No. 1.
NOTHING is more contrary to the Divine mind than carelessness or indifference in the things of Christ. Decision has always marked the Spirit’s teaching. In the days of Moses, the Lord spake, saying, “I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy ... for I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44, 4544For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 45For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44‑45)): and in the Lord’s last letter to the churches, He plainly shows His abhorrence of a lukewarm spirit, and an undecided state of heart. “Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth.” (Rev. 3:1616So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:16).) This solemn sentence should awaken in our souls deep concern, as to whether His all-seeing eye discerns luke-warmness or indifference in us, and also stimulate us afresh to ponder those Scriptures which open up the state of heart, and character of walk, that become us as children of God. May we be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to deal faithfully and unsparingly with ourselves under the keen edge of the word of God!
First of all, it is of the deepest importance that we begin within. The self-righteous spirit is generally occupied with thoughts of what we are outwardly in the sight of those around; but, in the presence of God, we feel that the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh at the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart, yea, that He searcheth the heart and says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life,” (Prov. 4:23,23Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)) and “To this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at My word.” (Is. 66:2.) David seems to have felt this, when he said, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” (Psa. 51:1717The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Psalm 51:17).) Paul also, by the Spirit, says to us, “Set your affections on things above, and not on things on the earth; for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.” (Col. 3:2-42Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:2‑4)) It is this matter of self-consecration to God that is of the first importance; outward things will readily fall into their proper places when the heart is fresh, and fervent, and unreservedly dedicated to its rightful Owner. But, perhaps, some poor trembling child of God says, How can I be brought into this state? By what power can this heart of mine be brought into such happy subjection, and willing obedience to God? Certainly not by our own efforts. Self can never rise above the earth; fleshly energy has no power in spiritual things. The power of the Spirit, by commending the love of God to us, and shedding abroad this love in our hearts, alone can accomplish it; for “we love Him, because He first loved us.” God alone then, by the power of His wondrous grace, can melt our hearts, call our affections upward, and set them on things above. Hence we sometimes sing,
“Take Thou my heart, and let it be,
Forever clos’d to all but Thee;
Thy willing servant—let me wear
The seal of love forever there.”
It is in Christ alone that our hearts really find a satisfying portion; and, dwelling in His love, we each can truly say, “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, yea, I have a goodly heritage.” Self has no place in pure and undefiled religion. “Christ pleased not Himself.” We are not brought into blessing and privilege by works of righteousness that we have done. We were slaves to sin and Satan, but we have been made free, and have become the property of another; whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. We are the Lord’s; our spirits, and our bodies are His, for He has purchased us with His own blood. This, realized in our souls, is the spring of all decision and steadfastness in the ways of God. To halt here will make us lukewarm indeed; we shall neither stand out boldly for Christ, nor for the world. Let us beware of unbelief, as to what God has done for us in Christ. The word of God stands forever. How tenderly He speaks: “When I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee, in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee, in thy blood, Live ... Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness; yea, I aware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord, and thou becamest Mine.” (Ezek. 16.) Yes, beloved, we are His, and He is a jealous God. We are not our own, but bought with a price, therefore, says the Apostle, glorify God in your bodies, and in your spirits, which are His. We are not to seek our own things, but Christ’s; not to please men, but God; not to glory in the flesh, but to glory in the Lord.
Ah, beloved, let us remember that all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do, that he weigheth the spirits, and understandeth our thoughts afar off. Have we thought enough of this? Do we sufficiently consider that our spirits are not our own? How is it with us now, beloved? What has occupied our spirits the last hour? Have our thoughts been about the Lamb of God, His sufferings, death, and glory? Have our affections been where Christ sitteth? Hath our purpose of heart been more than ever to cleave unto the Lord? Has our single object been to exalt Christ? Have we been desiring to know Him and the power of His resurrection? Have we been aiming to please God? Have we been serving the Lord Christ? Our spirits are not our own but His, and He hath, in wondrous grace, made us a spiritual priesthood, that we should offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Dear brethren, let us search and try our hearts, and turn again to the Lord! Let us be real! Let us deal honestly with ourselves before the Lord! No thought can be withholden from Him. He may call us to cut off a right arm, or to pluck out a right eye, if for our real good, and His own glory. Oh, do not let us flatter ourselves in our own eyes, as if God did not fully see every unsubdued working of pride, lust, love of money, covetousness, revenge, dishonesty, or “an evil eye.” If these weeds, which war against the soul, are allowed to grow, they will choke the word of God, and hinder fruit-bearing. All their evil roots are still within, for sin dwelleth in us; but by communion with the Lord, and feeding on His flesh and blood, we shall have dominion over these fleshly lusts, we shall be able to cast down imaginations, and the thoughts which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, we shall be able to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and feel that we have not in vain cried,
“Lord! let thy grace, with sweet control,
Bind every feeling of my soul;
Bid all its vanities depart,
And ever sway my wayward heart.”