The Secret of Winsome Attractiveness I t is the full-orbed symmetrical character of the Lord Jesus Christ in which there is no lack and no excess. Note it is not “fruits” as so often misquoted. It is just one cluster, and all nine graces are essential to reveal the beauty of true Ghrist-like- ness. But how often we see a great heart of love spoiled by quickness of temper— there is “love” but not “ self- control.” Or we see a person of great long-suffering but he is also very long-faced. There is “ long-suffering” but no “joy.” Again one sees a Chris tian very long on “faith” but very short on “ gentleness.” He has more of the thunder of Sinai than the love of Calvary in his make-up. He de fends the doctrine with better success than he adorns it. Sometimes we see one whose life is the embodiment of goodness but the goodness is over shadowed by worry and fretfulness. There is “ goodness” but not “ peace.” Oh! how the lack of the excess of any one of these graces mars the symmetry of the cluster. In the spir itual Christian all nine graces blend in such winsome attractiveness that the world sees Christ living within. It is a life of devoted separateness. The spiritual man takes Christ as his Example, and determines to walk as He walked. Christ lived a life of separateness. He was in the world but not of it. He had the closest contact with the world but was with out conformity to it or contagion from it. The spiritual man aspires to a similar separateness of walk. He bears the same relationship to the world as Christ bore to it, and the world will have the same attitude toward him that it had toward Christ. The Christian will regard the pleas ures, pursuits, principles and plans of the world exactly as Jesus Christ did. He was not of the world, therefore the world hated and persecuted Him. So will it treat the Christian. God calls you to a life of spiritual “ isolation” and “ insulation” in order that you may be more fully con formed to the image of His Son. Have you responded to the call to come out and be separate? It is a life of winsome holiness. Every Christian is called to a holy life. But many Christians do not want to be holy. They may want to be
perfect victory permanent He has sent the Holy Spirit to indwell and con trol. The carnal man is under the power of the law of sin. It operates in his life, bringing him much of the time under its dominion. But there is another and a higher law at work in the believer, and as he yields him self to its mighty power the spiritual man is delivered from the law of sin and death. Herein lies his habitual victory over all known sin. Do you experience such victory? It is a life of constant growth into Christ-likeness. There is no t h i ng static in true spiritual experience. The upward look and the unveiled face must catch and reflect something of the glory of the Lord. With a grow ing knowledge of Him and a deepen ing communion with Him there must be a growing likeness to Him. Blue Sky Above Muddy Waters O n one occasion I was trav eling upon the Yangtze River in Central China. A heavy rain-storm had just cleared away and the sun had come out brightly from behind the banked- up clouds. I felt an inward impelling to go out upon the deck and the Lord had a precious message awaiting me. The water of the Yangtze River is very muddy. But as I stepped to the railing arid looked over, I did not see the dirty, yellow water that day but, instead, the heavenly blue and fleecy white of the heavens above and all so perfectly reflected that I actually could not believe that I was looking down instead of up. Instantly the Holy Spirit flashed 2 Corinthians 3:18 into my mind and said, “ In yourself you are as unattractive as the water of the Yangtze River, but when your whole being is turned Godward and your life lies all open to Him so that His glory shines upon it and into it, then you will be so transformed into His image that others looking at you will not see you but Christ in you.” Oh, friends, are you and I “reflecting as in a mirror the glory of the Lord” ? This is the fruit God expects to find on the branch: “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long- suffering, kindness, . goodness, faith fulness, meekness, self-control: against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22, R.V.).
spiritual but they are afraid to be holy. This may be due to misunder standing of what holiness is through false teaching on this subject. What, then, is holiness? Let us first say what it is not. It is not sinless perfection, nor eradication of the sinful nature, nor is it faultless ness. It neither places one beyond the possibility of sinning nor removes the presence of sin. What Holiness Is S criptural holiness is not “ fault lessness,” but it is “ blameless ness” in the sight of God. We are to be “ preserved blameless” unto His coming, and we shall be “ presented faultless” at His coming. This truth was unfolded to me with fresh meaning when I was called upon to dispose of the personal be longings of a dearly loved sister whom God had called Home. Among the things she especially treasured was found a letter written to her when I was seven years of age. She had gone on a visit; I loved her and missed her, and that letter was the love of my heart expressed in words. The letter was by no means “ fault less,” for the penmanship was poor, the grammar was incorrect and the spelling was imperfect; but it was “ blameless” in the sight of my sister, for it came out of a heart of love and was the best letter I could write. For me, a grown woman, to write the same letter today would not be “ blameless,” for my experience in penmanship and my knowledge of grammar and of spelling are far greater. Holiness is, then, a heart of pure love for God. It is Christ, our Sanc tification, enthroned as Life of our life. It is Christ, the Holy One, in us, living, speaking, walking. Such holiness is winsome, for it spells the holy calm of God mirrored in the face, the holy quietness of God manifested in the voice, the holy graciousness of God expressed in the manner and the holy fragrance of God emanating from the whole life. Is. such winsome holiness yours? Which is your life— that of a car nal or a spiritual Christian? If you are not living habitually on the high est plane, will you determine now to do so? END.
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