Tag Archives: Issue WOT12-3

Words of Truth

Perfect (Scripture Word Studies) (Part 2)

In the word study of the previous issue we looked at the Greek word teleios which is commonly translated "perfect" in our New Testament. It was noted that this word did not mean "perfect" in the sense of sinless or faultless, but rather in the sense of complete, finished, or full grown. Another word which is often translated "perfect" is katartizo. The basic meaning of this word is somewhat different from that of teleios, as illustrated by the following two verses:"And going on from thence, He saw other two brethren . . . mending [katartizo] their nets" (Matthew 4:21). "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore [katartizo] such an one in the spirit of meekness" (Galatians 6:1). This word, therefore, expresses the thought of "repairing," "restoring," "putting in working order again," "equipping for service," and often has the related, but wider thought of "completely furnishing."

Katartizo is also used in Greek literature to express the setting of broken bones. Perhaps it is this use of the word which the Apostle Paul had in mind when writing to the Corinthians:"I beseech you . . . that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" (I Corinthians 1:10). In this verse the three words "perfectly joined together" are translated from the one Greek word katartizo. Just as the torn net and the broken arm must be repaired before they are useful, so must the different factions in the Corinthian assembly_and any assembly_be wholly united before true service for the Lord can be effected.

We will now examine a few scriptures in which katartizo has the thought of "furnishing completely." In the latter half of Luke 6, we find Christ exhorting His disciples that they might have an attitude of love, mercy, and meekness toward those with whom they come in contact. Then in verse 40 He says, "The disciple [or learner] is not above his master [or teacher]:but every one that is perfect [katartizo, "completely furnished"] shall be as his master." He who counts it below his dignity to love his enemies (verse 27) or to offer the other cheek (verse 29) is, in effect, taking a place higher than that which the Lord Jesus took. But if one is truly a disciple of the Lord and is completely furnished or instructed in His teaching, he will be as his Teacher_guided by the same principles and having the same thoughts and motives.

The thought of complete furnishing through instruction in the Word is also found in I Thessalonians 3:10:"Night and day praying . . . that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith."

In Hebrews we twice find a word other than "perfect" employed in the translation of katartizo. In both cases it clearly has the force of "furnished for a particular service or purpose." Verse 5 of chapter 10 reads:"Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared [katartizo] Me." Then in verse 3 of the following chapter we have:"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed [katartizo] by the word of God."
Finally, let us notice a passage in which both katartizo and teleios are found:"And he has given some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting katarizo of the saints; with a view to the work of the ministry, with a view to the edifying of the body of Christ; until we all arrive at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, at the full-grown [tdeios] man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-13, J.N.D. trans.). Thus, a risen Christ has raised up gifted men for the purpose of perfecting the saints, that is, thoroughly furnishing and equipping them for service. May we faithfully perform this service of ministering Christ to one another, with the end in view that we might all arrive at the perfect or full-grown man_the man who is filled with "the knowledge of the Son of God" and whose object and occupation is Christ alone.

"Be Thou the object bright and fair
To fill and satisfy the heart;
My hope to meet Thee in the air,
And nevermore from Thee to part:
That I may undistracted be
To follow, serve, and wait for Thee."

FRAGMENT The smallest act of service, the most ordinary work done under the eye of Christ, done with direct reference to Him, has its value in God’s estimation, and shall, most assuredly, receive its due reward.

The smallest as well as the greatest services may, by the power of the Holy Ghost, present the fragrance of Christ.

  Author: Paul L. Canner         Publication: Issue WOT12-3
Words of Truth

Faith and Works (From the Desk)

"Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works" (James 2:18).

Faith, one has explained, is the work of God in the soul. To this concise remark we add that works are the proofs of this faith, the evidence of it that others see. Might it not be said that we really believe only that truth which is evidenced in our lives and that our faith is measured by the truth which we act upon practically? This truth exercises our hearts as to how faith and works balance out in our lives as born-again Christians.

Our salvation is not related even to the quality of our faith, much less to our works. This salvation is based solely upon the atoning sacrificial work of Christ upon the cross. "When He had by Himself purged our sins, [He] sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:3). In that grand gospel type of Exodus 12, Jehovah declared, "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are:and when I see the blood, I will pass over you" (v. 13). As it sometimes is noted, the Lord does not say, "when you see the blood," but "when I see the blood." The value is in the blood, not our faith. We could not possibly add anything to the eternal preciousness of the blood of Christ to God (nor, thank God, detract from it, either). Blessed be God for this plain and glorious truth! By believing in our hearts God’s plan of salvation, the mighty work of the Holy Spirit having operated there, we are saved.

It is in our lives then, as Christians, that we are to give proof of our faith. We cannot show that faith to men; we cannot show faith without works. It is impossible. We are to show_and this is James’ appeal in the verse quoted at the beginning_our faith by our works. True faith, being of God, links the heart to Christ. Its affections and interests are formed by the growing knowledge of Himself. The reading and study of the Word strengthens and increases our faith. As the truth_ the Word_lays hold of us, through the energy of the Holy Spirit, it deepens the sense of the personal need for Christ; His love is felt and enjoyed the more. The effect will be a spirit of worship, with purpose of heart to be faithful to Him and witness for Him. Our faith will work, but it will be a work that draws its energy and strength from personal communion with God our Father and the Lord Jesus, a work that is sustained by the sense of the imminent return of our Saviour from heaven.

Profession of faith is common enough today. Balance is needed; "they who have believed God" are to "take care to pay diligent attention to good works." We draw your attention to the Scriptures in the next article relating to this need of "balance" in our lives. May God stir us up to work, even though there may be nothing but faith in the Word of God to justify that work, as was true of Abraham in Genesis 22, and of Rahab in Joshua 2, the two examples that James uses in chapter 2. "Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor" (I Cor. 3:8).

The thoughtful, prayerful use of tracts is one way in which we can show our faith by our works_a very definite way. Countless numbers of people are dying around us. Do we care?

These printed messages of the mercy and love of God are a means of reaching some of those who may rarely, if ever, attend a religious service, or who if they do, are not hearing the true plain gospel of God’s salvation for lost sinners. We meet the gas station attendant, the postman, the newsboy, clerk, cab driver, ticket agent, salesman, repair man, waitress, neighbor. How many we have to do with every day_ if only for a moment! Some we may never meet again. Do we care?

We have just what souls need; that’s the point.

The Apostle Paul believed that "if I announce the glad tidings, I have nothing to boast of; for a necessity is laid upon me; for it is woe to me if I should not announce the glad tidings" (1 Cor. 9:16, J.N.D. trans.). Our hearts should echo this.

If we feel unable to speak of Christ, or if there is not time, the tract will speak for us, and in its own time. It may enter many a home and be read by others; thus our testimony is greatly extended.

"Just balances, just weights . . . shall ye have:I am the Lord your God" (Lev. 19:36).

FAITH …… WORKS

"The word is faithful, and I desire that thou insist strenuously on these things, that they who have believed God may take care to pay diligent attention to good works. These things are good and profitable to men" (Titus 3:8, J.N.D. trans.).

"Thou seest that faith wrought with his [Abraham’s] works, and that by works faith was perfected" (Jas. 2:22, J.N.D. trans.).

  Author: Joseph S. Butler         Publication: Issue WOT12-3
Words of Truth

The Spirit’s Intercession and All Things

"And in like manner (as helping with respect to our bodies) the Spirit joins also its help to our weakness; for we do not know what we should pray for as is fitting, but the Spirit itself makes intercession with groanings which cannot be uttered. But He who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He intercedes for saints according to God. But we do know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to’ those who are called according to purpose" (Romans 8:26-28, J.N.D. trans.).

This last verse is closely connected with the intercession of the Spirit. The Apostle states both what "we do not know," and what "we do know." "We do not know what we should pray for as is fitting," but "we do know that all things work together for good to those who love God." This statement comes in to meet the need of an exercised soul and not as an abstract doctrine. It is through the groanings, the perplexities, and the difficulties in proving what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God, that we are led to leave all things in His hand, rather than choose for ourselves; to rest in holy confidence that under His wise master hand all things are working together for good, although we may not know what to pray for in a given situation.

To illustrate what these "weaknesses" ("infirmities" in the Authorized Version) may be to which the Spirit joins its help_ which to us is an intelligent sigh or groan_let us consider a Christian father of a family laid on a bed of sickness. His own personal gain would be to depart and be with Christ, but he sees those around him whom he is bringing up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and his anxiety is for them. Shall he plead to be raised up for their sakes? He is in a strait; conflicting thoughts rise within. He is deeply exercised. He knows not what to pray for. He feels almost as though he could not pray. He groans inwardly. Here is the intercession of the Spirit. The conflict ends. His times are in the hands 6f the Lord. If God takes him, He can "turn His hand on the little ones." God can take better care of them than the father, and He will not take away the father without filling the father’s place Himself. Such an exercise of soul therefore, under God’s hand, is working together with other things for good, bringing out into prominence God’s promises as blessed realities and leading the soul to look unto Jesus as the perfect pattern and to say humbly, yet sincerely, "Not my will, but Thine be done."

These "weaknesses" then, or infirmities, while they result from our being still in the flesh and in the world, are not common to man as man, but are characteristic of "the saints." Being in and of one creation for a time, yet belonging to another creation essentially and forever, we groan because of the strangeness of our actual condition. One special weakness is that, due to our condition, we are unable intelligently to ask God to meet our need. We are perplexed and drawn different ways. The soul may labor to pour itself out before God and yet not know how to utter its complaint or what to ask for. Here the Spirit comes in to our help and by means of a groan or a sigh makes intercession for us. "He who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit." He knows what the real need is and what the right remedy is, because the intercession of the Spirit is according to God’s perfect understanding of our case, and not according to our ignorance. This is a doctrine_a truth_that is of solid comfort to the soul.
 The Lord has made known in former times His deep interest and concern about the tears of His children (Psa. 56:8) and has assured them that "in all their affliction He was afflicted" (Isa. 63:9). But until redemption was actually accomplished by the work of Christ on the cross, the doctrine of the intercession of the Spirit could not be announced. Until the Lord Jesus was glorified, the Holy Spirit could not come down from Heaven to dwell in the Church as the other Comforter and to take His place of intercession. It is only when the flesh and the Spirit are understood to be in total opposition to one another, and we have learned to judge the flesh according to’ God, that we discover that there may be intelligence with God in a sigh or a groan.

In detailing his experience in Philippians 1:21-26, the Apostle Paul furnishes us with an example of a weakness to which we are all subject on account of our present condition. His perplexity resulted from his personal spiritual feelings drawing him one way and his spiritual judgment another. There was nothing sinful in this conflict. However holy and pure his personal feeling_a feeling only possible in one born of God_it needed to be lost in the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. One, only, could say in perfection, "Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God." We must, indeed, take perfection as our example, but in our case, personal feelings have often to be crossed, and always to be exercised in order to bring us into approval of and delight in the will of God.

"For me," says the Apostle, "to live is Christ, and to die gain; but if to live in flesh is my lot, this is for me worth the while:and what I shall choose I cannot tell" (Philippians 1:21-22, J.N.D. trans.). The sum of human life is, to many who are of the world, a dilemma between two evils; and unfaithfulness often brings Christians themselves into a like predicament. In the case of the Apostle, however, it was a choice between two blessed things:his own personal joy to be with the Lord, and his service to the Lord in serving the saints. To be "in a strait betwixt two" is an instance of the weakness resulting from the condition in which we are as Christians in the world.

Our groanings, then, caused by the frequent perplexities of our circumstances, form the basis of the Spirit’s intercession before God. In result, we understand in the intelligence of faith |and learn to appreciate how that "all things work together for good" to us, combining to serve God’s will in our lives.

  Author: J. L. H.         Publication: Issue WOT12-3
Words of Truth

Steadfastness

It is a great thing, in these days of unconcern and carelessness in spiritual responsibilities to be steadfast. One may not be brilliant, and may seem to have no special gift, but if he is reliable he is a power for good. In the heavenly warfare (Eph. 6) the word "stand" is prominent. It shows the courage which is ready to meet the enemy, and gives promise of victory. After his wonderful exposition of the great doctrine of the resurrection (I Cor. 15), the Apostle concludes, as a practical outcome of that doctrine, with the earnest appeal:"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." What an inducement to steadfastness! Christ is victorious; we, through Him, are sure to be "more than conquerors." Let us, then, stand firm in our daily walk, our testimony, and in all that relates to our fellowship with another. How much good one does who is always present at the prayer and reading meeting! His steadfastness in that is a constant example to others. And so in everything else. The Church needs gifts, and Christ has provided them; but it needs simple daily steadfastness on the part of all.

FRAGMENT "I have stuck unto Thy testimonies:O Lord, put me not to shame" (Psa. 119:31).

Be "thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Rev. 2:10).

  Author: Frederick W. Grant         Publication: Issue WOT12-3
Words of Truth

Stewardship

"If ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?" (Luke 16:12)

This Scripture seems to reverse man’s natural thoughts, putting our own interests in the second place. We would say that if we were faithful in our own affairs we would doubtless take care of what belongs to another. Scripture reverses this. We are not really fit to care for our own interests if we have not been faithful in the concerns of others. God’s interests are first, and we are His stewards. He has entrusted us with His things. Here nothing belongs to us; we have forfeited the right even to live. But God leaves us here and entrusts us with time, talents, opportunities, means, influence _ all that comes into our life _ as His stewards. "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (I Cor. 4:2). These things do not belong to us; if we think of them as ours, we will make a wrong use of them and be harmed by them as well. Our possessions are elsewhere_reserved in heaven for us; though through grace that inheritance does not depend upon our faithfulness here, a neglect of God’s interests here would show a failure to rightly value our possessions there. Self must not be the center, the object, but God and His glory. Faithful in His things, we can even here enjoy those spiritual blessings which are ours.

FRAGMENT He who knows how to use the unrighteous whose heart is not in it_will then have the true riches.

  Author:  Anon         Publication: Issue WOT12-3
Words of Truth

Letter to a Son

(Ed. note. The following letter reveals a tragic situation that exists in many Christian homes today. Young people, rebelling against parental counsel and restraints and turning a deaf ear to the wise and loving voice of God In the Scriptures, are vainly seeking for pleasure and freedom through self-will. Self-deluded, they do not know that "it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jer.10:23). This road leads to inevitable disappointments, frustrations and disillusionments and, sooner or later, is discovered to be a dead-end. Yet even this is nothing in comparison to the eternal remorse that is the lot of one who dies in his sins:"Son, remember …" Luke 16:23).

In this letter, only the name of the son is changed; the rest is as it comes from the father’s heart. Let us pray, with him, for that son, and for the many others who have taken that same road. When such a one "begins to be in want," and finally reaches the point where "he comes to himself," the conscience awakened, he returns to "his father." What a welcome awaits him Such is the glory of the grace of the gospel ("God being rich in mercy") expressed in Luke 15.

April 1969

To my son Jim

Dear Jim:

You were brought up in a Christian home where God and His Word were honored. During the first sixteen years of your life you attended Sunday school and meetings regularly, and you were taught to value God’s eternal truths as set forth in His Word.

By your own admission you have now turned your back on the Bible and its authority; to say that your rejection of "the Truth" deeply grieves me is an understatement. One thought that has engaged my mind much recently is the possibility that I might die before the Lord comes without leaving you a message, telling you how I feel about you, as well as giving you my personal testimony, and, quite naturally, giving you some fatherly advice.

Although I, along with all well-taught Christians, believe the Lord’s return for the Church is imminent _ feeling that we are faced with signs, on all sides, that point in that direction _ yet, being in my sixties and having no lease on life, I must face the fact that I might leave at any time. I have no premonition concerning this, and have no fear of death, knowing that my sins were borne by Jesus on the cross; death would simply usher me into the immediate presence of the One who took my place in death and judgment on the cross. It would also usher me into the presence of literally hundreds of loved ones who have gone on before. Against the background of the above possibility, and even certainty if the Lord should not come for two or three decades, I want you to know that my love for you is as real and as abiding as it was during your infancy, your childhood, and adolescence, and I do not expect it to change. That is one reason why I pray for your spiritual, mental, and physical well-being daily.
 In reviewing my relationship to you as your father, I feel that I owe you an apology and a confession of shortcoming on my part which I feel keenly. My confession of fault is this:somehow, I apparently failed, during my busy years, to get the point across to you that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. I also evidently failed to impress upon you that the Bible is the Word of God, and that the neglect of it brings about spiritual malnutrition and, eventually, spiritual death; this, just as surely as failure to eat your daily meals results in physical malnutrition and, eventually, physical death. Here, I would like to quote Daniel Webster:"If truth be not diffused, error will be. If God and His Word are not known and received, the devil and his works will gain ascendance. If the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will. If the power of the gospel is not felt through the length and breadth of the land, anarchy and misrule, degradation and misery, corruption and darkness will reign without mitigation, and the thought is one to cause solemn reflection on the part of every patriot and Christian."

Another place in which I seemingly failed was in allowing you, during your most impressionable years, to keep close company with boys who were reared in non-Christian homes and were trained to believe Satan’s lie concerning the Bible and concerning the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. If words mean anything, then Jesus clearly claimed to be the eternal Son of God. Unitarians, together with many other religious cults today, are adamant in claiming that He was only a man. An analysis of their doctrines teaches clearly that they do not believe the Bible to be the Word of God, and refuse the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all His disciples. I should never have allowed you to keep close company with such boys, who, by training and belief, are enemies of the Bible and of Jesus Christ. I have confessed my above failure to God, and I confess it now to you. At this point I will state unequivocally that I have never known anyone to make a serious investigation of the claims of Jesus Christ without believing that He is who He claimed to be_truly "God manifest in the flesh." I have no doubt in my mind but that you too would come to the same conclusion if, and when, you make a serious investigation of the Bible, and of the claims of Jesus Christ.

As I understand the history of man, whenever a person approaches the Bible with skepticism, and in an attitude of "picking it apart God will dishonor such an attitude by closing that one’s mind to the truth. On the other hand, whenever a serious and humble investigation is made, in an attitude of dependence on God, the conclusions have always resulted in the acceptance of the Bible as God’s inspired Word; in this way multiplied millions have experienced the phenomena of conversion. I can testify that I have personally experienced this phenomenon_as I am sure you know_and would not exchange the relationship I have with Jesus Christ for the total wealth of the entire world.

Jim, I know you are not happy. No’ one can be truly happy, and at rest in his soul and mind apart from the certain knowledge that all is well regarding his relationship with God. Thirty-five hundred years ago, King David said, in Psalm 32:"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." He also said in Psalm 37, "Trust in the Lord . . . delight thyself also in the Lord . . . commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him . . . rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him."

Because of the type of business that I am engaged in, the majority of my friends and acquaintances are professional people. I have had at least a speaking acquaintance with several thousand persons, mostly due to my business relationships. I am sorry to say that I believe that only a small minority of these people are truly Christians; of all the rest, my observation tells me that I do not know of a single one that is truly happy. You may ask, "What evidence do you have of this?" I answer that it is proved by the fact that they are continually restless_never satisfied, leaning on one or more of the many crutches that Satan has in his arsenal of deceit. Apparently, God has placed a sort of vacuum within the soul of every person, and this vacuum can only be filled when Jesus Christ comes into one’s life as Saviour and Lord. Millions have found rest and peace and unspeakable joy through faith in Christ. As we see the restlessness which breaks out in riots, wars, and disturbances around the world, and many of our leaders in deep despair, not knowing what to do to correct the situation, only Bible-taught Christians can diagnose these symptoms and understand that they are the result of persons and nations turning their backs on God and His Word.
 In the urgent words of Jesus Christ, I earnestly appeal to you:"Enter ye in at the strait gate:for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Jim, I believe that the Lord has spoken to you quite clearly many times, and you simply weren’t "tuned in." There may come a time when God gives up on a person. We read of this in the first chapter of Romans. I don’t believe that God has given you up yet, or that He will give you up soon because, among other things, there are too many people praying for you; sometimes God has to speak louder and louder before He can get one’s attention. How loudly will He have to’ speak to you! It seems that since 1962 you have been saying, "No thanks, God, I can get along very well without you." This is a long time to ignore the One who gives you your life_breath by breath. By continuing on your course of Christ-rejection, you may swing out into eternity unsaved, but not unloved, Jim.

May I urge you to find the time to go to a secluded place, (Will not be interrupted, and ask the Lord to open that you may see what God has in Ins Word for .,further suggest that you read through, carefully, the of John, and give God opportunity to show you what has done for you, and what He will do for you, now and in Ins eternal future. Satan will do everything in his power to deny you tins time to investigate sincerely. He will suggest that you procrastinate for a few more years. Tins would be folly, as a glance at the daily newspaper obituary page should prove conclusively that death is not choosy as to age; any time between the moment of birth on up to one hundred years or mote seems to suit the grim reaper. For your eternal soul’s sake, Jim, may you do the only wise thing, that is, receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour. I would be glad to help you at any time.

In closing, again let me say that because I love you very much I have taken tins means to place squarely before you eternal issues. Let’s face it, Jim, what excuse will you give to God if you continue to drift on and end up in a Christless eternity? You could hardly say, "No one ever told me." Jim, may I have the opportunity soon of talking with you about tins most vital matter? I hope that I may have the joy of spending eternity with you in heaven.

Affectionately, your Dad

  Author:  Anon         Publication: Issue WOT12-3
Words of Truth

Serving Our Own Generation

"For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers" (Acts 13:36).

The Apostle Paul, speaking in the Jewish synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia (now a part of Turkey), referred to King David, contrasting him with the Lord Jesus Christ, the "Holy One" of Israel. When David died, he was buried, and his body saw corruption. When Jesus died and was buried, He "saw no corruption"; God raised Him from among the dead the third day. Through Him, then, the now risen and ascended Lord, was the Gospel preached that those who believed might be fully justified before God.

It is in this context that we find the verse cited above, in which we will note helpful and practical thoughts for ourselves. The J.N.D. translation renders it:"For David indeed, having in his own generation ministered to the will of God, fell asleep." Every believer, having turned to God from doing his own will, serving sin and self, has the blessed privilege and responsibility now of serving God, "the living and true God," and of serving others "in his own generation." To serve (or minister) to the will of God_do we think of this as we ought? It is a matter that should search the heart of each of us.

We read of an obscure widow in the Gospels, whom the Lord noticed putting into the temple treasury two mites, which make a farthing. The Lord called his disciples and said to them, "Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:for all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living" (Mark 12:43,44). What great self-denial in this service! In many ways we may serve fellow-believers, not only in our own generation but even producing an influence, by the Spirit of God, that may extend on into generations to come. In Hebrews 11 we have a catalog of many people whose lives were spent in service to God, and their testimony has come down to successive generations, and we know it has come even to us. The effect of the ministry of the apostles has come down to our own generation.

We think, again, of the Reformers at the time of the great Reformation of the sixteenth century. By their ministry they saved untold numbers from religious bondage, as well as from bondage to sin, and this has had its far-reaching effect on us in our generation. The service of many children of God has been blessed to not only their own but later generations.

Let us think of our own service and ministry "by the will of God" in the little while that is left us. We live in times of unprecedented comfort and leisure. How easily "cares and riches and pleasures of this life" may produce a spiritual lethargy and lukewarmness that leaves us unmoved by the great needs and opportunities for service that meet us on every hand.

"If any man minister [or serve], let him do it as of the ability which God giveth:that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever" (I Peter 4:11).

  Author: A. J. Adolfson         Publication: Issue WOT12-3