All The Counsel of God

“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.

The richest quality of love is sacrifice, and the noblest credential of any work is the spirit on the part of its members, which has laid every selfish interest down at Jesus’ feet, counting all things loss for Christ; which holds its money, its friendships, its life, all subservient to the Master’s claim, and living a dying life, at last gives life itself a willing offering to Him who gave His life for us.

In this selfish and luxurious age, it is the rarest quality to be found, but it is the most needed; and as the end approaches, and the last tribulation draws near, the age of martyrdom will reach the climax, and the tears of sorrow and the blood of sacrifice will be transformed into the jewels of the Coronation Day.

It requires a greater sacrifice sometimes to live than to die; and those who will be found one day ready to die for Christ are those whose lives are now laid down in ten thousand little tests that come to us from day to day.

“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).

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).

1. Happy is the man whose sins are forgiven.

” … Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (Romans 4:7 -8).

2. Happy is the man who delights in God’s Word.

“I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word” (Psalm 119:14-16).

3. Happy is the man who keeps God’s commandments.

“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him … ” (1 John 3:22-24).

4. Happy is the man who dwells in the house of the Lord.

“Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee” (Psalm 84:4).

5. Happy is the man who waits on the Lord.

” … blessed are all they that wait for him” (Isaiah 30:18); “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength … ” (Isaiah 40:31 ).

6. Happy is the man who puts his trust in the Lord.

“O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee” (Psalm 84: 12).

7. Happy is the man who has grace to endure.

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1: 12).

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

Here is a promise for all God’s servants, for we all pass through times when the work seems unusually difficult, when health is perhaps below par, and when personal burdens weigh heavily upon us. It is recorded that David, in the heat of battle, waxed faint; and so it may be written of every servant of the Lord.

THE PROGRAM

We are reminded here of our program, a program of” … well doing … “, in marked contrast to the sin, strife, and selfishness in the world around us. Look at the opening verses of this chapter. The apostle is speaking of the exercise of spiritual ministries, the easing of other people’s burdens, and the communication of God’s Word – in short, the tasks to which we are still called, whether in the homeland or out on the field.

The Gospel has ever been concerned with ” … well doing … ” the lifting of the mind, the healing of the body, and the setting free of the spirit. It has found men brutal and ignorant and made them thoughtful and kind; it has lifted womanhood from degradation and oppression and sought out little children who were neglected and illtreated. Tyrants have read their condemnation in its challenge, while mankind’s greatest benefactors have been stirred to action by its precepts. Such remains our world-encompassing Christian program today.

THE PERIL

But we are also warned of our peril, “…let us not be weary … ” C. H. Spurgeon wrote to his students: “Fits of depression come over most of us … The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, the joyous not always happy. There may be here and there men of iron, to whom wear and tear work no perceptible detriment, but surely the rust frets even these; and as for ordinary men, the Lord knows, and makes them to know, that they are but dust.”

Often today the enemy is not hostility, but sheer weariness. We see such little results, and echo the faithless word of Elisha’s servant, ” … Alas, my master! how shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15). But Noah preached for years without a convert; Amaziah was preferred by the crowd to Amos; even our Lord’s early enthusiasts melted away. Hence, Paul’s constant and vigorous exhortations to continue, to strive, and to persevere.

THE PROMISE

In this simple, yet stimulating verse, we are given the promise, ” … in due season we shall reap … ” Of course, ” … they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2 Kings 6:16). The mountains around us are still filled with horses and chariots of fire. Calvary in the eyes of men was a pathetic failure, but millions worldwide now know it to have been the supreme victory of God. The failure of any Christ exalting and Christ directed enterprise is an impossibility. He has pledged His Word that a spiritual harvest is certain.

To our tasks then, with fresh confidence and fresh devotion! Let the message which proclaims His great salvation be speeded forth on its all-conquering way. Jesus shall reign!

Modem Theological Trends are Making the Gospel Way a Broad Way

We who follow Christ in these perilous times are engaged in a war that has many fronts. Action ebbs in our sector, only to flare up in another, or two, or ten others. The enemy is everywhere, assuming many forms and taking at any given time whatever shape best serves his evil purposes. and he is for that reason often mistaken for a friend.

Traditionally, fighting men proudly wore the uniform of their country and could be identified as far as they could be seen. In World War II, the Nazis sometimes donned the uniforms of Allied soldiers, and thus managed to destroy some who would otherwise have been on the defensive against them. But this trick was not a Nazi invention. It dates back to that hour when the devil, in the guise of a friend won the confidence of Eve and brought about the downfall of the race.

DECEPTION- SATAN’S WEAPON

Deception has always been an effective weapon and is deadliest when used in the field of religion.

There was a time, no longer ago than the twenties and thirties, when a Christian knew, or at least could know, where he stood. The words of Christ were taken seriously. A man either was or was not a believer in New Testament doctrine. Clear, sharp categories existed. Black stood in sharp contrast to white: light was separated from darkness; it was possible to distinguish right from wrong, truth from error, a true believer from an unbeliever. Christians knew that they must forsake the world, and there was for the most part remarkable agreement about what was meant by the world. It was that simple.

But over the last score of years a quiet revolution has taken place. The whole religious picture has changed. Without denying a single doctrine of the faith, multitudes of Christians have nevertheless forsaken the faith and are as far astray as the Modernists, who were at least honest enough to repudiate the Scriptures before they began to violate them.

I have listened to certain speakers and have recognized the ingredients that went to make up their teachings. A bit of Freud, a dash of Emile Coue, a lot of watered-down humanism, tender chunks of Emersonian transcendentalism, auto-suggestion a la Dale Carnegie, and plenty of hopefulness and religious sentimentality; but nothing hard and sharp and specific. Nothing of Christ or Peter or Paul. None of the ” … Who is on the LORD’S side? … ” (Exodus 32:26) of Moses, or the” … choose you this day whom ye will serve … ” (Joshua 24: 15) of Joshua; just tender pleadings to “take Jesus and let Him solve your problems.”

If such as I here describe were cultists or liberals of one strip or another, I would say nothing more about it, but many of them are professed evangelicals. Press them and they will insist that they believe the Scriptures and accept every tenet of the historic Christian faith but The notion “that love is really all that matters” is now pretty well disseminated throughout the ranks of current evangelism, and for that reason we ought to receive everyone whose intention is right regardless of his doctrinal position, granted of course that he is ready to read the Scriptures, trust Jesus, and pray. The unregenerate listen to them teach and you are left wondering. They are building upon sand; the rock of sound theology is not under them.

The notion “that love is really all that matters” is now pretty well disseminated throughout the ranks of current evangelism, and for that reason we ought to receive everyone whose intention is right regardless of his doctrinal position, granted of course that he is ready to read the Scriptures, trust Jesus, and pray. The unregenerate sympathies of the fallen human heart adopt this foggy creed eagerly. The trouble is that the Holy Scriptures teach nothing of the kind.

The Apostle Paul warned against what he called “… profane and vain babblings … ” (1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Timothy 2: 16 ). For instance, that of Hymenaeus and Philetus, stating that their words would” … eat as doth a canker … ” (2 Timothy 2:17) and ” … overthrow the faith of some” (2 Timothy 2:8). What was their error? They merely taught a spiritual resurrection instead of a physical one.

“If a man hath the mind to get the start of other sinners and be in Hell before them,” said an old divine, “he need do no more than open his sails to the winds of heretical doctrine, and he is likely to make a short voyage to Hell; for these bring upon their maintainers a swift destruction.”

This is nearer to Paul’s view than is that of the new evangelical latitudinarians. The way of the cross is still narrow.

A famous publisher declared, “If you are an articulate person, you utter some 30,000 words each day.”

If these words were put in print, they would amount to a fairsized book a day. These books would, in a lifetime, fill a good-sized college library.

All these books are from the same author. All reflect the life and thoughts of the author, in his own words; and not a book can be taken down from the shelves or withdrawn from circulation.

The thought is a bit frightening. It emphasizes the fearful responsibility that goes with the gift of speech, and also the glorious privilege that is inherent in speech seasoned ” … alway with grace … ” (Colossians 4:6).

Man probably has no greater power for good or for evil than the power of speech. Job had the testimony of his friend that his ” … words … ” (Job 4:4) had kept men on their feet- had kept men from falling. What a rebuke to those whose words have thrown men off their feet-causing ill will, suspicion, alienation, broken hearts!

Probably most of us talk too much, and we seldom realize this until it is too late. Perhaps this was what the psalmist felt when he exclaimed, “Set a watch, 0 LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips”(Psalm 141:3).

An elderly woman, much beloved in her community, was asked for her formula for making and keeping friends. “Well,” she replied, “I stop and taste my words before I let them pass my teeth.”

” … out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34). Therefore, we read, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23); and ” … every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36).

Men in court have turned pale upon the introduction of recordings of their own speech, and souls will tremble in the judgment upon finding that every utterance, from the first wail of infancy till the tongue was silenced by death, had been noted by the Great Recorder.

Sweeter to our Lord than the melody of music and more important than the oratory of statesmen or the proclamation of kings are the conversations of His children talking together about the things of the Heavenly Father. All is written in His ” … book of remembrance … ” (Malachi 3: 16). ” … they … spake … and the LORD hearkened … ” (Malachi 3: 16). Others also “spake,” and the Lord hearkened. And into the record went every whispered conspiracy, every word of slander, every falsehood, every cutting remark, every obscene utterance, every foul blasphemy.

What a noble attribute is the gift of speech! And what finer tribute to the Giver than to present to the library of Heaven, each day, one clean volume-30,000 words-dedicated to His honour!

Immediately before the last miracle prior to the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, God gave special directions concerning the judgment about to fall upon that country. In Exodus 11:5, God said that ” … all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die … ” He spoke of the great lament that would be heard all over the land among the Egyptians because of this awful judgment.

“But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel” (Exodus 11 :7). It must be noticed and emphasized that this “difference” between the people of the world and the people of God is a difference God Himself puts there. It is a separation given and enforced by divine decree. It marks the distinction between those who are God’s and those who are not. This instruction from God is worth saying again – the difference itself is the work of God. It was not the work of man, but of God. This difference was made effective by blood. Those homes upon which the blood of the lamb was put escaped the death executed upon those without blood. When the Lord saw the blood, He passed over that house, and no one died (Exodus 12: 13). He looked for the “token”-the blood – the sign – of the separation; and when He saw it, He passed over it, and the household remained safe. The “token” – the blood testified that that house where it was put was a house separated unto God, under His special protection, and different from other houses.

The eternal principle-the separation of God’s people from the world-this “difference” is taught everywhere in the Word of God. This separation is obedience to God, that is, God Himself puts an actual difference that the world sees visibly because of the presence of the blood that is applied. There is no partial obedience in this matter permitted by God. The blood of the Passover Lamb had to be applied in three places: above the door and on the posts at either side of the door.

A compromise plan, such as putting the blood on only two sides, or above the door only, would have been completely invalid. Obedience to God’s specific command made the separation effective; and safety, protection, blessing, and His presence among His people was thus perfectly assured.

But to obtain these blessings a difference had to be established and maintained between the people of God and those who were of the world. It was the blood that made the difference, or separation, evident to the Lord as He passed throughout the land of Egypt that night. And until now, this spiritual law has not changed from what it was so many thousand years ago in Egypt. The redeemed of the Lord must maintain a separation, must give evidence to the world, that the blood has been applied, and that they are therefore set aside in a special way by that difference that God Himself has made.

This difference, as just mentioned, that God put in those ancient days of lsrael ‘s redemption, still abides. Our Lord Jesus restated it in His words given in John 15:18-19. Reading from verse 18, we are told, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” The difference God places between His people and those of the world will bring misunderstanding, conflict, opposition, and even hatred. Therefore attacks will be made against us because of this difference. The only way to get victory over all this is to remember that the difference is of God. He is the One who put the difference there. Let that difference, therefore, testify to the reality of our relation and union with Him, even our Lord Jesus. It is this difference that shows itself in separation-which is obedience to God. The sign of the separation is the blood of Christ. Only those who are born again, chosen of God, are, by God’s direct command, separated ones. The difference is between them and those who are not born again through the blood of Christ.

It is our purpose to emphasize the importance of this kind of separation. We are not interested in a separation that man makes, that is, that which is based upon men’s opinion while ignoring God’s own true separation. Separation based upon the idea that one man is a better person than another, or that his ability is of a finer grade than his neighbor’s, or that he is in a different and better class in society than others, and other such ideas, all of them issuing from the pride of man, are types of separation in which we have no interest and no part.

We stand for a separation marked by godliness of life, based upon the fact that God has made His children for the purpose of fellowship with Him, the holy God; and so He Himself makes a difference that we must acknowledge and respect, and show to the world as something actually true in ourselves. We believe that we should” … have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” reproved back to the Word of God, the standards of which are perfect and whose directions for His children are wholesome and pure, producing fruits of righteousness. The Word of God, its pure doctrines, its divine origin, its message, must be proclaimed and defended against teachers of error and false prophets. (Ephesians 5: 11 ). “Reprove” is not criticism from man’s standards of principles, but rather to direct those reproved back to the Word of God, the standards of which are perfect and whose directions for His children are wholesome and pure, producing fruits of righteousness. The Word of God, its pure doctrines, its divine origin, its message, must be proclaimed and defended against teachers of error and false prophets.

We pray that the difference God has put between you and the world will ever be seen by man to be of God- a difference of life and death procured by the blood of the Lamb of God.