THE KING’S BUSINESS
1036
from all men.” That is to say, no other man has a right to make laws for him as to what he may or may not do. No man has a right to sit as judge upon his actions: “to his own Lord he standeth or falleth” (Rom. 14:4). As led by the Spirit he is arbiter of his own actions (Gal. 5:18; 5:1; Col. 3:18-23; Rom. 14:2-5). God has called us to liberty and to individual judg ment as to duty. This is a great principle and understood by very few even to this day. The liberty of the individual believer in Christ and under the Holy Spirit’s guid ance is constantly being lost sight of. There are always Galatians who wish to bring us again under the law (Gal. 5:1, 2). But while the believer is free from all men, and will allow no man but Christ and the Holy Spirit to say what he may or may not do, he will not use his liberty as “an occasion to the flesh” (Gal. 5:13). He will submit himself to man’s regulations if thereby he may become a greater blessing to more men. This is the other side of the truth, and this very many lose sight of. They see clearly that the Christian life is a life of liberty, but they lose sight of the other fact just as plainly taught in the Word of God that the Christian life while it is a life of liberty, is still more a life of love. Love does not stand on its own rights. It never asks “what I have a right to do,” but, “by doing what, can I most help others?” As Paul puts it here in verse 19, it brings itself “under bondage to all” (R. V. comp. ch. 10:33). The very essence of Christian living is serving oth ers (Matt. 20:26-28; John 13:14, 15; Rom. 15:2; Gal. 5:15). As a child of God I am free from all men, and call no man master (Matt. 23:9, 10; 1 Cor. 7:23); but, as a saved person, I am debtor to all men to do what I can to save them (Rom. 1 :14, 15). So Paul brought himself . “under bondage to all,” from whom he was really free, in order that he “might gain the more.” It was not to get something for himself that he brought himself under bondage to men, but that he might get men for Christ. O, that it might be the key
note of all our lives, “that we might gain the more.” Paul had an absorbing pas sion for souls (cf. v. 22; ch. 10:33; Rom. 9:1-3; 10:1). Many there are who seek to please men and bring themselves under man’s regulations, but it is for a selfish purpose, they have some personal end in view which they hope to gain by seeking favor with men, by bringing themselves under man’s regulations; but it was not so with Paul, it was to gain meh he did it. The only question with him was, “How shall I gain the more men for Christ?” Would that we had more men that decided all their actions in the light of this ques tion. Too many of us are thinking of our rights and liberties. No man knew his rights better than Paul knew his, Iput Paul put these all aside in order to “gain the more.” He was “saved to serve” and he “served to save.” If you wish to save men, make yourself a bond-servant to them. Saturday, Nov. 3 . 1 Cor. 9 : 20 - 23 . “Unto the Jews” Paul “became as a Jew.” Paul never laid aside his princi ples, but he did constantly lay aside his preferences and privileges. He entered into the thoughts and positions of other men, put himself alongside of them and made himself one of them. He saw clearly for himself that the ceremonies of the Mosaic law had been fulfilled, and thus brought to an end in Christ, and that they were only shadows of good things to come, and now that the substance was come, the shadow could be dispensed with (Rom. 10:4; Col. 2:16, 17); but men still clung to it and he observed it for their sakes (cf. Acts 21:26). He was himself strong and needed not days to observe, and ordinances about what to eat and what not to eat. He was entirely above such “beggarly elements” that belong to the childhood of faith; but while he was strong, others were weak and needed such things, and so he got right down beside them. What a lesson there is here for us who are constantly saying: “This is the best way, and I insist on its
Made with FlippingBook Annual report