"Although a man may be truly a Christian, yet the flesh always remains in him, which is just as ready to show itself in the assembly as in the world." ( J. N. D.)
"The comfort is that God's truth abides, and surely He will sustain and bless every soul that humbly seeks, in dependence upon Himself, to walk according to it, while He encourages and helps those who together seek to call upon the Lord out of a pure heart. It is in vain that we complain of the faults of others, seeking in this way to account for the failure and disorder, which we would fain remedy, but the seeds of which are in our own individual hearts. The book of Job may well serve as a warning in this respect. The most righteous man, (and God bore witness to him as such), a man who was not a Pharisee, but habitually used language that no Pharisee would use — when put into the crucible, was found to be secretly clinging to a testimony from his fellows, which he knew in his heart would not avail him before God. And is there not in every heart a lurking root of self- confidence, a hankering after satisfaction to be derived from comparing ourselves with others, with the conviction that the comparison will turn out to our advantage, God Himself being the Judge? He who through God's grace could say, in the midst of his bitter trial, 'I know that my Redeemer liveth,' was brought to say at the end of it, 'Now mine eye seeth Thee, wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.' If that were our state there would be an end to seeking applause from others.
"As with Job, so it is with us. In the path of self-judgment and true contrition, bearing on our hearts the ruin of the Church, will be found the divine remedy for the evils which we deplore; not that Scripture warrants our expecting extensive or brilliant results, but faith counts on God to own and bless His word, and those who do His will in obeying it.
"The question is, Are the principles and order of the House of God, as given in Scripture to be complied with? If not, how can there be for Christ's glory any true collective answer to the grace of Him who died to save us, and who builds the House for His Father — the House which, He calls 'My church?' Holiness becomes that House forever. Is Holiness to be maintained or not?
"Surely if we know ourselves at all, we must be conscious of a secret dislike to discipline, when we ourselves become amenable to it. The natural heart will ever be ready to exercise it upon a defaulter, even going so far as to take the law into one's own hand, but our ill-adjusted balances provide excuses for ourselves; and resistance to authority, whether active or passive, is none the less real for being unavowed.
"Did the flesh not exist in us, there would be no difficulty. But there it is, and ever will be as long as we remain on earth. Who can truly say I am free from it? We are swift to detect it in others, and would fain offer to relieve our brother's eye of the moat we think we see there, forgetful of the beam that is in our own eye. Intelligent, godly young Christians are almost sure to err on this side. One of the most painful things in a Christian assembly is a strong-willed man who lacks the experience furnished by mature age, and yet takes upon himself to set his brethren right in doctrines, principles and practice, as if he alone were the defender of the faith. 'Not a novice' was Paul's warning to Timothy; and surely we do well to heed it. (1 Tim. 3:66Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:6).)
"Another difficulty, common amongst older men, is a repugnance to obey the Scripture when disciplinary action is called for, as in Corinth. This may arise from the remembrance of past personal failure, or from a lively sense of the feeble moral condition of those called upon to exercise it in obedience to the Lord. 1 Cor. 5. The case of Corinth, gross as it was, is full of instruction in this respect. May we not safely say that had the apostle not written to them, they never would have acted at all? His care, as both Epistles prove, was the state of the whole assembly and the due exercise of every conscience within it. Does not God permit evils of this kind and the trials they lead to, in order to raise the moral tone of those who may, unbeknown to themselves, be quietly gliding down the stream of worldliness and indifference to Christ's claims?
"It is easy to seek to get rid of responsibility by crying out against the failures of those who seek in the main to carry it out in obedience to the Lord, and in dependence on Him; hut this is not the path of faith, nor one in which we may expect to find the Lord's support." (W. J. L. 1904.)
True service, as well as rule, is founded on love; and the love of the servant flows from that of the Savior. But self needs to be judged in its pride, vanity, and worthlessness, in order that love may be divine and true.
Men soon perverted service into lordship, though our Lord took pains to anticipate and warn of the danger, and to implant the principles of grace which is suited if held in faith to guard from ill and form the heart according to God. So bold and inveterate was this evil that it followed the apostles themselves up to the last Passover and the Lord's Supper. "There was also a contention among them which is accounted the greater. And he said to them, The kings of the Gentiles have lordship over them; and they that have authority over them are called benefactors. But ye shall be not so; but he that is greater among you, let him become as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that cloth serve."
"Tend the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not by necessity but willingly."
Of another danger we are warned; "Nor as lording it over your allotments, but becoming models of the flock." (W. K.)
"There are rare and precious services to be rendered by the obedient one—services which can only be rendered by such, and which owe all their preciousness to there being the fruit of simple obedience. True, they may not find a place in the public records of man's bustling activity; but they are recorded on high, and they will be published at the right time. Heaven will be the safest and happiest place to hear all about our work down here. May we remember this, and pursue our way, in all simplicity, looking to Christ for guidance, power, and blessing. May we not be found looking askance to catch the approving look of a poor mortal whose breath is in his nostrils, nor sigh to find our names amid the glittering record of the great men of the age. The servant of Christ should look far beyond all such things. The grand business of the servant is to obey. His object should not be to do a great deal, but simply to do what he is told. This makes all plain; and, moreover, it will make the Bible precious as the depository of the Master's will to which he must continually betake himself to know what he is to do, and how he is to do it. Neither tradition, nor expediency will do for the servant of Christ. The all-important inquiry is, 'What saith the scriptures?' This settles everything. From the decision of the word of God there must be no appeal. When God speaks, man must bow. It is not by any means a question of obstinate adherence to a man's own notions. Quite the opposite. It is a reverent adherence to the word of God. Let the reader distinctly mark this. It often happens that, when one is determined through grace, to abide by scripture, he will be pronounced dogmatic, intolerant and imperious; and, no doubt, one has to watch over his temper, spirit, and style, even when seeking to abide by the word of God. But be it well remembered that obedience to Christ's commandments is the opposite of imperiousness, dogmatism, and intolerance. It is not a little strange that when a man tamely consents to place his conscience in the keeping of his fellow, and to bow down his understanding to the opinions of men, he is considered meek, modest, and liberal; but let him reverently bow to the authority of the holy scripture, and he will be looked upon as self-confident, dogmatic, and narrow-minded. Be it so. The time is rapidly approaching when obedience shall be called by its right name, and meet its recognition and reward. For that moment the faithful must be content to wait, and, while waiting for it, be quite satisfied to let men call them whatever they please. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.' (Psa. 94:1111The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. (Psalm 94:11).) 'Study to show thyself approved unto God.' (2 Tim. 2:1515Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15).) ("The Remembrancer.")