The first of these parables was an answer to a request from someone in the crowd concerning the division of an inheritance. The first and last parables tell of the dire consequences of living a life of greed and covetousness; the second shows us what one should do with one’s money. All three parables are interspersed in Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount.

Just before speaking the first of these parables, Jesus warned the crowd, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness; for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" (Luke 12:15). Is this not a good motto for today? There are many people whose only goal in life seems to be to obtain certain possessions and to have "a good time." The rich man in the parable had the same goal. He stored up his possessions so he could retire and enjoy "the good life." But his life was cut short and he left it all behind. He did not get to enjoy the possessions here and he couldn’t take them with him. The rich man in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) evidently got to enjoy his wealth here for a time, but he had an eternity of deprivation, and the memory of his good times on earth brought him no comfort.

Is it wrong to be rich? The rich man in Luke 12 couldn’t help being rich_his land was very productive (verse 16). God blessed him with good weather and good land. What he could help was how he used his wealth. In 1 Timothy 6 the apostle Paul addresses two groups of people_those who want to get rich (verses 9,10) and those who are rich (verses 17-19). Wanting to be rich is a snare and an unworthy goal; being rich can be a snare but can also be used for the glory of God and the good of other people.

What should the rich person do with his or her money? The Lord Jesus tells us to "lay up … treasures in heaven." How can one do that? The parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-13) gives us some guidelines. Unlike the rich men in the other parables who lived as though their earthly lives would continue indefinitely, the steward knew the future was going to be different from the present and prepared accordingly. He made friends who would receive him into their homes by use of his master’s money. We are stewards and all of our money is actually our Master’s. If we use that money in such a way that other people receive the gospel and are helped to grow as Christians, they will be our friends in eternity even though we may never meet them on this earth. We are investing in the future, in heaven, for the spiritual welfare of other people is the only "commodity" we can invest in which will last for eternity. The steward is an example for us, not necessarily in his methods, but in his recognition of the importance of preparing for the future.

The Pharisees understood the main point of this parable, but scoffed because they loved money. They hoped to acquire, accumulate, and enjoy it here on earth. They were not interested in investing in a heavenly future. The Lord Jesus then told them the parable of the rich man and Lazarus to show them the terrible results of that attitude. It is not that being rich or poor determines our eternal destiny, but true faith will express itself in some other way than by living sumptuously while the poor and sick starve around us.

Perhaps some readers are saying in effect, "I am not rich, so scriptures addressed to the rich do not have much to say to me." However, the average member of the American middle class compared to the average person of New Testament times or the average person in the world today is rich. What are we doing with our riches?

True faith and true love are demonstrated in great measure by how we treat those less well-off than ourselves (Jas. 2:14-17; 1 John 3:14-18). Let us be diligent to convert the temporal riches into the true riches that will last for eternity.

FRAGMENT The difference between the Samaritan and the others (in the parable of Luke 10) was that he had compassion. That is quite different from feeling sorry for someone. Surely the priest and Levite felt something, just as we do. But who cares enough to stop and help? This is the love God would have us show to our neighbor. True compassion moves the person to action.

I read with interest an account in the Baltimore Evening Sun, November 14, 1986, of a lawsuit filed to ban opening prayers at the home football games of Douglas County (Georgia) High School. This change in a years-long tradition, the article reports, "set off a firestorm of reaction in Douglasville, a town dominated by conservative [Christians]."

No doubt most of us would share the concern and chagrin of our fellow believers in Douglasville at the increasing erosion of the civil liberties of Christians in this country. But what should be of equal concern to us is the way the citizens of Douglasville responded to Mr. Douglas Jager, the high school student who, along with his father, filed the lawsuit. The article reports that "Mr. Jager has been harassed at school and besieged by threatening phone calls at home." Tires on two of the family’s cars "were slashed as the automobiles sat in the family garage. One lady, who called her minister to complain about Jager’s lawsuit, was reported to have said, ‘I believe in prayer, but I think somebody ought to beat him up!’ " Such behavior and attitudes do not do credit to a town dominated by conservative Christians.

Let us consider how godly men of Scripture, and in particular the Lord Jesus Himself, might have responded to such an incident. Example A:When the Samaritans would not receive Christ, the disciples James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume those wicked people. But listen to Jesus’ response:"The Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them" (Luke 9:52-56). Example B:When Peter cut off the servant’s ear with a sword, in an attempt to help the Lord escape from the multitude, Jesus remonstrated with him; "Put up thy sword into the sheath; the cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?" (John 18:11). Example C:The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome:"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:21). Example D:Even in the Old Testament, when the king of Israel asked Elisha eagerly if he could kill the Syrian army that had been struck with blindness and led to Samaria, Elisha answered, "Thou shalt not smite them. … Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master" (2 Kings 6:13-23). Example E:When Jesus was cruelly and unjustly crucified, He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

On the one hand, I believe the citizens of Douglasville would be quite justified in defending in court their rights and privileges under the United States Bill of Rights, just as the apostle Paul pleaded his rights as a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25; 25:11). But on the other hand, the Christian community in Douglasville seems to have missed out on a wonderful opportunity to manifest the essence of Christianity_the love and patience of Christ_to young Mr. Jager and his family.

The vengeance meted out upon the Jager family by the outraged Christians of Douglasville is by no means an isolated incident. Such expressions of hate by professed Christians are occurring with alarming frequency in this country. The several bombings of abortion clinics recently are notable examples. The sending of hate mail to Madelyn Murray O’Hair, the noted atheist, is another.

I fear that in these last days the Christians are going to encounter increasing discrimination against themselves and their beliefs, continued loss of the freedoms once enjoyed in this country, and growing wickedness and enmity against God in every quarter. As we seek in various ways to combat these worldly and Satanic influences, let us not resort to the world’s tactics; let us not forget to follow Christ’s example of love, patience, and forgiveness toward His enemies.

Many people in the world today are turning away from Christianity to various cults, to Islam and other religions, to atheism, and to Communism _ not so much because the message of Christianity is not relevant and persuasive, but because they see so much hypocrisy and inconsistency on the part of those who call themselves Christians, even fundamental, born again Christians. Let us each_ beginning with myself_ strive to do what we can to change this image that others have of Christianity and of Christ.

FRAGMENT "Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (Jas. 1:19). Our trouble is that we are swift to speak and swift to wrath, but slow to think. According to James, however, the first thing to do is to ponder. Before expressing our reactions, we must discipline ourselves to think. It may seem superfluous to emphasize this, yet we all know that this is where we most often go wrong.

"He that is glad at calamities shall not be held innocent" (Prov. 17:5 JND).

When calamity comes upon another, if, in place of loving sympathy, we cherish gladness in our hearts because of their griefs, an impartial Judge is looking on who will see that we are visited in our turn.

FRAGMENT "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth; lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him" (Prov. 24:17,18).

Love does not gloat over the sorrows of others, even though richly deserved, and although the one who is suffering has been a bitter foe. Remembering that he is himself a subject of grace, the humble, contrite soul walks softly, having tears, not sneers, for the afflictions of his enemies. When it is otherwise, the eye of the Lord will note it; He will see that he who is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.

FRAGMENT "Thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress. Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity; neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress. For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen:as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee; thy reward shall return upon thine own head" (Obad. 12-15).

When the hour of calamity struck the kingdom of Judah (descendents of the patriarch Jacob), Edom (descendents of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother) stood complacently to one side, delighting in the ignominy to which his brother was subjected. The desolation of Jerusalem caused him not grief, but joy. He joined with the Babylonians in casting lots for a division of the spoil. All this Jehovah’s eye had seen, and it was an offense to Him, as being the very opposite of that love which rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth (1 Cor. 13:6). Because of having acted so contrary to every brotherly instinct, he should reap as he had sown, and judgment unsparing would soon overtake him, until of Edom it could be said, "They shall be as though they had not been" (Obad. 16). When other nations, such as Egypt, Assyria, and even Sodom and Gomorrah, are restored and brought into blessing in the millenial kingdom, Edom shall have fallen to rise no more.

(From Notes on Proverbs and Notes on the Minor Prophets.)

FRAGMENT
Let grace our selfishness expel,
Our attitudes refine;
May kindness in each bosom dwell,
As free and true as Thine.

"Thou shalt not steal" (Exod. 20:15). This eighth commandment is very straightforward and needs little explanation. Nevertheless the Scriptures say quite a bit about this sin and it may surprise us to find out how many different varieties of stealing are referred to in the Bible. There may even be a variety that applies to you, and you never realized it before!

Several types of stealing are mentioned in Leviticus 6 in conjunction with the trespass offering:"If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbor in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbor, or have found that which was lost and lieth concerning it and sweareth falsely …." (verses 2,3). First, we read of one entrusted to keep the belongings of his neighbor but keeps it for himself, perhaps pretending that someone else stole it. This matter is expanded upon elsewhere:"If a man shall deliver unto his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man’s house, if the thief be found, let him pay double. If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbor’s goods." Just because something is currently in our possession does not mean we have title to it. We must be especially careful against the temptation to think something like, "I have done so much to help this person and he has given me so little in return, I deserve to take a portion of his goods for myself."

Second, we read of more or less the classic example of stealing, that is, using forceful or violent means to take something belonging to another away from him. Third, we read of one using deceit, as opposed to violence, to steal from his neighbor. This covers a multitude of sins, such as selling inferior goods or services at a high price by representing them as worth more than they really are. How about those times when you have sold or traded in your old car? Have you always given all of the information the prospective buyer would need to make an informed assessment as to the worth of the car? Have you always given exactly the information you would want a car salesman to tell you if you were the prospective buyer? The so-called "Golden Rule" (not a scriptural term) applies here:"All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them" (Matt. 7:12).

Fourth and finally, we read in Leviticus 6 of one who displays the mentality of ‘Finders keepers, losers weepers." This is what we often hear children saying when one finds some money or candy or a toy that his playmate has lost and is looking for. That is very childish behavior to be sure. But there is an adult version of this behavior that is a bit more subtle but no less sinful. The Lord, in Leviticus 6, speaks of one who has found that which was lost, and, when asked whether he has found it, lies and swears that he knows nothing about it.

Another type of stealing is described in Lev. 19:13:"Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him; the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning." Here, Scripture says that it is robbery to withhold a worker’s wages beyond the mutually agreed upon pay schedule. In a similar vein James graphically admonishes employers who have robbed and defrauded their employees by not paying what is due to them:"Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth:and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth" (Jas. 5:1-4).

It is not only the employers who have a propensity to steal. There is a word for employees as well:"Servants [or, nowadays, employees] obey in all things your masters [or employers] according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ" (Col. 3:22-24). Those employees who only work diligently when the boss is around, but waste their time when the boss is not around, are the ones spoken of in this scripture as obeying "with eyeservice, as menpleasers." Such are actually guilty of stealing time from their employers. Well-intentioned, evangelistic Christians need to be careful in this regard that they do not spend more company time than is permissible and appropriate to witness to other employees. If we are employed, our first responsibility to our employers, to our fellow-workers, and to God Himself is to fulfill the provisions of our work agreement. Let us not put Christ and Christianity in a bad light, and possibly get ourselves fired at the same time, by witnessing for Christ when we ought to be working. Unless it can be done without distracting yourself and your co-worker from your work, such should be reserved for the coffee and lunch breaks and for evening and weekend get-togethers.

Yet another type of stealing is mentioned by the prophet Malachi:"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Mal. 3:8-10). As Christians, who are under grace and not under law, we are not under any commandment, as was Israel, to give to God a tenth of all of our material and financial gain. The attitude of one under grace would be, "The Lord has been so loving and good to me, and Christ has given His all to save me, how can I withhold from God any amount that He wants me to give back to Him? We Christians rob God by being selfish and stingy when it comes to returning to Him what He has so graciously given to us.

A New Testament counterpart to the eighth commandment is found in Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians:"Let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth" (428). There is no great commendation for Christians who succeed in avoiding stealing. A truer test of how well we are following Christ and being controlled by the Holy Spirit relates to how well we are able, by working hard to earn an adequate income and by being careful in spending our income, to help others who are less well off than we are. The apostle Paul also said to the Ephesians on another occasion, "I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

Under the law, the punishment for stealing was restitution of the amount stolen plus an additional amount. "If a man shall steal an ox or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep…. If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive … he shall restore double. If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man’s field, of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard shall he make restitution" (Exod. 22:1-6). King David was familiar with this principle of restitution when he pronounced judgment upon the rich man who killed a poor man’s lamb to feed a visitor:"He shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pity" (2 Sam. 12:1-6). Zacchaeus, in the New Testament, was also familiar with this principle:"If I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold" (Luke 19:8).

While the law required restitution as a punishment for stealing, there was no specific provision under law for helping the one who suffered loss if the thief was not apprehended. However, under grace, we have quite a different picture. In the parable of the Good Samaritan we read of one, not the thief himself, and even hated by the one who had fallen among thieves, who restored that which he took not away (Luke 10:33-35). In how much greater measure did our Lord restore that which He took not away (Psa. 69:4) when He, the holy, sinless One, offered Himself a sacrifice for the sins of others!

Finally, let us pose the provocative question:Are there ever any circumstances where stealing is justifiable in God’s eyes? I have asked this question on several occasions at Bible classes with inmates of the local jail. Each time there have been at least one or two men, if not more, who believe that stealing is justifiable under extreme circumstances, such as being without food. However, there is no indication in Scripture that God ever condones stealing. Under the law, if one was so poor that he could no longer provide for himself and his family, provision was made for him to become an indentured servant:"If thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor and be sold unto thee, thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant, but as a hired servant and… he shall be with thee and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee" (Lev. 25:39,40). Today, the Christian has those wonderful promises, "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Cor. 12:9) and "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19). Let us learn to count upon Him to provide for us according to what He knows is best for us. We must not take matters out of His hand, and thus bring disgrace upon both God and ourselves, by stealing. On the other hand, we have every encouragement in Scripture to use every avenue possible to try to find paid employment through which our need might be met. As a final point, if we were to find ourselves facing a choice between death by starvation and life by stealing, far greater blessing for eternity will accrue to us by choosing the former than the latter.

FRAGMENT

There are very few people who truly believe,
It is much "more blessed to give than receive";
But since I’ve endeavored to follow the plan,
I surely am feeling a happier man.

FRAGMENT To what purpose is this waste? (Matt. 26:8). “If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned" (Cant. 8:7).

O Love is weak which counts the answers and the gains,
Weighs all the losses and the pains,
And eagerly each fond word drains
A joy to seek.
When Love is strong it never tarries to take heed
Or knows if its returns exceed
Its gifts; in its sweet haste no greed,
No strifes belong.

FRAGMENT "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not… tomorrow I will give" (Prov. 3:27,28).

Is there something you would like to do today? Now then, do it. Is there some debt you ought to pay? Now then, do it. Is there a quarrel you ought to make up? Now then, do it. Is there a letter you ought to write? Now then, do it. Is there a sinner you ought to warn? Now then, do it.

FRAGMENT "All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any" (1 Cor. 6:12). Many of us get the very best our bank accounts can afford, in food and furnishings. If we follow the apostle we will study how to spend little, and live simply. Even our eating will not be for gratification but to God’s glory.

Having considered the topic of abortion in the last issue, we shall now consider a number of additional topics related to the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill."

Capital Punishment

It is clearly stated in the Old Testament, in a number of verses (Exod. 21:12,14; Lev. 24:17,21; Num. 35:30,31), that the crime of murder is punishable by death. This is most clearly stated in God’s words to Noah after the flood:"Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made He man" (Gen. 9:6). In this verse we find the reason for capital punishment for murder. It is not given simply as a matter of vengeance or retaliation, nor is it authorized as a deterrent (although it may have that effect to some extent); rather it is meant to show forth the value God places on human life. Man has been made in God’s image; woe be to the person who despises this wonderful truth by purposefully snuffing out the life of another human being.

It is argued by some that the Lord Jesus Himself annulled capital punishment when He taught, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but I say unto you that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matt. 5:38,39). However, if we read this passage carefully in its context we see that Jesus is addressing his disciples as to how they (and we) ought to respond to those who may cause us, personally, to suffer in any way, and not how the civil authorities should deal with those who break the laws of the land. If the Lord’s words in Matt. 5:38-44 were to be taken to apply to civil authorities, the entire criminal justice system would have to be abolished and all prisons emptied and shut down. Romans 13:1-4 shows that even in the Christian era, the higher powers are "ordained of God" and "ministers of God… to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil" (see also 1 Pet. 2:14).

The truths of Matthew 5 and Romans 13 can be reconciled using the following illustration. Suppose a man murders a loved one of mine, and he is caught, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for his crime. The civil authorities have carried out their responsibility before God in sentencing this man to death. On the other hand, I, as a follower of Christ, can carry out the Lord’s injunctions in Matthew 5 by writing or visiting the condemned man on death row and seeking to share God’s love and gospel of salvation with him. Further, I can follow the Lord by doing what I can to help the condemned man’s family through this financial, emotional, and spiritual crisis in their lives.

Service in the Armed Forces

The question of whether Christians ought to serve in their nation’s armed forces has long been argued. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were enjoined by God to go to war against, and "utterly destroy," the Canaanite nations. However, we have nothing like this in the New Testament, but rather instruction such as, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matt. 5:44). As Christians, we are to walk even as Christ walked (1 John 2:6), so let us consider His attitude concerning taking up arms against one’s enemies:"And behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place:for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (Matt. 26:51,52). Following this, Jesus turned to the servant, "and He touched his ear, and healed him" (Luke 22:51). The disciples fought, but Christ healed. This vignette suggests that the path for the believer is one of non-violence and non-resistance.

A lot of discussion related to the Christian’s serving in the armed forces has to do with whether it is a "just war. Some who refused to serve in the Vietnam conflict because they felt it to be an unjust war, might very well have fought in World War II had they been of age. But this does not seem to fit with the Lord Jesus’ instruction and example. What could be a more just and righteous cause then to help the Messiah gain His earthly kingdom? This seems to be what Peter was trying to do with his sword. But we see that the Lord does not want His people to fight for Him unless He Himself is leading the army, just as He led the armies of Israel of old.

Thus, I believe that we as Christians are taught by the Scriptures not to bear arms to fight for our country. This still leaves open the question of whether the believer is permitted by Scripture to serve in the armed forces in a non-combatant role or if he should be a total conscientious objector (C.O.). On the side of being a total C.O. is the argument that there is little difference between shooting people oneself and, say, nursing wounded soldiers back to health so that they can go out and shoot more of the enemy. On the other side, it might be argued that Christians are instructed by Scripture to "render … to all their dues" (Rom. 13:6,7; Matt. 22:21). This would include taxes which may be used by the government to support a war effort, and might also include a period of service to one’s country as required by law. This writer leans toward the thought that it is in accord with the New Testament Scriptures for one who is drafted to serve in the armed forces as a non-combatant.

As a final thought on this topic, let us all be diligent to pray regularly for our leaders of government, "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life" (1 Tim. 2:1,2). If wars can be prevented by means of the persistent, united prayers of God’s children, then obviously the questions about service in the armed forces will become purely academic.

Protection against Attackers

What would you do if you were to encounter a burglar in your house, or if someone were to attack you or one of your loved ones with a lethal weapon? Would you try to kill the attacker if you could? or would you try any of a number of maneuvers to protect yourself and your loved ones from death or serious injury? or would you do nothing except pray and plead with the attacker? These are vexing questions. We probably do not really know how we would behave in the excitement of the moment. The Scriptures do not seem to have much to say in this area, but let us see what guidelines the Scriptures do offer us.

"If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him" (Exod. 22:2,3). There is allowance here for the possibility of the homeowner slaying a thief who has broken into the house at night without the homeowner being subject to punishment for the manslaughter. However, one who surprised a thief in a burglary during the daytime was liable to punishment as a murderer if he killed the thief. While the reasons for this distinction in treatment of daytime and nighttime thieves are not totally clear, the rationale may be that the daytime thief, if not apprehended on the spot, will be seen and likely identified and caught later on, and thus will be brought to trial for his crime. Thus, in this case the property owner is not to take the law into his own hands. This fits with Rom. 12:17-20, "Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

"If a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand, then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee" (Exod. 21:13). While this verse and the related passage in Numbers 35:9-34 concerning the cities of refuge clearly apply to cases of manslaughter or accidental killing, it appears that they also cover the situation where one may strike a blow in self-defense (or the defense of a loved one). The cities of refuge were available "if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or … cast upon him any thing without laying in wait" (Num. 35:22).

If we find ourselves in a dangerous situation but have a way of escape, we have the examples of the Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul to follow. When those in the synagogue of Nazareth led Jesus to the top of the hill "that they might cast him down headlong … He passing through the midst of them went His way" (Luke 4:30). When the people took up stones to throw at Jesus, He "hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them" (John 8:59). Later, "they sought again to take Him; but He escaped out of their hand" (John 10:39). When the Jews watched the gates of Damascus day and night in hopes of catching and killing the apostle Paul, "the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket" (Acts 9:23-25).

The best preparation for a dangerous situation is to be always in an attitude of prayer and communion with the Lord. We do well to commit ourselves and our loved ones to the Lord’s care for protection, and ask the Lord for wisdom to respond in the right way if suddenly attacked or confronted with danger. Peter failed in this. He slept when he should have been watching and praying with the Lord in the garden (Matt. 26:37-45); then when confronted with the multitude that had come to take Jesus, he responded in the wrong way by flailing about with a sword (26:51,52).

We may fantasize about being a hero or responding in a "macho" kind of manner in such situations. But would it not be better to visualize ourselves praying for help, falling to our knees and pleading for mercy, or finding a way to escape when confronted with such danger? The following first-hand account illustrates somewhat what we are discussing:"One afternoon last spring, my sister and I went to Woodlake Nature Center to jog. Just as we approached the main path, I saw a man walking toward us. Everyone at Woodlake is friendly so we always say ‘Hi’ to whomever we happen to see. As he neared us I said, ‘Hi’ to him. He just looked at us and walked past us… or so I thought. But suddenly, he turned around and grabbed me. I thought it was just some kind of a joke, until he said, ‘Don’t either of you scream or run for help. I’m going to kill you or the other one’ (referring to my sister).

"My sister saw that the man couldn’t stop her, so she took off running to go get help. I glanced down and I saw that he held a knife by my throat. A feeling of helplessness came over me, but was quickly put out of my mind when I remembered something that I had heard a Christian man say. So I said to my attacker, ‘The Lord is protecting me.’ He said, ‘What?’ Then I said, ‘Jesus loves you.’

"After this he said to me, ‘Walk forward and don’t turn around.’ He let go of me and I walked back to the main entrance to the building without ever looking back. The police had arrived by this time and I went with them and told them what had happened" (reprinted from Good News for Young and Old, September 13, 1981).

Would it not also be better to pray that the Lord will prevent us from falling into such situations at all? 1 believe we will be better prepared to respond in God’s way and will be more able to count upon His help and deliverance if we prepare our hearts appropriately.

Finally, let me suggest a word of caution to any who may have purchased_or are planning to purchase_a gun as protection against burglars, intruders, and attackers. I do not know what the actual statistics are, but I would not be surprised if it were shown that guns purchased to protect households from intruders have actually killed and injured more family members than intruders. The Lord’s words, "They that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (Matt. 26:52) seem very apt in this connection. Let us take to heart the words of the psalmist:"Some trust in revolvers, and some in shotguns; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God" (Psa. 20:7; 20th century paraphrase).

Suicide

To my knowledge there are four incidents of suicide given in the Scriptures. Judas Iscariot hanged himself out of despair over the heavy weight of his sin of betraying the Lord Jesus (Matt. 27:3-5). Ahithophel, an advisor of Absalom, hanged himself out of discouragement that his counsel was not followed by Absalom (2 Sam. 17:23). King Saul fell upon his sword, after being severely wounded by a Philistine arrow, to prevent the enemy soldiers from finding him and mocking and abusing him during his dying moments. Immediately thereafter, Saul’s armorbearer, seemingly in an act of allegiance to his master, fell on his sword and died with Saul (1 Sam. 31:3-5).

In addition to these four examples of actual suicide, we read of others who expressed the desire for death as a release from their misery. Job cried out, "Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! Even that it would please God to destroy me; and that He would let loose His hand, and cut me off! (Job 6:8,9). Elijah, in his depression, "requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers" (1 Kings 19:4).

There is no Scripture that says, "Thou shalt not kill thyself." Also, the Roman Catholic teaching that suicide is an unpardonable sin does not have any support in Scripture. However, there is no evidence in Scripture that God in any way condones suicide. A scripture that does seem to be applicable is Rom. 14:7,8:"None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord’s." Our lives are to be lived for the Lord, doing all things to please Him, serve Him, obey Him, and magnify His name, rather than for our own pleasure and benefit. And it is to be the same with regard to our death. It is not left to us to decide the time and the mode of our death. We would, no doubt, if given the option, choose to die suddenly of a heart attack, with no pain, no lingering illness, no extra expense to the family, before we become old enough for senility to set in, and at a time and place that would not cause our loved ones any inconvenience. But in the perfect wisdom of God, we are not given such an option. "We die unto the Lord," according to His timing, His circumstances, and His will. (Remember, the Lord may come soon and take us to heaven without our even going through death.) We must not interfere with God’s perfect will for our life by taking our own life out of His hands prematurely. We may be severely depressed, we may be experiencing great loneliness and sorrow over the loss of a loved one, we may be enduring excruciating physical pain. But in all these things, we do well to listen to the Lord gently whispering to our souls:"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee" (Psa. 55:22). "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you" (1 Pet. 5:7). "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted [or tried] above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13).

One final thought:Most of us, no doubt, have not the slightest thought of taking our own lives. But let us stop and think about this for a moment. Let us each ask ourselves:"Do I have any habits or behavior that are potentially self-destructive, that may be hastening my own death?" How about smoking, drinking, overeating, cheating on your diet when told that you have diabetes or high cholesterol, not getting enough exercise, exceeding the speed limit, or driving recklessly? "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price:therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s" (1 Cor. 6:19,20).

FRAGMENT
My times are in Thy hand; Father, I wish them there:
My life, my soul, my all I leave entirely to Thy care.
My times are in Thy hand; why should I doubt or fear?
My Father’s hand will never cause His child a needless tear.

Let us consider the truth of the indwelling of the Spirit, which is one of the characteristics of the Spirit’s presence and work during the present Church age. In this indwelling of the Spirit lies all the possibility for practical sanctification.

There is a passage in the Old Testament that is beautifully typical of this sanctification by the Spirit’s indwelling:"This shall be a continual burnt offering … at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord, where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory" (Exod. 29:42,43). We know that the cloud or Shekinah, the visible emblem of the presence of God, led the children of Israel through the desert, and after the tabernacle was erected, it descended and filled the sanctuary. The tabernacle was sanctified, set apart for the service of God, by this glory. Everything that was inconsistent with that glory was put out, and the whole house was ordered according to the requirements of the holiness of God. Thus the believer, as temple of the Holy Spirit, is sanctified by that presence. He is marked out as belonging to God, and everything inconsistent with His holy will should find no place in the heart or life.

We shall look at four features that characterize the indwelling of the Spirit:(1) The permanency of it, (2) the enlightenment of it, (3) the liberty of it, and (4) the refreshment of it.

The Permanency of the Indwelling

"I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever:even the Spirit of truth" (John 14:16,17). We note in this verse the permanence of the indwelling:"He [shall] abide with you forever." All is stability and permanence in the present era, for all is based upon a finished redemption and Christ taking His place on high. The law must be set aside, for it was "weak through the flesh." Its ceremonies were but shadows of good things to come. Man in the flesh was under trial in the sense that he had not been judicially pronounced worthless.

But when Christ died, He not only provided a perfect atonement, but by His death, sentence was pronounced upon the whole human race. Sin in the flesh was condemned; our old man was crucified with Him, and its worthlessness declared. Now, "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). I do not touch the fact of the presence of the old nature, and the deeds of the body to be mortified; but there is a new man who has eternal life. Everything here is of God, and the Spirit will have no occasion to leave for there are no conditions upon which He remains, save the fact of accomplished redemption.

Did you ever think of the awful dishonor done not only to the Spirit of God but to Christ by the denial of the perpetuity of this abiding? If the Spirit could leave after having taken up His abode in us, it would involve a denial of the work of Christ. His work would have ceased to avail before God. It would drag Christ from His throne in glory if the Spirit could depart from a believer.

It cannot be too clearly stated that this indwelling is not because of anything in us, either at the beginning, or at any stage of the Christian life. From first to last, the Spirit dwells with us because of the unchanging value of the work of Christ. Cease forever to dishonor the value of that work by doubting the presence of this Holy Person.

What holy ground we are upon here! If Solomon could ask the wondering question, "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?" when His visible glory filled the temple (2 Chr. 5:14; 6:18), what shall we say when the living God in the person of the Holy Spirit comes to abide in us? My brethren, I am persuaded we little realize what this means. If we did, what lowliness would mark us; what abhorrence of sin, what quickness in the fear of the Lord and the detection of the most subtle forms of evil, what reverence! Who can describe the sanctifying effect of simply a deep realization of the stupendous fact. I can but speak of it, and pray that all of us may know practically what the consciousness of this abiding would bring.

The Enlightenment of the Indwelling

"When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak of [or from] Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear that shall He speak; and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you" (John 16:13,14). This scripture teaches us the character of this indwelling of the Spirit, how He operates. Notice particularly that He works by the truth. He guides into all truth, even as our Lord prayed, "Sanctify them through Thy truth:Thy Word is truth" (John 17:17). Spiritual intelligence is the very cornerstone of piety. The Word of God_the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments_is the vehicle of the Holy Spirit, the instrument which He uses. The spiritual condition of a person may largely be gauged by his estimation of the Word of God. If that be neglected, or thought lightly of, no matter how ecstatic the feelings, how deep apparently the piety, there is not much true work of the Spirit of God. What a fulness there is in the Word of God! Let us not be slothful in making it our own, under the guiding energy of the Spirit of truth.

The Liberty of the Indwelling

"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2). Here we have the emancipating power of the indwelling Spirit. The sixth and seventh chapters of Romans develop the truth that emancipates. The cross is the end of me judicially:"Our old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Rom. 6:6). Thus we are dead to sin in the death of Christ, and are to reckon ourselves so, and alive unto God in Christ Jesus. God has put the stamp of death upon me as part of the old creation so that faith can now say, "I am crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Gal. 2:20). But this death puts me out of the reach of law, not only as that which condemns, but as a rule for man in the flesh.

In the seventh chapter we find that so long as the soul seeking holiness turns to the law, it finds the bonds of sin drawn tighter, for "the strength of sin is the law" (1 Cor. 15:56). The law cannot afford help; sin, by the commandment, becomes exceeding sinful, but there can come no help from the knowledge of this. The two natures are recognized, and two laws, but still no deliverance. Thus, "Oh, wretched man that I am!" is the bitter cry.

But in the beginning of the eighth chapter we see the way of escape, that the life in Christ Jesus is a life of liberty. Instead of the law we have the Spirit, and all through this chapter the Spirit is prominent. Thus we have deliverance by the Spirit. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Cor. 3:17).

The Refreshment of the Indwelling

"Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:13,14). In this interview with the woman of Samaria, our Lord used the water as a type of the Spirit, as that which ministers life and refreshing. "We have been made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13). In referring to the well of Samaria the Lord stated, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again." On every fountain of man’s digging we may write these words. No matter where man turns for refreshment, he fails to find that which can truly quench thirst. Pleasure, reputation, power, wealth_whatever the heart of man craves_can never satisfy. As in the Book of Ecclesiastes, those who have most diligently drawn water out of these wells have been constrained to confess, "Vanity of vanities." Let us as Christians take note of this and refuse that which does not satisfy even the world.

You remember that shortly after Israel’s emancipation from Egypt, when scarcely had the echoes of the song of triumph died out, they had to face the question of thirst. There was no water in the desert; so they murmured and began to learn something of the trials by the way. At Rephidim the rock was smitten and the waters flowed out (Exod 17). We are told in the New Testament that typically, "That Rock was Christ" (1 Cor. 10:4). Christ, smitten of God for our sins, sent forth the Holy Spirit for our refreshment. The Rock smitten insures safety and the abundant supply for all our needs in the wilderness through the Holy Spirit.

To the woman of Samaria, seeking satisfaction in the pleasures of sin and the world, the Lord promised not only the gift of a draught of water, but a well springing up evermore. As in new birth we have the bestowal of life by the Spirit, so here we have Him dwelling in us, maintaining and developing the life.

In Psa. 110 it is said of our Lord, "Thou hast the dew of Thy youth." His vigor and freshness are perennial, eternal. To Ephesus it was said, "Thou hast left thy first love" (Rev. 2:4). They had lost the freshness that marked the early stages of the divine life in the soul. Of how many, beloved brethren, must this be said! No outward fall has marred their testimony; they are above reproach, and in many ways commendably zealous; but there is no "dew." Truth has taken clear form, doctrines can be distinctly stated, a keen scent for error is present; but Oh, where is that freshness which ever marked our adorable Lord?

As in Isaac’s day the Philistines choked the wells which his father Abraham had dug, so now formalism chokes the upspringing of the Spirit, and we lose the refreshment the blessed Spirit of God would ever give. The Spirit is in us, just as the water is in the wells, but the stones prevent our getting at it for practical uses. There is nothing for us but to return to the first love, to dig again, to open up again the channels for the welling up of the Spirit. God does not give His Spirit by measure, and if we are straitened, it is in ourselves.

Thus we have looked at four features which characterize the indwelling of the Spirit:(1) The permanency of it_"He shall abide with you forever"; (2) the enlightenment of it_"He shall guide you into all truth"; (3) the liberty of it_"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death"; and (4) "the refreshment of it_"A well of water springing up unto everlasting life." Surely, with such abounding fulness, our sanctification should be deep and full and complete.

(From The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit.)

(Luke 11:5-8; 18:1-8, 10-14)
All of these parables teach us something about prayer. The parable of the three friends (Luke 11:5-8) is included in a passage on prayer given in answer to the disciples’ request, “Lord, teach us to pray.” First the Lord Jesus gave what is usually called the “Lord’s prayer” which tells us what to pray for. Then He gave this parable that tells us how to pray, that is, persistently and boldly. After all, it takes a certain amount of boldness to go to someone, even a friend, at midnight, knock on the door, and ask for food to give to another friend. God wants us to pray like that _ to ask, seek, knock (verse 9), be persistent, be bold (not irreverent, but not timid either). The friend really wanted the bread, so he persisted until he got it. If we really want something we will continue to pray until we get it. If we don’t really want it, why bother to ask God for it at all? We know God hates lukewarmness (Rev. 3:15, 16), so we can understand that He wants us to pray as though we mean it.

The parable of the importunate widow (Luke 18:1-8) is similar in emphasis to the one about the three friends. The widow persisted until the ungodly judge finally agreed to provide her legal redress. God is not unrighteous; prayer does not persuade Him to do something He had no intention of doing before the praying began. However, God wants us to continue to pray about a matter until the prayer is answered. If our requests are righteous, we can be assured that God is going to act on our behalf.

While the two parables we have just noticed tell us how long to pray about a matter (until God answers), the parable of the Pharisee and publican (Luke 18:10-14) tells us what kind of prayer it is that God is likely to answer. The Pharisee’s prayer was a prayer of pseudo-thanksgiving. I say "pseudo" because he gave God no credit for any of the good things in his life. The implication is that he had done it all himself. We can be thankful if our sinfulness has not reached the depths it might have, but it has been the grace of God which has restrained us, not any innate goodness of our own. Thanksgiving is a proper and necessary part of prayer, but the Pharisee expressed no sense of need whatsoever. How could God answer the prayer? The Pharisee did not ask for anything, did not even hint that he needed anything. Even his thanksgiving left God out. No wonder the Lord said that the man "prayed … with himself."

The publican’s prayer, while short, says a great deal. He was saying that he was sinful and God is holy; and because God is holy, He is not going to look with favor on sin and is going to punish the sinner. It is necessary to obtain God’s mercy if one is going to avoid eternal disaster. God is always ready to answer a prayer like that _ one that acknowledges the need of the one praying, and the absolute dependence upon God to meet that need.

Let us be diligent and fervent in our prayers and let us remember how needy we are. Our sense of need will lead us to persevere in prayer, for we will realize that God is the only One capable of meeting our need and that we must continue to seek His help, for there is no other resource.

FRAGMENT
Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice, returning from his ways;
While angels in their songs rejoice and cry, "Behold he prays!"

Let us briefly consider a few of the New Testament references to the believer being filled with the Spirit. There are at least three effects of this filling:we have filling for service, filling for joy and praise, and filling for testimony.

Filling for Service

"And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness" (Luke 4:1). It is not ordinarily remembered that our blessed Lord was filled with the Spirit for service, just as His people are to be. The life of our blessed Lord was of perfect dependence; He did not use His divine prerogatives directly, but did all by the Spirit of God who filled Him. Thus we read how "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, Who went about doing good" (Acts 10:38). Thus our blessed Lord was filled with the Spirit for service.

We find in Stephen another example of one filled with the Spirit for service:"Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business . . . and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 6:3,5). At the close of his brief career, we are again told that Stephen was full of the Holy Ghost. While the stones were crushing the life out of his body, "He, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God" (Acts 7:55). Thus we find linked together in Stephen the lowliest service and the highest glories. He was filled with the Spirit for attending to the needs of the widows, and he was full of the Spirit as he gazed upon Jesus in glory. Well do we know it was all one in the eyes of our blessed Master who said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me" (Matt. 25:40).

Filling for Joy and Praise

"And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 13:52). The connection here is of much interest. The disciples, after faithfully preaching the gospel at Antioch, had been expelled from the city. This is what the servant of Christ may expect, according to his Master’s word. But what was the effect of this persecution upon the minds of these devoted servants? Were they depressed and discouraged? No! "They were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost."

The word "filled" in the preceding reference expresses the thought of a habitual state, but capable of particular manifestation as occasion required. The same is seen in the following scripture:"Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Eph. 5:18,19). Without question we have here a warning against actual drunkenness; but I am sure you will agree with me that far more than that is suggested. Wine is that which exhilarates the natural man. It is a stimulant. It is also a type of joy. Here then we are warned against mere earthly joy, anything that merely exhilarates the natural man. How often is there the mere exhilaration of nature in the professed worship of God. How often is feeling, excitement, or fleshly energy made to take the place of the Holy Spirit. It seems that this is the intent of the passage. They were to sing and make melody in their hearts to the Lord. Filled with the Spirit there would be neither room nor need for the empty frivolities of nature; the joy of the Lord would eclipse it all.

Filling for Testimony

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). The promised time had come and the Spirit had been poured out. His presence was visible and audible, though more yet, it was personal and abiding. It is significant that the form in which the Spirit appeared in coming upon the disciples and upon our Lord was entirely different. Upon Him He came as a dove; upon the disciples, as a tongue of fire upon each one. The reason is simple and beautiful.

The dove in Scripture is the bird of sacrifice. In the burnt offering particularly it was used. Further it was the bird of love and of sorrow. Our blessed Lord was taking His place publicly as the sacrifice. He was, we may say, at His baptism offering Himself to God. What more fitting than that the eternal Spirit through whom that offering was to be exhibited, should come upon Him in the form which set forth the sacrifice, the love which led Him to it, and the sorrow over the sins of men which made it necessary.

With the disciples it was different. The service to which they were called was chiefly testimony, and so, most fittingly, the Spirit of truth came upon them as a tongue. The fire speaks of the holiness of God in judgment, and you will remember the Spirit’s work in conviction included judgment (John 16:8,11). But the beautiful part of it is that if men bow now to the judgment of God and accept His salvation, they will be saved from judgment to come.

Thus this filling with the Spirit was directly connected with the testimony which they all began immediately to give in the various languages of those who were assembled. The wonder of it was that untutored men, heretofore ignorant of the languages, should be able to declare in them "the wonderful works of God."

Later on, when the apostles faced much opposition to the preaching of the gospel, they prayed, "Lord . . . grant unto Thy servants that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word. . . . And when they had prayed . . . they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:29,31). Notice that they did not pray to be filled with the Spirit; they prayed that they might speak the word of God with all boldness. We never find the disciples waiting for an enduement of the Spirit after Pentecost. They had the Spirit; He dwelt in them; they were full of the Spirit, so to speak, and needed but to realize the necessity constantly for the power of God. Then, as the occasion arose, the Spirit took possession of them and used them as the instruments of His mighty energy.

What It Means to Be Filled with the Spirit

God fills everything; He is omnipresent. So is the Holy Spirit. When we speak of Christ filling all things, we think simply that His glory, honor, and power are to be everywhere manifest. Thus, when we speak of being filled with the Holy Spirit, we simply mean that He has complete, entire control of our whole being. He occupies the entire man.

The Holy Spirit has taken up His abode with us forever, not only as a guest, but as sovereign ruler and guide. And yet, with what divine tenderness and gentleness does He dwell in us! He allows us to treat Him as a guest_yes, as we would treat no other guest. He permits us to thrust Him out of the way, perhaps, or at any rate, to exclude Him from the everyday part of our lives. However, a sense of the blessedness of His presence, of His help where we have yielded up to Him, and above all, His own power working through these means and making us realize our helplessness, compel us at last, step by step, to give Him His place in all things. Thus He fills us. May we give place to the Spirit, allowing Him to be ungrieved, unchecked in his complete administration of our entire life.

(From The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit.)

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it you" (John 16:23).

What liberty is given here! However, an unqualified "whatsoever" would leave us unrestricted, and the Lord would thus have opened the door to all the desires of unbroken, self-serving wills among His people. But He adds, "In My Name." This is His limit_that which He sets up.

If we apply to God for anything in the Name of Christ, it must needs be in keeping with what Christ is. It is as if Christ Himself were asking it of His Father. He does not want us to make Him the messenger, as if we had not the liberty to approach. We have the same blessed liberty which He has, for grace has made us sons, and we are loved of the Father with the same love wherewith He is loved (John 17:23). He wants us to realize that holy liberty, and to go ourselves with our request straight to the Father in His Name, as if it were Christ Himself presenting it_He who is always heard, because He always does what is pleasing to the Father.

But how could Christ present any request to His Father inconsistent with His own character and ways? He acted always within the circle of the Father’s will. To pray in His Name, then, involves our presenting to God only that which Christ could and would present. It calls for a real setting aside of our own wills and for moving only within the circle of God’s will, where Christ always was and is. Setting up our own plans, then making use of Christ’s Name with God, as if He were pledged by it to obey us, is an awful mistake, which He will rebuke to our shame.

Oh, to have more of that lowly, broken spirit which finds its home in the Father’s will, its delight in Christ’s interests here, and which, burdened with that, knows how to plead with God and never give up! And though the answer may be long in coming, victory is as sure as His throne. "Scripture cannot be broken" John 10:35), and He has promised, "Verily, verily, I say unto you. Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it you" (John 16:23).

Sad to say, however, we are apt to be much more earnest when our will is at work than when it has been surrendered. How much more earnestly men will work in a business of their own than in the employ and interests of others! It but reveals that in us (that is, in our flesh) dwells no good thing (Rom. 7:18). Let us then take courage. Let us lay hold of His business, carry it in our hearts, make it our own, plead with God about it according to the measure He has given. If Christ be our Object, let us ask of God_ask much _and we will receive much, and our joy will be full here and our reward great there.

When we consider the teaching of Scripture that the believer in Christ is sealed by the Spirit, it is well to notice first of all that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself was thus sealed:"Labor . . . for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you, for Him hath God the Father sealed" (John 6:27). This is the chapter in which Jesus speaks of Himself as the "Bread of God," "the Living Bread," and "the True Bread from heaven." This life-giving Bread came forth and was presented to men, as sealed by the Father, that they might eat and live forever. The sealing of the Son of Man was the Father owning Him as His well-beloved One, and declaring His delight in Him.

I heard an illustration recently that is relevant. Often today we find bread offered for sale with the maker’s name, or some trade name, either put upon it by a label or literally baked into it. The bread is sealed with the name of the baker. He practically says, "This bread is good. I put my name upon it, for I stand back of it in every particular." So has God the Father sealed the Bread from heaven. He acknowledged and approved His blessed Son in everything.

It is wonderful to learn from Scripture that the same Spirit who sealed the Saviour seals all who are saved by Him. In Eph. 1:13 the apostle addresses those who "trusted in Christ … in Whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." In J. N. Darby’s version it is even clearer:"In whom also, having believed, ye have been sealed." How soul-assuring is this! Sealing is not a question of experience. It is a precious fact to be accepted on the authority of the Word of God. When you believed the gospel, dear saved one, you were sealed by the Spirit. God the Father put His stamp upon you, so to speak. He did this by giving you the Spirit to dwell in you_He who dwells in us is the seal.

In the same Epistle we read:"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30). Does it say, "Sealed as long as you are faithful?" No, indeed, for if so, who could be sure of it from one day to another? Does it say, "Lest you grieve Him away?" No, not that either, for He is come to abide with and in us. We are sealed till "the day of redemption," that is, the day of Christ’s return when the redemption of our bodies will take place. Until that blessed consummation He never leaves the believer, neither in life nor in death.

I love to think of Him keeping guard over the very bodies of those who sleep in Jesus. The holy dead are not alone. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" (Psa. 116:15). He never loses sight of one of them, and when the Lord returns He will give them resurrection life and escort them to the meeting place in the air.

But we must not overlook the admonition, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit." How may we grieve Him? By disobeying the Word. By indulging in any of the things mentioned in the preceding verses. Falsehood of the lips, dishonest practices, corrupt speech, bitterness, anger, clamor, railing, and malice_all these grieve the Spirit and hinder His ministry of grace in the life of the believer. To walk in the Spirit is to walk as before God, in lowliness and meekness, in purity and self-judgment, obeying the written Word, and thus doing His will from the heart. He who so walks does not grieve this holy, heavenly Guest, who has sealed us until the day of our triumph over death, when our descending Lord shall change our bodies of humiliation, making them like the body of His glory.

(From The Mission of the Holy Spirit.)

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months" (Jas. 5:16,17).

"And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word" (1 Kings. 17:1).

The verse just quoted from 1 Kings gives us Elijah’s first appearance in public. But the Spirit, in James, has graciously furnished us with the account of a yet earlier stage in Elijah’s history, and one full of instruction to us. In 1 Kings, Elijah is introduced in a way which might seem abrupt. He is presented to us as at once boldly entering upon his sphere of labor with the grand and solemn announcement of God’s chastening hand upon Israel. But we are not told in this place anything of the prophet’s previous exercise, of how he came to learn how the Lord would have him to speak. It is the New Testament writer, James, who lets us into the secret of Elijah’s prayer to God, before he ever came out in active service before man..

Now, if the Holy Spirit had not informed us about this important fact by the pen of James, we should have lacked a very powerful incentive to prayer. But Scripture is divinely perfect, lacking nothing that it ought to have, and having nothing that it ought to lack. Hence it is that James tells us of Elijah’s secret moments of prayer and wrestling, when he had, no doubt, mourned over the lamentable state of things in Israel, and also fortified his spirit for the part he was about to act.

This circumstance in the life of the prophet teaches us a very profitable lesson. We live in a time of more than usual barrenness and spiritual dearth. The state of the Church may well remind us of Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones. We have not merely to cope with evils which have characterized bygone ages, but also with the matured corruption of a time wherein the varied evils of the present world have become connected with, and covered by, the cloak of Christian profession.

In such a condition of things, what is the resource of the faithful one? Prayer:patient, persevering prayer; secret communion with God; deep and real exercise of soul in His presence. Only in His presence can we arrive at a true estimate of ourselves and things around us, and obtain spiritual power to act for God among our brethren or toward the world without. Elias was a man of like passions with us and he found himself in the midst of dark apostasy and widespread alienation of heart from God. He saw the tide of evil rising around him, and the light of truth fast fading away. The altar of Baal had displaced the altar of Jehovah and the cries of the priests of Baal had drowned the sacred songs of the Levites. In a word, the whole thing was one vast mass of ruin before his view. He felt it; he wept over it; he did more:"He prayed earnestly."

Here was the sure unfailing resource of the grieved prophet. He retreated into the presence of God, he poured out his spirit there, and wept over the ruin and sorrow of his beloved people. He was really concerned about the sad condition of things around him, and therefore prayed about it_prayed as he ought, not coldly, formally, or occasionally, but "earnestly," and perseveringly.

This is a blessed example for us. Never was there a time when fervent prayer was so much needed in the Church of God as at this moment. The devil seems to be exerting all his malignant power to crush the spirits and hinder the activities of the people of God; with some, he makes use of their public engagements; with others, their domestic trials; and with others, personal sorrow and conflict.

But Elijah was not merely called to pass unscathed, as an individual, through the evil. He was called to exert an influence upon others; he .was called to act for God in a degenerate age; he had to make an effort to bring his nation back to the God of their fathers. How much more, therefore, did he need to seek the Lord in private, to gather up spiritual strength in the presence of God, whereby alone he could not only escape himself, but be made an instrument of blessing to others also. Elijah felt all this, and therefore "he prayed earnestly that it might not rain."

Thus it was he brought God into the scene, and God did not fail him. "It rained not." God will never refuse to act when faith addresses Him on the ground of His own glory, and we know it was simply upon this ground that the prophet addressed Him. It could afford Elijah no pleasure to see the land turned into a parched and sterile wilderness, or his brethren wasted by famine and all its attendant horrors. No, it was simply to turn the hearts of the children to the fathers, to bring the nation back to its early faith, to eradicate those principles of error which had taken fast hold of the minds of the people. For such ends as these did the prophet pray earnestly that it might not rain, and God hearkened and heard, because the prayer was the offspring of His Spirit in the soul of His dear servant.

(From "Life and Times of Elijah" in Miscellaneous Writings. Vol. 5.)

"In the power of one Spirit we have all been baptized into one body . . . and have all been given to drink of one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13 JND). On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit took up 120 individual believers in Christ and baptized them into one body, thus forming the Church of the new dispensation. By this act He established the believers into Christ, making them one body with their glorified Head and linking them one with another in a union as close as members in the human body. The baptism of the Spirit is therefore collective. It is not something to be sought or prayed for, nor tarried for, since the body has already been formed.

In the four Gospels and the first chapter of Acts the baptism of the Spirit was yet future. In Acts 2 the promise was fulfilled. In 1 Cor. 12:13 we have the only reference to the Spirit’s baptism after Acts 11. It is a doctrinal statement to be believed, not an exhortation to seek after an experience.

Four times, as related in the Acts, special supernatural manifestations accompanied the reception of the Spirit as various companies were incorporated into the body of Christ. In chapter 2 all were Jews. In chapter 8 the same blessing came upon regenerated Samaritans, adding them to the body of Christ. In chapter 10 the nucleus of Gentiles was baptized into the same body. And in chapter 19 a remnant of John’s disciples were brought in. There was a special miraculous endowment in each instance to confirm the souls of the saints and to make known the truth that all distinctions were done away in Christ, and that there is but "one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling" (Eph. 4:4).

What grace on God’s part to give this fourfold testimony in the beginning! But what folly for Christians now to expect a duplication of these initiatory manifestations. The body is formed; all believers have their part in it. And as each individual is born of the Spirit, he or she receives Him as the indwelling Guest and is thus brought into the good of the Spirit’s baptism.

If some scriptures seem to indicate that the baptism of the Spirit is a blessing to be received subsequent to conversion, it is well to examine them carefully, noting the context, and asking, "Was this spoken before or after Pentecost?" The difference is immense, for a new dispensation began when the Holy Spirit descended to indwell the believer.

Let me mention several such passages and seek to help you to place them. Jesus said, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him" (Luke 11:13). Many take this as their authority for seeking the gift of the Spirit by prayer. But this was spoken by our Saviour before the cross. The Father gave the Spirit at Pentecost; He does not now wait for us to ask Him to do so again, for the wondrous gift once given abides in the Church and indwells every believer, having baptized all into one body, as we have seen.

What of the words, "He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:17)? Does it not imply that some are only born of the Spirit, and others indwelt? When did Jesus so speak_before or after Pentecost? Before! In this passage the Lord contrasts the two dispensations. The Spirit was with believers before the cross; He is in them now. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Rom. 8:9).

But did not our Lord command His disciples to tarry till endued with power from on high? He did, and He particularly indicated where they were to tarry_"in Jerusalem." No other place would do, for there the Spirit came, just as the Son came to Bethlehem.

A gentleman said to me recently, "I have just come from a great tarrying meeting. Hundreds have been tarrying for many days at San Jose, California, waiting for the Holy Ghost." I asked, "What authority did you have for that?" He replied, "Why, Jesus said, ‘Tarry in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high.’ " "Well, my friend," I inquired, "are you not confounding locations and time? You are over 10,000 miles too far away and over 1,800 years too late."

The disciples were commanded to tarry at Jerusalem, and as they waited there, like a rushing, mighty wind He came, sent from the Father and the Son to form the body of Christ, and to endue with power the waiting disciples that they might bear testimony concerning the risen Christ to those of many nations and languages gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Pentecost.

Let me not be misunderstood. I am not insinuating that it is a vain thing for any believer or company of believers to wait on God for power to overcome the enemy or to preach the gospel or to serve the Lord in any other way. It is always well to be thus before Him. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength" (Isa. 40:31). This is true in all dispensations. But we wait, not for Him to send the Spirit, for He is already here, and by His baptism we have all been joined to the body. We need, however, to wait on God to show us any hindrance in our lives that may be restraining His working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. As we judge ourselves, and learn from our past failures to walk humbly and in self-distrust, we make room for the Holy Spirit to fill us with divine power, and to use us for the glory of God and the blessing of a needy world.

To tarry for the baptism of the Spirit is to evidence ignorance of God’s dispensational ways. Remember, the only place where the baptism is mentioned in the Epistles of the New Testament is this one verse, 1 Cor. 12:13; and here it is distinctly spoken of as a past event. All who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ have been brought into the good and blessing of that baptism.

(From The Mission of the Holy Spirit.)

These six points I wish to notice:Why we should pray, when we should pray, how we should pray, who should pray, to whom we should pray, and for whom we should pray.

Why Should We Pray?

Can we make God change His mind or purpose by our prayers? I answer, yes! Does this startle any? It need not, for I have three scriptures to show how, in the past, prayer has caused God to change His mind or repent. I allude to the prayers of Moses, Hezekiah, and the captive Jews at Babylon. For the prayer of Moses turn to Exodus 32. The people had turned aside to worship a golden calf and Jehovah was about to destroy them. He said to Moses, "Let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them…. And Moses besought the Lord his God." His prayer prevailed, and in verse 14 we read the wonderful statement, "And the Lord repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people." Is it not marvelous! The prayer of a man moves the almighty God of heaven and earth to change His mind. God is, of course, unchangeable in an absolute sense. "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent" (Num. 23:19). He is not like fickle man, and His eternal counsels will and must forever stand. Yet in a certain sense He does repent; and prayer is the mighty "power that moves the throne."

The second scripture is Jer. 26:18,19. Micah the Morasthite prophesied against Jerusalem in the days of King Hezekiah. But the king "besought the Lord, and the Lord repented Him of the evil which He had pronounced against them."

Finally, look at Psa. 106:44,45. When the people were "brought low for their iniquity," and delivered into the hands of their enemies by Jehovah, they resorted to prayer. And "He heard their cry, and He remembered for them His covenant, and repented according to the multitude of His mercies." The prayers of God’s people cause Him to repent. This gives the deathblow to fatalism, and furnishes the saints of God with a most powerful incentive to prayer.

When Should We Pray?

Unceasingly, according to the fourfold testimony of the Word. "Continuing instant in prayer" (Rom. 12:12). "Praying always" (Eph. 6:18). "Continue in prayer" (Col. 4:2). "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17). We cannot be always on our knees, I know. Prayer is to be our habit of life. A spirit of prayer should characterize us. We are only safe as we are dependent; and dependence expresses itself in prayer. Who is so strong or so secure in circumstances as to have no need of continual prayer?

How Should We Pray?

The answer is sevenfold:

1. Boldly. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace" (Heb. 4:16). God invites us to make known our requests, and we should pray fearlessly.

2. Believingly. "Let him ask in faith" (Jas. 1:6). The prayer of unbelief is never answered. "Let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord."

3. Intelligently. "If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us" (1 John 5:14). "His will" must qualify our every request. Will you give your child your razor when he asks, or even cries for it? God is too wise and good to answer many of His children’s prayers. How many ask for earthly prosperity or easier circumstances! These would often be their ruin, spiritually, and a Father’s love withholds them from His children.

4. Holily. "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (1 John 3:22). The Psalmist says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psa. 66:18). The apostle wills that "men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands" (1 Tim. 2:8).

5. Persistently. The parable of the unjust judge should encourage us to persevere in prayer (Luke 18:1-8). We need more "stick-to-itiveness" in prayer.

6. Thankfully. "In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:6). Remembrance of past mercies and answers to prayer will encourage us to expect further blessing. And God loves a thankful spirit.

7. Briefly. "Lord, save me" (Matt. 14:30), was the three-worded prayer of Peter. Long prayers will kill a prayer meeting quicker than almost anything else I know of. They were not the most spiritual men in the world who made "long prayers" (Matt. 23:14). Pray in your closet all night, if you wish, but prayers in public edify most when brief.

Who Should Pray?

All believers, young and old, male and female, are to pray. None are excluded from this happy privilege. Every child of God will pray almost involuntarily. "Behold he prayeth," it was said of the newly converted Saul of Tarsus. At the prayer meeting, of course, the sisters are to "keep silence." But no brother should think he cannot pray in public. Some say they have no gift for prayer. But I do not need a gift to beg if I am starving. Bestir yourselves, my silent brethren, and do not sit like dumb images on the benches from one year’s end to another. It is only the sisters who are to "keep silence in the churches."

To Whom Should We Pray?

Paul bowed his knees "unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 3:14). Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7:59). We have no example or precept for prayer to the Holy Spirit in Scripture. We read of praying in the Holy Spirit, but nothing of prayer to the Holy Spirit. For whom should we pray?

We are enjoined to pray for "all men" (1 Tim. 2:1):

1. Sinners. "[God] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4).

2. Saints. "Supplication… for all saints" (Eph. 6:18). “Pray one for another" (Jas. 5:16).

3. Servants of Christ_evangelists, pastors, and teachers. They need our prayers. Let us not forget them in our closets or in the prayer meetings. Paul repeatedly asks for the prayers of the saints.

4. Backsliders. We have no direct scripture for praying for wandering saints. But we have our Lord’s example. He says of poor backsliding Peter, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" (Luke 22:32).

5. Enemies. "Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matt. 5:44).

6. Rulers. "For kings, and for all that are in authority" (1 Tim. 2:2).

In conclusion, our subject is a large one, and I have left many things unsaid. Such a study can only be suggestive, never exhaustive. Study the subject for yourselves.

Before beginning our discussion of the seventh commandment, let us review the principles laid down in the introduction to this series concerning the role of the Ten Commandments in the life of the Christian. We who have put our trust in the finished work of Christ for salvation "are not under the law, but under grace" (Rom. 6:15). This means not only that we do not strive to be saved by the deeds of the law (Rom. 3:20), but also that we who are saved do not try to use the law as a means of achieving holiness or perfection. If the focus of our Christian lives is the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount or any other set of rules or commandments, we will fail to achieve God’s standard of holiness for two reasons:(1) There is no power for right living to be found in sets of rules (Rom. 7:8-11), and (2) all such sets of rules_even though derived from Scripture itself_fall far short in showing the way to the absolute sinless perfection that is found in Christ. The Christian’s rule of life_that which should be our all-consuming desire_is to "win Christ"(Phil.3:8);to "know Him and the power of His resurrection" (3:10); to "follow after" Christ and "press toward the mark" (3:12,14); "to walk, even as He walked" (1 John 2:6); to set our "affection on things above" (Col. 3:2); to be "followers [or imitators] of God" (Eph. 5:1). When we have Christ as our object, and are walking according to the Spirit, "the righteousness of the law [will] be fulfilled in us" (Rom. 8:4), The standard of holiness that is found in Christ Himself is much, much higher than the law. The best one could possibly do whose rule of life is the Ten Commandments is to keep from violating these commandments. But if Christ is our life, if "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made [us]free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2), then not only will the righteousness of the law be fulfilled in us (8:4), but we will manifest the fruit of the Spirit_"love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Gal. 5:22,23)_as well, which go far beyond the deeds of the law.

Thus, the power and motivation for living a holy life comes from having our eyes of faith, our hearts, our minds fixed on Christ who lived here on earth as our pattern and example (Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Pet. 2:21-23), died as our substitute (1 Pet. 3:18), was raised as our justifier (Rom. 4:25), lives now in heaven as our merciful high priest (Heb. 4:14-16), and is coming for us as our bridegroom (Matt. 25:6; Rev. 19:7,8). However, the basic principles and instructions for that holy life are found in the Scriptures, including the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, and the many precepts found in the New Testament Epistles. It would be folly to think that one could become a great composer simply by listening to recordings of works by other great composers and not ever learning how to read music or the basic principles of melody, harmony, rhythm, and dynamics. Just so, it would be folly for a believer to think that he could live a holy life simply by trying to think about God and meditate upon the person and work of Christ while remaining totally ignorant of the instruction for right behavior and holy living given in God’s Word.

The more we become aware of God’s instructions for us through our study of the Scriptures, the more easily the indwelling Holy Spirit can witness to our spirits as to areas in our lives that are not yet conformed to the image of Christ. Therefore, the purpose of this series of articles is to help increase the awareness of our readers of the instruction given in the Word concerning various areas of behavior toward God and toward our fellow man. Many of these instructions fit into the outline provided by the so-called "Ten Commandments" (Deut. 4:13). Thus, in these articles we are following the basic outline provided by the Ten Commandments and then bringing in additional scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments that build upon, amplify, and illustrate the basic theme.

The seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exod. 20:14), like the others, seems very simple and straightforward on the surface, but is found, when other scriptures are brought in, to have many ramifications. This commandment basically is directed toward those who are living with or behaving toward one of the opposite sex as if they were married, when that is not so. If this is the case with one who is married to another, it is termed "adultery." The term "fornication" is more commonly used in Scripture if it involves those who are not married; also "fornication" is often used in the New Testament as a more general term that includes both married and unmarried persons who commit sexual sin.

Warnings against adultery or fornication are frequent in the New Testament:

"Be not deceived:neither fornicators, . . . nor adulterers, . . . shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9,10).

"Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" (1 Cor. 6:18).

"To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband" (1 Cor. 7:2).

"But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints" (Eph. 5:3).

"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth:fornication, uncleanness, . . ." (Col. 3:5).

"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication" (1 Thess. 4:3).

"Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled; but [fornicators] and adulterers God will judge" (Heb. 13:4).

For additional examples, see Acts 15:20,29; 21:25; Rom. 13:9; 1 Cor. 5; 1 Cor. 10:8; 2 Cor. 12:21; Gal. 5:19; Jas. 2:11.

Under the Old Testament law, the punishment for committing adultery was death:"The man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, … the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. And the man that lieth with his father’s wife, . . . both of them shall surely be put to death" (Lev. 20:10-12).

While the death sentence was not always carried out for cases of adultery, King Solomon pointed out the particular reproach connected with this sin:"Men do not despise a thief if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry. . . . But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and a dishonor shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away" (Prov. 6:30-33).

In the New Testament, for the believer in Christ, the death penalty for adultery is replaced by discipline carried out upon the sinner by the members of the local assembly of believers. In 1 Cor. 5 we read of a man in the assembly of believers at Corinth who was committing fornication with his father’s wife. The assembly was enjoined by the apostle Paul "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," or in other words, "Put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (1 Cor. 5:5,13). The purpose and goal of such disciplinary action was to help the sinner realize how much he had been dishonoring God and behaving like an unbeliever and thus, it was hoped, result in his restoration of communion with the Lord and thence his restoration to the assembly. In the case of the man of Corinth, such restoration did occur, praise God, as we find recorded in chapters 2 and 7 of 2 Corinthians.

In the present day and age, when a great many moral values are being discarded as out of date, it is common among some people to experiment with sex. The public has been hoodwinked by television, movies, magazines, newspapers, and novels into believing that premarital sexual experimentation is the normal thing to do_and thus, by implication, the right thing to do. It has become such a common thing that even young believers in Christ are sometimes surprised to find that the Bible forbids it. And even if some are able to resist the pressures and temptations to engage in sexual activity within casual relationships and friendships, they may not be prepared to resist the additional temptations present while "going steady" or while preparing for marriage during an engagement period. It may even be argued by some, "What harm can it do? We are planning to get married anyway." In addition to the many scriptures already referred to forbidding fornication, we note in Deut. 22:13-21 that it was expected of young women that they should enter into the marriage relationship as virgins. (And we can be sure that the intent of Scripture is that the young men should enter into marriage as virgins as well.)

Mary could never have been chosen as the mother of the Messiah if she had been influenced by the thinking that characterizes the world today_and is influencing many Christians as well_that if two people are in love or engaged to be married, then any degree of physical demonstration of their love is acceptable. God honored Mary’s purity and He will honor all young men and women who wish to please Him by remaining virgins until marriage by helping them to achieve truly happy marriages.

As a further scriptural evidence against premarital sexual activity, consider the apostle Paul’s words to the church at Corinth:"I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Cor. 11:2). Marriage is a type of the union between Christ and His Church (Eph. 5). This "Church age" is actually the Church’s engagement period; the marriage ceremony will not take place until after Christ comes to raise up the Church to Himself in the "rapture" (1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 19:7). Just as the Church is to be presented as a chaste virgin to Christ, our Bridegroom, so it is beautiful and pleasing to God when a Christian couple enters into marriage as virgins.

This topic will be continued, Lord willing, in the next couple of issues with a consideration of committing adultery in one’s heart, divorce, homosexuality, and, on a more positive note, elements of a happy marriage.

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" (Exod. 20:16). "Thou shalt not raise a false report; put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment… Keep thee far from a false matter…. Thou shalt take no gift; for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous" (Exod. 23:1,2,7,8). The ninth commandment refers to lying in a way that one’s neighbor (that is, another person with whom one is acquainted) is unjustly accused or convicted. Closely linked with this is taking a bribe to pervert justice (Exod. 23:8).

Lying is not only sinful when directed at one’s neighbor. Gehazi sinned when he told Naaman that Elisha had changed his mind and would receive Naaman’s gift after all. He followed this with a lie to Elisha when asked where he went (2 Kings 5:20-25). Gehazi lied in order to satisfy his covetousness.

Ananias and Sapphira lied for a somewhat different reason. At a time, in the early weeks of the history of the Church, when the more wealthy saints were selling their land or houses and distributing the proceeds to the poorer believers, Ananias and Sapphira sold a possession and brought only a portion of the proceeds to be distributed to the poor (Acts 4:33-37; 5:1,2). Now there was no clear-cut sin in holding back some for themselves. The sin occurred when they lied in representing their gift as the total proceeds from the sale when in fact it was only part (verses 3,4). In other words, the sin of lying developed out of a root of hypocrisy — pretending to a greater degree of devotedness to the Lord than was really there.

Lying is not an insignificant sin in God’s eyes. "These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto Him:A proud look, a lying tongue,… a false witness that speaketh lies" (Prov. 6:16-19). "Lying lips are abomination to the Lord" (Prov. 12:22). Gehazi’s punishment for lying was the receipt of Naaman’s dread disease_leprosy_just as he had received, under false pretenses, Naaman’s gift. Ananias and Sapphira’s punishment was instant death_a warning that even in a period of great grace shown to man, God will not be mocked by the religious pretensions of those who claim to belong to Him. The prescribed judgment under the law for one found guilty of bearing false witness against another was to bring the judgment intended for the innocent person upon his false accuser (Deut. 19:16-19; read also the account of Haman and Mordecai in Esther 5:9-7:10).

We have considered lying out of spite toward one’s neighbor, lying to satisfy one’s greed, and lying as part of a false front, or hypocrisy. What, now, about lying out of fear, to protect oneself from danger? Is this, or any other kind of lying ever justified?

Abraham feared that the Egyptians would kill him so they could have his wife, who "was very fair." So he asked her to pass as his sister so that he might at least save his own skin if any of the princes of Egypt decided they wanted Sarah (Gen. 12). The unsuspecting princes did take her that the Pharaoh might have her for his wife; they even paid Abraham handsomely for this prize. But as the outcome of this untruth, plagues came upon Pharaoh’s house and Abraham and Sarah were expelled from Egypt in disgrace because of their lie. It is quite clear from the account in Genesis 12 that the Lord would have taken good care of Abraham and Sarah if they had told the truth. (See also Genesis 20 and 26 for similar accounts in the lives of Abraham and Isaac.)

Sarah lied to the Lord out of fear:"The Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old?… Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid." For this the Lord rebuked Sarah, albeit rather gently, "Nay, but thou didst laugh" (Gen. 18:10-15).

Simon Peter boasted to the Lord, the night before the crucifixion, "I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison and to death" (Luke 22:33). Yet, later that same evening he was so afraid for his own safety that he lied three times when asked if he was one of Christ’s disciples (verses 56-60). The Lord rebuked Peter without saying a word:"And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter … and Peter went out and wept bitterly" (verses 61,62). Later, Peter was wonderfully restored to the Lord and became a bold ambassador for the crucified and risen Christ (John 21:15-19; Acts 3:12-4:14).

Thus, it seems clear that God does not look favorably upon lying, even when done for self-protection. In my ministry at the Baltimore City Jail, where most of the inmates are awaiting court appearances, I have often counseled the men to tell the absolute truth in court, whatever the cost might be, and to plead mercy of the court and place themselves in God’s hands. It would be far better for them to receive a prison sentence and have God with them than to be sent back to the streets without God.

In the next issue, Lord willing, we shall consider some further aspects of lying, including that most respectable of sins_"jes’ kidding"_as well as the matter of speaking the truth in a negative or harmful manner.

There are a number of parables which deal with the proper attitude of servants while waiting for their master’s return from some far place. Christ used this metaphor as a symbol of His people waiting for His return to earth.

The first set appears in Matt. 24:45-51 and Luke 12:35-48. The disciples had been asking when the end of the age would be. The Old Testament prophets had spoken of "the last days" and the "day of the Lord" when things would be different. The disciples now knew that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah who would effect these changes, but when would He do it? The Lord Jesus told them only the Father knows the time. How then should they behave while waiting? The parables in the verses mentioned above tell us that the servants should be carrying out their responsibilities at all times as if they expected their Lord that very minute.

In Luke’s Gospel, Peter asks if Christ is addressing these thoughts to the disciples or to everyone. Then the Lord gives the parable of the especially responsible slave who is in charge of the welfare of the other slaves. How is this slave judged when his master returns? By the manner in which he has treated his fellow slaves! Not by how he has dressed or cut his hair, not by how many hours he has spent in the synagogue or studying the Scriptures, but by how he has treated his fellow slaves. Has he cared for them, making sure they were well fed, or has he eaten most of the supplies himself? Has he been beating or mistreating his fellow servants? None of us physically beat our fellow Christians, but do we abuse them verbally? Do we discourage their spiritual growth by a critical attitude? Do we want to nourish and nurture other Christians or is our main thought to "discipline" them for any deviation from "correctness?" How we treat other Christians is very important to the Lord Jesus, for they too are part of His body.

Another set of parables with the same theme (servants waiting for their Lord) but with a different emphasis is found in Matt. 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27. In both parables the Lord entrusts certain assets to his servants before leaving on a journey and upon his return asks the servants to account for their use of those assets during his absence. In both parables one servant has declined to use the assets at all, but has hidden them away. His excuse is that he was afraid of the master and afraid that if he lost the money in some sort of speculation the master would punish him. In the parable the master punishes him for not attempting anything with his assets. The unproductive servant assumed the master would be angry if the servant ventured the assets and made no profit, or, worse, lost the principle. The tone of the parable implies that laziness or self-centeredness (what’s best for me rather than what’s best for my master) was more offensive to the master than lack of success after an honest effort.

The Lord Jesus has entrusted each one of us with gifts, assets, abilities, etc. What are we doing with them? All of us would agree that laziness or self-centeredness are unbecoming to Christ’s servants (and let us remember we are all Christ’s servants), but have we hidden away our assets because we fear we won’t succeed in our use of them? It is our business to work according to God’s will; it is God’s business to measure success. Obedience and diligence in His service may be of more value to God than our measures of success in His service. From a natural viewpoint, the Lord’s work can be very discouraging. Often people to whom we have ministered the gospel for years die without any evidence of having trusted Christ, children who have attended Sunday school or Bible clubs grow up and lead sinful lives, people who have shown great interest in the assembly suddenly lose interest and never come back again, and so on and on. Our natural response to all this is, "What’s the use? Why waste my time, effort, money on all this? Why not just enjoy myself?" The answer is because God’s bookkeeping and ours are different and because only He knows the whole story. What seems like failure to us may be counted success by Him. We won’t know the whole story until we see Him face to face. That is what faith is_believing when we can’t see. If we knew everything now, we wouldn’t need faith. "Let us not be weary in welldoing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not" (Gal. 6:9). The harvest is yet future but we all know there will never be a plentiful harvest with scanty planting. How are we behaving while we wait for our Lord? "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know [by faith] that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58).

FRAGMENT "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name" (Heb. 6:10).

Never mind where your work is. Never mind whether it be visible or not. Never mind whether your name is associated with it. You may never see the issues of your toil here. You are working for eternity. If you cannot see results here, remember God does see them, and if you are faithful now, your work will follow you. So do your duty and trust in God.

FRAGMENT And we believe Thy Word, though dim our faith may be; Whate’er for Thine we do, O Lord, we do it unto Thee.

If John 3:16 had been written about Christians, it might have read something like this:

For the Christian so loved the world,

That he told them what to do; But his words perished ere they left his lips, For there were no deeds to light the way. What are you doing about the needy? They are all around us, you know:in our assemblies, in our neighborhoods, and probably even within our circle of friends. They are in our cities, throughout our country, and across the ocean in other lands. They are Christian and non-Christian, rich and poor, young and old, male and female. Who are these needy? They are the troubled, the hungry, the sorrowful, the sick in mind or body, those searching for an answer.

Do you know anyone who is needy? If you don’t, you obviously haven’t looked! Open your eyes and look around, because the needy are pressing in on every side! Jesus said, "For the poor always ye have with you" (John 12:8). Are you blind to this simple statement of fact? Jesus wasn’t suggesting that trying to help the poor was a waste of time. Nor do I think He limited His definition of "poor" to just those without money.

Do you remember how the story of the good Samaritan begins? A lawyer had come to Jesus and asked what he should do to inherit eternal life. Jesus turned the question back on him and asked what was written in the law. To this the lawyer replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." He got the essence of the law exactly right, but like many lawyers, the man was looking for a loophole. Apparently he did not have any objections to loving God; it was the love your neighbor part that bugged him. Maybe, though, he could even do that, assuming, of course, that his neighbor was lovable. After all, the man down the street was a lot like him, and even the people next door he had learned to get along with. So, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus’ answer was one he probably did not expect:"A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee" (Luke 10:30-35).

How many times have you read the story of the good Samaritan and shaken your head over the unloving, uncaring, insensitive, selfish attitude of the Pharisee and the Levite. Honestly, though, what would you have done for the man? Thrown him a tract and rushed off before the robbers got you, too? Before you answer too quickly, ask yourself what you are doing about the people lying beaten and naked in the ditches today_the poor, the prisoners, the troubled, the homeless, the estranged, the suffering, the wayward. Let us take a moment to examine the record.

A Dismal Record

Most will agree that, on the whole, Christian evangelism is pretty weak. Yes, there are people earnestly telling the good news of Jesus Christ around the world, but down on an individual level, our efforts are generally quite ineffective and sporadic. Bud Wilkinson, former football coach at the University of Oklahoma, was asked by a reporter, "What is the contribution of modern football to physical fitness?" Wilkinson’s answer was, "Absolutely nothing. … I define football as 22 men on the field who desperately need rest and 50,000 people in the grandstand who desperately need exercise." I think that is a pretty good picture of the Church today. A few dedicated individuals are diligently serving the Lord while the rest of us sit placidly in the grandstand.

Although our efforts in evangelism may be weak, they look positively robust when compared to the care we have for our fellow Christians. The salvation of souls is certainly one of our important objectives, but the unsaved are not the only needy. We also have an obligation to help our fellow Christians. Unfortunately, we often give the troubled and needy Christian even less regard than the unsaved. Isn’t the Christian who is trying to cope with a difficult personal problem, or the Christian who has fallen into sin just as much in need of our outreach as the unsaved? People in difficulty may get mentioned in a prayer meeting, but how often do they get a visit, a phone call, or a letter? How often do we give them our time, not just casually offer to help out, but really give them our time all wrapped up in a neat package that they can’t refuse? In my experience, not often enough.

Every day we impassively look the other way while our fellow Christians suffer. Maybe as you were passing by that Christian lying in the ditch, you walked over and said one of the following:

"You are a Christian, you ought to know better."

"A Christian shouldn’t be bothered by trivial things like that. Snap out of it!"

"Be careful for nothing."

"My, my what a pity, the Lord is certainly judging him; if only he had walked closer to the truth."

"I know medical care is expensive, but I’m sure that he can afford it."

"If you would only start coming to meeting more regularly, I’m sure that you will find things becoming a lot better."

"The Lord is dealing with him; we can’t do the work of the Holy Spirit, so we should not get involved."

These are the kinds of attitudes that stand between us and the help that some of our fellow Christians so desperately need. Have you ever said or thought anything like that about someone in trouble? If that is your idea of help, then you are about as helpful as the Pharisee and the Levite who passed by the poor wretch in the ditch. Instead of drawing near in love, you smugly pass by at a distance and shout advice at those in need. Oh, the advice may be correct and proper, and even scriptural. But can they hear you? Are you reaching or only preaching?

Where were you the last time someone needed you? Were you rushing home to your comfortable house in the suburbs, climbing the ladder of success in your career (or studying in college so you can begin the climb), vacationing at your cottage by the lake, deciding which model of new car best suits your tastes and image, catching some rays at the beach, watching TV, or debating the weekend plans with your family. I ask again, what are you doing about the needy? Are you getting involved to help them meet their needs, or are you passing by on the other side? James said, "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?" (Jas. 2:15,16). Are you reaching or preaching?

But aren’t we supposed to preach to people? After His resurrection, Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Perhaps your image of preaching is a fiery sermon, passing out tracts on the street, buttonholing the person sitting next to you, or proselytizing your co-workers. This kind of preaching can certainly be used to reach souls, but I think that Jesus had a lot more in mind when He gave us that command in Mark 16:15. It takes more than a stirring sermon or a brief encounter to bring a lost soul to Christ. The "60-minute miracle" is rare indeed. Wars are won in the trenches, and so is the war for souls.

Please don’t misunderstand. I am not criticizing preaching. Whether it is an evangelistic effort aimed at reaching large numbers of people, or a class for Christians, preaching has its place. Jesus Himself spoke to the multitudes. But Jesus also did a lot of reaching out to individuals. What I am advocating is a balanced approach such as He took. Let us use the two-way street of a personal outreach to build the foundation for effective public preaching.

Giving It Away

We who claim to know the truth of God have an awesome responsibility. And what is that responsibility? We must not just hold the truth, but we must give it away by acting it out in our lives. If we try to hold it, we will eventually lose it through atrophy. Each day that passes without the truth being used, we grow spiritually a little weaker until what we hold is more tradition than truth. But if we give it away we will receive it back again_with interest. We must each breathe life into our beliefs and make our faith a "living faith" (read Jas. 2:18). Don’t you believe that when one member suffers, all members suffer? Don’t you believe that each new soul brought into the body enhances the functioning of the body? If you believe these truths, why is it that your practice is so contrary to your beliefs?

We must help tear down the wall of isolation that we have built around ourselves and around the Church. To do this, we must all come eyeball-to-eyeball with other people. Those of us who live in big cities brush shoulders every day with literally hundreds of people. Who are these people? What do they think about, care about, and perhaps cry about? Do you see them as people with fears, hopes, problems, interests, needs, or do you see them as "Gospel Trophies" waiting to be bagged by the evangelical hunter? Don’t just think about the stranger on the street, either. How much do you know about the person sitting next to you in the assembly, your co-workers, your neighbor across the street, or the boy who cuts your grass? What are his needs; what are her needs?

"But I have enough of my own problems; I certainly don’t need someone else’s too." How true. Withdrawal is always easier than involvement. I see it every day in the subways of Tokyo_hundreds of people packed cheek-to-jowl in a subway car, like sardines in a can, each staring impassively into space, sleeping, or burying himself or herself in a book, newspaper, or magazine. None would be more alone if the car were empty.

Many of us are just like those Tokyo subway riders when it comes to the needs of those around us. We prefer the impersonal approach. We give our money to the assembly, the United Way, or some other worthwhile organization. We mail our tracts to the relatives of the recently deceased. We rely on the gospel meeting, radio and television evangelists, and tracts to spread the good news of salvation. Of course if the person is a troubled Christian, there are ample meetings where excellent truth is preached. These types of outreach can reach the maximum number of people with a minimum of personal involvement. What more can you ask?

What more indeed! You can ask about effectiveness. You can ask about how Jesus approached people’s needs. If you ask these questions, and look for the answers, you will find that there is a better way. The better way is taking other people’s needs upon yourself. The better way is following Jesus’ example in interacting with people on a heart-to-heart basis. When you come to people on a personal level, you plow the ground to prepare for the sowing of God’s seed. It is only after proper preparation of the soil that direct sowing of the seed through radio, television, gospel meetings, tracts, or personal presentation of the gospel can truly be effective.

A Sterling Example

Our record may be pretty dismal, but if you want a sterling example of a compassionate, loving outreach, you need only look at Christ Himself. Throughout the four Gospels, time after time, Jesus reached out and gave of Himself to help other people. His disciples, publicans and sinners, friends, strangers, children, Roman soldiers, and even the Pharisees were recipients of His loving concern. Can you imagine the Son of God taking the time to reach out to people who were sometimes indifferent, frequently didn’t understand Him, often argued with Him, sometimes hated Him, and who were all sinners? Let us take a brief look at some of Jesus’ encounters with those around Him.

Disciples. He called each of them individually to follow Him. Each one was treated as an individual and He put up with their personal quirks and foibles. They had a hard time grasping why He was here (they expected a kingly Messiah), but He patiently nurtured them and taught them. He mediated their petty bickering and squabbling, and taught them important principles and truths in the process. Out of this polyglot group of men He molded the apostles who would lay the foundation of His body, the Church.

Publicans and sinners. No respectable Jew would have been seen with these people. Jesus not only was seen with them, but He talked to them, ate with them, and even called one of them (Matthew) to be an apostle. What was it about Jesus that attracted people to Him? Why did people flock to hear Jesus and ignore the religious establishment? The Pharisees were full of good words, but Jesus had the deeds to back up His words. He lived what He said.

Friends. There is no scene in Scripture quite as touching and poignant as Jesus weeping at the grave of Lazarus. What did He have to cry about? He knew that in just a few minutes He would be calling Lazarus forth from the grave, didn’t He? Of course He did, but there He was anyway, reaching out to Mary and Martha in their sorrow. Can you imagine what this simple display of love and compassion must have meant to these grief-stricken women?

Strangers. What do a crazy man, a blind man, and a cripple have in common? They were all healed by Jesus_they and many others. I doubt that He had seen most of them before, and perhaps never saw many of them again. Why did He bother to heal their bodies when their spirits were what really needed attention? For a sign? That could have been accomplished by some spectacular rearrangement of the local landscape. I believe that Jesus had compassion for the whole man_body, soul, and spirit_and reached out to meet every aspect of human need.

Children. The day had undoubtedly been long and tiring. First, there had been the multitudes bringing their sick. Jesus had healed the sick and taken the opportunity to teach the crowd. Then the Pharisees had challenged Him with a trick question on divorce. Now a bunch of little kids were brought to Him for blessing. Not even Jesus’ disciples wanted to be bothered, and they made their feelings known in no uncertain terms. What was Jesus’ reaction? "And they brought young children to Him that He should touch them; and His disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. . . . And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them" (Mark 10:13-16).

Roman soldiers. Even the Roman soldiers occupying the land of Israel were the recipients of Jesus’ kindness. If another country had conquered your country, how nice would you be to the soldiers sent there to keep things under control? When the Roman centurion came to Jesus about his sick servant, Jesus’ response was simple and direct, "I will come and heal him" (see Matt. 8:5-13). What an impact this must have had on the centurion (to say nothing of the servant)!

Pharisees. Why did Jesus waste His time responding to the Pharisee’s questions? They certainly weren’t His most ardent supporters. All they were trying to do was trap Him with "trick" questions. He knew that the hard-core Pharisees were not going to be swayed by His answers, so why did He bother? Obviously Jesus did not consider His responses a waste of time. In spite of their lofty arrogance, He loved the Pharisees, too. So, even though the questions were not asked out of a genuine desire to learn, Jesus still answered them. For example, in Matthew 9, the Pharisees asked Jesus’ disciples, "Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?" When Jesus heard about their question, He gave them an answer that was both a stinging rebuke and a gracious invitation. Jesus’ answer was, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what this means, I will have mercy and not sacrifice; for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." By showing the self-righteous Pharisees that they were sinners, He delivered a mouth-stopping rebuke. But in His answer, He opened the door of repentance and salvation not only to tax collectors, but to self-righteous Pharisees, too. Perhaps not many of the hard-core Pharisees were touched by Jesus’ answers, but how many curious bystanders found just what they needed?

These are just a few examples of how Jesus reached out to those around Him. There are many more in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Take the time to read through one or more of these books and look specifically at how Jesus interacted with those around Him. A better example you will never find.

In the next issue we will consider the how and why of a practical outreach. First, we will look at goals and objectives. Why do we want to reach out to others, and what do we intend to accomplish? Next, we will spend some time on people’s needs and how to meet them. Finally, the spotlight will be turned on ourselves and what we can do.

"Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2).

There are difficulties, trials, sorrows, infirmities, and circumstances of the most variedly painful nature that press upon the children of God. If we wish to show our value for the saints, let us stoop down and take up that which our brother groans under. The Ten Commandments may not demand it, but in so doing we will fulfill the law of Christ. This is the law for us Christians. It is not a question of the law of Moses for that is the measure with which God deals with the natural man. Here He is dealing with those who are living in the Spirit.

What, then, is this "law of Christ"? Perhaps it could be defined as that inner motivation that led the Lord Jesus always to do His Father’s will. Christ was always occupied about others. He never did, in one act of His life, His own will. His existence here below was characterized by being always obedient and truthful in love.

The law of Christ directs those who live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit. It motivates us to interest our souls about saints in need and distress. Even if there is that in our brother which is positively evil, it will cast us upon God to bring out something from Christ suited to lift up the soul that has slipped into the mire. If we want to know the law of Christ and the will of God, we need only study how Christ lived and behaved and interacted with men and women when He was here on earth. He came into a world full of evil and opposition to God, full of pride and vanity, and what did He do? He "went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil" (Acts 10:38). Though we may not be able to work miracles, yet in all that is in spirit like Christ, the moral principle of the life of Christ here below is precisely that which every believer has. If you have Christ at all, you have Christ not only for atonement, but as your life. He that believes on the Son has everlasting life, and the everlasting life is Christ. By being born into the world from Adam 1 have got an old natural life that loves evil, and which, as it grows in strength, grows in capacity for self-will. Even so, if I believe in Christ, there is this new life produced which is developed in proportion as Christ is fed upon and looked to, and as Christ’s words and ways are pondered over by the soul.

"Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." This is what Christ did when He was here below. He did not please Himself. He never chose the path of ease, but, on the contrary, every case of wretchedness and sin and sorrow was what occupied the Lord Jesus according to the will of God. When He took His place as man on earth, there was the continual exercise of communion between the Lord Jesus and His Father, the spirit of dependence upon the living God that never acted without His Father’s direction. And so it should be with our souls. If we are thus laying ourselves out to bear one another’s burdens, we need to wait upon God about it to know what the will of the Lord is. And in doing so we fulfill "the law of Christ."

(From Notes on the Epistle to the Galatians.)