All The Counsel of God

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42).

WATCH against the leaven of false doctrine. Remember that Satan can transform himself into an angel of light. Remember that bad money is never marked bad, or else it would never pass. Be jealous for the whole truth as it is in Jesus. Do not put up with a grain of error merely for the sake of a pound of truth. Do not tolerate a little false doctrine one bit more than you would tolerate a little sin.

WATCH against slothfulness about Bible study and private prayer. There is nothing so spiritual, but we may at last do it formally. Most backslidings begin in the closet. When a tree is snapped in two by a high wind, we generally find there had been some hidden decay.

WATCH against bitterness and charitableness towards others. A little love is more valuable than many gifts. Be eagle-eyed in seeing the good that is in your brethren and dim-sighted as the mole of evil. Let your memory be a strong box for their graces, but a sieve for their faults.

WATCH against pride and self-conceit. Peter said at first, ” … Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee … ” (Matthew 26:35). Presently he fell. Pride is the high road to falling.

WATCH against the sins of the churches of Galatia, Ephesus, and Laodicea. Believers may run well for a season, then lose their first love, and then become lukewarm.

WATCH not least against the sin of Jehu. A man may have great zeal to all appearance, and yet have very bad motives. It is quite another thing to love the truth.

Let us watch for the world’s sake. We are the books they chiefly read. They mark our ways far more than we think. Let us aim to be living epistles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us watch for our own sakes. As our walk is, so will be our peace.

Above all, let us watch for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake. Let us live as though His glory was concerned in our behavior. Let us live as though every slip and fall was a reflection on the honor of our Lord. Let us live as though every allowed sin was once more thorn in His head -one more nail in His feet.

Oh, let us exercise godly jealousy over thoughts, words, and actions: over motives, manners, and walk! Never, never let us think we can watch too much. “None of us are more than half awake!”

WATCH AND PRAY!

Author: J.C. Ryle

Colossians 3:5-14

If you are a soldier, you must dress the part; if you are a cricketer, you must dress the part; if you are a bus driver, you must dress the part; if you are a Christian, you must dress the part. The resurrection life demands a complete change of costume.

What a practical person is this inspired correspondent. He deals in his letters with the highest of themes; but it is never long before he brings them down to the level of the workaday life, and shews how the heavenly doctrine is intimately related to the homely details of everyday living.

Think, for instance, of that great teaching on full surrender, in Romans 12:1-2, and mark how at once, from verse 3 onward, he applies it all to the common round. See, too, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, how in the first part he is in the heavenlies, and in the closing chapters he is in the homelies, speaking of the mutual obligations of wives and husbands, of children and parents, of servants and masters. Like the apostle John, he regards the truth, not merely as something to be held, or to be admired, or to be taught, but as something we are to “do” (1 John 1:6).

Doctrine, is always linked with doing. Paul pursues this same habit here in Colossians. Habit – why, the French use that word to describe clothes – a habit may refer to a coat, a skirt, a suit. It is interesting to observe how often Paul speaks of our personal habits and characteristics under the illustration of clothes. He does so in our present passage.

THE WARDROBE OF THE SOUL

The “old clothes” first claim our attention. What they are – truly a lot of junk, and worse. Look at the moth-eaten garments in verse 5, and that other list of disreputable pieces of apparel in verses 8 and 9. Do you notice that, in the latter list, so many iniquities are those of the mouth? What a power speech is for good will-a bit for control, a helm for guidance, in the one case; in the other, a fire, a beast, a poison (James 3 :2-8). In the first list, it is interesting to note the phrase. ” … covetousness, which is idolatry.” But do Christians worship idols? Yes, alas. The covetous man in the phrase has made an idol of some possession, some position, which he covets, and which, perchance, he will seek to secure by hook or by crook.

What God thinks of such clothes –“For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.” All too often we play with sin, and trifle with God -we speak of our foibles, our weaknesses, our failures -when God calls them sins. We trade on His mercy, and forget the awful reality of His wrath. Our disobedience incurs His displeasure-and that is gravely serious.

What we all wore once –“In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.” Walking about in rags; for even if we were respectable citizens, in our own and in others’ eyes, we were not so in God’s eyes. He says concerning humanly-well-thought-of people. ” … all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags … ” (Isaiah 64:6). However well-dressed we were in a material sense, we were wholly unattractive in spiritual vesture.

What had we best do with these old clothes? – “… put off all these … ” Discard, and destroy them –“Mortify … ” They are fit for nothing but the rubbish bin and the furnace.

The “new clothes” now come under inspection. What they are-a lovely list, as is to be seen in verses 12-14.

Why should they be worn – ” … as the elect of God … ” The elect should always be select. As we said earlier, if we are Christians, we should dress the part. A believer who is spiritually down-at-heel,and out-at-elbows is a disgrace to his profession; and he could be so well-turned-out. W hen, in our Lord’s parable, the king punished the

” … man which had not on a wedding garment” (Matthew 22:11), it was the fellow’s own fault, for the festive robe was offered at the entrance. Perhaps he said he could not afford one -but they were free to all the guests; perhaps he thought his own clothes were good enough – but that did not satisfy the king; perhaps he was late, and rushed in at the last moment -but he should have allowed nothing to hinder his coming to so important a function. Why I am quoting the incident here is because the right dress was available, and he could have it for the receiving. So we will remember that all these wonderful qualities of Christian demeanour and behaviour can be ours.

What to do with them –“Put on … ” It is not enough to admire them or to covet them. Paul says, in Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the whole armour of God … ” So, then, as you seek to match the new life which you have in Christ, two immensely important things await you “…. put off … ” and “… put on …

But don’t you like that overcoat -” … above all these things put on charity … ” As we go out to face life, cold winds of opposition may come about us, to blow at our allegiance to Christ; dark clouds of disapproval may frown on our Christian stand for Him – don’t let us go out without our overcoat. The love of God will warm our hearts and spirits. What matter the cold looks of men? The saintly Horatius Bonar says, “Men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not; The Master praises, what are men?” We remind ourselves, too, that this very overcoating of the love of God – His for us, and ours for Him -will also kindle within our hearts a love for others, even for those who oppose themselves. So may people admire our overcoat, and seek to enquire where they can get one like it.

Will it glorify God?

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”(l Corinthians 10:31).

Can it be done for the Lord?

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Colossians 3:23).

Can it be done in Jesus’ name?

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus … ” (Colossians 3: 17).

How about its appearance?

“Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5 :22).

Would it hinder another Christian?

“It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak (Romans 14:21).

Does it involve the wrong company?

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6: 14).

Is it what I want to reap in my children?

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

Am I willing to face it in the judgment?

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5: 10).

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” Romans 5:1

This verse gives the theme of the book of Romans. It was justification by faith that grabbed Martin Luther by the heart and launched the Reformation.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:8-10

A great memory passage. Verse eight is commonly used as a Roman’s Road verse, but why not also use verses nine and ten, especially since verse nine includes the blood?

“(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.” Romans 5:13

This verse goes well with Romans 4: 15, “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.” Young children don’t have to worry about going to hell because “sin is not imputed when there is no law.”

^“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” Romans 5:19

This verse is the most logical verse in the Bible. It’s perfectly logical that if Adam’s sin can condemn everyone, then Christ’s righteousness can save everyone.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Here’s another good Romans Road verse.

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the of Christ, he is none of his.” Romans 8:9

The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ, and every Christian has this Spirit (Eph. 4:30), “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” The Charismatics who teach that one needs to receive the “Holy Ghost” after being saved are false teachers.

^“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,” Romans 1:22

This verse needs to be posted above every door of every college classroom in America and on every diploma. It is when men start thinking that they are smart that they get in trouble. Humility tends to keep men between the lines and in a mode of reliance on God, but men often get “too smart” for God with higher education. Good companion verse is I Corinthians 10:12, “ Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

“Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?” Romans 2:23

This is where we get the expression “breaking the law.”

”God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” Romans 3:4

Imagine what this world would be like if “let God be true, but every man a liar” was the heart conviction of every person, or just every Christian!

^“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” Romans 3:10

This is the first of the Roman’s Road verses, and every Christian should have it memorized.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23

Another Roman’s Road memory verse.

^“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Romans 4:5

This verse is not considered a Roman’s Road memory verse but it probably should be. A good companion passage is Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

“Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.” Romans 4:15

This is a great verse to use when showing someone that young children are “safe,” even though they are not yet “saved.” Where there is no law (such as in the innocent heart of a child) there is no transgression. So there’s no need to baptize or sprinkle a child. They’re safe until they are saved. If they never receive Christ, then they are safe until they reach their age of accountability, which varies from one child to the next. Companion verse is Deuteronomy 1:39, “Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.”

^“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” Ephesians 5:22-25

The Christian marriage is a type of Christ’s relationship with the church with the two essential ingredients being love and obedience.

^“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” Ephesians 6:10-18

Here we have the Bible passage on Christian warfare with the “whole armour of God” being recommended to the believer. This armour consists of five pieces of protective gear for the head, the feet, the loins, the chest and a shield. Then there is one offensive weapon, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. With the word “stand” being used three times in the passage ( verses 11, 13,and 14 ), it appears that God is stressing the point that the Christian must spend most of his life standing his ground and protecting himself from evil influences rather than being a spiritual Rambo who is always taking on the enemy. Yes, we do have the word of God for advancing the cause of Christ, but we must not neglect the call to stand our ground and protect our testimonies, our families, and our churches. To add to this balance, we are admonished to be praying always” in verse eighteen, which explains why the soldier wasn’t given any leg greaves in verses ten through seventeen: he’s on his knees in prayer.

^“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians 1:6

God will perform His work in us “until the day of Jesus Christ ” which means this is a great verse on eternal security.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

This is a great memory passage for every believer to use faithfully when witnessing to the lost. Most people believe that works (doing more good than bad) will earn them a place in heaven, but salvation is clearly “not of works.” Salvation is by grace through faith.

^“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” Ephesians 4:26

The anger here is to be focused at sin so that we fight it with a passion rather than being comfortable with it, but we are to be careful in such anger and not permit ourselves to sin. For instance, being angry about abortion laws is good, but allowing such anger to eat away at us and lead us to bomb abortion clinics is not good.

^“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

The Christian has been sealed with the Holy Spirit until the “day of redemption,” not merely until he sins and “loses” his salvation, as some teach. A good companion verse is Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” Ephesians 5:19

Notice that it is the “melody” part of music that God likes the most, not the rhythm. Also, bear in mind the fact that the Campbellites use this verse to teach that one should not use musical instruments in a church’s worship service. As the reader can plainly see, the verse isn’t referring to a worship service, and nothing is said about instruments.

“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” (Galatians 5:4)

This is one of the most misused verses in the New Testament. We are constantly told by Charismatics that one can “fall from grace,” yet not one in fifty of them can state where the verse is found or what the true context of the statement is. The notion of falling from grace was never presented as something that a blood-bought child of God could do. The statement was given to the Galatians who were still thinking that the law had something to do with salvation, to those who were trying to be “justified by the law,” as the verse says. A person who seeks to be justified by the law clearly does not understand and appreciate the finished work of Christ on Calvary, so he is fallen from grace. He is not fallen OUT of grace, since he never entered grace to start with; he is fallen FROM grace, meaning that he fell a good distance FROM grace before even arriving.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

This is a good passage with which all believers should be familiar since it deals with the fruit that we should all be producing. After all, it is by our fruit that we are truly known as Christians (Matthew 7:20) “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”. Since the number nine is the number of fruitfulness, there are nine fruits named.

^“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Galatians 6:7-8)

Here we have one of the most profound truths that God ever gave to man: you reap what you sow. In fact according to Hosea 8:7 “For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.” you reap more than you sow.

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:9)

Here’s a good memory verse that reminds us to hang in there because God might not be in as big of a hurry as we are. But if we sow good seed, we will reap in due, season, if we faint not.

^“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” 2 Corinthians 13:14

Notice that one must go through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ before finding the love of God.

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8-9

That pretty much rules out any respectability for Joseph Smith and his Mormon Moroni angel.

“For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:” Galatians 1:13

Just a note for any Campbellite readers: The term “church of God” is found three times in the Bible while the term “church of Christ” isn’t found once.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

A great memory verse for every believer. As one brother put it, the only good Christian is a dead Christian. Only by being crucified with Christ and being dead to self can we truly serve God by allowing Christ to live in and through us.

^“And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” Galatians 3:8

Notice how the Holy Spirit attributes a personality to the scriptures. Furthermore, notice that ”the scripture” was preached to Abraham before any written scripture existed. God’s voice, or God’s word, to Abraham was scripture, even though it wasn’t written until over four hundred years later.

^“ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

Satan has ministers, and like wolves in sheep clothing, they pass of as ministers of Christ. It is by their fruit, not their words, that we are to know them.

Companion verses – Matthew 7:15-20 –  ^“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

“I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.” (2 Corinthians 12:2)

So there are three heavens. The third heaven that Paul speaks of here is up where the Lord and the angels are. Matthew 5:34 – “But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:” The second heaven is what we call space, the abode of the sun, moon and stars. Deuteronomy 4:19 –  ^“And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.” Then the first heaven is the earth’s atmosphere. Genesis 1:20 – “ And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.” Another way to remember it is that the first heaven is where the birds fly, the second one is where the rockets fly, and the third one is where the angels fly.

“Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.” (2 Corinthians 12:12)

Notice that the signs of an apostle are spoken of in the past tense, just as they are in Hebrews 2:3-4 – “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?” The apostolic signs were for the conversion of the first century Jews, not for the entertainment of twenty-first century charismatics.