"Judge not, that ye be not judged." Matthew 7:1 .
The effort to earn salvation by one's own works
inevitably leads men to pile up human exactions
as a barrier against sin. For, seeing that they
fail to keep the law, they will devise rules and
regulations of their own to force themselves to obey. All
this turns the mind away from God to self. His love
dies out of the heart, and with it perishes love for
his fellow men. A system of human invention, with
its multitudinous exactions, will lead its advocates to
judge all who come short of the prescribed human
standard. The atmosphere of selfish and narrow
criticism stifles the noble and generous emotions, and
causes men to become self-centered judges and petty
spies.
The Pharisees were of this class. They came forth
from their religious services, not humbled with a
sense of their own weakness, not grateful for the
great privileges that God had given them. They came
forth filled with spiritual pride, and their theme was,
"Myself, my feelings, my knowledge, my ways." Their
own attainments became the standard by which they
judged others. Putting on the robes of self-dignity,
they mounted the judgment seat to criticize and
condemn.
The people partook largely of the same spirit,
intruding upon the province of conscience and judging
one another in matters that lay between the soul and
God. It was in reference to this spirit and practice
that Jesus said, "Judge not, that ye be not judged."
That is, do not set yourself up as a standard. Do not
make your opinions, your views of duty, your
interpretations of Scripture, a criterion for others and in
your heart condemn them if they do not come up to
your ideal. Do not criticize others, conjecturing as to
their motives and passing judgment upon them.
"Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord
come, who both will bring to light the hidden things
of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels
of the hearts." 1 Corinthians 4:5. We cannot read the
heart. Ourselves faulty, we are not qualified to sit
in judgment upon others. Finite men can judge only
from outward appearance. To Him alone who knows
the secret springs of action, and who deals tenderly
and compassionately, is it given to decide the case
of every soul.
"Thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou
art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another,
thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest
the same things." Romans 2:1. Thus those who
condemn or criticize others, proclaim themselves guilty,
for they do the same things. In condemning others,
they are passing sentence upon themselves, and God
declares that this sentence is just. He accepts their
own verdict against themselves.
"These clumsy feet, still in the mire,
Go crushing blossoms without end;
These hard, well-meaning hands we thrust
Among the heartstrings of a friend."
"Why beholdest thou the mote that is in
thy brother's eye?" Matthew 7:3 .
Even the sentence, "Thou that judgest doest the
same things," does not reach the magnitude of his
sin who presumes to criticize and condemn his brother.
Jesus said, "Why beholdest thou the mote that is in
thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that
is in thine own eye?"
His words describe one who is swift to discern a
defect in others. When he thinks he has detected a
flaw in the character or the life he is exceedingly zealous
in trying to point it out; but Jesus declares that
the very trait of character developed in doing this
un-Christlike work, is, in comparison with the fault
criticized, as a beam in proportion to a mote. It is
one's own lack of the spirit of forbearance and love
that leads him to make a world of an atom. Those
who have never experienced the contrition of an
entire surrender to Christ do not in their life make
manifest the softening influence of the Saviour's love.
They misrepresent the gentle, courteous spirit of the
gospel and wound precious souls, for whom Christ
died. According to the figure that our Saviour uses,
he who indulges a censorious spirit is guilty of greater
sin than is the one he accuses, for he not only commits
the same sin, but adds to it conceit and censoriousness.
Christ is the only true standard of character, and
he who sets himself up as a standard for others is
putting himself in the place of Christ. And since the
Father "hath committed all judgment unto the Son"
(John 5:22), whoever presumes to judge the motives
of others is again usurping the prerogative of the Son
of God. These would-be judges and critics are placing
themselves on the side of antichrist, "who opposeth
and exalteth himself above all that is called God,
or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the
temple of God, showing himself that he is God."
2 Thessalonians 2:4.
The sin that leads to the most unhappy results is
the cold, critical, unforgiving spirit that characterizes
Pharisaism. When the religious experience is
devoid of love, Jesus is not there; the sunshine of His
presence is not there. No busy activity or Christless
zeal can supply the lack. There may be a wonderful
keenness of perception to discover the defects of
others; but to everyone who indulges this spirit, Jesus
says, "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of
thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to
cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." He who
is guilty of wrong is the first to suspect wrong. By
condemning another he is trying to conceal or excuse
the evil of his own heart. It was through sin that
men gained the knowledge of evil; no sooner had the
first pair sinned than they began to accuse each other;
and this is what human nature will inevitably do when
uncontrolled by the grace of Christ.
When men indulge this accusing spirit, they are
not satisfied with pointing out what they suppose to
be a defect in their brother. If milder means fail of
making him do what they think ought to be done,
they will resort to compulsion. Just as far as lies in
their power they will force men to comply with their
ideas of what is right. This is what the Jews did in
the days of Christ and what the church has done ever
since whenever she has lost the grace of Christ. Finding
herself destitute of the power of love, she has
reached out for the strong arm of the state to enforce
her dogmas and execute her decrees. Here is the
secret of all religious laws that have ever been
enacted, and the secret of all persecution from the days
of Abel to our own time.
Christ does not drive but draws men unto Him.
The only compulsion which He employs is the
constraint of love. When the church begins to seek for
the support of secular power, it is evident that she
is devoid of the power of Christ--the constraint of
divine love.
But the difficulty lies with the individual members
of the church, and it is here that the cure must be
wrought. Jesus bids the accuser first cast the beam
out of his own eye, renounce his censorious spirit,
confess and forsake his own sin, before trying to
correct others. For "a good tree bringeth not forth
corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good
fruit." Luke 6:43. This accusing spirit which you
indulge is evil fruit, and shows that the tree is evil. It
is useless for you to build yourselves up in self-righteousness.
What you need is a change of heart. You
must have this experience before you are fitted to
correct others; for "out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh." Matthew 12:34.
When a crisis comes in the life of any soul, and
you attempt to give counsel or admonition, your
words will have only the weight of influence for good
that your own example and spirit have gained for
you. You must
be good before you can
do good. You
cannot exert an influence that will transform others
until your own heart has been humbled and refined
and made tender by the grace of Christ. When this
change has been wrought in you, it will be as natural
for you to live to bless others as it is for the rosebush
to yield its fragrant bloom or the vine its purple
clusters.
If Christ is in you "the hope of glory," you will
have no disposition to watch others, to expose their
errors. Instead of seeking to accuse and condemn, it
will be your object to help, to bless, and to save. In
dealing with those who are in error, you will heed
the injunction, Consider "thyself, lest thou also be
tempted." Galatians 6:1. You will call to mind the
many times you have erred and how hard it was to
find the right way when you had once left it. You
will not push your brother into greater darkness, but
with a heart full of pity will tell him of his danger.
He who looks often upon the cross of Calvary,
remembering that his sins placed the Saviour there,
will never try to estimate the degree of his guilt in
comparison with that of others. He will not climb
upon the judgment seat to bring accusation against
another. There can be no spirit of criticism or
self-exaltation on the part of those who walk in the
shadow of Calvary's cross.
Not until you feel that you could sacrifice your
own self-dignity, and even lay down your life in order
to save an erring brother, have you cast the beam out
of your own eye so that you are prepared to help your
brother. Then you can approach him and touch his
heart. No one has ever been reclaimed from a wrong
position by censure and reproach; but many have thus
been driven from Christ and led to seal their hearts
against conviction. A tender spirit, a gentle, winning
deportment, may save the erring and hide a multitude
of sins. The revelation of Christ in your own
character will have a transforming power upon all with
whom you come in contact. Let Christ be daily made
manifest in you, and He will reveal through you the
creative energy of How word--a gentle, persuasive, yet
mighty influence to re-create other souls in the beauty
of the Lord our God.
"Give not that which is holy unto
the dogs," Matthew 7:6 .
Jesus here refers to a class who have no desire
to escape from the slavery of sin. By indulgence in
the corrupt and vile their natures have become so
degraded that they cling to the evil and will not be
separated from it. The servants of Christ should not
allow themselves to be hindered by those who would
make the gospel only a matter of contention and
ridicule.
But the Saviour never passed by one soul, however
sunken in sin, who was willing to receive the precious
truths of heaven. To publicans and harlots His words
were the beginning of a new life. Mary Magdalene,
out of whom He cast seven devils, was the last at the
Saviour's tomb and the first whom He greeted in the
morning of His resurrection. It was Saul of Tarsus,
one of the most determined enemies of the gospel,
who became Paul the devoted minister of Christ.
Beneath an appearance of hatred and contempt, even
beneath crime and degradation, may be hidden a soul
that the grace of Christ will rescue to shine as a jewel
in the Redeemer's crown.
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened
unto you." Matthew 7:7 .
To leave no chance for unbelief, misunderstanding,
or misinterpretation of His words, the Lord repeats
the thrice-given promise. He longs to have those who
would seek after God believe in Him who is able to
do all things. Therefore He adds, "For everyone that
asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to
him that knocketh it shall be opened."
The Lord specifies no conditions except that you
hunger for His mercy, desire His counsel, and long
for His love. "Ask." The asking, makes it manifest
that you realize your necessity; and if you ask in faith
you will receive. The Lord has pledged His word,
and it cannot fail. If you come with true contrition
you need not feel that you are presumptuous in
asking for what the Lord has promised. When you ask
for the blessings you need, that you may perfect a
character after Christ's likeness, the Lord assures you
that you are asking according to a promise that will
be verified. That you feel and know you are a sinner
is sufficient ground for asking for His mercy and
compassion. The condition upon which you may come to
God is not that you shall be holy, but that you desire
Him to cleanse you from all sin and purify you from
all iniquity. The argument that we may plead now
and ever is our great need, our utterly helpless state,
that makes Him and His redeeming power a necessity.
"Seek." Desire not merely His blessing, but Himself.
"Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at
peace." Job 22:21. Seek, and you shall find. God is
seeking you, and the very desire you feel to come to
Him is but the drawing of His Spirit. Yield to that
drawing. Christ is pleading the cause of the tempted,
the erring, and the faithless. He is seeking to lift them
into companionship with Himself. "If thou seek Him,
He will be found of thee." 1 Chronicles 28:9.
"Knock." We come to God by special invitation,
and He waits to welcome us to His audience chamber.
The first disciples who followed Jesus were not
satisfied with a hurried conversation with Him by the
way; they said, "Rabbi, . . . where dwellest Thou?
. . . They came and saw where He dwelt, and abode
with Him that day." John 1:38, 39. So we may be
admitted into closest intimacy and communion with
God. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the
Most High shall abide under the shadow of the
Almighty." Psalm 91:1. Let those who desire the
blessing of God knock and wait at the door of mercy with
firm assurance, saying, For Thou, O Lord, hast said,
"Everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."
Jesus looked upon those who were assembled to
hear His words, and earnestly desired that the great
multitude might appreciate the mercy and
loving-kindness of God. As an illustration of their need, and
of God's willingness to give, He presents before them
a hungry child asking his earthly parent for bread.
"What man is there of
you, " He said, "whom if his
son ask bread, will he give him a stone?" He appeals
to the tender, natural affection of a parent for his
child and then says, "If ye then, being evil, know how
to give good gifts unto your children, how much more
shall your Father which is in heaven give good things
to them that ask Him?" No man with a father's heart
would turn from his son who is hungry and is asking
for bread. Would they think him capable of trifling
with his child, of tantalizing him by raising his
expectations only to disappoint him? Would he promise to
give him good and nourishing food, and then give
him a stone? And should anyone dishonor God by
imagining that He would not respond to the appeals
of His children?
If ye, then, being human and evil, "know how to
give good gifts unto your children: how much more
shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
them that ask Him?" Luke 11:13. The Holy Spirit,
the representative of Himself, is the greatest of all
gifts. All "good things" are comprised in this. The
Creator Himself can give us nothing greater, nothing
better. When we beseech the Lord to pity us in our
distress, and to guide us by His Holy Spirit, He will
never turn away our prayer. It is possible even for a
parent to turn away from his hungry child, but God
can never reject the cry of the needy and longing heart.
With what wonderful tenderness He has described
His love! To those who in days of darkness feel that
God is unmindful of them, this is the message from the
Father's heart: "Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me,
and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget
her sucking child, that she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget,
yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee
upon the palms of My hands." Isaiah 49:14-16.
Every promise in the word of God furnishes us
with subject matter for prayer, presenting the pledged
word of Jehovah as our assurance. Whatever spiritual
blessing we need, it is our privilege to claim
through Jesus. We may tell the Lord, with the
simplicity of a child, exactly what we need. We may
state to Him our temporal matters, asking Him for
bread and raiment as well as for the bread of life and
the robe of Christ's righteousness. Your heavenly
Father knows that you have need of all these things,
and you are invited to ask Him concerning them. It
is through the name of Jesus that every favor is
received. God will honor that name, and will supply
your necessities from the riches of His liberality.
But do not forget that in coming to God as a father
you acknowledge your relation to Him as a child. You
not only trust His goodness, but in all things yield to
His will, knowing that His love is changeless. You
give yourself to do His work. It was to those whom
He had bidden to seek first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness that Jesus gave the promise, "Ask,
and ye shall receive." John 16:24.
The gifts of Him who has all power in heaven and
earth are in store for the children of God. Gifts so
precious that they come to us through the costly
sacrifice of the Redeemer's blood; gifts that will satisfy
the deepest craving of the heart, gifts lasting as
eternity, will be received and enjoyed by all who will
come to God as little children. Take God's promises
as your own, plead them before Him as His own
words, and you will receive fullness of joy.
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would
that men should do to you, do ye even
so to them." Matthew 7:12 .
On the assurance of the love of God toward us,
Jesus enjoins love to one another, in one comprehensive
principle covering all the relations of human
fellowship.
The Jews had been concerned about what they
should receive; the burden of their anxiety was to
secure what they thought their due of power and
respect and service. But Christ teaches that our
anxiety should not be, How much are we to receive?
but, How much can we give? The standard of our
obligation to others is found in what we ourselves
would regard as their obligation to us.
In your association with others, put yourself in
their place. Enter into their feelings, their difficulties,
their disappointments, their joys, and their sorrows.
Identify yourself with them, and then do to them as,
were you to exchange places with them, you would
wish them to deal with you. This is the true rule of
honesty. It is another expression of the law. "Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Matthew 22:39.
And it is the substance of the teaching of the prophets.
It is a principle of heaven, and will be developed in
all who are fitted for its holy companionship.
The golden rule is the principle of true courtesy,
and its truest illustration is seen in the life and
character of Jesus. Oh, what rays of softness and beauty
shone forth in the daily life of our Saviour! What
sweetness flowed from His very presence! The same
spirit will be revealed in His children. Those with
whom Christ dwells will be surrounded with a divine
atmosphere. Their white robes of purity will be
fragrant with perfume from the garden of the Lord.
Their faces will reflect light from His, brightening
the path for stumbling and weary feet.
No man who has the true ideal of what constitutes
a perfect character will fail to manifest the sympathy
and tenderness of Christ. The influence of grace is to
soften the heart, to refine and purify the feelings,
giving a heaven-born delicacy and sense of propriety.
But there is a yet deeper significance to the golden
rule. Everyone who has been made a steward of the
manifold grace of God is called upon to impart to
souls in ignorance and darkness, even as, were he in
their place, he would desire them to impart to him.
The apostle Paul said, "I am debtor both to the Greeks,
and to the barbarians; both to the wise, and to the
unwise." Romans 1:14. By all that you have known
of the love of God, by all that you have received of
the rich gifts of His grace above the most benighted
and degraded soul upon the earth are you in debt to
that soul to impart these gifts unto him.
So also with the gifts and blessings of this life:
whatever you may possess above your fellows places you in
debt, to that degree, to all who are less favored. Have
we wealth, or even the comforts of life, then we are
under the most solemn obligation to care for the
suffering sick, the widow, and the fatherless exactly as
we would desire them to care for us were our condition
and theirs to be reversed.
The golden rule teaches, by implication, the same
truth which is taught elsewhere in the Sermon on the
Mount, that "with what measure ye mete, it shall be
measured to you again." That which we do to others,
whether it be good or evil, will surely react upon
ourselves, in blessing or in cursing. Whatever we give,
we shall receive again. The earthly blessings which
we impart to others may be, and often are, repaid in
kind. What we give does, in time of need, often come
back to us in fourfold measure in the coin of the realm.
But, besides this, all gifts are repaid, even in this life,
in the fuller inflowing of His love, which is the sum
of all heaven's glory and its treasure. And evil
imparted also returns again. Everyone who has been free
to condemn or discourage, will in his own experience
be brought over the ground where he has caused
others to pass; he will feel what they have suffered
because of his want of sympathy and tenderness.
It is the love of God toward us that has decreed
this. He would lead us to abhor our own hardness of
heart and to open our hearts to let Jesus abide in them.
And thus, out of evil, good is brought, and what
appeared a curse becomes a blessing.
The standard of the golden rule is the true standard
of Christianity; anything short of it is a deception. A
religion that leads men to place a low estimate upon
human beings, whom Christ has esteemed of such
value as to give Himself for them; a religion that
would lead us to be careless of human needs, sufferings,
or rights, is a spurious religion. In slighting the
claims of the poor, the suffering, and the sinful, we are
proving ourselves traitors to Christ. It is because men
take upon themselves the name of Christ, while in life
they deny His character, that Christianity has so little
power in the world. The name of the Lord is
blasphemed because of these things.
Of the apostolic church, in those bright days when
the glory of the risen Christ shone upon them, it is
written that no man said "that aught of the things
which he possessed was his own." "Neither was there
any among them that lacked." "And with great power
gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all." "And
they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple,
and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their
meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising
God, and having favor with all the people. And the
Lord added to the church daily such as should be
saved." Acts 4:32, 34, 33; 2:46, 47.
Search heaven and earth, and there is no truth
revealed more powerful than that which is made
manifest in works of mercy to those who need our
sympathy and aid. This is the truth as it is in Jesus.
When those who profess the name of Christ shall
practice the principles of the golden rule, the same
power will attend the gospel as in apostolic times.
"Strait is the gate, and narrow is the
way, which leadeth unto life."
Matthew 7:14 .
In the time of Christ the people of Palestine lived
in walled towns, which were mostly situated upon
hills or mountains. The gates, which were closed at
sunset, were approached by steep, rocky roads, and
the traveler journeying homeward at the close of the
day often had to press his way in eager haste up the
difficult ascent in order to reach the gate before nightfall.
The loiterer was left without.
The narrow, upward road leading to home and rest
furnished Jesus with an impressive figure of the Christian
way. The path which I have set before you, He
said, is narrow; the gate is difficult of entrance; for the
golden rule excludes all pride and self-seeking. There
is, indeed, a wider road; but its end is destruction. If
you would climb the path of spiritual life, you must
constantly ascend; for it is an upward way. You must
go with the few; for the multitude will choose the
downward path.
In the road to death the whole race may go, with
all their worldliness, all their selfishness, all their
pride, dishonesty, and moral debasement. There is
room for every man's opinions and doctrines, space to
follow his inclinations, to do whatever his self-love
may dictate. In order to go in the path that leads to
destruction, there is no need of searching for the way;
for the gate is wide, and the way is broad, and the
feet naturally turn into the path that ends in death.
But the way to life is narrow and the entrance
strait. If you cling to any besetting sin you will find
the way too narrow for you to enter. Your own ways,
your own will, your evil habits and practices, must be
given up if you would keep the way of the Lord. He
who would serve Christ cannot follow the world's
opinions or meet the world's standard. Heaven's path
is too narrow for rank and riches to ride in state, too
narrow for the play of self-centered ambition, too
steep and rugged for lovers of ease to climb. Toil,
patience, self-sacrifice, reproach, poverty, the
contradiction of sinners against Himself, was the portion of
Christ, and it must be our portion, if we ever enter
the Paradise of God.
Yet do not therefore conclude that the upward path
is the hard and the downward road the easy way. All
along the road that leads to death there are pains and
penalties, there are sorrows and disappointments,
there are warnings not to go on. God's love has made
it hard for the heedless and headstrong to destroy
themselves. It is true that Satan's path is made to
appear attractive, but it is all a deception; in the way
of evil there are bitter remorse and cankering care. We
may think it pleasant to follow pride and worldly
ambition, but the end is pain and sorrow. Selfish plans
may present flattering promises and hold out the hope
of enjoyment, but we shall find that our happiness is
poisoned and our life embittered by hopes that center
in self. In the downward road the gateway may be
bright with flowers, but thorns are in the path. The
light of hope which shines from its entrance fades
into the darkness of despair, and the soul who follows
that path descends into the shadows of unending
night.
"The way of transgressors is hard," but wisdom's
"ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are
peace." Proverbs 13:15; 3:17. Every act of obedience
to Christ, every act of self-denial for His sake, every
trial well endured, every victory gained over temptation,
is a step in the march to the glory of final victory.
If we take Christ for our guide, He will lead us safely.
The veriest sinner need not miss his way. Not one
trembling seeker need fail of walking in pure and
holy light. Though the path is so narrow, so holy that
sin cannot be tolerated therein, yet access has been
secured for all, and not one doubting, trembling soul
need say, "God cares nought for me."
The road may be rough and the ascent steep; there
may be pitfalls upon the right hand and upon the left;
we may have to endure toil in our journey; when
weary, when longing for rest, we may have to toil on;
when faint, we may have to fight; when discouraged,
we must still hope; but with Christ as our guide we
shall not fail of reaching the desired haven at last.
Christ Himself has trodden the rough way before us
and has smoothed the path for our feet.
And all the way up the steep road leading to eternal
life are well-springs of joy to refresh the weary. Those
who walk in wisdom's ways are, even in tribulation,
exceeding joyful; for He whom their soul loveth,
walks, invisible, beside them. At each upward step
they discern more distinctly the touch of His hand;
at every step brighter gleamings of glory from the
Unseen fall upon their path; and their songs of praise,
reaching ever a higher note, ascend to join the songs
of angels before the throne. "The path of the righteous
is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and
more unto the perfect day." Proverbs 4:18, R.V.,
margin.
Strive to enter in at the strait gate." Luke 13:24 .
The belated traveler, hurrying to reach the city
gate by the going down of the sun, could not turn
aside for any attractions by the way. His whole mind
was bent on the one purpose of entering the gate. The
same intensity of purpose, said Jesus, is required in
the Christian life. I have opened to you the glory of
character, which is the true glory of My kingdom. It
offers you no promise of earthly dominion; yet it is
worthy of your supreme desire and effort. I do not
call you to battle for the supremacy of the world's
great empire, but do not therefore conclude that there
is no battle to be fought nor victories to be won. I bid
you strive, agonize, to enter into My spiritual kingdom.
The Christian life is a battle and a march. But the
victory to be gained is not won by human power. The
field of conflict is the domain of the heart. The battle
which we have to fight--the greatest battle that was
ever fought by man--is the surrender of self to the will
of God, the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of
love. The old nature, born of blood and of the will
of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The
hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be
given up.
He who determines to enter the spiritual kingdom
will find that all the powers and passions of an
unregenerate nature, backed by the forces of the kingdom
of darkness, are arrayed against him. Selfishness and
pride will make a stand against anything that would
show them to be sinful. We cannot, of ourselves,
conquer the evil desires and habits that strive for the
mastery. We cannot overcome the mighty foe who
holds us in his thrall. God alone can give us the
victory. He desires us to have the mastery over
ourselves, our own will and ways. But He cannot work
in us without our consent and co-operation. The
divine Spirit works through the faculties and powers
given to man. Our energies are required to co-operate
with God.
The victory is not won without much earnest prayer,
without the humbling of self at every step. Our will
is not to be forced into co-operation with divine agencies,
but it must be voluntarily submitted. Were it
possible to force upon you with a hundredfold greater
intensity the influence of the Spirit of God, it would
not make you a Christian, a fit subject for heaven.
The stronghold of Satan would not be broken. The
will must be placed on the side of God's will. You
are not able, of yourself, to bring your purposes and
desires and inclinations into submission to the will of
God; but if you are "willing to be made willing," God
will accomplish the work for you, even "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 10:5. Then you will "work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which
worketh in you both to will and to do of His good
pleasure." Philippians 2:12, 13.
But many are attracted by the beauty of Christ and
the glory of heaven, who yet shrink from the conditions
by which alone these can become their own.
There are many in the broad way who are not fully
satisfied with the path in which they walk. They
long to break from the slavery of sin, and in their own
strength they seek to make a stand against their sinful
practices. They look toward the narrow way and
the strait gate; but selfish pleasure, love of the world,
pride, unsanctified ambition, place a barrier between
them and the Saviour. To renounce their own will,
their chosen objects of affection or pursuit, requires
a sacrifice at which they hesitate and falter and turn
back. Many "will seek to enter in, and shall not be
able." Luke 13:24. They desire the good, they make
some effort to obtain it; but they do not choose it;
they have not a settled purpose to secure it at the
cost of all things.
The only hope for us if we would overcome is to
unite our will to God's will and work in co-operation
with Him, hour by hour and day by day. We cannot
retain self and yet enter the kingdom of God. If we
ever attain unto holiness, it will be through the
renunciation of self and the reception of the mind of Christ.
Pride and self-sufficiency must be crucified. Are we
willing to pay the price required of us? Are we willing
to have our will brought into perfect conformity to the
will of God? Until we are willing, the transforming
grace of God cannot be manifest upon us.
The warfare which we are to wage is the "good
fight of faith." "I also labor," said the apostle Paul,
"striving according to His working, which worketh in
me mightily." Colossians 1:29.
Jacob, in the great crisis of his life, turned aside
to pray. He was filled with one overmastering
purpose--to seek for transformation of character. But
while he was pleading with God, an enemy, as he
supposed, placed his hand upon him, and all night he
wrestled for his life. But the purpose of his soul was
not changed by peril of life itself. When his strength
was nearly spent, the Angel put forth His divine
power, and at His touch Jacob knew Him with whom
he had been contending. Wounded and helpless, he
fell upon the Saviour's breast, pleading for a blessing.
He would not be turned aside nor cease his intercession,
and Christ granted the petition of this helpless,
penitent soul, according to His promise, "Let him take
hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me;
and he shall make peace with Me." Isaiah 27:5. Jacob
pleaded with determined spirit, "I will not let Thee
go, except Thou bless me." Genesis 32:26. This spirit
of persistence was inspired by Him who wrestled with
the patriarch. It was He who gave him the victory,
and He changed his name from Jacob to Israel, saying,
"As a prince hast thou power with God and with
men, and hast prevailed." Genesis 32:28. That for
which Jacob had vainly wrestled in his own strength
was won through self-surrender and steadfast faith.
"This is the victory that overcometh the world, even
our faith." 1 John 5:4.
"Beware of false prophets." Matthew 7:15 .
Teachers of falsehood will arise to draw you away
from the narrow path and the strait gate. Beware of
them; though concealed in sheep's clothing, inwardly
they are ravening wolves. Jesus gives a test by which
false teachers may be distinguished from the true. "Ye
shall know them by their fruits," He says. "Do men
gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"
We are not bidden to prove them by their fair
speeches and exalted professions. They are to be
judged by the word of God. "To the law and to the
testimony: if they speak not according to this word it
is because there is no light in them." "Cease, my son,
to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the
words of knowledge." Isaiah 8:20; Proverbs 19:27.
What message do these teachers bring? Does it lead
you to reverence and fear God? Does it lead you to
manifest your love for Him by loyalty to His
commandments? If men do not feel the weight of the
moral law; if they make light of God's precepts; if they
break one of the least of His commandments, and
teach men so, they shall be of no esteem in the sight
of heaven. We may know that their claims are without
foundation. They are doing the very work that
originated with the prince of darkness, the enemy of God.
Not all who profess His name and wear His badge
are Christ's. Many who have taught in My name, said
Jesus, will be found wanting at last. "Many will say
to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils?
and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And
then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:
depart from Me, ye that work iniquity."
There are persons who believe that they are right,
when they are wrong. While claiming Christ as their
Lord, and professedly doing great works in His name,
they are workers of iniquity. "With their mouth they
show much love, but their heart goeth after their
covetousness." He who declares God's word is to them
"as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice,
and can play well on an instrument: for they hear
Thy words, but they do them not." Ezekiel 33:31, 32.
A mere profession of discipleship is of no value.
The faith in Christ which saves the soul is not what
it is represented to be by many. "Believe, believe,"
they say, "and you need not keep the law." But a
belief that does not lead to obedience is presumption.
The apostle John says, "He that saith, I know Him,
and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the
truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4. Let none cherish the
idea that special providences or miraculous manifestations
are to be the proof of the genuineness of their
work or of the ideas they advocate. When persons will
speak lightly of the word of God, and set their
impressions, feelings, and exercises above the divine
standard, we may know that they have no light in
them.
Obedience is the test of discipleship. It is the keeping
of the commandments that proves the sincerity of
our professions of love. When the doctrine we accept
kills sin in the heart, purifies the soul from defilement,
bears fruit unto holiness, we may know that it is the
truth of God. When benevolence, kindness,
tenderheartedness, sympathy, are manifest in our lives; when
the joy of right doing is in our hearts; when we exalt
Christ, and not self, we may know that our faith is
of the right order. "Hereby we do know that we know
Him, if we keep His commandments." 1 John 2:3.
"It fell not; for it was founded upon
the rock." Matthew 7:25, R.V.
The people had been deeply moved by the words
of Christ. The divine beauty of the principles of truth
attracted them; and Christ's solemn warnings had come
to them as the voice of the heart-searching God. His
words had struck at the very root of their former ideas
and opinions; to obey His teaching would require a
change in all their habits of thought and action. It
would bring them into collision with their religious
teachers; for it would involve the overthrow of the
whole structure which for generations the rabbis had
been rearing. Therefore, while the hearts of the people
responded to His words, few were ready to accept
them as the guide of life.
Jesus ended His teaching on the mount with an
illustration that presented with startling vividness the
importance of putting in practice the words He had
spoken. Among the crowds that thronged about the
Saviour were many who had spent their lives about
the Sea of Galilee. As they sat upon the hillside,
listening to the words of Christ, they could see valleys
and ravines through which the mountain streams found
their way to the sea. In summer these streams often
wholly disappeared, leaving only a dry and dusty
channel. But when the wintry storms burst upon the
hills, the rivers became fierce, raging torrents, at times
overspreading the valleys and bearing everything
away on their resistless flood. Often, then, the hovels
reared by the peasants on the grassy plain, apparently
beyond the reach of danger, were swept away. But
high upon the hills were houses built upon the rock.
In some parts of the land were dwellings built wholly
of rock, and many of them had withstood the
tempests of a thousand years. These houses were reared
with toil and difficulty. They were not easy of
access, and their location appeared less inviting than
the grassy plain. But they were founded upon the
rock, and wind and flood and tempest beat upon
them in vain.
Like the builders of these houses on the rock, said
Jesus, is he who shall receive the words that I have
spoken to you, and make them the foundation of his
character and life. Centuries before, the prophet Isaiah
had written, "The word of our God shall stand
forever" (Isaiah 40:8); and Peter, long after the Sermon
on the Mount was given, quoting these words of
Isaiah added, "This is the word which by the gospel
is preached unto you" (1 Peter 1:25). The word of
God is the only steadfast thing our world knows. It
is the sure foundation. "Heaven and earth shall pass
away," said Jesus, "but My words shall not pass away."
Matthew 24:35.
The great principles of the law, of the very nature
of God, are embodied in the words of Christ on the
mount. Whoever builds upon them is building upon
Christ, the Rock of Ages. In receiving the word, we
receive Christ. And only those who thus receive His
words are building upon Him. "Other foundation can
no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 3:11. "There is none other name under
heaven, given among men, whereby we must be
saved." Acts 4:12. Christ, the Word, the revelation of
God,--the manifestation of His character, His law, His
love, His life,--is the only foundation upon which we
can build a character that will endure.
We build on Christ by obeying His word. It is not
he who merely enjoys righteousness, that is righteous,
but he who does righteousness. Holiness is not
rapture; it is the result of surrendering all to God; it is
doing the will of our heavenly Father. When the children
of Israel were encamped on the borders of the
Promised Land, it was not enough for them to have
a knowledge of Canaan, or to sing the songs of Canaan.
This alone would not bring them into possession of
the vineyards and olive groves of the goodly land.
They could make it theirs in truth only by occupation,
by complying with the conditions, by exercising living
faith in God, by appropriating His promises to
themselves, while they obeyed His instruction.
Religion consists in doing the words of Christ; not
doing to earn God's favor, but because, all undeserving,
we have received the gift of His love. Christ
places the salvation of man, not upon profession merely,
but upon faith that is made manifest in works of
righteousness. Doing, not saying merely, is expected
of the followers of Christ. It is through action that
character is built. "As many as are
led by the Spirit
of God, they are the sons of God." Romans 8:14. Not
those whose hearts are touched by the Spirit, not those
who now and then yield to its power, but they that
are led by the Spirit, are the sons of God.
Do you desire to become a follower of Christ, yet
know not how to begin? Are you in darkness and know
not how to find the light? Follow the light you have.
Set your heart to obey what you do know of the word
of God. His power, His very life, dwells in His word.
As you receive the word in faith, it will give you power
to obey. As you give heed to the light you have, greater
light will come. You are building on God's word, and
your character will be builded after the similitude of
the character of Christ.
Christ, the true foundation, is a living stone; His
life is imparted to all that are built upon Him. "Ye
also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house."
"Each several building, fitly framed together, groweth
into a holy temple in the Lord." 1 Peter 2:5, R.V.;
Ephesians 2:21, R.V. The stones became one with
the foundation; for a common life dwells in all. That
building no tempest can overthrow; for--
"That which shares the life of God,
With Him surviveth all."
But every building erected on other foundation than
God's word will fall. He who, like the Jews in Christ's
day, builds on the foundation of human ideas and
opinions, of forms and ceremonies of man's invention,
or on any works that he can do independently of the
grace of Christ, is erecting his structure of character
upon the shifting sand. The fierce tempests of temptation
will sweep away the sandy foundation and leave
his house a wreck on the shores of time.
"Therefore thus saith the Lord God, . . . Judgment
also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the
plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge
of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place."
Isaiah 28:16, 17.
But today mercy pleads with the sinner. "As I live,
saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death
of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way
and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why
will ye die?" Ezekiel 33:11. The voice that speaks
to the impenitent today is the voice of Him who in
heart anguish exclaimed as He beheld the city of His
love: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killeth the prophets,
and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often
would I have gathered thy children together, even as
a hen gathereth her own brood under her wings, and
ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you
desolate." Luke 13:34, 35, R.V. In Jerusalem, Jesus
beheld a symbol of the world that had rejected and
despised His grace. He was weeping, O stubborn
heart, for you! Even when Jesus' tears were shed upon
the mount, Jerusalem might yet have repented, and
escaped her doom. For a little space the Gift of
heaven still waited her acceptance. So, O heart, to
you Christ is still speaking in accents of love: "Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My
voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and
will sup with him, and he with Me." "Now is the
accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
Revelation 3:20; 2 Corinthians 6:2.
You who are resting your hope on self are building
on the sand. But it is not yet too late to escape the
impending ruin. Before the tempest breaks, flee to
the sure foundation. "Thus saith the Lord God, Behold,
I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried
stone, a precious cornerstone, of sure foundation: he
that believeth shall not make haste." "Look unto Me,
and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am
God, and there is none else." "Fear thou not; for I
am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I
will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will
uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness."
"Ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without
end." Isaiah 28:16, R.V.; 45:22; 41:10; 45:17.