"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things
done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10).

It is for the glory of God that every work done by man should appear as it really is before Him
who is ordained by God Judge of living and dead. But let it be made very clear that as the believer
is by grace exempted from judgment both as a partaker of everlasting life and as having in Jesus
a perfectly efficacious Saviour, his standing before the judgment seat assumes the character of
manifestation, and in no way of a trial with the awful possibility of destruction. The child of God
is glorified before he stands there, and there will not be the slightest effect of the outcome upon
the salvation which he now enjoys by faith. He will give account of himself to God and be
manifested there. And it will be for God’s glory as well as for the perfect blessing of the believer
that everything in his life should come to light and that he himself should know even as he is
known (1 Cor. 13:12).

Nothing will blind the eye then, no unsuspected motive will warp the heart or mind before the
judgment seat of Christ. The merciful care, the overruling power of God in all our ways will
appear in their astonishing wisdom and goodness, no longer concealed by the mists of this life.
We shall know perfectly what debtors we were to grace, and the resources and activity of that
grace in our checkered history and experience_both the rich mercy of God at the first and His
boundless patience to the last. Even now what a comfort for us it is to have renounced the
dishonesty of the natural heart, to judge ourselves unsparingly in the presence of love that never
fails, to be in the light of God, and to have no guile in our spirit. Perfect love casts out fear; we
love Him who first loved us, and do not shirk but welcome the light which makes everything
manifest. We no longer walk in darkness as once when we had no true knowledge of God; we
walk in the light as He is in the light.

While our manifestation before the judgment seat of Christ is yet future, we have the privilege of
preparing for and anticipating that in this present life. God sometimes gives the Christian a period
of quiet, perhaps occasioned by sickness, during which he can review his ways and examine
himself alone with God, when human energy, self-love, or flattery do not stand in the way of a
holy self-judgment. And this is experienced all the more deeply as he firmly holds to the assurance
of God’s changeless favor. That self-review and self-judgment which is begun before God in this
life will be complete and perfect in that day when we_already caught up and glorified in the
body_shall be manifested before the judgment seat without a trace of the shame that either hides
or with pain confesses. It is great gain to have such times on earth, though the process be but
imperfect; even greater is the gain as this becomes a regular habit with us. And how full will be
the blessing when all is absolutely out in love and light with Christ!

The manifestation has this result, "That every one may receive the things done in his body,
according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." While on the one hand God is not
unrighteous to forget the work of faith and labor of love, on the other hand, failure and wrong will
entail loss. And the soul itself will in full intelligence and unmurmuring adoration bow and bless
Him who orders the place of each in the kingdom, and who (while never abandoning His own

sovereignty) will take note of the greater or less fidelity and devotedness of each in service or
ways.

Thus will God be vindicated, displayed, and enjoyed in all that He is and does; and thus will the
saint have perfect communion with all, in not a single detail missing the joy and blessedness of
what He is to all His own and to each for ever.

The wicked will also be manifested, but it will be at a considerably later time and it will have a
wholly different character and effect. The judgment seat in this case will be the judgment of the
great white throne after the reign of the thousand years, when the dead small and great are not
manifested only, but judged each according to their works (Rev. 20). They refused the Saviour;
they stood in their own righteousness or were indifferent about the lack of it, thinking nothing of
God or counting Him like themselves. They had no life, no faith in Christ; they rise to a
resurrection not of life but of judgment, for God will judge all who do not believe. And if the
righteous be saved with difficulty, with a difficulty which nothing but sovereign grace in Christ
could surmount, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? It is eternal judgment dealing with
evil, and the issues are as sure as they are awful and endless.

"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" (v. 11). That manifestation before
the judgment seat awakens no alarm for the believer, but rather anxiety for "men," for all in their
natural state who have not Christ. How deep and loud and constant is the call for those who
believe to arouse those who do not believe_to "persuade men" on the one hand of the wickedness,
the folly, and the danger of sin; and on the other of the reality, the freeness, the fulness, the
certainty of salvation in Christ.

(From Notes on Second Corinthians.)

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake:for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner
of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:for great is your reward
in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (Matt. 5:10-12).

So far we have seen in the beatitudes chiefly the character Of God’s children; now we turn to
meditate for a little on their position in an evil world. The moral character of those who belong
to Christ must necessarily arouse the spirit of persecution, and expose them to trial, until the
kingdom of heaven is set up in power and glory. Had no special blessing been pronounced on this
condition of things, the disciples might have been ready to say that their state was anything but
blessed. But this would have been the natural, not the spiritual, way of thinking; walking by sight,
not by faith. Surely much unbelief still lurks in the hearts of believers! But oh, the grace, the rich
and abounding grace, of our Lord Jesus! He pronounces those twice blessed who are exposed to
persecution from the world. This completes the beautiful picture of His people’s character and
condition, and adds great interest and fulness to every circumstance of their position while the
kingdom is in abeyance.

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake:for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven." This must have been a strange language to those who were looking for outward glory,
or a reign of peace, a paradise on earth. But the Lord plainly sets before His disciples what their
new position would be in this world, and the more distinct their likeness to Himself, the heavier
would be their persecutions. But He especially refers, in this beatitude in verse 10, to the
righteousness which brings persecution in this life. For example, a Christian who is walking with
the Lord fears to do what is wrong and desires to do what is right; he seeks to maintain a
conscience void of offence toward God and toward man. This is the breastplate of righteousness.
But he is offered, perhaps, a promotion in his position if he will agree to do something which he
fears not to be right. The offer may be a tempting one and he is needy. But no, he waits on the
Lord; he brings the matter before Him; light shines, the tempter’s object is seen, and he positively
refuses; righteousness prevails, but he suffers for it. He is misunderstood, is called foolish, or it
may be fanatic, and madman. He not only loses what was offered but what he had; he is of no use;
he loses his job. Still he can say, "My present loss, under the righteous government of God, will
prove my eternal gain." He has a clear conscience, a happy heart; he is drawn closer to the Lord
in dependence on Him. "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake:for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven." When the king returns from the far country and calls His own servants
around Him, it will be wonderful to hear Him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant:
thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into
the joy of thy Lord" (Matt. 25:21).

Here let us pause a little. Let us consider carefully the many ways in which we may be faithful
or unfaithful. Are there not many shades of practical unrighteousness in the affairs of this life? But
they must all be flight up against and measured by a righteous standard. How solemn, though how
blessed the thought, of being manifested before the tribunal of Christ_of having every thought,
word, and act brought into the light, examined and estimated there. Do we expect to hear Him

say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"? I do not press for an answer, but let your heart
answer to Him. Be manifested before Him now; seek to do the whole will of God in all things and
during all your earthly days. Considering what the Lord has said about our blessings here, what
must it be hereafter, when He will have everything His own way, and when every blessedness
shall have its full and everlasting reflection in us! May we, then, fear to sin, even though we may
have to suffer for it.

We come now to the closing beatitude of the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are ye, when men shall
revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake."
The promised blessing to the sufferers for Christ’s sake has some sweet and precious peculiarities
in it. And note that this promise is very personal. "Blessed are ye" rather than the abstract,
"Blessed are they." He is looking at the disciples around Him and, knowing what they would have
to pass through, He speaks directly to their hearts and gives them to feel His personal interest in
them and their personal nearness to Himself. This must always be the case when we suffer for His
name’s sake. This is a much higher thing than suffering for righteousness’ sake, though the two
may often go together. Many an upright mind has suffered for righteousness’ sake, who knew not
the Saviour’s love or His saving grace. Naturally upright, they would not stoop to deceive, and
suffered for it. Even natural uprightness is too straight for the crooked ways of this sad, deceitful
world. Oh, how difficult and trying is the path of the Christian in the midst of it all! He must live
and walk by the Word of the Lord and in communion with Him if he would be preserved from
a defiled conscience and a feeble testimony.

Suffering for Christ’s sake is the result of speaking about Him to others. Not merely giving a
decided no when we are asked or enticed to do what is wrong, but having an earnest heart that
watches every opportunity to speak about the blessed Lord and salvation, even, if possible, to
those who would put difficulties in our way. There are always plenty of worldly-wise Christians
near us to check zeal and hinder faithfulness by what passes under the fair name of prudence.

‘ There is a time and place for everything,” it may be suggested, "and there is no use in offending
others, losing your influence, and throwing away your prospects for life. Surely we are not called
upon to be always speaking about Christ and the gospel; you may cause your good to be evil
spoken of." Such fair speeches and plausible reasons may come from the lips of some lukewarm
Christian or mere professor of Christianity; and thus these people may, at least for a time, be
doing the enemy’s work. The voice is the enemy’s, regardless of whose lips have uttered the
words. We are certain it is not the voice of Jesus; His sheep hear His voice and follow Him.

When Christ is precious to our hearts, such reasonings have no power. We see Him to be worth
infinitely more than all that the world can do or give. The fair words of prudence fall to the
ground; grace triumphs. Christ is before the soul; He commands all its energy; His love inspires
the tongue; the lips cannot be refrained; His name burns in our hearts, it burns in our words, and
we long for it to burn in the hearts and on the lips of others.

In the proportion that Christ is before the soul, in the proportion that He commands it, in that
proportion will be our faithfulness and our sufferings. It may not be bodily suffering or even
worldly loss; but a very narrow path will be left for such to walk in, and a wide path of rejection.

Save for those who are in the same narrow way, such an one would be alone and despised in the
world. You may speak of religion in a general way, of preachers, of churches, of missions to the
heathen, of societies for doing good, and be popular; but speak of the Lord Himself, of His
precious blood, of the full assurance of salvation, of oneness with Hun in heaven, of separation
from the world, of standing apart from all its shows and entertainments, and you will rapidly
reduce the number of your friends. And as far as the enemy can gain power, you will be reviled
and persecuted for His name’s sake. It may be nothing more than cold rejection, a contemptuous
sneer, but the same spirit would lay the fagots and silence the witness in the flames of martyrdom.
Who were the most implacable enemies of the Lord and His servant Paul? The most religious men
in Israel. Is the world or human nature changed? We believe not.

But all this was anticipated by the blessed Lord, and graciously provided for. He thinks of
everything. The saints are never dearer to His heart than when despised and suffering for His
sake. "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of
evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:for great is your reward
in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Should they suffer unto
death, heaven will be their immediate home. "Great is your reward in heaven." And they will also
have the honor of following in the footsteps of those who suffered as the heralds of His
coming_who testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

The Lord grant that our meditations on these beautiful beatitudes may leave an indelible
impression of the Saviour’s character on the whole life of both the writer and the reader.

It is a strange and humbling and prevalent fact that few Christians understand their own
Christianity. Yet it is true that there are many brethren in the Lord who know more about the Jews
than they do about their own Christianity. Pay close heed to this lest it be your own case. It is
always the truth most important for us that the devil tries to hide away from us, and turn us
bitterly from it. Nor is it only the bad things that he perverts to hinder our blessing. For many true
believers are kept back because they refuse to look for more than the forgiveness of their sins
through the gospel. Let us zealously seek to be taught of God. Let our eyes be fixed on the Lord
that we may be filled with fervor of spirit and purpose of heart. The question for our faith and
practice is the attitude that God assumes toward us, and our relation to Him while Christ is above
on His own right hand. How is the answer to this great truth to be carried out on the earth in the
heart and ways of those who believe? We will consider some verses in Ephesians 1 in this regard.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ; according as he hath chosen us in Him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love…. In
whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him
who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (w. 3-14).

At a time of utter evil it suited God to divulge the secret of His purpose. From before the
foundation of the world He chose us Christians, in Christ, that we should be holy and blameless
before Him in love. He would surround Himself above with beings like Himself:holy in nature,
blameless in ways, and with love as their animating principle as it is His own. Such we shall be
when His purpose takes full effect. We are sadly short now, but God’s purpose cannot fail; and
Christ will make every word good when He comes to receive us to Himself and to be like Himself
for the Father’s house.

God will surround Himself, not merely in heaven, but in its nearest circle of His own, with those
capable of holding communion with Him about everything that concerns His nature, counsels, and
ways. Can anything be more wonderful than the place He designs for Christians? We ought to be
therefore engaged in a course of spiritual education for it now; but until we are like Christ at His
coming, none will have yet arrived at the fulfilled purpose of God. But then we shall be absolutely
holy before God, and not a single thing to blame will be found in us, according to the working
whereby Christ is able to subdue all things to Himself. Instead of vanity or pride there will be love
that delights in God and His goodness without alloy. Even now are our hearts won to all this by
divine grace in partaking of a divine nature; but we justly feel how poor is our manifestation of
it now. How comforting is the purpose that every son of God will be absolutely thus according
to God’s nature.

Surely it is important for every true Christian to know what his new nature and relationship with
God are. God forbid that we should ever neglect or forget these things. As we consider God’s
purpose for His chosen ones, how deeply we are made to feel that all is ruin at the present time
and how deeply we are fallen from our true estate. Where, among those that bear the Lord’s
name, can be found anything similar to what is here revealed to the saints? The rarest thing to find

in Christendom is any answer to the description God gives of the Christian. Is it not so? What can
we say to such a fact? At best we are only learning what it is.

Having considered, briefly, God’s purposes for His sons and heirs, let us now consider His
purposes concerning the inheritance itself. This future inheritance is so immense, so illimitable,
that it embraces all heavenly and earthly creation, all that is to be put under Christ and
consequently under those who are united to Christ. Do Christians realize that they are to share it
all with Him? He would have us to apprehend it in all wisdom and intelligence. We need to know
our personal blessing first; but next we need to know what we shall share with Christ when He
takes the inheritance of all things. Spiritual understanding is requisite but is also abundantly given
for this express purpose.

We may be helped in this if we look at the first Adam. When God made the first man and put him
into the brightest part of the earth, or paradise as it is called, everything was "very good" (Gen.
1); but the very best were collected by Jehovah Elohim in His power for the head of mankind. So
He planted the garden for Adam with special provision, not for every use only, but for delight and
enjoyment also. And as Adam was constituted the lord of the lower creation here on earth, he was
enabled in God’s goodness, through the wisdom and intelligence conferred upon him, to give the
proper names to all cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field; for all these
were subjected to him. This is the more important because it is the appropriate sign of the
dominion given him. In Adam there was no question of sin. Adam herein assumed nothing in
pride:it was the Lord God that brought to him the animals to see what he would call them; and
whatsoever Adam called every living creature, it had His sanction. As master by divine
appointment, the right or title was recognized, as he had the wisdom and intelligence for that
function. Divine goodness had pleasure in it.

So Adam gave these names, and God recognized them. Very far greater are the things God has
done in Christ for us. A fair and beauteous scene it was with every creature in it that God
subjected to Adam. But what is that compared with the whole universe of God, and every creature
above and below, after all the ruin, gathered into united blessedness under Christ’s headship, and
ourselves associated with Christ in that place of honor over all things? God therefore caused grace
to abound toward us "in all wisdom and intelligence" that we might be capable even now of
entering with spiritual understanding into a scene so boundless.

May we all have an increasing desire to lay hold of these wonderful purposes of God concerning
both His heirs and His inheritance.

(From The Bible Treasury, Vol. 6N.)

"If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the
same shall save it" (Luke 9:23,24).

Denial of self is quite different from self-denial. Thousands have denied themselves food or things
they enjoyed immensely for the sake of their health or life. But this is not a denial of self. In early
centuries of Church history men sometimes lived in seclusion on the barest of diets_and still
found there had been no denial of self. To deny self is to put Christ on the throne of one’s life,
to make His will the governing factor, to constantly live in the spirit of "not I, but Christ" (Gal.
2:20).

"Let him … take up his cross daily"_this is the trial. A man might heroically do it once for all,
and he would have plenty of people to honor him, but it is very difficult to go on every day
denying oneself and no one knowing anything about it. But if you spare the flesh in this life, you
will lose your life in the next. If you lose your life here, you will get it elsewhere, above and
beyond this world.

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us … he that giveth, let him
do it with simplicity" (Rom. 12:6,8).

The apostle is speaking here of gifts and of the manner in which the various duties of Christians,
as members of one body, ought to be performed. He whose gift is riches, and who gives of his
substance for the needs of the poor or the work of the Lord, is to do it with simplicity. Let us
pause and note carefully this weighty caution. Nothing is more difficult than to distribute money
according to this word of the Lord. "Simplicity" here has the same sense as "singleness of heart,
fearing God" (Col. 3:22; Eph. 6:5). How searching is the Word of God! It guards against
ostentation, love of praise, wrong motives, improper objects; and on the other hand, it warns us
against all evasive pretexts, such as, "Not convenient, I receive so many requests, I am not able
to give, etc." (Ed. note:Probably one of the most common of these evasive pretexts today is, "I
cannot claim it as a deduction when figuring my income tax.")

At the same time, the Christian is but a steward, whether he distributes what may be called his
own, of the bounty of the church, and he is entitled to look for "simplicity and godly sincerity"
in the applicant as well as in himself. There are many plausible appeals made for money which,
when carefully examined, are found to be neither simple nor sincere. He must also watch against
the clever pleader who puts his soul in bondage through emotional appeals and makes him
unhappy unless he yields to the appeal.

Ed. note:While the writer of the preceding article refers to one "whose gift is riches," let us note
that Scripture simply refers to one "that giveth" and not necessarily to one who is wealthy. Many
impressive stories are told of Christian millionaires who give 90% of their income to the Lord’s
work and to the poor, and keep only 10% for themselves. But such are not necessarily the ones
referred to in Rom. 12:8. The one who has the gift of giving is one who is sensitive to the needs
of those about him, even when those needs may not be broadcast about and may not be obvious
to most others. Such a one is much before the Lord as to the use of his/her material possessions.
And the one "that giveth" has the God-given wisdom, compassion, liberality, and care for the
sensitivities of the recipients, to effectively meet such needs. It may well be that those whom God
recognizes as having the "gift of giving" are found more commonly among those of lower
economic classes, some of whom perhaps have at one tune known something of poverty
themselves, and who give _ perhaps at some cost to their own comforts and conveniences_to
relieve the needs of others even worse off than themselves. We who feel good about the extent of
our giving to the Lord should be reminded of the Macedonian Christians who, "out of the
abundance of their joy and their deep poverty," gave liberally to relieve the poor, persecuted saints
in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:2-4). There may be a tendency for it to be the other way around with us:
giving out of the abundance of our wealth and deep poverty of joy.

There is only one remedy for all the difficulties connected with giving, as for all other things. The
giver must walk before the Lord with purity of motive, free from all improper designs, and
waiting to do His will with an honest, impartial simplicity. When the eye is single, the whole body
is full of light; perplexity with darkness flees away, the mind of God is discerned, and the clear

light of heaven shines on the steward’s way.

(From Meditations on Christian Devotedness from Romans 12.)

And [Jesus] said unto them, 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).

How difficult it is to define this "covetousness"! how hard to bring it home to the conscience! It
is, as some one has said of worldliness, "shaded off gradually from white to jet black." It is only
as we are imbued with the spirit and mind of heaven, and thoroughly schooled in the principles
of eternity, that we shall be able to detect its working.

In the parable of the rich man, which the Lord here puts forth as an illustration of covetousness,
we see a character which the world respects and admires. But in this, as in every thing else
brought forward in this searching chapter, we see the difference between now and then_between
time and eternity. All depends upon the light in which you look at men and things. If you merely
look at them now, it may be all very well to get on in trade, and enlarge one’s business, and make
provision for the future. The man who does this is counted wise now, but he will be a "fool" then.
Let us remember that we must make God’s then to be our now; we must look at the things of time
in the light of eternity_the things of earth in the light of heaven.

"The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully" (verse 16). What sin is there in being
a successful agriculturist or merchant? If God blesses a man’s labor, should he not rejoice? Surely
yes; but mark the moral progress of a covetous heart. "He thought within himself." He did not
think in the presence of God but rather within the narrow compass of his selfish heart. Therefore
we need not marvel at his practical conclusion:"What shall I do, because I have no room where
to bestow my fruits?" What! Was there no way of using his resources with a view to God’s future?
Alas! no. Man has a future (or thinks he has) on which he counts, and for which he makes
provision; but self is the only object which figures in that future_self, whether in my own person
or that of my wife or child, which is morally the same thing.

The great object in God’s future is Christ, and true wisdom will lead us to fix our eye on Him,
and make Him our undivided object for time and eternity_now and then. But this, in the judgment
of a worldly man, is nonsense. Listen to the wisdom of earth, and the wisdom of those who are
under the influence of earthly maxims and habits:"And he said, This will I do:I will pull down
my barns, and built greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods." What a
miserable treasure house to contain the "all" of an immortal soul! God was not an item in the
catalogue. God was neither his treasury nor his treasure. "And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou
hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." Thus we see
that a worldly man’s provision is only "for many years." Make the best of it; it cannot go beyond
that narrow span of time. And this provision he offers to his never-dying soul as the basis of its
ease and merriment. How senseless! "But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall
be required of thee:then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?" And then mark
the moral of all this:"So is he [no matter who_saint or sinner] that layeth up treasure for himself,
and is not rich toward God."

My main object in this paper is to deal with Christian consciences. I ask the Christian reader,

therefore, whether it is in keeping with Christ’s doctrine, as set forth in the gospel, for His
disciples to lay up for themselves treasure on the earth. It seems almost an absurdity to pose such
a question in the face of Luke 12 and parallel scriptures. "Lay not up for yourselves treasure on
the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay
up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves
do not break through and steal." This is plain enough and only wants an honest conscience to
apply it in order to produce its proper results. It is directly contrary to the doctrine of the kingdom
of God, and perfectly incompatible with true discipleship, to lay up "treasure" in any shape or
form "on the earth." In this we have only to remember that we are in the kingdom of God in order
to know how we should act. The principles of that kingdom are eternal and binding upon every
disciple of Christ.

"And He said unto His disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what
ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body
is more than raiment" (verses 22,23). "Be careful [or anxious] for nothing," says the Spirit by the
apostle Paul. Why? Because God is caring for you. There is no use in two thinking about the same
thing when One can do everything and the other can do nothing. And after relieving the minds of
His disciples in reference to present supplies and future treasure, He says, "But rather seek ye the
kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you" (verse 31). That is, I am not to
seek the kingdom with the latent thought in my mind that my wants will be supplied in
consequence. That would not be true discipleship. A true disciple never thinks of anything but the
Master and His kingdom; and the Master assuredly think of him and his wants. That be free,
perfectly free, from care.

The Lord then adds, "Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not
old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." If I have treasure on earth, no matter
in what shape, my heart will be there also, and I shall be a downright worldly man. How shall I
most effectually empty my heart of the world? By getting it filled with Christ. He is the true
treasure which neither the world’s "bags" nor its "storehouses" can contain. The world’s barns
will fall and its bags will wax old:and then, what will become of the treasure? Truly "they build
too low that build beneath the skies."

Yet people will build and hoard up, if not for themselves, at least for their children, or in other
words, their second selves. And in numberless cases, the hoard, in place of proving a blessing,
proves a positive curse to the child by taking him off the proper ground appointed for him in
God’s moral government, namely, "working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may
have [not to hoard up for himself or for his second self, but] to give to him that needeth" (Eph.
4:28). This is God’s appointed ground for every man.

But why need I hoard up for my children? If I can trust God for myself, why not trust Him for
them likewise? Cannot the One who has fed and clothed me feed and clothe them also? Let not
the truth be misunderstood or misinterpreted. I am bound, by the powerful obligations of the word
and example of God, to provide for my own, for "if any provide not for his own, and specially
for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel" (1 Tim. 5:8).

This is plain enough. And, moreover, I am bound to fit my children, so far as God’s principles
admit and my province extends, for any service to which He may be graciously pleased to call
them. But I am no where instructed in the Word of God to give my children a hoard in place of
an honest occupation, with simple dependence upon a heavenly Father. As a matter of actual fact,
few children ever thank their fathers for inherited wealth; whereas they will ever remember, with
gratitude and veneration, having been led, by parental care and management, into a godly course
of action for themselves.

I shall only add, before closing this paper, that the Lord Jesus, who has sought to raise_by His
unearthly principles_the thoughts and affections of His disciples to their proper center and level,
gives them two things to do; and these two things may be expressed in the words of the Holy
Spirit:"To serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven" (1 Thess. 1:9,10).
The teaching of Luke 12, from verse 35 to the end, falls under these two headings. We have no
one else to serve but "the living God" and nothing to wait for_nothing worth waiting for_but
"His Son." May the Holy Spirit clothe His own Word with heavenly power so that it may come
home to the heart and conscience, and tell upon the life of every child of God, that the name of
the Lord Christ may be magnified and His truth vindicated in the conduct of those that belong to
Him. May the grace of an honest heart, and a tender, upright, well-adjusted conscience, be largely
ministered to each and all of us, so that we may be like a well-tuned instrument, yielding a true
tone when touched by the Master’s hand, and harmonizing with His heavenly voice.

(From "Now and Then, or Time and Eternity" in Miscellaneous Writings, Vol. 1.)

"Blessed are the pure in heart:for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8).

We now approach the most heavenly and lofty of all the beatitudes, and in some respects the most
difficult to make plain to others. Not, surely, that we should be less acquainted with a pure heart
than with a merciful heart, but the object of the pure heart, and the effect of seeing that object,
is a blessedness which transcends the power of language.

The moral condition of the heart or soul is here the important question. Since God is pure
absolutely, there must be purity of heart to appreciate Him. There is no thought here, we need
scarcely say, of bodily sight, for even Jesus is now hidden from our view. It is only with the eyes
of the heart or the moral vision of the soul_which is simply faith_that we can see God or
appreciate His excellency and glory; and this blessedness is made to depend on the condition of
the heart. "Blessed are the pure in heart:for they shall see God." The purer the heart is, the more
clearly it will see God, and the more clearly it sees God, the purer it must become. Thus the one
acts and reacts upon the other.

The purity of heart which is here pronounced "blessed" may be the result of faithfully following
in the line of the earlier beatitudes, especially the preceding one, which leads to the contemplation
of God in one of the most attractive aspects of His character_divine mercy. From the beginning
to the close of Scripture, mercy is spoken of as the grand prerogative and glory of God. The
Psalms especially speak much of His "mercy and His truth." To Him "belongeth mercy"; "He is
plenteous in mercy"; it is "above the heavens"; and "the earth is full of His mercy." Now the
simple or normal effect of drinking at this fountain of mercy is to become "merciful," and this
grace immediately precedes and leads the way to that moral perception of God which results in
purity of heart.

It may be well to notice here that we cannot make or keep the heart pure by trying to do so. Were
we to look within and make the condition of the heart our study and our object, we should sink
down, as many have done, into a state of mere mystical self-occupation. To be merciful, the heart
must have an object that is the perfect expression of the divine mercy; to be pure, it must have an
object that is absolute in purity. As the heart is not inherently pure, it can only be accounted so
by reflecting a pure object; and that object being Christ, we find in Him the true explanation of
a pure heart and seeing God. The heart is purified by faith in Christ who is the brightness of God’s
glory and the express image of His Person (see Acts 15:9, 1 Peter 1:22, Heb. 1:3). What relief,
what rest the heart finds in finding Him! No theories, no efforts, no experience can solve the
question of making the heart pure, but Himself_Himself known as the once lowly but now exalted
Man in glory.

May the eye of our faith rest on Him; meditate long, meditate deeply on Him; gaze now on that
"countenance transcendent." Blended there are the rays of all divine perfection. Majesty divine
as "the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God," mingling its many glories with the
sweet and lowly graces of godly sorrow, meekness, righteousness, mercy, holiness, and peace,
together with all goodness, wisdom, and love, is the God whom the pure heart sees.

But Christ must be our one object; a pure heart must be an undivided heart_ a whole heart. Thus
and thus only shall our whole body be full of light. All other objects but dim our spiritual vision.
"They looked unto Him," says the psalmist, "and were lightened." When darkness is loved rather
than light, there can be no perception or appreciation of moral beauty. Such was Israel’s
blindness, and such it is now, but the day is coming when they shall look on Him whom they
rejected and see in Him the glories and perfection of the Godhead. Then, truly, shall they see
God, and know the blessedness of being "pure in heart."

With the people of Israel, we know, this is future; but what of our own purity of heart? Is it a
present, deep, divine, blessed reality? Is my heart pure? Do I see God? These are solemn
question^ but proper ones; and God forbid that any of us should speak of these things without
knowing them personally in the divine presence. But surely we know Him in whom the holiness
of God is perfectly reflected. There only we can see God and have communion with Him.

Throughout the New Testament there is much said about purity of heart. It is looked for as the
true condition of all Christians, though, alas, all are not "pure in heart." So much is said, and said
truly, about the deceitfulness of the human heart in our discourses and papers that the expression
"pure in heart" is supposed, even by most Christians, to be a figure which is not intended to mean
what it says, and thus it is passed over. But Scripture means a great deal that is most definite by
pureness of heart. The apostle in writing to Timothy says, "Follow righteousness, faith, charity,
peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." This passage clearly teaches what we
are to look for and expect in all who come to the Lord’s table. Only such will suit Him who says,
I am "He that is holy, He that is true." The apostle Peter in his address to the council (Acts 15)
speaks of the Gentiles as "purifying their hearts by faith," and therefore as entitled to Christian
fellowship as the Jewish believers. And in his epistle he says, "Seeing ye have purified your souls
in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one
another with a pure heart fervently." The apostle James says similarly:"And purify your hearts,
ye double minded." John also, in speaking of the Lord’s coming, says, "And every man that hath
this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He [that is, Christ] is pure." Here the Lord Jesus is
brought before us, not only as being in Himself essentially pure, but as the measure and standard
of purity for us.

The hope of the Lord’s coming has thus a transforming power. In looking for Him and waiting
for Him now, we seek to purify ourselves even as He is pure. But when we see Him as He is in
the glory, we shall be like Him_perfectly conformed to Him in all things. Now we are
transformed by degrees, then we shall be conformed completely and for ever.

This is also the teaching of 2 Corinthians 3:"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass
the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit
of the Lord." The meaning is plain and most important:we behold the glory of the Lord in the
unveiled face of Jesus_the exalted Man in the glory_and are transformed according to the same
image from one degree of glory to another by the Lord the Spirit. But we are not only transformed
into His likeness morally, we are the reflectors of His glory. Now the believer is the glass in
whom the image of the Lord should be seen.

Oh, may nothing come between my heart and Him, that the likeness be not marred! The purer the
mirror, the more distinct will each feature appear. Language fails to express the heart’s joyous
wonder in meditating on this highest expression of sovereign grace. To be maintained in outward
purity, as men reckon, is a great mercy, and one for which we never can be too thankful. But to
be brought so near to the Lord, and to be so purified by faith as to become like a polished mirror
on which may be reflected His glory, transcends all power to express the praise and thanksgiving
due to His most blessed name.

The day is near when we will see our Lord face to face, and as He is_in all the deep realities of
His love and glory. The great promise of the New Jerusalem shall be fulfilled:"They shall see His
face, and His name shall be in their foreheads." The likeness will then be complete and manifest
to all. Higher than this we can never rise; richer in blessing we can never be; and for this
consummation of all blessedness, not we only, but our Jesus prays, "That they … be with Me
where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me" (John 17:24).

"Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered
him" (1 Cor. 16:2).

It is an interesting fact that immediately following the great resurrection chapter in this first epistle
to the Corinthians, the apostle gives instruction to the saints concerning the use of their money.
With many this is always a touchy question, and yet he who sings from the heart,

"Naught that I have my own I’ll call;
I hold it for the Giver:
My heart, my strength, my life, my all
Are His, and His forever,"

should surely not be averse to facing honestly in the presence of God what He has said in His
Word concerning the Christian and his money.

In the Old Testament God gave to Israel very definite instructions as to this. The tithe of all that
they received was to be definitely set apart for Himself and devoted to the upkeep of His house
and the support of His priests; but even before the law was given, God indicated His mind in
regard to the tithe by what He caused to be recorded concerning Abraham. When the patriarch
returned from the slaughter of the kings and the deliverance of his nephew Lot, he was met by
Melchizedek, King of Salem, who was priest of the most high God. In response to the blessing
of this mysterious personage, who was a type of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are told that Abraham
"gave him tithes of all." Our attention is directed to this in the Epistle to the Hebrews as indicating
the preeminence of the Melchizedek priesthood over the Levitical, inasmuch as Abraham was the
father of all the Hebrews and therefore of the sons of Levi who, in him representatively, paid
tithes to Melchizedek.

When God’s earthly people were going on happily with Himself they gladly brought their tithes,
together with additional offerings, thus honoring the Lord and recognizing His authority over their
lives and possessions. When declension set in and they drifted away from Him and followed the
ways of the surrounding nations, they selfishly kept the tithes for themselves, robbed God of what
properly belonged to Him, left His priests to suffer, and neglected the upkeep of His temple.
Whenever there was a return to Himself, there was always a new recognition of their
responsibility regarding the tithe.

In the last book of the Old Testament, the little book of Malachi, God speaks scathingly of their
neglect of the law of the tithe. He says in Chapter 3, verses 8 and 9:"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." It was not that God needed
their money. He Himself had told them in the fiftieth Psalm that every beast of the forest was His
and the cattle upon a thousand hills. The world was His and the fulness thereof. He had no need
of anything that His people could bring to Him, but their faithful observance of the law of the tithe
was an evidence of their loyalty to Himself, and their neglect of it told out their indifference to

His will. In the verse following those we have quoted from Malachi, He calls upon them to bring
their tithes, and promises blessing when they obey. We read:"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. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall
not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the
field, saith the Lord of hosts." Material blessing always followed obedience to the command of
the Lord.

When our Saviour Himself was here on earth, He sternly rebuked certain hypocritical legalists for
observing great care in tithing while neglecting true spirituality toward God and charity toward
men. He speaks scornfully of their habit of tithing the smallest possible herbs and yet forgetting
the weightier matters of the law such as loving their neighbors as themselves. But He does not
thereby deliver from the law of the tithe, or in any sense decry tithing, for He immediately adds,
"These ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone." That is, He did not relieve them
of the responsibility of tithing even mint and rue, insignificant herbs as they were, but He stressed
their responsibility to keep the whole law and put His special emphasis upon its spiritual side.

When we pass out of the atmosphere of the four Gospels into the Book of Acts and thence into the
epistles of the New Testament, we never again read of tithing, except in the passage already
referred to_Hebrews 7:5-8. Hence some have jumped to the conclusion that the law of the tithe
in no way affects Christian responsibility, and at first sight it might seem that they who so reason
are correct; but there is a passage often overlooked which would appear to negate this conclusion.
In Romans 8:3,4, we are told:"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the
flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin [that is, as a sacrifice
for sin], condemned sin in the flesh:that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Here is a principle of all importance if one would so live as to glorify God in this dispensation
when believers are not under law but under grace. The Christian standard of righteousness is not
a lower one than that of the Jew in the legal dispensation. It is really a far higher standard.
Therefore, we may well say, if we were Jews living under law, we would be obligated to give to
God a tenth of all our income as recognizing His Lordship over all our possessions. Shall we then,
as Christians in the reign of grace, allow ourselves to be outdone in this respect by a Jew under
law? Shall we not rather gladly render to God as the very minimum a tenth of all that with which
He entrusts us and, as He enables, gladly give more in order to show our appreciation of His
loving kindness?

When Paul called upon the Corinthians to lay by in store as God had prospered them, he
necessarily had in mind some kind of standard. What is that standard? Surely it cannot be less than
that which was ordained under law, but it is evident that some definite proportion of our income
must be taken into consideration if we are to give as God hath prospered.

He who says, "I am not under law, and therefore I am not concerned about tithing my income;
I will give as I feel led of the Lord," generally winds up by giving the merest pittance as compared

with what the Lord entrusts to him. He, on the other hand, who says, "I shall begin with a tenth
and, as God enables, will do better," becomes a consistent giver and finds joy in thus rendering
glad obedience to the Word of the Lord.

Let no Christian think that he gains by withholding from God, but rather remember that He who
has said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive," will always have the most blessed part. He
will be no man’s debtor. As we give to Him we can be certain that He will fulfill to the letter that
word which says, "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory through
Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19).

One thing our text suggests that we are often inclined to overlook is that there is an orderly
method both as to the time and place of setting aside that portion of our means which we devote
to the work of the Lord. This work, of course, is of a two-fold character. It involves the care of
His servants who are entirely engaged in the ministry and thus have to live of the gospel as
Scripture tells us (1 Cor. 9:14); but it also includes helping to meet the needs of those in difficult
circumstances. In fact, it was this latter phase of giving to God which was particularly in the
apostle’s mind when he gave the Corinthians the instructions as to systematic and proportionate
giving. Our Lord has said that anything done for one of His own is reckoned by God as done for
Himself.

But what I want especially to draw attention to is the time element referred to in the opening
words of the verse:"Upon the first day of the week.” Most of us receive our income on a regular
weekly or possibly monthly basis/The import of this passage clearly is that when we thus receive
our wages or other form of income, we should at that time set aside a proper proportion for the
work of the Lord. It is not necessary that it should all be immediately contributed to any particular
cause, but he who consistently lays by in this sense will always have something that he can
contribute when occasion demands. There is the laying by in store at home, but there is also the
"collection for the saints." This, of course, suggests bringing our gifts to the assembly of God’s
people where we join with others in making up a collection of our varied offerings.

Thus, he who learns to act in partnership with God in money matters can be assured of the divine
blessing when he himself has to face times of stress and difficulty; but even if this were not so,
it should be our joy and privilege to fulfill our responsibility in these things to the glory and praise
of God.

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know
that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man
that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (1 John 3:2,3).

"Now are we the sons of God." We have our place as sons on earth. We know the perfect
relationship, but we do not know the glory yet_"what we shall be." "We through the Spirit wait
for the hope of righteousness" (Gal. 5:5). I do not wait to be a child_I am one; neither do I wait
for righteousness which I have already in Christ; but I wait for the glory which is the hope of
righteousness.

How am I to understand this? I must get back to Christ as the pattern of revelation, the model
Man:"We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him." He is the firstborn among
many brethren. "We shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." All the glory is His who
became a man, that He might take us back into all the joy of the Father’s presence. It is this that
makes Christ’s coming again the one object, the one hope of our heart. While death would be gain
to me, I do not hope for death. Rather, I hope for Christ to come; not that I "would be unclothed,
but clothed upon"; not to put off this tabernacle, but "that mortality may be swallowed up of Me"
(2 Cor. 5:4).

Paul had eternal life, having got hold of it in Christ; and he has such a sense of the power of life
that he longs to be in the enjoyment of all its consequences. He is always confident:"Absent from
the body, . . . present with the Lord." If I drop the body, I have life, eternal life, in my soul, and
I am looking for the glory if I die. Blessed as it is to see a saint die (and it is the most lovely sight
in the world), that is not the hope of the saint. Our only hope is, when Christ shall appear "we
shall be like Him." We shall not all die, but we shall all be conformed to the likeness of God’s
Son.

It is God’s intention to conform us to the likeness of His Son in glory. I do not look to be
conformed to Him in the grave, but as He is; for we shall be witnesses of His victory over death.
The thief on the cross said, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into Thy kingdom." Christ
said, You shall not wait till then; you shall be happy today with Me in paradise. Thus He brought
in the separate state of blessedness of a soul; and it surely is a blessed thing. God’s intention is
to conform us to Christ in glory, and Christ’s coming is the only hope of the Church. "It doth not
yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him."
What is more, "We shall see Him as He is"; not see Him as He was, but as He is. In one sense,
I am not nearer to His likeness at the day of my death than at the day of my conversion; but
morally I am, and they are never separated. The revelation of the glory of my soul shuts out
everything inconsistent with it.

Paul says to the Philippians, "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the
dead"_nothing can ever satisfy my soul but that. There is present fellowship with His sufferings,
looking forward to the prize of His high calling; but he says, I have not got it yet, "I press toward
the mark." And he does this "forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those

things which are before." He would not have or allow one atom of his life to be inconsistent with
the resurrection. We ought all to be able to say, "This one thing I do; forgetting the things which
are behind, I am reaching forward to be like Christ." "He that hath this hope in Him purifieth
himself, even as He is pure."

Take Christ’s love in Ephesians:"Christ … loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; that He
might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to
Himself a glorious Church." The application of the Word did not make the glory brighter, but was
preparing for it.

The revelation of Christ as He is forms the soul to think, "If I am to be like Him by-and-by, I will
be as like Him as I can now." "He that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is
pure"; so that he may be like Him now, having the blessed privilege to get this as the measure,
"even as He is pure." The Lord Jesus said, "I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified
through the truth" (John 17:19). That is, He was set apart as the One according to God’s mind,
as the model, that we may look at Him and be like Him. And the Holy Spirit helps us in this by
taking of the things of Christ and showing them unto us.

"We … beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory
to glory" (2 Cor. 3:18). The real practical power of the hope of the coming of the Lord sanctifies
and forms the affections of the heart; and the revelation of the glory of Christ is the means of my
purifying myself as He is pure, the Word revealing Christ, and drawing forth the affections of the
heart to Him, that I may grow up to Him in all things.

In Colossians it is that he might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus; that is, having the heart
fully set on everything that belongs to Christ, "who is the image of the invisible God," in whom
all the fulness was pleased to dwell. After developing all these things of Christ’s glory, he says,
"I want to get every man perfect according to these glories of Christ"; and that which makes it so
blessed is that it is the joy of being like Christ. It is not as giving us a law to walk by, or precepts
to guide us. There are precepts; but that which purifies is the affections being set on Christ, to be
like Christ now, as it is the purpose of God that we should be conformed to the image of His Son.

(From Nine Lectures on the First Epistle of John.)

FRAGMENT
Saviour! I long to walk closer with Thee;
Led by Thy guiding hand, ever to be;
Constantly near Thy side,
Constantly purified,
Living for Him who died freely for me!

FRAGMENT. Our thoughts of Christ will largely depend on our thoughts of ourselves. If we
think highly of ourselves we will have low thoughts of Christ; but if we have Him in high

estimation, we will have no exaggerated opinion of ourselves. The more we think of His holiness,
the more we realize our sinfulness. The more we think of His power, the more will we understand
our own weakness. The more we learn of His worthiness, the more unworthy we feel in ourselves.

"Ye have well done" (Phil. 4:14).

This was a precious commendation of the Philippian assembly. Paul had told them he was not
anxious about daily needs, and that he was gladly a learner in God’s school by the trials of the
way. But they had "well done" in taking part in his affliction. A testimony of impatience with the
assemblies and of distrust toward God was far from him. The assembly of Philippi had sent once
and again to his necessity (4:16). Paul rejoiced because he sought fruit that would abound to their
account.

There is something instructive in the reference to no other church having helped him at that time.
The New Testament contains no letter of admonition to any such assembly by him or by any other
apostle; only this brief general mention of the neglect. Are we not to gather instruction from this?
Are we not taught delicacy in dealing with this subject, while at the same time graciously and
gently warned as to neglect?

Under law the order was, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in
my house, and prove me … if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a
blessing" (Mal. 3:10). That is, under law, obey and be blessed is the order; while under grace it
is:you have been blessed, therefore let the heart overflow. "Freely ye have received, freely give"
(Matt. 10:8). "As the elect of God, holy and beloved," we are to have "bowels of mercies,
kindness" (Col. 3:12). Love flows forth from hearts happy in the knowledge of God’s rich
goodness and grace.

Nevertheless, in the liberty of grace, exhortation has its place on this subject, and Paul very
freely, as graciously also, exhorts and encourages and incites the assembly at Corinth not to fall
short of liberality. Chapters 8 and 9 of 2 Corinthians truly warn and cheer the heart, and in how
much they rebuke us let us judge. And in what we may call his farewell words to the church, Paul
closes with the words, "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. And when He had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all" (Acts
20:35).

This exhortation is written specially to encourage more giving by assemblies. Such giving calls
for love and unity in the assembly, and fellowship in the gospel, and self-denial. The scriptural
example of Philippi is not given to be slighted; but in giving in this way the assembly acts in faith
and in loving exercise toward the laborer, and he in turn has his heart drawn out to them. And
hearts are cheered by a heartfelt report from the field of work to those whose fellowship in the
gospel draws it out. Note the tone of the Epistle to the Philippians in this respect. May our hearts
be stirred to this great and holy service.

It is good to send abroad to laborers and not to give only when they come to us, nor does the
coming of a laborer to an assembly call necessarily for help from that assembly. Such a thought
is bondage. Help might have come from another quarter, leaving the brother the more free

(especially in a low state in an assembly) to minister in full liberty before the Lord_however
blessed a privilege it would also be for an assembly to minister to one laboring in their midst.
Still, to confine our giving to those laboring in our midst would surely not be right. It would tend
to hinder going to "regions beyond," and lay a snare for the feet of the laborer.

When we consider the dangers we are exposed to, we should walk in fear and trembling. We are
unfit for God’s service unless we take unto us His whole armor. We cannot give or receive for
His glory but by His grace and by His Spirit. May we love His name, and love those who serve
Him. And may we have such trust in the living God that we shall be ready and glad to give_ready
to share the burden of the conflict.

(From Help and Food, Vol. 15.)

I have been thinking a good deal of late on the last verse of the third chapter of John. It seems to
me to furnish a most powerful answer to two of the leading heresies of this day, namely,
Universalism on the one hand, and Annihilationism on the other. "He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God
abideth on him."

The deniers of eternal punishment, as you know, are divided into two classes, differing from each
other very materially. The one professes to believe that all will ultimately be restored and brought
into everlasting happiness; these are the Universalists. The other is of the opinion that all who die
out of Christ are annihilated, soul and body made an end of thoroughly and perishing like the
beast.

I think you will agree with me that John 3:36 completely demolishes both these fatal errors. It
meets the Universalist by the sweeping and conclusive statement that the unbeliever "shall not see
life." It entirely sets aside the notion of all being restored and eternally saved. Those who refuse
to believe the Son shall die in their sins and never see life.

But if this were all, the Annihilationist might say, "Exactly so; that is just what I believe. None
but those who believe in the Son shall live eternally. Eternal life is only in the Son, and hence,
all who die out of Christ shall perish_an end shall be made of soul and body."

No so, says the Holy Spirit. It is quite true that they shall not see life; but note this:"The wrath
of God abideth on him." This, beyond all question, gives a flat contradiction to annihilationism.
If the wrath of God is to abide upon the unbeliever, it is utterly impossible that he can be made
an end of. Annihilation and abiding wrath are wholly incompatible. We must either erase the word
"abiding" from the inspired page, or abandon completely the notion of annihilation. To hold the
two is out of the question.

Of course, I am merely now referring to this one passage of Holy Scripture; and truly it is enough
of itself to settle any mind that simply bows to the voice of God as to the solemn question of
eternal punishment. But, beloved friend, here is just the point. Men will not submit to the teaching
and authority of Holy Scripture. They presume to sit in judgment upon what is and what is not
worthy of God to do. They imagine that people may live in sin, in folly, in rebellion against God,
and in the neglect of His Christ, and after all go unpunished. They take upon them to decide that
it is inconsistent with their idea of God to allow such a thing as eternal punishment. They attribute
to the government of God what we should consider a weakness in any human government,
namely, an inability to punish evil-doers.

But the Word of God is against them. It speaks of "unquenchable fire," of an "undying worm,"
of a "fixed gulf," of "abiding wrath." What, I would ask, is the meaning of such words? It may
be said that these are figures. Granted that the "fire" the "worm" and the "gulf" are figures, but
figures of what? Of something ephemeral_something which must, sooner or later, have an end?
No, but something which is eternal, if anything is eternal.

If we deny eternal punishment, we must deny an eternal anything, inasmuch as it is the same word
which is used in every instance to express the idea of endless continuance. There are about seventy
passages in the Greek New Testament where the word "everlasting" occurs. It is applied, among
other things, to the life which believers possess, and to the punishment of the wicked, as in Matt.
25:46. Now, upon What principle can any one attempt to take out the six or seven passages in
which it applies to the punishment of the wicked and say that in all these instances it does not
mean for ever; but that in all the rest it does? I confess this seems to be perfectly unanswerable.
If the Holy Spirit, if the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, had thought proper to make use of a different
word when speaking of the punishment of the wicked, from what He used when speaking of the
life of believers, 1 grant there might be some basis for an objection.

But no; we find the same word invariably used to express what everybody knows to be endless;
and therefore if the punishment of the wicked be not endless, nothing is endless. They cannot
consistently stop short with the question of punishment, but must go on to the denial of the very
existence of God Himself.

Indeed, I cannot but believe that here lies the real root of the matter. The enemy desires to get rid
of the Word of God, of the Spirit of God, the Christ of God, and God Himself; and he craftily
begins by introducing the thin end of his fatal wedge in the denial of eternal punishment; and when
this is admitted, the soul has taken the first step on the inclined plane which leads down to the dark
abyss of atheism.

This may seem strong and harsh; but it is my deep and thorough conviction; and I feel most
solemnly impressed with the necessity of warning all our young friends against the danger of
admitting into their minds the very shadow of a question or doubt as to the divinely established
truth of the endless punishment of the wicked in hell. The unbeliever cannot be restored, for
Scripture declares "he shall not see life." Moreover, he cannot be annihilated, for Scripture
declares that "the wrath of God abideth upon him."

O my beloved friend, how much better and wiser and safer it would be for our fellow men to flee
from the wrath to come than to deny that it is coming; or that, when it does come, it will be
eternal.

(From Miscellaneous Writings, Vol. 5.)

Much counsel and advice is being offered us_indeed, showered upon us_daily, concerning what
to do with our money:how to save it, how to spend it, how to make the best use of it, how to get
the best bargains, how to get more of it, how to purchase things without having it presently in
hand, etc. The radio, television, newspapers, and magazines are bombarding us with not only
cleverly wrought advertisements and commercials designed to separate us from our money, but
also with "legitimate and unbiased" advice from "experts" as to how to handle our money wisely.
Yes, the world has much to advise as to such things, and we hear the advice repeated so often that
we begin accepting the world’s wisdom without giving it much thought. The counsel of the world
includes such things as:"Buy now, pay later"; "spend now before inflation eats it up"; "you owe
it to yourselves to get the best (have a good time, have as nice possessions as your neighbor)"; and
so forth. But listen to God’s Word:"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly…. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and
night" (Psalm 1:1,2).

What is the source of our counsel as to the various matters of everyday life? Are we turning daily
to God’s Word to guide us or are we allowing the world’s counsel_"the counsel of the
ungodly"_to influence our thoughts and deeds? Scripture has a good deal to say on matters of
finance, and we wish now to examine what Scripture has to say on the topics of borrowing and
lending.

Borrowing

Perhaps the key verse for this topic would be, "Owe no man anything, but to love one another"
(Rom. 13:8). Let us seek to discover what this verse means and how far it should be applied by
looking at it in connection with other scriptures.

1. The very context of this verse gives some light as to its meaning and application. "Render
therefore to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom
fear; honor to whom honor" (v. 7). When we borrow money from a bank or a credit agency, we
contract to pay back a certain amount of the principal, along with the accrued interest, each month
or week. So certainly a minimum application of Rom. 13:8 would be that we should not allow
ourselves to fall behind in our loan or mortgage payments, and thus violate the terms of the
contract into which we have entered.

2. "Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there
a year, and buy and sell, and get gain; whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For
what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away"
(James 4:13,14). It might reasonably be inferred from this passage in conjunction with Rom. 13:8
that we should never borrow beyond our ability at any time to repay to the fullest. Another way
of expressing this is that we should not borrow money in order to purchase depreciating items.
The sorts of things which fall into this category of depreciating items might include vacation trips;
home furnishings or appliances which would immediately lose a large portion of their value to the
vender upon installation in the home; home improvement services such as painting, wallpapering,

or building an addition such that there would be nothing that could be returned to the provider if
the loan could not be paid off; and such items as automobiles for which depreciation is occurring
at a faster rate than the principal of the loan is being paid off. The point to be made in all of this,
as expressed in the passage from James, is that our life is a vapor and may be taken away at any
time. Or we may lose our job or incur large, unanticipated expenses, so that we become unable
to pay off our creditors. This causes our creditors to suffer loss and it puts a blot on our Christian
testimony.

Now by no means do we seek to deny the wonderful truth that "my God shall supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19). Surely, it is wonderful that we as
Christians can rely on such a One who has not only infinite resources but also infinite goodness
and desire to help His children. But can we count upon Him to wink at our foolishness and
indiscretion in spending beyond our means to repay, going into debt to buy a new car when our
old one would have served us well another few years (thus giving us time to save up for a new
one), or spending freely just because we have the necessary credit cards? If such things be true
of me, can I be confident that the Lord will bail out me and my family if I were to lose my job,
or incur massive medical expenses, or if my life were to be taken suddenly away? While God is
certainly a God of grace, let us not be deceived, "God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:7).

There are certain items for which borrowing may be appropriate, such as buying a home which,
in these days of inflation, tends to increase in value, and which, if we were not able to keep up
with the payments, could be turned back to the creditor for resale without any loss to him. But in
summary, we should be careful to borrow only to the point that under any contingency we or our
survivors will be able to pay our creditors all that is due to them when it is due.

3. "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied
the faith, and is worse than an infidel" (1 Tim. 5:8). This ties in with the points made in the
previous section. We (speaking for the family providers) can be thankful that we can entrust our
families to the Lord’s care and provision in case the Lord allows something to happen to us and
our ability (as dependent on Him) to provide for them. But would we be accounted good providers
if our survivors_even after selling the house and moving into an apartment, trading in the car for
an older, less expensive model, and constricting themselves and reducing expenses in other
ways_were to be saddled with a large indebtedness due to free and extravagant spending in the
past?

4. "The borrower is servant to the lender" (Prov. 22:7). "No servant can serve two masters; for
either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the
other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon [or riches]" (Luke 16:13). The one who succumbs to
the world’s philosophy of "Buy now, pay later" ends up as the servant to the lender(s). The whole
life is centered about finding ways to pay the bills on time. Such a one is not free to serve God
with his money and possessions. If, on the other hand, we were in the habit of saving up for
purchases, this would provide more opportunity for us to think_and pray_about whether we
really need such and such an item, or whether we need a model with so many frills, etc. It would
also provide an opportunity for the Lord to test us as to whether we are truly serving Him or

money (and what money can buy). He is able to do this, for instance, by laying before us the
needs of others (usually much greater than our own) and suggesting that we put off our intended
purchase for a while and use part or all of our savings to help our brother or neighbor in his
present need. If we would like to experience the blessing and joy derived from such a testing
(James 1:3,4), and are interested in laying up treasure in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21), then let us take
care that we do not tie up all of our assets for the present and much of the future in paying off our
creditors.

5. "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household,
to give them their portion of meat in due season. Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he
cometh shall find so doing" (Luke 12:42,43). "If therefore ye have not been faithful in the
unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been
faithful in that which is another man’s [that is, our material possessions which are on loan from
the Lord], who shall give you that which is your own [that is, our heavenly blessings won for us
by Christ}? (Luke 16:11,12). While the principle suggested in section 2 above would seem to
allow for borrowing for certain purchases such as a home, let us remember that with regard to all
of our purchases, we are to be "faithful and wise" stewards of the income and material possessions
which God has been pleased to entrust to our care. We are to use our money wisely and
prayerfully, not with the idea of keeping up with our neighbor (who himself is going deep into
debt to keep up with us and his other neighbors), or of keeping up with our parents (that is,
thinking that we, if we are newlyweds, have to start out with as large and expensive a house as
our parents have), but with the thought of being faithful with the riches and possessions which God
has given to us, that we might return them to Him with interest (Luke 12:19-26), and that we
might lay up treasure in heaven.

Lending

The Old Testament principle given to Israel concerning lending is stated thus:"Thou shalt not lend
upon usury to thy brother; . . . Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother
thou shalt not lend upon usury; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine
hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it" (Deut. 23:19,20). Also, "If thou lend money
to my people, the poor with thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer; ye shall charge him no
interest" (Exod. 22:25 JND). While "usury" today has the connotation of charging an excessive
interest rate, in the Old Testament it referred to charging interest of any rate or amount. As a
further commandment, lenders among the people of Israel were enjoined every seven years to
release all debtors among their own people from their obligations (Deut. 15). This had the effect
of maintaining approximate economic equality among the people of God’s chosen nation, and
tending to prevent the rich from getting richer and the poor from becoming poorer. (See also Lev.
25:35-37 and Neh. 5:1-13 for further Old Testament references to lending.)

In the New Testament these principles are extended even further:"Give to him that asketh thee,
and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away" (Matt. 5:42). "And if ye lend to
them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive
as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and
your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest" (Luke 6:34,35). Thus, we

as Christians are enjoined to lend as if we were giving our money away, not expecting repayment.
It is not that we should refuse repayment if offered to us, but that we ought not to fret and worry
and, particularly, harass the borrower if the payments have not been made on time.

While we are enjoined to "give to him that asketh thee," this does not necessarily mean that we
are to be indiscriminate in our lending or giving. Our giving, as in every aspect of our lives, must
be governed by God’s Word and must be taken to Him in prayer. One should consider whether
there is truly a need on the part of the asker or borrower, and that he is not seeking the "loan" in
order to obtain more status symbols or a higher station in life, or to feed a sinful habit. If the
borrower is truly poor and needy, then it is indeed our privilege, as directed by the Lord, to
minister to that need. And this is "not that other men be eased, and ye burdened; but by an
equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their
abundance also may be a supply for your want; that there may be equality" (2 Cor. 8:13,14).

Cosigning for the Loans of Others

Scripture is quite clear and explicit on this point:Don’t do it! that is, unless you have counted the
cost and are ready to pay the uttermost farthing (Prov. 6:1-5; 11:15; 17:18; 20:16; 22:26). With
regard to Prov. 6:1-5, H. A. Ironside makes the following comments:"Unlikely as it may seem
on the face of it, pride is generally the incentive to suretyship. A desire to be thought well of^ to
be accounted in easy circumstances, has led many a man to ‘strike hands,’ or go on another’s
bond, who was quite unable to assume so serious a responsibility and yet discharge his obligations
to those properly dependent on him. With others it is an easy-going disposition that leads one to
thoughtless pledges, the performance of which would be ruinous. In either case, if thus entrapped,
it is well if the command here given is heeded (v. 3); and humbling though it may seem to be, the
confession should be made that one has undertaken more than righteousness and foresight would
advise. Far better a little temporary embarrassment and misunderstanding, even ill-will, than to
find out later that we and our families have to suffer for the maintenance of a foolish and sinful
pride" (Notes on Proverbs).

On the other hand, we may be led of the Lord, out of love for our neighbor or brother, and a
sense of his need, to become surety for his loan with the thought that if he cannot pay it, we will
be both able and happy to pay it for him. As a beautiful example for us, the apostle Paul became
surety for the runaway slave, Onesimus, telling Philemon, the master, "If he hath wronged thee,
or oweth thee aught, put that on mine account" (Philemon 18). An even greater example is to be
found in "our Lord Jesus Christ, [who,] though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor,
that ye through His poverty might be rich" (2 Cor. 8:9).

So, in conclusion, may we become more sensitive to the instruction of God’s Word and less
influenced by the "counsel of the ungodly" as to the matters of borrowing and lending. And may
our lives with respect to these and all other matters be strongly influenced by Him who "hath
loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling
savor" (Eph. 5:2).

"Blessed are the peacemakers:for they shall be called the children of God" (Matt. 5:9).

The mission of the children of God in this world has a character which far exceeds, we fear, the
measure of our intelligence, faith, and practice. There is a dignity_a moral beauty and
glory_connected with it which we too often fail to appreciate. This mission emanates from God
the Father; it partakes of His own moral attributes; it is the reflection, however feeble, of the
blessed Lord who was the perfect reflection of the divine glory. Every thought, every feeling of
His heart breathed the perfect rest, and rose to the height of the absolute purity and peace of the
Godhead. The beatitudes in Matthew 5 shine in all their divine perfectness in the lowly path of the
Son of Man_Emmanuel, God with us. And since He is our life, the features of His character
should be produced in us, by faith through the power of the Holy Spirit.

"Blessed are the peacemakers:for they shall be called the children of God." Observe, it is not they
who live in peace, walk in peace, or keep peace, that are crowned with the divine blessing, but
they who make peace_"peacemakers." The distinction is important, as many who have a
peaceable nature are the least qualified to make peace, and are in danger of being unfaithful for
the sake of peace. But peacemaking is quite another thing. It is the grace of the Lord Jesus in
blessed activity, pouring oil on the troubled waters_on the tumultuous passions of men. And this,
mark, without compromising the holiness of God, or saying, "Peace, peace," when there is no
peace. It may occasion much self-denial, much anxiety, much waiting on God, much disquiet to
one’s own mind. The peacemaker must be impartial; he must see that "mercy and truth meet
together, that righteousness and peace kiss each other." There must be truth as well as grace,
purity as well as peace. Time must be given for God to work:peace cannot be forced. But
wherever there is the smallest possibility, consistently with the holiness and truth of God, of
bringing peace into a scene of trouble and sorrow, the Christian should remember his privilege
and calling; and if in the scene, he should reckon upon God for guidance and blessing. "Blessed
are the peacemakers:for they shall be called the children of God."

But is every Christian, it may be asked, called to be a peacemaker? Every one has the grace and
the privilege of the grace in Christ Jesus for this blessed work, but all have not used it alike. The
quality or measure of grace necessary in a peacemaker depends upon his own state of soul in the
presence of God. Are the other features of the Lord’s character manifest, we would inquire? Is
he enjoying, for example, the blessedness of the preceding beatitude:"Blessed are the pure in
heart:for they shall see God." This is the divine preparation for a peacemaker. He must be right
with God Himself, and breathe the sweet peace of communion with Him.

The pure in heart are at peace with God through the precious blood of Christ. Cleansed from all
sin_whiter than snow_they see God and have learned much in the divine presence that fits them
for peacemaking. He who walks with God must live in the spirit of self-judgment_must judge all
that belongs to himself naturally, and thereby gain complete control over his own spirit, temper,
words, and ways. The pure heart is a peaceful heart, loves peace, and earnestly desires the peace
and happiness of others. Love rules in such hearts, and overflows in truest charity to all who are
in a condition to need the peacemaker. But sound spiritual judgment is necessary, it will be said,

in cases of dispute and discipline. Most true; but who so fit to judge spiritually as those who judge
themselves, and walk in the light as God is in the light?

But what shall we say of those who forget their heavenly mission of peace, and often cause
trouble? who, in place of being well shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, and carrying
peace with them at every step, carry a spirit of fault-finding and contention? Few such there are,
we humbly trust; but troubles do arise, and the elements of discord must be at work. Yet this may
be done by a mistaken zeal for what is called truth and righteousness. With some minds, a mistake
is magnified into an offence; an inaccuracy of statement, into a deliberate falsehood; and different
things being put together, a grave charge is constructed and made against one who is unconscious
of his guilt. And both, up to a certain point, may be right, but who is to judge between them?

Oh, for a son of peace at such a moment! A little wisdom, a little patience, a little charity, a little
consideration of human infirmity, a little waiting on the Lord, might save the weak and satisfy the
scruples of the strong. There is no moral or doctrinal evil in the case, it is only a question of
apparent inconsistencies which some minds are too quick in censuring and others too slow in
detecting. But a little of that sweet peace brought down from the paradise above by the hand of
faith into our present imperfect state would be Christ-like, and would save us from many a
sorrowful heart and bitter tear.

But there is another class less excusable, who forget so far their peaceful mission as to manifest
no small disappointment if they suppose that their services are not appreciated. Displeased and
unhappy in themselves, they draw others into their sympathies. A party spirit is apt to spring up,
and sorrow must be the result. Wounded vanity, ministerial jealousy, will be found at the root of
all such troubles. What could be more sad than for a servant of the Lord to be more concerned
for his own importance than for the peace of his brethren? But self in some of its ten thousand
forms is the prolific source of all our troubles, both spiritual and social. Could we but sink self,
and care only for the Lord’s glory in walking worthy of that title_"They shall be called the
children of God"_all would be peace and love.

How unspeakably important, then, it must be for every believer to consider well this expression
of his character. What can make up for its absence? Nothing. He who sows discord from whatever
motive, in place of keeping and making peace, has missed his way as a child of God. True, a
Christian may be the occasion of much disquiet in certain circles through his faithfulness to Christ;
but that is quite a different thing. Satan may stir up many against him because of his
wholeheartedness for Christ. Indeed he may expect this, as our Lord says in Matt. 10:34, "Think
not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword." Still, he will
study to give no offence, and, if possible, take none. He will keep clear of strife and contention,
meekly suffer for Christ’s sake, and pray for the unbelieving and careless around him. The
assemblage of the beatitudes with which God has enriched him, should now shine forth in his life
and actions. A little prudence, a little patience and waiting on God may go far to silence the strife
of tongues, to calm the ruffled temper, to remove opposition, and to win hearts for Christ. None
of the Christian graces so distinctly reveals God in His children as this peacemaking spirit.

God is the great Peacemaker. This is what He has been doing, what He is doing, and what He will

do until peace is established for ever in the new heavens and the new earth. "Peace be unto you;
as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you" (John 20:21). The true ground of peace between
God and man was laid in the great work of the cross. There God was glorified, and there His good
pleasure in men was manifested. Christ made peace by the blood of His cross; and when His
blessed work was finished, He returned to His Father, leaving behind Him the full blessing of
peace for His disciples. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the world
giveth, give I unto you" (John 14:27).

What a legacy we have! Peace with God for ever! and nothing less than the sweet peace of our
Lord’s own mind in His Father’s presence. Such is our peace, our portion; and let us see that we
go forth as filled and clothed with peace, and that all our paths may indeed be paths of peace.

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love" (Rev. 3:4).

The church in Ephesus was thoroughly orthodox, even ready to fight to the limit for foundation
truth, and refusing to listen to those who would pervert it. But they had left their first love. That
is, in heart they had turned away from occupation with the Lord Himself, They were far more
ready- to contend for doctrine than to be taken up with Christ. This is a snare to which we are all
exposed. It is of great importance that we be sound in the faith. It is even more important that our
hearts are filled with fervent love for Him who has so loved us as to give Himself for us. This
church, too, had labored much. Its members could not be accused of slothful-ness. But work
without love is of little value in the eyes of Him who, moved by His love to the Father and His
love for us, was to go to the cross that He might purchase our redemption.

Shall we not examine our own hearts, and if we find that love is lacking, confess our coldness and
indifference, and seek to repent and do the first works_those which are the result of faith that
worketh by love?

(From The Daily Sacrifice.)

Never perish! words of mercy,
Coming from the lips of One
Who, once here a homeless Stranger,
Sits on high upon the throne.

Brightness of the Father’s glory,
God and man in One combined,
Faithful Shepherd of the chosen:
Safe are all to Thee consigned.

Never perish! words of sweetness,
Dissipating every fear,
Filling all with joy and gladness
Who the Shepherd’s voice will hear.

Jesus, Saviour, we adore Thee!
Shepherd of Thy blood-bought sheep!
From Thy hand no one can pluck us,
Safe are all whom Thou dost keep.

I. The Christian’s Standing (Phil. 3:1-9)

The prominent thought in the first nine verses of this chapter is not that of a guilty sinner
appropriating to himself the blood of Jesus for pardon, but rather of a law-keeper casting aside,
as dross, his own righteousness because he has found a better. We need hardly say that Paul was
a sinner and that, as such, he availed himself of the precious blood of Christ and in that found
pardon, peace, and acceptance with God. This is plainly taught us in many passages of the New
Testament. But the special point here is not a sinner getting his sins pardoned, his guilt cleared,
and his shame covered, but a legalist laying aside his righteousness, a scholar casting away his
laurels, and a man abandoning his vain glory, simply because he had found true glory, unfading
laurels, and an everlasting righteousness in the Person of a victorious and exalted Christ. It was
not merely that Paul, the sinner, needed a righteousness because, in reality, he had none of his
own; but that Paul, the Pharisee, preferred the righteousness which was revealed to him in Christ,
because it was infinitely better and more glorious than any other.

It is not merely that my sins drive me to Christ; but His excellencies draw me to Him. True, I
have sins and therefore I need Christ; but even if I had any righteousness, I should cast it from
me and gladly hide myself "in Him." It would be a positive "loss" to me to have any righteousness
of my own, seeing that God has graciously provided such a glorious righteousness for me in
Christ. Adam was naked, and therefore he made himself an apron; but it would have been a loss
to him to retain the apron after the Lord God had made him a coat. It was surely far better to have
a God-made coat than a man-made apron. So thought Adam, so thought Paul, and so thought all
the saints of God whose names are recorded in Scripture. It is better to stand hi the righteousness
of God which is by faith, than to stand in the righteousness of man which is by the works of law.
It is hot only mercy to get rid of our sins through the remedy which God has provided, but to get
rid of our righteousness and accept, instead, the righteousness which God has revealed.

Thus, then we see that the standing of a Christian is in Christ. It is not partly in Christ and partly
in law; partly in Christ and partly in ordinances. If anyone teaches a standing other than "found
in Him," he is not teaching Christianity at all. To be found in Him is proper Christian standing.
This is the great foundation of true practical Christianity.

II. The Christian’s Object (Phil. 3:10-17)

The Greek philosophers had a motto, "Know thyself.” Christianity has a loftier motto, pointing
to a nobler object. It tells us to know Christ_to make Him our object. This, and this alone, is the
Christian’s object. To have any other object is not Christianity at all. The true Christian’s desire
will be embodied in these words, "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and
the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death" (verse 10). It is not that
I may get on in the world, make money, attain a high position, or be popular. No, not one of these
is a Christian object. It may be very well for a man who has got nothing better to make such
things his object. But the Christian has Christ. It may be well enough for a man who does not
know Christ as his righteousness to try to work out a righteousness for himself; but to one whose

standing is in a risen Christ, the fairest righteousness that could be produced by human efforts
would be an actual loss. So it is in the matter of an object. The question is not, What harm is there
in this or that? but, Is it a Christian object?

Now Paul’s one object was Christ. Whether he was stationary or traveling, whether he preached
the gospel or gathered sticks, whether he planted churches or made tents, Christ was his object.
At all times and in all places he could say, "One thing I do." This was not merely Paul the apostle
or Paul the raptured saint, but Paul the living, acting, walking Christian_the one who addresses
us, "Brethren, be ye followers together of me." We should never be satisfied with anything less
than this.

We have in Philippians 3 a model of true Christianity; let us ever and only aim thereat. If we find
our hearts going after other things, let us judge them. If we are always occupied with our proper
object, we will have our character formed, for it is the object which forms the character. If money
is my object, my character is covetous; if power, I am ambitious; if books, I am literary; if Christ,
I am a Christian. It is not here a question of life and salvation, but only of practical Christianity.
If we were asked for a simple definition of a Christian, we should say, "A Christian is a man who
has Christ for his object." This is most simple. May we enter into its power, and thus exhibit a
more healthy and vigorous discipleship.

III. The Christian’s Hope (Phil. 3:20,21)

The standing of the Christian is to be found in Christ; the object of the Christian is to know
Christ; and the hope of the Christian is to be like Christ. How beautifully perfect is the connection
between these three things. No sooner do I find myself in Christ as my righteousness than I long
to know Him as my object; and the more I know Him, the more ardently shall I long to be like
Him, which hope can only be realized when I see Him as He is. Having a perfect righteousness
and a perfect object, I just want one thing more, and that is to be done with everything that hinders
my enjoyment of that object.

Now putting all these things together, we get a complete view of true Christianity. We would ask
the reader to pursue this marvelous theme for himself. Let him rise above all the imperfections
and inconsistencies of Christians and gaze upon the moral grandeur of Christianity as exemplified
in the life and character of the model man presented in this chapter. May both the writer and the
reader say, "Let others do as they will, as for me, nothing short of this model man will ever
satisfy my heart. Let me turn my eye from men altogether and fix it intently upon Christ Himself,
and find all my delight in Him as my righteousness, my object, my hope.”
(From Miscellaneous Writings, Vol. 1.)

"But thou, O man of God,… lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim. 6:12). This inspired exhortation by
Paul to the young preacher Timothy is for us likewise; but if we would lay hold on life eternal,
it is important that we understand the teaching of Scripture regarding it.

The Gospel of John presents the Lord Jesus as the Eternal Life which was with the Father, and
was manifested here for a time on earth. The First Epistle of John presents that same life now
manifested in the children of God. In both Gospel and Epistle, again and again it is insisted on that
this everlasting life is the present portion of all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives
eternal life to all His sheep and assures us that they shall never perish. Indeed, they could not, or
else the life would not be eternal but simply probationary.

If there is any doubt or difficulty as to this in the Christian’s mind, then there can scarcely be any
true, unselfish service for the Lord Jesus Christ. If I have any lingering fear of possibly being lost
in the end, or if I suppose that I maintain my salvation by my faithfulness, genuine faithfulness
there cannot be. For I shall ever have before me_not purely the glory of Christ_but the selfish
thought of making my own soul secure.

But all this is rebuked wherever life eternal is taught in Scripture. By new birth_divine
generation_the believer in Christ becomes the possessor of eternal, inalienable, nonforfeitable
life. It is thus we are enabled to apprehend divine things and have fellowship with divine persons.
"This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou
hast sent" (John 17:3).

Now, let us return to Paul’s exhortation to Timothy. We lay hold on eternal life as we realize in
our souls that we do not belong to this sphere; that everything for us is connected with the scene
to which we are going. Hence we learn to look very differently upon the things of this life from
what we once did. We realize that the true life is life in fellowship with God, and so we are
enabled, in the Spirit’s power, to use this world without abusing it, walking as Christ walked, who
alone fully manifested eternal life in this scene of death. This is, for us, to lay hold on eternal life.

It is most sorrowful to hear people glibly talking of having eternal life and being forever saved,
when they are really trying to "make the best of this life" like men of the world who make no
profession. If I have eternal life, I am to make it known by living it out and acting now in the light
of the coming day of the unveiling of Jesus Christ.

(From Sailing with Paul.)

No believer is likely to be clear on other lines whose mind is in confusion as to the scriptural
distinction between standing and state. If we would carefully consult Paul’s epistles we would see
that the two terms are very different in their application.

Standing refers to our ability to appear before God uncondemned; state has to do with our actual
condition of soul. Standing speaks of privilege and contemplates what God, in His rich grace, has
done for each believer. State is the measure in which one answers to this in his own experience.
Standing is eternal and inviolable. State is variable and depends on how one goes on with God.

Paul is not the first or only Biblical writer to use the term standing. Several examples from other
scriptures may help to make clear its application. "The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment"
(Psa. 1:5). "The foolish shall not stand in Thy sight" (Psa. 5:5). "They told Haman, to see
whether Mordecai’s matters would stand" (Esth. 3:4). "The great day of His wrath is come and
who shall be able to stand!" (Rev. 6:17). To these one might add many more, but enough are
before us to show how the word is used. To stand is practically synonymous with the ability to
face the throne of judgment, proving that there is no condemnation. Now compare with these
verses Rom. 5:1,2:"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice
in hope of the glory of God." Note also 1 Cor. 15:1:"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand."

The wicked cannot stand, but every believer has a standing that is unassailable. What is the ground
of this standing? Is it his good experience, his enjoyment of divine things, his energy in service,
his happy state? Not at all! He stands in grace_the grace revealed in the gospel.

Our standing then is a most comprehensive term, embracing all that God has done for us in the
work of His Son. Our forgiveness, our justification, our positional sanctification, our acceptance
in Christ_all these blessings are connected with our standing. We cannot add to, nor take away
from, what God has made us in Christ. Consequently we have for eternity a perfect and
unassailable standing before God. Worlds may be wrecked and the heavens pass away, but the
believer in the Lord Jesus Christ stands in absolute security, free of all condemnation.

Is this then to say that each believer’s state of soul is all that could be desired? Far from it. If it
were where would be the need for all the exhortations to godly living found in the epistles and
other parts of the Word of God? Observe, for instance, the anxiety of the apostle that the state of
his beloved Philippians might in measure answer to their standing. He had no question whatever
as to their standing. That, he knew, could never be altered. So he tells them he is confident that
He who hath begun a good work in them will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. But he
hoped to send Timothy unto them that he (Paul) might be of good comfort when he knew their
state. Not all professed laborers in word and doctrine would naturally care for their state, but he
knew this pastoral concern was characteristic of Timothy (Phil. 2:19,20).

Were Paul and Timothy concerned as to whether these saints were "keeping saved," to use an

ignorant expression common with some today? No, indeed. They knew God had settled forever
the question of their salvation. But they desired to see fruit for God manifested in the lives of the
saints. They wished to have them going on happily together as a company of redeemed ones
should. And this is what state has reference to. It is experience; but experience and standing are
two very different things. When God addresses believers as "saints," that is, separated or holy
ones, He is speaking of their standing. When He exhorts them to be holy, even as He is holy, He
refers to the state of their souls as manifested in their outward ways.

We might think no one should be called a saint till he becomes perfectly holy in experience. But
that is not God’s way. He calls us saints from the first moment of our faith in Christ, and then bids
us live as saints should live. He calls us His children, anil then exhorts us to be obedient children.
He sanctifies us by the blood of His Son, and then washes us with the Word that we may be
practically sanctified.

He forgives us all our sins and justifies us from all things when we first trust in His Son. We are
then eternally forgiven. This is our standing. Yet as our actual state is often poor, there is a
forgiveness we may have need of every day; that is the Father’s forgiveness as dealing with the
state of His family. The moment you trusted Christ, your responsibility as a sinner having to do
with the God of judgment was ended for ever. From that moment your standing has been perfect.
But at that same instant your responsibility as a child, having to do with your Father, began. If
you fail in this, if your state is low and your Father is dishonored thereby, do not fall back upon
the truth of your standing and say, "I have ho sins to confess," but go at once to your loving
Father and own all the failure, judge the low state, and seek His grace to rise to a higher and
better condition of soul in which He will be glorified by your life. Let it always be your aim to
have your state come up to your standing, that grace may be magnified in all your ways.

(From Sailing with Paul.)

A. "The Lord Jesus has said:’My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of My hand’ (John 10:27,28)."

B. "But I believe it is sadly possible for a man to enjoy religion and after that fall, even finally."

A. "Solemnly true, my friend; for another passage of Scripture says, For it is impossible for those
who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the
Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they
shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son
of God afresh, and put him to an open shame’ (Heb. 6:4-6)."

B. "But you do not believe men can fall away, and you even preach against it."

A. "I believe whatever the Scriptures say, and the passage I have quoted speaks of the possibility
of men falling away."

B. "Yes, that is just what I think. A man may be saved, and even attain to a great height of
Christian experience, and then fall away and be lost after all."

A. "Wait, my friend! The passage I have quoted does not say saved. Now you are going further
than the Scripture, and I cannot follow you."

B. "The word ‘saved’ is not there, it is true, but is it not implied? They ‘tasted the good Word of
God.’ "

A. "This is like the Lord’s parable given in Matt. 13:5,20,21 where He speaks of a man with joy
receiving the Word, not with sorrow of true repentance; it is a superficial work, and when
tribulation arises he falls away."

B. "Well, I believe in a deep work of repentance, and that there must be saving faith!"

A. "Quite so, but in these three verses we are considering, there is nothing about saving faith."

B. "But they were made partakers of the Holy Ghost."

A. "Yes, but it does not say they were indwelt by the Holy Ghost, which is the distinguishing
mark of the true believer. (See carefully 1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 1:13; 4:30.) They partook of the
benefits of the Holy Ghost’s presence here upon earth, they heard a pure gospel, were enlightened
by it, and experienced the wonderful privileges of Christianity. Yet it is not said they were born
again by the Word of God (as in John 3:5; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23); they merely tasted it. Nor
is it said they were saved, nor that they were sealed with the Spirit. Mark that carefully."

B. "Then you mean to say that they were not saved?”

A. "I simply adhere to the Scriptures without importing anything into it. But if you look at the
ninth verse, you will find, ‘But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that
accompany salvation, though we thus speak.’ Does not this show clearly that there might be all
the things enumerated in verses 4 and 5 without salvation!"

B. "But if they were not saved, what had they to fall away from?"

A. "That which you spoke of at the first:the enjoyment of religion, or, as I should rather put it,
the enjoyment of the privileges of Christianity. Remember that this Epistle was written to Hebrews
or Jews who had been connected with an earthly religion, but had heard the gospel and embraced
the profession of Christianity. Persecution arose (chap. 10), and there was a fear lest some had
been mere professors who would, when pressed by tribulation, give up their profession and go
back to the Jewish religion. Now, as you well know, the Jews had caused the Son of God to be
crucified, but God reckoned that they had done it in ignorance; on this ground He offered them
mercy (Acts 3:17). But if those who had received the enlightenment of Christianity gave it up and
turned again to the people who had crucified Him, embracing again their Jewish religion which
God had set aside, they crucified for themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open
shame. No longer in ignorance, but with eyes wide open, they associated themselves with His
murderers, and consequently with the guilt of His murder. What mercy could there be for such?"

B. "But we are not Jews."

A. "Quite true, and this fact should be taken into account when considering this Epistle, which
was written to Hebrews."

B. "Has it, then, no application now?"

A."I would not say that it has none; at any time it is a most solemn thing to give up the profession
of Christianity. I believe these verses show us how far a man may go in profession, and in the
enjoyment of privilege, without having the slightest reality. Judas was an illustration of the same
thing. He was a companion of Jesus and His disciples for more than three years; he was an
apostle, a preacher, and, we may believe, a worker of miracles (the term ‘powers of the world
to come,’ Heb. 6:5, is one used for miracles), yet Peter says, ‘Judas by transgression fell, that he
might go to his own place.’"

B. "But was not Judas saved once?"

A. "If you turn to John 6:70, you will find that the Lord describes him as ‘a devil.’ In chapter
13:10, He speaks of him as not clean, and in chapter 17:12, He names him the ‘son of perdition,’
the only one of His disciples who perished. Is it possible that he could have been saved? Solemnly
true, therefore, it is that a man may profess Christianity, enjoy its privileges, even preach to
others, yet himself be ‘a castaway.’ But I have not yet come across a single passage which affirms
that a man may have everlasting life and yet perish."

B. "But there are many passages which seem to say that."

A. "I grant you there are many difficult passages; as Peter said, speaking of Paul’s writings, ‘in
which are things hard to be understood’ (2 Pet. 3:16). But will you allow me to give you a little
advice about the reading of your Bible? Never take odd verses to build any theory upon; always
read them in the place where they stand. For instance, as we have seen, this passage in Hebrews
6 was written to Hebrews professing Christianity, and the ninth and tenth verses of the same
chapter clearly show that there might be all these things apart from salvation, while the closing
verses give the strongest assurance for the feeblest true believer. Again, many are troubled about
what Peter says as to the dog and the sow (2 Pet. 2:22); but read the whole chapter and the very
first verse tells you he is writing of false teachers. I do not dispute the fact that there are
difficulties in Scripture, for God never intended it to be read apart from Himself as the Teacher;
but if Christians would only read their Bibles carefully and prayerfully, many of their difficulties
would vanish like snow in the sunshine. Be assured, too, that God can never contradict Himself.
If you can find one plain passage which you can understand, never give it up because of passages
you cannot understand. The Son of God declares that His sheep shall never perish. Once-washed
sows, unclean dogs, guilty goats, may all perish, but you cannot find one instance in Scripture
where His sheep perish. The wolf may catch them and scatter them; alas! he has done so; but he
can never catch one of those sheep out of the double grasp of the Father and the Son."

B. "But then, apart from Scripture, I have known many of whom I could have said positively they
were saved; yet they discontinued coming to the meetings, gradually slipped into the world, and
some of them died miserable deaths."

A. "I do not dispute it."

B. "But how do you account for it?"

A. "We are always safe while adhering to Scripture, but judging individual cases is often difficult
work. Our comfort is that the Lord says, ‘I know My sheep,’ not, you know them. As again the
Scripture says, ‘The Lord knoweth them that are His’ (2 Tim. 2:19), though you may not always
be able to distinguish them. Then there are two ways open in accounting for what you speak of.
On the one hand, professors may perish; on the other hand, God’s own children may be very
naughty, though He bids them to be obedient children. In such a case be assured He will deal with
them as disobedient children, but never disown them."

B. "Then what am I to conclude you do preach?"

A. "We preach the Word (2 Tim. 4:2), as far as we have grasped its precious truth. That word
shows most clearly that a man’s mere profession is utterly valueless. One who has made the
loudest profession may fall eternally. Solemn undisputed fact! Judas was a saint before the eyes
of men up to the last; before the eyes of the Son of God he was ‘a devil.’ But that same Word
shows that wherever there is a poor sinner who trembles at the Word of God, and believes on the
Son of God as his Saviour, he has now everlasting life; and shall never perish; the Word of the
Son of God is pledged for it."

These two Psalms are often said to be an introduction to the entire collection of psalms inasmuch
as they speak of the coming Messiah (the Anointed One), His future rule, and the ultimate blessing
of the righteous and judgment of the wicked, themes found in many of the psalms.

Some commentators have pointed out that in the Hebrew, the first verse of Psalm 1 would read,
"Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of
sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful." That is, this man has never done these things. The
only Man who never did these things and who perfectly carried out verse 2 was the Lord Jesus
Christ. Although the Lord Jesus is the only one who perfectly fulfilled the principles of this psalm,
we who have Christ living in us should certainly be characterized by the behavior described in this
psalm.

The psalm promises blessing or happiness to the person who does not take counsel or advice from
the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful. Our source of
counsel should be the Word of God. There are many other sources of counsel available in the
world today_the radio, television, newspapers, books, and the like. These sources promise
happiness if we buy certain things or spend our time doing certain things. "You only live once,"
they proclaim; "you deserve the best; enjoy yourself." This counsel is so pervasive and often
subtle that even Christians may be gradually taken in by it. As we listen to and act upon this
advice we stand in the way of sinners, that is, we find ourselves taking part in pleasures with
sinners and having fellowship with their ideas and points of view. The last step is to become one
of the scornful_one who scorns and opposes those Christians who are not so liberated from the
narrow path of following Christ.

Note the progression (or rather retrogression) in verse 1 from walk to stand to sit. The Christian
life is characterized in the New Testament as a race toward an object (Phil. 3:14; Heb. 12:1). That
object is Christ and our goal is to learn more about and become more like Him. If we allow our
attention to be diverted from this object to the things about us_such as the counsel of the
ungodly_our progress toward that goal will be definitely slowed from running down to walking.
And this, if persisted in, will lead to a complete halt (standing) in our progress and finally to great
difficulty in ever getting back into the race (sitting).

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night" (verse
2). Is God’s will really our delight or is it a burden? Do we obey God’s Word because we feel we
must or because it gives us delight to do so? It is lack of appreciation for" Christ which would
hinder our delight. God’s commands are not given to make life difficult or unhappy. They are
given for our blessing and true happiness.

If we are to meditate in God’s law day and night we must know what meditation involves. We
must first read God’s Word. This reading should be done daily and in a way that will enable us
to remember what we have read. Writing down the main themes, promises, commands, or
principles can be helpful. If we are to meditate day and night, we should memorize Scripture
extensively. Memorized Scripture is always available to think about even if our Bibles are not

available. Memorization puts the Word in our hearts where it can influence our behavior and also
help in witnessing. The words of Scripture itself carry an impact which our own thoughts cannot.
The final step in meditation is to think about the Word of God and apply it to ourselves, asking
ourselves, "What does this passage mean to me, today?" In this way the Scripture becomes a part
of our lives and our lives are changed by it.

The fruitfulness promised in verse 3 reminds us of the fruit of the Spirit described in Gal. 5:22,23.
The Holy Spirit produces fruit in our lives as we allow Him to bring the Scriptures to bear on our
consciences and apply the Scriptures to our own life experiences. Joshua 1:8 also promises success
and prosperity for meditating in the law of God and obeying it. What is the nature of the
prosperity promised? It is not material wealth or pleasure as promised by the ungodly counselors,
but the happiness of having Christ as the focus of our lives. Since we will be doing God’s will,
He will prosper what we do. If we undertake projects in dependence upon the Lord and look to
Him to direct our family life, business, school work, or housework, He will cause us to prosper.
The ungodly may seem to have more prosperity in certain ways, but their prosperity always comes
to an abrupt end (Psa. 73:3-20; Luke 12:15-21). Verses 4 to 6 of this psalm describe the ultimate
end of the ungodly.

Psalm 2:1 and 2 describe the united efforts of Jews ("the people") and Gentiles ("the heathen")
against the rule of Christ. The rulers, Herod and Pilate, took counsel together to humiliate and
crucify Christ. The voice of the nations and their rulers is heard in verse 3:"Let us break their
bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." This cry was expressed at Calvary as, "We
will not have this man to rule over us." The meaning of this part of the psalm is made clear in
Acts 4:25-28. Jews and Gentiles will again rebel against Christ at His second coming, but at that
time they will be put down (verses 4-6,9). God the Father’s voice in verse 6 states His
determination to uphold the rule of His Son, and the Son, in verses 7-9, quotes His Father’s
promises and the necessity of putting down rebellion before establishing a righteous kingdom.

The voice of the Holy Spirit is heard in verses 10-12 exhorting rulers, nations, and individuals to
submit to the Son and trust in Him. The way of salvation is not found in Psalm 1:1 but in Psalm
2:12. First we kiss the Son_cease our rebellion, submit to Him, acknowledge Him as our rightful
Lord and Saviour, We then cease relying on our own works and put our trust in Him. We rely on
Him not only for deliverance from judgment, but for deliverance from the power of sin and for
all our spiritual, emotional, and material needs.

Trusting in the Lord is the beginning of happiness. Our happiness will increase as we look to God
for counsel and as we delight in and walk in His word.

A. Introduction

There are a number of reasons why many Christians lack the assurance of their salvation or why
they believe that it is possible for one to be saved and then lost again. Often there is an incomplete
understanding of (1) our standing and state by nature, (2) the definition and character of sin, (3)
the nature of God, and/or (4) the believer’s blessings and standing in Christ as a result of
salvation. It is hoped that the following outline study of the way of salvation and the eternal
security of the believer may be of help in leading true believers in the Lord Jesus to the blessed
assurance and peace that they are eternally secure and can never be lost.

B. Our Standing and State by Nature

1. Dead in trespasses and sins (Gen. 2:17; Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13).

2. Separated from God, alienated, enemies of God (Isa. 59:2; Eph. 2:12; Col. 1:21).

3. Slaves of Satan (John 8:44; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2,3).

4. Servants of sin, free from righteousness (Rom. 6:17,20).

5. Not righteous, not seeking after God, not doing good, no fear of God, guilty before God,
ungodly (Rom. 3:10-23; 5:6).

6. Under a curse (Gal. 3:10).

7. Unclean, corrupt (Isa. 64:6; Eph. 4:22).

8. Gone astray, turned to our own way (Isa. 53:6).

C. The Definition and Character of Sin

1. The Greek word translated "sin" in the New Testament literally means "missing the mark" (or
the bull’s eye of a target); thus it means a deviation from God’s perfect standard of righteousness
and purity and obedience to His Word.

2. "Sin is lawlessness" (1 John 3:4 JND); this includes not only transgressing the law, but
behaving as if there were no law, as if God were not in charge, doing what pleases me; doing my
will and not God’s will.

3. Some scriptural examples of sin:

a. Fornication, homosexual behavior, covetousness, envy, murder, deceit, backbiting, pride,
boasting, disobedience to parents (Rom. 1:20-32).

b. Uncleanness, anger, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, lying (Col. 3:5-9).

c. Foolish talking, jesting (Eph. 5:4).

d. Foolish thoughts (Prov. 24:9).

e. Knowing to do good and not doing it (James 4:17).

f. Despising one’s neighbor (Lev. 19:18; Prov. 14:21).

g. Failing to help one’s enemy when he is in trouble (Exod. 23:4,5).

D. The Nature of God

1. Holy (Lev. 11:44; 20:26; Isa. 6:1-5; Hab. 1:13).

2. Avenger of evil (Exod. 34:7; Psa. 89:32; Amos 3:2; Rom. 12:19; Heb. 2:2).

3. Just (Gen. 18:25; Isa. 45:21; Acts 3:14; Heb. 12:23).

4. Merciful (Exod. 34:6; Psa. 136; Rom. 15:9; Eph. 2:4; James 5:11).

5. Love (John 3:16; Titus 3:4; 1 John 4:8-19).

E. The Way of Salvation

1. The substitutionary death of Christ (John 11:50,51; 19:30; Rom. 3:25; 5:6-8; 1 Cor. 15:3; 2
Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:27,28; 1 Peter 2:24).

2. Acknowledgment of our sinfulness; repentance (Mark 2:17; Luke 15:21; 18:13; Acts 3:19;
17:30; 1 John 1:9).

3. Trust (faith, belief) in Christ and His finished work on the cross as the only possible means of
our salvation (John 3:16,18,36; 5:24; Acts 16:31; Rom. 3:28; Rom. 4; Eph. 2:8).

4. Receiving Christ into our lives as Saviour and Lord (John 1:12; Rom. 10:9).

5. Salvation not of works (Rom. 3:20,27,28; 4:4-6; Gal. 2:16; 3:11; Eph. 2:9; Titus 3:5).

6. Salvation not begun by faith and completed by works (Gal. 3:3).

F. The Believer’s Standing in Christ as a Result of Salvation

1. Forgiven (Eph. 1:7; 4:32; Col. 1:14; 2:13; 1 John 1:9).

2. Justified (Rom. 3:24,26,28; 4:5-7; 5:1; Gal. 2:16).

3. Redeemed (1 Cor. 6:20; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; 1 Tim. 2:6; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:18,19).

4. Reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:18-20; Eph. 2:16; Col. 1:21,22).

5. Born again, a new creation (John 3:3; 2 Cor. 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23).

6. Given eternal life (John 3:16,36; 5:24; 10:28; 17:2,3; Rom. 6:23; 1 John 5:11-13).

7. Made sons (Rom. 8:14-16; Gal. 4:4-7; Eph. 1:5; 1 John 3:1,2).

8. Indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit (John 7:39; Acts 2; Rom. 8:9,16; 2 Cor. 1:21, 22; Eph.
4:30).

9. Accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6).

10. Given peace with God (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14).

11. Made members of the Church, the One Body (Rom. 12:4,5; 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 2:20-22).

G. The Eternal Security of the Believer

1. The meaning of eternal security:Once a sinner has been regenerated by the Word and the Spirit
of God, once he has received a new life and been made partaker of the divine nature, once he has
been justified from every charge before the throne of God, it is absolutely impossible that that
person should ever again be a lost soul. This does not necessarily mean that if owe professes to
be saved, if one "comes forward" at an evangelistic meeting, if one "joins a church," is baptized,
becomes a communicant, or takes an interest in Christian work, that that person is forever secure,
for such persons are not necessarily regenerated.

2. Eternal life a present possession (John 3:16,36; 5:24).

3. Secure in the hand of the Lord (John 10:28,29).

4. Kept by the power of God (1 Peter 1:3-5).

5. No separation from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:35-39).

6. No mention in Scripture of the possibility of losing any of the gifts and graces listed in "F"
above.

H. Scriptural Warnings to Challenge Professing Christians

1. Presented unblameable if we continue in the faith (Col. 1:22,23).

2. The apostles’ labor in vain (Gal. 4:9-11; Phil. 2:16; 1 Thess. 3:5).

3. Falling away after enlightenment (Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26-29).

4. Holding fast the confidence (Heb. 3:6).

5. Holding fast our profession (Heb. 4:14; Heb. 10:23).

6. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17-26).

I. Common Objections and Questions Concerning Eternal Security

1. If "once saved always saved," cannot a person trust in Christ and then go and do as he pleases?

a. If truly saved, a person will not have a continued desire to go and do as he pleases. The Spirit
will convict him of his sin and will make him miserable until he is restored to the Lord.

b. On the other hand, if a person says he is saved but manifests no spiritual fruit (that is, shows
no love for God’s Word, no desire to obey God’s commands, no desire to fellowship with other
believers, etc.), I have no basis for considering him to be saved (Matt. 7:15-20).

2. Cannot one gradually fall away from the Lord as a result of one unconfessed sin leading to
another, to the point of "pulling out the plug"_losing one’s salvation?

a. If one is truly saved, the Holy Spirit is always working within him to convict of sin and to
restore him when he sins. Note the wonderful restoration of Peter following his denial of Christ
(John 21) and of the Corinthian fornicator (1 Cor. 5; 2 Cor. 2:6,7).

b. In order to be saved in the first place, we must acknowledge our own complete inability to meet
God’s standard of holiness and moral perfection, and that Christ has done the whole work
necessary for our salvation. How then can we think that we can adequately satisfy God’s holiness
in keeping saved? If it were possible to fall away, once saved, in God’s sight one commandment
broken is as bad as breaking them all (Gal. 3:10; James 2:10). Thus the dividing line between
saved and lost can never be a certain number of sins or degree of departure, but must be between
absolute holiness and perfection and the slightest sin. But, thank God, our salvation does not
depend upon ourselves but upon Christ’s finished work.

3. If the believer does not have to fear the possibility of losing his salvation because of allowing
sin in his life, what is there to prevent us or discourage us from sinning? a. The answer is the
grace of God. The more we come to appreciate how much Christ suffered and gave up for our
sakes and how great God’s grace is toward us, the more it breaks our hearts to realize it when we
have sinned and dishonored His Name in our thoughts, words, or actions; thus we gradually,
increasingly come to judge and abhor and gain the mastery over sin. b. When a believer sins, a
cloud_a barrier_rises up between him and God. He feels uncomfortable in his Father’s presence,
does not feel like praying, indeed is a-shamed to pray and ask for help from One whom he has so
mistreated; in short, he wants to hide from God. Happily, God graciously seeks out the erring one
and leads him to confess and judge his sin, thus restoring communion between them. But the
misery the person went through in the process makes for a strong deterrent the next time the
temptation arises.

4. Does not Phil. 2:12 exhort us to work out our own salvation?

a. In the New Testament, salvation has three aspects:(1) Past salvation from the penalty of our
sins; (2) present salvation from the power of sin in our lives; and (3) future complete salvation or
deliverance from the very presence of sin (2 Cor. 1:10). We are often exhorted on the basis of our
future eternal deliverance from the presence of sin to live now in the power of this new, eternal
life which God has given us. Thus we are to work out in a practical way in our present lives that
eternal salvation from the presence of sin_to live as if we were already in the eternal state_to
live out the truth stated in Rom. 6, Col. 2, and Gal. 2 of our being dead to sin and alive unto
Christ, b. In the Philippian assembly there was a problem of strife, pride, and lack of unity (Phil.
2:2,3,14; 4:2). In 2:12 the apostle Paul exhorts that, in essence, not only should they be on their
best behavior when he is present with them, but also when he is absent they ought to work out or

show forth in a visible way their salvation by ceasing from strife and being of one mind.

Suppose that Christ sent you word that He would be coming for dinner at your house; how would
you get ready? What guests would you invite? What food would you prepare? How would you
conduct the meal? What would you talk about? Is this not thought provoking? Let us think of some
of the places where the Lord Jesus was found in the days of His goings in and out on earth.

In John 12 we read of Jesus coming to Bethany where they made Him a supper. Martha served
without a murmur. Lazarus was one of those sitting at the table with Him. Mary, with a full heart
of love and thankfulness poured her box of ointment_"very precious"_upon His feet, and so the
house was filled with the odor of that choice perfume.

At another time the Lord Himself was the Host at an open air meal on the shore of Galilee (John
21). Tired fishermen came ashore and discovered that a meal had been provided for them. How
simple its character! Fish broiling on a fire of coals, and bread. When they had dined, the Lord
Jesus conversed with Peter and commissioned him to care for the lambs and sheep of the flock of
God. Christ was here the perfect Host, as He had been the perfect Guest at Bethany’s lowly home.

Now if Christ came to dinner with us, if He asked Himself as a guest into our home, would
changes be made in the ordering of the house? Would the books and pictures be sorted over and
some of them discarded? Would there be lavish display? Would there be provision for fleshly
indulgence? Would some shame fill our hearts that this or that had been allowed which His
presence would manifest as unfit for us as partakers of a high and holy calling?

Let us be honest with ourselves:would we be free to open every room in our home to Him? And
let us ask ourselves another question:Have we every room in the house of our heart open to Him?
From attic to basement is the door open to each and every part that the Lord may enter? "Know
ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?" (1 Cor. 6:19).

May we seek that our appearance, our manner, our homes, our business may be in accordance
with the desires of our Lord for us in every particular, that every room may be for Him in our
hearts and in our homes.

If Christ invited Himself to dinner in your home, would He be really welcomed today, and to
stay?

About the year A.D. 167 in Asia Minor, persecution broke out against the Christians with great
violence, such as had never been before. Christianity was now treated as a direct crime against
the State and the Christians were sought for as common criminals. They were torn from their
homes by the violence of the people and subjected to the severest tortures. If they obstinately
refused to sacrifice to the gods, they were condemned. The wild beast, the cross, the stake, and
the axe were the cruel forms of death that met the Lord’s faithful V ones everywhere.

This period of great persecution bears a strong correspondence to the address in Revelation to the
church at Smyrna:"And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write:These things saith the first
and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty ….
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer; behold the devil shall cast some of you into
prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful unto death,
and I will give thee a crown of life" (2:8-10). All their afflictions were known to the Lord,
measured by Him, and ever under His control. "Ye shall have tribulation ten days." The period
of their sufferings is exactly specified. And He speaks to them as one that had known the depths
of tribulation Himself. He had gone through the deepest sorrow, and through death itself_He had
died for them and was alive again. They had this blessed One to flee to in all their trials. And as
He looks on, and walks in the midst of His suffering ones, He says, "Be thou faithful unto death,
and I will give thee a crown of life." Thus He holds in His hand the martyr’s crown, ready to
place it on the head of His faithful overcomer.

Let us now consider the historical account of the martyrdom of Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna.

The behavior of the venerable Bishop of Smyrna, in view of his martyrdom, was most Christian
and noble in its bearing. He was prepared and ready for his persecutors without being rash or
imprudent. When he heard the shouts of the people demanding his death, it was his intention to
remain quietly in the city and await the issue which God might ordain for him. But, by the
entreaties of the other Christians, he allowed himself to be persuaded to take refuge in a
neighboring village. Here he spent the time with a few friends, occupied, night and day, in
praying for all the churches throughout the world. But his pursuers soon discovered his retreat.
When told that the public officers were at the door, he invited them in, ordered meat and drink
to be set before them, and requested that they would indulge him with one hour of quiet prayer.
But the fullness of his heart carried him through two hours. His devotions, age, and appearance
greatly affected the pagans. He must have been over ninety years of age.

The time being now come, he was conveyed to the city. The proconsul urged him to swear by the
genius of the emperor, and give proof of his penitence. But Polycarp was calm and firm with his
eyes uplifted to Heaven. The proconsul again urged him, saying, "Revile Christ, and I will release
thee." The old man now replied, "Six and eighty years have I served Him, and He has done me
nothing but good; and how could I revile Him, my Lord and Saviour?" The governor, finding that
both promises and threatenings were in vain, caused it to be proclaimed by the herald in the
circus, "Polycarp has declared himself to be a Christian." The heathen populace, with an
infuriated shout, replied, "This is the teacher of atheism, the father of the Christians, the enemy

of our gods, by whom so many have been turned away from offering sacrifices." The governor
then yielded to the demands of the people that Polycarp should die at the stake. As they were
about to fasten him with nails to the stake, he said, "Leave me thus:He who has strengthened me
to encounter the flames will also enable me to stand firm at the stake." Before the fire was lighted
he prayed, "Lord, Almighty God, Father of Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, through whom we
have received from Thee the knowledge of Thyself; God of angels, and of the whole creation; of
the human race, and of the just that live in Thy presence; I praise Thee that Thou hast judged me
worthy of this day and of this hour, to take part in the number of Thy witnesses, in the cup of Thy
Christ."

The fire was now kindled, but the flames played around the body, forming the appearance of a
sail filled with wind. The superstitious Romans, fearing that the fire would not consume him,
plunged a spear into his side, and Polycarp was crowned with victory.

The Lord greatly blessed the Christ-like way in which Polycarp suffered for the good of the
Church. The rage of the people cooled down, as if satisfied with revenge; their thirst for blood
seemed quenched for the time. The proconsul, too, wearied with such slaughter, refused to have
any more Christians brought before his tribunal. How manifest is the hand of the Lord in this
wonderful and sudden change! He had limited the days of their tribulation before they were cast
into the furnace, and now they were accomplished; and no power on earth or in hell could prolong
them another hour. Many were faithful unto death and received the crown of life.

(From Short Papers on Church History.)

"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of
the household of faith" (Gal. 6:10).

If anything could enhance the value of these lovely words, it would be the fact of their being found
at the close of the Epistle to the Galatians. In the progress of this very remarkable writing, the
inspired apostle cuts out by the roots the entire system of legal righteousness. He proves, in the
most unanswerable way, that the works of the law, of any sort, moral or ceremonial, are of no
value to the Christian in any way whatever, either for life, for justification, or for walk. And He
declares that if we are under law, we must give up Christ; we must give up the Spirit of God; we
must give up faith; we must give up the promises. In short, if we take up legal ground in any
shape whatever, we must give up Christianity and lie under the actual curse of God.

We do not attempt to quote the passages, or to go into this side of the question at all just now. We
merely call the earnest attention of the Christian reader to the golden words which stand at the
head of this article_words which, we cannot but feel, come in with incomparable beauty and
peculiar moral force at the close of an epistle in which all human righteousness is withered up and
flung to the winds. We are all so terribly prone to one-sidedness that it is morally healthful for us
to have our hearts brought under the full action of all truth. It is, alas! possible for grace itself to
be abused; and we may sometimes forget that while we are justified in the sight of God only by
faith, yet our faith must be evidenced by works. We have, all of us, to bear in mind that while law
works are denounced and demolished in the most unqualified manner in many parts of Scripture,
yet "life works" are diligently and constantly maintained and insisted upon! Yes, beloved Christian
reader, we have to bend our attention to this. If we profess to have life, this life must express itself
in something more tangible and forcible than mere words or empty lip profession. It is quite true
that law cannot give life, and hence it cannot produce life works. Not a single cluster of living
fruit ever was, or ever will be, culled from the tree of legality. Law can only produce dead works,
from which we need to have the conscience purged just as much as from wicked works.

All this is most true. It is demonstrated in the pages of inspiration beyond all possibility of
question. There must be life works, or else there is no life. Of what possible use is it to profess
to have eternal life, to talk about faith, to advocate the doctrines of grace, while at the same time
the entire life is marked by selfishness in every shape and form? The apostle John says, "Whoso
hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion
from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" (1 John 3:17). So also the apostle James puts
a very wholesome question to our hearts:"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he
hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 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?"
(James 2:14-16). Here we have life works insisted upon in a way which ought to speak home, in
a most solemn and forcible way to our hearts. There is an appalling amount of empty
profession_shallow, powerless, worthless talk_in our midst.

We have a wonderfully clear gospel; thanks be to God for it! We see very distinctly that salvation

is by grace, through faith, not by works of righteousness, nor by works of law. Blessedly true!
But when people are saved, ought they not to live as such? Ought not the new life come out in
fruits? It must come out if it be in; and if it does not come out, it is not there. Mark what the
apostle Paul says:"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8,9). Here we have what we may
call the upper side of this great practical question. But there is another side to which every true,
earnest Christian will delight to give his attention. The apostle goes on to say, "We are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we
should walk in them." Here we have the whole subject fully and clearly before us. God has
created us to walk in a path of good works, and He has prepared the path of good works for us
to walk in. It is all of God, from first to last; all through grace, and all by faith. Thanks and praise
be to God that it is so! But, let us remember that it is utterly vain to talk about grace and faith and
eternal life if the good works are not forthcoming. It is useless to boast of our high truth, our
deep, varied, and extensive acquaintance with Scripture, our correct position, our having come
out from this, that, and the other, if our feet are not found treading that path of good works which
God hath before prepared for us. God looks for reality. He is not satisfied with mere words of
high profession. He says to us, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but
in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:18). He, blessed be His name, did not love us in word or in
tongue, but in deed and in truth; and he looks for a response from us_a response clear, full, and
distinct, a response coming out in a life of good works, a life yielding mellow clusters of those
"fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God" (Phil. 1:11).

Beloved Christian reader, do you not consider it to be our bounden duty, out of love and
appreciation for our blessed Lord and Saviour, to apply our hearts to this weighty subject? Ought
we not diligently to seek to promote love and good works? And how can this be most effectually
accomplished? Surely by walking in love ourselves and faithfully treading the path of good works
in our own private life. For ourselves, we confess we are thoroughly sick of hollow profession.
High truth on the lips of low practice in daily life is one of the crying evils of this our day. We
talk of grace but fail in common righteousness, fail in the plainest moral duties in our daily private
life. We boast of our "position" and our "standing," but we are deplorably lax as to our
"condition" and "state."

May the Lord, in His infinite goodness, stir up all our hearts to more thorough earnestness in the
pursuit of good works, so that we may more fully adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all
things.

(From Things New and Old, Vol. 21.)

FRAGMENT. "Jesus Christ … gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:13,14).

"Bless them which persecute you:bless, and curse not…. Recompense to no man evil for evil….
Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I
will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink;
for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil» but overcome
evil with good" (Rom. 12:14,17,19-21).

The Christian’s whole life and ways are to be characterized by blessing, not cursing. This precept
carries us far beyond the power of nature. And it is only in proportion to the Christian’s
conformity to the good and perfect will of God that he is enabled to manifest this practical grace
toward his enemies; He has been exhorted to the exercise of love and benevolence among his
brethren in Christ; but now he must go a step further and bless, and never curse, even his enemies
who are persecuting him. To possess this spirit and to practice this precept is to-be a heaven-born
child of God. "But I say unto you, 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; that ye may be
the children of your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 5:44,45). This is surely a noble calling for
the Christian. He is a child of the ever blessed God; he is blessed with all spiritual blessings; his
present and future are unmingled blessing; and he is called while here to imitate his heavenly
Father in returning blessing for cursing.

”Bless, and curse not." The repetition of the precept adds greatly to its divine energy and
importance. It is the peculiar privilege of the Christian to pray for all men_friends and enemies.
God has given him this place of honor here_to bless others by means of his prayers. He should
be like a vessel from which flow the precious blessings of Christ to the enriching of many around
him. So far from wishing or praying that evil may overtake our persecutors, we must sincerely
pray to the Lord to pardon and bless them. Nature would return evil for evil and cherish vindictive
feelings; but grace says, following the example of the blessed Lord and His martyr Stephen,
"Father, forgive them, for they know not f what they do."

"Recompense to no man evil for evil." The apostle now forbids the smallest indulgence in a
contrary spirit toward anyone. Nothing is more natural to man than to return evil for evil. It has
been observed that those of the most indolent and passive dispositions may be aroused to the
strongest feelings of revenge under the sense of injuries, real or supposed. This is the old nature,
not the new; law, not grace; the first, not the last Adam. But whose are we? Whom do we follow?
Which is it, law or grace? The Christian is called to be a witness, not of the first, but of the
second Man; not of law, but of grace. He is to be the witness of grace for His absent Lord hi this
selfish, self-seeking world. If he falls from the exercise of this Christian virtue, he may be
ensnared by the enemy to show a spirit of revenge and retaliation.

How lovely, how heavenly, are the ways of grace! And oh, how contrary are the offensive,
contemptible ways of wretched self! May we seek to be like Him, "Who, when He was reviled,
reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that
judgeth righteously; who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being
dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter 2:23, 24).

Did He bear my sins in His own body on the tree? Did He die for me and put them all away? And
shall I, who have been freely forgiven ten thousand talents, unmercifully insist on the last farthing
being paid of the hundred pence owing to me by my fellow servant? Could anything be more
unseemly in the eyes of heaven? But surely, you will say, none who know Christ could ever
cherish this spirit; none who are walking in the light and the joy of His presence. But if we are
not living in the enjoyment of this grace ourselves, we shall be but poor witnesses of it to others.
Nothing short of living, abiding, daily communion with the blessed Lord and His grace will keep
us above the temptations of making everything minister to the aggrandizement of self.

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written,
Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." This is a kindred precept to the previous
injunction not to render evil for evil. The Christian, under any provocation, must never avenge
himself; we must leave that matter to God who, in His own good time, will certainly avenge His
"dearly beloved." Nothing can be more touching and beautiful than these terms of endearment.
Just when provoked and excited to retaliation by wicked and unreasonable men, the voice of
tenderest love is heard rising above the strife of human passions:"Retire from the scene; give
place to My government because of the injury you have received; it is My prerogative to punish."
See Deut. 32:35.

The knowledge that God is the avenger of His people’s wrongs is not intended to awaken in our
hearts the smallest desire that the divine vengeance should overtake our enemies. This we must
watch against as a secret desire, for we are prone to count on the divine vengeance falling on those
who have injured us. This must be guarded against; it is natural to us and borders on the principles
of the world. It is a most unhappy thing to be dwelling, either in our own minds or in conversation
with others, on the injuries_supposed or real_which we have received. How much happier to
forget them and commit ourselves and all our affairs into the hands of the Lord. See Prov.
24:17,18.

"Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink." The true Christian,
notwithstanding his inoffensive walk, may have enemies, but he must not be the enemy of any
man. Such is his position of grace in this world. He is called by the loftiest motives to be the true
friend of all mankind. Instead of being his own avenger, he bends before the storm, looking to
God, and seeks to render good service to his enemy in his need and distress. He not only abstains
from vengeance, he manifests love. How truly sublime is the standard of the grace of God for His
children’s ways! He returns good for evil, kindness for injury, blessing for cursing. The
expressions, feed him and give him drink, are figurative of all the duties of benevolence. By these
means he seeks to conquer the enmity of his persecutors and even change them into his friends.

"For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head." Among the many interpretations which
have been given to this somewhat difficult passage, we accept the one most generally received,
and which best suits the whole context. To heap coals of fire on an enemy’s head is to care for
him, feast him, and treat him kindly, as the most effectual means of subduing him, of melting him
down. Who ever conquered an enemy’s heart by revenge? How many, rather, have been
conquered by love? What was it that dissolved the hardness of our unyielding hearts? A Saviour’s
love. Few hearts are so hard as not to melt under the energy of patient, self-denying, burning

love. If your enemy will not recompense you for all the good done to him, do not concern yourself
with that. The Lord shall reward you. The God of love will honor His own image in His own
children.

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." This short verse should be the
Christian’s motto through life. How beautiful, how heavenly, how unselfish, how Christ-like,
when displayed in all its practical effects on the many details of real life! How God-like, who
overcame all our evil with His good in Christ our Lord!

The burden of this beautiful chapter of precepts is plain. We are never to conquer evil by evil, but
to treat our enemies with kindness. In the world we shall often have to experience evil in some
form, but we must never allow ourselves to be provoked to the indulgence of a spirit of retaliation.
The first display of temper is a defeat; the enemy has gained a victory. Men in general suppose
that to resent an injury is only to show a proper spirit. But the Christian’s rule is Christ; not to be
overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good.

(From Meditations on Christian Devotedness from Romans 12.)

"And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as
the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia:for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us
be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife
hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean
and white:for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed
are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are
the true sayings of God" (Rev. 19:6-9).

There are two main subjects in this passage:God manifestly assuming His kingly power, and the
Lamb taking to Himself His bride_the Church of the New Testament. The moment has not yet
arrived for the Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered as none ever did, to mount His throne. But all is
getting ready for that grand event. O blessed moment for which creation groans and waits, for
which the Church hopes and prays, and for which the wearied tribes of Israel long with eager
expectation! The Nazarene is God’s appointed King. But two events must necessarily take place
before the throne of the world is occupied by Christ:Babylon must be judged on earth, and the
marriage of the Lamb must be celebrated in heaven. The first has been described in Rev. 18; we
are now about to consider the second.

The call of the throne (given in v. 5) meets with a magnificent and immediate response. The praise
is loud, deep, and full, and characterized by strength and grandeur. The voice heard by the Seer
(i.e., the apostle John) is likened to the sound of "many waters" and "mighty thunderings," that
is, majesty and power combined. Having had the summons from the throne, the mighty choir takes
up the strain in a voice of majesty and power_not "voices," for the mind of heaven is one. We
now hear what fell upon the enraptured soul of the Seer; the last "Hallelujah" is sounded. It is not
now Christ the object of praise, but God on the throne in holy and righteous action. The titles
under which He is worshiped gather up all the various manifestations of God to His people of old.
Separately they set forth distinctive relations and glories; when combined they form a tower of
strength; when seen as united in Him the grandeur of the whole is beyond all telling.

The kingdom has now come, and kingly power is assumed. This is the first great subject of praise
by the heavenly host. What a relief to creation, burdened with six thousand years of sin and
sorrow! But before the second theme is announced, calling for the adoration of the redeemed, we
read, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him."

In the revelation of God on His throne as Jehovah and the Almighty the whole being is bowed
before Him. The soul is awed, not in fear, but in profoundest depth, and surely that is right and
proper as we contemplate Him in the greatness of His Being.

But in the subject now to be introduced the affections are deeply stirred and the heart moved to
its very center. Hence the prefatory call to rejoice and give God glory, for the "marriage of the
Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready."

This great and grand event is the consummation of joy to Christ as man. It is not said the marriage

of the bride, but the marriage of the Lamb. It is His joy that is specially in view, not ours. The
marriage, of which no details are given, takes place in heaven, and on the eve of the Lord’s return
in power, several years at least subsequent to the rapture (1 Thess. 4; John 14:3). The marriage
is the disclosed secret of Ephesians 5:32. Not Israel, nor a remnant thereof, but the Church of the
New Testament is the bride. Israel in her land was the wife of Jehovah (Jer. 3:14-20; Isa. 54:1),
but the wife was divorced because of her iniquity. Israel, however, is to be reinstated in Jehovah’s
favor. But a divorced wife can never again be a virgin, and it is not a divorced wife but a virgin
whom the Lord marries (Lev. 21:13,14; 2 Cor. 11:2). Israel, moreover, has her place and
blessing on the earth; the marriage of the Lamb is in heaven, the Church’s proper home. The
exclusively heavenly character of the scene forbids the application of it to Israel.

Of whom is the bride composed? We answer unhesitatingly, all saints embraced between Pentecost
(Acts 2) and the translation (1 Thess. 4:17). These events respectively mark the commencement
and the termination of the Church’s sojourn on earth. The Church, then, is the bride. The Church
is imperishable because founded on the glory and dignity of Christ as Son of God (Matt. 16:18).
His body, too, is the nearest of all to Him (Eph 1:23), as the bride is the dearest object to His
heart and eye. He has loved the Church with a deathless and unchangeable love, a love ever
active, and knowing no cessation till He presents her in glory to Himself (Eph. 5:25-27). The
Church has weathered many a storm, has longed for her heavenly Bridegroom through cloud and
sunshine, has in conjunction with the Spirit on earth ofttimes cried to Hun, the Bright and Morning
Star, "Come" (Rev. 22:16,17). We who have had our place in the Father’s house, according to
John 14:3, are about to be displayed in the kingdom as the bride and wife of the Lamb. What a
moment of joy! His glory and joy exceedeth. More of the oil of gladness is poured upon His head
than upon ours (Heb. 1:9). Our place, our blessing, our gladness are wrapped up in His. Then
shall He who died see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied.

"His wife has made herself ready." There are two sorts of fitness, and the Church is the subject
of both. First, God in the exercise of His sovereign grace makes one fit for heavenly glory, as we
read, "Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light" (Col. 1:12). Second, believers have to make themselves ready before they
enter on their eternal glory. That is, the story of earth has to be gone over again in the presence
of Him who is light. Our lives have to be reviewed at the "judgment seat of Christ" (2 Cor. 5:10).
The light of the throne will be cast over and upon every moment of our lives, discovering the
hidden, and bringing out the true character of act, word, and service. The enigmas of life will be
explained, unsolved problems cleared up, and all mistakes and misunderstandings rectified. This,
and more, is the application of the judgment seat of Christ to the heavenly saints, and precedes
the marriage. "His wife has made herself ready." The light of the throne has done its blessed
work, bringing out into bold relief the whole story of her history on earth. What would it be if in
glory we remembered one incident of a painful kind which had not been set right? The thought
would be intolerable. But all will come out at the judgment seat as a matter between each saint and
God. It will not be a public exposure before others. Nor must this be understood as signifying
judicial judgment. All that has been settled on the Cross. We appear before the judgment seat of
Christ crowned and glorified, "raised in glory" (1 Cor. 15:43), to have the light of the throne cast
upon the past. What a mercy that it is so. We shall then pass from the judgment seat with its
searching light into the loved presence of the Lamb as His bride and wife for ever.

"And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white:for the fine
linen is the righteousness of saints." The harlot (Rev. 17) was gorgeously arrayed, but her pomp,
splendor, and ornaments were claimed as a matter of right. With the bride it is different; she is
arrayed as a matter of grace. The fine linen, pure and lustrous, of the bride is her righteousness,
or righteous acts, done on earth. But she claims no merit, for these righteous acts were wrought
by the power of the Holy Spirit in her. Her garments bespeak her practical character. She can now
enter on the enjoyment of eternal companionship and union of the closest nature (that of wife) with
her husband, the Lamb. Her deeds on earth have been appraised at their true value in heaven.

"Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." The bride and
guests are clearly distinguished. The former is, of course, in more immediate relation to the
Lamb. The bride is wed; the guests sup. Those called to the supper are "blessed." This is not said
of the bride. Her blessing, which is that of the highest order and character, is expressed in the
simple words, bride and wife. What unspeakable joy is conveyed in these terms! But the guests
are pronounced blessed. Who are they? We answer, the friends of the Bridegroom. But as the
friends of the Bridegroom they enjoy a higher and dearer character of blessedness than they would
if merely the friends of the bride. John the Baptist expressly tells us that he is a friend of the
Bridegroom (John 3:29). The Baptist was martyred before the Church was formed, hence he
comes in as perhaps the most honored of the guests at the marriage supper. Old Testament saints
constitute the large company of called guests, each one being a friend of the Bridegroom, and
rejoicing in His presence and voice. The apocalyptic martyrs (Rev. 20:4) are not raised till after
the marriage, hence cannot be numbered among the guests. Angels may be spectators of the scene,
but guests they cannot be. Angels are never spoken of in the way that these are. It is called a
supper, perhaps in contrast to the subsequent supper of judgment (Rev. 19:17). The former is in
connection with the Lamb and His joy; the latter is in relation to God and the judgment He
executes on the ungodly.

These divine communications, whether spoken by an angel or seen in vision by John, have
attached to them all the weight and authority of God Himself. "These are the true sayings of God."
The basis of our faith is not conjecture, but the certainty that God has spoken. Absolute certainty
is of prime importance in these days when the dogmatism of belief in a divine revelation is
considered to savor of a narrow and illiberal spirit. In old times God spake in the prophets; in
New Testament times God has spoken in His Son (Heb. 1:1,2). How blessed, therefore, to have
the confirmation of these grand and heart-gladdening truths from God Himself!

(From Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.)

"Blessed are the merciful:for they shall obtain mercy" (Matt. 5:7).

No word within the compass of our language has a sweeter sound than mercy; and no other word
could bring the character of God more fully before our minds. This leads to our deepest joy and
our richest blessing_dwelling on the character of God. He is the source of mercy_"the Father
of mercies." He is the well-spring of all the pity, compassion, tenderness, kindness, and charity,
whether temporal or spiritual, which flow through this world of misery. And this mercy, blessed
be His name, is from everlasting and to everlasting_without beginning, before time; and when
time is past, without end. "The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them
that fear him" (Psa. 103:17). But in the meantime, on this "narrow neck of land," this world of
sin, between the incomprehensible past and future, mercy flows as a mighty river, and unites, as
it were, the ocean of eternity. There is no interruption to His mercy:it is the active principle of
His being in this world of sin and misery. "For His mercy endureth for ever." Who can speak of
the transcendent blessedness of such a truth in such a scene of sorrow as this world is! But for the
ceaseless flow of His mercies, it could only be like that place where His mercies are clean gone,
and where He will be favorable no more for ever. When the ear of mercy is closed, and the arm
of mercy is withdrawn, nothing remains but the agonies of despair. But now He delights in mercy,
and will delight in it.

But let us ask the question, Is this rich, tender, everlasting mercy free to all who cry to God for
it? Most surely! Are none now who hear of His mercy excluded? Only those who exclude
themselves. The door of mercy now stands wide open, and the ear of mercy patiently waits to hear
the cry, and quicker far than the electric spark is heaven’s answer. Take a well-known example,
and remember that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and for ever.

When the poor blind beggar (Luke 18) heard that short sermon, "Jesus of Nazareth passeth by,"
he cried, saying, "Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" What was His answer? Could
He say, I have no mercy for thee? Impossible! that, would have been to deny the character of
God, and the whole truth of the Bible. The fulness of divine mercy was his from the moment of
his heart’s first utterance. The faithless multitude might rebuke the blind man and seek to drive
him back, but not Jesus. The moment the cry for mercy fell upon His ear, He stood still; and the
vast procession stood still. All must give place to this service of mercy. "And Jesus stood, and
commanded him to be brought unto Him; and when he was come near, He asked him, saying,
What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And
Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee." Surely this is mercy, full and
free; and such mercy is free to all, "For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be
saved." And these things are written, remember, that thou mayest believe. The same cry will
bring the same blessing today.

And here learn also, as a believer, how to show mercy, Give not your alms to the poor as you
would throw a bone to a dog. With what grace Jesus bends over the poor man and asks, as if He
were his servant, "What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?" Far from taking a place of manifest
superiority, and causing the poor man to feel as if in a far distant place, He gave him to know and

feel that He was dealing with him in love and grace, and drew the heart of the helpless one
entirely to Himself. The Christian must not only be merciful_most merciful, always merciful_but
he must learn to show mercy after the manner of his Lord and Master. The way of the world is
to patronize, and to be esteemed as benefactors; and many will give for the sake of this honor. But
not so those on whom the Lord lays His hand and pronounces blessed. "Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy."

Learn, then, I pray thee, from this narrative, both the freeness and the style of divine mercy. He
who cries to God for mercy, though physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually poor and
blind_the weakest or most degraded of mankind_is instantly answered by Him "who is rich in
mercy." God never has said, and never will say to the cry of the dependent heart, I have no mercy
for thee. Hence the absolute certainty of God’s mercy to every one who feels his need, and looks
to Him to meet it. There is nothing either in the heart or in the circumstances of the sinner that
can hinder the flowing spring of mercy if he only bows at the feet of Jesus in dependence on Him.
But there is no possibility of salvation to a single soul save through the mercy of God in Christ
Jesus, His blessed Son.

May the Lord lead all who read this paper to abound more and more in this heavenly, this God-
like grace of mercy. In the exercise of mercy toward others, we will taste afresh the sweetness of
God’s mercy to, our own souls. A gracious eye, a tender heart, an open hand carry with them
their divine reward. Who does not abhor the character of the steward who was forgiven ten
thousand talents by his master, but would not forgive his fellow-servant a hundred pence? On the
other hand, who does not admire the mercy which shines in the good Samaritan who did the
neighbor’s part? This is the mercy of the gospel; seek especially to shine here_in the mercy that
would seek to save the lost sinner; but forget not the mercy that shines in words, looks, and deeds.
Mercy is the great need of mankind_sinners need it, saints need it, all need it. God in Christ Jesus
is its source. May we be the channels of its many streams, both to the bodies and to the souls of
men.

Thank God we are under grace. But does this blessed fact weaken, in any way, the truth that
holiness becomes God’s house for ever (Psa. 93:5)? Has it ceased to be true that "God is greatly
to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about
Him" (Psalm 89:7)? Is the standard of holiness lower for the Church of God now than it was for
Israel of old? Has it ceased to be true that our God is a consuming fire? Is evil to be tolerated
because we are not under the law, but under grace? Why were many of the Corinthians weak and
sickly? Why did many of them die? Why were Ananias and Sapphira struck dead in a moment?
Did that solemn judgment touch the truth that the Church was under grace?

Assuredly not. But neither did grace hinder the action of judgment. God can no more tolerate evil
in His assembly now than He could in the days of Achan (Josh. 7).

You say, "We must not draw comparisons between God’s dealings with His earthly people and
His dealings with His Church." What, then, mean the following words in 1 Cor. 10:1-11?
"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under
the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in
the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they
drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them
God was not well pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our
examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. . . . Now all these
things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition upon whom
the ends of the world are come."

Is not this drawing a comparison between God’s dealings with His earthly people and His Church
now? Yes, surely; and well will it be for us all to ponder and be admonished by the comparison.
It would be sad indeed if we were to draw a plea from the pure and precious grace in which we
stand for lowering the standard of holiness. We are called to purge out the old leaven, on the
blessed ground that "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Cor. 5:7). Woe be unto the
Corinthian saints if they had refused to put away from among them the wicked person, to deliver
him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.

True, the Corinthians were not called to stone or to burn this man; and here we have the contrast
rather than a comparison. But they had to put him out from among them if they would have the
divine presence in their midst. "Thy testimonies are very sure; holiness becometh thine house, O
Lord, for ever" (Psa. 93:5). Can you not praise Him for His holiness as well as His grace? Can
you not, as the standard of holiness rises before you, add your doxology, "Blessed be His name
for ever and ever! Amen and amen"? We trust you can. We are disposed to think that any remarks
contrary to these are the fruit of that one-sidedness to which we are all prone, and which must
ever prove a sad hindrance to our progress in the knowledge of divine truth.

We must never forget that, while we stand in grace, we are to walk in holiness; and, as regards
the assembly, if we refuse to judge bad doctrine and bad morals, we are not on the ground of the
assembly of God at all. People say we must not judge; God says we must. "Do not ye judge them

that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among
yourselves that wicked person (1 Cor. 5:12,13). If the assembly at Corinth had refused to judge
that wicked person, it would have forfeited all title to be regarded as the assembly of God; and
all who feared the Lord would have had to leave it. It is a very solemn matter indeed to take the
ground of the assembly of God. All who do so have to bear in mind that it is not at all a question
of whom we can receive, or what we can tolerate, but what is worthy of God. We hear a great
deal these days about the "broad" and the "narrow"; we have to be just as broad and as narrow
as the Word of God.

By "discipline" we mean the general exercise of care in the government of God’s house which He
has committed to His people. It includes the simplest forms of brotherly advice to the more public
correction and reproof in the assembly, as well as the final, though sometimes necessary,
exclusion from the fellowship of the saints. Let us consider here some aspects of brotherly care
and oversight, which, if adhered to in each assembly of God’s people, would go a long way
toward eliminating the need for the more public and extreme forms of discipline.

Brotherly Care in General

When our Lord had restored His wandering sheep, Peter, He transferred the expression of Peter’s
devotion to Himself to love and care for His lambs and sheep. When the good Samaritan had
found and ministered to the man who had fallen among thieves, he brought him to an inn and
provided for his care. Salvation is the blessed beginning of a work to be carried on until its
culmination at the coming of the Lord. This work includes instruction, care, and correction in the
power of the Holy Spirit, as ministered by Him through the various members of the body of
Christ. "The members should have the same care one for another" (1 Cor. 12:25).

The primary exercise of this care is in the administration of suited food, suggested in the words
of our Lord, "Feed My lambs." It proceeds from this to the putting forth of the safeguards of love
suggested in the words, "Shepherd My sheep." And lest this should be thought to be the only
exercise necessary for the welfare of the sheep, our Lord reverts, in His last response to Peter,
to the simplicity of the first, "Feed My Sheep."

Feeding them naturally occupies the first place. When a soul has passed from death unto life, die
first care is to see that it is built up by "the sincere milk of the Word," Thus growth is assured.
How delightful a privilege it is to be permitted to exercise this care for the beloved lambs and
sheep of the flock of Christ. It is a service in which all may have a share, while those who have
special gifts in the way of teaching may rejoice to fulfill their ministry.

In the assemblies of God’s people we need ever to remember that this care is the first necessity.
Without it, it is well-nigh impossible to exercise discipline, even in its simplest forms. If saints
are not properly nourished, they become so spiritually anemic as to be oversensitive to the
slightest form of brotherly admonition or rebuke. They are practically too weak to know the
blessedness of the service of John 13_"Ye also ought to wash one another’s feet." Let us see to
it then that there is a full, constant stream of supply of the pure milk of the Word in suited
ministry to the varied needs of the saints so that they are built up on their most holy faith and
nourished in the words of faith, thus increasing by the true knowledge of God.

The Exercise of Brotherly Care and Oversight

The young believer is exposed to special dangers in three directions:from the flesh within, from
the world about, and from Satan who is constantly seeking to make use of the flesh and the world
to seduce the soul from the simplicity as to Christ. The very instincts of love will lead us to look

after and care for the lambs of the flock. Indeed, these have been entrusted to us, and we may ask
if one reason why more are not added to the companies of the saints gathered to the Lord’s name
may not be found in the lack of the exercise of that love which will care for them.

The first element of this care is suggested in the thought of watchfulness:"They watch for your
souls, as they that must give account" (Heb. 13:17). Every shepherd watches his sheep. Not to
do so would be to open the way for the attack of the wolf. Care should be taken as to simplest
matters; such, for instance, as the attendance of the saints at the regular meetings, their personal
walk and associations, and other matters of a similar kind. We realize at once that we are here
upon delicate ground, which suggests a limitation to this form of care.

While watchful, we are not to be suspicious. A gracious and loving oversight is farthest removed
from a restless, inquisitive, meddlesome spirit. We are not to suspect the existence of evil without
proper ground; and in the brotherly care and oversight suggested here we are to guard against the
imputation of wrong motives or the suspicion of that which has not been manifested.

To be explicit, if a young saint is frequently absent from meetings it would clearly not be wise or
right to suspect that the cause was a lack of interest. Rather, let the matter be approached in the
spirit of confidence, in the love that thinketh no evil. Thus, instead of asking impertinent
questions, it would rather be the way of love to keep in touch with the person about whose walk
we were concerned, and seek to win the confidence. This will suffice to suggest the spirit in which
a whole class of brotherly care should be exercised. We do not dwell further upon it save to
remind our reader that we are prone to swing to opposite extremes _of indifference on the one
hand, or on the other to intrude into what we have no right, unless first approached by the one we
seek to help.

Correcting Manifest Failure or Weakness

The command of the law was, "And thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer
sin upon him" (Lev. 19:17). That which is commanded under grace in John 13_to wash one
another’s feet_will be the effort of a true love in exercise. Alas, how often are we occupied with
evil in others without personal exercise; speaking about them rather than to them; so far from
affording any help, alienating them, should they hear of our speaking behind their backs.

The simple courage of love will go to the brother who is in fault, first having sought the mind of
the Lord in prayer for him and ourselves. Then, in the spirit of Gal. 6, "If a man be overtaken in
a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness."

The confidence of the brother has been won; he has no thought that we wish either to humiliate
him or to exalt ourselves. We bring him the simple Word of God, applying it to the matter in
question_of his walk, association, or whatever it may be. Our one object is his recovery; and in
all the grace and yearning of a heart in communion with Christ we seek to shepherd His beloved
sheep. This is indeed blessed and yet most delicate work, requiring nothing short of the grace of
our Lord for its proper accomplishment. This is what He suggests in the words, "If I then, your
Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet" (John 13:14).

(From The Limits of Discipline.)

Let us briefly consider the various aspects of government in the assembly.

The exercise of government may be considered to begin with reception of believers to the
company of those who are endeavoring to give practical expression to the truth of the assembly.
Those whose work is oversight have first responsibility in reception, and should exercise it in
visitation of and inquiry concerning those who desire to take their place among the saints.
Reception, however, is not by individuals, but by the entire assembly of believers. It is a matter
of concern to all, and so opportunity should be given to all to be satisfied. There should be
confidence in the person that there may be the full exercise of Christian fellowship. For this one
must confess the faith once delivered to the saints, live in a manner becoming the gospel of Christ,
and be free from associations contrary to the principles and teachings of Scripture.

Once received, we are under the government and subject to the order of God’s house. First, there
should be continual care for one another, for we are members of the one Body, and of one
household. This maintained in holiness and love would prevent the development in many cases of
what calls for the exercise of other forms of care or discipline. These other forms may be briefly
noted in the following order:

1. Disorderly walk (1 Thess. 5:14; 2 Thess. 3:6-16). Here it is individual, not assembly action,
though that which necessitates withdrawal from a brother as here enjoined may lead to such a
result, for ways of idleness often lead to more serious evil. Exhortation or admonition is, of
course, first. If this fails, there is to be the faithful- yet loving testimony to the conscience in the
withdrawal of one’s company. One point to guard is that the disorder involved is not, a matter of
our own judgment, but is seen as such in the light of Scripture. The Word alone must be our guide
in all.

2. Makers of divisions and occasions of falling (Rom. 16:17,18). Here action may be still only
individual, though the problem may develop to the point where all in an assembly are involved
in the form of action required. There are added features here not mentioned in Thessalonians
where it was a question of taking responsibility for making appropriate provision for present needs
(1 Thess. 4:10-12). In Romans it applies to a teaching contrary to the doctrine we have learned,
bringing in fleshly, carnal ways; from such persons we are to turn away. Obedience in this would
effectually check divisions among God’s people, and prevent that which stumbles many. A
division-maker could not effect division without followers.

3. One taken in some fault, or trespass (Gal. 6:1,2). The thought here is "a stumbling, a false
step." It is not the question of a course of evil, but rather some overt act, "a conscious violation
of right, involving guilt." Here restoration of confidence is sought, and the work necessary for
it carried on in meekness and self-judgment, sharing at the same time the burden which the erring
one bears.

4. A man that is an heretic (Titus 3:10,11). This closely links with those referred to in Romans
16. It is not the question of false doctrines, or the person being fundamentally unsound, though

this might develop, but of one in self-will pressing his own opinions, forming a party around
himself in separation from his brethren. "Putting away" is not; prescribed here, but admonitions.
If these are not heeded, he is to be shunned:"Have done with such."

5. Rebuke before all (1 Tim. 5:20). Here it seems evident that the sin is such as affects the
testimony, and therefore calls for public conviction to produce a due sense of the holiness which
becomes the house of God. Perhaps an illustration of this may be found in Paul’s withstanding of
Peter before all (Gal. 2:11-14). As that chapter shows, his action seriously affected the truth of
the gospel, and led others in like dissimulation.

6. Personal trespass (Matt. 18:15-18). In this case let us first be sure that the trespass is not of
a nature which love would lead us to forgive and pass over rather than take up. Every trespass
does not require to be dealt with in the manner prescribed in Matthew 18; for in many things we
all offend. Evidently what is referred to in these verses is sin of such a nature as may affect the
fellowship of the assembly to which the matter may finally be referred. 1 Cor. 6:1-8 may serve
as an example. They were aggravating the wrong by going before the unjust instead of their
brethren, as Matthew 18 directs. In any case, the object is to recover the brother, and produce
self-judgment. Should such a matter be carried to the assembly and nothing result, the case
becomes a serious one, calling for that personal attitude that the Lord enjoins. It should be plain
that the Lord has in view sin which may finally call for rebuke before all or even putting away.

7. Putting away (1 Cor. 5). This presents what is final as to assembly action. It is a proven course
of evil which is dealt with, being brought to the attention of all by some overt act. In any case it
is what is established by competent witnesses after careful investigation. The extreme action here
contemplated is taken for the good of the whole company, to preserve the purity and sanctity
which belong to God’s house, and in view of the recovery of the person so dealt with.

Without question this applies to the judgment of wicked doctrines as well as moral wickedness.
That which undermines the foundation of our holy faith must be rejected by dealing with those
who promulgate, or maintain association with, what is antichristian (2 John 9-11).

(From Simple Papers on the Christian Assembly.)