THE KING’S BUSINESS
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choose the good. It that is all, you will soon not choose it at all. “Cleave to it,” fasten yourself to it with the tenacity that will not be shaken off. Nothing more clear ly reveals the fatal weakness of our char acters than the hesitation with which we turn from sins we would like to commit but do not dare to commit. We do not do them, oh no ! But we let our fancy dwell upon them. Listen to Paul’s ringing words, “Abhor that which is evil” (Ps. 119:104; Pfov. 8:13). It was because Jesus “loved righteousness” and hated iniquity” that God anointed Him “with the oil of glad ness above His fellows” (Heb. 1:9). May this not indicate why we are not so anoint ed? We give up sin but we do not hate it, we do the good but we do not cleave to it as a husband does to his wife (cf. Eph. 5:31). Further than this, our love to the brethern must be of a tenderly affection ate kind. Further still, proving the gen uineness of our dove in the matter of honor, we must put others above ourselves. There is no surer test of love than this. It is easier far to give another man your last cent than it is to give him the place of honor you wish yourself. Th'ere was no clearer proof of John the Baptist’s devo tion to Jesus than his crying out, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Do you like to put others forward and your self out of sight? "Do you like to hear reports of meetings you attended and in which you took part, and to hear others strongly commended and yourself ignored? That is tne way love feels, it occupies the back seat, it rejoices to see others advanced before us (cf. Phil. 2:3; Luke 14:10; Matt. 20:26). A little more of this sort of “love without hypocrisy,” of love that manifests itself in the way just described, would be a great thing in our churches,’ synods, other ecclesiastical organizations; even the religious press does not quite seem to have gotten there as yet. Wednesday, August 15 . Rom. 12 : 11 , 12 . Note the words, “fervent in spirit.” Pure love glows, it does not affect that
grace to prophesy, the business of that one is to prophesy according to the proportion of faith that God has dealt'out to him. He has called others to teach and such should teach, and instead of vainly looking for gifts that God has not seen fit to bestow upon him, he should give himself with his whole heart to his teaching; and so with all the other gifts that God bestows upon us. Tuesday, August 14 . Rom. 12 : 9 - 12 . The keynote to what follows to the end of the chapter is found in the opening words of verse 9, “Let love be without hypocrisy.” If we have love, and love that is real and not a mere imitation, we will do all that Paul in this chapter bid us do; but much we call love is simply playing a part, i.e. hypocrisy. A good way to test our love is" by asking ourselves, Does it mani fest itself in the way pictured in the verses that follow, e.g. do we prefer others before ourselves in honor, do we distribute to the necessities of the! saints, are we given to hospitality, do we bless them that cjirse us, do we rejoice with them that rejoice and weep with them that weep? Go on through the chapter and apply Paul’s tests to your self. ' Then turn to 1 Cor. 13:4-7 and apply the tests given there. Then turn to 1 John 3:16-18 and apply the tests given there. When you have done this, ask yourself “Is my love real?” “Love without hypoc risy,” ' genuine love, the real article, that is exactly what the world needs today more than anything else. The final cause of the war today with all its horrors was because there did not exist to any very widespread extent among the rulers of the nations of earth, real love, love without hypocrisy. Paul goes on to say “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” This is very strong language. Obedience to it means a strong life. It is not enough to languidly decline to do evil,' if that is all you do you will soon be assenting to it. Abhor it, i.e., have a horror of it, turn from it in utter detestation. It is not enough on the other hand to half-heartedly
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