a brother giving thanks for the bread and cup. Do we allow the Holy Spirit liberty to lead us
contrary to the traditions we have fallen into?

A sister once told me, "I think it is nice when the remembrance meeting closes with a prayer." But
is it not even "nicer" when not only the closing but all parts of the remembrance meeting are
conducted according to the leading of the Holy Spirit rather than tradition?

To a certain extent we need traditions simply to give a certain stability and order and predictability
to our lives. But let us be careful not to fall into bondage to these traditions. Let us remember the

story of old Jacob "leaning upon the top of his staff." May we be careful never to allow our
traditions to come in conflict with the Word of God or with the leading of the Holy Spirit.

"But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they broke not His legs; but one
of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water" (John
19:33,34).

There is a stream of precious blood
Which flowed from Jesus’ veins;
And sinners washed in that blest flood
Lose all their guilty stains.

His love, by man so sorely tried,
Proved stronger than the grave;
The very spear that pierced His side
Drew forth the blood to save.

Blest Lamb of God, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power,
Till every ransomed saint of God
Be saved to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, we saw the stream
Thy wounds supplied for sin,
Redeeming love has been our theme,
Our joy and peace has been.

Soon in a nobler, sweeter song,
We’ll sing Thy power to save;
No more with lisping, stammering tongue,
But conquerors o’er the grave.

(By William Cowper (1731-1800) in Hymns for the Little Flock; verse 2 by James G. Deck.)

There are three men mentioned in Hebrews 11, all living before the flood, who are specially cited
in order to bring out three great principles of faith. These are principles as much needed by men
today as they ever were.

Abel

"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained
witness that he was righteous, God testifying of His gifts; and by it he being dead yet speaks"
(Heb. 11:4).

Abel gives us the beginning of life, and the principle of faith as the ground of righteousness, based
on the revelation which God had given. Abel saw that the only way to approach God was by a
living sacrifice_by the shedding of blood. He saw that he had sinned against God, and he came
with his confession. And "God had respect unto Abel and to his offering." The sacrifice that he
brought gave him acceptance, and this he had not thought out for himself, but was based on the
revelation that God had given of the woman’s Seed which should bruise the serpent’s head. Faith
taught him that his sacrifice must speak to God of that. Man had forfeited the life he had with God
when he sinned, and since Adam’s fall all men have been born in sin and under
condemnation_without life as God views it. Abel saw and owned it, and the offering he brought
was a type of Christ, the "Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). How
beautiful was this faith of Abel’s. It is a living faith today. "By it, he being dead yet speaks." He
is still pointing out to men the only true way of approach to God.

Enoch

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had
translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony that he please God" (Heb. 11:5).

Enoch gives us the principle of the life of faith in dependence upon God. It is a life before God
and for Him. It is a life of testimony to God’s goodness and care, as well as to His holy character.
It is a life in which there is constant self-judgment practiced. If Abel shows us the life obtained
by faith, Enoch shows us that life now sustained by faith. In the former it is justification by faith;
in the latter it is the practical life, acceptable to God by faith, it is a good conscience before God
and men, a life victorious over sin in communion with God. Enoch was thus identified with God,
and God was identified with him. He was thus delivered from himself and was in fellowship with
God. God’s things and interests were his object in life. He may have been limited in every way,
but there are no limitations to God. He needed wisdom, power, and grace, and found them all in
God and not in himself. Enoch is a type of the Church, for just as Enoch was translated, so the
Church is to be translated. He was God’s delight, and God took him to be with Himself.

Noah

"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark

to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the
righteousness which is by faith" (Heb. 11:7).

Noah gives us the principle of faith for the inheritance of God as a future thing, which is not in
a scene so defiled as the one in which he lived. He did not lay up treasures here, but for a new
scene entirely. By faith he condemned the world. He knew that the present scene was to be visited
with God’s judgment, and so his faith laid hold of God for the new earth. The world could not
give him anything nor take away what he had by faith in God. God’s dwelling-place is not in this
present corrupt scene, and neither was the inheritance that Noah looked for. God may visit this
world in His grace, but it is only as a visitor. So Noah could not settle down where God was not.
By faith he received warning of coming judgment, he believed God, and built the ark. There were
no signs to be seen, but faith counted upon God’s Word. The men of that day may have thought
Noah to be a strange character, but that did not concern him. They were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage_making the most of this present life, and living in independence
of God. But faith made Noah a stranger to all that, and gave him the hope of eternal things.

(From Seed for the Sower.)

Rebekah was a woman who wanted God’s will to prevail. She was married almost 20 years before
her sons Esau and Jacob were born. Her pregnancy must have been quite uncomfortable because
not only was she carrying twins, but they fought together even before birth (Gen. 25:22). Rebekah
asked the Lord about this and was told that there were two nations in her womb and the elder
would serve the younger, a reversal of the usual customs concerning the firstborn son.

Rebekah’s husband, Isaac, showed an interest in having God’s will for his family by praying
during the years of his wife’s infertility (Gen. 25:21) rather than trying to solve the problem on
his own by taking a second wife or a concubine as other men of that time did (Gen. 16:2). It is
probable that Rebekah told Isaac about God’s prophecy concerning her sons, but with the passage
of time Isaac apparently forgot about it. He developed a definite preference for Esau over Jacob,
and Rebekah was very aware of this. It was this or perhaps her knowledge of the usual customs
concerning firstborn sons that must have made her think there was no use in attempting to sway
Isaac’s decisions concerning his sons.

When Rebekah heard that Isaac definitely planned to give Esau the firstborn’s blessing, she
devised a plan to deceive Isaac into giving it to Jacob (Genesis 27). Although the plan was
successful in that Jacob received the blessing, both Rebekah and Jacob paid a high price for the
scheme. Jacob fled from his brother and Rebekah never saw her favorite son again. Furthermore,
Jacob, after he arrived in Haran, more than met his match in deception and trickery in the person
of his Uncle Laban.

It seems that Rebekah wanted God’s will to prevail over Isaac’s, though that motive may have
been mixed with the desire to promote the interests of her favorite son. Surely it would have been
better for her to have reminded Isaac of God’s prophecy to her and then to have trusted the LORD
to work out His will by influencing Isaac’s behavior rather than trying to work out the prophecy
by her own manipulations. God is not dependent on us (either our good or our bad behavior) to
work out His plans.

Rebekah’s behavior is an example of the deviousness which many women use to manipulate their
husbands or other men, and which men so dislike in women. Men often use aggressive
confrontation to persuade women or other men to give them what they want. Women, perhaps
because they have been taught that open confrontation is unsuitable for women, will often resort
to some form of deceit to obtain their desires.

(I speak of what seems to be general tendencies of natural, sinful men and women. There are
women who use aggressive confrontation to persuade men; and there are men who use the words,
"I love you," or some other "line" to persuade a woman to do something she would not otherwise
do.)

Whatever the provocation or circumstances may be, women (and men as well) should be totally
straightforward and honest in their relationships with their spouses, their friends, and all others.
God has called us to such honesty:

" Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds" (Col. 3:9).

"Let love be without [ hypocrisy]" (Rom. 12:9).

"Let us walk honestly, as in the day" (Rom. 13:13).

"I pray … that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ" (Phil. 1:10).

"He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isa. 53:3).

"Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" (Matt. 26:38).

O ever homeless Stranger,
Thou dearest Friend to me;
An outcast in a manger,
That Thou might’st with us be!

How rightly rose the praises
Of heaven that wondrous night_
When shepherds hid their faces
In brightest angel-light!

"To God, in the highest, glory,
And peace on earth" to find;
And learn that wondrous story,
God’s pleasure in mankind.

Blessed Babe! who lowly liest
In manger-cradle there;
Descended from the highest
Our sorrows all to share.

We cling to Thee in weakness_
The manger and the cross;
We gaze upon Thy meekness,
Through suffering, pain, and loss.

There see the Godhead glory
Shine through that human veil;

And, willing, hear the story
Of Love that’s come to heal!

‘Midst sin, and all corruption,
Where hatred did abound,
Thy path of true perfection
Was light on all around.

In scorn, neglect, reviling,
Thy patient grace stood fast;
Man’s malice unavailing
To move Thy heart to haste.

O’er all, Thy perfect goodness
Rose blessedly divine;
Poor hearts oppressed with sadness,
Found ever rest in Thine!

Disease, and death, and demon,
All fled before Thy word,
As darkness, the dominion
Of day’s returning lord!

The love, that bore our burden
On the accursed tree,
Would give the heart its pardon,
And set the sinner free.

Still in Thee, love’s sweet savor
Shone forth in every deed;
And showed God’s loving favor
To every soul in need.

I pause_for in Thy vision
The day is hastening now,
When for our lost condition,
Thy holy head shall bow.

When, deep to deep still calling,
The waters reach Thy soul,
And_death and wrath appalling_
Their waves shall o’er Thee roll.

O day of mightiest sorrow,
Day of unfathomed grief;
When Thou should’st taste the horror
Of wrath, without relief.

Thou soughtest for compassion_
Some heart Thy grief to know.
To watch Thine hour of passion_
For comforters in woe:

No eye was found to pity_
No heart to bear Thy woe;
But shame, and scorn, and spitting_
None cared Thy name to know.

In death, obedience yielding
To God His Father’s will:
Love still its power is wielding
To meet all human ill.

On him who had disowned Thee
Thine eye could look in love_
‘Midst threats and taunts around Thee_
To tears of grace to move.

What words of love and mercy
Flow from those lips of grace,
For followers that desert Thee;
For sinners in disgrace!

The robber learned beside Thee,
Upon the cross of shame_
While taunts and jeers deride Thee_
The savor of Thy name.

Then, finished all, in meekness
Thou to Thy Father’s hand
(Perfect Thy strength in weakness)
Thy spirit dost commend.

O Lord! Thy wondrous story
My inmost soul doth move;
I ponder o’er Thy glory_
Thy lonely path of love!

We worship, when we see Thee
In all Thy sorrowing path;
We long soon to be with Thee
Who bore for us the wrath!

Come, long-expected Saviour!
Thou Man of Sorrows, come!
Almighty, blest Deliverer,
Come, take us to Thee_home!

(By J. N. Darby (1800-1882), condensed from Help and Food, Vol. 45; also, greatly condensed
in Hymns of Grace and Truth.)

"Enoch walked with God" (Gen. 5:24). What does it mean to walk with God? It is to live in the
consciousness of God’s presence, in conscious companionship with God. It is to have with you,
as you go about your daily affairs, the realization that God is with you, so that you may speak to
Him and Him speak to you, and sometimes be with Him in a silence that means more than talk.

What are the results of walking with God?

1. Abounding Joy

"In Thy presence is fullness of joy" (Psa. 16:11). Do you think the psalmist was speaking entirely
about the future? I am sure he was not. Right here in our everyday life in His presence is fullness
of joy.

One of the sweetest joys of earth is congenial companionship. Is not one of the brightest hopes and
gladdest joys of heaven the society or companionship of heaven_especially of the Father and Jesus
Christ the Son. If we have this conscious companionship with God in our present life we have two
heavens. We have the future eternal heaven to which we are hastening and the present one. Oh,
the joy of sweet fellowship with God every day!

We know the joy of walking and talking and being with loved ones on earth. But that is nothing
to the joy of walking with God and talking to Him and having Him speak to us. Fellowship with
God is infinitely better, dearer, and more glorious than any earthly companionship.

2. Security and Peace

"I have set the LORD always before me:because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved"
(Psa. 16:8). War, pestilence, famine may come, but if God be for us and with us, who can be
against us? O friends, if we live in the power of that thought we shall have undisturbed peace. No
matter how war increases, how near it comes to our doors, we shall hear God saying, "Fear not,
for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, yea, I will help
you, yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness" (Isa. 41:10). (Editor’s note:
This article was written in 1918 during World War I.) "Though a host should encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear…. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after, that I may
dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to
inquire in His temple" (Psa. 24:3,4). The secret of abiding peace is conscious companionship with
God.

3. Spiritual Enlightenment

The secret of having an understanding of the truth is communion with God. Look at Enoch; there
is no record that he was a great scholar, yet we are told in Jude 14 and 15 that way back in that
ancient time, thousands of years before Christ, Enoch saw the truth of the Lord’s second
coming_probably the only man in his day. Why? Because he had the spiritual enlightenment that

comes from walking with God. If I went to anyone to learn something about the Word of God, I
would not inquire how much knowledge he had of philosophy or psychology. I would ask, "Does
he walk with God?" In the things of God, in the things that are eternal, the condition of wisdom
and understanding is fellowship with God.

4. Purity of Heart and Life

So many things that we have tolerated become unthinkable when we see them in the true light of
God’s presence. So many things that are done under cover of night would never be done if the
thought that God is with us possessed the soul.

A man who had been given to profanity found it very difficult to overcome it. He went to a godly
minister for advice. "Charlie," said the minister, "would you swear if your father were with you?"

"I don’t think I would," he answered.

"Well, tomorrow when you go to work remember all the time that God is there with you." The
next day, as he went about his work, that thought of God’s presence was with him, and to his
amazement, as he went home at night, he realized that he had been kept from this sin. How many
things we do, say, or think, that we would not do, say, or think if we lived in the consciousness
of God’s presence with us.

5. Beauty of Character

We become like the people with whom we associate. If we associate with God, we become like
Him. When Moses came down from the mountain where he had been for forty days alone with
God, his face shone. So if we habitually are with God, it will illumine and glorify our lives.

6. Usefulness

It is the quiet, potent influence of a holy life that tells. Enoch wrought more for God by just
walking with God than did Nebuchadnezzar who built the grand structures of Babylon or the
Egyptian monarch who built the pyramids and the sphinx to amaze and mystify coming
generations. So today, the men and women who walk with God do more than the political
reformers with all their fair-appearing schemes for transforming this world.

7. Pleasing God

There is another result of walking with God that is far better than all of the foregoing:we please
God. Enoch "had this testimony that he pleased God" (Heb. 11:5). God wants our service, but He
wants our hearts more.

8. Spending Eternity with God

"Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him" (Gen. 5:24). If we walk with God

here, we will spend eternity with Him yonder.

What must we do if we are going to walk with God? First, put our trust in the atoning death of
Christ. In the passage about Enoch in the New Testament it says, "By faith Enoch … pleased
God." The preceding verse shows that faith is rooted in the atonement. God is holy, you and I are
sinners, and there is that great chasm of sin between us; so there is no getting to Him, and no
walking with Him, until that chasm is bridged. That chasm can be bridged in no way except by
the atoning blood of Christ:"Without shedding of blood there is no remission."

If you were to be with God without having come under that atonement, the companionship would
not be joy but agony. Even the seraphim in the presence of God, with two of their six wings cover
their faces and with two their feet, and cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts" (Isa. 6:2,3).
But if we take the testimony of this Book, our sins were laid on Christ on the cross and blotted
out. So we can come into His presence and say, "Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15). Some people are
afraid of God. But the one Being in all the universe I will tell everything to is God.

(From Help and Food, Vol. 36.)

Abraham had asked his servant to go back to Abraham’s original country and find a wife for Isaac
among his relatives. When the servant met Rebekah, he found her a beautiful young woman. She
was also a well brought up young women, carrying out her share of the household responsibilities
and remembering to offer hospitality to strangers (Genesis 24).

Besides being an example of right behavior in a young woman, she is also an example of
unquestioning faith once God’s will is made known. Rebekah, her father, and her brother were
evidently convinced that her meeting with Abraham’s servant was no mere coincidence; the Lord
had planned it all. They could not refuse the servant’s request without disobeying God. But, we
might ask, what did this mean for Rebekah in human terms? She would be leaving the happy home
of her childhood; there is no indication that she ever saw her parents or brother again. While Isaac
was apparently well-to-do, as evidenced by the expensive gifts he had sent, the servant had given
no clue as to his character. Would he be a good husband to her? Surely there were local men who
would have made good husbands. All of these possible objections counted for nothing. God’s will
had been made manifest. How beautiful her simple reply, "I will go" (verse 58)!

How happy the outcome for Rebekah! Not only was her husband rich, but he loved her. (Love was
not always a part of the arranged marriages of oriental societies.) She remained the sole object of
Isaac’s affections the rest of their lives, for he took no other wives or concubines, even though she
was barren for 20 years. She became the mother of two heads of nations, including the nation of
promise.

What does this say to us? Seek God’s will for you, pray earnestly for an understanding of it. Study
His Word by which He will make known His will to you through the Holy Spirit. God knows what
is best for us, whether it be the choice of a school, career, or a marriage partner. There may be
all sorts of human objections to the path God wants us to take, but we must follow His will. It may
seem as if we are leaving all happiness behind to set out through a desert to some unknown
destination; but if we are carrying out God’s will, He will abundantly bless at the end. The Lord
Jesus (of whom Isaac is a type) is not only the One by whom all things were created, not only our
Saviour, but He is our Friend as well. He loves us and wants only what is best for us. Look to
God for guidance each day, every moment, in every circumstance, and you will have a happy,
spiritually healthy life.

(From Young People of the Bible, published by Moments With The Book, Box 322, Bedford, PA
15522.)

"And the angel and said unto the women, Fear not ye:for I know that ye seek Jesus, who was
crucified. He is not here:for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And
go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and, behold, He goeth before you
into Galilee; there shall ye see Him:lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the
sepulcher with fear and great joy" (Matt. 28:5-8).

O joyful day! O glorious hour!
When Jesus, by almighty power,
Revived and left the grave;
In all His works behold Him great_
Before, almighty to create,
Almighty now to save.

The first-begotten from the dead,
He’s risen now, His people’s Head,
And thus their life’s secure;
And if, like Him, they yield their breath,
Like Him they’ll burst the bonds of death,
Their resurrection sure.

Why should His people, then, be sad?
None have such reason to be glad
As those redeemed to God:
Jesus, the mighty Saviour, lives,
To them eternal life He gives,
The purchase of His blood.

Then let our gladsome praise resound,
And let us in His work abound,
Whose blessed name is Love;
We’re sure our labor’s not in vain,
For we with Him ere long shall reign_
With Jesus dwell above.

(By Thomas Kelly in Hymns for the Little Flock.)

In crossing the street on a wet muddy day,
A dear little child was heard proudly to say:
"See, father, I’ve walked in your steps all the way!"

The path, fellow-pilgrim, we oft thoughtless make_
Is that what we’d like our dear children to take?
Perhaps we’d not thought there was so much at stake.

Have we, as we walked, said, Not only for me
This step, but for those who must come after me:
It might be a misstep for eternity.

Would we in God’s pathway have them to walk here_
Though costing them sorrow and many a tear?
Or would we not want them to come quite so near,

But find through this world, for each dear little one,
A pathway less thorny, and smoother to run,
Where pleasures and joys of this world might be won?

To walk through the world as we’ll wish we had done,
When we shall behold the blest face of God’s Son,
All hungering to hear His most welcome "Well done."

Ah, then we shall value as ne’er we have done,
The footsteps through earth of each dear little one.
And ’tis not too late if we’ve not yet begun.

Oh, then, let us walk in the steps of our Lord;
Just follow the path as marked out in His Word,
And pray that the little ones’ steps may accord.

Then how we’ll rejoice in that soon coming day,
To hear the dear children triumphantly say:
"See, father, I’ve walked in your steps all the way!"

(From Help and Food, Vol. 33.)

"Post tres dies resurgam" (Matt. 27:63, Latin Vulgate Version).

1. Night

The sun at noon is paling into night;
Without a cloud the circling hills grow dim;
A city’s murmur hushes into blank
And utter silence, as if nature stood
Suspense, to hear the uncreating word,
And at her Maker’s bidding be unmade.

One shadow only, ‘mid the deepening gloom,
Still deepening stands, as if the judgment-scroll
Upon its blighted head were nature’s doom:
As if the awful burden which it raised
Upon its naked arms, in mute appeal
To heaven, had stricken to her center earth.

Two crosses, with their freight of living death,
Of life with death which wrestles, for defeat,
Not victory; two deaths of common shame
And common sin, which the night blots but out
Easily, as a thing ‘mid myriad things
Accustomed, which but wake a moment’s ruth,
And pass, and are forgotten.

But here_though numbered with transgressors_here,
Not where the night falls, but from whence it falls,
Stilling the mocks of mockers, who for sin
Had silence, if not pity; here, not sin
Suffers, but righteousness; from hatred, love;
Love most compassionate, from basest hate
Bred by it, as corruption by the sun.
No strange thing yet, for earth which has drunk in
From many a brother’s hand a brother’s blood,
Since Abel; and the heaven looked calmly down,
Nor paled her light for many a sight like this;
The ashes from the martyr’s furnace-fire
Have flaunted in her face and brought no frown;
Her rains have washed the stains from off the earth,
And fields have fattened on her slaughtered dead.

No cloud for those upon whose face had shone,

Even to the last, heaven’s sweet approving ray;
Who smiled it back to heaven from block and stake,
And various battle-field of good with ill,
And, dying, found but death transformed to life_
Defeat to victory.

No cloud for sufferers who had but plumbed
The depths of human enmity, to find,
Beyond it all, a bottom; for their hearts
Failing, had met a heart that could not fail,
Nor yet forsake:they trusted upon God,
And, howsoe’er the storm of trial raged,
Their roof abode, they housed them in His love,
Trusting and not forsaken; shepherd-rod
And staff were there to comfort, the way of life
If yet through death; and darkness glorified
At even-tide to noon.

Here had God failed, that thus the heavens should blank?
For He was surely righteous; o’er His head
They once had opened, and the Father’s voice
Proclaimed His pleasure in His Well-beloved:
‘Gainst Him false witness witnessed but its shame;
The judge had justified whom he condemned;
The pitiless voices round about His cross
Mocked but His goodness and His trust in God.

Yet, as the darkness deepened into night_
A voiceless night, as nature had no cry,
As grief had now no meaning, but with joy
Had ceased, like shadow with the bygone sun_
His voices of truth, if still truth were, His voice,
Not of His silenced enemies, proclaimed
Himself by God forsaken.

We had built our hopes upon Him; we had thought
The wreck that yet had spared no other thing,
Could not touch Him:all other things to Him
Had been but total and mere opposites:
It seemed as if all else had failed, that He
Alone might bear the pillars of the earth,
As if He were a rock too high for floods,
On which whoever builded built secure.

He had brought light into the world, and life

Into the valley of the shadow of death,
Where hope sat dumbly gazing on despair,
Stanching, if but she might, the wounds which truth
Had gotten at the traitor hand of greed,
While discord built its Babel-empire up
And preached that evil was a phase of good
And curse was misread blessing.

His voice had made faith possible once more,
And right, being possible; the spectral mists
Rolled off the earth, rolled off the face of heaven,
And the clouds changing, changed no whit the sun,
Which kept its ordered path amid them all,
Hidden or manifest; and which was cloud
Changeful, we knew, and which was changeless sun.

Earth stood revealed, as heaven alone reveals:
Its penury, its squalor, and its sin;
Its evil worse in evil, as the pure,
Rebuking light shone, undefilable,
Upon the surging of its yeasty sea,
Which chafing, hoarse and white-lipped, had its bound
From God, and broke in vain upon the shore.

No winter ray, upon the earth it fell
And kissed the tears of night from off its face,
And waked it with the gentle touch of Spring
Into new life, life out of death, which waked
Amid the murmur of a thousand tongues
Swelling into a harmony of son
From heaven’s sweet choristers. Earth’s spring had come,
Spring with her burst of life and leaf had come,
Her winter night had fled away forever.

And He, of all her deep-hid mysteries, He,
God’s dear Interpreter, Man amongst men,
Of lowly lowliest, of near most near,
Grief’s intimate, as come to be acquaint,
Love-sent, with all the sorrows He would heal,
The crown of thorns, which but of late He wore,
Was His in more than mockery_thorns which, plucked
Out of man’s pathway, were indeed His crown.

He called not for Elias:He who called
Only on God, His God; on God He called

The hearer and the answer of prayer;
The hope of all the righteous evermore,
The refuge and the shield of the oppressed,
The Rock of all that trust Him evermore;
Out of the dark, out of the inner dark
Upon His soul, He in His agony:
"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?"

2. Morning

The bitter night is past, the morn is come;
The morn for which earth’s forty centuries
Have waited on in hope, that, oft deferred,
Oft nigh to death, now out of death itself
New-born, has sprung up into life o’er which
Death has no more dominion. Over Him
It has no more:our hope, our life, our all
He has brought with Him out of death, and death
Henceforth has no dominion evermore.

Darkness is past, and the true light now shines;
The shadow on the face of God is gone_
Gone with the awful shadow of the cross:
The light is in His face come back from death,
Back from the tomb so impotently closed,
To tell us of our peace secured, and heaven,
His and His Father’s dwelling-place, our home.

And now as we look back from off the bank
Of Jordan’s waters, parted for our path,
To where lie midway the memorial stones
To which our Gilgal twelve upon the shore
Answer, as resurrection to the grave_
The new-risen Sun upon the clouds which are
Its late-left bed, sheds its transfiguring rays
Till all the night of sorrow is transformed
From formless chaos into order fair,
And in each tear an orb of beauty shines.

The Son of God is glorified, and God
Is glorified in Him. There where so late
Our faith o’ershadowed fainted, following Him,
And could not follow_there alone He stood
While on Him fell the flood of all our woes,
And on Him pressed the burden of our sins,

Self-made His own; and Wisdom’s counsel-plans
And Justice’ claims, and Love’s dear purposes
Freighted the Ark of our salvation as,
Outriding all our woes, it bare us in,
Into the haven of eternal rest.

That cry of anguish, hushed in joy forever,
Was but the travail pain of our new birth,
When out of human weakness power was born
In our behalf, and love came girded down
To endear itself by lowliest services;
In manhood gaining power for sacrifice,
And loving us from enmity into love.

But yet no vain display nor meaningless
The fury of that storm which o’er Him rolled,
To which the Father’s self must give His Son,
And which the Son of God perforce must suffer:
If He His harvest-sheaves would have from earth
The precious seed with weeping must be sown;
For sin had severed love from righteousness,
And stricken from its hand the power to save;
A righteous God awoke the heart to fear,
And not to worship; sin had changed the Lord
Our dear Creator to our Judge, and gift
We had not to appease, nor bribe to turn
The sentence Time was graving on our brows,
And sending down for sad Eternity
Sadly but unrepenting to confirm.

Death was our portion, darker than the grave,
Till into death the Shepherd of the sheep,
The Son of God and God-sent Son of man,
Stepped ‘mid the breathless silence of the heavens
With love stronger than death, with zeal for God
As altar-fire consuming even Himself;
And there the sword that pierced a mother’s heart
Reached unto His.

Reached, and made bare before the eye of God
While principalities and powers adored,
A human heart which only for Him moved,
Spring of a life which lived but by His word,
And where the flame of whole burnt-offering
Brought out but incense-savor unto God.

Nought was there there of blemish nor defect,
But piety that challenged answer_love
That gave fresh argument to love. He cried,
And He was heard; the love and glory of God
Broke through the bands of darkness and of death
And resurrection from the dead proclaimed
That God had found a ransom.

And righteousness and peace have kissed each other,
The just God is the Saviour, and upon
The sinner’s side, confessed but only that,
In every attribute united stands.
Grace reigns, and reigns through righteousness; and where
It had been death to approach, the atoning blood
Makes boldness but simplicity of faith.
A Father’s house, a Father’s tenderness,
A Father’s watchful eye upon our path_
His care, without whom not a sparrow falls,
And not a hair uncounted from our heads_
These are our joys, and these our songs of praise,
As on the lighted path that leads to God
We walk, amid the glory of His face,
Unclouded and unsetting, evermore
Past shadow, evermore!

Thus the night passes and the day abides;
Out of the womb of sorrow comes our joy:
The painful lessons of the school of time
Become the wisdom of eternity.

(By F.W. Grant (1834-1902) in Leaves from the Book.)

What is this "walk with God" that characterized Enoch? I suggest that it involves suffering and
loss as well as self-abandonment every step of the way! This is because we walk with God when
everything is in revolt from Him. If there were more self-abandonment among us, many of our
difficulties would vanish. If it is a simple question of God_His claims, His pleasure, His
interests_why the difficulties are overcome at once! If God’s will is sweetest to me, even though
it triumphs at my cost, look how well out of the difficulty I am!

Looking at the pathway of the Lord Jesus as a Man here, was He successful as a man? Was it not
shame, scorn, contempt, reproach, and loss all the way for Him? We find with Him the
abandonment and surrender of everything that belonged to Him, from the throne of God to the
cross. Is that the pathway into which you and I are called? How little we consider these things.

If I set out to follow One who had not a place to lay His head, I cannot go on with trying to make
the best of everything around me. I must banish the idea of trying to surround myself with
anything that would make me comfortable. On the contrary, I seek to have as little as I possibly
can in this world if I am truly "walking with God."

There is another side to this "walking with God." While there may be loss and suffering as to
things here below, at the same time there is the blessed reality of Christ’s presence, of the joy of
walking the same road with Him. What is the end of such a walk? As with Enoch, it is to be taken
out of the world; it may be today! Is it the expectation of your heart that you should be translated
and not see death, like Enoch? There was a power of life in him that completely overcame the
power of death.

It may be noted that a good assembly state is the result of a close individual walk with God on the
part of all. You never have assembly power apart from individual faithfulness. May the Lord stir
up our hearts to a closer walk with Himself, in the blessed hope of being caught up at any moment
to be with Him forever!

Behind every strong Christian marriage are four key elements that I call the "Four C’s." They are:
Commitment
Communion
Communication
Consecration.

1. Commitment to each other based solidly upon God’s Word.

2. Communion with the Lord to give the needed strength to keep that commitment.

3. Communication with each other to help the marriage grow.

4. Consecration to the Lord to give the marriage purpose and fulfillment.

Commitment

What is commitment? A commitment is a pledge or promise made by a person or persons to do
something. In Christian marriage the commitment that husband and wife make to each other is
based upon the Bible. This gives the marriage a solid foundation. The Bible contains directions
for the marriage relationship given by the One who instituted marriage. As a result, the Bible is
the best marriage manual ever written.

The commitment for the wife is found in these words:"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own
husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the Head
of the Church; and He is the Saviour of the body. Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ,
so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing" (Eph. 5:22-24). Although these
directions may not be popular today, yet they are vital to the strength and happiness of the
marriage. The One who instituted marriage knows best what will make it work. One of the words
that many may have trouble accepting is the word "submit." The Greek word use here is
hupotasso. It was primarily a military term meaning "to rank under" (hupo meaning "under,"
tasso meaning "to arrange"; see Vine’s Expository Dictionary). In the sense in which it is used
here it simply means that the wife is to lovingly place herself under the direction and leadership
of her husband. What is to be the measure of the wife’s subjection to her husband? " As unto the
Lord."

The commitment for the husband is found in these words:"Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with
the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not
having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So
ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no
man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the Church"
(Eph. 5:25-29).

The husband’s love for his wife is to be a sacrificing love. It is "agape" love. This is a love that
seeks the welfare of the one loved at all costs to itself. This love never says, "What can I get out
of this relationship?" Instead it says, "What can I do to make this relationship better?" This love
is not based on feelings. A husband may not always have the feelings of love for his wife, but he
is always to keep on loving his wife even when the feelings are not there. (When a husband is
obedient to these directions, he will again experience feelings of love for his wife.) This is what
commitment is all about. Included in this commitment is the nourishing and cherishing of his wife.
Nourishing means he is to meet all her physical needs including food, clothing, and shelter.
Cherishing means to "keep warm." This goes farther than meeting her physical needs. He is also
to meet her emotional and spiritual needs. He is to be the spiritual leader of his wife. What is to
be the measure of the husband’s love for his wife? " As Christ loved the Church."

Communion

How can a husband and wife find the strength to keep the commitments they have made to each
other? This strength is found in personal communion with the Lord Jesus. What does personal
communion with the Lord Jesus mean? It means that the husband and wife take time to know the
Lord Jesus better. This involves Bible study and prayer, both privately and together. In meditating
upon the Scriptures, the husband and wife will learn (among many other things) how the Lord
would have them glorify Him in their marriage relationship. In prayer they need to seek the Lord’s
help and strength to follow through on their commitments to each other. He has said, " Without
Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Often without a couple realizing it, pressures are brought
upon them to conform to worldly standards (Rom. 12:1,2). The husband and wife will need the
Lord’s strength daily in order to fulfill their part in the marriage relationship. Also in John 15 we
read that the Lord tells us to " Abide in Me." This means that a Christian needs to be continually
dependent upon the Lord for strength to glorify Him. A married couple who will do this will
experience His strength, joy, and peace in their lives. This communion with the Lord will bring
the husband and wife closer together and strengthen their marriage. Sad to say, this personal
communion is usually the first thing that begins to be left out in the marriage relationship. In the
busy schedule that families have today, prayer and Bible study are often left out. Husbands, as
spiritual leaders, need to be the examples to their wives and families in their own personal
communion with the Lord. They also need to be the ones who initiate the prayer time and Bible
study together. Taking time to have communion with the Lord daily will not just happen. It must
be a first priority in the lives of the husband and wife. It is good to remember what the Lord Jesus
said to Martha as she complained about Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus while she was so busy
serving the Lord:" But one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part which shall
not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42).

Communication

What will make the marriage grow? One important element that will help the marriage grow is for
a husband and wife to spend time together talking and sharing their feelings, hopes, fears, and
expectations. In many homes today, husbands and wives are strangers to each other. The only
conversation between them is what is necessary to perform the household tasks. A question asked
in the Bible is, " Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3).

A good marriage relationship is like the best of friends taking a long walk together. How good it
is when the husband and wife can say of each other, "He (or she) is my best friend." This walking
together would also include talking together and getting to know each other better. How important
this is in the marriage relationship! In today’s busy schedules the husband and wife may need to
set apart special times for talking and sharing. They will also need to work on good
communication. Good communication involves the ability to be a good listener as well as a good
talker. A husband and wife need to concentrate when listening to their partner. They need to
politely say to each other when one has said something that is not clear, "Could you repeat that,
please? I’m not sure I understand what you said." Sometimes in order to get conversation started
one may have to say to the other, "How do you feel about this?" After a partner has shared his or
her feelings, it is important for the other partner to say, "Thank you for sharing that with me. Now
I understand how you feel." If instead, one partner puts the other one down by a comment like,
"You shouldn’t feel that way," or "Why don’t you grow up?" it will effectively cut off the
communication for a time. Words that should never be used in the communications between
husband and wife are, "You always do this" or "You never do that." Where there have been sharp
words between the husband and wife, communication would include confession and forgiveness.

The following verses apply to this:"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,
but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And
grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all
bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all
malice; and be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s
sake has forgiven you" (Eph. 4:29-32).

Consecration

What will give the marriage purpose and fulfillment? It has been said that Christian marriage is
not just the desire to live to serve each other but instead it is joining hands to serve the Lord
together. King David asked the question:" Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day
unto the LORD?" (1 Chron. 29:5).

There are many ways that a couple can do this. In their immediate neighborhood they may be able
to invite neighbors into their home and share with them the good news of the gospel. Also, there
are many needs that will become apparent as a couple seeks to serve the Lord. Should the Lord
bless the couple with children, the bringing up of these children "in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4) is perhaps the most important service.

Another important service for the Lord is the encouragement and building up of those in the local
assembly that the couple attend. Their presence at the meetings of the assembly is vital to the life
of the assembly. " Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some
is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching" (Heb.
10:25).

If you as a husband or a wife will make these four C’s_Commitment, Communion, Conversation,
and Consecration_a part of your marriage, the result will be a happy, fruitful, and God-glorifying

marriage. When should you start? START TODAY! " Arise, therefore, and be doing, and the
LORD be with you" (1 Chron. 22:16).

A single sin is more horrible to God than all the sins in the world are to us.

On the cross hung the one spotless, blessed Man, yet forsaken of God. The Faithful and true
Witness cried to His God and was not heard. What does this mean? What part have I in the cross?
One single part_my sins!

If all the sins that ever were committed in the world were committed by you, this need not prevent
you from believing in Christ and coming unto God through Him.

Each sorrow Thou hast sent to me
Has only drawn me nearer Thee,
Blest Saviour! taught my soul to hide
In safety, in Thy wounded side.

Each step of mine that was unmeet
Has only brought me to Thy feet,
To learn, through these, my willful ways
A deeper, sweeter note of praise.

Though anguish fill my breaking heart,
When called from one I love to part,
It doth but loose from earth’s dark shore,
And make me long for Thee the more.

The joy, rebuke, the grief, the pain
Thou sendest, Lord, is all my gain;
For all things work for good to one
Who loveth God, and Thee, His Son.

(From Hymns of Grace and Truth, published by Loizeaux Brothers, Neptune, NJ.)

I wish to share with our readers some principles from the Word of God regarding family
relationships. This message is accompanied with much prayer that we might all receive and seek
to understand it.

Privilege and Responsibility

God, through the work of His Son and our Saviour, has given us perfect liberty (Gal. 5:1; Jas.
1:25). This liberty is a perfect balance of privilege and responsibility:

1. Privilege without responsibility is license.

2. Responsibility without privilege is legality.

3. Both legality and license are wrong.

4. We cannot enjoy privilege without responsibility.

5. We cannot enjoy responsibility without privilege.

The burden on my heart has to do with the lack of responsibility manifested by men in the world,
in the assembly, and particularly in the families. Thus I wish to address the issue of headship
according to God’s plan and order for the function and testimony of the family.

Man continually seeks to shun responsibility by using people or situations as excuses for his
behavior. Therefore, I believe that each of us should take a mirror, grasping it with both hands,
and holding the mirror directly in front of our face with arms rigid. No matter where we turn with
this mirror before us and honestly looking straight ahead, we will see the source of most of our
problems.

Families Today

Allow me to share with you the burden of what I see in families today.

I see discord between husband and wife, and between parents and the children.

I see husbands not holding the headship of the home, thus forcing or allowing the wives into
positions of headship that do not belong to them.

I see wives demanding compliance to their wishes and the husbands bowing to those demands.

I see children making demands to parents and the parents bowing to those demands. The children
are running the household because parents are not holding headship.

How is it at your house? What do you see in your mirror? Look hard and long, for "the heart is
deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9).

I see husband and wife going separate ways with little concern as to the effect of their actions upon
the children.

I see spousal failure with no acknowledgment whatsoever of personal responsibility. "It’s the other
one’s fault!"

I see husbands making harsh demands on their families with no regard as to their own
responsibility in the behavior that they criticize.

I see a lack of shepherding. A shepherd leads; his dog chases and barks and bites.

I see a lack of willingness to listen to the wisdom of the older ones as is mentioned so often in the
Bible, especially in Proverbs.

I see personal desire demanded with little concern as to the effect of that desire upon others or as
to its conformity to the truth of God. "There is a way that seems to be right unto a man, but the
end thereof are the ways of death" (Prov. 16:25).

Is your house in order and according to God’s plan? Is it a testimony to Him who died for you?

I have suffered anguish of heart and soul over mistakes that I have made in my lifetime, and I see
that had I looked for and understood what God would have me to be and do, problems might have
been fewer and smaller.

God knows our problems and our weaknesses. He has given us the guidelines in His Word. Do
we seek direction from the Word? Do we desire to bow to the Word?

Headship

"I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the
man; and the head of Christ is God…. [The man] is the image and glory of God, but the woman
is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was
the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man" (1 Cor. 11:3,7-9).

Understanding the principle of headship is very important for several reasons:

1. It shows God’s order and plan.

2. It establishes a testimony to that order.

3. It establishes order in the Church.

4. It establishes order in the family.

A lack of understanding of this principle will lead to many problems in each of these areas. The
most obvious of these, humanly speaking, are problems within families, which are a manifestation
of the will of man in ignoring God’s order of things.

Besides the passage in 1 Corinthians 11 quoted above, the Apostle Paul has more to say about the
relationship between men and women, husbands and wives:

"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to
usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And
Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression" (1 Tim. 2:11-
14).

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head
of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church; and he is the Saviour of the body. Therefore
as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing"
(Eph. 5:22-24).

What does all of this mean? Let us go back to the book of Genesis to look at the events which took
place in the garden of Eden.

"And God said, Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness…. So God created man in His
own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them" (Gen.
1:26,27).

"And the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it:for in the day that you
eat thereof you shall surely die. And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be
alone; I will make him a help meet for him…. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon
Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the
rib which the LORD God had taken from man made He a woman, and brought her unto the man.
And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh:she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall
cleave unto his wife:and they shall be one flesh" (2:15-24).

In these passages we see that God created man in His image and likeness. He put Adam in the
garden and instructed Adam as to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then, so as to
provide for the man a "help meet [or suitable] for him," God made the woman, Eve, out of the
man.

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And
he said unto the woman, Yea, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And
the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:but of the fruit

of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall
you touch it, lest you die. And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die:for God
knows that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods
[or God], knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and
that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit
thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of
them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked" (3:1-7).

Here we find Adam and Eve in the garden enjoying the creation and in fellowship with God (verse
8). But the serpent came in to spoil things. When Satan tempted Eve, he spoke in a way which
raised a question to her. In verses 2 and 3 she indicated that she fully understood the command
of God regarding the tree. Now she would have had to learn this from Adam since she was not
there when God instructed him. Satan then began to plant doubt in her mind as to the truthfulness
of God, and continued to convince her that God was keeping something good and enjoyable from
them. Verse 6 shows the three aspects of sin:the lust of the flesh ("she saw that the tree was good
for food"), the lust of the eyes ("it was pleasant to the eyes"), and the pride of life ("to be desired
to make one wise"). She then took of the fruit and ate. Not only did she succumb to temptation,
but she acted independently of Adam and in opposition to the instructions he had given her (1 Tim.
2:13,14).

Eve was at fault in that she decided that Adam, too, should eat of the fruit; so she gave it to him.
In other words, she took authority over him. At the same time, the man was in error by allowing
the woman to take authority over him.

"And the man said, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and
I did eat" (Gen. 3:12). Here Adam tries to avoid responsibility by blaming Eve for giving him the
fruit and blaming God because He gave him the woman. However, he does admit to following her
lead:"I did eat."

"Unto Adam [God] said, Because you have hearkened unto the voice of your wife and have eaten
of the tree … cursed is the ground for your sake; in sorrow you shall eat of it all the days of your
life…. In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread" (3:17-19).

Please notice the order of the words in verse 17. God did not mention first the error of eating of
the fruit. Rather, His first words were, "Because you have hearkened unto the voice of your wife,"
thus making clear to Adam the responsibility of his place as head. Adam allowed his wife to take
authority over him; he listened to her and followed her even though her words conflicted with
God’s words to him.

Reiterating the truth of 1 Cor. 11:3, confirmed by our readings in Genesis, here is God’s order:

1. God is the head of the Man Christ Jesus.

2. Christ is the head of every man.

3. Man is the head of the woman.

This order shows the proper place that God has established for each of us. If we try to function
outside of this order, we will be disobedient to God and will experience many problems. The order
of God is crucial to a proper husband-wife relationship.

The man is to be the authority of the home; he bears the responsibility of that leadership. He is
to provide for his family in spiritual things as well as in temporal things and to see that all is done
"decently and in order." Thus he must be knowledgeable in the Scriptures, willing to work, and
ready to make decisions for the family in dependence upon the Lord.

The woman’s place as a help meet for the man is at his side, not leading and not trodden on. Her
role is to "bring forth children" (Gen. 3:16), "guide the house, [and] give no occasion to the
adversary to speak reproachfully" (1 Tim. 5:14).

Certainly there are many areas of responsibility for the woman, such as caring for and teaching
children, managing household finances, and helping her husband in many ways, but always under
his headship. She is never to take the leadership or authority to tell her husband what he must do
or not do. She may suggest and help to resolve a problem, but the final decisions are his, in
dependence upon and under the authority of the Lord. Her greatest work is that of helping her
husband to be the head; in this way she will find her own blessing and fulfillment.

Loving Leadership

The man’s headship is to be exercised, not for self-gratification, not as an ego trip, but in love.
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it…. So
ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself. For no
man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the Church:for
we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. For this cause shall a man leave his
father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great
mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Nevertheless, let every one of you in
particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband" (Eph.
5:25-33).

We see in this passage that the relationship between husband and wife is depicted as showing the
relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church. The reverse is true also, that Christ and
the Church are the example to us in our relationship as husband and wife. In this regard, let us ask
ourselves:

1. Does Christ allow the Church to proceed without His daily care, provision, and guidance?

2. Does His Church tell Him what to do?

3. Is His Church free to act or make decisions outside of His headship?

4. What has Christ done to show His bride, the Church, that He loves her?

5. Can those of us who are husbands honestly say that we desire to love our wives to the degree
that Christ loves the Church?

6. Can those of you who are wives honestly say that you desire to be subject to your husbands to
the degree that the Church is subject to Christ?

Nothing in the Word of God allows a man to rule over his wife in an abusive or destructive
manner. He is responsible for her welfare. He ought to love his wife as his own body (Eph. 5:28).

Husbands must realize their responsibility and properly assume the headship God has assigned to
them. At the same time, wives must also realize their responsibility and submit to the headship of
their husbands. To refuse these things is to refuse God’s order and to refuse God’s order is to
refuse God. This order is crucial to the proper functioning of a family.

May the Lord by His grace help each Christian husband and wife to exhibit in their marriage the
relationship of Christ and the Church. In this way, both husband and wife will experience the
highest blessing and fulfillment.

"And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had
formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight,
and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of
good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted,
and became into four heads" (Gen. 2:8-10).

Eden means "pleasure" or "delight" (the same Hebrew word is found in 2 Sam. 1:24 and Psa.
36:8). It suggests a scene in which was found everything that could minister to the natural
happiness of an innocent man. Every tree that was pleasant to the sight and good for food was
there. The garden also contained features_the tree of life and the river_that are distinctly typical
of Christ and the Spirit. From the very outset God gave an intimation that He had in His mind a
greater good for man than anything that could be found in the natural sphere. The tree of life in
the midst of the garden was a suggestion and promise of something better and greater than all the
good with which He had surrounded Adam. It was the promise of life before sin came in, before
the ages of time had begun to run their course, and while death was only known as the terrible
penalty attached by Jehovah’s word to disobedience. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil
was there also. But this was a question which God alone was equal to; man was not competent to
take it up; it meant ruin for him to touch it. Hence God fenced about the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil with the most restraining prohibition possible, and with the most solemn penalty
attached to disobedience.

The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil bring in such great and important
subjects that they call for careful consideration. It seems as if God here plainly declared the two
great questions which He purposed to work out in connection with man. The two trees standing
together seem to suggest that the question of life for man was bound up with the solution of the
question of good and evil. That question having come into the universe, it had to be settled
according to God’s glory, so that life according to His thought of it might become the portion of
His creatures. Man became involved in that question by his disobedience and fall. God knows
good and evil, and can take account of both perfectly; man could only get that knowledge by
becoming evil himself. But it was in the purpose of God that man should be as Himself in knowing
good and evil in a holy nature, and this comes about through Christ and through the cross.

The question of good and evil was too great for the creature; man gained the knowledge of it, but
in so doing, fell under the penalty for disobedience. But now, God has made it possible for good
and evil to be known in the way of pure blessing, and not simply in a guilty conscience. What a
setting forth of good and evil was there at the cross! Good in God was brought to light by the evil
in man in a way it could never have been known in a world of innocence! We see the evil judged
there too, and the death penalty attached to that tree coming upon One who bore it in love, to
God’s glory. As a result, streams of life and blessing flow out from that very spot. Evil has
become the background to show out the luster and glory of good in the blessed God. The
revelation of God in Christ seems to be what is really typified by the tree of life. When the
creature is brought to live by the knowledge of God as revealed in the Person of Christ through
the Holy Scriptures, a power of life is brought in that no evil can touch.

We see in the cross the two trees brought together. Good and evil have been brought to light and
disentangled there. We see the infinite goodness of God there, and we see evil both in man and
Satan fully exposed, but the good in God has triumphed over the evil. The whole question is
settled now, and the One who has settled it has become the Tree of life. But having been involved
in that question by the fall, we have to learn its character and solution through moral exercises,
in which we make discovery of what we are, and also, through grace, of what God is. And this
is not only in connection with the first exercises of the soul that prepare it for the gospel, but
through those experiences by which the people of God "have their senses exercised to discern both
good and evil" (Heb. 5:14).

"A river went out of Eden to water the garden." When God recovers man through redemption He
gives him His own Spirit; that is more than Adam innocent ever had. It is God’s way when
anything fails which He has set up to bring in something better. He permits in His wisdom an
order to exist in which failure can come, and when it comes He secures greater glory for Himself
and greater happiness for His creatures by bringing in a better thing. To be forgiven, justified, and
indwelt by the Holy Spirit puts one in a higher and better place_into much greater nearness to
God_than Adam had as an innocent being. The Christian through redemption has the Spirit of
God, and that is more than living by the inbreathing of God. The believer has his own spirit, but
he has also God’s Spirit bearing witness with his spirit that he is a child of God (Rom. 8:16).

The picture of the garden of Eden given here is most wonderful. The tree and the river are here,
and we get them again at the end of Revelation. What God begins with He ends with. He began
with Christ in a typical way, and He will end with Christ in fullest reality. He has brought all that
Christ is into view, and the very fall of man has become the occasion of his appreciating in a very
deep and blessed way, when born again and having the Spirit, all that God is as revealed in Christ.
It is wonderful that we should have before the fall such a setting forth typically of grace and of the
outgoings of God’s heart.

God has come in and solved the question of good and evil in the cross and death of Christ. He has
brought everything into clear light there, and has done it in favor of man, so that from that spot
blessing flows out. The rivers suggest that, and four points to universality (as in the four
directions). No doubt they speak, too, of the outflow of blessing from the sanctuary on earth and
from the heavenly city in a coming day (see Ezek. 47:1-12; Rev. 22:1,2). But at the present time
the rivers find their answer in the gospel going out in the power of the Holy Spirit.

(Ed. note:This is the second of a series of three articles on Matt. 18:20 and the Lord’s Supper.
All three are based on lectures given at Bible Truth Hall, Nassau, Bahamas, April 1995.)

"Where two or three are gathered together [unto] My name, there am I in the midst of them"
(Matt. 18:20).

In the first article in this series (July-August 1996 issue), Byron Crosby presented the foundational
truths concerning Matt. 18:20 and its context. In this present article, we shall build on that
foundation and elaborate on the meaning and practical application of each phrase of this verse. In
particular, we shall discuss the types of assembly meetings that seem to be implied by this verse.

"Two or Three"

Two or three are greater than one. It is both possible and desirable for individual Christians to
spend time alone with the Lord in reading of the Word, meditation, prayer, and worship. But at
the same time, God has seen fit to unite believers together into one body (John 17:11,21; Rom.
12:4,5; 1 Cor. 12:12,13; Eph. 4:4). There is a special blessing for the believers and a special
glory for Christ when two, three, or more believers minister the Word, pray, and worship
together. As Mr. Crosby aptly expressed it in the previous article, "one believer, by himself,
cannot be a complete testimony to Christ."

On the other hand, it doesn’t say, "200 or 300." A large number of believers in Christ is not
necessary in order to enjoy fellowship together or in order to give a collective testimony to Christ.
The Lord Himself selected only twelve men to comprise His special group of disciples. On certain
occasions, He took with Him only the inner circle of Peter, James, and John (Mark 5:37; 9:2;
14:33). "Where two or three are gathered together."

"Unto My Name"

Let us now consider the phrase, "unto My name." What is that name, or rather, what are those
names and titles that belong to Him? Let us mention a few.

His personal name is Jesus, meaning "Jehovah is Saviour," and speaking of all that He was as a
Man on earth, including His teachings, His sinless life, and His sacrificial death (Matt. 1:21; Acts
4:10-12).

His rank is Lord, meaning Master or Boss, and speaking of His supreme authority over all of us
(Luke 6:46; Rom. 10:9).

His title is Christ, meaning the Anointed One or Messiah, and speaking of His greatness as One
sent by God to perform a special work on earth and who has returned to His home in heaven (2
Sam. 7:13; Isa. 11; 52:13-53:12; Dan. 9:25,26; Luke 2:26; 3:15; John 1:41; 4:25,29).

He is Son of God, speaking of His deity, being co-equal with God the Father and God the Holy
Spirit (Matt. 14:33; 16:16; 27:54; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 1:34; 3:18; 5:18; 10:30-38; 1 John
4:15).

He is Son of Man, speaking of His being fully Man, but in a totally unique way, that is, being
also fully God at the same time (Dan. 7:13,14; Matt. 16:13; 26:64,65).

He is Immanuel, meaning "God with us" (Isa. 7:14; 8:8; Matt. 1:23).

He is the Word, speaking of the One who has come in person to express the truth concerning God
(John 1:1,14).

His descriptive titles include Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, the Way, the Truth, the
Life, the Door, the True Vine, the Good Shepherd, and the Great High Priest. These are all
summed up in that grand title, I AM (Exod. 3:14; John 8:58).

So when believers are gathered together unto His name, they are intensely conscious of what that
name stands for, all that He is and all that He has done. Furthermore, that name expresses His
authority. When thus gathered unto His name, the believers do not make up their own rules but
are intent upon following His directions as Head of the body.

"Are Gathered Together"

The Greek verb, sunegmenoi, translated, "gathered together," is passive, implying that there is
an outside force_or Person_who does the gathering. That Person is the Holy Spirit. How does
He do it? He puts the desire in the hearts of those who are walking in Him (Rom. 8:4; Gal. 5:16)
and being led by Him (Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:18). Those truly "gathered together" do not merely
come together out of force of habit, or because it is expected of them, or in a legalistic way.

What are the types of meetings to which believers in Christ are gathered by the Holy Spirit?

The Lord’s Supper or Remembrance Meeting. The Apostle Paul and his companions traveled
to Troas, arriving on a Monday. They stayed seven days, and on the last day of their visit, "upon
the first day of the week … the disciples came together to break bread" (Acts 20:4-7). The phrase
"came together" is better translated "were gathered together" because it is a form of the Greek
word sunegmenoi.

In 1 Cor. 11:17-34 where the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul gives important instructions
concerning the Lord’s Supper, the expression "come together" is found five times (verses
17,18,20,33,34). However, in each case it is the common Greek word for coming together, not
sunegmenoi. Reading the context, we find there was disorder in the assembly at Corinth in
observing the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper was being linked with the partaking of an
ordinary meal, and those who had plenty to eat were not sharing with the poorer believers who
had little or nothing to eat. Given such a fleshly, sinful, un-Christlike state, sunegmenoi would
have been an inappropriate word to describe the gatherings of the Corinthians. They were not in

a spiritual condition to be gathered together by the Holy Spirit.

This should solemnize our hearts. Just because some of our meeting halls have signs proclaiming,
"Gathered unto the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ," just because we hold to this principle of truth,
does not necessarily mean that in a particular assembly on a particular Lord’s day, the saints have
been gathered by the Holy Spirit to break bread. There may be a low spiritual state, and the
believers may be coming together only out of force of habit, or to please or impress others.

May all of us allow our hearts to be searched in the presence of the Lord as to our motive in
coming to remember Him. Let us pray, with the psalmist, "Search me, O God, and know my
heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in
the way everlasting" (Psa. 139:23,24). Let us apply Christ’s instruction to this meeting:"If you
bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave
there your gift before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then
come and offer your gift" (Matt. 5:23,24). And let us follow the teaching of the Apostle Paul, "Let
a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup" (1 Cor. 11:28).

The Prayer Meeting. In the immediate context of Matt. 18:20 we read, "If two of you shall agree
on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father who is
in heaven" (verse 19). Here we have the foreshadowing of an assembly prayer meeting with the
smallest possible number of participants_two.

In Acts 4, with the Church made up of believers in Christ now in existence, we read of a real
assembly prayer meeting. The Apostles Peter and John, upon being released from prison, "went
to their own company" (verse 23). After the assembly heard Peter and John’s report, "they lifted
up their voice to God with one accord" (verse 24). (Note the similarity with Matt. 18:19.) Observe
what they prayed for:Not for protection from trials and persecution. Not for judgment to come
upon the persecutors. But for boldness to speak God’s Word in the midst of a hostile world (verse
29). How quickly and powerfully was that united, assembly prayer answered:"When they had
prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled [or gathered] together [sunegmenoi]; and
they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the Word of God with boldness" (verse
31).

Another wonderful example of an assembly prayer meeting is found in Acts 12. We know the
story well of how Peter, upon being released from prison, went to the very place where the
assembly was gathered in prayer for him (verses 5,12). What a marvelous answer to their prayers
by "Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20).
Peter’s sudden appearance at the house was such a wonderful and rapid answer to prayer that it
took awhile before the truth of it sank in (Acts 12:15,16). (Note:The expression, "gathered
together" in Acts 12:12 is not sunegmenoi but another passive verb, sunethroismenoi, which seems
to be very close in meaning to sunegmenoi.)

Surely there is great power in assembly prayer! It is sad to see how little value is placed on the
assembly prayer meeting in so many assemblies. Sometimes just a small fraction of the assembly
is present at such meetings, and in some assemblies only a few of the brothers regularly

participate. Where are the saints at the time of the weekly prayer meeting? Some may be home
watching television; others may be out playing ball or working in the yard; others may be working
late in order to advance their careers or to pay off their debts of extravagant living; others may
be "baby-sitting" their children who themselves would benefit from being at the prayer meeting;
and some who are at the meeting have their minds "a thousand miles away." Can an assembly
expect blessing and experience the power of God under such conditions?

The Open Ministry Meeting. "Being assembled together with them, [Jesus] commanded them that
they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father." Jesus went on to
tell His disciples, "You shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and you
shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the
uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:4-8). The literal sense of verse 4 is that Jesus had the disciples
gathered together about Himself. In this way, in their midst, He encouraged and instructed His
disciples. This might be considered to be a precursor to an open ministry meeting where the
assembly is gathered together around the Lord Jesus to receive ministry from Himself through the
mouths of His prophet-servants.

Another precursor is found in Luke 24. Two disciples were returning home from Jerusalem on that
resurrection day. As "they talked together of all these things which had happened and … while
they communed together … Jesus Himself drew near and went with them" (verses 14,15). They
were occupied with the memory of the crucifixion and the reports of the resurrection of Christ,
when Christ Himself joined them and taught them from "all the Scriptures the things concerning
Himself" (verse 27). Doesn’t this give us the essence of Matt. 18:20?

Later that evening, back in Jerusalem, the eleven disciples along with others were "gathered
together" (sunethroismenoi as in Acts 12:12). Then "Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them and
said unto them, Peace be unto you…. Then opened He their understanding, that they might
understand the Scriptures. And said unto them, Thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to
suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should
be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem…. Tarry in the city of
Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:36-49).

The Apostle Paul, in describing the ministry particularly prominent in the open ministry meeting,
wrote, "He who prophesies speaks unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort" (1 Cor.
14:3). When the Lord Jesus came into the midst of the disciples gathered together, the first thing
He did was give them words of comfort and encouragement:"Peace be unto you." Then He went
on to help them to understand from the Old Testament Scriptures the things that had happened,
and told them some things that they were to do. When an assembly is gathered together unto the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ for receiving ministry, there is the promise that the Lord Himself
will be there in the midst, speaking through mouths of willing, devoted brothers, words of
"edification, and exhortation, and comfort."

Instruction concerning the open ministry meeting is found in 1 Corinthians 14. "When you come
together, every one of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an
interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying" (verse 26). This verse, when read in the

context, serves two opposite purposes. First, on the positive side, it describes the character of the
open ministry meeting, with many believers taking part in different ways. Second, on the negative
side, it suggests that there was disorder in Corinth with this meeting as there was with the Lord’s
Supper. The words, "every one of you," along with the corrective instructions that follow, show
that everybody was trying to get into the act at such a meeting, and it was resulting in confusion.
For this reason, the Apostle Paul was led by the Holy Spirit to write down six rules to help bring
some order to these meetings (verses 27-35):

1. No more than three persons were to speak in a foreign tongue.

2. These were to speak one at a time, not simultaneously in different parts of the room.

3. After a sentence or two of a foreign tongue, the speaker was to stop to allow for translation (as
with speeches by foreign dignitaries today). If there was no one who could interpret, the speaker
was to be silent.

4. No more than three persons were to prophesy, that is, give ministry from the Lord in the
common language of the hearers.

5. These were to speak one at a time, not simultaneously.

6. Only the brothers were permitted to minister in these ways; the women were to keep silence
in the assembly meetings.

We find two occurrences of the expression "come together" in 1 Cor. 14:23,26, the same Greek
word as the five occurrences in chapter 11. This is further evidence of the fleshly disorder that had
come into the assembly at Corinth to mar the potential beauty and blessing of the open ministry
meetings.

The Meeting for Discipline. While the immediate context of Matt. 18:20 is a prayer meeting, the
broader context is a meeting for discipline:"If your brother shall trespass against you, go and tell
him his fault between you and him alone…. Take with you one or two more…. Tell it unto the
church…. Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall
loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (verses 15-18). The Apostle Paul gives instruction
concerning an assembly meeting for discipline:"In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you
are gathered together [sunegmenoi], and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to
deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the
day of the Lord Jesus" (1 Cor. 5:4,5). Putting people out and receiving people into fellowship is
not the work of a clergyman, not the work of a body of elders or deacons, but the work of the
assembly as a whole, as "gathered together" "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Preparation for These Meetings. The Holy Spirit who gathers the believers together also helps
them (brothers and sisters alike) to prepare for such meetings. Here are some ways:

1. Pray in advance for each meeting that you and all of the saints will truly come as gathered by

the Holy Spirit and that the Spirit may have liberty to use whomever He will to pray, worship, or
minister.

2. Anticipate the Lord Himself being in the midst.

3. Be much in prayer and much in the Scriptures throughout the week; ask the Lord to prepare you
to be a mouthpiece for Him in the meeting.

4. Pray often with your family at home; pray for relatives, friends, neighbors, schoolmates, fellow
employees, the saints in the local assembly, those in other assemblies, etc. This will prepare you
to be a spokesman for the Holy Spirit when gathered together in the assembly for prayer.

5. Consider having a prayer request box in conjunction with the assembly prayer meeting. Do not
be afraid to share personal needs, such as being laid off of your job or having a rebellious son or
daughter.

6. The sisters do well to pray_both beforehand and during the meeting_about what the Lord
would have them to say if they were free to speak. If all of the brothers and sisters prepare in this
way, I believe the sisters will find that the prayer, worship, or ministry given out by the brothers
often coincides with their own exercises of soul.

Temptation to Be Absent from the Assembly Meetings.

Maybe some are thinking, "The meetings are boring" or "I can get more benefit from listening to
Christian radio or watching a Christian video." Would it not be better to ask yourself, "How can
I contribute more to the meetings?" "Am I using the gift the Holy Spirit has given to me?" "Am
I spending enough time preparing for the meetings?"

If all of the brothers are using what gift they have in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, and if all
the sisters are supporting the brothers in prayer during the meeting and encouraging the brothers
outside of the meetings_there will be far greater blessing gained from the meetings of the
assembly than can be found from a video of a gifted Bible teacher.

"In the Midst"

In what way is Christ in the midst of those who are gathered together unto His Name? Some have
suggested that He is in the midst in the Person of the Holy Spirit. While it is true that the Holy
Spirit is there, working in the hearts and minds of those whom He wants to speak, Matt. 18:20
says clearly, "there am I in the midst." In each of the gatherings of the assembly, Christ is in the
midst for a particular purpose. In the remembrance meeting, Christ is in the midst as the praise
leader (Psa. 22:22; 40:3; Heb. 2:12). In the prayer meeting, Christ is in the midst as the One in
whose Name we pray (John 14:13,14), who prays for us (John 17:9), who makes intercession for
us (Heb. 7:25), and the "I AM" who can meet all of our needs. In the ministry meeting, Christ
is in the midst as the One who teaches and encourages His disciples, as noted earlier from passages
in Luke and Acts, and the One who reveals Himself to His people. In the discipline meeting,

Christ is in the midst as the One who guides the assembly’s decisions and ratifies them in heaven
(Matt. 18:18).

May we learn to value these meetings of the assembly. May we approach each one_whether
remembrance, prayer, ministry, or discipline meeting_with a sense of eager anticipation,
expecting the Lord Himself to be there. While we will not hear the Lord’s own voice speaking to
us, if all who are thus gathered are in the right spirit and yielded to the Holy Spirit’s leading, we
can expect to hear the Lord speaking through the brothers who participate. "If any man speak, let
him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God
gives, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 4:11).

In consideration of all that has been presented, let us "not [forsake] the assembling of ourselves
together, as the manner of some is; but [let us encourage] one another:and so much the more, as
[we] see the day approaching" (Heb. 10:25).

"Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord…. Husbands, love your
wives, even as Christ also loved the Church" (Eph. 5:22-25).

We see here that it is the wife’s responsibility to be submissive to her husband (see also 1 Pet.
3:1). Nowhere is the husband commanded to physically or verbally force his wife into submission.
Her submission is not to be based upon the way her husband treats her, nor is it to be conditioned
by the husband’s abilities, education, or spiritual state (compare Luke 2:51). It is to be done "as
unto the Lord," so refusal to submit to her husband is rebellion against God Himself.

For a wife to submit to her husband doesn’t mean that she becomes a doormat, a servant, or an
onlooker while the husband makes all the decisions for the family. The LORD gave man a wife to
be a "help meet [or suited] for him" (Gen. 2:18). A loving and wise husband will value his wife’s
expertise, experience, wisdom, and advice in different areas (see Judg. 13:21-23; 1 Sam. 25:23-
34; Acts 18:26), and is privileged to delegate some of the decision making to her (see Prov. 31:10-
31; 1 Tim. 5:14). However, he must realize that God has delegated to him the ultimate authority
and responsibility for the running of the household; thus he must be prepared at least to share in
the responsibility for any unwise decisions made by his wife.

In cases where husband and wife disagree as to a decision, the husband is given the responsibility
of being the tie-breaker. I say "responsibility," not "privilege" or "pleasure." It is an awesome
responsibility for the husband to make a decision, to go ahead and do something, that his wife
doesn’t agree with. Husbands are in a position analogous to that of Christ toward the Church.
Christ is all-wise, all-knowing, completely holy, righteous, fair, gracious, and loving. We know
that every instruction Christ gives to the Church is going to be for the best blessing of the Church
and for the greatest honor and glory to God. Such is not necessarily the case with husbands.
Therefore, husbands, if you are about make a decision with which your wife disagrees, you must
become as certain as you can through prayer and waiting on the Lord that the decision you are
about to make is going to be for the honor and glory of God and for the blessing of your wife and
family, and not one that caters to your own selfish interests. And to the wives I would say:If your
husband has made a selfish decision, or one you are convinced is wrong, do not try to sabotage
him or take matters into your own hands or get even with him. Rather, pray for him and for your
family that the negative effects of your husband’s bad decision may be minimized, and that he
might make better decisions in the future.

The husband is to be his wife’s leader (1 Cor. 11:3). According to the Bible, a leader is first and
foremost a servant (Luke 22:25; John 13:1-15; 1 Thess. 2:5-11; 1 Pet. 5:3). The husband’s pattern
is Christ, who came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45; Phil. 2:6-8). His concern is not
to give orders, to boss other people around, to have his own way. His concern is to meet the needs
of others. He must never lord it over his wife just because she is to be submissive to him. She is
not his slave to do his bidding nor his property to do with as he pleases.

The word to husbands is, "Love your wives." This is a love far deeper and more inclusive than
romantic love or the love that is associated with physical intimacy. Husbands are to love their

wives "even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it" (Eph. 5:25). This love is
not based upon the way his wife treats him or responds to him. This is "agape" love, that self-
sacrificing love that seeks the benefit and blessing of others even if it costs self something. So the
decisions made by the husband, if he is filled with love for his wife and family, will be designed
to please his wife, serve his family, and above all, glorify God.

In summary, the wife’s submission and the husband’s love will result in the two learning to (1)
work together, (2) communicate their feelings and desires to each other, (3) pray together, and (4)
make decisions together that reflect God’s will and the welfare of each other and the family. Here
we have ingredients for a strong, happy, and God-honoring marriage.

Much could be written about Eve. She was the first woman, the first wife, the first mother.
However, the main theme I will deal with here is the nature of the temptation to which she
succumbed.

"And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die; for God does know that in the
day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods [or as God,
according to JND, NASB, and other translations], knowing good and evil. And when the woman
saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired
to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with
her; and he did eat" (Gen. 3:4-6).

The fruit looked good, good enough to eat; but its main appeal to Eve seemed to be its potential
for conferring God-like wisdom and knowledge. "You shall be as God, knowing good and evil,"
the serpent said. Eve’s main desire was probably not one for better fruit but a desire for
autonomy_the freedom to make one’s own rules and to be independent of God. Is it possible that
she and Adam had already felt some dissatisfaction with their roles as dependent creatures? God
knew everything and they knew nothing. Everything they wanted to know, they had to ask Him.
Here was a way to remedy that situation_"You shall be as God." So she took of the fruit.

Human beings still want autonomy. Some want autonomy in morals. God has revealed in His
Word all that men and women need to know about good and evil, but humans demand and assert
their right and ability to decide for themselves what is right and wrong. Some want intellectual or
religious autonomy. A neighbor of ours, an upright man in many ways_honest, faithful to his
wife, and generous with his time and money in helping those in various difficulties_once said to
me, "A man’s mind is his own business. God doesn’t have the right to tell me what to believe."

Human beings still want autonomy and Satan still uses the same temptation, "You shall be [or can
be, or should be] as God." This is more or less explicitly stated in such cults as Mormonism (we
will all be gods eventually), and in the New Age movement (we are all a part of god and should
develop our divine potential), or in what could broadly be termed "humanism" (we don’t need a
god to tell us what is right, we can decide for ourselves). It is implicit in much scientific research
(we will overcome all disease and even death itself; we will manipulate the genetic attributes of
humans; we will find the means to allow a woman to give birth after the normal reproductive age).
Not all scientific research is wrong; it is the refusal to be subject to God’s will and limitations that
is wrong.

What Satan said to Eve, he says to everyone today. What Eve wanted, all of us in our fleshly
natures want. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us that we are able to
overcome the lust for autonomy. "The carnal mind is enmity against God:for it is not subject to
the law of God, neither indeed can be…. If you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the
body, you shall live" (Rom. 8:7-13). Let us beware of the deadly intersection of our lust and
Satan’s suggestions. Let us become thoroughly knowledgeable of Scripture so as to refute Satan’s
suggestions, and seek to be totally controlled by the Holy Spirit so as to overcome our lust.

"Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16).

"You may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted" (1 Cor. 14:31).

Let us review the character of the open ministry meeting. In this meeting we come together to wait
on God to hear what He has to say to us. It is not a meeting especially for those who are full-time
preachers of the Word to exercise their gift. In any particular meeting it may be God’s will that
none of those speak at all. When we realize the true character of the meeting, we will not be
thinking, "I wonder if Brother So and So will speak today?" Rather, it will be, "Well, I wonder
what God is going to say to us this afternoon (or evening)," and not be concerned about the vessel
through whom He would speak.

"You may all prophesy." J. N. Darby translates this verse, "You can all prophesy." There is a
difference between the words "may" and "can." There is not only liberty_as led by the Holy Spir
it_for all to prophesy, there is also ability provided to each one by the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps it is well to consider what this word "prophesy" means. "He who prophesies speaks unto
men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort" (1 Cor. 14:3). This is the true character of
prophecy. First of all, it will edify or build up the saints of God. It is not the place for showing
our ability to be humorous, though illustrations may well have their place to explain and clarify
the scriptures. Remember that the true and basic emphasis is to build up. Where this word "edify"
is used in the Old Testament, it has the connotation also of repairing. We may need to be repaired
spiritually in many ways. God knows in what respects this may be needed by the saints.

In addition to edification, prophesying is for exhortation (or encouragement, JND translation). We
all need encouragement to a greater or lesser degree at different times.

A third use of prophesying is for comfort or consolation. There are many of God’s people who
are carrying around broken hearts. They may have a smile on their face, but their soul may be
weeping. So there is need for ministry of the comfort of the Holy Scriptures. God knows who
needs this and when it is needed.

The open ministry meeting is not primarily an occasion for God’s people to hear a recital of
various truths, however appropriate that may be in its place. It is not necessarily the place for
teaching at all. We are gathered to hear what God has to say to us. God alone knows what our
needs may be. It may be that we sorely need comfort, to be encouraged, or to be mended,
repaired, or built up.

Who are those that are to speak? First of all, in a gathering of this character, the women are to
keep silent (1 Cor. 14:34). But at the same time the sisters can be of tremendous help.
Unquestioned and untold blessing will come from the earnest, believing prayers of the
sisters_equally with those of the brothers_both before and throughout the meeting. Of course,
I am referring to silent rather than public prayers of the sisters during this meeting.

Who among the brothers are to speak? One does not have to have a so-called public gift for

teaching, preaching, or prophesying. (It may at times be easier for God to deliver His message
through one who is not particularly gifted as a speaker.) One does not necessarily have to come
up to the front of the room, although that may be beneficial in order for all in the room to hear
what is being said. Speaking so that few can hear has the same effect as speaking in tongues_the
others are not edified (1 Cor. 14:17). One does not have to be able to put ten words together. I
believe that in general, the briefer the message is, the more telling and weighty and memorable
the words may be to our hearts. What is called for, then, is not so much a use of our spiritual
gifts, but being on our faces before God so we can receive the message that He would have us to
bring to His people at that particular time.

Sometimes there may be long silences in such meetings. When this happens, those who are gifted
in preaching and teaching may tend to think, "I can speak on Psalm 23 or Romans 3 (or some
other familiar passage) and relieve us of the silence." But "the spirits of the prophets are subject
to the prophets" (1 Cor. 14:32). We must be careful to restrain ourselves from getting up simply
to break the silence. What we need_I repeat myself_is a message from God.

On the other hand, God may give a certain brother a message, and through timidity or fear he
remains glued to his seat. If we fail to communicate what God has given us, there may be loss to
the people of God and loss to ourselves through our unbelief. Still, God recognizes our frailties,
and may graciously do His work through another if I fail.

I mentioned earlier that it did not have to be even ten words. The Apostle Paul writes, "In the
church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach
others also, than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue" (1 Cor. 14:19). If you have but a sentence
or two to give to God’s people that you feel is a message from God, do not hold back. Stand up
and give it, perhaps right where you are if you fear losing it by the time you get to the podium.
What we want, what we need, is ministry from God. The meeting may be a very short one; or it
may be longer; length is not so important as having something from Himself.

Often, the principle, "the shorter the better," holds with regard to a particular message and also
to the entire meeting. This may be born out by the fact that there is to be a limitation on the
number of speakers:"Let the prophets speak two or three" (1 Cor. 14:29). God, in divine
consideration of our human weaknesses, so imposes this limit. There may be those in the audience
who could sit and take in and profit perhaps for hours; but this is not true of most. It is not just
a matter of listening to speakers, but of listening to the voice of God to ourselves and of exposing
our hearts before God. Too many words may very well dilute the message God has for our hearts
and consciences.

Let us illustrate this point from the Old Testament:"And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the
son of Oded; and he went out to meet Asa and said unto him, Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and
Benjamin; the LORD is with you while you are with Him; and if you seek Him, He will be found
of you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you…. Be strong therefore, and let not your hands
be weak, for your work shall be rewarded. And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy
of Oded the prophet, he took courage and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of
Judah and Benjamin" (2 Chron. 15:1-8). What Azariah said to King Asa seems to have been very

brief. But it went right home to the heart of Asa and had a powerful effect on him.

"You may all prophesy." Do not be waiting on this one or that one to speak. It is a privilege and
a responsibility of all to become involved. Every brother should come to such a meeting with the
prayer on his heart, "Lord, help me to be available to be used as a mouthpiece for Thee." If we
have a heart of love for the saints, and get close to the heart of God, He will give us His message
for the gathered saints.

May God bless His Word to our hearts.

(Condensed and modified from a message given in an open ministry meeting at a Bible Conference
in Cedar Falls, Iowa.)

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance" (Gal. 5:22,23). Let us see how the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit can be used to
strengthen the marriage relationship between two believers in Christ.

Love

Here are expressions sometimes spoken by married persons:"I wish my husband would try to
understand me." "My wife just isn’t meeting my needs." "What am I getting out of this marriage?"

John 3:16 doesn’t say, "God loved the world so that He could get love in return." Rather, "He
gave!" If we give to our mate with the idea of getting something in return, we may often be disap
pointed. We may come to the point of saying, "Forget it. I’ll never try to give him/her anything
again." But this isn’t love; it isn’t the way God has loved each one of us.

Loving is giving, giving, giving, and giving some more. How much did Christ love us? How
much did He give? "Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and has given himself for us an
offering … to God" (Eph. 5:2).

Here are some characteristics of love:

1. Giving, self-sacrificial (John 3:16; Eph. 5:2).

2. Unconditional, not dependent upon the good behavior of its object (Rom. 5:6-10).

3. Not selfish, self-centered (1 Cor. 13:4,5).

4. Not easily provoked or nursing grudges (1 Cor. 13:5).

5. Enduring (1 Cor. 13:7).

In a recent study of 750 couples with marital difficulties, the most commonly reported problem
was a partner who was in love with himself or herself. The second most common problem report
ed by these couples was indifference on the part of one of the partners. Both of these prob
lems_selfishness and indifference_are opposites of that love which is a fruit of the Spirit.

Husbands:Do you love your wife? Wives:Do you love your husband? Really? Do you love your
partner sacrificially, just as Christ loved the Church? Are you willing to give up some or all of
your own interests, time, friends, hobbies, and/or pleasures in order to bring your wife or husband
the greatest pleasure and happiness? Have you ever tried to find out what things make your partner
happy? If you knew that your wife hated some activity that you enjoy, would you give it up, or
greatly cut back on it, in order to spend time with her doing things she likes to do?

You may ask, "What if I am the only one who gives? What if my partner receives it all without
giving anything in return?" First, you may need to become more alert to_and show appreciation
for_the little bit of love your partner does show to you. But even if you can’t find any evidence
of loving or giving by your partner, you have the glorious privilege of loving and giving as Christ
did_ who died for the ungodly, for sinners, and for His enemies (Rom. 5:6-10). Dear brother or
sister, be encouraged to persist in this activity of true love! "Be not weary in well doing, for in
due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Gal. 6:9). I have no doubt that God has prepared
special rewards for those who are content to give and give and give without receiving anything in
return.

Joy and Peace

"The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh. 8:10). "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts"
(Col. 3:15). If both husband and wife are experiencing the " joy of the Lord" and "the peace of
God" in their daily lives, it will be easy for them to create an atmosphere in their marriage in
which they can be perfectly intimate with each other, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
They both will feel totally comfortable in each other’s presence, and will be free to share their
ideas, opinions, fears, concerns, and innermost thoughts and feelings with each other without fear
of being rejected, put down, preached at, ridiculed, or teased. They will feel free to admit their
failures without fear of their partner’s criticism or displeasure; they will feel free to talk about
their successes without being rebuked by their partner for being proud and boastful.

Joy is having the sense of God’s grace and presence in the midst of trying circumstances (Acts
16:25; Phil. 4:4). The Greek word for joy (chara) is related to the words for grace (charis) and
thanksgiving (eucharistia). Thus, a sense of God’s grace and favor toward us will bring joy to our
hearts, and that joy, in turn, will overflow from our hearts in thanksgiving. When there is this joy
in the marriage relationship, there will also be frequent expressions of thanks and appreciation by
the husband and wife to each other.

Peace is freedom from worry and fear about what might happen_but usually doesn’t (Phil. 4:6,7).
As we allow the Holy Spirit to minister His fruit of joy and peace in our lives, we will be freed
up to reach out more to our marriage partner, our children, and others around us.

Longsuffering

"We have been married for 15 years and still my husband does such and such" complains the wife.
If you are tempted to think or say something like this, try to put yourself in God’s place. How long
have you been a child of God? How long has He been trying to get you to change a certain habit
or attitude?

Thus, the fruit of longsuffering means patiently adapting to each other’s idiosyncrasies and habits
without trying to change the other into your own image. "With longsuffering, forbearing one
another in love" (Eph. 4:2). It involves praying for, rather than preaching to, one’s partner. It
literally means "long-tempered," that is, the opposite of "short-tempered."

Gentleness or Kindness

"Be kind [or gentle] one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ’s sake has forgiven you" (Eph. 4:31,32). "Take My yoke upon you … for My yoke is easy
[or gentle], and My burden is light" (Matt. 11:29,30).

The opposite of gentleness is being controlling or domineering_wanting to be king of the hill,
having everything my way, with my opinions the only ones that count, my decisions the best ones.

Notice in Eph. 4:32 that gentleness leads to forgiveness. Husbands and wives:Do not hold
grudges! (1 Cor. 13:5). "But you don’t know how much my wife/husband has sinned against me,"
you may reply. No, I don’t, but neither do you have more than the slightest idea of how much you
have sinned against God. He has forgiven you_fully and freely_and you are to forgive your
spouse in the same way and to the same degree (Eph. 4:32).

Goodness

This word goodness in the New Testament denotes an attitude of helpfulness. Christ’s parable of
the good Samaritan exemplifies this quality. "Honey, what can I do to help you?" should always
take priority over, "Honey, get me my slippers and the newspaper." "He who is greatest among
you, let him be as the younger, and he who is chief [or leader], as he who serves" (Luke 22:26).

Faith

Our faith does not end with trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. "We walk by faith,
not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). "Your faith grows exceedingly (2 Thess. 1:3). Our entire lives as
Christians should be characterized by the exercise of faith, that is, trust and dependence upon the
Lord. Just as we received Christ into our lives by faith and have the blessed confidence that we
are saved and bound for heaven, so with equal confidence we are to entrust Him with every matter
and care of our daily lives, to count upon His guidance and supply for our every need.

If husband and wife are both living and walking by faith and dependence upon the Lord every day
of their married lives, this means that every decision will be referred to the Lord, seeking
guidance to know and power to do His perfect will. How much marital conflict would be avoided
in this way:Instead of the husband and wife arguing over what each would prefer to do, both
honestly, earnestly dedicate themselves to finding out what the Lord wants them to do.

Meekness

Meekness involves giving up your own rights, not taking vengeance or retaliating if your partner
says or does something that hurts you or that you don’t approve of (Num. 12:3,13; 1 Sam. 25:32-
34). For example, if your partner goes on a spending spree that you can ill afford, instead of
getting even by going on a spree of your own, you do your best to help your family weather the
financial problems left in the wake of your spouse’s indiscretion. Christ is our example:"I am
meek and lowly in heart" (Matt. 11:29). "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth….

Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those
who despitefully use you and persecute you" (Matt. 5:5,44). "A meek and quiet spirit … is in the
sight of God of great price" (1 Pet. 3:4).

A meek person is a confessing person. King David did some pretty terrible things in his life. But
he was preeminently a man of confession (Psalms 32 and 51). Thus, in spite of his sins, he could
be called by God, "A man after mine own heart" (Acts 13:22). Readiness to confess our offending
words and behaviors to our partner is a crucial ingredient for a strong marriage.

Temperance or Self-Control

What part of the body is most likely to get out of control? In James 3 we read, "The tongue is a
fire, a world of iniquity; it defiles the whole body. The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly
evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men,
which are made after the similitude of God."

There is a little ditty that we used to say as children:"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but
words will never hurt me." In reality, however, the wounds administered by the tongue often hurt
far more and longer than physical wounds. This is so often the case in the marriage relationship.
"The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly"
(Prov. 26:22). "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18:21).

U.S. News & World Report, February 21, 1994, reports on a long-term follow-up study of married
couples to identify the factors that predict divorce. The most significant factor during both early
and later years of marriage was the frequency of insults and putdowns hurled at each other.

May the Holy Spirit help each married couple to control their tongues, to choose their words
carefully, and to use their powers of speech to build up, rather than tear down, the marriage. May
we learn the lessons of Proverbs 15:"A soft answer turns away wrath" and "A word spoken in
due season, how good is it!" (verses 1 and 23).