October, 1941
THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
397
a sign of an unspiritual nature—not of the wisdom which descends from above. A surrender of the mind and of the heart are closely connected, for as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7). Graciousness is not put on from the outside as ornaments on a tree, but. rather is something which grows from within. The gracious qualities listed in Galatians 5:22, 23, we are told, are fruit of the Spirit; and fruit, of course, is a result of the inner life of the plant or vine, not of something which happens to the. outside stems and leaves. III. GRACIOUS IN CONDUCT. No matter what our creed or belief concerning certain doctrines (vital as they are), the ultimate test of a Chris tian—in the eyes of the world—is his conduct. If we speak of knowing a Christ who loved the world enough to die for us, and yet live a life which fails to demonstrate His love toward our fellow man, our conduct beliés our words. We are citizens of a heavenly country (Eph. 2:19; Phil. 3:20, R. V.)". As such, we should show in our conduct the grace of God. A prince traveling from the- court where he has been trained shows the evidence of his high station in life. Even when he travels incognito, his very, bearing and manner of speech disclose that he is of good breeding. Can people tell by watching your conduct that your citizenship is in heaven? For the Leader A gracious Christian shows wisdom from above. One of-the characteristics of this wisdom, (Jas. 5:17) is that it is without hypocrisy. In other words, it is sincere. An illustration of the use of the word "sincere” may help us to under stand this characteristic better. Bee keepers used to take the honey 'they had gathered and hold it up to the light. If it was perfectly -clear and there was no bit of wax or other foreign element in it, it was labeled "sincere.” Is this npt a good criterion for measuring the conduct of a gracious Christian? When examined in the light, will our lives be perfectly transparent, with no wax of sin to mar their clarity? Can they be labeled "sincere” ? NOVEMBER 23, 1941 A CHRISTIAN IS GRATEFUL L uke .17:11-19; E phesians 5:20; C olossians 3:17 By Allison Selway Introduction Paul, the prisoner, standing on the deck of the wave-beaten ship, cried to his companions, “Be of good cheer” ; Paul, the missionary, sang praises to God at midnight in the Philippian jail; Paul, the aged, chain-bound at Rome, thrilled his fellow believers with the challenge to "rejoice in the Lord al ways” .(Phil. 4:4). The average Christian life, like that
of the unbeliever, is governed by grati tude and rejoicing only when “things go right?’ But the normal Christian life knows no murmuring nor complaining, for it is satisfied continually with the knqwledge that "He hath done all things well” '(Mk. 7:37). The average Christian cries out with Jacob, "All these things are against me'” (Gen. 42:36); the nor mal Christian .rejoices with Paul that . “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Rpm. 8:28); The life that abides in the heart of God’s will can be touched" by nothing that does not first pass through the atmosphere of perfect love surrounding that precious dwelling place, For Those Who Have Topics I. THE SOURCE OF GRATITUDE (Lk. 17:11-19). 1. Personal interview with the Lord Jesus—“ there met him ten men.” 2. Recognition of personal unworthi ness—"stood afar off.” 3. Petition for His healing touch— “have mercy on us.” 4. Personal obedience to His com mand—“as they went, t h e y w e r e cleansed.” 5. Praise for His transforming grace —“he' . . . fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks.” The life of abiding joy and continuous gratitude begins'at Calvary, il. THE STRENGTH FOR ABIDING GRATITUDE (Eph. 5:18-20; Col. 3:17). Paul commands us to “be filled with- the Spirit” and to “ do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.’' In each passage, the command to give thanks follows the command to yield our bodies, our entire being, to our Lord. Only as we exalt Him in every word and deed, yes, in every thought, can we be “giving thanks al ways for all things.” '' IH. THE SCOPE OF GRATITUDE. 1. In Colossians 3:15 we have the general command, “Be ye thankful.” Note "that there is no qualifying state ment as to when, why, where, etc., we are to be thankful. 2. In Philippians 4:4 our rejoicing or gratitude is limited in time to “ always.” 3. In Ephesians 5:20 our gratitude is limited in occasion to “ for all things.” IV. THE SACRIFICE OF GRATITUDE (Heb. 13:15; Psa. 50:14). There are moments in the life of each Christian when sincere gratitude and praise from the heart must be sac rificed as a love-offering to God. In these trying hours when faith is the single anchor of the soul, only a stead fast gaze into the face of our never- failing High Priest and a more com plete abandoning of self upon His arms of love can enable us to sing songs in the night. We frequently state that if we knew God’s will for our lives, we would fol low it in every detail. A life of unin-
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