Practical Religion.
Zion's Advocate, September 1901, Vol. 40, No. 9, Part 1.
It is a good thing to be established in the doctrine. If one is unstable he is liable to be carried about by winds of false doctrine, which will prove destructive to his real happiness and distressing to his brethren. But it is also good to be actively engaged in the practice that is enjoined upon us in the word of God. Did you ever observe how much of that good book is devoted to exhortations to duty? This shows the importance of obedience. Paul exhorts to steadfastness, saying, "Be ye steadfast, unmovable, " but he adds to this, "always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain."In treating this interesting and important subject we wish to consider, first, its use in the christian system.
1. It serves as an adornment to the profession of christianity, as a becoming accompaniment to the doctrine of grace which is implanted in the heart by the Spirit of God. Paul said to Titus, "But speak thou the things that become sound doctrine." Titus 2: 1. The Apostle here admonishes Titus to instruct the Lords people how to live so that their conduct will become the sound doctrine taught them in their experience. Obedience is very becoming to the doctrine and the profession made by those who believe it. When we see a garment on a person that looks well, and we think the person looks well wearing the garment, we say the garment becomes the person. How becoming it is to see a child of God step forward in his holy service! Nothing is more beautiful to behold than a sincere, devoted one putting on the garment of service in the act of baptism and rising from the watery grave to walk a new life. Such a one will never look well in any other service than that which the Lord has commanded, and the more faithful he walks in the commandments of the Lord the better he will look. How ugly he does appear in the filthy garments of impiety, living after the flesh and walking in the ways of the world! Such a course is so very unbecoming! James says, "if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in the glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." James 1:23, 24. In beholding himself he sees his unbecoming attire, but not changing it, and neglecting to look in the glass, he soon forgets how ugly his garment of disobedience is. If such a one could only be induced to look at himself as he is, and see the unbecoming robe of disobedience he is wearing, surely he would desire to be stripped of the filthy garment and to be clothed with the beautiful dress of a godly life.
Let it be understood that we are not referring to the washing of regeneration, by which the soul is washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. We are as passive in this as we were in the formation of our natural existence. We are not now considering that gracious, sovereign work by which our eyes are opened and our ears are unstopped, and by which we receive the gift of eternal life. We are considering the duties of such as have been thus changed - such as have been created in Christ Jesus unto good works, ordained by the Lord, for them to walk in. That these good works are beautiful we have the testimony of Gods word, and the additional, personal testimony of every child of God. Do you not love to see christian people live right? Are not those who appear to live the nearest right the most lovely to you? We were recently in an orchard of fruit trees. We saw some trees loaded with beautiful fruit, and we were made to exclaim, How beautiful those trees look! What a contrast there was between them and some that bore little or no fruit! It is true that christians possess the fruits of faith and love and hope, but these exist in the heart and are made manifest only by the visible fruits of a pious walk and a godly conversation. The more abundant these visible fruits are, the more beautiful appear the trees of righteousness which the Lord has planted. The grace of God teaches his dear children that they should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world.
2. Obedience to the Lord, when rendered by those who really love him, brings a sweet rest to the obedient ones. We have this promise from Jesus himself, "Ye shall find rest to your souls." Every truly obedient child of God is ready to admit the fulfillment of this promise. That rest affords a peace and joy of which the world is totally ignorant and to which those who live in disobedience are strangers. How happy indeed are they who their Saviour obey! The sweet comfort and peace of such can never be expressed by mortal tongue or described by human pen. A feeling sense of the Lords approving smiles and sweet presence produces a gladness that the world can neither give nor take away. This is the privilege of every child of God. "Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." - James 1:25. "More needful this than glittering wealth, Or aught the world bestows; Not reputation, food, nor health, Can give us such repose."
3. There is a special fellowship and communion with the Lord that is enjoyed through obedience to him. God has promised his people, saying, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." "Wherefore," he says, "come out from among them and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters." He here promises to be a Father to those who are already his people if they will separate themselves from the world and touch not what is forbidden. The sense in which he is to be their Father on such conditions is that he is to manifest himself to them in his rich blessings and holy presence. He will dwell in them and walk in them. They will feel his presence and enjoy sweet communion with him. They will thus realize that he is a God and Father to them, and that they are indeed his favored sons and daughters.
When children obey their parents they feel happier in their presence and they can approach them more freely than when they are disobedient. So the children of God enjoy a closer walk with him and more of the warmth and light of his presence when they are doing all in their power to obey him. Oh! Sweet communion with the Lord! Surely this is to be desired above all other things. David says, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple." What is spoken of here as being desired is to be sought after. Surely this is worth seeking after. The treasures thus obtained cannot be stolen by thieves or corrupted by moth or rust.
"Then let us still in Zion dwell,
Nor fear the wrath of earth and hell.
His arms embrace the happy ground,
Like brazen bulwarks built around.
God is our shield, and God our sun,
Swift as the fleeting moments run;
On us he sheds new beams of grace,
And we reflect his brightest praise."
4. Obedience secures and maintains fellowship with each other, so essential to the peace and happiness and well being of Gods people. When a child of God tells an experience of grace and submits to baptism at the hands of an authorized administrator, he gains the fellowship of the members of the church of Christ. To keep that fellowship he must walk as becomes a follower of Christ. Viewed in this light how responsible is the christian profession! Let each one in the church know that a disgraceful act performed by him brings reproach upon the entire body. What affects one, affects all. Oh! that we could all remember this and watch our own conduct, praying continually for grace to help us deny ourselves of ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. In union there is strength. There can be no true union without fellowship. There can be no fellowship without confidence. There can be no confidence without right living.
"I love the sons of grace,
The heirs of bliss divine,
Who walk in paths of righteousness,
And fly from every sin."
Their footsteps Ill pursue
With vigor till I die,
Rejoicing in the pleasing view
Of meeting them on high."
5. The obedience of saints is for the glory of God. Jesus says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16. The light should shine so men can see it. In this way God is glorified. He is not made more glorious in this way, but his glory is declared. "The Heavens declare the glory of God." The whole creation bespeaks the glory of the creator, for "there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." "Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." If the natural creation glorifies the Creator, ought it not be expected that his children would do so? They should glorify him in their bodies and spirits which are his, because the body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in them, and they are not their own for they are bought with a price. They can glorify him in their bodies only by presenting their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to him.
J. R. D.
Copyright c. 2005. All rights reserved. The Primitive Baptist Library.
