"Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord . . . Divers
weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good" (Prov. 20:10,23).

To those who are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ alone_who have gone "forth …
unto him without the camp" (Heb. 13:13)_how familiar is the Scripture so often quoted, "holiness
becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever" (Psa. 93:5)!

We rightly own that separation from evil there must be among those so gathered_who, though
only a tiny part of that "holy temple in the Lord" (Eph. 2:21), would seek to carry out the
principles suited to such a place of privilege as "an habitation of God" (Eph. 2:22). "The most
High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, . . . what house will ye build
me? saith the Lord:or what is the place of my rest" (Acts 7:48,49)? Yet to this very place of
blessing and privilege has He called His people! (See I Pet. 2:5 and I Cor. 3:16).

Now, to this truth we hold tenaciously; and against all parleying with evil, we are ready to quote
the above Scripture:"holiness becometh thine house, O Lord for ever." But is the church the
temple of God any more really than is the individual saint, in whom the Spirit of God dwells (I
Cor. 6:19)? Do we quote the above verse with equal zeal as to our individual responsibilities?

We see saints who put us to shame in the consecration and yielding of their bodies to God (Rom.
12:1), yet who know absolutely nothing of church truth, or of God’s will as to worship. Will their
individual devotedness excuse them for passing over the equally plain Scriptures as to separation
from evil collectively? He that said the one said the other also (See James 2:11).

We pity them for their ignorance of truth; but, on the other hand, will the fact of our seeking
separation from evil ecclesiastically count with the Lord if we are not also seeking to "purify
ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God’s fear" (II Cor. 7:1,
J.N.D. Trans.)?

He asks, "Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights
(Micah 6:11}? Though we may thus be deceiving ourselves, "a just weight and balance are the
Lord’s (Prov. 16:11).

There are saints in confusion ecclesiastically, who nevertheless set Him apart in their hearts and
in practical ways; and there are saints separate from evil ecclesiastically, who, for example,
harbor an unforgiving spirit, or withhold from the Lord His rightful portion of their income, or
are careless as to maintaining personal holiness. At the same time, they criticize those who do not
"see separation." They themselves are deluded!

It is this sort of false balancing by which Satan is deceiving us, and which is eating away the vitals
of spiritual life among us. Was it for the disciples only, or for us also that the Lord said, "Beware
of the leaven of the Pharisees"? Satan allows others to be right individually, if he can keep them
leavened ecclesiastically. Similarly, he will let us be right ecclesiastically, if he can deceive us by

leavening our individual walk. In like manner, he will let others be most loving, if they can be
kept leavened with false doctrine as to Christ; while we may be sound in doctrine, for all Satan
cares, just so he can succeed in getting us to lose the balance as to love. Are we ignorant of his
devices?

Nothing but the balance of the truth will avail us. Throughout all Scripture there is ever a
remarkable balance. The sword of the Spirit is two-edged; i.e., it cuts this side and that side _
not two-pointed, as some would explain it, cutting the one who uses it as well as the one against
whom it is used. This is not the figure, though it is true that the one who uses it must first have
felt its power.

The Spirit’s leading in the assembly (I Cor. 12:8,11) is insisted on as all-important _ and rightly
so; but does Scripture speak of His leading in the assembly any more than it indicates that
individual believers are to be "led of the Spirit" in their daily lives? Here is another instance of
divers balances, yet we look down on saints in "the systems of men" who countenance a "one-
man-ministry,” but seek to follow the Spirit’s leading in their daily path.

Likewise, the Lordship of Christ must be owned absolutely in the assembly if there is to be
blessing; yet, as soon as ths meeting is over, how many of us speak as though we might say with
the wicked, "our lips are our own:who is lord over us" (Psa. 12:4)? Alas, how often is this true
of us all through the week! Many of us deplore this in ourselves and others, and yet, alas, forget
again! How many more seem only to play with the truth! But such trifling with the truth is only
self-deception, and Satan is at the bottom of it.

The Lord is near. Is it not high time to awake to these things, for "divers weights are an
abomination unto the Lord"? This is not true in business matters only, but in spiritual things as
well. Shall we go on wondering why the meetings are cold, and why we are not used to deliver
our brethren? We are deceiving ourselves, as in the days of the judges when idols could be
allowed individually and in a whole tribe; yet, at the same time, pious phrases employed, such as
"before the Lord is your way" (Judg. 18:6). "The children of Dan set up the graven image … all
the time that the house of God was in Shiloh" (Judg. 18:30,31), for "there was no king in Israel,"
though the Lord was King in Jeshurun.

Now, of the children of faith, it is said, "ye are the temple of the living God" (H Cor. 6:16). But
it is sure that what gives all the value to the house is the One who dwells in it. Yet we sometimes
hear more of the body than we do of the Head; we hear the church spoken of as "the mystery,"
whereas Scripture says:"This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the church"
(Eph. 5:32); "this mystery . . . which is Christ in you" (Col. 1:27); "Christ is all and in all" (Col.
3:11). So preoccupied are saints with the church, that if some are asked "What is the mystery?"
they immediately answer, "The church." We might as well say that God’s institution of union
(Gen. 2:24, Eph. 5:31) was Eve! In Gen. 5:2, we read that God "called their name Adam"; "so
also is the Christ" (I Cor. 12:12).

It is most blessed and helpful to trace through the Word of God the perfect balance of truth. It has
often been said that nearly all error is based on one side of truth. Take the truth as to the Person

of the Son of God. He is God and Man. Leave out either, and fatal error is the result. So, with
the Spirit and the Word:leave out either and again you have error. Likewise, concerning that
which God has revealed as to Himself:"God is light" and "God is love." To omit either fact
would be ignorance of God and blinding error. Again, at the cross, "Mercy and truth are met
together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psa. 85:10).

So it is in the epistle of John. Who, reading there, can separate the truth as to Christ’s Person and
love to the brethren? They are inseparably joined and perfectly balanced, as are "grace and truth"
in the Lord Jesus Himself. As to our path, how we need the balance! It is "watch and pray." It has
been said that one of these without the other is mockery on the one hand, and presumption on the
other.

We read of all that "Jesus began both to do and to teach" (Acts 1:1). For us, the Scripture balance
is:"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine" (I Tim. 4:16).

May the Lord stir up our spirits in His mercy (even now _ as dawn is nearing) by His Spirit’s
power through the Word.