To the saints gathered unto our
dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ:

 

"Love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love
of the Father is not in Him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,
but is of the world" (1 John 2:15,16).

 

These verses have been much
before me the past few months. How we need this truth and practical application
of it. When we think of the fact that whatsoever is not of God is of the world
(which is the sphere of Satan), how careful we should be to walk as He would
have us walk.

 

My main thoughts have to do with
our personal dress or adornment. We see in Genesis that man was unclothed until
sin came in; Adam and Eve first realized they were naked after they had sinned.
Then we see God making coats to cover them because of sin. We also think of
Peter when he was fishing; when he heard "that it was the Lord, he girt
his fisher’s coat unto him (for he was naked), and did cast himself into the
sea" (John 21:7). How about us today? Are we properly dressed when we are
in God’s presence?

 

We should be free from the
fashions of the world. In Scripture we are not told to follow the world’s
fashions, but rather to count the world dead with all its deeds and to
"love not the world." Our dress should be of such a nature that it
helps to display Christ in our lives. Some believers dress in a way that tends
to draw attention to the body. Should we not rather dress in a way that draws
attention to our soul and spirit—to Christ living in us? We as Christians
should have a chaste, modest appearance at all times; and this applies not only
to our outward appearance, but to our attitudes, and behavior—our spiritual
lives—as well. (See 1 Tim. 2:9, 1 Peter 3:1-7.) If we are following the world,
we can not be following Christ at the same time.

 

Many believers follow the trends
in the world not only in matters of dress but also as to length of hair. Many
brothers in Christ let their hair grow long and many sisters cut their hair,
even though Scripture instructs otherwise. "Doth not even nature itself
teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a
woman have long hair, it is a glory to her:for her hair is given her for a
covering" (1 Cor. 11:14, 15). They do not understand how nature teaches
us, so they tend to disregard God’s teaching as to short and long hair.

 

Let us also remember that we are
part of God’s Church here in this world. We are not of the world, even though
we are in the world. Let us love God and His truth that he has given us. Let us
hold the truth of the Church and not the things of the world.

 

"Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; that He might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that He might
present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:25-27;
read also verses 28-32). Here we have the affections of Christ brought out, and
the Church is looked at as His wife. First, He gave Himself that it might be
presented a glorious Church. The type will then be fulfilled of Adam and Eve.
In heaven the Church will be displayed as the bride, the Lamb’s wife. She will
be complete when the Lord comes, for then she will be forever united to Him in
glory.

 

Ye "are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief
corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an
holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation
of God through the Spirit" (Eph. 2:20-22). "Endeavoring to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3). There is a practical
unity produced by the Holy Spirit among the people of God. This is when He is
permitted to impress the truth of the one body upon us and to lead us to act in
accordance with divine principles. Thus, all saints are members of the one
body; no one can question that, no one can undo it. But to what degree, we ask,
are God’s people keeping the unity of the Spirit? Our sorrowful answer must be,
how little! With most believers, sad to say, what concerns the glory of our
Lord and practical obedience in carrying out His will has little weight. They
seem never to have realized that Christ has a Church on earth, established upon
principles revealed in His Word. As a result, they are incapable of entering
into the unity of the Spirit. As in the days of the judges, everyone does that
which is right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6).

 

The consciences of the saints
are shocked, and rightly so, at any moral delinquency, any lapse into fleshly
ways, measured by ordinary standards. But are we equally shocked by a
deliberate and persistent ignoring of the unity of the Spirit? The Scriptures
bear ample witness to the oneness of the Church; its heavenly, separate
character; its divinely appointed order. But we find God’s people establishing
churches and setting up order and procedures according to their own devising.
Is this an endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit?

 

Let us all desire and endeavor,
by God’s grace, to walk in obedience to the truth set forth in God’s Word. May
we allow God’s Word and perfect will to govern all our ways, to His honor and
glory.

 

I close with Christian love to
all.