Pasadena Conference: 1963

Table of Contents

1. 1 John 2:12-13
2. 1 John 2:14-16
3. 1 John 2:17
4. Acts 15, Gal. 2
5. 3 John

1 John 2:12-13

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00:05:34
I went into young men, surprisingly have overcome.
And the Father.
And now?
In our.
The impregnation.
In turn, they're not properly educated.
In the middle of children. All right, I need.
And.
So.
That's the final thing.
We can move tomorrow.
Years ago and.
He used the Scotch expression.
That the parent uses for their their little children.
But instead of it referring to your size or their youth that it really refers.
To their dearerness to the parents. And the word he used was very I think it's safe to say what I'm going to do. Our dear brother Dennis and our local meeting.
Would often speak of his children, and I remember all that I speak of. Marie. Can I suppose the Germans allow that to be a term of affection?
For adding that kin to the end of it, very good, he would used to say. Well, here is a term of affection that is not limited to any age, but it is good for every Christian on earth.
Their sins are forgiven.
As though it applied to all the classes. In that 13th verse we had father the young man and things.
What our brother around speaking about that the little children was really famous.
Brown is referring to his.
I write up to you, little children. It's merely a term of affection where he addresses the whole fact.
And.
It's just children. But in English when you say just just the word children.
Something you lose, eliminate, you lose the affection.
Mr. Kelly renders it Dear children.
Express it nicely.
Well, that's a wonderful thing. Your sins are forgiven.
That that dear, dear woman in the 7th of me.
I'll sweep those words and tell in her ears.
Thy sins are forgiven.
What did she deserve?
I just thought all the rest of us deserve gentle.
But from those lips that could never lie.
00:15:00
She heard that marvelous words. Thy sins are again probably the most remarkable.
Sense of acceptance in the Gospels.
I think it's, at least for me, it's easier to give the gospel that story than anything in the scripture. That's sweet, precious.
Experience of that needy, needy center.
She had. She had nothing to recommend her. Nothing. And yet she got everything.
And hers was not a case of being here, of some bodily animals. They were just the feeling of the enormity of her guilt.
And then she feels accepted enough with him to come to it, and pray the scorn of the Pharisees house to do it.
And then she's so overcome with what has been forgiven.
The answer to the word is she loved much.
The love is in measure as she appreciated the forgiveness.
There's no evidence in the passage itself that she uttered one word, as from the time she went in, but she went out. Not a word dropped from her lips, according to the account as we have it there, but she heard some precious words from his lips.
And she came in with her tears. But she went out with her heart filled to overflowing. She received three things, didn't she?
She received the forgiveness of her sins, She received peace with God, she received.
Have to check the passage.
Yes, that's right. Thank you, brother.
Yeah, yeah. Here are the three things I Faith is safety.
That's salvation.
Go in peace. That's peace.
First sins. Thy sins are forgiven. That's forgiveness, forgiveness, salvation and peace.
They have crashes dead. They've got a great fear. The hour, I first believe.
Of an engraving on a tombstone. I think it's in the Trinity Churchyard, New York.
And that stone has on it just one word.
Forgiven.
Good to remember.
Acts 1338 as to the one through whom we have this forgiveness.
Acts 1338. They have known unto you therefore, men and brethren, But through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all believe are justified from all things from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses. And then the precious results in Romans 4.
And verses 7:00 and 8:00 as to those who.
Receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior, Romans 47 say. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiveness, happy are they and whose sins are covered. Blessed are happy and to who the Lord will not introduce them.
When the Lord speaks to her, he speaks of her faith.
When he speaks to Simon, he talks about her love.
All her salvation, all she got came to her to faith, and the Lord could turn to the other man to speak about her love.
Well, he values that.
Very silent and enjoyment of Christ was a sermon to others. I was thinking of what we have in connection with Lazarus when he sat at the table and the beast in Bethany. It's not recorded that he said one word. And yet we read that many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus because of the blazars, but he hadn't said anything.
00:20:10
All he had to do was live and breathe.
To be a testimony to the power of that one.
And is it not a testimony and a soul that gets saved? He just goes on living Christ.
Much better to live Christ than to preach Christ and not live it.
All right, brother.
Yes, I remember talking to a young man one day and he was all broken up here, Christian boy.
Because he wasn't able to testify, speak for Christ, he was reticent and he doesn't have all upset.
Well, I assured him that he didn't need to be upset. All he had to do was live. Christ, not. Not at all.
What's going on?
Mr. Darby says My own enjoyment of Christ.
Will be my testimony to my brother.
We were reading about.
The church at Smyrna.
Revelation Chapter 2, and we noticed that in Mr. Darby's translation that it really doesn't say anything about their works.
They were.
They were occupied with Christ.
In Christ.
Of the opposition.
And that's what he committed. Their lives were firm and it cost them dearly. Well, that was fruit. That was much fruit.
But yet the Lord says nothing about their works. So there is a one case where you can see the fruits and yet their works they couldn't drag a going out and doing this, that and the other thing.
There's no criticism of Smyrna, is there, brother? No criticism?
It is nice to notice that the Paris here was given testimonies to what she has done coming back to Luke 7.
But the Lord gave testimony of what she was doing in His presence.
Would you say that the fathers or those that have gone out on the path and reached some measure of maturity?
Perhaps.
The 14th verse where he names the three classes again.
I have written unto you, fathers, because you have known him, that is, from the beginning.
Will express a little better what is meant by fathers him that is from beginning, the beginning. That's characteristic of this epistle isn't it's Christ and Christ.
Christ soul satisfies their hearts and minds and every other object is displaced.
And there's no, there's no progress there. You can't go farther than that. It's it's the very same wording in the 13th verse that it is in the 14th. I've written unto you, fathers, because they have known him, that is, from the beginning. And then in the 14th verse he just repeats the statement.
That is it. It can't go farther than being absorbed with the person of Christ.
That is the the very Acme of.
Christian mature the worthlessness of everything else with Christ.
Oh, so knowing him, that is from the beginning.
00:25:01
That characterized everything they didn't said in their whole life.
Well, John presents us the truth in the abstract, and I don't suppose there's anyone could ever say, well, now I have arrived at that point.
I've never met anyone, at least among us, that. Did Brother Harrison make that profession? No.
Different really, from an hour, but this is truth in the abstract.
But one had known Christ him that his from the beginning.
All everything they did instead would be in perfect accordance to his mind. All they never missed the path, they never stumble anyone from making.
Folks, move or comment in any way at all.
But there is that distinction in maturity that's recognized.
And a distinction too in the nature of the conflict which each class would face.
There are various stages in our Christian experience.
And various conflicts that accompany these different stages.
So that in the Father we have that maturity which is found a complete resting place in Christ. But when we come to the young men, we're right on the battlefield. Now we're.
Entrumpling It's a real it's a real struggle.
Regard the term father. It would be better for someone else than the person to apply to someone. That would be better for someone else that he's a father and for him to say I'm the father.
Nobody could apply it to themselves, but I have heard it applied to others.
That is, others say it of another brother, and we have seen some.
Who went on to that maturity?
Pause for a moment to see an illustration of this in the Apostle Paul.
Who writes?
To Timothy, and especially in his second and last letter.
For these difficult times.
When seducers waxing worse and worse but difficult for Christians, instead of writing to to Timothy in that epistle, he writes to the Saints of Philippi, and in chapter 2 about verse 20, he says.
I have no one that is like minded.
Who naturally cares for your state?
A lovely commendation of young Timothy, a truth that would well fit into his last epistle, but he does not address it to Timothy.
We're all loveliest. We're in Second Timothy and in these last days to see there was one that had a care for the Saints.
Well, the second class, the young man in the conflict, would give us to see that we're passing through a world where we can expect opposition.
They and John and his epistle, the last chapter he views the whole world.
This whole scene as lying in the lap of sin.
Notice that first.
This chapter in the 19th verse.
And we know that we are of God and the whole world, life and wickedness. I believe the other translation, the wicked one, isn't it? Yeah.
00:30:06
And of course, that word lie is the way a mother has a child in her lap. The whole world lies in the lack of of the wicked one of Satan.
Well, that's the world through which we.
Waves are Christian warfare.
And the young men are viewed here as in that world.
And are successful by the grace of God in overcoming the wicked one. That is, they're not viewed here as being defeated by him, but is overcoming.
The world views men according to the way they rise in.
The station may acquire in the world.
But the Christian is viewed as one who has combat with it.
Everything down here in this organized system that men have, which Satan is the God and Prince, tends to draw the soul away from Christ and make it worldly mindful.
Little bodies, or rather little apartments alive in our occupying the present time.
Now we get there an amazing amount of free advertising newspapers thrown at our door. They gather them up every morning. Sometimes it'll be 4 different ones, and the thing that is characteristic of them is the advertising of personalities.
This one has achieved this degree of success.
And the that part of the papers full of pictures such as want to receive this acclaim such and one received this decoration.
And it's all a celebrating of the achievement of different ones.
Well, is that what the Christian is looking for? Is he around seeking to get some badges and decorations and acknowledgements from the world?
But those papers are all of the world.
So they're old, brother. Age rule. Just put it. I believe that Christians should slip through this world as quietly as possible.
Well, that's that's good to hear some advice.
Not all to say that the higher you get in it, the closer you get to the Prince of it.
I heard Mr. Heaney say that Brother Wilson, perhaps he got it from Mr. Rule, I don't know. But I did hear Mr. Heaney say that I'm pretty sure I saw some writing.
Give us a difference of the differentiation between donations 1/4.
And second Timothy 410.
Relation 1/4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. Then concerning demons in Second Timothy 410 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved his presence in this world.
And is departed. I'm Professor not a, present population Paterson.
Not there simply in relations as it is in the sight of God, It will always be this present evil world.
But in Second Timothy, in regard to Demas, it's as he viewed it. He didn't look upon it as this present evil world. It was this present world, the way he viewed it, that carried him away.
The word there in both passages is the same word. It's this present evil age.
It gives a little different angle.
Is there such a thing as walking on the clean side of the Broad Rd. still still a Broad Rd.
00:35:03
The only child of God is passing through this world. I believe if he's walking in community with alarm, he would have the large viewpoint of it. He'd realize that it's an evil aid to these living in. But if he gets him imdued with success and things of that kind.
He won't look at it that way or look at it the place of opportunity.
Said, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world. Now crucifixion was a formal death, that is, it was a decreed death. It wasn't mob violence, it wasn't stoning. Crucifixion was an enactment of the state.
He was condemned to be crucified. And when Paul looked at this world, he judged it as a condemned thing and that which had rejected his his Savior. He says, I I have formed a definite judgment of it. It's crucified to me. And when it looks at me, they see one that's opposed to it and outside of it. And they say we don't want you either.
I looked at him as one rejected.
Is in the last chapter.
One of the last verses, Galatians 614.
But that a vessel opens up with that other verse we had in chapter one, verse 4.
How that Christ?
Gave himself for us that he might deliver us from this present world.
So that the apostle.
In addressing those Saints at relationship where corrupters and troublers, legal teachers had come in to bring them back under the yoke of ******* of the law.
Paul starts right out by a clear breast declaration of the very purpose for which Christ died.
That he might deliver from his present evil world. So that verse in the end shows his absolute, his conclusion about the whole matter crucified in the world, worlds crusading.
As we were saying before.
Is this present evil age?
The particular character of this time in which we live.
Particularly the character of this particular time in which we live well in Galatians 614.
It's another word, and it's the whole organized system.
Of this world here, away from God, that is. The emphasis isn't on this particular age of it, but it's the whole organized system of prostate from God. So.
In the fourth verse He's delivered from this present evil age and in the 14th verses crucified this.
The world is crucified unto him.
The whole organized scene crucified unto him, and he to him.
New young people.
May you always remember.
That this whole organized system around us is the same system that rejected your Lord and mother.
And it would do the same if we came back. They do not want them. They do not want the things of God. And you cannot go on hand in hand with the world and be faithful to Christ.
Will you tell us what one of your bosses said to you at your work there on that point?
While we were reading it, I was reading in my own arm.
00:40:15
All because you don't see that stuff and that's why I do the bottom of my heart and I have to be reading.
The unbodling, the Sinner and the honey, I read Those will be very.
All right, I came back. I'd be the first one out there to help do it again and he managed to work.
As there is reckoned with God, I believe the weapons. Tell me about all the things just quickly because I just Brother Isaiah 53.
And I think it's first read that he killed his five.
President.
I've always been impressed by that experience of our brother because it's it's so to the point.
Just unprovoked and make a statement like that. He just simply told he told it out. Maybe in the heart of it, but he told it out.
I think of what the apostle says in First Corinthians four and eight, a few verses right there. Now ye are full. Now ye are rich, yet reigned as kings. Without us I would to God he did reign, that we also might reign with you.
For I think that God has set forth us, the apostles last, as it were appointed to death, for we are made a spectacle of the world angels.
We are fools for Christ sake, but ye are wise in Christ. We are weak, but ye are strong your honorable, but we are despised even under this present hour. We both hunger and thirst, and are naked and are busted, and have no certain growing place and labor, working with our own hands, being reviled with blessed being persecuted, we suffer it. Being defamed, we intreat we are made as a belt of the world.
And are the offscouring of all things under this day I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons, I warn you.
Well, that was the place the world gave him.
Paul told them they were raining too soon.
The raining time would come, but they were trying to rain ahead of time.
Are we not living in days when the Corinthian state characterizes?
Most of us in this United States.
Remember that God has had a controversy with this wicked, sinful scene ever since Calgary and we haven't done 330-3336, the wrath of thought of Biden.
Those that belong.
Rejecting Christ and then second Peter 3.
And reading from verse 5.
For this they willingly are ignored by the word of God.
The heavens were old, and the earth standing out of the water in the water whereby the world that Ben was being overflowed with water, perished.
The heavens and the earth which are now.
By the same word of empty store, reserve down to fire against the day of judgment and the petition of a godly name.
I would not to be caught in the vortex of this we can see.
And we will get hold of it into our inner being that this world cast model up. He was rejected here, and I needn't expect any better. If I'm faithful, it will cover all our thinking.
When things come up that look big in the world.
We'll think less of them. We'll we'll judge them according to what we know, What Scripture will judge them as a judge thing. The thing that God has judged. The thing that crucified Christ. The thing that doesn't want it. The thing that doesn't want us if we're paid.
00:45:15
I like to rehearse.
A little incident that Brother Heaney told me about.
Being in some city, I think he was not accustomed to be there visiting there, and a brother took him around and showed him a number of the.
Of the things that the city might boast in great buildings and monuments and this kind of thing. So when they got through and asked brother he well, brother he why didn't they do it well, he said. I would think that wonderful with one exception.
Well, what was that? Well, he said. On everything you showed me, I saw something written that spoiled it.
I said I didn't. What do you see?
Reserve under fire.
Isn't that the truth?
All the man boosting reserved on the fire.
And that goes for.
The fancy buildings of religion as well as all the rest.
Everything's coming down, we're going up.
Knows nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing of fancy. Religious bills, physical Billings, nothing of them. Christianity. He always knows.
The Lord said.
There isn't a secret stone or brick or bull anywhere on the face of the Earth today.
And they were trying to compete with Solomon's temple. They come for sure.
That belonged to another age.
The most beautiful, elaborate, expensive building ever built into the world.
The cost of it was, well, it was fabulous beyond reckoning.
We were speaking about my brother showing Brother Heenie all these sights from a pipe building. I think reminds me what we have in Luke 4.
And cross five and the devil in connection with temptation, the law of temptation.
And the memo taking him up into the high mountain showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. But when we turned the second chapter of Ephesians in verse seven, we find that, well, I think they've ages to come to show the exceeding riches of His grace and his kindness towards. But then along before the eyes of the Lord, the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time just going to thank the whole of eternity. That's lesson 1.
To show us the exceeding riches of His grace. That's very precious, brother. I never noticed that before.
That contrast.
Oh, what would you say as to the latter part of the 13th verse?
Right under you, little children, because you've known the father.
Well, I don't know that, Yeah.
They Well, they made why There's a sense of the relationship.
May not be anything else.
But there is that sense of relationship.
Those infant syllables, you know.
And absorb stand for the spirit of his Son and of our hearts, crying his Father in himself will face a sense of relationship.
There is some sign out of Father. The Lord did use that very expression, did he not?
00:50:05
Finding marks gospel.
In connection with that, let me read the Romans 8/15/16 and 17.
Romans 815.
Might be got the 14th 1St, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God. They are the sons of God.
For you have not received the spirit of ******* again to fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cross about Father the Spirit himself, Beth witness with our spirit that we are.
Children of God, and the children then aired, aired the cough and joint heirs of Christ. If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
They call attention criticizing that 16th verse your appointment two times missed.
The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit. Now it doesn't say that he bears witness to our spirit.
But he bears witness with our spirit.
In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. Now here we have two witnesses.
The spirit itself beareth witness, and our own spirit bears witness. To whom do they bear witness? To me as an individual.
Bear witness to me that we are children of God. That's very important, yes.
Met a sister one time.
He's elderly sister and after speaking about being in dwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, she said after the Sunday school hour. And she said I've been, I've been saved 30 years before I realized that precious truth about position of the Holy Spirit of God.
And we miss a great deal miss that realization.
Every Christian is.
That's important. The Bible knows nothing.
Of two classes of Christians, some that have the Spirit and some that don't.
They have not the spirit of spices, none of his.
Hear no Having believed he were sealed, that Holy Spirit of promise. I'm quoting Mr. Darkest translation. Having believed he received. That's when it took place.
About 13.
And we have nothing to do with it whatsoever.
Our responsibility is to believe.
And it's thought that assumes the responsibility. I say that reverently of sealing that faith.
Sealed.
Until.
You can't get out of it if you wanted to.
First chapter.
Everything.
Six verse.
This very thing that he which has been done a good work in you will perform it or read the margin if you have a margin Bible.
We'll finish it.
Until the day of Jesus Christ.
Now if there's any possibility of.
Of failing halfway to heaven, then that verse ought to be stricken out of the Bible.
Because the Spirit of God says here he that begun a good work, and you will finish it until the day of Jesus Christ.
There will be no half saved people among the regions, in the regions of the law. No half saved people. Neither is becoming good work, and you will finish it until the day of Jesus Christ.
00:55:16
27.
Long deep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I get under them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man duck them out of my head. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all.
And no man is able to talk about my father's hands. Hi, my father won't. I remember from illustration of the president of that portion, an elderly sister was conversing with an atheist, and she was assuring him or giving him a testimony concerning her assurance that she was a child of God. And she said in his hand.
He said. But listen, he said. You might slip between his fingers, he said. That's impossible. I'm one of these fingers.
Members of the Body of Christ.
In that verse, the sixth verse, there first the Philippians. They responsibility there is on the part of God. Not one is likely to connect that with the 9th and 10th verses in the same chapter.
This I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in all knowledge, in knowledge and all judgment may approve the things that are excellent. She may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ. There is my responsibility walking in the courts with what is given to us in that six verse.
Redemption all enough. And the 4th chapter of Ephesians and the 30th verse whereby we are still and through the day of redemption. In the first chapter we told in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the beginning of sins. It's not a contradiction, is it? We have saved our souls are already saved, being redeemed by the precious Blood of Christ.
But then I suppose, which refers to the redemption of the body, that is from the law in the.
It's mentioned that way in Romans, isn't it?
We feel until the day when we're home and whipping light, correct?
They work. They work the basis of redemption.
Is completed, but the benefits are not all realized yet.
Yes, it's Romans 8.
Where we get we're waiting for the body.
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit.
Even we ourselves grown within ourselves, waiting for the adoption to witness the redemption of the body.
Well, of course the price has all been paid.
No question about that.
But the moment hasn't arrived or making it good to us. But it's it's in the list of what God has for us.
Very precious When the Lord said to his disciples, will ye also go away? Peter said, The womb, shall we go along? Thou hast the word of eternal life.
You finished it for me.
Our glass is large. I'm asking where.
We believe in the show power to Christ.
Say, well, I don't feel sad, but wrong. We were together in the veteran, possibly Des Moines. We met a man like that. And you gave a very timely, powerful illustration on thermometer to repeat that question.
01:00:10
Well, I've given that illustration so many times. Perhaps some are. We're hearing it, but I don't know it better.
There are two things that compose a thermometer, the scale and the tube of mercury.
Well, the scale never changes. I can look at that scale 365 days a year and it's always the same.
But when I look at that mercury.
Why? It's up and down, especially in some parts of the country. I knew one place where the record was that the mercury changed 100° in 24 hours.
It's constantly changing.
Well, now my standing in Christ is as unchanging as the person of Christ himself, my standing in Christ.
But my spiritual state is as unstable as the mercury end of the month. It's up and down, up and down.
But oh thank God, are getting to heaven is not dependent on our state, but on our standing in Christ.
Is that all right?
There is now, therefore, no condemnation to them that are in Christ gives.
John, the second chapter, the 39th, 40th verse.
I mentioned the Father's will, which has certainly been of all which he hath given me. I should lose nothing which should raise it up again the last day. And this is the will of him that sent him, and everyone would see in the sun and believe about him, may have everlasting life. And I will raise him up in the last day. Then in the pistol, John, the third chapter, the first worship the whole lot of manner, without the Father before the promise that we should be called with the sons of God, the children of God. Therefore the world knows us, not because of new His life.
Beloved, nor are we the Son of the God and the devil. Yet approved we shall be.
But we know that when he shall appear, we should be like him, for we shall see him as he is, and every man or one attractive hopefully purify himself. Even his cure. For these verses are looking on beyond the ones that we have in the second Job, Lord has a promise to raise him up, because he came through the Father's will.
But here now, these versions of Christ, each one of us to give us, flipped out of the future. We're going to be like Christ. We look at ourselves down as many things connected with us. It's not like Christ, but we're going to be like here. And we're going to see Him as He is. And we have that messenger now, soon coming. We should purify hope. Notice the middle of that verse you read.
You read it as though it read, but we know.
That when you shall appear.
I've seen someone who would read it more like this, but we hope that when he show up where we should be liking.
It might be of help to some to call attention.
The English here is a bit confusing. Every man that had this hope.
That's the hope of his return.
That, that half, this hope not in himself.
But in him every man that had this hope, in him, the one above, if he does, what effect does it have on his life?
Terrorize himself even as he is pure. That is, there's a constant self judgment goes on in view of that pure one that may appear anytime.
That's important to have to work it for Washington waterfront agents.
I believe, Brother Whitaker, that we do well to remember in the Old Testament economy.
They would offer a lamb in the morning and a lamb in the evening.
I believe it's a wholesome thing.
For the Christian family to have the reading of the word in the morning and the reading of the word in the evening.
01:05:02
If you'll pardon a personal reference.
My wife and I, when we were first married, we were of one mind.
That that should be a part of the routine of our household.
And through the wondrous grace of God, we've been able to keep it up through these many years, and I believe it's been one of the most blessed and wholesome things in our lives together.
That reading the word together in the morning and having prayer and again at night.
I don't think we can overemphasize the importance of it, but nowadays with the hectic life that many people are living and the high pressures.
Sad to say, the family readings are disappearing.
It's sad, but it's true, isn't it?
In many homes and family, reading is disappearing.
Most of the week, that's good to eat and 51.
Of the on the old.
1.
Another land of.
Anything else?
I remember it going visiting with Mr. Potter, thinking him about visiting, which I did on many occasions.
And I've heard the old gentleman.
On more than one occasion, say to the one whom we're visiting.
Say in his kindly genial way.
Well, sister, and what did you read this morning?
Well, sometimes it was a bit embarrassing.
Well, Brother Potter, we listen to it. We just didn't have time or take time this morning to read. We usually do, but we didn't read this morning and there might be various kinds of excuses.
Well.
Supposing that it was a sister or a brother or whichever it happened to be. And he said, Well, we had the first John second chapter this morning.
Well, he's saying that's a lovely portion. Should he turn to it, look at it a little bit, and then he opened the word and give some of those precious things that that he could give us very few food. Well, I thought the gracious way in which it did it was very nice, and yet it serves the condoms.
What we have the same tactics of the enemy today as the Israelites experience. We're not ignorant of Satan's devices, but we find in negative I believe it is that's.
The enemy, while seeking to drive out of the hearts and minds of chosen people, all thought of God, Get out the tail of bricks or else and take away the straw.
Give them no time for meditation. Well, your question.
Dear brother in the mind mentioned that precious necessity of reading prayer, meditation and he said we have to have RPM in the engineering world. He said we need it in our daily Christian wildlife reading, prayer and medication RPM.
92 And it's a good thing to give time and alarm, and the sweet praises unto thy name almost high, to shove off their loving kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night.
In second Peter one we have there in connection with faith. Having your faith, don't you? Virtue, knowledge, the first two things that are mentioned?
Well.
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Often been mentioned that spoken of the virtue was moral courage.
Well, do we not get that through prayer?
Where we're able to meet face the world well in the knowledge is in the reading of the world. The two must go together.
If we have the one without the other.
He might become.
Mystical, fanatical. If we had the knowledge without the prayer, it might be more of a intellectual approach.
So we need the two together, do we not?
Keep it going on in community. I believe so.
The connection was allowed, just mentioned. I've enjoyed this connection with the Lambda scripture.
And Genesis 2822 verse 8 by Abraham said my son God will provide himself a lamb from burned off and not for sin offering. So the lamb there I think it was magon himself. The death of Christ was first of all the glory of God and then in the 12Th chapter of Exodus we have their land for a house and then on the 29th go straight to us, we have a lamb from nature.
29 You have a lamb for the whole world to hold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. And in the 5th chapter of the Revelation we have the whole creation joins inscribing glory to the Lamb of the slain.
State of Atlanta They have a Leviticus that the priest had their wonderful privilege after speaking the blood and so forth, offering, offering, they were defeat on the wave breast and the shoulder. Breast Infections of Christ the show respect. If we're meditating and feeding upon affections of Christ and love for us, and if our strength is shoulder, we'll be living in His presence. We'll be kept in fellowship and that's the only thing it will keep us because we all have the formal nature.
We're directing the dead.
Wild season bearing the death of Christ. We directness there. The only remedy for us is to be feeding on the proper kind of food, the land.
Increase all beating on the affections of Christ, and the strength of Christ is that not it.
I heard this saying and I think it's helpful. It's not a Riddle with me at all.
We were speaking a moment ago about the Christian that said he doesn't feel safe.
If you want to be disappointed.
Look inside you.
You want to be disappointed? Look inside.
If you want to be distracted, look around.
If you want peace and joy, look above.
I believe that's a very timely.
Comparison very timely.
We'll never get any peace in our souls as long as we look on the inside.
Because the more we discover of that old evil nature.
The more abhorrent it is, and we'll get under the under the discouragement of the weight, the burden of it. But why don't we believe what God has said about it, that it's so bad it's hopeless?
And he's done with it. And the death of Christ. Let's leave it where he puts it and then enjoy what we have in Christ.
And and said that the Christian, when he failed, is subject to two ministries. One is the Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of Christ points us to Christ.
He's also subject to the ministry of Satan and Satan, pointing to himself and to his faith.
With this tree happen that brother? Or does this have some other application Colin 3?
12.
13 and 14 flipping 312.
Not as though I had already obtained either already perfect, but I followed that, if that I may apprehend that which also I'm apprehended in the Christ Jesus.
I thought not really South of Africa, but this one thing I do, or getting gold thing, which are behind and reaching farther the ghosting which are before I press toward the mark for the size of the high volume of God in Christ Jesus is the Father going forward-looking off of him rather than looking back on our plunders. What is it called? Well, yes, Lord may include more than the blunders.
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It might include what we thought was ours.
Success. Maybe we shouldn't be occupied with that, but it is looking off on the Lord as the one who has completed the path of faith and we follow after. Christopher Willis made me up, motto made it a percent to me. I don't know what translation it is, where he got it, but he translates that 14 first, first part down to the goal I press.
Down to the goal I press.
And the patient Leviticus had to have fins and scaled in there.
And defended to get upstream, to be able to keep the world up.

1 John 2:14-16

Reading
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278.
Oh.
I have started the 14th.
Start reading at the 14th verse.
First John Chapter 2, verse 14.
I have written unto you, fathers, because you have known him, that is, from the beginning.
I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong.
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The word of God abideth in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof.
But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
Little children, it is the last time.
And as you have heard that Antichrist shall come even now. Are there many antichrists?
Whereby we know that it is the last time.
They went out from us, but they were not of us. Or if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out.
That they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us.
But you have an unction from the Holy One and you know all things.
I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
Verse 22 Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ?
He is Antichrist that denies the Father.
And the sun.
Whosoever denies the Son, the same hath not the Father, but he that acknowledges the Son hath the Father also.
Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning.
If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you ye also shall continue in the sun and in the father?
And this is the promise that He has promised us, even eternal life.
These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
But the anointing which ye have received of him.
Abideth in you, and he need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and his truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
And now little children abide in him.
That when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If he know that he is righteous, he know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him.
I see.
Quite a number here this afternoon who were not here this morning.
This morning we read the 12Th and the 13th verses.
And spoke about them. Now we begin with the 14th verse.
And in that 13th verse the apostle John.
Divides the household of faith into three classes.
Fathers. Young men.
And little children are based.
Now a man may be 50 or 60 years old.
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And just saved. And in that sense he's obeyed.
It's not the age that counts, but it's the progress in the Christian pathway.
So their fathers.
Those that have made the most maturity.
And as we were commenting this morning on the expression have known him that is from the beginning.
That is Christ.
And he has so displaced everything else.
That he is there all their one object.
Other things are eclipsed, and so he doesn't have to add an exhortation.
In the 14th verse he merely repeats it that they have known him. That is from the beginning.
Now the young men are those who have gone on.
They may be mature men, they may be older men.
Just saved a short time, but they've gone on in the truth and made some progress.
And making progress in the truth, they have run into conflict where we're not going to get through this world without some conflict.
This is the enemy's world.
And he's going to resist every bit of progress that the Christian makes. The.
Just as he resisted the children of Israel making the advances into the land of Canaan.
Well, the young men have gone on. They've met the enemy and they're strong. And what makes them strong is not self-confidence. It's not the energy of flesh or nature. But they're strong because the word of God abides in them.
And that's important for the young people. It's important for all of us that the word of God may.
Have such a place in our hearts and our minds that there would be strength from it.
And that when we come into the conflict with the enemy, we're we're not defeated.
And then the babes are those newly saved is the third class.
And in the rest of this epistle he addresses except the last two verses he accept, he addresses these three classes. The 14th verse he addresses the fathers.
And then the young man.
And you that continues with the young man until you go down to.
The 18th verse. And there you get little children addressed. Or the babes, Those that are newly converted.
And the danger for the babes is different than the danger for the young men.
As we said before, there is no special danger for a Father, one who has gone on and made progress until Christ is the absorbing object before it.
But the young men have their difficulties, they have their dangers, and this word has given us.
That we may know what the danger is.
And it's also given that the babes may know what they're dangerous, but whatever our danger.
The word of God meets.
Then, as we said this morning, the 28th and the 29th verses.
Revert to the whole household of faith without distinguishing different parts.
The third, the 12Th verse, was the whole household. And then you come to it again in the 28th verse.
29th The whole household of faith is addressed.
And we noticed this morning considerable time was spent on the 12Th verse.
The whole household.
And we know our sins are forgiven for his names.
I just thought I'd pull together what we had this morning.
Yeah.
Well, it's too bad if some do not make that progress.
Go on to that, but as we said this morning.
There isn't anybody, anybody here that would say I have attained to that state.
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What others may say it of them, They say that Christ is the absorbing object of their heart.
And so they say, well, I would call that man of father that brother.
But most here in the room, I suppose, are in the class of young men. They've been saved. They've been brought up in a measure of the truth. They've absorbed it. They know much of the scriptures. They've gone on. They found a difficult path down here.
Now the difficulty, the danger for the young man is the world.
And the world comes in many and varied forms.
They all have attractions for someone.
Might be thought that after what is said about the young men here I have written unto you, young men, because you're strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and you've overcome the wicked one. Well, humanly speaking, it might be said, well, what else?
Is necessary to add.
But he.
Brings before them how that they have a heart to which this world.
Or the God of this world seeks to arrange things to attract that heart and get them away from Christ.
And the world has many avenues. You find some people are carried away with it in education, some in art.
Summon money making money.
Many, many ways, some even into the religious aspect of the world.
And now we have hearts that these things appeal to.
Alright, brother Gladding.
And there's a hazard to us. There was a young believer.
Even in the overcoming of the wicked one.
I think of Samson.
He went down and slew a lion, a type of playing Satan.
Overcoming the wicked one. When he went by again, he turned aside to have a look at his achievement, and it got him into trouble, didn't it? I think we find a principle there of 1 glorying in his victory. And this is the old nature asserting itself, even when there's a victory concerning spiritual things we need to be on our guard against.
Pride coming in, even when we have, through the grace of God, had a victory over the evil of the world.
Over Satan.
Of his mention this morning, and the third of Philippians about forgetting those things are behind. Well, we're not to be occupied with how much.
Usefulness there's been in our lives for the Lord. We forget that not to depend on that, but to go on in simple dependence upon Him day by day.
You'll never get a diploma down here, and the conflict isn't all over while we're here.
Sometimes the gospel is put before people, as if you just accept Christ. It's all smooth sailing from here, but that's when the battle begins.
Satan doesn't entice the unbeliever, he belongs to it.
But he does try to turn the young believer out of the path.
Man of God reported in the 13th The first kings come home with me and I'll give you a present. But it was too early for that, wasn't it? This is not the time for presidents.
They will be rewarded that the judgment seat of Christ you've earned.
History that is relaxing and had to go back to Gilgal, didn't they?
Self judgment.
Yes, and when they failed to, they had a sad failure.
I would like to refer to two hymns in this little flock hymn book.
One number 76 in the book.
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And I think the language of it breathes the spirit of the young man.
Who has made certain progress?
And his nose is in conflict.
Rise my soul, thy God directly strange your hands no more impede Passo on his hand protects the strength that has the captive free.
In the wilderness is the wilderness before the dress desert land, where God abides heavenly spring, Shall there restore thee fresh from God's exhaust tides.
5th verse art thou weaned from Egypt's pleasures. God in secret thee shall keep their unfold his hidden treasures. There is Love's exhaustless deep in the desert. God will teach thee what the God that thou has found patient, gracious, powerful, holy all his grace shall there abound.
Beautiful I am. Certainly if it's the young man who's in conflict and it's making some progress now, go to 1880 Watt now.
181 isn't it?
Rise, my God, thy soul directly.
No.
Blessed Father, Infinite and Grace.
178 Thank you, Brother, bless Father infinite and grace source of eternal joy.
Thou leads our hearts to that blessed place where rests without a law.
There will thy love thine perfect rest were all around this bliss.
We are all in these supremely blessed Thy praise their services.
That hymn raised the atmosphere of the Father.
Now if you would turn back to the index in the back of the book.
That indicates who wrote these. You'll find that both of them were written by the same man.
And about 40 years between them.
One when the man was about 40 and the other one was about 80.
Well, that's the way it should be.
I would feel safe in saying that the man that when he wrote 178 was in the good of being a father.
But energy and strength was that which marked his first hymn, first one of those two.
And all that right under the place, yes, yes.
If a young man, a young believer, would attempt to.
Assume the attitude of the father without having grown up to it.
He'd be wrong. He'd be making a mistake.
Wouldn't.
What I heard old brother Willis.
Christopher's father, say the Chicago meeting.
Oh, I don't know, brother. Arsenal maybe can tell me how long ago it is? Long time ago.
He was delivering an address and he said he had a big family, you know, several children.
He said My children all have a better education than I have, but there's one thing I have they don't have and can't have.
And that's my experience.
That is, the point of his getting home was that there is a certain ripening that comes from going on in the Christian life through the years that can't be had any other way.
They would always say in saying this to Brother Brown.
That we do not step into a spiritual state instantly.
Indeed not. Sometimes you'll find young people that will assume to a special spiritual attainment.
And in just no time. They seem to have grown up.
We do not come into spiritual maturity instantly, nor do we slip away and get into a failure instantly either.
Both are the result of a course.
Wasn't it J&D that said the spiritual plant is the slow growing plant?
I suppose it's certainly true.
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And if one assumes too much of a place in that way and beyond their maturity, it's bound to lead to a fall sooner or later.
One brother I know remarked that said too much sale will upset any ballastless boat. Too much sale for the ballast that's there.
Welcome to say today you are with the people and brother.
Going on in the godly way in their They're enjoying this and it just seems.
National parliaments to move in? Maybe they're in a small gathering and they take other leading parts out. What should their pattern be about that?
Well, I would say that's all right. So don't go too far.
The question was raised here something about fathers. I don't know what I got the just exactly what was behind the question, but I was thinking of that in the 13th of Hebrews, of verse 7. Remember your leaders who have spoken unto you, the word of God whose faith follows.
Well, that evidently refers to departed leaders, those of a past generation.
Well, there is a result of a rightening experience.
Well, it's all right to, for young people, make progress. I certainly wouldn't want to say anything about that. I remember I used to be young myself, you know, and I was in the Chicago meeting and we had a couple of older brothers there that they held. Younger brother in place. Well, I remember.
One brother's son-in-law, our brother Potter's son-in-law.
Remark to him one time he says. Why don't you?
Give Mr. Ariston more of a place. Remember, he's a young man.
Well, I appreciate those brothers, their attitude now. I didn't always appreciate it then what I do now.
We had a brother in the East years ago.
Just a young chap and he got all inflated. He got Mr. Garbage Synopsis and was reading it.
And he quit. He quit coming to the reading meetings because he said he didn't want to go there and waste his time.
Listening to those old brothers stumble around in the scriptures, he'd get far more to stay at home reading the synopsis.
And he was very young, young, unmarried, young man.
Well, that young man's course was very, very sad. He drifted and drifted.
Last I heard, he was in an unbelief, open unbelief, just to clear away.
Doria Sullivan young man who worked with his father. And then he thought that he knew quite a lot and he went away for some 15 years. Money came back, He began working with his father again and his mother. He said Mother is surprising what dad has learned in the last 15 years.
There isn't a good brethren to realize the source of help that we have regarding this question of the world and its enticements.
In John 1633.
These things have I spoken unto you.
That in me you might have peace.
In the world you shall have tribulation, but be a good cheer. I have overcome the world. And then over in first John 5:00 and 4:00.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.
And this is a victory.
That overcometh the world, even faith or our faith.
And so we are not to be cast down and depressed, but look off unto the Lord, Keep your house, and continue on. Then shall they know if they follow on to know the Lord.
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When the world is divided up here.
And this address to the young man.
All that is in the world.
That's the whole world system.
It's divided here in our 16th verse.
Into three different appeals on three different levels.
I suppose it's on an ascending scale.
The lust of the flesh would be the gross level.
The lust of the eyes a little more respectable.
But perhaps the most subtle of the three is the pride of life.
And did not our Lord and His temptation in the wilderness?
Pass through what answer to those, not that there was anything any month responded. I don't mean that, but we're not these three levels put before it.
Maybe some brother would develop that for us.
Well, look, gives us the more larger, and it's the same order that we have here, and it's the same order also. That's in the third of Genesis where Eve looked upon that forbidden fruit she saw that was good for food and was pleasant to the eyes and a thing desired to make one wise. Well now Satan tried these things out on the Lord.
The first man fell under them, but there was number spring within our blessed Lord and Savior to be tempted by them.
So he answered Satan according to Scripture.
Well, I've often thought that the lust of the flesh, perhaps in a way, is more the.
Might say that temptations of youth.
Though it's it's not limited to that. We're never free from it. Then the pride of life, perhaps might be more.
Excuse me, the lust of the eyes is more that where.
One has began to feel the burdens of life and responsibilities, how to make ones way in this world and provide for their families and so on.
The enemy would seek to bring before one that which looks beautiful to them.
Then the latter part, the pride of life, is more.
Going looking back and seeing.
What? What we attained to of the progress we've made, and perhaps that pertains more to later life.
Well, the older we get, you know why, the less we like to be told that we're wrong?
The pride of life comes in.
So far, this is the moral order of every child of Adam, isn't it? That's.
Three things we have here, they are manifested even in a child. In a baby. The first thing a baby does is to put everything in its mouth, the lust of the flesh. And then a little later, once everything it sees lust of the eyes. Little ironic says look, I have a new dress. That's the pride of life.
I don't think we all got the first explanation, that of the left of the plate.
Well, I suppose, the lust of the flesh.
Is the more natural appetites desires.
The soul is looked upon as the seed of the appetites, and so those things which would perhaps more come to us in youth.
We haven't had the experience as to how that is all vanity and vexation of spirit.
More than natural things, you know, there is a certain.
00:35:00
All thought abroad that people ought to be allowed to do the things that are natural to them.
Well, maybe just the lust of the flesh.
We're told to flee beautiful lust.
And Timothy was told that.
Yes, there's more of that which would pertain to youth.
There is also that other scripture in First Peter Two, perhaps 11.
So there it's a matter of abstaining from fleshly lusts that war against the soul, which what I think would allow that there are proper desires.
That God has intended that they be kept under control.
We do have proper hunger and, one might add, other proper desires that are really left.
But they should be held under control. But if we do know that they are really warring against our soul, he says. Abstain from flesh, fleshly lusts, that war against the soul.
'S.
From a natural desire becomes a lust. You say that.
Yes, it may develop into something that's ill.
That's what it means in Strawberry when it says either it's given through appetite, let them put a knife to his throat.
I read a verse from James Schwann.
14.
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away, of his lust, of his own lust and entices.
In regard to what our brother airsman told us.
Moment ago.
He didn't call our attention this 4th of Luke, he didn't follow it out for us. I think it'd be nice if he would, showing how these temptations are in their moral order here in Luke and how they fit in with the with what we have here in first John.
Well, Luke gives to us a moral order, not the historical order. We find that the order is different in Matthew than it is here in Luke.
But it seems that there is the immoral ascendancy to these.
Temptations.
And as I said before, it's the same order that Satan brought before the 1St man in the Garden of Eden, and it's the same order that we have here in First John 2.
Well, the first thing that.
Satan brings before him in the 4th of Luke is in the third verse. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that will be made bread.
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Well, now there the Lord had been without food for 40 days, it told us, and he was hungry.
Well, under ordinary circumstances, why it wouldn't have been.
Sin to have satisfied his hunger. But here it was at the devil's suggestion. Now you prove that you're the Son of God by doing this. Well, that would have been taking his instructions from Satan rather from the Father. And so he's his answer there.
Is it is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God?
That is, his whole life should not be spent in satisfying these natural desires.
But he should be waiting upon the Lord and his words to form his pathway.
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Well then, the second there is in the fifth verse, and the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee and the glory of them, for it is delivered unto me. And whomsoever I will I give it, If thou therefore will worship me, all should be thine.
Well, there, he takes him up and he shows him.
The all the.
Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. He didn't show him the misery of them, because Satan never gives you the whole story.
He only gives you that part which he feels your heart would cater to, and so he shows him these kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. Well, that's the way man likes to present things in this world.
So here he is showing all those things and what a marvelous.
Moving picture that must have been to have shown him all of that in a moment of time the glory of all the kingdoms of the world.
Must have been a marvelous picture.
Oh, it would have been to the ordinary person beyond what they could stand.
Well, I've often thought, you know, that Satan doesn't show us all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. He doesn't need to all. He shows us just a little part of it.
Well, the Lord answers him. He said he'd give him this. If you will worship me, Well, that is making compromises with this world for a position in life.
You'll worship me if you'll acknowledge my place. I sometimes have thought that in the Revelation Where?
We have there the false church. I believe the devil shows her some sort of picture like this. I'll give you this, but you have to acknowledge me. Well then, the Lord answered.
Him.
Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. No, he says. I'm not going to acknowledge you. I'm not going to worship you.
Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve well. It's noticeable that the Lord quotes from Deuteronomy the path of the St. in this world. His people that was their path.
Well, we go on.
Yes, yes, that was all that wonderful glory. The lust of the eye. That's our second. Yes, the lust of the eyes. Oh, how beautiful it must have looked. I don't think the lust of the eyes means looking at created beauties. I don't think that's it. I think the lusty eyes and more is what man's made out of it.
Man's achievements in this world, that's what attracts the lust of the eyes and.
Would lead us to make compromises with this world.
Well then the next he takes him, and he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence.
For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee and their hands. They shall bear thee up blessed at any time thou dice thy foot against the stone.
Well, now here he takes him up to the pinnacle of the temple.
Oh, he really gives him, he might say a religious viewpoint here, the pinnacle of the temple.
And he brings before him He quotes Scripture to him.
The Lord has been answering by scripture, so now Satan quote Scripture. Joy.
Well.
Here, I believe it's the pride of life. What he's putting before him was show us who you are, cast yourself down, show us who you are. That's what he was trying to do.
00:45:03
Well, he called scripture to it. But when the devil quotes scripture, he doesn't quote all the scripture. He leaves out some.
Part of it.
And.
The Lord answered him.
It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
If he had have cast himself down, he would have been tempting God to see if God was as good as his word.
But the part that I believe that Satan left out was that should keep the in all thy ways the path of obedience here in the scene. Satan let that part out and he'll always leave out some part. He'll never give you the whole truth, he only gives you half truth or even partial truth.
Well, I like what is said in Matthew in this connection.
I think it is very.
Very important.
In the 4th of Matthew and these same parables or same temptations?
The seventh verse when the Lord answers Satan.
He says it is written again.
That is, Satan brought one scripture before him. Well, now he says it's written again. There's another scripture that bears on this point.
And that, I believe, is very important to remember that.
How much difficulty there has been?
In Christendom, in the church, by people taking a certain passage.
Maybe taking it out of its connection and basing all on that without it seeing that it's written again somewhere else to modify that?
In this last dictation that you've been Speaking of in Matthew.
And that is the climax. And so he says, get thee, hence Satan. Get thee. Hence Satan.
He rebukes him and terminates the interview.
But in Luke, where we get the moral orders Brother Arsenal been bringing before us. While you find that in the King James Bible, here in the eighth verse it's omitted, it is not in the better text.
Because the point here is the moral order, and so there's not determination.
Of the interview here. So that gets the behind me. Satan is omitted.
If it were not omitted, it would mean that Satan could linger yes after he was refused to turn away. Yes. In the second temptation in Luke Paul, it's striking to notice that the devil does not use that phrase if thou be the Son of God the second time. Because if Christ were the Son of God, it's the very last thing he would do to fall down and worship the devil. So he leaves those words out there.
Striking too, that when it comes to the Lord the first time, he says, if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Now man was seeking to be as God.
Adam and Eve. And then when Satan comes to the Lord now he says if you're the Son of God.
Make these stones into bread. The Lord's answer was.
Shall not live by bread alone. He had taken the place as a man, and as a man obedience was here.
And we need to remember that there is that that becomes us as men.
Obedience.
And these temptations here were the climax of all the temptations that brought before him when he was in the wilderness.
Tempted. The full, full 40 days? I thought so, yeah.
Hampton 40 Days of the Devil Blast. Temptations.
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And he was of teaching on his death.
Adam was tempted in the Garden of Eden, surrounded by all the delights that God had created.
And he fell. I think it's Mark that says the Lord was in the wilderness with the wild beasts.
He was there with what sin had brought in.
But there we find perfect obedience.
Routing the folks, it's there that he bound the strongman and he bound the strongman with it is written.
Is there any mark where it says the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness?
A reluctance to meet that awful being.
He wasn't of the spirit of.
Young Christians we've met through the years that are just asking the Lord to give them a trial.
Or isn't it happening for us on stage two and Hebrews the 4th chapter?
Where we have Christ as our high priest.
The reference to this temptation that he endured as a man. The 4th chapter and verse 15.
For we have not in high priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are sent apart.
And as we come back to our chapter in the Epistle of John, the warning is given to the young men concerning these three.
Things that characterize the world.
And that we should abstain from them.
But we can't fight this battle alone, can we?
And one who seeks to win it in his own strength is going to fail miserably.
Where do we turn? Oh, there's that one up on high. Who is man endured these temptations and has set for us the pathway and we're to follow in his step.
Maybe I'd say a little more about that expression, yet without sin or apart from sin.
Well, I think her brother Harrison, there was something of that, didn't we?
We we have the temptations in.
Inherently in us due to the nature that.
Has been handed down to us from Adam.
And we find that we.
We have an appetite for this, but the Blessed One, who was here, had no such character.
And one thing so gracious it was of him that he submitted to that testing, when it was absolutely abhorrent to him, so to do. But it was that he might be the true witness, the true servant, and showing himself qualified, he didn't enter into his ministry until he had endured that testing, did he so, apart from sin, that signify that?
There was nothing in him that responded to any of it, but if those things were put before us, there'd be something in us that would respond to them.
So we must always distinguish between our temptations and those that were put before the Lord.
The Prince of this world cometh and find us nothing in me, actually.
His very nature was that holy One.
And that nature had no possibility of ever sinning, or having a sinful thought, or exercising his own will.
Morally impossible for the Son of God to sin.
He was tempted with from without yes.
These were real temptations, but there was nothing in him that responded, as you say, nor could respond.
Nor could respond because I.
Talked to a Bible teacher.
Has been teaching for years, and this one insisted that he had to have a nature capable of sinning.
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Just like ourselves and that we were dishonoring the Lord.
When we robbed him of having such a nature and capability, well, that was Satanic reasoning.
Really blasphemy. Look at the Romans to clarify a point because it it might confuse some.
The 8th of Romans and the third verse.
For what the law could not do, and it is weak through the flesh.
God sending his own son.
Now I'll read that the way a lot of people think about it. God sending his own Son in sinful flesh.
Is that what it says?
Well, that's blasphemy in it.
God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flight, not in sinful flight.
That is, if anyone had looked at the Lord Jesus as he worked up there, and the Carpenter shop at Nazareth, I suppose he worked at his trade, One says this reverently. Is not this the Carpenter?
He had no Halo about his head.
There was nothing that marked him as out of heaven. He was a man among men, as far as that went the likeness of sinful faith. But he was not in sinful flesh. There was no trace of sin in it.
Robert Brown thinking sort of way, as quick as the expression he flesh cannot be used in connection with the heart. Yes, certainly.
That's the flesh uses synonymous with that old nature that we have.
Descendants of Adam.
He said that it was the need to be careful how long you need to get frightened and connected to the ball, Yes.
That holy thing which will be born of these shall be called the Son of God, That holy thing.
Absolutely whole.
A reference was made with an important Hebrews.
I wonder whether.
That 12Th verse might be in line with what we're considering.
For the word of God is quick and powerful.
Sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even the dividing asunder, the soul and the spirit, the joints, the Mara, and discerner the thoughts and the intents of the heart.
One has often thought in connection to this verse I submitted.
That here the dividing asunder the soul and the spirit.
The soul being looked upon as the seed of the appetites.
And the Spirit having more to do with that higher part of our being.
That has to do with God. Well, now in our.
Journey through this life, our walk.
We may not be able to discern ourselves. Something may appear very commendable to us.
But we may find out later. Perhaps it wasn't the thing to do.
Well, here the word of God would be that which would divide between the soul and the Spirit. It would show us if there was dependence on him and waiting on him.
What was really according to his mind and what was according to?
Our natural thoughts.
I thought of that, that we in other words.
We do not know really our own motives at times.
Would you think, Brother Brown?
Do we not sometimes find ourselves in a position?
Where we have to say to the Lord, I simply don't know my own thoughts. I don't know what's moving.
And ask the Lord to make it plain.
And one has to be careful about saying, Well, the Lord said unto me, to do this or do that.
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I knew one case.
Where one said that, and afterwards the way things turned out, he was he rude the day that he did it. And yet it was a commendable thing to do, humanly speaking. You mean the act that came about from it? Yes, in regard to this Word flesh, Brother Patrick, and raised it while ago.
First Peter.
1/4 of First Peter and the first verse.
For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, that is, as the Incarnate Christ the man, he became flesh.
Arm yourselves likewise with the same mind. Now the rest of the verse is talking about us.
We're to arm ourselves of the same mind.
For he that has suffered in the flesh.
Now I just submit this.
He that has suffered in the flesh, that is, I've got an old nature in me.
If I gratify that old nature, why it'll it'll go on in sin?
But he that has suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin, I say no to it.
I don't gratify it and I cease from sin. Then in the second verse.
That he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh. That's his.
His human life down here, that's talking about ourselves, that he should no longer live the rest of his life down here.
In the flesh to the less than men, but to the will of God.
So that we get Christ with holy flesh in the first part of the first verse, we get the evil principle of the flesh in ourselves and the end of the verse, and then we get ourselves looked at in our humanity in the second verse.
So we have to distinguish.
Where we find these terms as the part is signified by them in other words.
You know, there was a man that wrote a Bible.
I don't believe I can give you the name of it now, but.
But he had the strange delusion that.
That every Greek word could always be translated by the same English word.
And he made a translation of the kind. Well, it's just absolutely absurd and ridiculous.
And he taught a lot of evil, wicked doctrine in that In that translation, you cannot do that. You one has to discern where a word is used. What does it mean in that particular passage? Is that right, Brother Ayrton? Yes. Our brother Potter used to tell us that the context should show us the meaning.
And that is also full of English pardon, no, I certainly is true thing. Certainly it is.
That's why I think the spiritual man of God to make decisions, spiritual judgment, in the selecting of the right word in the right place.
That was dark though. V is left out in first John chapter 4 and verse 2.
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Every Spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in flesh is of God.
Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ has come in flesh, It's not of God. The Article V is out, isn't it? Yes, would would make a difference to that which our brother Brown has called our attention to him, the scripture he just referred to. There's something else omitted there too. Brother Gross. The is is omitted.
It should read every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ come in flesh. It's confessed not the fact that he came, but confessed the person who came.
And it's the same in the next part. Every spirit that confesses not Jesus Christ come in flight. The confession of the person, not the fact that he came.
Can we say this for the sake of a son?
That it will take the natural things for our natural body from God and Thanksgiving there is blessing.
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But if we take things from the devil, the enemy through temptation.
It is a disorderly.
Desire, and it becomes a lust.
For instance, I was thinking that we eat to live.
But to live, to eat, is disorderly, becomes lost. Marriage is honorable.
But if lasciviousness is practiced, it is lost.
Amen.
Well, Satan really controls the world by his stock and trade.
The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
If a man is in the advertising business, he needs not. He needs to know not much else.
But that people are swayed by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.
We were speaking the other evening in a Bible reading Wednesday evening.
A few years ago.
The advertising for automobiles went like this. See, it's beauty.
I buy it one make.
Another one says try and see the luxury of it. The one appealing to the lust, the eye, the other to the lust of the flesh.
And still another said buy a new Ford and watch your neighbors perk up.
Well, if you're going to buy a new Ford in order that you'll be looked up to by your neighbors, it's the lust of flesh.
I mean the pride of life. Excuse me?
But the world moves on that whole principle.
And the great theme I believe, in advertising is that people take in more by what they see rather than what they read or hear.
Like a Tory or yeah, I was still in school.
Bear went over the mountain to see what he could see, and all that he could see was the other side of the mountain.
We would comment one other comment about the advertising of the day.
That the character that is assumed today that.
Has a very strong inclination toward immorality.
Marks what is about it, and we need to be more than ever on our guard against this particular lust only.
With the remedy be there in Colossians 3.
Would this be that which would help us?
Regarding this very solemn situation that we find ourselves, we won't need to read the verses in the first part. How that third chapter is setting our affection on things about being occupied with Christ, and verse 5 mortify there for your members which are Bond 0. List them.
How do they go about to do that? Getting it down to practical work, information to mortify? Put them in death row? Romans 6 recommended.
Roman six we working ourselves.
These old, this old nature doesn't die very much alive.
All it needs is a provocation. You find out.
I would robot modify these things that we're thinking about.
I do believe that we are living in a day and in a country.
Where big business is.
Building greater, more modern, more attractive buildings and fixtures, and all the interior decorations and all their counters and their signs and their attractive clerks and everything is on the increase of glamour and attraction which the flesh is liable to.
Be occupied with.
Well, I think of Mrs. Lemel's little chorus that is so often quoted.
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Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full into his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace if I am walking with him.
I will, if I have to go to the store, I'll be in communion with him, and I'll seek to get what I need, and I'll see an awful lot that my new nature will abhor instead of admire. And when it comes to my home, this principle enters very readily. We see this, we see that we want this little better than that, and we keep on until our mind is occupied with.
Colors and combinations and contrasts and.
We relegate the other thing to the basement or the Goodwill, or send it down to Mexico sometimes.
And we we just have that tendency to want something more. But when we get home to glory, the Lord is not going to reward us for that sort of a program.
Victory speak on 10. The six things as you have or are here, says I will never leave in overstate. There's another danger in it too. I believe young people are particularly in danger of it and that's being enticed to buy these things on payments.
The other young people have it, they say, and so they want to keep up with the Jones.
And each one striving to have what the other has. I think it's too bad when the Christian gets into that attitude. And pretty soon we're we've mortgaged the future, which we're not at all sure of, and then the next thing after that we have to pay off in the future. And really we haven't anything left for the Lord because we've mortgaged it all before.
You know you don't need no money.
Well, it's not enticing and tempting.
What we need is sales resistance.
There are all manner of modern things.
Like we've been Speaking of, even their very catalogs and what they send in the mail continually.
Why they become robbers, Robbers of our time and occupation.
Robbers of what's good for our soul, so we're deprived of our time spent in what would be for Christ.
The Apostle Paul says for me to live is Christ.
In regard to this verse here in the third of Colossians, mortify therefore your members which are on the earth.
Well, isn't the simple meaning of that Just set your heel on the neck of these things, put them to death, give them no consideration whatsoever. Mortify them, put them in the place of death. That's what it gives us in relation 524. And they that are Christ have crucified the place with the affections and lust. Last verse is true of every Christian on earth but our verse in Colossians 3/5.
Is really Gilgal?
We need to go back into the Lords presence and be there.
In the low, low place in reality and there is a place to stop the progress of lusts.
Here we go. Thanks. We put ourselves in it. But back to the Lord. Yes, in that third Washington.
Farther on we have Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.
And so on. Well, in mortifying the members, is it not allowing the sword of the spirit, so to speak, cut them off, mortified in Colossians you have there you were alienated by wicked works. If your mind enemies in your mind by wicked works. The mind has a lot to do there in Colossians, and I believe the second chapter it's.
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Largely the devil working on the mind.
It's rationalism and ritualism and mysticism. It's a mind at work. Well then when you come to the beginning of the third chapter, it's instead of affections, it's to set your mind on the things above and not on the things of the earth. Well then, so you get what is Christ towards. Our life will then mortify. Then you have the members in the 5th, 1St.
And in the eighth verse you have.
Put off all these well, that's not the members there. That's the product, I believe, of the mind. Put them off.
While it's by the word of God, let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom, and it's the word of God in prayer.
That's almost thought to it, that the, you know, conform to this world, but transformed by you were doing it in your mind, yeah.
Regarding loving the world, overcoming.
All, all the world but we will be needed as Jesus is the Son of God.
That, objectively, is the thing that will answer everything more.
He's a believer that Jesus, the Son of God and only in our hearts Sir, occupies with him and won't have loved the world and his attraction.
Everything 217.
Lucky Saints within the veil and raise your happy song. Your joys can never, never fail for you to Christ belongs to.

1 John 2:17

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What site has for our site that's save our souls and make them think of all his his glory to partake, But keeping this in mind, press on to glory.
The victors Crown 224.
My grandma.
Is in there.
Morning right to.
May we help?
We have, may we have.
00:05:08
That father in finite and grace Lord.
Oh joy, how big our hearts live.
Chapter one John 2.
We begin with the 18th time.
Or go back further.
Why not 17?
First Epistle of John, Second chapter.
Verse 17.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Little children, it is the last time, and as you have heard, that Antichrist shall come even now. Are there many antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us, but they were not of us?
Or if they had been office, they would no doubt have continued with us. But they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us, but she have an ocean from a holy one. And you know all things I have not written unto you, because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth who is a liar.
But he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ, he is Antichrist that denies the Father and the Son. Whosoever denies the Son the same hath not the Father, but he that acknowledges the San Francisco Father also.
Let that therefore abide in you which you have heard from the beginning, if that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you.
Ye shall ye also shall continue in the sun, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you of the anointing which you have received of him.
Abide it in you, and you need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is true, and is no lie. And even as it has taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him.
And is coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him.
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Of course ties right in with the previous.
All that is in the world.
That world passes away the lust thereof.
But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
That is what's wrought.
In the fear of God, and according to his will we take to heaven with us.
And long before the world passes away.
Many men that sell their souls for a little of this world passed away and leave it.
Men are passing. The world is passing.
With a Christian, we know where we're going.
And we should live in the good of it now.
Enjoyment of heavenly places, heavenly places.
On the man that gets the most of the world and all and lust could desire down here, he's soon going to leave it all.
If he could live on forever, it would. It would pass away.
We're not only not of this world. I believe it's Brother Ballot made the statement. I think I give it fairly correctly at the Saint of God belongs to a system that is in existence before the world is ever built.
Is there a sense here in the world passing away that?
The way I might say is which it is arranged at any given time, it's constantly changing.
Something like in First Corinthians where we have there they use this world is not abusing it, for the fashion of this world passes away.
Is there a sense of that here? Of course. I believe it goes on to the.
Final passing away of it in its entirety, Well, I just wondered if there is a sense of that. It's constantly changing.
The purpose in the present tense.
Very comforting word in Hebrews 111.
They shall perish, but thou remaineth.
That's the physical world, isn't?
Facial Parish.
In Atlanta, pop, Thou remaineth out.
Always something that's secure.
It's like in Second Timothy, where you get the last days failure and ruin on every hand, and yet in each chapter in Second Timothy I have something that's stable and unmovable, something to bank on, something to count on in each chapter.
Is the thought in these?
Versus hear what you just read, especially verse 17 beginning at verse 15. Is the thought there, the thought of separation.
Being separate from walking apart walking.
In that reason unto the Lord that was the burden of our.
Of our reading the last time. And now we've had brought the course in the 17th verse. All that is passing.
And that which is abiding is brought before our souls. He that doeth the will of God abideth he doesn't pass.
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And that's what she is. Rock doesn't pass.
It's it's abiding.
He that doeth the will of God.
With that, link up with Second Corinthians 6.
14.
Through to the end of that chapter.
Might read those precious verses. Second print in six.
14.
Speaking about it yesterday evening at the supper table.
Be enough an equal yoke together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness?
And what communion hath late with darkness? And what Concorde hath Christ with Belial? Or what part has he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be your separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
We also.
Breathe in Philippians chapter 3.
A couple of thoughts here were burdens on the Apostles Park.
Philippians 3.
Verse 18.
For many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping.
The.
Latter part of verse 19.
Who mind?
Earthly, earthly things.
Who mind earthly things for our conversation or our Commonwealth, our center of interests.
Is in heaven.
From whence also we look for the Savior.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shall change?
Our bodies of humiliation.
Now in Hebrews Chapter 11.
And the end of verse 13.
And confessed that they were strangers and.
And pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country, or rather their country, our heavenly country. One more thought, I think, is belonging here.
16 Yes, that's it. Now they desire a better country. Yes, a better country that is an heavenly.
That you read about in the third of Philippians.
Walking so carnally those were not real worthy.
The principal I do believe we need.
Anything sad as the latter part of the 15th verse, If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. I don't recall that anything was commented on that part of it.
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Well, I'd like to hear someone else call my love. Go ahead.
Well.
Looking at in a practical sense.
I don't believe that where there is the love of the world, there could be the consciousness of the love of the Father. It couldn't be the enjoyment of the love of the Father.
Of course we know the man of the world. He doesn't have the love of the Father in him.
But it's possible for the child of God be so taken up with the.
Lust of the eyes, the attractiveness of this world, that.
He could not be enjoying the love of the Father.
The two, the two things are not an agreement, Yeah. They're mutually contradictory.
The love of the world and the love of the Father.
It's you'd rather in an abstract way.
That these two principles are in conflict.
Three forms of conflict.
Is not the world opposed to the Father and Christ is Satan?
And the flesh to the spirit, Definitely. So yes, I'm glad you mentioned that, Brother Wilson.
Is so taken up with.
The world and running after it in its various forms and things.
Is it not because of the flesh that is in the Christian?
Well, we also read if we solder the flesh, we shall of the flesh reap corruption. If the believer is going to gratify all his fleshly desires, he's going to reap the consequences.
The world comes between Paul and David.
Yeah, and the claim James and his Lord too.
What famous did, I don't know. John Bunyan has him go into the silver mine, be overcome with the fumes. But it was something in the world that attracted demons.
If he had known he was going to get his name and the word of God as having done that, I'm sure he never would have done it.
But everything is going to come out at the judgment seat of Christ.
But he stands as a beacon all through the ages, doesn't he?
And I think we'll see him in heaven. 3 cryptos, which we have in connection with demos, it would indicate. So, yes.
What 3 verses you referred to brother?
I mean.
I wear the famous associated with the Apostle Paul as a fellow laborer in the gospel.
And then in the Colossians is it not where?
Where his name is just mentioned.
Called us, apparently had come in.
Strange one. And then in the second epistle to Timothy, where we find him going down to Thessalonica.
Apart hold us toward the Lord came in first and then the apostle Paul and then he goes on down. But that's when I doesn't say he's the evil world.
No doubt. Perhaps a religious thought before. It doesn't mean that I don't think the scripture is mentioned. Would recall that the world is evil as we see it round about us, but there was an attraction there that took him away.
From the Lord 1St and then from the Apostles.
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As a reserve about demons.
You just as you say you just mentioned steamers.
And it isn't long until that second epistle of Timothy is written. Just a few years.
By that time, he's loved the case. It has come out, he's loved the present world and he's departed.
He was a fellow laborer with Paul and Philemon, wasn't he?
We said the other day we do not reach a certain maturity and spiritual things in us all of a sudden.
We do not come into spirituality suddenly. It has to be a desire to go on with God and to please pray.
And that has to grow. We grow in inventory. And the same thing is true if we start getting cold and our affections to Christ, the next thing is we've slipped into the one little thing and then another, and finally there's a big failure.
Made this statement, Brother Wilson, and I believe it more and more. There's no such thing as a sudden major fall.
We don't. We don't suddenly slip into some major fall in our lives. It's the consummation of a lack.
Of self judgment, a lack of watchfulness along line. You go with that.
Sometimes unconsciously to oneself.
Ephraim hath Gray hair, You know of it not.
Where is often unconscious of the declension that is coming. And Speaking of not getting spiritual all at once, what provoked that remark? Was I heard of a place recently.
Where an old brother or elder brother or two had been taken away.
And one of the younger brothers said, well, they're going and now we're going to have to take over. And he just guarded himself to take over.
That's the wrong attitude.
You say so, Yes, I believe it is. Let not him that put it on the harness both as he will put it at all. That be the thought, yeah.
It's a serious thing to try to step into the harness when you see certain ones being taken away and assuming that we can fill our shoe. I personally heard a young brother say that very thing, and it wasn't long after he left the Lord's table.
Just deserted the meeting. The Lord's table altogether.
I think it's a mistake on the part of any of us to think we're going to step in.
And into the shoes of anybody.
Our work is outlined for us by the Lord.
As individuals and he has no duplicates.
I believe that many.
A soul has been hindered.
I believe he's been a stumbling block to himself by thinking, now here's where I take over the position that belonged to that, to that brother. I mean, that's a snare.
Elijah.
You mean tell us about it, brother? Well, it's simply there was 1 instance there where God did provide for Elijah to have the mantle of Elijah placed upon Elijah. That was God's doing.
But for us to assume to take such a step, of course, would be dangerous. We all knew and loved her brother Potter.
I don't say we're all because there are many young here, but those of us who knew did value him.
We Revere his memory.
But as soon as shortly after he was taken, a brother came to me and said who God brother Potter's mantle. I said he didn't have one to leave.
2 My brother.
He spoke about.
Our declension coming in.
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Not suddenly, but gradually. I think we could go further by saying that there is such a thing as declension going on and faithful brethren.
Endeavoring to to arrest that, to intercept it by a faithful word, to reach his conscience through remind him of what his course is leading to.
And then when that is rejected and you don't want to have anybody admonish you, you don't want to be corrected, you're determined to pursue your course. That is awful.
I like your thoughts, Mr. Brown, on that 17th verse, that not only will he abide, but what he's done will abide.
He that doeth the will of God, it's connected with the doing. The will isn't.
The little children.
He's still talking to the same class that he speaks of in the 13th verse.
That is the third class, the little children.
It's the last time.
Well, as well for us.
Keep that ever before us.
We're not looking forward to some change.
In this present age in which we live.
It's the last time. The next thing is going to is going to be a.
A complete resetting of the stage.
And we're to ever remember that we're in that last period.
And there's a becoming conduct that goes with it.
Mr. Darby used a word that even goes farther there.
Yes.
On the last hour.
Yes, it is.
And.
Well, now I believe we do have another term that gets right down and I use the word period. I had in mind a prolonged period, but.
I do think that there is a term we get to use it once and I am having ideas used twice.
In Second Peter chapter 3.
Verse 3.
And before reading this verse, I'll just remind you of another term.
And that is in Second Timothy 3-1 in the last days. Notice that days perilous times shall come. That is difficult times for Christians to live in, just as we're living in today. But here in verse 3, knowing this first, that there shall come.
At the close of the days now that takes you about as far to the very end itself as we have in the Word of God, there shall come at the close of the days.
And yet, isn't the time here spoken of in this chapter when the apostates went out?
Just about as far as you can go. They went out from us in Jude. They're still inside, They crept in.
Peter and Paul.
Said that they would come.
00:35:01
And Jude said that were present, John says they've gone out.
Well, I would think this last period would include the last days, this last hour.
It's the end of the last hour.
Now there are many Antichrist if they.
Apostle could write that in his day. What about the president?
It isn't remarkable that he writes about Antichrist to the base.
And he shows here how even the babes can detect.
We would have said don't tell the babies about it.
But this was their particular danger.
Danger being LED away by men who were.
Denying the truth.
It has been said in connection with this they went out promise. I've enjoyed the thought, not original with me that.
Said the others had spoken about how that they would come, and we know that John lived on beyond the other two, Peter and Paul.
But things had developed.
And under the Presence and the Power, Apostolic power that was there, they couldn't remain. They went out.
And I believe there's a principle there seems to me that where there is the real power of the war.
Present. That kind of thing cannot go on.
Well, there were not others.
The.
Translation in that 19th verse.
Has a very faulty.
Error.
The end of that nineteenth verse, that they were not all of us. That's very misleading.
As though any of them were ever others.
In reality.
They went out from us, but they were not of us.
Here he is speaking, I suppose, of those.
Who were?
We're not the Lord. They were unsaved people.
But they may have been charmed with the truth, and may have found a place there.
But eventually.
They have to leave. They cannot stand that power that was there.
Don't you think though, that there is a principle here?
Say that I think primarily he's referring to those who are not the Lords.
But there is, is there not a principle? Oh, that here's a path of faith. The Lord is marked out.
And he has a testimony for himself.
But I could get so far, apart from that in spirit, that I couldn't go on with those who were simply going on in simplicity and faith before the Lord. Is there not a principle there?
Well, we get numerous instances in the word where individuals went along and.
Path of obedience and then became lacks and dropped out even.
Even Dear John Mark.
When he started out.
It was every, every reason to believe that there was a dear, faithful young man that wanted to serve the Lord but.
He he got weary and turned back, went back home.
Well, it wasn't to his credit, for sure.
But he was. But he was recovered and was given the Commission of writing one of the Gospels. But it was a a sad failure when he turned and went back home after he voluntarily had started out.
00:40:15
Beautiful to notice too, that the one who failed in his service was the one the Lord used to write to the perfect servant who never failed. Yes, lovely.
Well, I suppose those that Apostle Paul speaks of in Second Timothy, one where he says all they that be an age you've turned away from me is another sample, is it not?
No. They got weary of the path that Paul was in. To be associated with Paul was to be reproached, maybe suffer, martyred him. If you were too close to Paul. They worried of it.
I was thinking of that scripture was referred to in Philippians 3 about those that are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Well, I believe that that's what has been said, that was those that were not real. But I also believe that a true Christian can become an enemy of the cross of Christ because.
Because that speaks of separation from the world.
And a true Christian can get so far into the world that they don't want that path of separation.
When will this manifestation take place? And read about in the latter part of verse 19, but that they might be made manifest?
That none are of us. Reading from the new translation. It was. It was manifest then Manifest, Yes, might be made manifest. They were not there. None of them were of us. That's the reason they went out.
Mr. Speaking of the power, where the Spirit of God is free, it restrains things. I was thinking of in the beginning of the churches history, that of the rest, there's no man join himself. To them there was such power that they didn't come in there.
The believers were alone. They were a marked company, and all that joined themselves to them were of the same mind.
But as a little world, and this came in, and the quenching came in, you do not find the same power of the spirit manifest. And you find men find men creeping in, unaware. That was a very brief period, wasn't it? Yeah, but no man Durst joined himself under them.
Someone has said, you know that today we have to fall back on the scripture about certain people and say, well, whether the Lords are not, I don't know. We'll have to fall back on the Lord knoweth them that are his.
Writer Speaking of it, said that is a sign of declension. Everybody should know who is the Lord.
And if we have to fall back on the Lord knows them that are His. It shows weakness in the clinic.
But that's where we are. Yeah, that's where we are.
Well, the servants were not allowed to go and pull up the tears, were they? That was reserved for the angels.
For those who attempt to hold up the wheat, yeah.
What is the time mentioned in First Peter 417 regarding a judgment?
For, the time is.
Come, that judgment must begin.
At the House of God.
And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be?
Of them that obey not the gospel of God.
Where does judgment begin in the Book of Revelation? At the House of God?
Chapters 2 and three.
We have two in Ezekiel 9, isn't it? Yeah, they got the sanctuary with the older men.
There's plenty of verse, Mr. Brown. That unction is the same word as the anointing. Is it? I think so.
The anointing is done in the 27th verse.
It's the same weak word.
00:45:04
And the Spirit of God is the unction or the anointing.
Is given to the believer for discernment.
Divine intelligence.
Gracious discernment, Braceless. Recently. Discernment. I suppose you would say so.
He that is spiritual discerneth all things.
But here is the Here the main point in the chapter is discerning the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Antichrist and those who preach Christ in contrast.
And the youngest babe, the one who had just saved yesterday, is able to look up and address God as his father today.
And when somebody comes to him with the false doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, he has, and he should have enough, but the Spirit of God dwelling in him as the anointing to recognize that it's wrong, although he may not be able to tell you one thing that's wrong about.
DISCERN That's not the father's voice.
We had a sister.
In Des Moines.
Who was not? She was not saved.
And.
There were some of us that got in touch. She she had a position in a in a factory there.
And some of us went in there occasionally to buy articles.
My brother sitting right here near me, was one that was associated in this We used to give her tracks.
And this went over a period of a couple of years.
And God brought on your soul, and she got saved.
Well, shortly after she was saved, I went in there one day to make a purchase and she says, you know, a man came in here and I got to talking to him and he seemed very earnest. And so he he left me a book to read.
And I started to read it, but.
You know, Mr. Brown, there's there's something about that book. I don't know what it is, but I don't feel right in reading it.
I'd like to have you look at it.
So I picked up the book, looked at the publishing house.
Pacific Coast Publishing House 70 Adventism and I looked at the statement that had disturbed her. Well, it was Small wonder that they didn't disturb her. It was the poison of 70 Adventism. Well, now that that dear soul wasn't able to say why, the thing wasn't right, but she just felt that wasn't for her to read.
And she read. That part wasn't very far about, oh, I suppose 20 or 30 pages in the book she'd read and she didn't read any further. Well, that is the very thing we have here. There's an unction there. There's an anointing that gives discernment where there's reality.
The main hazard, Yes, the baby has it well. She's been getting out of the Lords name several years in a very, very happy Christian she is.
You have an unction from the Holy One and know all things. Isn't that an amazing statement?
That is, we're capacitated by that anointing. We're capacitated for anything that God has to teach us.
That doesn't mean as I heard it said.
That we don't need any ministry.
That we know it all.
I think that's very dangerous ground to take.
In fact, I've never seen any Christian gathered saying take that stand, that they didn't go astray.
It is true that we have the Spirit of God.
Is it not also true that that spirit can be grieved and we will not have that discernment?
Yes, it's not. He's not apartment to be so grieved with debate. Just say.
00:50:01
Brother Patrick and Speaking of things as normal.
But what you speak, I was a sick, a sick child.
And if we get out of communion and careless in our ways, we can fall into various errors.
Would the last thought in First Corinthians 2 be something like what we have as to the Holy Spirit?
In our verse.
1St Corinthians 2.
The very last sentence.
But we have the minds of Christ. That's a general statement in contrast to those who have not.
I said what I said because sometimes you find some of our dear brothers that are so positive that they have the mind of the Spirit of God and.
They go astray and.
Are an exercise to their matter.
And yet they they feel that they have this function of the spirit, and it's not that's guiding.
There's a great name.
Of ones assuming to have the Spirit and he can.
He can go all the way into mysticism with it.
Get into all kinds of fanciful things.
Because we are. They're not subject to the Word of God. The Spirit of God will never lead you contrary to the Word of God.
The wheel is it worth Well when we get off onto a self confident course like that where the plaything for the enemy.
The will at work right of life is there.
I heard of a young man recently who.
Said that he would go and look it up in the scripture himself.
Well, somebody said you might refer to the synopsis with it, he said. Well, I don't need that.
I have the Spirit of God.
Well, good to have the spirit of God. I'm glad they have.
But let's not get too self confident because I'm subject to error. I don't suppose there's one here that wouldn't say that he's been mistaken on points of scripture.
And some of us have carried wrong thoughts of certain scriptures all our lives.
We're not sufficient in ourselves.
Those who have spoken unto us the word of God and whose faith follow, there are guests the church. There's a gift of teachers, and they have their place. We have in this chapter here in the 27th verse.
That.
Need not any man teach you well, That doesn't mean there's no place for teachers.
But when it comes to the point, is what we've been speaking about, discerning of.
That which comes to us as whether to the Lord or whether it's not. While we don't need any man to teach us, we can discern the father's voice, The baby can discern the Father's voice.
But when it comes to teaching, why we have other scriptures that tell us that the Lord has given gifts to the Church?
And the prophets speak two or three, and the others judge.
Those scriptures then are First Corinthians chapter 12.
And Romans chapter 12 and Ephesians chapter 4, where it speaks of the teachers that the Lord has given to us for our building up in the truth.
The scripture there in the 14th is it of First Corinthians.
That is so important.
29th verse.
00:55:05
The 14th and 1St Corinthians.
Let the prophets speak two or three.
And let the other judge.
I think we get an important principle there. We can give it a wide application.
No brother is the judge of his own ministry.
He speaks, but others are to be the judge.
And so it is with the.
Questions that come up where a brother goes off on a tangent.
And he's at outs with all his brethren. He's got this fanatical slant on things.
And he can't find a mature brother anywhere that agrees with him. Well, he better stop and and take inventory.
I believe that the principle is here, Let the Prophet speak two or three, and let the others judge.
How does it come that I'm totally out of tune with all my mature brethren on this peculiar slant I've taken on on this subject?
I better examine myself and get on before God and see if there isn't something wrong.
We cannot say when remonstrated to in that way hinder me not.
As though we had the minds of Lord and what we're doing. Nobody could counsel me or.
Or admonish me as to my pathway.
Do we not also have another test in the First Corinthians, the 14th chapter and the third verse?
We have the gifts and operation 3 expressions in that third verse.
What should test Everything that's given to edification, excitation, or comfort that doesn't fall within those three? Better leave it alone.
Yes, I would.
When Peter sought to admonish the Lord, when the Lord was speaking about his going away.
And.
Peter said that it wasn't to be so.
Well, the Lord rebuked him and called him Satan. Get thee behind me, Satan.
Well.
What Peter said from a human standpoint was seemed to be nice, but the Lord recognized it is coming from Satan. So we have to remember that the devil can whisper in our ears too.
Makes me think of Nehemiah.
They can't. They tried to stop him so many different ways from building the wall. Finally they came with good solid advice, it seemed like. But he says. I perceived the Lord did not send him.
The first part of what we've been Speaking of Lord himself expressed in the 16th of John and when the Holy Spirit was coming, he would guide into all truth.
Those who go to Switzerland and would see the mountains usually hire a guide, but if they either precede the guide or linger behind him, they're have to miss the way and get in trouble. And isn't that the principle here, that the Holy Spirit delights to lead us into truth?
And it may be via a channel of learning from others, or it may be in the channel in which he gives us enjoyment of the word in our own soul. But the minute we get off that path of guidance and feel self-confidence that we can explore on our own, we're at to get off on oppressive somewhere and slide and clear down and get hurt.
Because they're not a principle. Also in this connection and 1St Thessalonians, chapter 5.
Verses 19 to 21.
Quench not the Spirit, these wise not prophesied.
Prove all things all fast that which is good.
01:00:15
I tried to say that you know things is in that our procedure that children of God.
As Christ was made unto us wisdom.
Yes, except here is particularly the spirit of God keeping the babe from the path from the footballs for the of the enemy, the traps that are placed before him by the enemy. Now may I make a comment here too?
That I believe it's a bad mistake.
For people to dabble in false doctrine.
Or any paper known to contain it?
We're not sufficient of ourselves to dabble in these kinds of things. Now. It has fallen to some of us occasionally to have to examine some of these things and mark out the error for others. But it's a bad sign when we take up all the varied kinds of religious literature that's about.
Many a Christian has been stumbled and trapped and gotten into all kinds of errors.
By reading the stuff that's freely offered to him today.
This thing is to burn it up. You wouldn't give a sheep a lot of poison to eat and expect it to be wide enough to leave it alone. Not only in these religious pamphlets that they send to you in the mail and your neighbor gives to you, or they leave them at your door, but also there is a system of turning little knobs in which you hear things too that.
Are not good for the soul, those who are habitually.
Listening to ministry from all kinds of sources.
Will gradually grow dull in their discernment.
And they'll be the loser in the end, no matter how fancy and how striking.
The ministry may be there is grave danger in it. Now I like to quote several scriptures. One is.
1827 The Evangelist God used my salvation, gave me this verse about the first couple of days that he was advising me.
And that verse is?
Cease. Seize, my son, to hear the instruction that caused us to err from the words of knowledge. Now that's a very important thing to practice. You know, it sounds nice, maybe in your ear. But are we practicing that deceased, my son, to hear the instruction that caused us to Earth and the words of Knowledge?
Now the Lord Jesus Christ give another word.
Take heed what you hear.
And still another I like to read in Philippians 1.
Philippians One, verse 9.
The Apostle Paul says this. I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in Now I'm going to read from Mr. Darbys translation maybe along in here that your love may abound yet more and more.
In full knowledge and all.
Intelligence.
That he may judge and approve things that are more excellent.
That he may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.
Now that shows that there are some things that are more excellent than other things. Now you know it is more profitable to feed on the more excellent things and not upon the less excellent things. I think this is a good thing for our souls.
01:05:11
Scripture Brother Smith I read a moment ago.
The last chapter of Second of First Thessalonians.
18th verse and everything give thanks. This is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit, despise not prophesying, prove all things hold fast that which is good.
The the quenching of the spirit can be either in oneself or in others.
One can sit in a meeting in an assembly meeting and be in the state of Seoul.
That's a hindrance to the liberty of the Spirit.
Or one can sit in a meeting and be definitely moved of the spirit.
To take part, and for various reasons that he gives himself, he doesn't do it. He quenches the Spirit.
Then another danger is.
Despising, prophesying.
Someone gets up to prophecy Brother Roth called our attention to.
What the work of the Prophet is speaketh and demand the edification, exhortation, and comfort.
Well, someone gets up to prophecy, and perhaps because of the personality of the individual.
We close our hearts or our ears and and just sit there with a Stony indifference because of the one that's giving it. Despise, not prophesying.
Then there's the other side of it. Prove all things. That is, you don't accept everything that one may say and Brother Wilson was saying while ago. Who of us is there here that would say he never made a mistake and he's and he's public ministry.
I'm sure we've all felt guilty on that well.
Prove all things. Well, how do we prove it? Why by the word of God.
And then we hold fast that which is good. We don't accept the mistakes the brother makes, but don't throw away everything he said because he made a mistake. Hold fast that which is good. Those are just general principles laid down for us in those verses.
The guardian crying in the spirit.
Just in competing with your remark, I think Mr. Garvey rendered that pulled past the right and you found it. Don't let it go.
What chapter was that?
John 4:00 and 1:00.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are going out into the world.
Hereby know you the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesseth not Jesus Christ, come in play.
Confessing the person of Christ, we test all doctrine.
By its attitude toward the person of Christ, the person and work of Christ.
Anyone that comes along administering?
Well, the first thing to know is, is he sound as to the person of Christ? If he isn't, we want none of his ministry.
And there it is particularly needful today.
When so much is being made of the Spirit of God. Never was a time in church history when so much attention is being paid to what they call the Spirit and spiritual ministry.
But it's leading a lot of Christians into the Gary's and all kinds of nonsense.
And I'm persuaded that much of it has a wicked spirit behind it.
Try the spirits.
Then we might have read one more verse there in first John 4. Important it is.
And that's verse 6.
We are of God.
01:10:03
Now the Apostle John.
In company with the Apostles.
He that N God heareth us, He that is not of God, hearest not us. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of error. I read this verse because we've been Speaking of the Holy Spirit. Well, this verse also emphasizes the importance of subjection to the word of God.
The word of God must always be held above everything else. The most godly, gifted teacher God ever raised up, the Apostle Paul himself said these were more noble than they at Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind. But they searched the Scriptures daily to see if the things were so. They even proved the Apostle Paul.
In that 22nd verse of our chapter, Mr.
Brown who is a liar but he that denied that Jesus is the Christ, He is Antichrist, the denial of the Father and the Son. Isn't that a combination of Jewish, Jewish, and Christian error? To deny that Jesus was the Christ was a particular sin of the Jew to deny the Trinity as a particular sin of Christendom.
To deny the Father and the Son.
Yes, I think that's true.
So they're combined in one verse.
And Unitarian isn't in the next verse.
Well, it's also included in denying a father and a son.
It's denying the Trinity, basically.
23 Whosoever denieth the Son.
The same hath not the Father.
Unitarianism has gone over and become a part of Universalism.
Two rank errors joined together.
The one says that Christ isn't God, and there's only one person in the Godhead. There's not. There are not three. That's Unitarianism, Arianism.
And the universalism say that since Christ died for all, everybody saved, no matter whether it accepts Christ or not, that's the devil's life, because God will never save anyone apart from the work of Christ.
And you hear that expression too. You know that Christ died for the sins of the world. But that's not true.
No, the Apostle Paul John says, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, but that fee and the eternal state, will there be a new heaven and a new world. He restore that which he took not away. Yes, that will be the full culmination of that verse.
Why not bring out a thought there in first John chapter 2 verses one and two?
As the beginning of our chapter. After that expression, our brother works just mentioned about not taking away the sins of the world.
Verse 2.
Maybe I have a word on that.
For our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. Now putting in the italics there the sins of on the part of the translator translators is a blunder.
The propitiatory work of Christ opened up the way for everybody.
The the blood was taken inside and sprinkled Once Upon the mercy seat, and seven times before the mercy seat. Once was enough for the eye of God, but seven times before the mercy seat to indicate how wholeheartedly God was ready to welcome anybody that came.
01:15:03
So that.
Propitiation.
Has opened the way universally.
But it's only made good to those who come through the person and work of Christ and accepted, isn't that it?
It wouldn't be to the glory of Christ if somebody could get saved short of it.
And God will be no party to the dishonor to his Son the 16th.
Leviticus where we get this, we have the two goats.
Well, the one goat, as we've just been saying, the blood was taken in and sprinkled on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.
But then that's only half the story. The other goat was taken, and the sins of the people confessed on the head of it.
By the by the High Priest.
Definitely placed on the head of that scapegoat.
And that goat was taken out and turned loose in a desert place and never to be heard from again.
Well, that goat speaks of substitution.
That speaks of those whose sins actually were taken away.
Because those particular sins were put on the head of that goat.
So Christ was the propitiation for all, but He's the substitute for those that have accepted him, received Him, and trusted him.
Scripture never says that Christ bore the sins of all, never says that he died for all, but Scripture never says He bore the sins of all.
He bore, He bore our sins, and his own body on the tree.
It's only the believer that can say that, and by faith. And there are other scriptures like it of course.
Like in Romans the end of chapter 4, it says that he was delivered for our offenses and he was raised again for our justification. And again in First Peter 3/18 he suffered for sins, the just or the unjust. The believer enjoys this.
Helpful there even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ.
Unto all, and upon all them that believe. For there's no difference in the first instance, unto all propitiation, and upon all substitution. Yes, pardon me, brother, this this cup is a New Testament in my blood, which is shed for the remission of the sins of.
All know of many.
It narrows down.
This idea of universalism that everybody is going to be saved without exception.
Is becoming the warp and wolf of modernism and ecumenicalism. Today it's in all of the churches with the ecumenical bent.
It's a denial that God is just and is going to be a judge.
Your brother But Christ suffered for saying that on Calvary's cross from a holy God.
But as I said before, God will be no party to any dishonor to his Son, and if anybody could be saved short of his finished work, it would be a dishonor.
150.
Hello.

Acts 15, Gal. 2

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It's about finished, yes. I believe we covered it pretty general.
Well, I have been wondering. We have been considering.
Individual responsibility for the Lord and what we've had before us, and whether it might not be profitable to take up something as to collective responsibility.
Like we would have perhaps say in the 15th of the axe.
I have wondered something about that.
Perhaps also connecting that with the Apostle Pauls. Comments on it in Galatians 2, first part of the chapter.
What portion of the chapter did you have in mind reading?
Well, I would read in that 15th chapter.
Well, I'd read down through the 35th verse.
And then in Galatians.
Two to read.
The 1St 10 verses.
Acts 15th chapter let's say to read down those 32 verse Yes please Acts 15 verse 1 to 35.
Uncertain men which came down from Judea, taught the brethren, and said, except to be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved.
When, therefore, Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem under the apostles and elders about this question, and being brought on their way by the church, they passed through beneath, and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles and they.
Cause great joy unto all the President.
And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.
But there arose of certain of the sectors of the Pharisees which believe, saying that it was needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses, And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, Men and brethren, you know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, which knoweth the heart, bear them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us.
And put no difference between US and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why tempt God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they.
Then all the multitude kept silent.
And gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren hearken unto me.
00:05:14
Simeon has declared how God is the first to visit the Gentiles, who take out of them a people for his name and to this degree the words of the Prophet.
As it is written, after this I will return and will build again the Tabernacle of David.
We're just fallen down and I will build again the ruin thereof and I will set it up.
That the residue of men might speak after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord to do it all these things.
Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned to God, but that we right under them, that they abstain from pollution of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
For Moses of all time happened every city.
Them that preach him being read in the synagogue every Sabbath day.
Then please get the Apostles and Elders.
With the whole Church to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judith are named Barclays and Silas chief men among the Brethren, and they wrote letters by them after this matter.
The apostles and elders and brethren send greetings under the brethren, which are the gentiles of Antioch, and Syria, and Celestia. Or as much as we have heard, that certain which went out from us, have troubled you with words subverting your soul, saying, we must be circumcised and keep the law. To whom we gave no such commandment, It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord.
To send chosen men under you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul.
Men that have hazarded their lives in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have met, therefore Judas Insight, who shall also tell you the same things by mom, or it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things that she abstained from me, offered to idol, and from blood, and from things strangled.
From fornication, from which, if you keep yourselves, he shall do well, fare ye well.
Though when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch, and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation, and Judas and Silas being prophets also themselves.
Exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them, And after they had carried their space, they were let go in peace from them from the Brethren, unto the apostles. Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide their skill. Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Now the second cast of relation.
On verse one through 10? Yes, please.
Galatians 2 verse one.
Then 14 years after, I went up again to Jerusalem with one of us and took Titus with me also.
And I went up my revelation, and communicated unto them that God always reached among the Gentiles.
Privately were of reputation left by any means I should run, or had run in vain, but neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised, and that's because of false brethren unawares brought in, who gave in privately to spy on our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into ******* to whom we gave place by subjection. No, not for an hour.
00:10:13
That the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
One of these who seem to be somewhat whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter no matter to me. God accepted no man's person, but they who seem to be somewhat in conference, added nothing to me, but contrary wise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed under me, as the gospel of the circumcision was completed, or he that was actually impeded to the apostleship of the circumcision.
The same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles. And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go under the heathen, and they under the circumstances only they would that we should remember the poor, the same which I also was forward to do.
Now I know that this chapter in the 15th of the Acts.
Has a very definite place in the early beginning of the Church.
That is, here was a question coming up of this circumcision and the teaching of the law.
Well, it's centered in Jerusalem with the headquarters for it.
And I believe our brother Potter used to remark that he.
Wondered whether the church in Jerusalem ever were really and got on real Christian ground, that is, they were so associated with the Temple.
They started out, evidently, at first. There's definite need visiting the temple to bring the gospel to the remnant there, but it would seem from other places in the history and the Acts that perhaps they continued that beyond what they should, because it was when the Apostle Paul went there later on.
That some of them enticed him to go to the temple.
Well, the Spirit of God.
Saw fit that this question should not be settled in Antioch, but in Jerusalem.
That is, if it was settled in Antioch.
There might have.
A resume division in the church, a Gentile church, and a Jewish church. And so that was guarded against.
By having this matter settled at Jerusalem.
Well, it was not my thought to.
Go into the details of that I had thought as to whether we do not have principles here in this chapter to guide us in difficulties that arise at any time in the Church's history.
Would you Would you judge then that things should be settled in someone place or not in the local gathering?
Well.
Here, evidently.
The Lord desired that their.
Shouldn't be?
Consultation, at least, with their brethren in Jerusalem.
Now in looking at it in a human way, here was an apostle located in Antioch. He could say to the Corinthians, am I not an apostle? And he could exercise his authority as such.
00:15:06
But we see from his account there in the Galatians that he says he went up at this time by revelation.
That the Lord told him not to exercise his Apostolic authority, but he should go up to Jerusalem.
And if you look at the assembly at Antioch, it was certainly a very.
An assembly. Very.
Completely.
Gifted Having Prophets and teachers there, as we learned in the 13th chapter.
That, humanly speaking, you would think that they were thoroughly competent to handle this matter.
Well, here was a question coming up that the Lord didn't want the assembly at Antioch to handle that.
He wanted it settled in Jerusalem.
Well, I believe this would guard us from independency of action when we know there are exercises elsewhere. I believe that it shows that they should be considered.
What would you think of that, Brother Brown?
Yes, I.
Pardon me. Got their own brown. I better hear you, brother. No, go ahead.
Well.
Your remarks I thoroughly agree with.
As to.
Consideration.
Of their brethren.
Rather than to put anything over on others.
Without that Christian attitude of fellowship and concern in in others.
I do believe that Acts 15 is a most unusual thing in the word of God, because a very unusual.
Difficulty had arisen.
And God made a special provision for that because the Apostle himself.
Was set for the gospel.
The He was the chosen vessel. He even can call it My gospel.
But God, as it were, was supporting him and making a provision so that it was not to be settled by himself, but by the most unlikely place.
At Jerusalem, where Judaism held, had held their headquarters at Jerusalem.
I see divine wisdom in setting the this whole program.
For maintaining the truth of the grace of God against the enemies intrusion of the legal system. Again, now that's as far as I feel.
Certain of speaking.
We wouldn't say that there is any Jerusalem now would be.
No, it wouldn't. No. But there was the the situation there in the early church, and this was a crucial question.
This thing was desperately important and it had to be resolved.
In a way that would maintain the integrity and the unity of the testimony to Christianity, and if the whole church at Jerusalem apostatized.
Went back to the principal of Judaism and the law.
00:20:03
Having synagogues all over the world, it would work havoc. But isn't it marvelous the way the spirit of God took over both at Jerusalem and at Antioch? The first thing could be solved in a godly way and everybody be happy about it. Yes, it's very remarkable how he uses.
The very ones in Jerusalem who were perhaps more the proponents of these very questions. He uses them to settle the question, and they settle it might say contrary to their own thoughts and feelings.
With the over ruling hand of the Spirit of God, well now there is you say there's no truth from now that we would look to for the settlement of affairs. But there might arise a question with the consciences of our brethren elsewhere and something to as to whether perhaps another assembly might be involved, why there should be consideration.
I remember a case in another country where I was one time and.
There was a assembly there, and there was a a brother who was causing considerable difficulties among the gathered Saints in that land.
And this one particular assembly, he had harassed them.
And irritated them very much in accusations.
Well.
It so happened that I think, is the second evening that I was in that place. Why I was down to railway station, where they were seeing off a brother, and here was a brother from this assembly had been so tormented in this way by a diatrophies, and they were.
Very much irritated about it and they were considering taking action against this man. Well he was not a local man but still he was causing a great deal of trouble and the this brother was discussing it with some of the other brothers there and he says well haven't we the right to do it?
Well, they didn't question the right to do it, but they didn't think it was the time.
Are the way in which it should be done. They asked them to wait upon the Lord. Well, they did wait upon the Lord, and the Lord didn't settle a matter without their having to take the action.
Well, to have taken the action with a precipitated something which might have been disastrous.
Well, one is thought here the Apostle Paul. Now he was used to write letters.
The bulk of our epistles are the Apostle Paul's letters. Well, he might have written a letter to the assembly in Jerusalem and told him what he thought about these people.
Well.
By revelation he was told not to do it, and here was the assembly of Antioch, it tells us here.
That there had been no small dissension and disputation with them. Why they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain of them should go up to Jerusalem on the apostles and elders with this question.
So we have the Apostle Paul.
Are guided by distinct revelation, and we have the assembly coming to a conclusion that certain ones should go up there. Well, I believe it was remarked in one of the.
Meetings here the other day.
About writing letters.
Well, I believe it's long been a a policy among us.
From some of our brethren of a past generation not to write letters individually, at least where you can speak with one face to face.
I suppose there's nothing that can be written that somebody else can't take something else out of it.
00:25:03
And there's no opportunity to explain a misunderstanding.
It's nice to see when they came to Jerusalem.
They were received at the church and of the apostles and elders and they declared all that God had done with them, that is a Jerusalem was opened to hear the cause. They didn't just shut the door on their face and say, well we know what you've come here for and we we just don't care to listen. But instead of that they received them and.
Listen to them, and they declared. And isn't it nice the way that's put They declared what God had done with them, Not what they'd done, but what God had done with them.
And then we see the.
The way the Spirit of God works.
Yeah, there's a thorough discussion of the matter with the Pharisees.
So they get the older ones together, the apostles and the elders.
To talk it over. And they do, They do a lot of talking. Much disputing.
And now Peter LED of the Spirit of God.
Gets up and gives a summary.
And it must have been given in the power of the Spirit of God.
And when he comes to the point.
It's beautiful to see it in that ninth verse that he put no difference, no difference between us and them. Purifying their hearts by faith. That's the Gentiles.
10th verse Now therefore, why tempt you God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
And then the marvelous grace in that 11 verse But we believe.
That through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they now ordinarily He would have stated that the other way around.
He would have said we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ they shall be saved, even as we. But he didn't. He put it in reverse. Oh brethren, that's real. That's great operative, isn't it? Yes.
Isn't there something important too in that sixth verse?
You've commented on the discussion in the 4th and 5th verses.
And then here in the sixth verse, it tells us the apostles and elders came together. Consider this matter.
Is there not a principle there here? This thing had been aired publicly. Well, now the fossils and elders come together to consider it.
Well, do we not get there something as to the government in the assembly?
Our brother father used to say.
An assembly is not a democracy where everyone has a equal right and voice. Well, here he speaks about the apostles and elders come together. Consider the matter.
Well, now apparently.
They didn't exclude others from being present. There are others there, but it was apostles and elders that considered the question.
And evidently said there was much disputing there. Well, then Peter gets up and and makes his remark, which you alluded to. Well, I believe that is important.
I remember Brother Aaron at the time that the.
Amalgamation movement was on precipitated on us over here by some over in Europe, especially in England.
And it came right at the time we were having a general meeting in the morning that came to a head.
Well, there were. There were brothers there, there's a large conference and there were leading brothers there from many gatherings.
So there was an opportunity given between the meetings for those who were taking the lead locally in the various gatherings to get together and and weigh this matter that was being put before us in such a a sudden and precipitate way.
00:30:20
And I believe that that general talking over that we had together.
And did a lot to clarify the atmosphere so that that movement made little or no progress on this side of the ocean.
Yes, I believe that was right and I remember too on occasion in England. I was over there afterwards, years afterwards, and the brother.
I believe you were referring to me that I was in England at the time he corresponded with you and he said he wanted to see an American brother.
So.
I called on him. He was not in fellowship at the time.
He'd gone with the movement and.
What he wanted to know was why didn't you go into that reunion?
Well, I says we made a protest against it.
I said I know what, I was present at that meeting.
Well, he says. We didn't know anything about that.
And then he told me, he says. We hadn't been in that five years before.
We.
Realized we made a mistake, but took another ten though to get out of it.
Then in the 13th verse.
This man James, who evidently held a very predominant position there, This is not the.
This is not Peter, James and John is it? This is James, the son of Alpheus.
He he gives the summary the decision.
And he gives it in a magnificent way.
Coming down to the 19th verse, my sentence is that we trouble, not them.
He speaks in a definite, determined way.
My sentence is he's the spokesman for the spirit of God in that assemblage.
That we trouble not them from among the Gentiles that are turned to God, but we write under them these these orders for Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogue every Sabbath day. They can get that anytime they want it.
Then it pleased the apostles and elders. Now let's not miss this next expression.
With the whole Church, the whole assembly.
It wasn't just the apostles and elders with a whole assembly.
To send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely Judas and Silas, chief men among the brethren. Well, that's godly order, isn't it? Yes, and I think that is very important.
What is mentioned there, as you commented, with the whole church, that is the brothers. As such, the apostles and elders or the brothers could not settle this question. It had to be brought before the whole assembly and we cannot speak of assembly letter going out unless it is brought before the whole assembly.
I might say, well, sisters don't.
Have any voice in the matter?
But.
You can't have the whole church unless they're present.
Now here is another thing to notice.
In that verse you read Brother 19.
James, the spokesman, says. Wherefore?
I judge it is in the other translation, wherefore I judge not to trouble of those who from the Gentiles are turned to God Now the real thought, I think, is.
00:35:07
That they had cleared the atmosphere from this yoke that.
These crumblers would foist upon.
The Gentiles that were saved.
That is to put the law upon them, and the conclusion is not a new law.
He's not introducing any new or added things.
He's simply judging that The thing is not good that they have proposed, and it's very important to see that we have something to go by. We simply abide in the truth. There's no advance here. It is simply a safe conclusion according to God's mind, and I mentioned that because.
We're living in the last days and we should give no place to man introducing any new law.
Or tradition. There's no importance in any of us matters not who he is. It is a matter of abiding by what the Lord's word teaches us.
And that's in keeping with this whole context, is it not? Yes, I would say Amen to that very strongly, Brother Brown. Then isn't it important here to notice too? It's been commented as to James comments and then in that.
19th verse Here he is.
Summing up what has gone before and he says.
Wherefore my sentence is.
And he gives it. Now he doesn't call for a vote.
He doesn't call for different ones to stand up. All in favor of this, he says. My sentence is He summed it up. There's the power of the Spirit of God there. And so then we read. Then it pleased the apostles and elders with the whole church.
There was that arrived at without resorting to human means. They didn't go back like they were doing in the first chapter. The action cast lots about the matter. The spirit of God guided me.
Well, I believe that there is a power of the Spirit of God when gathered together in the assembly. The Lord is in the meds and.
There is a restraining power. I think we see it here. All these people that were contending, I doubt very much if they change their minds about it.
Because we know that it crept up afterwards.
But the Spirit of God at that time overruled.
And here James.
Gives a sentence the whole assembly accepted.
It was a deliverance that God had provided for them. We can just see God's hand in this whole program. How nicely it was settled.
60 years ago at this time.
A grave, a grave controversy.
Arose.
It might be near 70 years ago.
A very grave controversy arose touching the.
Touching the person of Christ is work among us.
And it was sponsored by some such accredited brethren.
Then it gave deep exercise to the Saints.
All over.
And some of the leading brothers in Canada and United States.
We're in a position of uncertainty.
They hardly knew they were. They wondered if these brothers to whom they'd been looking could be wrong.
00:40:03
They didn't have a settled judgment. Well, there was a conference at Toronto. This is before the day that I was with Brethren. There was a conference at Toronto.
And at this conference, a brother delivered an address, a brother well known to many of us.
Many of us older brothers.
He got up and delivered an address.
And it was so powerful.
In taking up the basic issues that were at stake in the doctrine that this man over in England was.
Trying to force on his brethren.
That address was so clear.
And powerful and of the spirit.
That the atmosphere was clarified and when that movement had spent itself in Canada and United States.
There were very few that have been carried away with Raven ISM.
Very few. And it was that brother's powerful address in the in the power of the Spirit of God that defeated Raven ISM on this side of the ocean.
Now in Speaking of the over ruling.
Power, the Spirit of God, and assembly sometimes where there has been a matter.
In an assembly, then up and it's been decided. You may afterwards hear a certain one say, well.
I I thought of this.
Should have been spoken up.
But the Spirit of God didn't allow it. We brought up I breathe. There is that.
What other errors?
I don't think you made very clear some perhaps regarding that sixth verse I've heard you speak of it. So I think I can speak for you experience that it is like what we call in our local meetings of brothers meeting that the.
Have to look into certain things and.
Bring out the facts that are to be presented to the assembly. Is that right? Well, I believe that responsible brothers should consider a matter before it is brought before the assembly. And again, I don't like to refer by names, but our brother Potter used to say that it took at least two trumpets.
To bring collect the assembly together, bring a matter before them. One trumpet wasn't enough.
One brother couldn't get up and bring a matter before the assembly took two. Well, now.
I I wouldn't call this sixth verse a brothers meeting. It's the apostles and elders, the responsible brothers.
The others perhaps were present, but the responsible brothers were the one who carried the burden of it.
Verse 22, as our brother has already read it, indicates that the church was present.
Do you think they were? They were present at? Yes. I think that was a later session. That was another session, yeah. What would make the difference in our chapter?
Lawyers or anything, the discussion of the apostles and elders seems to have preceded their gathering together in the church when the matter was brought before the whole church.
At least that's been my understanding of yes, Sir. Well, it's often been remarked the assembly is not a deliberative body. That is, it's the responsible brethren who discussed the case and.
Decide as to really what they feel is the crux of the matter.
But they don't decide it though. They bring it before the assembly, and the assembly makes the decision, but the IT isn't brought before the assembly and all its details first. It's the responsible brethren who do that.
I think sometimes that is.
Largely overlooked as to the question of the responsible ones.
00:45:01
That it isn't everyone that really has an equal voice in the matter.
And one of our brothers of a past generation, he used to several letters, I believe of his where he comments on it that it's better not to have all of them present, but more responsible wants to consider these matters.
Is that what you?
Need.
Well, they they came to the same conclusion in their message that had been suggested by James, didn't they?
It seemed good in the 28th verse.
It seemed good to the Holy Ghost.
Now, isn't that nice? The way that's put, it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, that is, they definitely felt they had the leading of the Holy Spirit.
And to us.
To lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things. And then he gives them a list.
Well, what a what a lovely picture it presents. Immunity preserved.
In a godly way and the consciences.
Carried the consciences are carried. So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch, and they gathered the multitude together and delivered the epistle. And oh, what happiness there was there, what joy there was. Another crisis was averted, and the Saints could go on now in happy liberty, both at Jerusalem and down at Antioch.
And in connection with those things that they mentioned in that 29th course, it's really not taken from the law, but goes back the time of Noah, does it not beyond the law, Yes.
Something that is always true, yes.
Well.
There are some things there in connection with that second chapter of Galatians.
Might look at unless there are some further questions. Unless I just felt as though our brother Browns remarks.
Could stand a little more emphasis.
The conclusion of the whole matter, the end of this program arrived at produced a happy state of fellowship amongst all the Saints, and if our hearts are upright, that will ever be our object. And if we wait on the Lord, he'll help us to attain it.
Well, I believe we see in this, it seems to me, the principle how that we're not to pride ourselves on our rights or our spiritual perception and ignore our brethren as a whole in a matter of this kind that there should be.
The consideration of others in these matters.
And I.
I thought that was that is noticeable in that chapter in Galatians as the Apostle Paul personally.
Someone had said that in the 15th of actually don't read of any prayer.
But I think that's a gross assumption.
I believe there was much prayer. You don't come together in a serious matter like that without waiting on the Lord.
Well, the Apostle Paul was a man of prayer. He writes a great deal about it.
And in general, when there's difficulties God word, isn't that the secret of their getting together in unity because they've all been carrying an individual exercise?
Before we go together.
00:50:03
Yeah, we'll never accomplish these things by pure human learning or logic.
And another.
Thought too, is that we're so shortsighted.
All we see is a little object right before us.
God sees it in its perspective, the whole thing. We don't know what one action today may make tomorrow.
And I trust.
The Lord's will and the Lord's glory that suck.
There must have been tremendous conviction both with what James spoke and what Peter spoke.
Because you don't find any rebuttal.
It's accepted was felt as the mouthpiece of the spirit of God.
Well, I remember reading somewhere where one of our brethren of the past generation remarked that they were thought Peter and James were very wise and they allowed the others blow off their steam first.
And I believe there is something in that, in allowing certain ones to give vent to their feelings, the Spirit of God can come in and make them ashamed of it.
Our brother Eric Smith in Bolivia told me that.
When the tendon brethren get excited about something come to him, he just sits there quietly for an hour or two and until they've blown off all her steam and he says, well brother, let's open up the scriptures and see what the Lord says about it.
Before we leave this particular subject.
I think it might be well to clarify for the sake of many that are here from small assemblies.
And emphasize what was brought out, that the 15th of Acts was a very exceptional and unusual circumstance, and furthermore it was in the very early days of the Church.
And Apostolic power was there.
But in a practical and realistic application today as to responsibility.
We would find, wouldn't we, in the Epistle to the Corinthians, for instance, that responsibility rests with the local gathering as to its own discipline.
And if that gathering feels its own weakness and inability to deal with the matter, then it may call or help from outside from an adjoining assembly. But I just didn't want to leave any impression here that it's the the purpose of scripture to have assemblies conferring back and forth in respect to arriving at a decision about a local matter that wouldn't be correctly.
No, not as to a local matter, but.
What I was seeking to emphasize is where perhaps another assembly might be involved, why one shouldn't go ahead of the other without consultation.
Where there's exercise, among others about this very same thing and a great deal of apprehension, then be wrong to say, well, haven't I got the right to do it? And go ahead and irrespective of the conscience of the brethren, as far as a purely local matter, Why, yes, The local assembly doesn't need to bring in others unless they feel their weakness and unless they may feel they have the power to act.
And sometimes there is that.
It's perfectly proper, is it not, Brother Arizona, where an assembly feels the need of help, that they appeal to another gathering for help. That's perfectly proper, isn't it? Yes, it is. But I I think we have to distinguish between. I think you've already spoken of this.
00:55:00
Certain matters are purely local and the local meeting takes care of it.
Some things that come up in assemblies and of course it has to come up somewhere locally. Everybody has a local identity if he if he hasn't, he should have.
There are some things that come up.
Where that decision is not going to be confined, just the significant significance of it is not going to be confined to that local assembly. It's a decision of such magnitude that other assemblies are going to be tremendously affected by.
So I think we should take in these, these matters into consideration in our local discussions. Well, now, how's this going to involve other gatherings?
I think there's a difference there. Your story about the Des Moines situation some years ago is a case in point.
When the amalgamation was being caught, Oh yes, yes, it wasn't the situation that only involved them on. Indeed it was not.
And wood down to this day, vital principles were at stake.
And we need to recognize and discern that.
Lest we regret they had not done so.
We have a different We have a little situation in Southern California that most places do not have.
Having five gatherings with him.
Radius of 20, radius of 25 miles. Let's say they're bound to be overlappings and people in one assembly and then in another.
And we have to be considered.
We cannot Arbor arbitrarily go up on a tangent and disregard the others.
Here in Southern California look like one large family, although there are five different meetings, different local meetings by the large family. Years ago they used to have a brothers meeting of all the gathers in London.
Weekly, but I don't advocate such a thing in Southern California, but there is that was a different situation.
That was because London was one incorporated city and we never.
We never read in scripture of the churches in a city. It's always the church in the city.
We read of Churches of Christ, but then we're talking about the Churches of Christ in Galatia, which was a province, not a city. But you never hear of churches in a city in scripture. It's just one church in one city. And the Brethren in London felt that. And I think there were 12 local gatherings in London. But when it came to questions of discipline.
Questions of any magnitude or discipline. They acted in concert and sent out the decision.
Of the Assembly in London.
But the London Brothers meeting had no authority, did it? No, it had no authority. But if they did come together.
To council.
Now here we do have this situation that there's scarcely one of the meetings here that doesn't have people living in that city that go to another meeting by reason of the ease with which they can go to the other.
So that the thing isn't as simple as it might be.
How we need to be on our guard about this.
Thanks. So Brother AC Brown, Yes.
May we say just a word that time is getting on about this second chapter.
Paul had to deal with with a situation here.
Where there was some duplicity involved on the part of those that were opposed to him.
Probably the morning being jealousy.
The fourth verse, because of false brethren unaware is brought in that came in privilege to spy out our liberty.
01:00:04
Which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into *******.
They were.
So to speak, teaming up on the apostle going to bring him into disrepute.
And.
Paul is there and the definite conviction that he has the mind of God.
And he doesn't submit for a moment.
Because the very truth of the gospel was at stake.
Well, when anything comes up worthy, the basic truth of the gospel is involved. Why? We can't expect any yielding us on a point like that, can we? No. Paul stood like adamant on it.
And.
He was able to to put them to silence. Is it not possible though Brother Brown for?
One is an individual to get an warp view of something and get it out of proportion and just think that everything depends on that. Yes, but we're speaking here the Apostle in the in the stand that he took.
This was the very gospel is at stake. There's no yielding there.
If he had given way, the gospel was gone for all of us.
What you were saying?
It was really building up a party spirit, was it not? And again, one of our departed brothers said that as to party spirits, says the party that assumes to be the godly party is the one to be feared.
Well, in connection with this, I've often thought of that second verse.
I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them the gospel which I preached among the Gentiles, but privately to them that were of repetition, lest by any means I should run, or had run in vain. I think that's important. We should check with one another that.
We are not missing the path, bringing in something perhaps that shouldn't be brought in there, he said he.
Communicated privately into them, which are reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run in vain. The Lord has provided checks for us. You know there's with Israel why I was established. You know the.
Shekel of the Sanctuary. Well, evidently that was different from what they've been used to in the ordinary life. But here is a standard within the sanctuary, which was the government.
Well.
He said he did this.
Well, sometimes people say, you know, well, if I have the Lord before me, why everything is going to be all right.
And if I have the Lord and you have the Lord, we be of one mind, but the Scripture gives us checks to to so that we might judge ourselves.
Of those things which are not of the Spirit of God, because none of us can say like the Lord said all together, that which I say unto you that I am, none of us can say that there's another important thing to brother Harrington and.
I first saw it in print. I think it's an attract by.
GV Wigram.
You can help me out on this, but he says a very significant thing there. It sounds startling when you first state it, but the more you think about it, the more you see the truth of it.
There are situations that arise among Saints where truth.
Is on one side and the Holy Spirit is on the other side.
Yes.
Well, yes, and I believe.
JND said one letter to 1 Controversy is controversy between the intelligence and the spirit.
You get a situation where.
My brother gets hold of some truth.
And it is the truth.
But he takes it to an immature company of believers.
And he he lays it out before them and they don't see it. They haven't arrived at that point yet.
01:05:06
And he just is going to thrust it down their throats. They've got to see it. And he presses it beyond their capacity to take it in. And he divides the Saints. Did he have the mind of God in that? The thing he was pressing was true, but he was pressing it beyond the capacity of those things to accept it. He he was unwilling to wait for the Spirit of God to work and bring them to see that truth.
I remember an introduct.
I'm supposed, like to say Brother Brown of the servant of the Lord who brought something to his brethren that they had never heard before, and they wouldn't receive it. So he quietly retired, and when he came over to the United States, he rode out and gave the Scriptures what he had been presenting to them Orally. He didn't sign his wrong initial. He put PM Boston, MA.
The place where I wrote it, it sounds like cross the ocean and back into their hands. They quietly open their bodies and considered the content of the paper. And the Lord opened their eyes.
Standing to receive it. So when he came home, they put their arms around him and told him that now they have 100% what he had been trying to see. Wasn't that wisdom. Indeed it wasn't.
I believe it's what you say is very important, Brother Brown, and I think we have to take in consideration you were speaking about these people.
Immature, and this being pressed upon them, we have to.
Consideration that especially in dealing with different nationalities that although approach the problems alike. I've noticed that say in England, why they don't approach the problem the same way that we would. And then when you get into a different language, why there is entirely a different way of expressing things and we have to be very careful as to what is pressed.
How about that, Brother Ramon? That's correct.
I believe that.
Mr. Darby, and speaking about the image that in Daniel, you know that.
The faith and all their clothes. The toes were composed of iron and clay and didn't mix.
Well, he made a remark. He says that perhaps, maybe the difference between the Latins and the tools, they don't think alike.
Well, there is a different way of approaching things and we have to be very careful as to what we press and what we the taste the time may not be right for.
Can I ask a question? A reference has been made to a party spirit.
Now might be helpful to enlarge a little bit on just what is meant by a party spirit.
Now, we certainly get it in First Corinthians, don't you?
First Corinthians, the first chapter and get.
Party spirit.
And Paul's estimate on it.
First chapter, First Corinthians in the 11Th verse.
Well, the 10th verse. Now I beseech you bread, and by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the House of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that everyone of you, Seth, I'm appalled.
I have a power. I have steepest. I have Christ.
As Christ divided was all crucified for you.
Were you baptized in the name of Paul?
Now in the.
01:10:02
In the 4th chapter.
And the third verse.
But with me it's a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or man's judgment, or man's day. Yeah, judge not my known self. I know nothing against myself, yet am I not hereby justified. But he that judges me as the Lord, therefore 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 counsel of the heart. And then shall every man have praise of God.
And these things, Brennan, are having a figure transferred to myself, into Apollo for your sake.
That you might learn in us not to think above that which is written.
That no one of you might be pumped up for one against another.
Well, the the farming of a party.
For the Saints to form a party is a simple thing to do.
And for the individual to allow himself to be the head of that party is a sinful thing to do.
Now I sometimes question, I'm glad for a little help on this, but I sometimes questioned if those names that Paul uses in that 12Th chapter were the real names that were at stake.
But he he used them so as not to expose those local brothers that were guilty. So he uses those names because he says I haven't a figure transferred to myself in the policy. But that's only just a suggestion. Well, I think what you referred to in that 4th chapter.
Seems to bear that out.
And the parties here in Corinth.
Had not actually gotten to the point where they were divided, that is, physically they were. It was clicks among them all. Rally around the certain brothers for a certain truth and say, well, I like this brother's ministry. I want to follow him and I like another person. I like that brother. Way of putting things, we follow him.
Well, that, I believe, is the spirit of what we have here in corn.
And that connection there is a difficulty came up in our local gathering back home over 20 years ago.
Later ended in fact that there was a small division affected a number of gatherings and it was quite an exercise to 1 individually at the time.
I remember.
Reading and the writings of a brother who's already been quoted, one with much value and years gone by among us. If I remember the words correctly, he said this.
Of no party spirit will I have anything to do save to reject it, so we do should seek to.
Avoid being drawn into taking sides that shouldn't We are into our in any way of becoming part of a party or a spirit of division amongst the Saints. Do we have a? Do we have a proper conduct set before us in Romans 1617 as to.
Our behavior regarding.
Party, spirit or division?
Romans 1617 Now beseech you, brethren, mock them.
Which caused divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them.
The next verse two, brother. For they that are sex serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by good work and fair speeches deceived the hearts of the simple.
It's been a long short of assembly discipline, yes.
It's individual responsibility if you see a brother going on forming a party.
Spreading error, or whatever it may be to avoid that might be a later development from what we've been considering in in the fiscal for the Corinthians.
Speaking of them not dividing yet in quarantine, there's one verse that clears that up. When you come together in one place, they all came together in one place to remember the law.
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They were just the spirit that prevailed when they were there.
And there was the clicks. There the rich were to themselves, and the poor to themselves.
Seems to be quite natural.
To have little factions developed amongst the Saints.
Factions and also.
To have, as it were, champions.
The Saints very readily have their favorites.
And they line up as it were.
Relative to their champion, their favorites.
And it makes the faction and the apostle says in First Corinthians 3 verse 3.
For ye are yet carnal.
For whereas there is among you envying and stride and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men, it's the state.
Of not being really spiritual and having a heart for all.
Well, the instructions that Timothy was to do nothing by.
Prejudice or partiality, I believe is the way it's rendered in New Translation, First Timothy 521.
Very important verse, yes, and it's a very difficult thing to steer through between the two.
And our verses six. I think it is their chapter in Galatians. Or maybe it isn't six. Let us look at it.
Yes, verse 6.
But of those who seemed to?
Be somewhat.
Whatever they were, it maketh no matter to me.
Now notice this. God accepted no man's person.
Now I think that is repeated in the word of God quite a few times, and that God is no respecter of persons. There is a tendency.
To be influenced by influential person, and I believe that the soul is going along with the Lord, that they will be freed from any undue influence by influential persons. Now I do not want to try to disparage those that may be properly.
Influential.
That we ought not to drop down to that low level of being swayed by merely influential persons with his true brother Brown. The opposite is true of refusing out of out of sheer prejudice, refusing anything from someone that we don't like. That's serious. I know Brother McMillan was telling me about a case that he knew.
Over in Ireland, I think it was when we had some meetings over there.
This a local matter was coming up, it was very critical and the Saints were divided over and they asked that brother what side he was going to take.
And he says I'm going to wait and see which side brother so and so takes, and I'm going to take the opposite.
Now that is an awful spirit.
And yet that that's what the man said.
Carnality. Carnality.
Another said on another occasion. I'm not taking any sides, but I'm simply waiting on the Lord to see what he's going to do.
But what is the apostle say about those like one brother, one type of ministry of more than another?
Places. They're all yours.
When the Power received us, whatever, they're all here. Then what? Why settle for any less than all?
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188.

3 John