Category: General

The Possibilities of Faith

” … If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).

The Immediateness of Help

” … before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65 :24).

The Unlimited Supply of Grace

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 19).

The Power of Abiding in Jesus Christ

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).

The Perfect Peace of Prayer

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

The Abundant Ability of God

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3 :20).

“And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no” (Deuteronomy 8:2).

Israel was a stubborn, stiffnecked people who were constantly in rebellion against God. They longed for the fish, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic which they ” … did eat in Egypt freely … ” (Numbers 11 :5). Every time they faced a new difficulty, they forgot their former Egyptian slavery and remembered with avidity the smell of Egypt’s onions and garlic.

You might say, “What else can you expect? That was Israel,” but we, in the closing days of the church age, have nothing in ourselves whereof we can boast. When God permits some trial or some difficulty, what are we most apt to do – praise Him or doubt Him? Let each one answer for himself.

Could it be that we have not made a full surrender to God? True, some of the most devout Christians are sometimes led through deep water and fiery trials, but far too many are in difficulties because they have not surrendered completely to God’s will.

We remember a good friend who got into a difficult situation one time and burst out, “Why in the world do these things happen to me? Ever since I became a Christian, it has been this way.”

His remark left the impression that he had made a mistake that his troubles multiplied as soon as he gave his heart to the Lord. It was not so, of course, and he perhaps did not mean it that way, but had there been any unsaved people around, they would probably have decided that the devil was not such a bad taskmaster after all.

The children of Israel acted that way. They had come out of Egypt- but Egypt was still more or less in them. We talk easily of being ” … crucified with Christ … ” (Galatians 2:20), and that is true if we have believed on Him; for as believers, we are identified with him in His death on the cross. lt is also true that we have not always brought our stubbornness and willfulness to His cross for crucifixion. We are still creatures of choice. We choose to have our own way, and thereupon hangs a tale of difficulties in the lives of many Christians.

This matter of an all-out-surrender to the will of God is something of tremendous importance. Moody was an all-out, surrendered man, and we see what the Lord did through him.

YIELD TO HIM

It is not hard to discover our lack of surrender to the whole will of God, for our willfulness or stubbornness manifests itself in so many different ways. The difficulty is in bringing that lack of surrender, that willfulness, that stubbornness to God, saying, “Lord, I am willing to quit the whole business; Lord, I want to make an unreserved consecration; Lord, I surrender all!”

If we did this, we would not be so apt to look back on the children of Israel with contempt because of their wilderness wanderings. We would probably discover that we too are more or less wandering around in today’s wilderness because of lack of all-out surrender to the will of God.

I can look back over the years of wilderness wanderings that preceded my surrender to the Lord. Reverting to the text, ” … remember all the way which the LORD thy God led … to humble … to prove … to know … ” what was in my heart.

Was I a Christian? I wasn’t a heathen. I was like millions of other church Christians who are in the visible church, yet not in the body of Christ as surrendered believers.

Was I stubborn? I’ll say I was! Did the Lord humble me? He did! The Lord brought me to a place of humility where I was willing to chuck into a literal furnace some things that stood between me and full surrender.

Most of the children of Israel never made the all-out surrender to God. Because they did not, their carcasses were left in the wilderness. We repeat, they had come out of Egypt, but Egypt was still more or less in them. Have we, in these closing days of the church age, made the all-out surrender? If not, we should, lest our “carcasses” be left in this present wilderness when ” … the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God …” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). – – by Manford Evans

“(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Discouragement, despair, defeat, and many other similar shattering experiences often occur, not because of what we remember, but because of what we forget. Straight away in this passage we are reminded that we are in a fight; we are battling against the current of the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is no easy course which God has chosen for us. The whole world lieth in the wicked one, and ” … the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” If we are to avoid defeat and the disquieting experiences which accompany it, we must ever have in mind that we are at war every day (even on vacation!). ” … the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). There can be no letup. The struggle will go on until Jesus rends the heavens and comes down. Paul, writing to Timothy, says, “Fight the good fight of faith … ” (1 Timothy 6:12).

WEAPONS IN OUR HANDS

However, not only have we a warfare on our hands, but we have weapons in our hands. These weapons are not carnal, but they are mighty. How inspiring is the contrast given to us in these few words, ” … not carnal, but mighty … ” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Not only the natural man, but the carnal Christian also is utterly helpless in such a warfare. The hymn writer wrote these words, The arm of flesh will fail you; Ye dare not trust your own.

Here we are told distinctly that we have weapons which are ” … mighty through God … ” (2 Corinthians 10:4) or “mighty to God.” These weapons are given to us by God; they are used only in His power; and one of them at least, the weapon of prayer, is directed to God. We are not told in this passage what the weapons are, but we are left in no doubt as we read the Scriptures. Two of our most powerful weapons are the weapons of prayer and the Word of God. ” … take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6: 17) says the apostle, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit… ” (Ephesians 6: 18). Here are the weapons which are given to us in this tremendous fight; weapons which are not useless because they are carnal, but are mighty through God. When the tempter came to the Lord in the wilderness, and said to Him, ” … If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread,” He replied, ” … It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:3-4). What a clear testimony this is both to the authority and to the strength of the Scriptures! Fellow Christian, we have, or should have, a sword in our hand – it is the Word of God. We may have something in our heart prayer- that is potentially more effective than anything else. ” … The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).

Why are these weapons so powerful, so that if used in the right way they must always conquer? The answer simply is that they are God-given and ordained. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4: 12). God Himself prepared the Word and placed the sword in our hand. Prayer, too, is God-given, and is so tremendously powerful when used aright, that it can produce and accomplish more than we ask or even think. It is because prayer is offered in the authoritative Name of the Lord Jesus which is not only sweet and precious to God the Father, but is a Name which is above every name.

He has declared, ” … All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28: 18). Through the power of His blood, which He shed on Calvary’s cross, and the completeness of that victory, He has been exalted highly” … and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11 ).

THREE MIGHTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Now let us notice in the context of this passage what the weapons can do. These accomplishments come not only as a challenge to take heed that we are using the weapons aright, but as an inspiration to attempt more for God in the field of evangelism.

First, through God these weapons can pull down strongholds. There are satanic strongholds today which so subject millions of people to bondage that the light of the Gospel does not reach them. These strongholds must fall, even as the walls of Jericho fell.

Second, ” …imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God … ” (2 Corinthians 1 0:5) can be cast down. Think for a moment of the cults, the false religions, and all the man-built schemes of philosophy in which people put their trust today, and flounder in the quick sands of men’s reasoning. However clever man may be, God has given to us weapons which can cast down these imaginations, and bring light and salvation to any soul, for Christ tasted death for every man (Hebrews 2:9).

Third, these weapons are so powerful that they can bring ” … into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). How this is needed among Christians everywhere! Think what would take place if every thought in the minds of believers throughout the world were brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ! Young men would offer their lives for service, there would be no financial or material lack, and pastors would be placing new emphasis on the neglected mission fields.

” … the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty … ” Let us reach out now for the weapons of the Bible and prayer, holding forth the Word of life that we ” … may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain” (Philippians 2: 16).

Jesus must have radiated joy during His public ministry. This may be one reason why, when trying to comfort his disciples, in the upper room, He made such pointed references to his joy remaining with them, and their joy being full. We read in John’s Gospel, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (15:11); again, “your heart  shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you” (16:22); and later, when praying to the Father on their behalf: He said, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name· … And now come I to thee; and these I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves” (17:12-13).

To His disciples, His presence meant joy and His absence meant sadness. After His resurrection, when Jesus appeared to His disciples again, their joy knew no bounds. On the occasion of one of these appearances, we are told, ” … they yet believed not for joy … ” (Luke 24:41). From Pentecost onward, throughout the early history of the church, it is evident that the joy of the Lord was one of its most prominent and attractive characteristics, and probably contributed greatly to her rapid increase in influence and growth.

In those early days, the church had to pass through times of trial and persecution, and yet the glad note of joy was ever present with them. The secret of this experience of joy was not dependent on circumstances, but on a life lived in fellowship with our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. This holy fellowship and joy is the birthright of every truly born again child of God, it is not only for the select few.

The radiant joy of many Christians is frequently used by the Holy Spirit to reveal the poverty and miserable plight of one living the self-centered life, and to bring conviction of sin. Often has the admission been made that the first seeds of discontent and conviction of sin have been sown at the sight of the manifest joy in the lives of others.

Unhappily, the church which Christ commissioned to be His witness and to proclaim His Gospel has lost, to a large extent, its winsome and attractive note of joy. A Christian worker without the joy of the Lord in his heart makes a poor appeal to the sinner he is seeking to win, equally so will the church of Christ, without the joy of her Lord radiating through her members, fail to make an attractive appeal to this generation.

The condition of the church of Christ surely is a challenge to examine our hearts to find whether there is any evil way in us. We may seek the cleansing of the blood of Jesus Christ and our restoration to His fellowship and His joy, that our witness may be more attractive and our influence more effective in all our contacts with men and women, if perchance the Lord will graciously use us as channels of His joy and blessing to sad and troubled hearts in these days; which may, in the mercy of God, be heralding the Lord’s glorious return.

“Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day” (Acts 27:29).

After you have found your place in the church, which is the body of Christ, you will need four anchors to keep you as you journey on awaiting His return.

1. The Anchor of Faith ” … for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1: 12).

a. The need of a strong faith-Luke 22:32.

b. Why should we let our faith fail?- Hebrews 4:2.

c. Can you say, “In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds”?

2. The Anchor of Prayer “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6: 18).

a. Instruction is given- 1 Thessalonians 5: 17; 1 Timothy 2:8; Matthew 26:41.

b. “Prayer is appointed to convey the blessings God designs to give: long as they live should Christians pray; they learn to pray when first alive in Christ.”

3. The Anchor of Divine Worship “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).

a. Exhortation-Hebrews 10:25; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30.

b. In Revelation 1:10, John was in the Spirit in the Lord’s Day morning, and we have as a result the book of Revelation. Had John been away visiting, he would have missed the visit of the Lord.

4. The Anchor of Christian Service “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses to these things” (Luke 24:4 7 -48).

a. Our commission-Mark 16: 15.

b. We are labourers-2 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 3:9-15.

c. We are at war with evil- Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Timothy 6:12.

d. Our exhortation-1 Corinthians 15:58.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (1 Peter4: 12).

The idea is prevalent that God should protect a Christian from all the ordinary vicissitudes of life and its severe trials. But the fact is that conversation is but the beginning of conflict with the tempter and sets a man against the ways of the world and the pull of the self-life. Failure to recognize and expect this continual struggle may account for the discouragement of many.

One would have thought that, as the missionary of the Christian Gospel en route to Rome, the Apostle Paul would have been free from perils on land and sea. Instead, it was one long hard fight with persecuting Jews, awesome tempests, venomous vipers, and all the powers of earth and hell. He was rescued from a watery grave only by the narrowest margin.

“Was that like a God of infinite power?” we may ask. Yes, that is His way of developing reliance upon Himself in the darkest hour, and of showing others that a Christian has what it takes. Saved from sin’s dominion, the Christian is to expect severe conflict. But while there is no discharge from this conflict, he may go on from triumph to triumph.

“Beloved, think it not strange … “! But that is just what we do think. For nowadays we have become accustomed to a distorted gospel, with such catchphrases as “Come to Jesus and be happy,” or “Jesus can satisfy the heart.” To be sure, the Gospel does bring happiness. Happiness, however, is not the goal of the Gospel, but merely a byproduct, and that frequently experienced in times of trial. For when we are truly saved by grace, something much bigger and grander than personal happiness becomes our goal – the glory of God. In other words, self with its selfish desires is dethroned, and God is given His rightful place in the center of our lives.

For Christ, the will of God meant a cross and a grave! And when we die to self and sin, and rise in newness of life in Christ, we find that we are in this world, not as pleasure seekers, but as men and women who have been called to sanctified living; not as those on a picnic, but as warriors engaged in battle.

Accordingly, we shall receive the same hostile treatment which Christ received. There is not the one way of the cross for Christ, with immunity for His disciples. Hence we are to expect suffering and sorrow; but this provides the proof that we are shouldering the cross and following Him, who sees of the travail of His soul in us and is satisfied.

“Beloved, think it not strange … “! But that is just what we do think. We think is so strange, that we are ill with the strain of puzzling it out. “Why should this injustice have befallen us?” we ask ourselves- a question which reveals that the trouble is not the actual suffering but our rebellion against it.

Better far to recall the Lord’s words to His anxious disciples, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). No Christian who has faced the implications of the lonely cross in his own life will cave in before the world’s opposition or allow his peace in Christ to be disturbed. Trouble by itself does not cause nervous breakdowns. It is the satanic suggestion that we are suffering more than we deserve or are able to stand which does that.

But why should we give entrance to Satan’s insinuations, and permit them to fester in our thoughts and to dissipate our energies? The accuser of the brethren has been overcome by Christ. The war of nerves has been won for us. Hence, though we are to expect tribulation, as beloved of the Father we can prove the “good cheer” of Christ in His overcoming power. Consequently, for those of faith, mountains of anxiety may be removed, and they left in a calm frame of mind to face their affliction and to win through in it.

Is there a heart o’er-bound by sorrow?

Is there a life weigh ‘d down by care?

Come to the cross, each burden bearing,

All your anxiety, leave it there.

“Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial … “! Whatever the form of the fiery trial, Christians need not to be despondent, since the Spirit of the Christ of glory of the Father strengthens their spirits for the conflict (1 Peter 4: 14). Think of the graphic way in which the Apostle Paul describes his experiences of divine strength given in trial. “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:8-1 0).

Here, in quick succession, are five pictures of Paul’s struggle and affliction. In the first, the idea is that of crowds pressing in from all sides, and yet not crushing him because the Chief Constable of Heaven, the Spirit of glory, has cleared the way just wide enough for him to pass. The literal translation would be, “We are crowed on every side, but not crushed.” The second picture is that of one whose way seems completely closed, and yet he is enabled to press through: there is a darkness, but there is sufficient light to show him the next step. Rotherham translates it, “without a way, but not without a by-way.” The third picture is that of the enemy in hot pursuit, while the divine Defender stands by to protect him. A Rotherham renders it, “pursued, but not abandoned.” The fourth figure is still more vivid. The enemy has overtaken him; has struck him; has knocked him down. But it is not the fatal blow. He is able to rise again. “Overthrown, but not overcome.”

Once more the trial is renewed, and now it seems to be death itself- “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus … ” (2 Corinthians 4:1 0). But while he dies to sin, he does not die to God, for ” … the life also of Jesus … ” comes to his aid, and he lives in the life of another, until his task on earth is completed. What a ceaseless, strenuous struggle with evil was Paul’s missionary pilgrimage. But through it all, he was ” … strengthened with might… in the inner man” (Ephesians 3: 16), by the Spirit of glory who prepared him for the fray.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you … ” The indwelling Spirit of glory who burns up the dross of sin, can use the outward trial of the enemy to drive the believer into closer union with Christ. Both the chastening of the Lord and the fiery trials of Satan can be used by the Strengthener to purge us from every appearance of sin, and to make us strong in holy living and divine service.

There are two scriptural pictures that bear on this subject. Isaiah 40:31 says that, ” … they that wait upon the LORD … shall mount up with wings as eagles … ” The picture conveyed is that of a young eagle who is pushed out of the aerie to test its powers of flight, and when it begins to tire the wings of its parents are beneath to bear it upward. The other picture is our Lord’s comparison of His love for His people with a hen fussing over her chicks. Both exposure to life’s trials, in the case of the eagle and the protective care of the hen over her chicks, are applicable to the Spirit indwelling the Christian. He uses the trial to knock off the rough edges, to expose the weaknesses, to produce humility, to forge a closer love bond with Christ.

“Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.” The fact that the Spirit is none other than the Spirit of glory suggests another reason why suffering could not be considered as strange. As there is no suffering in Heaven, the Spirit, through the refining of suffering, prepares believers now for the burning bliss of Christ’s holy presence. Under the Spirit’s supervision, all the hammering and welding in life’s factory are helping to forge the finished showroom product for the time when the saints will be perfected in Christ, and Christ will be admired in His saints.

Called to glory via suffering, believers participate in Christ’s travails, and Christ through the Spirit shares in theirs, that they might be worthy joint heirs of God with Him. And that day of glory, when they shall be like and with Him, shall far eclipse the memory of finite trials. Hence the way of the cross leads Home. It is the way the Master went your way and mine.

“The cross of Christ condemns me to become a saint!” So exclaimed a Bechuana Christian in the enthusiasm of his newly found faith.

The words are emphatic and contain a truth all-important to the spiritual life. They take us straight to the real purpose of the Saviour’s death; they put before us the true object of the Christian’s life. Not the forgiveness of sins, not a title to Heaven, but a holy life- a walk that pleases God.

True, forgiveness of sins must come first; the blessing of free pardon lies at the threshold of the Christian life. We cannot do acceptable service, we cannot yield the first-fruits of the Spirit, the love, joy, peace, which are the unfailing marks of the spiritual nature, unless all servile fear of God, all unworthy desires to propitiate our Heavenly Father and to merit His favour, have been removed by a belief in our full acceptance through the blood of the cross.

We must first learn what the Apostle John taught as an infant lesson to his little children, ” … your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake” (1 John 2: 12). But, after all, this forgiveness of sins is only the means and not the end. A holy life is the only end.

The cross of Christ, while it secures my pardon, condemns me to become a saint. How? Partly out of gratitude. They who have been forgiven much must needs love much (Luke 7:4 7). Christ’s love to us cannot fail to constrain us to live not unto ourselves, but unto Him who died for us and rose again (2 Corinthians 5: 15).

IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST

Is this all? What did the Apostle Paul mean when he said, “I am crucified with Christ … ” (Galatians 2:20)? Is not this identification something more than substitution?

Does not this again imply union? Can we accept Christ as our substitute merely, and claim the freedom from sin’s punishment which His death secured? Must we not at the same time become one with Him in a living spiritual union; one with Him in His attitude toward sin; one with Him in His attitude toward God?

The very essence of the atonement lies in the fact, not that so much suffering was borne, so much pain inflicted, but that the only begotten Son, who all through His life had done the Father’s will and had passed through the sinful world unspotted and unstained, took the place of the sinful and rebellious, and ” … put away sin … “, both bearing its curse and manifesting its exceeding sinfulness ” … by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26).

GOD’S ESTIMATE OF SIN

The cross of Christ shows us God’s estimate of sin. To accept the atonement there wrought out by Christ, we must accept God’s view of sin. The cross of Christ preaches with awful eloquence, “No quarter to sin, but war to the very death.” It condemns sin utterly and entirely, and thus condemns us to be holy.”

It is a base slander against the doctrines of free grace to say that assurance of acceptance must lead to carelessness of living. Shame to any whose lives have made this lie to be believed. They cannot surely accept Christ as the propitiation for their sins who do not honestly accept God’s sentence there passed upon sin, who do not view all that is evil in their past mode of living- yes, and every sinful affection and desire of the natural heart sentenced to death. They must learn that” … our old man is crucified with him … ” (Romans 6:6).

The very sacrifice by which alone pardon is secured to us most unmistakably fixes the character of the life that is to follow; it pledges us to holiness and self-sacrifice. The life of holiness, then, is not some high pathway reserved for a few who are peculiarly devoted, for the specialist in religion; there is to be no division made between the secular and the sacred life; all who believe in the old story of the cross, all who hope to be saved thereby, are bound by it to a holy life.

HOLINESS POSSIBLE

But we must go a step further. The cross of Christ not only enforces holiness, but makes holiness possible. The Saviour’s death was not only an atonement for sin, but a triumph over sin. By faith we can view our sins not only on His sacred head for our pardon, but under His pierced feet for our deliverance. To Christ and all who are in Him, the devil is a conquered foe.

The life of the com of wheat which falls into the ground and dies is reproduced in the well-filled ear (John 12:24). The life which was laid down for our ransom is imparted to us for our life and strength. Strange that this blessed truth, to which the Lord’s Supper was meant to be a standing witness, should have been so forgotten; stranger still that so many have been contented with a connection which is only outward and formal, instead of going on to the real living union through faith and the Holy Spirit.

We need to learn the full force of the comparison in Romans 5:10, that compound-proportion sum, so full of meaning: if when enemies, through the imputed death, we are reconciled, how much more as friends, in the imparted life, we shall be saved- delivered, that is, from the bondage and practice and love of sin. Just as the healthy flow of life in the body enables it to resist disease, so the life of Christ, imparted through His death and resurrection, enables the Christian to throw off the pollution of the world, and escape from corruption and sin. The cross of Christ condemns us and empowers us to be holy.

This, then, is the great lesson for us, that goodness has been put within the reach of the vilest sinner through the finished work of Christ. May God teach us the meaning of the cross, and so make us Calvary Christians.

The events in the life of Jesus, God’s Son, were not mere happenings but the unfolding of God’s great plan for the eternal welfare of mankind. The state of the natural man is sinful which unfits him for an entrance into Heaven. However, God does not wish to see anyone die in his sins and perish. It is His desire that all men tum from their sin and be saved.

For this cause God ” … gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3: 16). Jesus gladly paid the price of the sinner’s redemption on the cross of Calvary. Therefore, having met the righteous demands of the law, God raised Him up from the dead and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. How beautiful the co-operation of the Father and Son! All this to win a lost race back to God. Yes, eternal life awaits all those who put their trust in Jesus Christ, the One who was dead, but now lives forevermore; and, because He lives, we shall live also.

But God had another purpose in raising His Son from the dead. Here it is: “Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25). How wonderful! Not only saved from sin but delivered from the condemnation and penalty of sin. On Jesus was laid the iniquity of us all. Therefore, death and the grave were His portion for you and for me. But God, being satisfied with the full payment His Son made for sin, raised Him up from the dead and set Him free. Now our God is a just God, and by His grace freely justifies all those who believe in Jesus. He cannot requite those for whom a ransom has already been paid. “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5: 1). O rest, sweet rest! This is the believer’s portion in this life, free from all condemnation!

But let us consider the blessedness of the life to come when we stand before the just Judge. Were we to stand before God alone, there would be no hope for anyone, but Jesus will be there, the One who paid the price of our redemption and is now at the right hand of the Father making intercession for the saints. At that day, He will plead our cause, and no charges will be able to stand against us. For while the saints walk the dusty highways of this earth by faith, He will keep them from falling, and at that great day will present them faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. What a wonderful hope! Are you looking for that blessed hope?

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” ( 1 Peter 1 :3-4).

The hour in which we live is fraught with spiritual dangers. The Bible tells us that there will be seducing spirits in these last days (1 Timothy 4:1). They will deceive the very elect if they can (Mark 13 :22). Seducing spirits find entrance where there is sin in the life.

Scripture says, “Let no man deceive you … ” (Ephesians 5:6). (See Matthew 24:4; Mark 13:5; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 John 3:7.) We are also cautioned not to deceive ourselves (l Corinthians 3:18; 1 John 1:8).

It often happens that when God uses a man greatly, Christians begin to admire the individual and to exalt him. This can easily lead to pride in that leader, and “Pride goeth before destruction … ” (Proverbs 16: 18). These proud leaders may be led into deception, and the devoted followers fall into the same deception.

Leaders who have large followings but do not live righteous lives are not from God. There must be holy living, and holiness must be preached to the people. God will have a church ” … not having spot, or wrinkle … ” (Ephesians 5:27); ” … judgment must begin at the house of God … ” (1 Peter 4: 17). The way is narrow (Matthew 7: 14). Beware of those who preach an easy, compromising Gospel.

There will be deceivers who will come preaching truth. Then after a following is gained, they will begin to teach doctrines that arc not Scriptural. Christians would not follow one who comes ministering error, but those who are not watchful can be led gradually off into error by one whom they have come to admire. They remember the truths he first taught, and though they do not find what he later teaches in the Scriptures, admiring his person, they accept his teachings regardless.

WE MUST BE WATCHFUL

The life of the minister of righteousness must agree with what he speaks, and what he speaks must agree wholly with Scripture. When there is a mixture, we must beware. If we live righteously and hold the Word of God in our hearts and minds, we need not fear, for God will give us of His Spirit to keep us in the truth. We must judge our own lives and purge out any sin lest it become a snare to us. “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged” (1 Corinthians 11 :31).

These are days of intensifying temptation. As God moves in His people to prepare them for the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ, Satan will intensify his efforts to lead God’s people into deception. Satan will seek to lead God’s people away from holiness and into the flesh-pleasing life.

Temptation need not overcome us. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4: 15-16).

We must live in the spirit of watchfulness. Christian, watch over your heart. “Keep thy heart with all diligence … “(Proverbs 4:23).

Watch over your lips and be jealous of your tongue. Guard against a light and trifling spirit, by which multitudes have fallen into darkness and ruin.

Watch for seasons of prayer and special communion with God. Watch for opportunities of doing and receiving good.

Watch against the allurements of the world and against everything that is sensual and has a tendency to lull the soul to sleep.

Watch against temptations, and resist them in a moment, keep steadfast in the faith. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

We need not be those who fall into darkness. We can be among those who finish the course with victory. We must be strong in purpose. Dangers will beset on every hand, but God has promised that His grace is sufficient for those who will seek Him for it (2 Corinthians 12:9).

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

These are times of moral and religious confusion, and it is sometimes hard to distinguish the false from the true. Our faithful Lord has tried to save us from the consequences of our own blindness by repeated warnings and many careful instructions. It will pay us to give close attention to His words.

Toward the end of the age, we are told, there shall be a time of stepped-up religious activity and frenzied expectation, growing out of the turbulent conditions prevailing among nations. The language is familiar to most Christians: ” … wars and rumours of wars … nation shall rise against nation … famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places … Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations … And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another” (Matthew 24:6-1 0).

Concurrent with this state of affairs will be a great increase in religious excitement and supernatural happenings generally. “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:5); “And many false prophets shall rise … ” (Matthew 24:11 ); “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:23-24).

PRAY FOR DISCERNMENT

Many Christians fear to sin against love by daring to inquire into anything that comes wearing the cloak of Christianity and breathing the name of Jesus. They dare not examine the credentials of the latest prophet to hit their town lest they be guilty of rejecting something which may be of God. They timidly remember how the Pharisees refused to accept Christ when He came, and they do not want to be caught in the same snare, so they either reserve judgment or shut their eyes and accept everything without question. This is supposed to indicate a high degree of spirituality, but in sober fact it indicates no such thing. It may indeed be evidence of the absence of the Holy Spirit.

Gullibility is not synonymous with spirituality. Faith is not a mental habit leading its possessor to open his mouth and swallow everything that has about it the colour of the supernatural. Faith keeps its heart open to whatever is of God, and rejects everything that is not of God, however wonderful it may be.

” … try the spirits … ” is a command of the Holy Spirit to the church. We may sin as certainly by approving the spurious as by rejecting the genuine, and the current habit of refusing to take sides is not the way to avoid the question. To appraise things with a heart of love, and then to act on the results is an obligation resting upon every Christian in the world, and so much the more as we see the day approaching.

How can we tell whether or not a man or a religious demonstration is of God? The answer is easy to find, but it will take courage to follow the facts as God reveals them to us.

The tests for spiritual genuineness are: First, the leader must be a good man and full of the Holy Ghost. Christianity is nothing if not moral. No tricks of theology, no demonstrations of supernatural wonders, no evidences of blind devotion on the part of the public can decide whether or not God is in the man or the movement. Every servant of Christ must be pure of heart and holy of life.

While sinless perfection is not likely to be found among even the best of men, still the leader to be trusted is the one who lives as near like Christ as possible and who knows how to repent in sorrow of heart when he sins against his Lord by any act or word. The man God honours will be humble, self-effacing, self-sacrificing, modest, clean living, free from the love of money, eager to promote the honour of God, and just as eager to disclaim any credit or praise on his own part. His financial accounts will bear inspection, his ethical standards will be high, and his personal life above reproach.

THE ACID TEST

But the test of moral goodness is not enough. Every man must submit his work to the scriptural test. It is not enough that he be able to quote from the Bible at great length or that he claim for himself great and startling experiences with God. Go back to the law and to the testimony, if he speak not according to the Word, it is because there is no light in him. We who are invited to follow him have every right, as well as a solemn obligation, to test his work according to the Word of God.

We must demand that every claimant for our confidence present a clean bill of health from the Holy Scriptures; that he do more than weave in a text occasionally, or hold up the Bible dramatically before the eyes of his hearers. His doctrines must be those of the Scriptures. The Bible must dominate his preaching. He must preach according to the Word of God.

The price of following a false guide on the desert may be death. The price of heeding wrong advice in business may be bankruptcy. The price of trusting to a quack doctor may be permanent loss of health. The price of putting confidence in a pseudo-prophet may be moral and spiritual tragedy. Let us take heed that no man deceive us.