(Excerpt)
Working no
Ill
"Love
worketh no ill to his neighbor." The word "neighbor" means
whoever dwells near. Love, therefore, extends to everything with which it comes
in contact. He who loves must necessarily love everybody. It may be objected
that love does make distinctions, and the case of husband and wife, or of any
of the members of a family, may be cited. But the objection does not hold, for
the family relation, rightly understood, was instituted in order that by a
union love might the more effectually be manifested to others. On the principle
that strength is not merely doubled, but increased tenfold, by union, as shown
by the statement that "one shall chase a thousand, and two put ten
thousand to flight," union multiplies the working value of love. If two
persons, each of whom has this unselfish love to all mankind, unite in love,
then their union makes them ten times better able to serve others. If any one
thinks this is too high a standard, let him remember that we are considering a
very high thing--the highest thing in the universe. We are talking of love,
absolute and unqualified, as it comes from heaven, and not that which has been
dragged through the mire of earth. Poor, frail human beings certainly need the
very best. Since love worketh no ill to
his neighbor, it obviously follows that Christian love,--and there is really no
other love, as we have seen,-does not admit of wars and fightings. No philosophy
can ever make it appear that it does a man any good to kill him. When the
soldiers asked John the Baptist what they should do, as followers of the Lamb
of God, to whom he pointed, he replied, "Do violence to no man." Luke
3:14. Those who asked were "soldiers on service," as we see from the
margin of the Revised Version. And the margin also gives as the alternative
rendering of John's answer, "Put no man in fear." It would be a very
mild war in which this command was followed. If an army were composed of
Christians,--true followers of Christ,--when they came in contact with the
enemy, instead of shooting them, they would find out what they needed, and
supply their wants. "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give
him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not
overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Rom.12:20,21.
"Take
Heed."
"But
if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of
another." See into what danger the Galatians had run by following evil
counsel. By departing from the simplicity of the faith, they were bringing
themselves under the curse, and in danger of hell fire. For "the tongue is
a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth
the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire
of hell." Jam.3:6. The tongue has devoured more than the sword, for the
sword would never be drawn if it were not for the unruly tongue. No man can
tame it, but God can. He had done it in the case of the Galatians, when their
mouths were filled with blessing and praise; but what a change had again taken
place! As the result of their later instruction, they had descended from
blessing to bickering, and instead of talking to edification, were about to
devour one another.
"The
Leaven of Malice and Wickedness."
Verses 8
and 9, following the question, "Who did hinder you that ye should not obey
the truth?" manifestly apply here as well as there, since biting and
devouring are very strong evidences of not obeying the truth. "This
persuasion cometh not of Him that calleth you." God is the God of peace.
Of Christ, the Prince of peace, it was said, "He shall not strive"
(Matt.12:19); therefore "the servant of the Lord must not strive"
(2Tim.2:24). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is "the Gospel of peace."
Eph.6:15. When there is bickering and strife in the church, be sure that the
Gospel has been sadly perverted. Let no one flatter himself on his orthodoxy, or
his soundness in the faith, while he has a quarrelsome disposition, or can be
provoked to quarrel. Dissension and strife are the marks of departure from the
faith, if one was ever in it; for, "being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom.5:1. We are not merely at peace
with God, but we have peace with Him--His peace. So this new persuasion, which
led to strife and the devouring of one another with the tongue of unholy fire,
did not come from God, who had called them into the Gospel. Only a step aside
often leads to a wide divergence. Two lines of railway may seem to lie
parallel, yet insensibly they diverge until they lead in opposite directions.
"A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." A seemingly "little
error," no matter what it be, has in it the germ of all wickedness.
"Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is
guilty of all." Jam.2:10. A single false principle adhered to, will wreck
the whole life and character. The little foxes spoil the vines.
The Works
of the Flesh
What are
the works of the flesh?--Here is a sample list of them: "Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders,
drunkenness, revelings." Not a pleasant-sounding list, is it? But it is
not all of them, for the apostle adds, "and such like." There is a
good deal to think about in this list, taken in connection with the statement
that "they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of
God." Compare this list with that given by the Lord in Mark 7:21-23, as
the things that come from within, from the heart of man.
Mar
7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar
7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil
eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Mar
7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
They are
the very life of the natural man. They belong to man by nature. Compare both
these lists with the list given in Rom.1:28-32,
Rom
1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God
gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not
convenient;
Rom
1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness,
covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity;
whisperers,
Rom
1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of
evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom
1:31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection,
implacable, unmerciful:
Rom
1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things
are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do
them.
as the
things done by the heathen, who did not like to retain God in their knowledge.
They are the things that are done by all who do not know the Lord. Then compare these lists of sins with the
list given by the apostle Paul in 2Tim.3:1-5,
2Ti
3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall
come.
2Ti
3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti
3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti
3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of
God;
2Ti
3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such
turn away.
of things
that will be done in the last days by those who even have a form of godliness.
It will be noticed that all these lists are essentially the same. When men turn
from "the truth of the Gospel," which is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth, they inevitably fall under the power of
these sins.
"There
Is No Difference."
There is
only one flesh of man (1Cor.15:39),
1Co
15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of
men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
since all
the inhabitants of the earth are descendants of the one pair--Adam and Eve.
"By one man sin entered into the world" (Rom.5:12), so that whatever
sin there is in the world is common to all flesh. Therefore it is that in the
plan of salvation "there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek;
for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him."
Rom.10:12. See also Rom.3:21-24.
Rom
3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,
being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom
3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto
all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Rom
3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom
3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus
No person
on earth can boast over another, or has any right to despise another because of
his sinful, degraded condition. The sight or knowledge of low vices in any
people, instead of making us feel complacent over our superior morality, ought,
on the contrary, to fill us with sorrow and shame; for it is but a reminder to
us of what our human nature is. The works that manifest themselves in that
murderer, that drunkard, or that libertine, are simply the works of our flesh.
The flesh of mankind has nothing else in its power but just such works as are
described in this chapter.
"And
Such Like."
Read again
that list of the works of the flesh. Some of them are generally recognized as
very bad, or, at any rate, as not respectable; but others are commonly regarded
as venial sins, if not absolute virtues. Notice, however, the words "and
such like," which indicate that all the things here named are identical in
character. The Scripture tells us that hatred is murder. "Whosoever hateth
his brother is a murderer." 1Joh.3:15. Moreover, anger is also murder, as
shown by the Saviour in Matt.5:21,22.
Mat
5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not
kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat
5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without
a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his
brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou
fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Envy,
which is so common, also contains murder in it. But who regards emulation as
sinful? Isn't emulation encouraged everywhere? Are not children from their
infancy taught to strive to surpass somebody else? Is not emulation fostered,
not only in schools of all kinds, but also in the home and in the church? In
the Sabbath-school, emulation is fostered by the records that are often read
out. So far from being regarded as sinful in the extreme, it is cultivated. And
yet the Word of God assures us that it is of the same kind as adultery,
fornication, murder, and drunkenness, and that they which do such things shall
not inherit the kingdom of God. Is it not a fearful thing? The love of self, the desire for the supremacy,
is the source of all the other sins that are mentioned. Out of that have grown
innumerable murders; and yet many mothers are unconsciously training their
children in that very evil, even while striving to bring them up properly, by
saying: "Now see if you can behave better than so and so." "See
if you can not learn to read or play better than such an one." "See
if you can not keep your clothes looking as nice as that one." All such
expressions, which are everyday words in thousands of households, are teaching
emulation, setting a false standard. The child is not taught to distinguish
between the right and the wrong, and to love the right, but is simply trained
to appear better than somebody else. That leads to self-deception and
Pharisaism, for all that is thought necessary is to present a better appearance
than others, while the heart is corrupt. Those others may not be of very high
character, and so the emulator is satisfied, even in this faulty exertion, with
simply appearing better than some one who is himself very bad. Go through the
entire list, and study each word carefully. Ah, the abominable works of the
flesh are lurking where many least suspect them! They are wherever human flesh
is, and are manifest in some form or other wherever the flesh is not crucified.
Sin coucheth at the door.
The Glad
Tidings
By E. J.
WAGGONER
(Excerpt- To be continued)