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It is not for us to set out a catalogue of the failures of others, but we would earnestly
plead with all who have realized the sacredness of a rightly-divided word of Truth to
realize also the sacredness of a rightly-divided Church. Failure to discriminate, in a child
of God, is a serious error, doubly so if that child of God is a leader of others. No wonder
James said:--
"My brethren, be not many teachers,. Knowing that we shall receive the greater
judgment" (James 3: 1).
Look at the prayer which the apostle prayed for that Church which he taught to press
on for the prize:--
"And this I pray, that your LOVE may abound more and more in knowledge and in all
DISCERNMENT; that ye may try the things that differ; so that you may be sincere and
without offence till the day of Christ" (Phil. 1: 9, 10).
The scriptural conception of love here is no mere sentiment, it abounds not merely in
affection and kindness and "bowels and mercies", but in "knowledge" and in all
"discernment", it quickens the perceptions, it makes us more sensitive to that which is for
and against Christ. The discernment vitally influences the future, it is the only safe path
of sincerity and inoffensiveness in the day of Christ.
There is a distinct connection between a rightly-divided Word and a discrimination
between the world and the Church, the flesh and the spirit. It would be better for some
not to have learned of "heavenly places in Christ Jesus" if they are not going to "set their
mind on things that are above", and have "no confidence in the flesh". The days into
which we are entering are defined by the Spirit as "perilous times", and we must not
hesitate to "warn" because some will consider that we are "troublers of Israel". May all
unite together to make a clear uncompromising loving testimony to the truth given to us,
before the days of our testimony be numbered.
"That He might be just."
(Rom. 3: 26).
pp. 76 - 79
Unless we had previously given attention to the subject, we should probably follow
the usual error of thinking of the gospel first of all in terms of blessing to ourselves.
What is the gospel? God's good news concerning OUR forgiveness, OUR salvation,
Christ's death for OUR redemption--something like this arises to the mind at once; yet
though this attitude is natural, it is hardly scriptural. Look at Rom. 1: 1-4; there the
gospel of God is defined as "concerning His Son", and nothing beyond "His Son" is
mentioned in verses 3 and 4. That is God's definition of the gospel, its saving power to
those who believe is one of its applications--but it is not the first, or most important,
feature.