Oct 16
25
REJOICING IN WORSHIP
Psalm 122:1
It is a miracle of God’s grace that any man would rejoice in coming to the place where the glorious gospel of Christ alone is proclaimed. It takes a heart made anew (by the Holy Ghost) to have a longing to continually meet with others who also find their spiritual need met in the preaching of a message that does nothing but honor the will, work, and accomplishment of the God of all peace. This gladness toward worship not only honors the God we love and serve, but it also encourages those that meet together in that worship. David said, “I was glad when THEY said unto me, let US go into the house of the LORD.” There is no better fellowship found than that fellowship based on meeting together in the hearing of the Word of God. With the beginning of this new year, let all His people be reminded of the grand privilege that has been bestowed upon all that He has everlastingly loved … the privilege to be glad to go into the house of the LORD. Marvin Stalnaker.
ONE LAWGIVER
James 4: 11, 12
We are dealing with the offense of usurping God’s office, and passing sentence upon brethren. Throughout the churches, weaker brethren who yet observed the law of Moses, presented a trial to those who knew the believer is no longer under the law. At the same time, the liberty in which the stronger brethren walked presented a trial to the weaker brethren. The result was that fleshly lust of using condemning speech one of another over things totally indifferent to the kingdom of God. Paul calls it “doubtful disputing” (Romans 14: 1-4). As God grows brethren in grace, he makes us to know more and more that we are no longer under the law, but under grace. But he does it in his time, not ours. As you wait on him, the word is straightforward and clear: whether true or false, whether behind their backs or to their faces, whether in private or in public, do not speak evil one of another, brethren (Proverbs 31:26).
You Speak Evil of Christ
Would you speak evil of Christ? James said that it should never be that we use the same tongue to bless God and then curse men, because men are made after God’s image (James 3:9, 10). Here, it is even worse because Christ said what you do unto the least of my brethren you have done unto me (Matthew 18:6; 25:40). Aaron and Miriam spoke evil of Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman. The LORD said to them, “Were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses? (Numbers 12:8). Believers are one in Christ (Ephesians 4:1-6). What we speak of our brethren we speak of him who laid down his life for our brethren.
You Speak Evil of the Law of Christ
The believer is under the law of grace. Condemning our brethren is speaking evil of the law of our Lord. In his sermon on the mount the Lord Jesus taught brethren not to speak evil one of another (Mt. 7:1). If we do it anyway we judge our Lord’s word of grace to be no good. Furthermore, we speak evil of the law when we count that holy which our Lord never made holy or condemn that which God never condemned. Nothing is unclean of itself, but if a brother esteems it to be so, to him it is. Let the stronger not make it a reason for condemning the weaker and let not the weaker make it a reason to condemn those who do not observe as he does. The word of the Lord is, “the kingdom of God is not meat and drink.” Believers are made the righteousness of God by the Holy Spirit through the blood of Christ. Christ, our Peacemaker, has made peace for our brethren with our God. The kingdom of God is rejoicing over the great things Christ has done in making us accepted with God (Rom 14: 14-19.) Let us follow our Lord’s law of grace, not making things holy which he never made holy; else we speak evil of the Lord’s law of love.
There Is One Lawgiver
Jesus is King, Christ and Head over his church. The authority to fill all in all belongs to him. (Eph 1: 22, 23; Deut 32:39) God the Father has committed all judgment unto the Son (John 5:22). God in Christ is he who alone is able to give his law in the heart (Hebrews 8:10). But that means that our brethren are under the control of Christ our Head more effectually than the members of our own body are under the power of our head. When a brother stumbles, remember that he is Christ’s servant, “to his own master he standeth, to his own master he falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.” (Romans 14:4) If we walk after the Spirit we will not fulfill the lust to bite and devour but will rejoice that he whose law discovers the sin of our brethren is the Righteous One who also redeemed our brethren from its curse (Gal 3:13; 5:13-17). He says our brethren shall never be condemned, but have eternal life (John 5:24; Rom 6:10-14; 8:1, 2). O, brethren, rejoice that there is one who is able to give his law in the hearts of his people and constrain us with the law of life which the law of sin and death could never do.
Now Who Are You?
We have seen Christ whose word we follow. We have seen that he alone is able to give his law in the heart. Now who are you again? What was it you had to say about the one for whom Christ died?
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” One might say, “I understand that restoring my brother is to remind him of what great things Christ has done. But then what must I do about the sin my brother is yet in?” Charge that to your account; take your brother’s burden on yourself like Christ did yours. That is the only law your brother and you are under–it is called the law of grace, the law of love, the law of Christ! “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (Galatians 6: 1-3) Clay Curtis.
Walk in Love
eph 5:2
Here we see the motive for the performance of all duties and responsibilities (which are really privileges and blessings) of believers in regard to Christ and each other. The child of God needs not a law or rules to direct him in his walk or govern his life. He has what he needs – Christ’s love for him. With Christ and His love for us in view how could we not love Him and our brethren. The love of God manifest in Christ giving Himself for us “is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” Romans 5:5. This love in manifest in our conversation or, walk, not just lip service – “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” 1John 3:18. Our Lord, constrained by love, lived His life for His sheep and died for His sheep. Because He loves His own He now provides for us, He protects us, He comforts us, He forgives us, He intercedes for us, He blesses us with all Spiritual blessings and all temporal blessings. He walked in love here on this earth until His death, and now He reigns in love at the right hand of the Father. It is His desire (which shall be accomplished) that all whom He loves shall be with Him in Glory, eternally. Is this not the motive and attitude of those who know Him? To be like Him? My brethren, because He walked in love for us everything will be alright. As the body of Christ walks in love for Him, His gospel and for one another, everything will be alright. As we are mere mortals there will be difficulties, trials, and misunderstandings. However, as we walk in love, as Christ gave Himself for us and loves us, we will have peace and seek peace, we will give comfort be comforted, we will forgive and be forgiven.
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently” (1 Peter 1:22). Tommy Robbins.
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
The only way any sinner will understand our sin is for Christ to reveal to us that we are sin. This word “overtaken” is the word “surprised.” By divine revelation in the new heart Christ makes his redeemed to know that we have been overtaken in a fault. Only when Christ reveals this will any of us heed spiritual teaching. Therefore, brethren, we must wait on the Lord Jesus our Head to bring a man to this point.
What is the believer to do as we wait on Christ? We are to restore our overtaken brother. To restore is to re-stock them with the key of knowledge, Christ Jesus and his unsearchable riches. We are not to laden him down by condemning him, by exposing his sin to others, by constraining by fleshly force.
Instead, we remind him that all who are chosen by God the Father, , redeemed by the precious blood of Christ and regenerated by the Holy Spirit are complete in Christ. As Christ is in glory so are we in this present evil world. (Col 2: 10; 1 Jn 4: 17) We are to do as Paul did the Corinthians: remind them that the “unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God”; remind them of the sin in which Christ found us; then remind them that now we washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. (1 Cor 6: 9-11) It is the forgiveness of God by his sovereign and free grace that makes the believer walk in the fear of God. (Ps 130: 4)
In what spirit do we do this? Not in a haughty, holier than thou spirit, but “in the spirit of meekness.” The spirit of meekness is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, not of the flesh. A spirit of meekness considers “thyself”, that in our flesh we are just as sinful, or worse, as the brother overtaken in a fault. Without considering this about ourselves we will be tempted to exalt ourselves in self-righteousness and to vainly glorify ourselves.
Gracious Father, strengthen our hearts to not be hard on our overtaken brethren. Make us to bear one another’s burdens, waiting on Christ in faith, restoring our brethren in love, and so fulfill the law of Christ; make us to ever remember, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Rom 8: 33-34)
Clay Curtis.