Part 5.
In the 1st of Philippians we read, “increasing in the full knowledge of God,” we are enabled to distinguish the things that differ. That is only found and had by going on in communion with God, seeking His mind as revealed in His Word. Discerning the path of separation is dependent upon a state of soul.
Look at Mal. 3. Malachi was written at a time when the returned remnant of Judah who came back under Ezra and Nehemiah had fallen into confusion and sin and worldliness; they were even saying, as we see in the 1st chapter and the 7th verse:
“Ye offer polluted bread upon Mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted Thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.” And further down in the 12th verse.
“But ye have profaned it in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even His meat is contemptible.”
They had sunk so low that they even despised the table of the Lord. That was the condition in which the returned remnant found themselves at the time Malachi prophesied.
Now in the 3rd chapter, notice this precious little remnant:
“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth Him not.”
It takes state of soul to be able to discern what is of God and what is of man. No question but that the great bulk of those in Malachi’s day despised that little remnant; they were small and weak, but what characterized them was, that they feared the Lord and thought upon His name. When the Lord Jesus was born into this world that little remnant were not surprised. They were still going on, a poor remnant, but when the Lord was born in Bethlehem, and when He was presented in Jerusalem in the temple as a little babe, you will find the remnant knew about it. They had that discernment that came from going on with the mind of God.
Dear friends, is this worthwhile? is it worthwhile in a day of confusion and brokenness to try to find the mind of God?
In closing I want to call your attention to a scripture in the 28th of Job, 7th verse:
There is that path, no fowl knows it; the keenest eye or intelligence cannot see it. The vulture (unclean bird) cannot find it—discern it—and the fierce lion doesn’t know it. Strength and energy of nature can never find it. Look down at the end of the chapter, 23rd verse:
“God understandeth the way thereof, and He knoweth the place thereof. For He looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; To make the weight for the winds; and He weigheth the waters by measure. When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: Then did He see it, and declare it; He prepared it, yea, and seached it out. And unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Job 28:23-2823God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. 24For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; 25To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. 26When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: 27Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. 28And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. (Job 28:23‑28). There is the secret of discerning that pathway.
Most of you here this afternoon are younger folks. Some of us who are older, have the greater part of the journey behind us. With you, if our Lord tarries, and you are spared, the greater part of your journey lies ahead. Your life is going to be seriously affected by what value, or lack of it, you place on the line of truth we are having this afternoon: the truth of Christ and the Church. Are you going to drift with the tide? fall in and resign yourself to a path of denial of the precious truth revealed in connection with the Church of God?
Dear young people, let me exhort you in closing, it is worth the sacrifice, worth real effort and purpose of heart to get the mind of Christ as to that path through the confusion of Christendom. There is that path; there must be that path. God wouldn’t leave us without a path through. The 6th of Jeremiah tells us how to find that path; 16th verse:
“Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the way, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:1616Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. (Jeremiah 6:16).
Young Christian, notice that verse; don’t forget it. Memorize it now, where it is in your Bible, so that if I ask you at the close, where is that last verse we read, you can tell me—Jeremiah 6:1616Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. (Jeremiah 6:16),
“Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”
There is a path through the confusion. The Church is dear to the heart of Christ; the truth never changes.
One of these days we are going to hear that assembling shout, and we are going to find ourselves in His presence, and how glad we will be—how thankful we shall be—that we sought to walk in that path of separation; that we were in the secret of Christ; that we had the mind of Christ; that we sought with a pure heart, a sincere heart, to find that path that pleased Him. It is worthwhile dear young soul. It has its difficulties. It is a trying path in many ways, but it has compensation; remember that. I can say for one, that I sought, through God’s grace, to find that pathway, for over thirty years. I want to tell you, I have never regretted for five minutes that I sought grace to go on in it. I thank Him for it, for His keeping power, and I need it for the rest of the journey; and we all need it. Who knows that before we come together again as we are here, if another year rolls by and we come together again, who knows how many of us may have missed the path, been thrown into confusion, drawn away from that precious place: Christ the Center in the midst of the two or three gathered to His blessed name.
“Head of the Church, Thy body,
O Christ, the great Salvation!
Sweet to the saints It is to think
Of all Thine exaltation!
“All power’s to Thee committed,
All power on earth, in heaven;
To Thee a name
Of widest fame
Above all glory’s given.
“With Thee, believers raised, In
Thee on high are seated;
All guilty once,
But cleared by Thee;
Redemption toil’s completed.
“And when Thou, Lord and Savior,
Shalt come again in glory,
There, by Thy side,
Thy spotless bride
Shall crown the wondrous story.
“At length the final kingdom
No bound, no end possessing;
When heaven and earth—
God all in all
Shall fill with largest blessing.
“All root of evil banished,
No breath of sin to wither,
On earth—on high—
Naught else but joy,
And blissful peace forever!”
(Concluded)