Month: September 2020

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 6:1).

This is indeed one of the heart-searching passages from God’s Word. We have read it over many times, no doubt; yet, have we ever stopped really to consider its true meaning? Surely the words practically mean this, “Take care that you do not live your life before men instead of before God, for if you do, God cannot bear witness to it and give you His reward.”

It is a severe temptation to live our “righteousness” before men, to be seen by others, to have them think well of us because they notice us doing good deeds or hear us speak kind words. These words truly pierce to the joints and marrow (Hebrews 4: 12).

It is possible to do much of our Christian work to ” … be seen of men … ” (Matthew 6:5) – not intentionally perhaps, but almost unconsciously we ask or think, “How does it look?” or “What will they say?” concerning much that is said and done.

The heavenly life is a life ” … hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3 :3). In Matthew 6:1-18, the Lord Jesus endeavours to tell us about such a life and some things necessary in its living. The Lord in these verses speaks of hidden service (verses 2-4), hidden prayers (verses 5-15), and hidden suffering (verses 16-18).

HIDDEN SERVICE

There is the hidden life of service. Service is a much used word today in the church and Christian sphere. We are urged to serve, and so we ought. Christ does not condemn service, indeed He encourages it; but warns that our Christian service, all our giving of money, time, and strength, should be hidden between God and ourselves (verses 3-4). Even among our members, the left hand and the right hand (verse 3), it is to be a secret service. We are not even to sit down to think or dwell upon it – what we do we are to forget and leave it before God. This is the “closet” life- a life lived close to God.

Such life, lived in secret, will be owned by God openly. It will be seen of men then, but in such a manner that they will glorify God the Father. They will be able to see how God serves us, not how we serve God!

Jesus said one time that what we give up we gain, and what we try to save we lose. This passage of Scripture helps us to understand what He had in mind. If we do a good deed and think of the praise of men, we lose our reward of God. If we think of the praise of God, we gain His approval and His open reward, which men do see after all.

HIDDEN PRAYER

In verses 6-7, the Lord speaks of praying in secret, or hidden prayer. In verse 5, He mentions a class of people who prayed deliberately and intentionally to ” … be seen of men … ” because they loved men’s praise.

“Please excuse me from leading in audible prayer,” some folks will beg, “I just can’t pray so well as Brother So and So.” Another has been heard to say, “Well, if I cannot speak, at least I can pray!” Common expressions, sounding almost humble, yet with perhaps the dangerous “seen of men” poison behind them, a subtle motive being the guiding principle rather than true humility.

“My prayers aren’t answered, so why go on praying?” asks a Christian professor, despondently. “I’ve almost ceased to believe that God hears prayer; so many of mine have gone unanswered lately.” Many have this experience. May it not be possible that, in some cases, the reason is made clear by the Lord’s explanation of prayer rewards? He says plainly, ” … no reward of your Father … ” (verse 1).

Someone has said, “We think of men so much because we know so little of God.” One of the greatest problems of public prayer is here: to keep the thought upon God and off of men. It is much easier to pray in the secret place where men cannot see or hear, but it is also possible to pray in public, ” … before men … ” (verse 1). The characteristics of prayer in this hidden prayer life could be set forth in this way:

1.1t is prayer with no thought of what others think (verse 5).

2. It is prayer shut in with God, whether in private or public worship (verse 6).

3. It is prayer not so much of language as of heart (verse 7).

4. It is prayer which is sure of response and reward (verse 6).

5. It is prayer definite and to the point, “After this manner therefore pray ye … ” (verses 9-13).

6. It is prayer to a Father who will respond to every real need (verse 8).

7. It is prayer in the spirit of forgiving love (verses 14-15).

HIDDEN SUFFERING

This is mentioned by the Lord in verses 16-18. Here, again, we find the warning about being “seen of men” when we suffer. This is perhaps the severest test or temptation of all. Fasting is particularly mentioned by the Lord Jesus. The Christians were not to fast and then go about with a sad countenance so that everyone who met them could tell they were fasting! There is a kind of pleasant martyrdom which Satan often uses, very cleverly, to spoil the Christian’s reward – it is rather “sweet” to do without, if we have the sympathy or praise or commendation of others! But it will bring no other reward, for such “martyrs” have had their reward.

These are very difficult things to make real in our lives, but most of Jesus’ teachings are difficult. He Himself lived fully this hidden prayer life, the hidden life itself. He spoke seldom of His own sorrows, always helped others overcome their difficulties and gave them sunshine. He told His Father the rest, lived in with Him, and was indeed rewarded openly to God’s glory.

God reveals Himself only to faith. Unbelief never receives anything from God. Everything we get from God, we get through faith. Righteousness cometh by faith (Philippians 3:9). Salvation cometh by faith (Ephesians 2:8). Without faith, the heavens are locked. God decreed that the just shall live by faith (Romans 1: 17). Without Faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11 :6)

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). The basis of all faith is the Word of God. The written Word is the record God gave us of His Son, the Living Word. Faith believes the record. Unbelief makes God a liar (1 John 5:10).

“He sent His Word and healed them … ” (Psalm 107:20). Here is the great secret and plan. Here is described the wonderful way of God with the children of men. The Word is the gateway to God and the supernatural. Faith believes the Word and the promises. God is faithful. He never disappoints faith in His Word. When we meet the conditions, the promises are ours.

The Bible is the story of men and women who have believed God’s Word and have performed great exploits of faith. Faith and patience inherit the promises. The Word inspires faith. Faith obtains the wonderful promises of God.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). To faith, the Scriptures are discovered to be the infallible, unfailing, eternal Words of God (Matthew 5:18). Faith regards no circumstances, favourable or unfavourable. Faith asks only, “What saith the Word?” Faith banks all, risks all on the faithfulness of God in His Word.

FAITH IN GOD AND HIS WORD IS NEVER DISAPPOINTED

Faith knows no impossibilities. To the father of the dumb boy, Jesus said, ” … If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). He also said, “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14). The possibilities of faith are unlimited. God literally turns the universe over to faith. Did not one man bid the sun to stand still, and it obeyed? (Read Joshua 10: 12.)

Faith is not fear, but confidence and trust. Faith and fear cannot exist in the same heart. In the storm, Jesus wearied, slept. The disciples fearing, woke Him, crying, ” … Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38). Awakening, He calmed the storm, and rebuked them, saying, ” … Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? … ” (Matthew 8:26).

Faith is not worry. Faith is freedom from worry. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Worry is sin. Worry is unbelief. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6).

WHY WORRY WHEN YOU CAN PRAY

Faith leaves the outcome with God. Like Esther going in to the king, ” … if l perish, I perish” (Esther4: 16).

Faith never despairs. Like Paul on the Alexandrian grain ship, when all hope had fled, cried, ” … be of good cheer: for I believe God … ” (Acts 27:25). Faith, like David at Ziklag, when all was lost and his men sought to stone him, encourages itself in the Lord (1 Samuel30:6).

“Is any thing too hard for the LORD? … ” (Genesis 18:14). ” … faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises … ” (Hebrews 11 33). Faith is the victory ( 1 John 5:4). When men believe, God works.

Have Faith In God! For faith proves the promises of God and the faithfulness of God. (Read Mark 11 :22-26.)

Faith proves the promises of God. Faith proves the faithfulness of God.

“…. let God be true, but every man a liar …” (Romans 3:4).

” … Abraham believed God … ” (Genesis 3:6). The essence of faith is simply taking God at His Word. “What more can he say than to you he hath said?” ” … he hath said … so that we may boldly say … ” (Hebrews 13:5-6). We are thrown back upon revelation, not reason. God has spoken and holy men recorded it. Back of everything stands the record. If we are to believe the Living Word, we must accept the Written Word. Jesus accepted the Old Testament as the Word of God, and He told us that His words were spirit and life. “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus”- but how do we trust Him? The next line has it, “Just to take Him at His Word.”

Not “a feeling fond and fugitive,” not a frame of mind strenuously maintained, but a calm reliance on, “It is written,” that is it. For ” … these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31). Take His Word for it!

Why don’t we hear of Hell anymore? Why don’t preachers warn of Hell fires as Jesus did (Matthew 5:22,29,30; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 25:41,46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:23-28)? The answer is found in the following statement, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

In these last days there has been a falling away from the faith (Luke 18:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:3), and a number of minsters, rather than risk losing lucrative positions, have well-nigh ceased to proclaim that everlasting punishment awaits the individual who rejects Jesus as Lord of his life. Nevertheless, it is still true that “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).

If there were not a Hell in which the sinner will have to spend a hideous eternity, Jesus would not have needed to come to earth to die for fallen man in order that those who repent, believe that He bore our sins, and shift the burden of guilt to Him (thus escaping the penalty which otherwise will be exacted by a just God) might have everlasting life.

Many people think that if they are fairly respectable and have lived in an upright manner that they will go to Heaven. Nothing is farther from the truth. The Bible says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). At a terrible cost, Jesus suffered and died for all humanity because He knew that Hell awaits those whose sins are not forgiven. Anyone who says there is no Hell is trampling Christ’s blood under foot. Before Jesus was born, the sins of those who looked forward to His first coming were rolled ahead; and, at death, these Old Testament saints went to Paradise in the lower parts of the earth, while the lost were consigned to Hades. After His death, Jesus visited this region and took the spirits of the righteous to Heaven, because He had completely atoned for their transgressions. Now, those who die go either to Heaven or Hell, depending upon whether or not they believe that Jesus rose from the grave as Lord and Saviour of mankind.

What would you think of a mother who took the labels off bottles of poison and placed them within easy reach of her children? However, many preachers who are responsible for the spiritual welfare of God’s children have removed the warning signs from false teachings, and are allowing their congregations to imbibe freely of the devil’s deadly notions, one of the most dangerous of which is the suggestion that Hell does not exist.

In earlier days, ministers were true to their trust. Jonathan Edwards, the eminent Puritan preacher, is noted, in particular, for his sermon entitled, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” When this message was delivered, many of the members of his congregation began to weep in such distress at the realization of their lost condition that the missionary had to ask for silence so that he might continue. He told the people that the wrath of God is everlasting. “You must suffer it to all eternity: there will be no end to this exquisite, horrible misery. When you look forward you shall see a long forever, a boundless duration before you … You will absolutely despair of ever having any deliverance, any end, any mitigation, any rest at all; you … must wear out … millions and millions of ages in wrestling and conflicting with this merciless vengeance; and then when you have so done, when so many ages have actually been spent by you in this manner, you will know that all is but a point to what remains, so that your punishment will indeed be infinite. Oh, who can express what the state of a soul in such circumstances is! It is inexpressible and inconceivable: for ‘who knows the power of God’s anger?”‘

Dear friend, if you have not yet made sure that you will escape this frightful fate by asking Jesus to forgive your sins, and to accept you into the family of God, I plead with you to fall upon your knees this very moment and cry to Him, “Oh, Lord, I believe you died for me and rose again from the dead to give me eternal life, and I believe that you have borne all of my sins. Save me now, and keep me during the remainder of my earthly journey and through all the ages to come. Amen.”

Offer this prayer from your heart and He will give you a new spiritual birth so that you will pass from death unto life, and will know that Heaven (not Hell with its terrors) will be your eternal abode.