something for them. A fellow-feeling de manded a response to the need of others in the same body. Such a response should always prevail among God’s own. Good Will Threatened Acts 15:1, 2, 22, 23, 28-31 False teaching entered the Antioch church to the effect that something in addition to the acceptance of the pure grace of the gospel is necessary for sal vation. These false teachers said that to be saved these Antiochans must be cir cumcised and thus adhere to the old Mosaic ceremonial system in addition to trusting in the finished work of Christ. This sort of teaching created “no small dissension” and the welfare of the An tioch church was in peril. The devil hates the doctrine of God’s sufficient grace. He will do anything to
to the apostles to distribute to the poor that all might have the same amount. What joy there was among these early Christians because they loved one an other so supremely! Can you sincerely say, “7 was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” ? Do you com plain about going to Sunday school and church; do you inwardly wish that you did not have to go? Do you attend God’s house only because your parents make you go? Paul said, “ Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” He also told the Christians to love or esteem others better than themselves. If Chris tians truly obeyed these two command ments, what a difference there would be in our churches today! If you do not truly love to go to God’s house and to be with God’s people, pray that He will give you such a love for His children that you can scarcely wait to be with them in His service and worship. Pray that He will make you truly glad to go into His house. September 16, 1951 GOOD WILL AMONG CHURCHES Acts 11:27-3»; 15:1, 2; 22, 23; 28-31 2 Cor. 9:1-5 Pointers on the Lesson Good will among churches certainly should exist. The basis for this condi tion is the fact that ideally all churches are a part of that one great body, the mystical body of Christ. Each member of each church, if a truly born-again Christian, is a member of this spiritual body whose head is Christ Himself. Therefore it is inconceivable that various groups belonging to the invisible but true church should persistently be out of harmony with each other. However, the solemn fact remains that not all that calls itself Christian in this world is truly Christian. Not all who live under the name Christian are a part of the true church. Evidently there are whole groups of so-called Christians who are not really Christian at all because they deny the great fundamental truths of Christ’s saving gospel. Thus if there is to be good will among churches it must be certain first that the churches are composed of those who are truly born again and standing solidly upon the Word of God. It is to be expected that among such as these there will be good will and a happy working together. Good Will in Action Acts 11:27-30 In a physical body we know that if one member suffers all the members suffer. In the spiritual realm it is the same. What affects one member of the body of Christ affects all the other mem bers (1 Cor. 12:26). In the passage be fore us the brethren in Judea were in physical need. The brethren in Antioch, hearing about it, felt constrained to do
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