Month: August 2021

“Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou has wrought for us” (Psalm 68 :28).

The Lord imparts unto us that primary strength of character which makes everything in life work with intensity and decision. We are “…strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3: 16). And the strength is continuous; reserves of power come to us which we cannot exhaust.

“The Lord is my strength” to go on. He gives us power to tread the dead level, to walk the long lane that seems never to have a turning, to go through those long reaches of life which afford no pleasant surprise, and which depress the spirits in the sameness of a terrible drudgery.

“The Lord is my strength” to go up. He is to me the power by which I can climb the difficult hill and not be afraid.

“The Lord is my strength” to go down. It is when we leave the bracing heights, where the wind and the sun have been about us, and when we begin to come down the hill into closer and more sultry spheres, that the heart is apt to grow faint.

“The Lord is my strength” to sit still. And how difficult is the attainment! Do we not often say to one another, in seasons when we are compelled to be quiet, “If only I could do something!” To do nothing, just to sit still and wait, requires tremendous strength.

“The Lord is my Strength!”

FIRE: The Bible is a fire that bums up the dross of sin within us. “Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD…” (Jeremiah 23:29).

LAMP: The Bible is a light for our understanding. It guides our footsteps even in the darkest night. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

MIRROR: The Bible is a mirror for our self-examination. It reveals the stains of sin that need cleansing. “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was” (James 1:23-24).

SWORD: The Bible is a sword for our conflict. Our enemy, Satan, and all his evil hosts will flee before it when it is properly used. “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

HONEY: The promises and precepts of the Bible are for our delight. “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10).

HAMMER: The Bible is a hammer in that it breaks up the heart that is hardened by unbelief. “Is not my word…like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces” (Jeremiah 23 :29).

MEAT: The Bible is meat for our spiritual strengthening. “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).

MILK: The Bible is milk for our nourishment. It helps us to grow in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).

SEED: The Bible is seed for our sowing. “A sower went out to sow his seed…Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:5,11).

GOLD: The Bible is gold for our enrichment. “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver” (Psalm 119:72).

A colporteur of the Bible Society in a European country came to an orchard bearing nice ripe fruit. Seeing the owner, he asked him, at a very low price, to buy a copy of God’s precious Word, and at the same time commending it for its great worth. The owner of the orchard said, “You tell me that your Book is the Word of God, but you do not prove it so.” To this the man of God made no direct reply, but stood admiring the fruit trees loaded with their luscious fruit, then said, “What fine looking pears! But what a pity they are of such poor quality.” “What!” exclaimed the orchardist, “Of poor quality! It is quite plain that you have never tasted them. Pick one or two and try them!” The colporteur did as he was bidden, and after eating one, said “Yes, you are right,” smacking his lips at the same time. “The pears are excellent; but, sir, you must deal with my Book as I have dealt with your pears. Taste and you will see that the Word of God is good.”

Many millions have in the past, and millions now have not only taken a sample taste of the precious Word of Life, but they continue to delight in the precious truths revealed therein and will do so forever; and they are so abundantly satisfied with them that they are continually recommending one and all, saying, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him” (Psalm 34:8).

The Word of God contains invaluable truth. Few seem to really believe it is God’s Word; but it most assuredly is such! Disproof is impossible! God is speaking in and by it today to sinners as well as to His people, and by the redeeming work of His Son is proclaiming a free, full, and eternal salvation to one and all, and absolutely free for

one and all who will repent of their sins and by faith take it. There is nothing deceptive about it, as millions can testify; but they are deceiving themselves who imagine for a moment that God’s Word can be slighted with impurity. “… he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6: 14-18).

FIRST, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE EXISTS AN ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE BORN OF GOD AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT.

The difference between the sons of God and the children of wrath is both great and conspicuous. It is the difference between light and darkness, pure religion and paganism.

SECOND, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THE DANGERS OF CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH THE MORALLY OR DOCTRINALLY IMPURE.

Unequal yoking- intimate associations between the people of God and the world ought not to exist.

There should be a separation in religious fellowship. The Apostle Paul cautioned the Corinthian church against fellowship with the doctrinally impure. The only sound basis of religious fellowship is truth.

There should be a separation in marriage. The question of religious equality ought ever to be the prime question. Among many professors of Christianity today the question hardly arises, and in direct disobedience to Holy Scripture, ministers unite such unequally yoked couples in marriage.

Reading material, the use of the media, time, energy, and pursuits are all matters about which the Christian believer needs to have great concern. “…whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

There should be a separation in friendships. The power of friendship is great for good or for evil. “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27: 17). A wise man will choose his friends with care. Believers need friendships that will help and not hinder them.

There should be a separation in business.Business partners are closely yoked, their actions need to largely agree. Such partnerships between a Christian and non-Christian will always ultimately hit trouble. Stress and strain will build up in the relationship until both partners discover the wisdom of the question, “…what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” (2 Corinthians 6:15).

THIRD, WE NEED TO REFLECT UPON THE FACT THAT IT IS THE DUTY OF THE GODLY TO EXTRICATE THEMSELVES FROM ALL UNEQUAL YOKINGS.

The Christian must sever unscriptural ties and break away from all unprofitable bindings. Such separation is to be entire. “…touch not the unclean thing…“(2 Corinthians 6: 17). We are to have no contact with moral or doctrinal impurity.

The Christian is in the world. Christ did not pray that His people should be taken out of the world, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (John 17: 15). There may be relations that we find difficult to sever or are truly impossible to break, but in these situations the believer must be most careful and diligent in maintaining his independence as an individual carefully rendering to God the things that are God’s.

The Christian is not of the world. “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:16). Although the child of God is in the world, he does not adopt the principles, practices, or maxims of the worldly.

The Christian is to be above the world. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind …” (Romans 12:2). He is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Therefore through divine grace and gracious enablement he masters worldly principles and resists worldly influences. The children of God are not only to be separated from the world and theworldly by the careful watching of their actions and habits, but by an attribute of mind which brings a natural nonconformity. Having renewed minds, believers are enabled to discern the “… good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).