Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. The natural course of all churches
is to depart from the truth as it is in Christ. Paul warned
Timothy of it, and this has been demonstrated time and again down
through the ages. In order that men not think themselves
to be something when they are nothing, the Lord is often pleased
to remove their candlesticks and to leave them to their own
devices. He does this to whiten his wheat and shake that which
can be shaken so that those things which cannot be shaken will remain.
The wheat and the tares always grow side by side, and the ultimate
purpose of this threshing and winnowing is to differentiate
those that walk in true faith from those who willingly abide
in the comfort of dead religion. Men often become puffed up with
knowledge, and then, like the rich man, say to themselves,
take thine ease. They sometimes waver from their
own steadfastness, even though they may outwardly still hold
to the letter of doctrine by which they were once humbled.
The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, and we must be constantly
on our guard lest we swerve from the truth into vain jangling.
We are bound by nature to fall into the ditch, except the Lord
should see fit to deliver us by the operation of His Spirit
in leading us into all truth, not in the letter but in the
power thereof. Many churches point to their
pedigree, rules of order, or statements of faith as proof
that they are steadfast and walking in the light. Yet how often have
these become mere sparks which their own hands have kindled,
and their own fires by which they seek to warm themselves,
while Ichabod has been written on their doorposts? There is
more to doctrinal soundness than an accurate rendition of doctrines
codified in verbose confessions of faith penned hundreds of years
before. The purpose of preaching, teaching,
and exhortation is not to enable us to be able to repeat certain
shibboleths which define orthodoxy, but rather that we might be edified
and encouraged to emulate Christ by loving one another even as
Christ loved us. The concept of love in the scriptures
has been so cheapened over the years that in the minds of many
the love of God for men is defined as some general feeling of goodwill
to each and every one of the human race. He denies this concept,
saying, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated. Yet the Scriptures
exhort the children of God to love one another. The Lord said,
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have
love one to another. John said, We know that we have
passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.
He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. This particular
love between the children of God stems from a work which only
the Lord can perform in them. It cannot be found in the unregenerate.
It is that love which arises out of a pure heart. Peter says,
see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently.
A pure heart is the product of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
in a man. It is discovered in the testimony of those who are
convinced that their only righteousness is that which is imputed to them
by Jesus Christ, the righteous. A pure heart is stayed upon him
as its only hope. When a man is taught this truth
by the Spirit, it will cause him to forbear with his brethren
and overlook their many faults, since he is quite aware of his
own, which are covered by the blood of Christ. It is that love
which arises out of a good conscience. How much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without
spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the
living God? A good conscience describes the
state of a man's understanding, who having heard the gospel and
been given grace to believe it, rests in the finished work of
Christ. He is completely satisfied with that which Christ has done,
and has no desire or expectation of adding anything to it. He
rejoices that there is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit. A man who is taught this truth
by the power of the Holy Ghost understands that his brethren
enjoy the same standing and does not sit in pharisaical judgment
of them, nor demand that they conform to his own standards
of propriety. It is that love which arises
out of faith unfeigned. Paul fondly recalls the unfeigned
faith of Timothy's mother and grandmother. He is speaking of
a faith which is not forced or learned by rote, but one which
is firmly seated upon a proper object. This sort of faith is
that which is only the result of the gift of God. In the same
fashion in which the Lord grants faith to His children, He also
gives them love to love one another. This is not optional behavior
on the part of each one, but rather that which they are compelled
by the Spirit of God. He that loveth not his brother
abideth in death. But as touching brotherly love
ye need not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves are taught
of God to love one another. Finally, be ye all of one mind,
having compassion one of another. Love as brethren, be pitiful,
be courteous. Do you love your brethren in
Christ? If you would like a free transcript of this broadcast,
email us at forthepoor at windstream.net.