Grace Gems for JULY 2005

Grace Gems for JULY 2005 Like a ball and chain around his ankle! (John Angell James, "Christian Progress" 1853) "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin which so easily besets you." Hebrews 12:1 Besetting sins are powerful hindrances to Christian progress. In the case of most people, there is some one sin to which, either from their situation, taste, constitution, or other circumstances—they are more powerfully tempted than to others. Satan knows very well what in every case this is, and skillfully adapts his temptations to it. He is an expert angler, and never chooses his bait, or throws his line, at random! Independently, however, of him, the very tendency of the heart is in that direction. That one sin, whatever it is, while indulged, will hold you back! You cannot make progress in holiness, until it is mortified. Even its partial indulgence, though it may be considerably weakened, will hinder you! Study then your situation, circumstances, and constitution. You cannot be ignorant which temptation and sin, you are most liable to succumb to. You must know in what way you have most frequently wounded your conscience, and occasioned to yourself shame and sorrow. Is it an unsanctified temper? Is it an impure imagination? Is it a proud heart? Is it a vain mind? Is it a taste for worldly company? Is it a proneness to envy and jealousy? Is it a love of money? Is it a tendency to exaggeration in speech? Is it a fondness for pleasure? Is it a disposition to censoriousness and backbiting? Study yourselves! Examine your own heart! You must find out this matter, and it requires no great pains in order to know it. It floats upon the surface of the heart, and does not lie hidden in its depths. There, there, is your danger! As long as that one sin, be it what it may, is indulged, you cannot advance in the Christian life! Other sins are like unnecessary clothing to the racer. Besetting sins are like a ball and chain around his ankle! Is this your religion? (John Angell James, "Christian Love") "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing!" 1 Corinthians 13:2 LOVE is a grace which many professing Christians think far too little about; but it is of infinite value in the eyes of God. Love is the most characteristic feature of Christ's image in a renewed man. Love is the most precious fruit of grace; and yet the fruit which too many of His professed followers seem to think themselves hardly under any obligation to cultivate. Christian love is that benevolent disposition or kindness, which consists in good-will to all creatures, and which leads us, as we have opportunity, to promote their happiness. The apostle has given us a description of the exercises of this noble and god-like principle. "Love is patient" and forbearing under injuries and annoyances—and does not revile, revenge, or retaliate. "Love is kind," not harsh or crude—but ever ready, willing, and pleased by looks, words, and actions, to promote the comfort of others. "Love does not envy." It does not pine and grieve at the sight of another's superior possessions, fame, happiness, or piety—and dislike him on that account. "Love does not boast. Love is not proud." It neither boasts its own gifts, achievements, and possessions, nor despises others, nor makes insulting comparisons —but is humble and gentle. "Love does not behave unseemly." It modestly keeps its place, and does nothing to offend by what is unfitting its rank, station, or circumstances. "Love seeks not her own." It does not selfishly want to have its own way, or promote its own interest—to the neglect of others. "Love is not easily provoked." It governs its temper, controls its passions, and is not soon or unreasonably irritable or petulant. "Love thinks no evil." It is not censorious, nor forward to impute a bad motive to a doubtful action—but is disposed to put the best construction on the actions and words of others. "Love rejoices not in iniquity—but rejoices in the truth." It does not delight in the sins—but in the excellences of an opponent. "Love bears (or covers) all things." It does not divulge, proclaim, aggravate faults—but hides them as far as it can, and it is right to do so. "Love believes all things," that are to the advantage of another. "Love hopes all things," where there is not sufficient evidence to authorize belief. "Love endures all things," bears hardships, sustains labor, makes sacrifices—in order to accomplish its purposes of good-will. Such is love in exercise and act. This is benevolence —this is a regard to the happiness of others. Whoever acts thus, must promote happiness. He must bless all around him. All things smile in his presence. Beautiful description! Heavenly temper! Godlike mind! Now, dear friends, look at love! Gaze upon . . . its lovely form, its beautiful countenance, its graceful actings. Observe its seraphic glow, its divine temper, until you are all enamored with its charms. But look at it not only as something to be admired—but to be possessed and practiced. Unless this is your temperament, you are not Christians. I do not say you cannot be Christians unless you have love in perfection. But you must have the principle of love, and must be living in its exercise. You are Christians no further than you live under its influence. No matter what knowledge you may have of the doctrines of the gospel; what seeming faith you may possess; what zeal you may manifest; what liberality you may exercise; what regularity, and punctuality in attendance upon the means of grace, you may maintain—if love is lacking, all this is of no avail. Nothing can be a substitute for love. Christianity is love . . . not a slavish attendance on ceremonies; not receiving the sacraments; not zeal for orthodoxy; not a form of church government; not belonging to any particular church. God's eternal thoughts and purposes in election, Christ's redeeming work upon the cross, the Spirit's omnipotent agency in regeneration, are not merely to bring us under a particular ecclesiastical regimen—but to deliver us from the dominion of selfishness, and place us under the reign of love—and thus make us like God! If an individual is destitute of love, he has no saving religion. He may be zealous for the forms of Christianity, but he is destitute of its living spirit. And now, my dear friends, let me entreat you to examine yourselves concerning this great essential of the Christian character. Are you experimentally acquainted with this disposition? Is this your religion? Is your temperament thus molded? Is that one word 'love' characteristic of your spirit? Has God's love to you, changed you into its own likeness? Do you know what it is to have pride, passion, envy, malice, selfishness—subdued, repressed, resisted—by a meek, gentle, lowly, forgiving, forbearing, generous, self-denying temper? Are the harshness, hardness, asperity of the fallen nature, displaced by the softness, sweetness, and kindness of true love? They shall not swoon, nor halt, nor turn back (John Angell James) How full of encouragement is the language of the prophet Isaiah, "But those who hope in the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31 This beautiful passage contains a promise of continued supplies of grace and strength to all who really desire to serve the Lord with integrity and simplicity. In the image of the eagle, the prophet alludes to the strength of wing and of vision possessed by this noble bird—whereby it ascends to a lofty height, untired and undazzled—soaring even above the fogs and mists of the lower regions of the air, mounting above the very clouds, undeterred by the lightning, and floating in the pure azure above! Thus shall all who hope in the Lord rise higher and higher, upon the mighty wings of strong devotion, and with the unblinking eye of faith—into the regions of heavenly mindedness; and shall approach nearer and nearer to God—the sun of our spiritual day. "They will run" in the heavenly race, for the crown of immortal glory, "and not grow weary." Their strength, instead of being exhausted, shall, contrary to what occurs in bodily effort—be increased by exertion. No length nor greatness of labor shall be too much for them. God shall pour into their souls, fresh energy for every fresh effort. "They will walk and not be faint." Their pilgrimage may be arduous; the road may be long and rugged; often up steep ascents, and down into deep and rocky crags, where every step is a labor—but they shall not lose heart or hope; they shall not swoon, nor halt, nor turn back—but go forwards, sustained by a power greater than their own! Dethroned—but not destroyed! (John Angell James, "Christian Progress" 1853) "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." Romans 7:18 A Christian is truly regenerated—but at the same time only partially sanctified. Sin is dethroned—but not destroyed! His predominant taste and disposition are holy— but godly principles may not yet have struck their roots very deep into his soul. His holy purposes are somewhat vacillating, and his inclinations to evil sometimes strong. We have the burden of our fleshly corruptions to carry, which without great labor and effort, will sadly retard us in our Christian lives. We are like a traveler who is on a smooth road, has fine weather, is intimately acquainted with the way, and has agreeable and helpful companions—but who at the same time is very lame, or has a load to carry. His lameness or his load will be a great delay to him. His attention must be directed to these things. He must cure the one or lighten the other, or he will make slow progress. A poor, weak, and trembling creature (John Angell James, "Christian Progress" 1853) "He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart." Isaiah 40:11 Dwell upon the love and tenderness of our Lord Jesus! Notice who are the objects of His care—"the lambs," which means not only those of tender age—but also those who have been newly converted; those who are young in Christian experience; and also those whose temperament is naturally timid, whose strength is feeble, and whose danger is great. Yes, you are the objects of Christ's special attention, care, and solicitude! You are those whom He takes up in the arms of His power—and lays on the bosom of His love! He knows . . . your weakness, your timidity, your dangers! He will exert for you . . . His tenderest sympathy, His greatest vigilance, His mightiest power. This expression however not only conveys the idea of great care of the weak—but the exercise of that care with a view to their preservation and growth. It means not only that He cordially receives them, will provide for their safety, be concerned for their comfort, and will accommodate His conduct to their needs—but He will also nourish them through their infant existence, and raise them up to maturity and strength. Let every lamb of the flock of Christ, therefore, go to Him by faith and prayer, and say, "Blessed Jesus, I come to you as a poor, weak, and trembling creature, doubtful of my own continuance, and alarmed at my numerous difficulties and enemies. I am but a lamb, and often fear I shall never be anything better. But was it not in regard to such weakness that You have been pleased to utter these gracious and tender words? I flee to you as the helpless lamb to its shepherd—when hungry, to feed it—or when pursued by wild beasts, that he may defend it. Lord, take me in the arms of Your power and lay me on the bosom of Your love—though I am so poor and helpless a creature. I will hope in your nurturing power and love, that I shall continue to grow, and that You will one day rejoice in me, as one of the flock which You have purchased with Your own blood!" This pleasure-loving, pleasure-seeking, and pleasure-inventing age (John Angell James, "HINDRANCES to Christian Progress") A taste for worldly amusements will inevitably prove, wherever it is indulged—a powerful obstacle to growth in grace. Man is unquestionably made for enjoyment. He has a capacity for bliss—an instinctive appetite for gratification; and for this, God has made ample provision of a healthful and lawful kind. But "a taste for worldly pleasure" means that this God-given capacity is directed to wrong sources, or carried to an excess. Now there are some amusements which in their very nature are so utterly incompatible with true godliness, that a liking for them, and a hankering after them, and especially an indulgence in them—cannot exist with real, earnest, and serious piety. The dissolute parties of the glutton and the drunkard; the fervency for the gambling-table; the pleasures of the race-course; the performances of the theater—are all of this kind. A taste for them is utterly uncongenial with a spirit of godliness! So is a love for the gay and fashionable entertainments of the ball-room, and the wanton parties of the upper classes. These are all unfriendly to true religion, and are usually renounced by people intent upon the momentous concerns of eternity. We would not doom to perdition, all who are at any time found in this round of worldly pleasure—but we unhesitatingly say, that a taste for them is entirely opposed to the whole spirit of Christianity! They are all included in that "world" which is overcome by faith and the new birth. True religion is, though a happy, a very serious thing—and can no more live and flourish in the uncongenial atmosphere of those parties, than could a young tender plant survive, if brought

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Grace Gems for JULY 2005

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