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To think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God, who also has made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.
But if the ministration of death, written and engraving in stones, was glorious, so the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away, how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?
For if the ministration of condemnation be glory.
Much more that the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech.
And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfast, They look to the end of that which is abolished, but their minds were blinded. For until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament, which veil is done away in Christ. But even under this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.
Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is not spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord.
Are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
I was just thinking, brother, and how the apostle Paul had thought to be faithful with the Corinthian Saints in connection with the first epistle, watched that grieved him, and he sought to exercise their consciences. But yeah, we can see in this epistle a deep love that he had for them and the desire for their blessing, and that no matter what they said or thought of him.
He in his heart their names were written, and he loved them.
And sought their good. And I believe it speaks to us all in these days. Very easy for us as we see the state of things in the world and even among the people of God, that we might become depressed and sad. But isn't it lovely to see the Spirit that rises completely above that, having the Saints upon his heart, just like the Lord Jesus bears our names upon his heart, and then seeking their good and occupying them with Christ.
And I just thought of this chapter in that connection. The 2nd epistle had to be written, didn't it? The first Epistle to the Corinthians was not complete. It speaks on the 14th chapter about edification, exhortation and comfort. Largely. The first official takes up the 1St 2:00.
Edification and exhortation.
And a great deal of this official is comfort. All we all need comfort. Correction had to come in. But when the correction is made, then it's time for real comfort. At the end of this official, we see that some were challenging his apostleship, even that this was the word of God that he was giving out.
And so the Paul, as we see in the 5th chapter, the love of Christ constrained him. He loved the.
He commands himself to them and he says that it's through him that they're that they're saved, His precious word, the word of God, that they're saved, and he brings that out to them. It's lovely to see that we begin again to commend ourselves. Didn't the word by which you were saved commend us? And that's enough, isn't it? Can I believe that's one of the reasons he begins this chapter that way, isn't it?
Going back to chapter one, let's do this word of comfort. That's chapter one of the second epistle we have in verse three. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.
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Our encouragement.
And comfort that encouragement.
From God and who is the God of all comfort, but we see that in the blessed Savior and in his life and pathway here when the brother where is such difficulty even after.
They had shut themselves up the fear of the Jews after the death of the Lord Jesus. How he comes in, in their midst. He said, peace be unto you. That is, there is comfort for them as there is for those here at Corinth and in verse four who comforted us in all our tribulation.
Well, these are real trials we're passing through. We feel them.
They're very difficult, but there's one who comforts us so that we can be a comfort one to another notice.
That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
No, God comes in and brings that encouragement, that comfort and is necessary in the family of God so that we can be truly a comfort or an encouragement to those that are passing through the trials that perhaps we may have passed through ourselves.
And the things in these trials are never the same. We think of a loved one being taken home. Well, it's never the same in that life of that person who has suffered that loss. But there is the comfort in that trial. And so it was with this assembly where correction was so necessary, there was comfort. And so it is as we passed through the trial.
That tribulation, that trial, works in our lives to cause us to be able to comfort one another.
Some of them might have felt that it wasn't necessary that this case should be taken off of this man in First Corinthians 5, but when they acted in faithfulness to them, the apostle could rejoice. Restoration was brought in the heart of the one who was disciplined, and now he's exhorting them in the second chapter that he might be restored. But there were some who felt this was apparently not necessary.
And might have questioned the apostle and his apostleship, as our brother remarked, but nothing both. None of those things change the heart of the apostle and his feelings toward them. Instead of showing resentment, as sometimes we do over different matters, we see that love that rises completely above the whole situation and seeks to instruct them and help them.
And tell them that they were written upon his heart.
He didn't need a letter of commendation to them because they knew him very well. He does, however, use the occasion to show that normally where a person is not known and comes to another place, it would be necessary to have a letter of commendation. This would show us what he mentions in the first epistle, the importance that the assembly should be clear from that which is evil and that evil.
Be judged, and if we're not careful as to who is received at the Lord's table, there might be an identification with evil. But they knew him. They knew his walk, They knew his testimony and above all his apostleship because he, through his preaching and through the writing of an inspired epistle, they knew about salvation. They knew about assembly order, one thing that they had not known.
Was that they themselves had to deal with it.
In the way as he instructs them in the 5th chapter, they were not admonished that.
They had not dealt with the matter, but they were rebuked that they had not been grieved and humbled by what had occurred in their midst. They had not been given the instructions that they received from Paul and that we have now, because he choose to write to them the epistle rather than go there himself to correct it. The Spirit of God leads him.
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To go to them by way of a letter and give them the instruction put out from among yourself that we could person. And I thought too that when he says in verse 17, for we are not as many which corrupt the word of God. Well, beloved, we have to be careful if evil occurs amongst the people of God.
We might be come guilty of corrupting the word of God by bringing in scriptures.
Which do not apply, which would belittle the evil that has occurred and try to prevent an action to be taken for the glory of God and for the good of the one who has fallen into the evil. That would be indeed like those. And Paul says there were many that corrupted the word of God. But that was not the case with Paul.
But when he had written, he was apparently in great exercise before God.
That the epistle, which had somewhat of a harsh tone to it because of the seriousness of the situation, that it would indeed have the result of leading them to be exercised before God to deal with the evil, and He would have much rather talked to them as He does in the second epistle. But how thankful is he that He has?
Accomplished by that first epistle what he desired to accomplish.
That they cleared themselves and cleared the name of the Lord of the evil that had occurred. Beloved, we so oftentimes think when evil occurs among the Saints, we're only thinking of the person that has fallen into the evil. That is one thing that the Saints in Corinth had to learn, that they were not only to consider the persons involved, but they had to consider the name of the Lord, that the name of the Lord had to be.
And the name of the assembly and how thankful Paul was that it had accomplished that. And even though there were those that used the occasion to attack Paul, who?
Was faithful in this circumstance. He is not occupied with that as much he's occupied with that which he had seen in them, which was a result of the Spirit of God and a result of the work of the Spirit of God in their lives.
You know, beloved, I'm afraid that many times we get so occupied even with.
Saints who in difficult circumstances do not always react properly for the glory of God, and that's predominantly before us. But Paul here, as it were, makes a real effort to call to their mind and to his own mind what had previously been the result and was still, although not so clearly, seen then.
Two of them there had been fruit of his labor in their life, and now that they had acted for the glory of God.
He wants to bring that to his own memory and to the memory of the Saints. One of the products that God desires coming out of the trials that we feel assemblies is largeness of heart. He is allowing these things in view of producing that largeness of heart. We find the apostle in the 6th chapter.
Saying in the 6th chapter of this epistle.
And the 11Th verse, oh ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. That's the affection of Paul for the Corinthians. And he wanted to draw that same largest of heart, I say Paul, but God wanted to draw that same largeness of heart out of those in the assembly.
And the epistles are written.
Not to the one who did the wrong, nor to the one who suffered the wrong, but to.
The assembly there. So God is allowing these things to come along partly to produce something, this largeness of heart. Let's turn to the 4th Psalm to pick that up a little bit there in the first verse, Psalm 4, Hear me when I call, oh God and my righteousness.
Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.
Have mercy upon me and hear my prayer. Now here is an apartment prayer for everyone of us in every assembly. And when hard and difficult things come along that are necessary for the glory of the Lord, who's in the midst, and we need to pay attention to that word and obey it. But the distress or the pressure.
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Of these things is large, and the purpose God is wanting to.
Enlarge our hearts, affection for everyone of our brethren and for the Lord Himself to have this our hearts move to get something written on our hearts, and that's the word of God where He is writing today.
I might say in connection with this third verse of our chapter, For as much as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ.
Ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. You see, God is after our hearts, and to notice the different places where God has written as we pass through Scripture is a great instruction for us. Thinking of four of them, and when we have the comparison of here.
The law which was written in stone, this hard substance that cannot be bent, but can be broken, that was the law. The very substance on which it was written gives us the character of the law.
Hard right solid and can't be bent, but can be broken. Well, God wrote there and he tested man under that.
For many years and Israel had.
Turned away from him.
And some of the Jews had been carried captive to Babylon.
We get the finger of God writing on the plaster of the wall, something that man had made. God made the rock, good solid rock. But there was the plaster, the fancy work of men, a little superficial work of man, And thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting.
The character of the plaster is not durable. Neither is mankind. He's found wanting.
Then we find the blessed Lord in the 8th. I believe it is of John stooping down and writing on the dust of the ground. What he wrote there we've often wondered and don't know, but at least it is grace that comes out there and he takes that low position and writes there on the dust of the ground.
Whether it was that he wanted those words to be blown away the next wind, I don't know.
But it's the marvelous grace of the Lord Jesus to come down and work here with mankind who is formed out of the dust of the ground. Now he's writing. He's writing on your heart. He's writing on mine. And it's something that will endure. This is God's work. Oh, he wants to produce largess of heart in US. I've enjoyed the thought of enlargement in that sixth verse of our 6th chapter of our book here.
We often have the fourth verse referred to about the unequal yoke, and a warning about it, but the previous verses are the one you read in verse 11 about them in large part, and then in verse 13. Now for a recompense in the same I speak as unto my children, be ye also enlarged. Be not unequally yoked together.
With unbelievers.
It's nice context to see that in.
And it's not simply be not unequally yoked together, but it's be also enlarged. And he tells us how we can be enlarged. Don't get entangled with unbelievers. Don't be linked up with that which would narrow down our sphere of service and narrow down our testimony, but stay away from that which would narrow it be enlarged. So it is not a narrow thing to say. Oh, no, don't.
Marry an unbeliever. Don't go into business with an unbeliever. That would narrow us. It would narrow us down to the unbelievers ways but to be enlarged is to be free of those things that would narrow down the Christian to the.
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Ways of the unbeliever. The heart is enlarged for Christ. Why There's not much room left for the world because he's enough to feel and satisfy the heart and how would there be any room in the heart left for those who have no love for him. I was thinking here in this chapter how very difficult in connection with what our brother Brinkman was saying for us to mingle the two things loyalty to Christ and that enlargement of heart and I thought how.
It is to see in the in Joseph we see him speaking roughly to his brethren there. He had to bring them to repentance. He had to bring them to deal with that evil which they had allowed in their lives. But in the very middle of it, he goes off and weeps secretly and then comes back and seeks to show kindness to them. And finally.
As the scripture says, the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.
And I believe when it says the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance, we think of what it cost God to put away our sins, and then how could we go on in those very things that caused him all that suffering? We think of the Lord Jesus to Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane. They're sweating us at word, great drops of blood falling down to the ground, and yet thinking of His own and setting up their remembrance of Himself.
We find the reflection of it in the Apostle here.
He wrote that first epistle not just as a cold letter to them of things that were needed, but with many tears. He even went as far as to say that he had repented of writing it. Imagine repenting of writing an inspired epistle. It shows how that hello, God had led him to write that epistle. His affection for them was so deep that he found it very difficult to be faithful, and we ought to be difficult.
US, brother, to be faithful, but we ought to be faithful, we ought to stand for truth and holiness. And there's no real blessing for us as individuals apart from self judgment, nor is there blessing for the assembly apart from dealing with evil. So we find that the valley of Eighthore, the place where Akan was stoned for what he had done.
In stealing that gold and so on, we find that later on in the prophets that it was a valley of hope and a place for the flocks to lie down.
Isn't it lovely to see the mingling of those two things? And if it comes out in all its blessed fullness, it's a Calvary, our blessed Savior there in that agony. And yet love that was stronger than death led him to go through it. That blessing might come to us. I thought of this situation with Joseph just recently again.
We don't really find that they.
Actually apologized to Joseph for what they had done, did they?
And Joseph doesn't demand it. He is perfectly satisfied when he sees that they bring to remembrance what they had done to him. They didn't realize he understood them at that time. And when they manifest what they had not manifested before, and that was concern for their father, what would it cause to the cause of the father if this other son?
Thou wilt not come. They had been totally indifferent about that. And when he sees that there is a change of heart, he is satisfied with that. And we find too with.
David, you know, we find that many followed David Absalom, the rebel in their simplicity. Now when David comes back, he does not take up this matter with them and said, listen, you fellows follow the rebel.
You have to answer for that. No, He does not take up this matter and I believe, beloved, that is a lesson that we have to learn when it comes to things amongst the people of God and many times after a matter is settled for the glory of God.
We might show a different attitude. We might want to take up in detail every mistake and lack of judgment on the part of this one and that one. That is not what we find an example to be in the Word of God. And Paul here manifests the same Spirit, does he not? But he was faithful at the time.
To take up these matters faithfully. And now he knows what it takes to make peace.
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And not to further tear apart the Saints of God by exacting the last parting out of everybody. I believe this spirit of forgiveness that was manifested in the servants of old and here with Paul is a wonderful example for us, isn't it? I think that's very important in dealing with others, but in dealing with ourselves.
It should go deeper, shouldn't it? That is, if I have failed, it's necessary to go right back to the point of departure.
Abraham had to come back to the place where he had left the 10th and altered. Peter had to be brought back to the point. And that was self-confidence. Love us down me more than these. And so we should be very gracious in dealing with others. When we see the manifestation of repentance, we ought to be very thankful. But I believe for ourselves, brethren, that there's no real happy restoration in our own personal lives until we have got to the root of the thing.
Got to get down. And so in the ashes of the heifer there were all there was also the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop. And there is the judgment of self, I believe typified in those things. And then the death of Christ that meets our need and puts sin away. So I I believe for ourselves it's important to go right to the root of it. But let's be gracious and rejoice in the beginnings of the working of repentance I might mention.
Case how when that prodigal came back, the father's arms were around him before he had even made his confession, because the very fact that he he came back to his father was a clear sign that repentance was at work. Now the father made it easy for him to complete that work that God had begun. And in the arms of the Father, he says, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and I'm no more.
To be called thy son. There's another incident in the life of Joseph that might be worth looking at in connection with his weeping in the last chapter of Genesis. I believe there were five times that Joseph wept in the restoration of his brethren. And it was when the father died, and they sent a message to Joseph because they didn't trust him. And they said that the father had asked his forgiveness.
And a verse 17.
Right way through the verse it says, And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. Must have hurt Joseph, but he had been so kind to them, and had really forgiven them. But they didn't really trust him at that point. He wept. His brethren also went and fell down before his face. And they said, Behold, we be thy servants. They didn't want servants. He wanted them to be as as his brethren, which they were.
And Joseph said unto them, Fear not, for am I in the place of God?
And he explained what had happened, thinking of the end of verse 21.
And he comforted them and spake kindly unto them. And that's what we have in our book, don't we? The comfort, He comforted them even though they misunderstood him and felt perhaps he's going to be angry with us now and take advantage of the fact that the Father has died. But we, we maybe don't really fully appreciate what the Lord Jesus has done for us, but he wants to comfort us and he wants to encourage us. And if we have failed?
He certainly wants to welcome us back and comfort and encourage us.
If we might have a thought on the second chapter.
In connection with the area where the apostle speaks to them in reminding them that one might be swallowed up.
Over much sorrow.
Than in verse 8. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would.
Confirm your love toward him.
Is this a spirit that we could show to one who's showing repentance before 1 is really fully restored to the assembly or to the Lord? I believe we ought to recognize the beginnings of the work of God in the heart. And if there is the beginning of repentance and we don't recognize it, we're going to hinder this further work of God.
I'm quite sure it was necessary that the whole matter should be dealt with.
But.
Sometimes we're slow to recognize the beginnings of that work, and I think this is what the apostle was concerned about. Evidently from first Corinthians 5, there was neither sorrow in his heart nor sorrow in the assembly. That evil was there because our brother said they didn't have instruction how to deal with it, but they ought to have felt a dishonor to the Lord. And now if this man was sorrowing, it was an evidence that repentance had begun.
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I don't know.
That we can lay down a rule about how.
To show a recognition of the beginning. I think the Lord will give wisdom when the occasion arises where the heart is right. But I believe there has to be a full sense of it in the soul before the person is restored. But I do believe it is important to recognize the beginning of the word I. I could say this, that the the prodigal was not brought into the house.
Until he had the best robe on him. But his father showed that he recognized the repentance and the return by receiving him at the very beginning. Now the boy makes the confession afterwards, and he's clothed in the best for all. Then brought him to the table again. So with Jacob we find him wrestling, and that wrestling went on all night, and the sun rose upon him and.
Peniel, which means the face of God. But it wasn't until a little later that the Lord said arise and go to Bethel. And there were a few more things that needed to be straightened out in his household 1St and he had to put away the false gods and change their garments.
But I believe that repentance, whether it's in the center are the same, is often a gradual thing. Restoration is a process.
Forgiveness is an act, and we find with the leper when he.
Was white all over. He was permitted to come back into the camp.
For seven days before he could return to his tent to be restored to all the privileges that was his, as a Jew, as one that belonged to the people of God.
So we do see that he was partially restored so that he could be subjected to that which was necessary for his cleansing. So don't we learn from that? The same with the one that in Numbers 19 was defiled. You know, he needed the help of his brethren in order to be cleaned, and a clean man had to perform.
Of love or sprinkling the water under third and under 7th day. So we do see there was not this being outside the can. It was you might say the soul was under discipline yet.
There wasn't a possibility to minister in law to him on the part of others among the people of God. And with that man in Numbers 19, it didn't even have to be a priest.
That could be any clean person among the people of God do we have anywhere.
The what this man was put away at Corinth put out from among them. Do we have anywhere recorded as to what his words were?
What he said.
Dewey No, we don't.
How did they know of his repentance? I believe it's a state of soul. Isn't it a spirit as our brother Gordon has already said. I agree that this is could be recognized if we were more in the presence of the Lord about it and had the heart of love that desires restoration. Not just getting rid of the situation or putting away, but the restoration is really the.
And I believe that we find that.
This Speaking of the epistle being there the the Corinthians being an epistle says the apostle says written in our hearts again brings the thought of love before us, doesn't it? And I was thinking of a verse in John 13.
John's Gospel, chapter 13. We see the blessed Lord here.
Writing in that is recorded here.
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John 13 verse 34 A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that she also that she also loved one another. Now notice verse 35 by this.
Shall all know that ye are my disciples or followers. If you have love one to another, we can't say that we.
We love their evil that we that we agree with what they have done. We don't say that, but we love the soul, we love the person. And I believe there's a keynote there that is to me in connection with the restoration of this man at Corinth. Is there also in this connection?
That the apostle is laying before those that had to deal with this brother.
In the first epistle, the responsibility of recognizing the.
Spiritual condition of the person.
Acting upon that, here was a one who was in the same assembly, and those in that assembly were responsible to recognize if there had been repentance.
Now we see in verse.
Ten, that the apostle didn't go before the assembly.
In forgiveness, that is, in showing that forgiveness.
Because he says to them to whom he forgave anything I forgive. So is it not so that even with the apostle and those in that assembly at Corinth forgive, then he himself would forgive?
And I believe there's something of a lesson for that with us, as well as thinking of forgiveness toward one who had been perhaps dealt with righteously at all. But in that restoration, there was the need of the realization that he had been restored and that there was forgiveness.
That's so true, and I think it's nice just to bring out a very simple fact.
That restoration is always first with the Lord, and it's manifested later in assembly and among faith. But I believe we have to remember that there has to be the work in the heart and restoration with the Lord himself that's private between the the soul and the Lord. And when that is worked, then the manifestation begins to show itself that it's there one way.
You want to be where the Lord is. You'll want to hear the word again.
Have a delight, even though there's a restriction yet. And of course then there's restoration publicly, but only after it's manifested clearly. And we're past that point, of course, in the second chapter here. That's why Paul had to write past the point. And he said this, this brother it, it's clear that he's in great sorrow and it's real.
Even Paul knew about it, everyone knew about it and he was concerned that his dear brother and he could refer to him that way in his heart now.
Because he's been restored in his soul with the Lord that he'd be overcome with with over much sorrow. And brethren, it's a sorrowful thing to be out of fellowship, not to be able to embrace a brother or give the hand of fellowship. It's the hard thing. And when ones restored in their soul, we should be alert for that manifestation. But if it hasn't happened, we should have never move ahead of that.
Because we can cause a lot of damage if we move ahead of that. Now the Lord reads the heart. We can't do that. So Peter was restored very early. The Lord reads the heart. He knows. But later publicly in chapter 21 of John. And it's a little example for us. There has to be a manifestation. And I believe we should be alert for it. And then we should together as an assembly because.
That's what he's speaking to an assembly restore that one publicly. So now he's back in blessed fellowship and it's beautiful to see the order, isn't it? Don't you think the sorrow to look for is not sorrow because out of fellowship, but sorrow because of the sin and the dishonor upon the Lord when those.
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Things are manifest. There is a sign.
Of this process of repentance and process of restoration. And then we ought to confirm and to help along this genuine sorrow to have the assembly cleared, not just the person, but the assembly cleared and the full victory fellowship at the Lord's table. Isn't it also with Peter?
A brother was referring to him already.
The Lord appeared unto Peter in Luke 24.
You know, and in First Corinthians 15, we have him mentioned as the first witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. But isn't that in itself a tremendous lesson to us that he goes to Peter first?
The one that had grieved him and had dishonored him. He doesn't go to John first. He goes to Peter 1St and there was that personal restoration with Peter. And then in John 21, the Lord takes up the public restoration. And notice He does not say, why did you deny me? Why did you lie?
The Lord deals with the cause of what has led to this dishonor.
And with the leper again in the Old Testament, that sounds like a paradox. When he was white all over, he was declared clean and was permitted back into the camp. Brethren have explained that this is it's all in the open, nothing concealed anymore. And David describes in Psalm 32 what happened when he covered up.
What the experience of his soul was.
But when He opened up before the Lord, then the Lord covered up. And how wonderful that is, never to bring it up again against us. And He will remember our sins and transgressions no more. He doesn't forget. That's human weakness. But He chooses to not remember. And beloved, we can ask the Lord for grace not to remember.
Especially when it comes to the sins of those that others have fallen into, when there is genuine repentance and forgiveness.
That we too ask the Lord for grace to forget or not to remember, I should say. And in the Proverbs we have a verse that speaks, and as a way of wanting to us, bringing a matter up again, separating very friends, we ought to watch not to fall into that trap.
What a wonderful thing it is when the Lord works in restoring grace, and what a joy it is to behold it.
You find that confession in Psalm 51. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies brought out by transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, for I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee the only have I sinned.
And done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judges. That was real hard work in David.
I believe it's good to remember that alone. God forgets. We should remember, and we find this with the apostle Paul. He was in the enjoyment of the fact that your sins and iniquities will I remember no more. But we find him on his own part, speaking different times, how he persecuted the Church of God, how he was the chief of sinners.
How he was less than the least of All Saints and so on. And it's been said that the greatest proof of restoration before God is humility before men. It's very lovely in these cases that have been mentioned, like here has just been read in the 51St Psalm to see this with David.
But we see a contrast with Saul. Saul said I have sinned, but his next expression was yet honor me now, I pray thee in the presence of the elders of my people. He felt that he had lost something before others by his failure, but he didn't seem to realize that his sin was against God. Then we find the case of David when he wanted to bring back Absalom just out of pure love for him as his son.
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That he didn't wait until God had wrought in Absalom's heart. And it tells us that he brought him back and he came to Jerusalem and he was there a whole year and didn't see the King's face. And so I think it's very beautiful what has been brought out about recognizing true repentance individually and as the assembly and so on. But I think it's also important that there isn't a hurry beyond what God has brought.
And what has just been remarked about restoration before God coming 1St and then before others? For we see the sad result of it with the case of Saul, and the sad end that he came to, and Absalom too. But unless it's the work of God rather than it won't be abiding. But if it's a work of God, as you've just remarked, God forgets. But we remember. It humbles us.
And the apostle Paul mightily used of God.
Was never forgetful of what he had done in the past, and he wouldn't have the Ephesians forget that either. What they were and what Grace had done. The rock from whence were you in the pit? From whence were dead?
I think we find in the case of Peter that was already referred to.
A very helpful.
Scripture there that tells us what we can observe about the soul that is we trust restored again in the 20th 1St chapter of John. I'd like to read the seventh verse. We know the chapter and the disciples had under the leadership of Peter gone back to fishing.
And now the Lord was on the shore. And in verse seven it says therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said unto Peter, it is the Lord. Well, that's a very natural thing that we would expect. Because John was walking so closely with the Lord, he recognized him immediately. But when Peter heard this, now look what happened. Now when Peter, Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he gird his Fisher's coat under him.
For he was naked and did cast himself into the sea. If Peter was not really at ease, and if he was not really restored, would he have wanted to go and get ahead of John and everybody else and cast himself into the water to get to the Lord first?
Father so soul had any doubt as to his restoration being accepted with the Lord, but Peter was just so anxious to get close to his master again. And once before, when Peter came from a God of fishes like that, he fell out Jesus feet and said, depart from me.
But not here he was comfortable. He's happy in the presence of the Lord and when we see that in a restored soul that it is really on the ground of being happy with the Lord wanting to get into his presence. I believe there is the best proof and and nice to remember that when the first manifestation of movement back.
And restoration is seen. We ought to react to it.
Ought to react to it. And I was thinking, you know, it's a wonderful thing, brethren.
Restoration, the wonderful thing, it brings in different kinds of tears than the tears when there has to be discipline and setting aside. Those are tears. But we've had some experience in the past in the assembly and I, we never went with such tears of joy as when there was real restoration to the assembly in the Assembly. But I was just mentioned a little portion in Ruth, the 1St chapter.
And I believe the very first signs should bring a joy in our heart. Now, it doesn't mean we can have full fellowship, but we ought to let them know. And so in verse 19 of Route 2 of Route One.
Of Naomi and Ruth. So they too went, until they came to Bethlehem, which is the House of bread. They're back again where Root, where Naomi had left ten years before.
The only place to be fed and it came to pass when they were come to Bethlehem.
That all the city was moved about them and they said not this Naomi in that lovely. And that's the way we should react. I believe we shouldn't look with astonished mother off. I believe with one comes back into the assembly and sits back in the assembly, which hard to do sometimes. There ought to be a look of love and kindness.
00:50:10
Coming out right away, that's what happened here. They were all moved.
And it's a blessed thing, brethren, when the Lord works restoration of soul and heart in one of our brethren and turns them around and sends them back. Unless that's really what Paul saying here. You should have reacted to this.
Jeremiah is is referred to as the weeping prophet, and I've often referred to the Apostle Paul as the weeping apostle. He wept over the first epistle that he wrote. He wept because he thought that the firmness and the harshness with which he had written to them.
Might have alienated them. And when he got that word from Titus, he was not only encouraged by his coming, but.
By the message which Titus had brought him, that they had heeded that first epistle and enacted upon it, I'll never forget being in an assembly.
Some years past now, there were visitors there that morning, quite a number, and a brother got up at the end of the breaking of bread and asked that only those locally in fellowship remain behind, and the visitors went out into the lobby.
And it was an act where a young brother had to be put away from the Lords Table. I will never forget that meeting as long as I live. I don't believe there was a dry eye there. There were tears and weeping and when the Saints laughed and went out front and the others who were visitors.
Saw them. Not a word was spoken.
That was genuine grief and sorrow of heart and tears.
Well, the visitors remarked. What happened in there. We've never seen anything like this.
Brethren.
When we read some letters that are sent out.
Of discipline. I've read Salman. I don't feel in my soul that sorrow and that grief. Our brother's been talking about tears shed at one's restoration. How precious that is would to God we knew more of it. But what to God we knew more of tears shed when one is put away.
The Lord's glory.
The assembly and then the one that has.
Dishonored the Lord. You know the Assembly is not a court of law. We're not dealing with criminals.
And when it's carried out in that way, it's totally out of character with what we are in Christ members one of another children of God, of the same family.
Paul could say that he was among them as a nurse cherishes her own children.
Gentle.
He said I, I warned you of these things. I.
I speak firmly to you, not to shame you, but as my beloved sons, I warn you, he says. What a heart he had.
Oh, we're talking about a heart.
Think of it when you have to discipline your child and the family. You would be horrified if your other children all got together and talked about putting him out of the house. Who's going to do it first? That would horrify you as a parent, and that's it. Ought to do the same for us.
When one who has been amongst us and going on and then he falls and has to be dealt with.
How ought it to be done? With tears and grief? We've had it all before us, but I believe it's so important to stress the need. I think of old brother Jesus saying, though everything is done right, nothing is right if the motive isn't right and if the heart isn't right.
Know how true that is? They give us to see that the Assembly is not a court of law.
And we're not dealing with criminals. It's a family. It's a close knit company of beloved Saints. And if one has to be dealt with, it must be with tears. Otherwise God is going to have to deal with us about our state in the attitude and the Spirit on Christ like Spirit manifested in dealing with evil.
00:55:16
Mr. Darby says.
How many there are who have gone out or been put out and have never returned because they've been dealt with in strict righteousness and they haven't even been sought, haven't even been yearned after, but if the Lord had treated us that way.
Well, we'd all be lost and we know it. It's often been pointed out that one of the characteristics of a sheep is that once he gets lost in Australia, you'll never find his way back.
So in Matthew 18 it says that the shepherd goes out after that lost sheep.
And finds it and brings it back. Where are the shepherds that do that, that go out after the straying 1? They're not going to find their way back on their own. That's not the characteristic of a sheep. They need to be sought and brought back. Well, that's the grace that seeks and restores He that is spiritual among you.
Let him restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering himself, lest he also be tempted.
One thing even a lost sheep knows the masters voice, the shepherd's voice, and we can use the word of God in that way, can't we? It says the Lord restore our soul in Psalm 23. And that that really means he brings us back with wondering. That's a lovely thought and that's what he wants us to do. And it's with the Word of God. It's the voice of God, it's the shepherd's voice that really will turn.
Bring them back. They'll, they'll, they'll react to that, won't they?